Building the 1941 Plymouth AMT Model Kit

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Greetings ~

Well, I'm off building another model car kit. This time I'm building the AMT reissue of the 1941 Plymouth coupe. This is the newest version at this time. It's the Coca Cola edition. However, I am building it as an original stock '41 Plymouth coupe. I'm not using the Coke items or decals. I used the Coke pieces on another kit, the 1963 Chevy II Nova station wagon.

I used the Coca Cola accessories and decals on the 1963 Chevy II Nova kit.

I do not remember any coupes being used as a Coke car in real life. I do remember the Novas used for local deliveries so I used the decals and accessories on the other kit. This one will be a simple stock version of the Plymouth.

The color will be a standard black body. These cars were semi fancy in their day but still pretty standard. The coupes were used by single men, doctors, lawyers, etc. These were not family cars of the period. They were for a young couple starting out with no family yet. This kit will be built with that in mind. So, let's get started...

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Hello! I'm Mr. Ed

Blog Created: 8-21-2023

Last Updated: 9-6-2023

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This is the AMT kit #1197M in 1/25th scale.

Opening the box.

Laying out the parts.

NOTE:

This kit can be built actually 3-ways. 1-as a standard '41 coupe, 2-as a custom version and 3-as the Coke coupe. I will do it as the standard '41.

The first thing to do is to paint the body parts. I pulled out my old trusty paint booth box and got started. I selected the standard Testors gloss black #FS17038.

This is a real testament to the Testors brand of spray paints. I bought this can back in the early 1980s. I used it once until now. The spray worked perfectly and the paint is great.

In this first step, I painted the body and the hood. There's a few other parts that will have to be sprayed later.

To save on the spray paint, I brush painted the undercarriage gloss black, Testors #1147.

I then used Testors flat black #1149 for the wheel drums, axle and rear springs, drive shaft, radiator, battery and hoses.

I also painted the fan belt and pullies flat black.

The main body parts are all painted. The body, hood and grill housing.

I have to paint the engine block so I pulled out the spray paints.

I will paint the engine block Testors spray paint #1210. Gloss bright blue.

I'm going to paint the interior. I have two colors that I will use on the interior. They are both over 40-years old. I bought them in the early 1980s. I had four but two have dried up over the decades. These two are still good. They are from Monogram. Hardened Leather #8184 and the other is Red Leather #8185. You'll probably never find these so use what you have for the interior.

The side panels of the interior are painted with the Hardened Leather.

Other body parts are brush painted gloss black. Such as the rear bumper support.

The firewall.

And the fender wells.

I'm using two Rust-Oleum colors also for the dashboard and steering wheel. One is Gloss Sand #7771 and the othjer is Gloss Leather Brown #7775. The brown I am using for the steering wheel and dashboard.

The front seat is in two pieces. One is the seat and the other is the back panel. The seat is painted with the Monogram red leather #8185 and the back panel is painted with the Rust-Oleum gloss leather brown #7775.

PAINTING NOTE:

I understand that many can not get these colors. You can use any combination of colors that you wish. I am only listing these colors as what I used and possibly you may find them at a hobby shop, local store, etc.

The back seat and carpet is paint Monogram red leather #8185.

While the interior paints dry, I started on the engine. The head is glued on. For the head and other engine parts, I used Testors paint, gloss silver #1146.

The fan belt and pully assembly in the instructions were written by some idiot who spends most of his time playing in the dirt. The instructions are screwy here.

Follow my arrows. The generator (1) is glued to the pully (2). Then it all goes onto the waterpump.

Ta-Daaaa!

Now that the fan belt headache is over, we do the wheels. Each are in three parts. The tires, hubcaps and inner drums.

It's nice that the whitewalls are already installed. The hubcaps snapped in real easy. They did not require any glue.

The inner drums had to be glued in place. Only use a dab on all four sides.

Instructions for the STOCK engine assembly. This is the engine I am using.

Instructions for the CUSTOM engine assembly.

Instructions for both the stock and custom wheel assembly. I used the stock wheels.

The side manifold is glued to the engine block.

Then that troublesome fan assembly is glued to the front of the engine.

To paint the battery caps and posts, I used the point of a pin as my paint brush.

This worked well on the dashboard knobs as well. I dipped the pin point into the paint in the cap of the jar and touched it to the part. There's no way I could do these with a brush.

I used my tiny micro brush to paint the silver on the horn bar on the steering wheel. I also used the tiny brush for painting the dashboard gauges and the speaker screen.

Then I painted the exhaust pipe and muffler silver.

I glued the back panel to the front seat.

Then the seat is glued into the interior.

Next I painted the rubber mats of the running boards Testors gray # 1138.

I finished off the painting of the undercarriage parts in flat black.

I then glued on the air cleaner bowl. Since the one in the kit is missing, I used the distributor cap from the custom engine parts.

Then I glued the steering wheel to the column.

Instructions to the interior assembly.

INSTRUCTIONS NOTE:

On each part shown, there are two different numbers listed. One number is correct, the other isn't. I figured they must have used the instruction sheet from the original issue of this model back in the 1990s and simply modified it with the new numbers.

The dashboard is now glued into place.

While all that dries, I turn my attention to other parts such as gluing the grill inserts into the housing.

The radiator is in two pieces. I don't know why. But I had to glue them together.

The radiator parts are glued.

This small straight piece is the divider bar for the windshield. It had to be painted silver. I've never had a model with this piece before. I guess if you build the kit as the custom addition, this part isn't used.

So, while I had the silver paint open, I figured I may as well paint the window trim on the body. Such as the crome strips around the windshield, rear window and the side vent windows.

Even with a tiny micro brush, this is tricky as the paint can smear. And my old hands are not too steady. So, I used a toothpick as my brush and that makes it much easier to run the line of paint around the window opening.

I glued the lid onto the air cleaner bowl.

Now the engine is glued into the frame.

Then the rear axle is glued to the springs.

There are cutouts on the springs for the axle ends to fit into. However, they DO NOT snap in. So you have to glue them and hope for the best in lining them up.

Now the two front springs are glued in.

The springs are in place.

The steering column is glued in.

The rear axle, springs and drive shaft are glued in.

While all of that dries, I glued in the headlight lenses. I used the toothpick to apply the glue in small dabs as not to allow it to smear in the clear lenses.

Now the metal axle rods are installed. In few cases, they may slide right in. However, in MOST cases they won't.

In this case, I used a small tack hammer to gently tap them in. And I mean...GENTLY!

The axles are in. These do not need to be glued.

Well, that's it for tonight.

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I feel like getting started today ~

First thing today is to glue in the interior rear view mirror. Remember to turn it slightly toward the driver's side which, up-side-down is toward the right.

Next is to glue in the exhaust.

I then painted the inside of the body shell gloss black.

After the inside paint was dry, I painted the silver trim around the windshield. Yep! The toothpick again.

Then the trim around the rear window is done.

Then the outside door handles.

The chrome around the other door vent window.

Lastly, the trunk lid insignia.

Now the glass is glued into the body shell.

Parts needed for the front axle.

The front passenger side is done first.

Make sure that the hole for the steel axle rod is straight and not obstructed by anything.

Now the running board pads are glued on and clamped.

Now the center strip is glued on the center of the windshield.

The other side of the front axle parts are glued in.

The battery is glued onto the driver's side wheel well.

There's a slit on the hood where to put the hood ornament.

The ornament is tiny.

It's toothpick time for applying the glue into the slit for the hood ornament.

The radiator and the water hose is glued in place.

The rear bumper pan is glued in.

The wheel's steel axles are run through the plastic axles. They went through easy but I knocked off two tires doing it. One on the front and one on the back. I will re-glue them.

The interior box is glued in. I also re-glue the two tires back on.

The front grill assembly was a little hard as, once I slid it into place, it kept trying to pop back out. So I clamped it.

The clamps did the trick. The grill housing is in.

The headlights are now glued in. The toothpick is used to apply the glue again on the headlights.

Next, the radio antenna is glued on.

I have to paint the tail lights red. There are two tail lights plue another in the center of the trunklid.

NOTE:

Whenever painting a part that is this small, I always use a toothpick as my paintbrush. This not only saves on the paint, but it also is easier to apply the paint without smearing it all over the part.

ALSO:

After shaking the paint to mix it up, I always use the paint that is in the lid. This saves on the paint as the paint in the lid is never used and is waisted.

The tail lights.

The single light on the trunk lid handle. I believe this was the brake light.

We're getting close to the end. Only a few parts to add yet.

The wheel well sidewalls are now put in.

Now the body is glued on.

The tail lights are glued in place.

The trunk lid handle and stoplight are glued on.

The gas cap is glued to the driver's side rear fender.

Now the bumpers are glued on. I put a thinner bottle against the rear bumper to hold it in place but found that the bumpers stayed on with nothing holding them.

THE LAST PART TO GO ON!!!!!

The rear view mirror is added to the driver's door.

The model is officially finished.

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The car is done! And Bonzo likes it ~

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Review ~

All in all, the kit is a nice one. Once you get used to the numbering system and overcome a few other small problems, it goes together rather well.

Was it fun to build? Yeah, I guess so. No real hurdles to get over. So I guess I'll give the kit a rating of 4-stars out of 5. You can build it one of three ways. As a standard 1941 Plymouth coupe, a custom edition with the modified engine or as a Coca Cola delivery car. I decided on the standard coupe model. I almost always build them as originals.

If you find this kit and decide to build it, remember, it's a re-issue and do not pay over $25.00 for it. It's really not worth anymore than that. If you get an older one and the instruction sheet is missing, I hope this blog will help you out while building it. Good luck and like always, have fun with it ~

Now that it's done, I'm going to go and fix my hair. Talk later ~

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CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO ORDER THIS KIT ~

NOTE: Amazon is claiming that the regular retail price is $31.99 and your saving 25%. Walmart is claiming that he regular price is $63.37, you save $41.87. DON'T BELIEVE THEM! The regular retail price is $24.99. So at Amazon you are paying the regular manufacturer's suggested retail price. There's no sales here! And if you find the kit for anything over $25.00,, your getting royally ripped off. I bought this kit at Ollie's for $12.99. Both the prices at Amazon and Walmart are fair with today's market. However, the higher prices are not. Come on, $63.00? Are you kidding?