Comparative study between the AMC & AL.BY Steyr 1500A

By Eduard Ferrer

I built both kits within a month of of each other, the last one being the AMC version, so I had present the built AL.BY kit while building the Czech kit.

The AMC Steyr is not a straightforward kit at all, however there isn't any special point too hard to overcome. Anyway you will spend a lot of time primarily in:

• Sanding to thin the radiator protective bars, in order to let them show the photo-etched. After spending half an hour of carefully sanding, I'm not happy with the results, so I'll recommend to scratchbuild the protective bars;
• Replicating decent wheels;
• Assembling the main hull, where the walls and the fenders don't agree to get married...
• Deepening the place where the photo-etched must be inserted.

As an improvement of the kit I:

• Scratch-built a license plate frame;
• opened the rear compartment doors;
• Added some support frames to the tarpaulin using wire;
• Replaced the front Bosch lights with others from the ZV models' Einheits truck;
• Added tools on the front;
• and finally, put the 'U' frame where the foot goes when you try to get inside the car.

The final result is quite convincing, and if I forgot the occasional pain when assembling it, I felt the same satisfaction when I finished the AL.BY car.

While the AMC offering has better detail on the seats and allows the rear compartment doors left open, the AL.BY construction time is about 5 times less with similar result...

Happy modelling,

Eduard Ferrer.