The Model Car Showroom
Reviews, pictures, hints, and links 1/24, 1/25 car kits
X-RAY: 1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT-500 (MCM) 1/25, Revell
This X-Ray is for a popular kit by Revell – the 1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT-500 Motor City Muscle edition.
This kit has all of the creamy goodness as the other GT-500 kits Revell offered, but it also has a set of aftermarket wheels/tires that are not only nice, but not over-done. It comes with the 428 Cobra Jet (no options) with an optional high-rise dual intake. One stock hood, 1 set of regular tires (no slicks), high-detail interior (with roll-bar), and a decal set that includes 3 different stripe sets (black,gold,and white). Good: Exellent fitting kit; cheap cost; this version molded in white. Bad: Lots of extra detail needed to make right; not many speed options.
Price: ~$20
Walker Bulldog M41 U.S. Tank
This is a review of the Tamiya 1/35 Walker Bulldog Kit#3555-700
This is the first of many military/naval reviews and it is a really sweet kit. This is the late 40s Walker Bulldog. This is my first larger scale tank and only the 5th or so tank I’ve ever worked on. It’s one of those things you mean to try but never get around to it. Glad I chose this one to start with.
The M41 was developed as a counter to stronger Russian tanks. Between the end of the second World War and the lack of development funding, the tank was delayed all the way to 1951. Named after General Walton Walker (after he was killed at a demonstration), it was a competent vehicle and saw battle in the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Vietnam War, and was shipped to a dozen or so countries for support.
The tank weighed 23.49 tons and was welded steel. It carried a 76mm M32A1 cannon, a .30cal M1919, and a .50cal Browning. The engine was a 500hp, 6-cyl made by Cadillac and it could run up to 72.4km/h (45mph). Not something to outrun!
I painted the tank in Tamiya Olive Drab and added as much detail as I could. I do not have the paint skills for a “weathered” look, but I think the “new” look works good. I also do not like painting/working with crew/soldiers, so I left them out of the kit. I think that the vehicles look real enough, but I’ve yet to see a “person” look real at this scale.
Only downside to this kit I could find had to do with the wheels in the tread setup. They are supposed to “roll” so the tread can roll, but they want to slip off the posts without using a bit of glue. There are also two tread posts that have to be glued on and without using super glue or stronger, the tread will easily pull away from the sides because of the stress of the elastic tread. Some stupid design flaw (see fig. right). I fixed it using super glue gel and 12+hrs.
I can say this is a wonderful kit and is not only plentiful, but inexpensive ($20). I’d say the best part of this kit are the treads as they are made of a very solid rubber and look super real. It also has a nice set of decals for multiple looks. A must buy in my book.
9.25 – Excellent
DECALS : 1973 Ford Falcon XB Mad Max Interceptor The Road Warrior 1/24 Aoshima
Here is my first decal set for purchase. These are replacements for the Aoshima kit Mad Max Interceptor : The Road Warrior 1/24 kit. The headlights are typically garbage on this kit, so I decided to make sure I had good replacements for them. The lights are done on clear paper as to look right on the glass and the others will be done on white. If you are interested, message me with the request. I can send ANY of these or the full set if needed.
–Kev
’62 Chevrolet Bel Air 409
This is a review of the AMT 1962 Bel Air kit#8716
You are looking at one of the top THREE best AMT kits there are. Not possibly good… not maybe-sort-of… BEST. From start to finish, you will be amazed with the fit, finish, accessories, and upgrades. And, it is a heck of a car too.
All of the AMT ’62 kits have the same pieces and can build the same Super Stock drag car, but these are separated by the famous drag racers that piloted their certain versions. They are all molded in the typical medium-to-light grey and all run about the same coin to buy… very little.
CAR BACKGROUND :: “She’s real fine, my 409.” The definitive sleeper of the 60’s muscle car era. The bubble top Bel Air was a stripped down, light, and potent car in a straight line. Though the 409hp, 409ci Chevy only tripped the lights around the high 14sec mark in the ¼mile, it became an early 60’s legend in the drag circuit. With mid-to-high 12 second times, it was a formidable car against anything brought to the strip. It was also a gorgeous car. Long lines; graceful top; and just enough chrome to get you noticed. Bet the guy with the Chrysler 300H wished he hadn’t messed with the granny-lookin’ Chevy!
I’ve made this car around seven times, so I can say that it looks good in a lot of colors, styles, and layouts. I can also say that this is a favorite color of mine. It is Nassau Blue with a light gloss coat and it looks just CLASSIC to me. I have made this into a drag car three different times and wished I still had the orange one I made a decade ago. It had a dual high-rise intake and some beefy slicks. Loved it. I also wish it wasn’t so perfect of a drag car because I love the stock look, and don’t have room for both!
AMT does seem to do a nice job on some of the interiors of the older year kits, and this ’62 is no exception. I decided to do this one in a lime gold look and I think it looks grand with the blue exterior. It looks a bit more “gold” because of the yellow light bulb I have, but I never said I was a photographer.
409 cubic inches. 409 horsepower. 409 cars probably smoked by its owner. This is one of AMT’s top three engines as well and a personal favorite of mine. The curved valve covers, well appointed bay, and that dual-carb beast make my day every time I build one. I used the Nassau blue for the air cleaner even though it probably was black, but I just think it rocks. NOTHING needed as well.
This IS the best AMT underside you’ll ever work with. The exhaust fits well and has a ton of glue points – then ends with behind-tire drop-down pipes (I added tips); has more detail than you could shake a stick at; and never fails. Only drawback? Not a lot of room for meaty tires. Can’t have everything, I guess.
I said it before and I’ll say it again.. TOP THREE. Maybe not even just top three AMTs, but top three best car kits you’ll find! I really cannot say enough about it. Best part is that these kits are STUPID CHEAP! Beyond the 37 different drag names, there was also a recent reissue, so you can honestly get them for under $20 almost anytime. I wouldn’t put one aside for an investment, but it wouldn’t cost a lot to do so if you did.
10 – Astonishing
X-RAY: 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 1/25, Revell
Next X-Ray is for a favorite of mine – 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 from Revell.
1 set of tires with one set of rims (no options); really nice detailed interior; front glass has separate side vents; chrome wheelbase trim; 396ci V8 with chrome air cleaner; stripe set (black & white) NO street parts or tires. Good: One of the better fitting kits; 100% better than the AMT kit. Bad: Lousy blue mold makes for a lot of cover-up.
Price: ~$25+
’66 Ford Fairlane GT/GTA
This is a review of the AMT ’66 Ford Fairlane #6926 (from the Muscle Cars three-pack)
One of my favorite classic/muscle cars is the 1965 Galaxie 500. I owned one for almost 6 years and loved it. I especially loved the lines/style – to me it just looks fantastic. The Fairlane received similar upgrade looks the next year and I think it is almost as good. It, unfortunately, is kind of a hit-and-miss kit, but I’ll explain more later. I purchased the Muscle Cars kit as the other 2 cars are great as well and it makes for a great deal.
These are the typical kits you’ll find for the Fairlane and, save for the “427”, are all very similar. They are all molded in white/off-white grey, have a good amount of pieces and not a truckload of flash. The “427” is a very dramatic car and is getting very rare. I can’t say the fit and finish is any better, and I think the others are a more true representation of what was readily available for sale than the 427 drag car.
CAR BACKGROUND :: The ’66 Fairlane was shaped with the ’65 Galaxie in mind. See, for ’65, the Fairlane had the side-by-side front lights, but in ’66, they were stacked like the Galaxie. Rear lights were tall and thin like the luxo-cruiser as well. Unlike ’65 too, the ’66 (and subsequent ’67) Fairlanes were given a major power upgrade. The base engine was still the venerable 289ci, but for more oomph, the 390 4-barrel was a box you could now check off. Rated at 335 horsepower, the Fairlane went from a growl-y coupe to a tire-shredding muscle car. Mind you, high 14sec quarter times aren’t the fastest you’ll find, but you’d still hold your own with all but the craziest drag cars.
BUILD NOTES : Like I mentioned before, this kit is a bit of a troublemaker. It shares most its parts with the ’67 Cyclone I reviewed recently (which had its own issues) and then it adds its own bit of tedium. Make no mistake, the kit is VERY do-able even on your first try. Biggest things to look for are the fit and finish issues and I’ll mention them as I go.
Easily one of the bright spots to the car, this 390 is an easy engine to build, looks good when done, and has a fully optioned bay to boot. Only things I did for this one is a chrome air-cleaner and added wires. The rest remains a very nice display and can be made further with some extra wiring and decals.
So, I have made this car a few times and I’ve always gone with a blue color scheme. I hate it in blue. It is a shame too, since I love it in blue. WTF? Lemme explain… I love the actual car in blue. It looks utterly as good as it gets. I have just never made a blue Fairlane model car I’ve liked. This one is done in Model Master Turn Signal Red and I think it is my favorite look to date on this car. I also decided to go with the Cragar mag wheels instead of stock because my Comet has stock wheels. Problem areas worse than the Comet?… The front bumper has little area to glue (which can lead to damaging the paint if not careful); the rear bumper is never really as straight as you’d like; the hood louvers need to be trimmed well before you try to insert them into the hood; and the rear lights can be a bear to fit into the chrome inserts. SIGH.
This is really a cute story of blunder-meets-innovation. When I purchased this kit – as part of the threesome – I realized that when I kept pieces aside, I must have missed the interior of this car. Thankfully, I had the interior of a ’67 Comet just sitting around. So, the interior, engine, underside, and exhaust are all from a ’67 AMT Comet kit! To add insult to this injury, the exhaust ends are from a ’67 Charger, and the wheels are off a different kit too! I also had to add a shifter (because the one in the Comet was an auto) and the side mirror (as the Fairlane doesn’t come with one). 1966 Mercury Fairlane??
The good side is that the Comet/Fairlane kits have a great underside. The pieces are tight, fit well, and have a immense amount of detail (especially for an AMT). You wont need a lot of effort to make this one right.
So does adding to the Comet’s idiosyncrasies make for a scary build? No. The car is still easier than a lot I’ve done. This kit just requires some fore-thought, careful handling, and a small bit of your parts-drawer. That said, the car is plentiful (with a recent reissue) and an be bought for very little ($20+) unless you opt for the 427. The three pack is a good option as well and with a little looking around, you’d get three cars for around $65. Not half-bad. As far as investments, well, you’d be ahead to get a GOOD three-pack or the 427 version as both are getting more rare by the day. The others aren’t really great investments yet because of the reissue. I’d get one anyways!
7.75 – Good
X-RAY: 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Baldwin Motion
For this X-Ray we’re looking at the AMT 1970 Baldwin Motion 427 Camaro. This kit includes:
1 set of tires (2 slicks) with one set of rims (no options); Baldwin Motion hood with buldge; large rear spoiler; 454, V8; fairly decorated interior; optional side exhaust; extensive B.M. decals. There are no “street” parts – slicks, rims, roll bars, etc. Good: Best looking 1970 kit you can buy. Bad: Horrifying green mold with “dimple” on most of the kit’s top – due to an inside dome light.
Price: ~$23
X-RAY: 1962 Pontiac Catalina 421SD 1/25, AMT
This X-Ray is for a 1962 Pontiac Catalina 421 Super Duty. This kit includes:
1 set of tires (2 slicks) with dog dish rims (no options); 421ci dual-carb V8; detailed (but plain) interior; thick glass; easy to follow directions. Decals are VERY slim and do not include the race decals for the racing versions. Good: Cheap and plentiful. Bad: Hood fit, and slicks-to-wheelwell fit.
Price: ~$20
’64 Ford Mustang
This is a review of the Revell 1964 Mustang Conv. Indy Pace Car #6859
The 64-66 Mustangs have a pretty long and deep lineage through the model car realm and the numbers of iterations are ridiculous. There are these five ’64s by Revell, there are 4-5 AMTs, and then there are almost a dozen Revell/AMT kits for 65-66. Yeah… lots to choose from. I like the Revell kits (no surprise if you’ve read my shtick before) better than the AMTs, otherwise I’d have a hardtop. My neighbor, a teacher in my school, had a ’65 coupe that was white with blue interior. To this day, one of my favorite looking cars of all time.
The above cars are standard Revell fare (save for the deluxe kit that had “nothing else to buy”… yeah right – 1 oversized brush and 3 paints will make a poorly painted, plain-Jane car alright!) and will serve as well as the one I made. The deluxe kit IS one of the more rare kits, so a better investment, but for building, they’re all good.
CAR BACKGROUND :: What you are looking at are the production numbers for the first 2½ Mustang years. Over 1,000,000 Mustangs sold to the public. It was one of the greatest displays of affection for a vehicle in our country’s history. To put that into perspective, the Corvette, the most famous American model we have, took almost FORTY YEARS to reach one million sold. Why was the Mustang such a seller? Well, for a short time, there was ZERO competition. Chevy was LATE to the party (Camaro bowed in ’67) and Dodge didn’t have an answer at all. Nowadays, Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger go at it ferociously from year to year (ZL1 vs. GT350 vs. SRT392 etc, etc) with horsepowers getting nearer to the 1000hp mark every day. Back in ’64/5, however, your choices were a lot less timid. The typical engine was a 200/225hp, 289 V8. Not bad as a boy-hood racer and it would have sounded impressive with just some exhaust mods. The baddest racer sported a 271hp 289 hi-pro, and would get through the ¼mile in about 15.5 seconds. Early Mustangs were never good sprinters from the showroom and it wouldn’t be until the 428CJ was introduced that 100mph would be seen in the quarter.. some 4 years later. That said, Mustangs were cheap, reliable, and above all, beautiful.
I saw an article a ways back about the owner of the first Mustang sold… a Skylight Blue ’64½ Mustang (owned by Tom & Gail Wise) and thought it a beautiful story. I wanted to use that color for mine as a tribute. This is a craft Blue Bonnet paint and it is a hair “grey-er” than I had hoped, but I think it is still pretty. I had done this one in a Poppy Red motif and really liked it, but the paint wasn’t good in some places, so I re-did it in the blue. One day, I’ll probably go back and include a white interior. Someday.
The earliest mustangs had a glamorous, chrome-laid, elegant, interior, and I can honestly say that my boring black with a smidgen too much dust (been displayed for a while now), doesn’t do it enough justice. This kit has a great interior with a chrome cluster, detailed shifter, deep-ridged seats and a tight fit around the body. Can’t give me one, but I can give the model an A+ for the interior.
Love the little 289 in these Mustang kits. They REALLY stand out. I chose the stock air cleaner look (prob 200/225hp) and grey wires. There is a lot of extra deail in here, though. Master cylinder, washer bag, full-size battery, engine brace, and a decent radiator all make for a good looking setup. Like a lot of Revells, the firewall is just too bare, but the engine wins enough points to carry the rest.
This is one of the Mustangs that doesn’t have the annoying wrap-around exhaust near the rear axle and I LOVE it. The rims are pretty and the tires are decent too. I added better exhaust tips as the ones at the ends of these were lousy. I know it is a theme with me, but most models have it as an afterthought and I think it adds to the display.
These Mustangs are truly a monument to American automobiles, and though a dime-a-dozen at this point, provide a lump in the throat for enthusiasts everywhere. This Revell kit is actually a gem of a car. I am still not a fan of the convertibles as much as the coupes, but I always enjoy building this kit. There are no pieces that will ruin the kit (stuff to glue to glass, ill fitting stuff, etc) and it has everything you need straight from the box. It is also a good deal right now as there are many out there. Besides the “rare” deluxe kit, they should only run about $25 total and that is as good a deal as the original car!
9.0 – Very Good
X-RAY: 1964 Pontiac GTO 2’n1 1/25, Revell
Here is another X-Ray – look into the ’64 GTO kit by Revell. This kit includes:
This kit is one of the few ’64 GTOs molded in white. 389 tri-power V8; Two hoods (one cut); elaborate decals (though not much for GTO); 2 sets of rims- stock/street; 6 tires (4 reg, 2 wide); detailed interior; STREET: dual high-rise intake, sport decals, rear end risers (could use a few more add-ons for true “street” look.)
Price: ~$20