AMT’s totally new tool Camaro from last year was a pretty damn amazing model, all around. It was one of the few, hell perhaps even the only new tool release from Round 2 in a long time that was totally worth it.
It had a very, very complicated suspension and axle set-up with well over 40 pieces just dedicated to that and the mold was fantastic.
And at one point or another, they decided not only to turn it into an annual release, they also did some improvements here and there. We’re not all the way there yet, but we’re gettin’ there. Think of omissions like side light decals, brake caliper decals, so on, the little things, and AMT’s gone on to say that it’s on their “to-do” list for 2018. But I’m getting off track here, back to the bad boy in question.
Cue the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS with it’s 50th anniversary edition package, a wholly metallic dark gray beast with the trim level between the LT and 1LE packages, with large original rims, beehive air intakes and raised spoiler. For the sake of creativity, while the stripes and color make it unique among Camaros, for the kit, the FIFTY edition is also the least exciting; a whole black leather interior, few FIFTY badges here and there and that’s about it. At least the regular SS version has colored interior options and whatnot.
But I digress, it’s not all that bad that it’s pretty much one shade to the car. In some ways, the all black interior and the dark gray exterior accents the orange in the stripes a lot more and the car itself looks a hell of a lot more sinister.
Speaking of which, the whole kit’s actually molded in color. The body, hood, spoiler and mirrors in the respective dark gray metallic(which really longs for a clear coat as man, it is mighty dulled out), the rest of the kit in semi-gloss black and pieces that were previously plated like the exhausts, headlights and rear-view mirror are now in a slightly flat gray that is quite freakin’ ugly all things considered, knowing that the previous version of this kit had ’em in chrome.
Though, the headlights not being chrome does work and makes the front end look less
goofy and more like the real car. The rest on the other hand, I really would’ve still liked ’em in the chrome finish.
This kit sits in a weird middle ground of AMT’s modus operandi where it’s got the benefit of the snap kit it’s completely painted(though still requires some painting and clearcoating for it to look as good as it does on the box), but it’s still the full glue kit with the nearly 100 parts and has no snap kit alternative. And AMT’s next release in its Camaro line is the 2017 Camaro 1LE, which weirdly enough a snap kit without an accompanying glue kit.
All in all, the kit’s pretty much unchanged besides some fit improvements here and there. Like the front grilles now sit much better, especially with the two on the left and right sides, the whole engine block goes together better now and the stance of the car has been improved a fair bit. If you’re gonna build the 2016 Camaro, this kit is much better than previous release in terms of fit and finish, though you’d be missing the SS wheels and stripes, the build is a heckuvalot more pleasant.
For a moment though, I feel like I gotta flog the dead horse that has been flogged many times before: Chevrolet has got their editions wrong, sort of. Or at least, off by a few years. 
While technically yeah, in 1967 Chevy came with the first Camaro on the market and 2017 would mark the fiftieth anniversary, but it’s also odd knowing that Camaro has technically only existed for 43 years as a car, from 2002 through 2009 there were only concept cars and no Camaro was sold until the beginning of ’09.
But y’know, it’s still been 50 years since that awesome, awesome rival to the Mustang was delivered to the market and that’s what counts, the name, even if the Camaro car itself was down and out for 7 years.
It’s a very, very nice kit based on just as nice a kit that came just a year before. And it’s nice to have a complete line up of anniversary edition models with the FIFTY joining the line-up looking freakin’ awesome.
’17 Chevrolet Camaro SS FIFTY(50th Anniversary) Edition specifications:
Kit: AMT1035M/12
Skill Level: N/A
Parts: 107
Molded in: Dark Gray Metallic, Black & Silver
Scale: 1/25