This is a review of the Revell ’66 GTO kit #854479

This is a re-do build, but is one where I didn’t get “before” pics. Sadly, I forgot all about it, but never mind. This revell kit is substantial and has a lot of quality parts – many chrome – and is easier to make than 90% of kits out there. No lie, this “goat” is definitely one of the GOAT kits out there.

Revell has been busy with reissuing this one, so there is no shortage of good kits out there. The 2 “Royal” kits refer to the Royal Bobcat racing treatments that some of these got back in the day. They include a wealth of racing decals and such, but are otherwise little different that the other ones. I can honestly say that you will not find a bad kit with these.. they are high quality and are super good builders.

CAR BACKGROUND :: Beyond the Italian counterparts, any of which are better than this car by MILES, the ’66 GTO is the best GTO made. The stying, the speed, the pinache, the sales… this car really had it all. It was a colossal improvement over the plain-jane ’65, and though the ’67 was a close facsimile, it still didn’t carry the skin this tiger did. Carry a GTO, indeed. The 389 tri-power was strong enough to throw this car to 100mph in the 13 sec range and would still pull for plenty above that as well. Even regular 4-barrel versions would probably scare granny’s knickers off her and it couldn’t look any better doing so!

Done in Tamiya Gold with a nice black pin-stripe, this was heads and tails better than the Testors Aztec gold I used in my other build. It was more smooth and easier to blend. This kit comes with all the goodies, though – nice side mirror; 3 different colored pin-stripes; redline tires,… as complete as you can get out of box.

Easily one of the better interiors you’ll work with, the Revell ’66 GTO is highly detailed, needs nothing added, and is fantastic when done for even the worst modeler. I added the wood-look wheel, and kept the console chromed up. The gauges are decals and make for an easy good look. Only way this could be sharper is with a white/two-tone look.

The engine bay is awesome as well. I cannot say enough about the presence of the tri-barrel atop the big block. Say what you like, but it looks pretty nasty. I added the wires and some small detail here and there, but with NO work, this is still a fanatically good engine to display. Bout the only downside is the entire bay needs painted flat black after you paint the body so it matches GM engine bays. It is a LOT of cut work and is tiring. It sure “pops” when done, however.

The underside is a blessing to work with as well. The wheels are easy to make and apply to the axles; the engine and exhaust mate well; there is a good amount of detail; and plenty to work on if you like to OVER-paint the bottom of your kits (tank, shocks, cross-member, etc). I DID add my own exhaust tips, but the originals were really decent to begin with… I just wanted more chrome.

This is one of my favorites kits and, I have to admit, one of my favorite muscle cars. The ease of putting it together after working tirelessly on the engine, interior, trim, and such will put such a smile on your face. It has very few faults and is still among the mid-range kits to buy as well. Because of the reissues and the plentiful nature of the kits currently, it isn’t much of an investment. It is one of the best kits you’ll make, however.

10 Astonishing