Model Car Garage - 1959 AMC Rambler Wagon Model Kit By Jo-Han - Model Car Unboxing Video
Channel: Monster Hobbies Model Car Garage
Date: 2019-05-10

American Motors had a history-making year of sales in 1959. Today on the Monster Hobbies Model Car Garage we will be looking at the 1959 AMC Rambler Wagon Model Kit By Jo-Han. This is a model car unboxing video. 

America's most successful compact, the Rambler, was introduced by Nash for 1950. It grew larger in 1956 as a retooled, but still compact car. In 1958 a stretched version called the Rambler Ambassador was introduced. In 1959 AMC did the unthinkable and reintroduced the original mothballed version, thus offering three sizes of compacts. 

America loved it, skyrocketing Rambler to fourth place in sales. Rambler eventually became the "Wagon Master" by selling more wagons than any other make. The thrifty compact wagons were popular in the suburbs, on the beaches, and as emergency vehicles. 

Jo-Han has captured the look of this 1959 American Motors Rambler Wagon well. This model kit is a reworking of their Promotional 1959 American Motors Rambler Wagon. A "promotional" model car was a model car made by a model car manufacturer for the real car dealerships. Promotional model cars were given away by the car dealerships when a customer bought the real car. 

That means that you get a basic model kit with no engine, a "flat pan" with 2-part chrome wheel / rubber tires, metal axles, tub interior with dashboard, steering column, steering wheel, tachometer / gear selector, body, chrome grille, chrome roof rack, tail lights, rear view mirror, bumpers, "glass" and screws to hold it all together. 

That is basically all there is to this kit...HOWEVER... the Jo-Han 1959 American Motors Rambler Wagon Model Kit includes a plethora of optional parts, professional suggestions,  and decals to turn this promotional model kit into 12 different versions, 24 if you convert this car from a Rambler to an Ambassador, which they show you how in the instruction sheet. 

Re-released in 2003 under Oakey Spaulding (Current owner of Jo-Han) as a re-launching platform for the company, Jo-Han  was looking to add in additional components to make this basic model kit shine through.  

For the stock variation, Jo-Han has included a bowling ball bag, a 2-part cooler, luggage and a cake box. These parts can be placed in the Rambler Wagon's bed. There is an excellent paint chart on the instruction sheet listing all the interior and exterior color combinations and a section where Jo-Han directs you, step by step, in altering the wagon into a standard 4-door passenger car by cutting the rear of the roof off the model kit (Or cutting the trunk from the Jo-Han 1959 Dodge) and sinking that part into the lower back of the car. Jo-Han then suggests using the 1956 Pontiac's front windshield as the rear glass window for the Rambler. There are also step by step instructions to alter the grille into an American Motors Ambassador. 

Getting into the custom car field, the 1959 American Motors Rambler Wagon Model Car By Jo-Han supplies moon hub caps, surf boards, exterior wood paneling decals, spot lights, lake pipes, fender skirts, flame decals, and if you flip the chassis pan upside down, you can build a low rider! 

For service wagons, the instructions show you how to build this model car as a  Police Emergency Wagon with police equipment added to the body such as a siren and "Bubble Gum" red dome light. The decals reflect this in that you could build three different police units ; Covington Police, Dodge City Police, and the Branch County Sheriff. However the model kit is missing the Police Radio and the Push Bar with Over-rider Front Bumper. These items could be sourced out from other police model cars or scratch built from plastic sheets.  The other service vehicles include an ambulance, taxi, delivery wagon and, if you cut off the roof behind the driver, remove the rear seat and rear interior panels and alter the very back of the roof, you can build a Deliveryman Pickup. All of these cars include special decals and a special TAXI sign for the roof. 

Although this is a promotional model kit, it is excellent. The body proportions and chrome details (Which you have to cover with Bare Metal Foil) are fantastic and the chrome bumpers fit perfectly. The dashboard and steering wheel looks perfect for the 1959 Rambler and are highly detailed. 

The 1959 American Motors Rambler Wagon Model is a simple model kit, but does fill a spot in the already thin 1959-1963 model car timeline which doesn't have a lot of entries overall, never mind in the Fleet Utility department. Like i said, the options are huge and deciding on one is near impossible, unless you have multiple kits. Either way you choose to build yours, this is an excellent representation of the 1959 Rambler wagon. 

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We hope you enjoyed this Model Car Garage - 1959 AMC Rambler Wagon Model Kit By Jo-Han - Model Car Unboxing Video

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