This is a review of Revell’s 1964 Pontiac GTO 2-in-1. This is kit #2164.

The body of the car is fantastic. There is little flash and pieces fit very easily. It comes with stock and street pieces, though the street setup is mild (no slicks, wheelie bars etc.). The glass is easy to work with and the rear side glass is optional. There are many versions of this kit and there are some differences.

#1 is basically the same as the above. #2 is molded in red – and that means ALL of the pieces save the chrome… and even they are red under the silver – which makes trimming more tedious. #3 is not only not “special” but is the same as #2. #4 looks like 2 & 3 but is actually molded in white like #1.

These 2 kits are probably amongst the better snap-fit cars you can buy. They are complete with engines and lots of detail, just are a bit easier than the above. They don’t have the panache of the regular kits and include things I’m not crazy about – like a radio antenna w/hole. If you don’t use antennas (which I don’t) then you either have to patch the hole, or have one car with an antenna. The J.L. is a good collector item and comes with a 1/64th version.

CAR BACKGROUND :: The 64 GTO is considered to be the first of the true muscle cars and is one of the more handsome IMO. I think Revell did a great job with this kit in capturing all of the curves/lines of the original. The car’s 348hp, 389ci V8 was a honey of an engine – though lesser versions of the 389 were stout enough for anyone. The car wasn’t a pretender either. With the 4-speed tranny, the car could easily pull mid-14s in the ¼mile at near 100mph. Many purists took slight at Pontiac’s use of the GTO (Gran Turismo Omologato) name that was originally coined by Ferrari. In all fairness, it is hard to compare the Ferrari’s $20,000 racer to the $3k, 6-passenger cruiser. And… even though the “tiger” would outrun the prancing horse through the quarter mile, the cat would be skinned on ANY track and would lose the top speed battle by a good 50mph.

BUILD NOTES :: When going to paint the car, remember to paint the firewall (if you want it same as the car) and the nose insert between the grilles. The underside is very detailed and has a nice exhaust setup. It also has shocks and springs. The GTO comes with stock rims or custom ones. The custom rims are actually among the better looking in the model world and worth keeping/selling. Interior is also nicely detailed with a lot of door/dash items to paint if you wish.

The front grille/bumper setup fits very well and I’ve never had a problem with it. The rear one is a bit trickier, but still matches up well. Rear valance insert is nice and the center can be painted red or left chrome (the GTO came both ways). This model comes with rear view mirror, side mirror, radiator hose and has a master cylinder.

Under the hood is really nice on this car. Plenty of details adorn the fenders and firewall and the 389 tri-power is one of the nicest you’ll see. The model has a nice radiator setup, an attached battery, and a molded brake boost. I’m not crazy about the ones molded to the firewall, but at least this one is bigger and more detailed than most.

The “street” setup, like I said earlier, is mild. There are a few subtle upgrades – dual intake, sport rims, and a second hood with hole for the high-rise intake. The decals are kind of garbage. The stripes are ugly as heck and completely aftermarket. There is NOTHING GTO related. No engine decals, no GTO badges, nothing. Disappointing. License plates are standard too – nothing fun. I made one for mine.

I chose Tamiya Red Metallic spray for this GOAT. It looks pretty similar to the Grenadier Red of 1964 and the metallic isn’t too stunning (not like a bass boat, more of a light dusting). The paint came out just gorgeous and is †††††††††††††† easily one of my best to date.

This car can be a non-pillar car with just a slight bit of trimming. You have to take out the double bar and then shave the extra chrome trim around the roof (see pic). I kept mine as is as I think the extra chrome looks sharp.††

Interior is black and fully detailed. Was debating in a multi-color interior, but decided the black with red was bold enough. Forgot to do a wood steering wheel, but the black still works.

Engine is the typical Pontiac silver-blue and has black wires. I didn’t, however, like the side mirror (one of the only negatives I can give this Revell) so I used an extra GM mirror I had.

Underside is easy to work with as the exhaust matches up with the engine every time. The shocks I painted blue and I left the mufflers flat black for a turbo-muffler look. I kept the standard quad-tips as they look pretty good from the sides.

Honestly, the grievances for this car are small. The parts all fit well. The front grill typically needs trimmed before placement (check before gluing). The rear bumper could better fit against the rear panel – doesn’t fit completely flush against on the top, but it doesn’t ruin the look either. I’ve also had a kit where the chrome is BAD. Not that other kits don’t have the issue, but this one was unusable.

As of 6/2019, these kits are prevalent and not horribly expensive (bought this one for $18). They are a decent investment since out of print, but are more importantly a fantastic build. I recommend the “white” versions so you can paint the pieces easier and not have to worry about the chrome ones, but the “red” kits still work.

9.25 – Excellent