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Old 03-01-2004, 11:06 PM   #31
Layla's Keeper
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The Revell "Deuces"

They're some of the most incredibly popular model kits ever released. When Revell tooled up the first of these beasties in 1996, they weren't prepared for the onslaught of positive feedback, inflated sales, and all around good times the '32 Ford 3 Window Coupe, '32 Ford Highboy Roadster, and Dan Fink's Speedwagon.

First and foremost, one must understand that these kits were the first accurate renditions of street rodded Deuces EVER. The AMT Deuces, which had been around since 1959, had been sectioned a scale 3 inches (nobody really knew until someone took measurements) and the exhaust was molded onto the chassis. Monogram's Deuce coupe was all wrong, but their roadster was okay having been derived from the 1/8th scale Big Deuce. Still, its chassis was buggy sprung with a torque tube, and its engine was a blase nondescript Chevy small block. Yawn. Bleah. and Puke.

But Revell made good in 1996. They put in a call to Pete & Jake's Hot Rod shop to get the downlow on what makes a good street rod. They suggested a very basic straight axle chassis with a dropped front axle and transverse springs up front, and airbags, coil overs, and a beefy Ford 9 inch out back. A stock but smooth body, and big & little American Racing Torque Thrusts on beefy Goodyears.

They then, in later reissues, added a roadster version with littler and bigger Halibrand wheels, and a replica of the Dan Fink Speedwagon woodie phantom.

The Deuce Coupe is still in the Revell catalog, and the Speedwagon and Roadster are still plentifully available. Now, onto the reviewing.

Engine

This is easily one of the kit's jewels. All three kits share the same basic engine; a gorgeously engraved and accurate Ford 302 comprised of no less than 20 parts (23 in the roadster and coupe kits). The roadster and coupe share a single four barrel intake manifold, (an Edelbrock-knockoff piece, if not an out and out Edelbrock), two piece four barrel carb (chrome), and chrome pie pan air cleaner. The Speedwagon gets a simplified but well done two piece Mustang Cobra style EFI setup with a K&N style conical air filter.

Other great engine parts are the serpentine belt with separate AC pump and alternator (both chrome, but that's common on street rods. Just look in the engine compartment of the Junkyard Dog on American Hot Rodder). There's a separate oil filter. Separate tranny pan for the automatic transmission. Even a separate breather cap for the passenger side valve cover.

These are beautiful renditions of Ford 302's. However, if you're not happy about them, then you'll be happy to know that's it's DAMN EASY to swap engines in these kits, and that's because of the kits' great.....

Chassis

Ooh boy. If you build street rods you're in absolute heaven when you go over this selection of parts. Separate brake discs at each corner (with nice calipers). Big Currie style Ford 9inch rear end on airbags out back, dropped beam front axle and transverse leaf spring up front. Modern four-link radius rods line up everything up. The delicate looking front radius rod and steering linkage setup (three pieces, total) looks fragile, but holds up marvelously. The only fit catch at the front end comes from the little shocks, but it's just a matter of being gentle with the superglue. The rear coil-over shocks line up just fine, though. And they look good too. A finishing touch is the exposed rear fuel tank and it's teeny separate chrome fuel cap.

There's also a great option in the coupe kit; you can either mount some nice chrome spreader bars between the frame rails at either end, or mount up the bumper horns and have some nice full smoothie bumpers on your Deuce. Great move!

The exhaust system is neither molded in place or obtrusive. It's just a simple pair of pipes with some slick Cherry Bomb style mufflers. You don't like 'em? Swap 'em out. That's the idea with this kit.

Interior

It's a little simple in here if you get the coupe or roadster. You've got some nice tuck & roll upholstery engraved onto all upholstered surface. There's a nice bench seat, two nice side panels, and a great dashboard. If you're freaked by the fact that there's no engraved gauges, don't fret. Revell's slick solution is decals that attach behind the dash panel so that you can add some clear acetate for gauge lenses. The steering column perfectly replicates an ididit piece and a slick banjo style steering wheel. Everything is finished off with two round pedals. That's that.

On the Speedwagon, since it's a different body style, you get a back seat, two high back heavily bolstered bucket seats, and totally redone side panels. It's a great interior either way.

And if you don't like anything it's easy to swap stuff out.

Body

Well, three bodies, each with their own unique dimensions, all deserve some nice commentary. The coupe, which started off this series of kits, has the ONLY accurate rendition of the Murray 1932 Ford three window coupe body in plastic. The kit has some easily dealt with mold lines on the rear pillars. That's it as far as imperfections. The coupe's separate hood side panels have the stock vertical louvers. Why is this so important? Well, because you've got some choices if you get the other two kits as the roadster has staggered retro style mini louvers and the Speedwagon has smoothed out modern panels. Any panels will work on any other kit, so feel free to switch around to suit the style of your build. You've also got two options of headlights; oversized King Bees or stock sized. There's a dropped headlight bar and a stock one, which you can use if you opt to build a full fendered Coupe. If you go fenderless, they mount on top of the shocks. This is actually accurate for a deuce.

The unfortunate thing is that the fenders aren't an inlcuded option in the highboy roadster kit, but the Speedwagon or coupe fenders are a direct drop in, so don't fret.

There has been some talk that the Speedwagon body isn't 100% accurate, but it looks good. I can't necessarily confirm this, so you takes your chances if you're building a Speedwagon replica.

The coupe has some nice flame decals, as does the roadster (which also contains a neat checkerboard motif and some classy scallops) while the Speedwagon has all the wood decals you need to finish out its wooden sides.

Of course, if you don't like any of these body options, most any US resin caster has an option for the kit. In particular, Replicas and Miniature Company of Maryland has about twelve or so bodies available from a single inch chop for the coupe, to radical removable hardtops with Duval windshields. So if you're not happy, just swap.

Verdict

Well, it's hard not to like these kits. They have all the parts you'd want to build a 1:1 street rod, and all the ease of construction needed to really personalize your rod. You could build one box stock and be plenty happy, or you could build a gonzo highboy coupe with a blown Boss 429 and massive top fueler tires.

AMT/Ertl tried to cut into the Revell Deuce sales with their Phantom Vickie, but couldn't even with that kit's superlative detail and creativity. It's not a dig on any of the other Deuce kits out there, but there's a fundamental rightness to the Revell Deuce that earned the Coupe the Scale Auto Enthusiast Kit of the Year award in 1996, then got the Highboy Roadster the Reissue of the Year award in 1997, and finally earned the kits the recognition from the Scale Auto Enthusiast readers of being the #1 kit of the Millenium.

If you like cars, like modeling, and have an itch to be creative and expressive with a build, you can't help but pick up a Revell Deuce and like it.

Deuce Coupe
Accuracy: 3/3
Fit&Finish: 2/2
Detail: 1.5/1.5
Options: 1.5/1.5
Value: 2/2
Final Verdict: Perfect 10

Deuce Roadster
Accuracy: 3/3
Fit&Finish: 2/2
Detail: 1.5/1.5
Options: 1/1.5
Value: 2/2
Final Verdict: 9.5/10.0

Speedwagon
Accuracy: 2.5/3
Fit&Finish: 2/2
Detail: 1.5/1.5
Options: 1/1.5
Value: 2/2
Final Verdict: 9.0/10

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Old 03-02-2004, 08:06 AM   #32
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Re: KIT REVIEWS....Look in here to see other modellers veiws on kits

Hmmm.... after reading the above review, I might have to rethink the one I have in the basement...
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Old 03-04-2004, 07:56 PM   #33
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Testors "Full Detail" Chezoom custom 1957 Chevy.

While the Cadzilla and Eliminator got his rods on the air (in ZZ Top music videos no less), it was the Chezoom that put Boyd Coddington on the map as one of America's premier hot rod artists. Commisioned by the owner of the aftermarket giant Mr. Gasket, Joe Hrudka (a confessed '57 Chevy freak), the car's long low lines, full independent suspension (swiped from a C4 Corvette), plush custom leather interior, potent LT-1 Vette V8, and Boyd's trademark billet wheels made the car not only a gorgeous hot rod, but a timeless automobile. Even as hot rod trends come and go, the Chezoom remains simply beautiful.

With Boyd's shop being thrust back into the public's eye, thanks to the Discovery Channel series "American Hot Rodder" which followed the build-up of a 1956 Chevy. I thought it was time to take a critical look at one of the few representations of Boyd's work in plastic.

Oh boy.....

First off, be aware that there are two versions of this kit available; a "quick builder" version with no interior detail, a plate chassis, plastic tires, and blacked out windows and a "full detail" version. I'll be reviewing the Full Detail, but I took a look inside a "quick builder" and found out that the comments I'll make about the "full detail" body and wheels apply to it as well.

The kit's engine, is, well, underwhelming at best. It's a total of nine pieces, and that's thanks to a separately molded alternator and exhaust manifolds. The valve covers are molded to the cylinder heads, and the EFI unit, that wonderful TPI setup with Boyd's custom shrouding, is represented by one, single piece with no throttle body detail, very poor engraving, and an unsightly gap where it doesn't rest between the cylinder heads. It's meant to bridge the gap between the heads and just be there.
The engine block halves are unrealistically smooth and have an undersized, woefully inaccurate oil pan molded to them. There's no water pump on the engine, and the automatic transmission behind it is a pretty poor rendition of a GM unit, with no real engraved detail to be found.
The only salvageable parts from this kit's engine are its well engraved serpentine belt and pulleys piece, and the unique air cleaner molded onto the EFI unit. Your best bet is to swap in a new engine entirely.

In order to do an accurate Chezoom powerplant, you can use the engine and transmission from the Revell 1994 Impala SS with a Revell/Monogram Corvette Grand Sport EFI setup to which you can add the Testors kit serpentine belt and air cleaner. But be sure to smooth the EFI unit's panels and add the decalized Chezoom graphics from the Testors kit, too.

The chassis is a nice replica of the square tube frame that Boyd placed that famous body onto. It has all the right braces and curves, as well as a smartly engraved oil cooler right where Boyd put it: beneath the passenger side footwell.

It's a shame that a real joke of a suspension attaches to this frame.

The front suspension is molded in such a way that you really can't tell that it's supposed to be a bunch of separate pieces. It's a total of three pieces; a lower piece which is the lower control arms/engine mounts/front crossmember, and two spindle/upper control arm pieces. Both of the spindle/upper control arm pieces are solid which is funny since these are supposed to be A arms.

The rear suspension fares no better. Again, three pieces, this one is supposed to be a C4 Corvette IRS. It's blocky and cartoony. It lacks shocks. The differential is shaped completely wrong. The rear spindle links are practically two dimensional.....

The four piece exhaust system is undersized and solid. They didn't even dimple the tips to give the illusion of hollow tubing. You could keep the mufflers, but use the kit exhaust as a guide for fashioning your own.

Oh, I might add that there are NO BRAKE DISCS at any of the corners. It's a shame, because they're highly visible through these wheels. By the way, the wheels are great, even though they're wrapped in some hideously blocky rubber that has a tendency to split. Luckily I've found that the Michelin rubber from one of Tamiya's Nissan 300ZX kits fits quite nicely.

Remember that Corvette Grand Sport you swiped the EFI from? Grab its suspension, too. There's nothing of value here. Oh, wait, the driveshaft is pretty good.

The interior is the sole shining star in the kit. It's a bit odd that it is, though, because the Chezoom has some pretty short gunslit windows. The seats are three piece affairs with separate seat adjustment parts. They certainly look plush and are heavily sculpted, just like in the real Chezoom. There's separate pedals which hang from the firewall, although they seem a little undersized. For details sake, you'll probably want to trade them for photoetched pieces. The B&M shifter is good and crisp, and the separate gauge cluster boasts well registered gauge decals. A big let down, though, is the steering wheel. Chezoom had a great billet wheel. This kit's representation of that part has no engraving beyond the horn button and rim separation points. Ugh. Get a wheel from Machined Aluminum Specialties to rectify this. At least the steering column is right.

The engine bay is okay. It looks plain, but that's more a byproduct of the prototype's smooth style than the tool cutter's laziness. The inner fenders, radiator core, and firewall are all separate pieces that are to be glued to the interior and frame. They're a little frustrating to get lined up, I guarantee you that. The radiator and electric fan are molded onto the core. Bleah. I'm sure there's something better than this in your parts box. The only other separate piece in the engine bay is the master cylinder. Okay. Thanks Testors.

The body is molded in the car's trademark teal color. I'm not kidding. The color is called Chezoom Teal and is a trademark of Hot Rods by Boyd. Testors' Model Master line carries this color, and it's a good one. But it's a bad choice for a plastic color, so be sure to use a good primer before spraying anything else down on this body.

Surprise! Testors didn't mold the hood separate. Bust out the razor saw to open up that hood. It's pretty deeply scored, so it won't take too long. But talk about an added headache. They added fixed hood hinges in case you want to display the model with its hood up al the time. How sweet.

The front valance is a separate piece that's actually pretty easy to get lined up. You'll still need the putty as it leaves a bit of a gap that shouldn't be there. The grille is molded into the valance, so paint it black after you've sprayed the body. There are few mold lines, but the door and trunk panel lines are rough and irregular. Wonderful on a car that's supposed to have dime thin tolerances. The headlights are molded chrome ( BOOOOOO! ), so that's a real shame. Most all of the car's chrome trim is on the chrome tree, but you'll still need the bare metal foil for the massive chrome spear that runs the length of the car. A nice touch, though, from Testors is that they included self adhesive mylar for the stainless steel area inside of the side spears. It provides some nice contrast with the chrome.

In the end, Testors' Chezoom kit is pretty muddled. It's got great subject matter, the instructions are clear, and there are some nice parts in the kit. But the whole of it is pretty poor and half baked, and since you're paying a premium for the "Full Detail" goodness, the glitches, niggles, and out and out crappy parts really show up that much more.

Testors 1:24th scale Chezoom "Full Detail" kit.
Accuracy: 1/3
Fit&Finish: 0.5/2
Detail: .5/1.5
Options: 0/1.5
Value: 0.5/2
Final Verdict: 2.5/10

Sorry Boyd. The model kit didn't turn out so good. But, hey, you're coming back for a second season.
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Old 03-11-2004, 06:58 PM   #34
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Re: KIT REVIEWS....Look in here to see other modellers veiws on kits

Revell 1987-1993 Mustang GT Convertable (Although no date specified, this is the correct model for those years [probably 80's due to the fact it came with the Turbone wheels rather then the popualr 90's Ponys]..)

The 1980's. What can i say, it was just a little Although their music rocked! Of course, the automotive field was slowly, but surly advancing onto the next step of performance, with the exceptions of names like Festiva, Escort, Chevette, Colt and Horizon, the big 3 were all doing pretty well in the sports car field. (Of course GM had the fastest car after 1984 )Dodge had their Turbo 4's, GM had the L98, and Ford had their 302 Mustang (AKA THE FOX). The 302, probably one of the most popualar powerplants-ever.

In about mid year of 1986, the performance world changed. Ford introduced their 302 Roller Camshaft V8. This engine blew the pre 1985 302's out of the water. (well..stock atleast) 1986: 185 HP 1987: 225 HP. A MAJOR BOOST! The 302 Roller went into almost every RWD Ford. The 302 Roller blew away the Z28's with their measley 180 HP 305.

Revell has created many version fo the Fox Body Mustangs, probably one of their most lasting/popualr designs. Among them were the 86 SVO, 84 Convertable GT, 79 Cobra, 87-93(?) GT Convertable, and their 93 Cobra. The kit itself is pretty detailed, has excelent fit, and looks great when completed. (Note: Review is on the LOWRIDER KIT. THE LOWRIDER KIT DOES NOT COME WITH STOCK TIRES-ALTHOUGH IT DOES COME WITH THE CORRECT TURBINE MAG WHEELS-TIRES RECCOMENDED FOR STOCK APPLICATION ARE THE UNIVERSAL REVELL GOODYEAR EAGLE VR50'S FOUND IN: 84 CORVETTE, THUNDERBIRD TC AND SC, AND GRAND PRIX MODELS!)

Engine:
The engine-as mentioned before-is one of the better 80's engines that powered the 80's due to the fact of ease of tune and mods avaible. The engine correctly depicts the 302 HO Roller engine, although it does have a chrome intake manifold and chrome water pump. Although "detail masters" might have a rpoblem with the distibutor cover trying to wire it up! Suprisingly, if you happen to have the Revell Saleen SN95 Mustang Convertable kit avaible, use the supercharger. In fact, its a "direct bolt on". Use the belts/pullies/alt/pumps/blower that came with the SN95 kit, and it will fit directly on the stock Fox Mustang water pump/front engine "cover."

Chassis:
Unfortunatly the chassis is a minor let down, when compared to other revell kits. The chassis has no fenders what so ever. If you run with the stock VR50 Tires, their wil be a gap in the chassis and the interior tub, allowing you to see "through" the car, above the tires. Some crafty work could solve this problem. Also the front subframe-which is still molded to main chassis-might not want to stay attached to the body. The suspension is a one piece unit, front and rear (minus the shocks) The rear coil springs are molded to the arms/beams, and in no way resemble a coil spring. Sme with the front. Just little stubs act as coil. The chassis is also too thin! It doesnt meet all the way to the lower rocker panels, leaving a 1 cm gap.

Interior:
The interior is nicly detailed, especially the dashboard, with the HVAC and sterio seeable. It comes with a seperate gauge pod too. Unfortunatly, the pedals, center console, and handbrake are all molded into the interior tub. The shifter also looks like..well..a gob of plastic. You'll want to change this for an AMT Shifter. I used a shifter from an AMT 92 Camaro RS/Z28. The steering wheel is also nicley detailed, it even includes the cruise controll buttons.

Body:
The body is also nice. Although i wish it came with a seperate GT Body kit (like AMT's 87 kit), their still is hope for you LX 5.0 Fans-the AFX Scale Resin LX Notchback body.. The big bulky side mirrors make for an easy install, Unfortunaly, the front facia and fenders might nit always align up perfectly. It alsocomes with the lame looking trunk racks! The tail lights have a cover, which on the 1:1 car are the body color. Unfortunatly, revell made the tail lights one piece-molded in red! It also comes with a convertable top, up or dwon

My Mustang!:
All the problems above-i somewhat fixed. Some actually simple. Under the hood..well..speaking of the hood, i swapped it out using the AFX Scale Resin cowl induction hood! Very nice indeed. I also used sewing needles as hood pins and thread for the pins themselvs. Anyways, i used the stock 302 block, and went from there. I started out by swapping the chrome valve covers out for Perrys Resin Edelbrock valve covers. Then i replaced the distributor, with a standard distributor, with out the cover/boot. Wired that up easily with a pin vise. I was also able to wire up the HVAC Hoses, fuel lines, brake lines, smog controll lines, and even wired up a complete nitrous system (was hard to find all the little bits and piece required for a NOS kit!) I also added a large-bore EGR Tube, and a conical filter from Revells ITR. Inside, i stripped the interior, built a half-cage, installed a harness system, tach with a shift light from the AMT FNF Supra, and a seat from a Fujimi R32 Skyline. I also put the nitrous bottle where the passenger seat went. Out back i decided to use the center trunk rack pieces, and also used a 94 GT Spoiler. A Nice little touch. For the empty space above the tires i used larger ones! Slicks from an old NASCAR kit will do. For wheels i used AFX Scale Resin Drag Lites.

Tips:
-Mustangs of this era almost all have fogged hazy headlights. To replicate this "reaslism" just spray some clear coat over them, for the "used" look!
-Be careful getting the window in, its a really thin-easy-to-break-piece.

Using the Laylas Keeper scale:
Accuracy: 2.5/3
Fit&Finish: 1.5/2
Detail: 1/1.5
Options: 1.5/1.5
Value: 2/2
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
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Old 03-19-2004, 04:38 PM   #35
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Tamiya Supra MkIV

A good kit from Tamiya’s good years, it has an engine and trouble free construction. No fancy tricks, though, but I think we can deal with that, eh?

Fit and Finish: 7/10

Compared today’s standards, the kit isn’t the premium quality you would expect from Tamiya. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad by any means. It all goes together swimmingly, with no flash to speak of. There are a few mold lines that will have to be gotten rid of, but that isn’t surprising considering 10 year old molds, and really aren’t bad at all. The only thing keeping it off par with the newest of Tamiya kits is the lack of cleverly and extremely precise fitting parts. Like I said, there are no problems, but the fit of the parts is nothing to write home over. The interior tub does suffer from those inescapable ejection pin marks, though, which are bothersome but I suppose not preventable. If you’ve built a kit with an engine before, this model is pretty straight forward. There are no omissions or mistakes that I can tell in the instructions (granted, I am not a Supra expert) and building the kit will land you a model of a Mk IV Supra as it came off the showroom floor. Funky spoiler and all. The only real issues I have with the molding are the reflectors. The body is molded with the single amber lamp on the front quarter panels, which is correct for Japan, but to make it American they must be shaved off, and the American market reflectors are depicted by nothing more than a decal. While I’m glad we have the option, and don’t really have any idea how Tamiya could have molded the flush-mounted reflectors on and still made them optional, it kind of disappoints me to have to use a two dimensional decal for three dimensional reflectors. That’s why I build a model instead of drawing a picture, after all. The decals are another source of frustration. The kit comes supplied with decals for the Toyata badges for the front and rear of the car. These badges are black on the decal sheet. This seems to be accurate, (I thought they were chrome, but did a Google search to see if it was Tamiya or me that was mistaken) but the black decal disappears on a dark paint job, and as we all know Tamiya does not mold badges into body work, so there is no relief to the badge either. This is one model that could desperately use the little metal transfer badging. And while I’m picking over metal parts, the headlamps could use a bit of metal plating, and would be greatly improved if they were a separate part. Painting headlamp buckets just isn’t as convincing as chrome plating.

Accuracy: 8/10

It’s all there, every bit of it. After searching my knowledge and Google, there isn’t much that this 1:24 kit doesn’t have in common with its big brother. However, there are things Tamiya could have done to make the model look more accurate. A lot of the engine bay parts, for example, are molded to the chassis. While this is ok for fuseboxes, there are other parts that just look odd and take away from the realism of the model. There are also three holes for mounting windshield wipers. There are two windshield wipers. Do the math. Why they did this, I do not understand. The kit was obviously set up to be built either for the Japanese or US market. They could have just as easily made dimples under the body shell so you could open up the right mounting holes, and there wouldn’t be an unprototypical extra. In fact, on the rear deck Tamiya did just that for the rear window wiper. For shame, Tamiya, you’re better than that! The interior shows how spoiled I am. In this kit, it is a one piece tub so the inside door panels lack even the barest of detail. It sure is disappointing when alongside the fancy interior of the S2000 of 350Z kit. Two extra parts and fifty cents more in price would be worth it any day to have a better looking interior. But the kit makes up for it in the engine bay, where the venerable 2JZ lives. The twin turbo I6 is one of the best engines I've seen, especially with the turbo detail. The turbos actually look like turbos, better than the R32 Skyline but not quite as well as the 300Z. The intake runners and exhaust headers look odd, however, and detract from an otherwise immaculately detailed engine. The only real issue I have with the motor is the intake plenum, it’s a hollow part and the void opens to the side and is very visible. That’s disappointing, and shame on Tamiy again! (Incidentally, this is why FnF is a 7). Tamiya got the body shape and proportions right, though the wheels seem a little on the small side. That might just be because I only ever see tuned Supras these days, but they do look a little off. Still, Tamiya does a great job of capturing the muscular, chunky look of the Supra without losing any of its unlikely floaty, airiness.

Value: 9/10

It’s a Supra, it’s well done, and it has a motor. Need I say more? The MkIV Supra is one of the most popular, and most able built cars to come out of Japan and into the hands of tuners. It is, therefore, a popular model to be built and tuned. With the inclusion of the engine, there is a ton of potential for detail and modification. It isn’t just limited to body work. There are only two optional parts, the spoiler and a hood scoop. They are both goofy looking, and probably will never make it onto a model, so I won’t give Tamiya mad props for the building options that come with the kit. But like I said before, the subject and the engine easily do more than make up for that lack. The kit is cheap these days, retailing for just under $20, and is fairly common; common enough to be found at stores that might have sales (ie Hobby Lobby). So this kit scores well under “bang-for-your-buck.”

Overall: 8

This kit is hard to rate overall. It has some aspects where it shines over others, and some where it falls behind. It comes from what I consider as Tamiya’s best years, when their design and molding processes were as modern as it gets, and they still made the complex kits that included full suspension detail and engines. It doesn’t have the color-molded taillamps, or the metal transfers, or any other of the bells and whistles that new Tamiya kits have, but it does have an engine and all the crisp, accurate molding that you’d expect. I would consider this to be what may amount to just a really, really good Revell kit, and with Tamiya’s flubs of late, I will take it over a 350Z or WRX any time.
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Old 04-15-2004, 12:25 PM   #36
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SCALE MOTORSPORTS Superdetail kit for Ferrari ENZO.

Usually this space is reserved for reviewing of models, but this super detailed kit is more of a model in itself then most current Revell offerings.

Contents:
1 Photo CD, showing over 260 detailed photos of the Ferrari ENZO, including unreleased photos and never before seen undercarriage and engine photos. This becomes completely invaluable when seeking to super detail the already fine Tamiya kit.
25 white metal, brass and copper pieces, including 3 piece rear shocks J separate oil reservoirs, gas, oil and cooler caps with finely engraved Ferrari name, exhaust tips (these are fantastic!) and some nuts and pins that will hold shocks and other parts together.
3 photoetch fret sheets, 2 are for brakes and hangers and are slightly thicker nickel pieces (more on the build up of these later) and one is for screens, miscellaneous items and some engine detail pieces.
1 rubber backed photoetch sheet that includes a variety of nuts, bolts, fasteners, scripts, emblems VIN numbers (!) and door/engine data plates J These are also fantastic for super detail freaks like yours truly.
1 package of braided metal hoses that will come in handy in detailing the radiator lines
6 Resin pieces that become very important in separating your model from the herd. There is a superbly detailed, delicate and ultra thin resin windshield wiper, which is so prominent in the real car, and the other is a resin front boot lid that will reveal (if you make it) a detailed front trunk compartment where you can store tools, first aid kit or a piece of Ferrari luggage and driving gloves Ohh the possibilities are endless. There are also 4 brake calipers that are stunning, with open elements, allowing to insert brake pads, etc. More on this later.
5 composite fiber template sheets, 3 are of regular black on pewter 1/24 scale cf decals that cover engine and interior pieces and 2 are of silver carbon fiber 1/20 scale for undercarriage and various details. These sheets have templates in the back with corresponding Tamiya part numbers where they are destined to go. They are SUPERB and will fit the part exactly with a lot of decal solvent. SMS decals are top notch and will present little to no problems even for a novice (which this kit is NOT designed for!)

There are 2 instruction manuals included, showing how to assemble various subassemblies and they are clear and refer back to photos of the real car found in the Photo CD.

Price $125.00 USD (And well worth it!!!)

HIGHLIGHTS:
BRAKES – Brakes are the most amazing part of this kit, by far. Each brake consists of 18 pieces, included inner rotor, ventilation center, outer rotor, hub, hub nuts, hub rings, brake pads and resin brake caliper. The build up with ease into magnificent representation of the Ferrari 4 pot BREMBO units. They are a must for any serious detail freak, as they are more prototypically correct than the kit included parts and will build up into a fine looking replica.
SHOCKS – with outer shock, pneumatic dampener and spring the kit included shocks are history and are replaced with these beauties. For us, superdetail guys they are predrilled to accept hydraulic fluid line that will go to the finned brass reservoirs (another small masterpiece) Checking the references, the completed shock assembly is dead on to the real car, with some manufacturing stickers (not included) it will appear that you shrunk down the rear clip of a real Enzo.

VERDICT:
Scale Motorsports got it right. For the most complicated 1/24 model ever made they designed an equally complex, but equally beautiful true SUPER detail kit. The mix medias they used and the fit and finish of the parts are superb and well worth the fee..

Some things to consider for superdetailing project:
In addition to the SMS kit, the builder of a super detailed project might want to consider the following:
- Racing harness and ribbon for the seats (as SMS kit does not come with seat betl material or hardware.
- Various diameter wiring (mostly black)
- Some hard lies for fuel and brakes
- MV lenses for headlights

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
some photos for you:

The kit:




the brakes:
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Old 04-19-2004, 08:39 PM   #37
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AMT ertl 68 elcamino

Interior: Lacked alot of details is could of had. there wasnt much. a set of seats, dash and console. i my self upgraded those parts but it was average for a amt.

Interior rating: 5/10 Lack of detail!

Exterior: Nice detail. looked real, the body wasnt warped and flowwed smooth. overall the exterior looked great

Exterior Rating: 8/10 really needed more. the rear end has some detials, but the chrome parts were bad. it didnt have enough.

Motor: Best part of the car!! it was full of details. 402 big block supercharged. full intake manifold, all the goodies! the motor was basic build up, but lots of chrome. all but the wimpy exhuast. any true hot rod guy knows an exhuast is waht makes the car. i added all new exhust and tips. overall motor was great

Motor Rating: 9/10 - could have had more realistic motor bay details.


Overall Rating 8/10 could have had more interior detail and more CHROME!!


Revell Porsche Gt1 Evo

Interior- Great it went together, basic but for a race car it was good. could have used more computers and wireing but it was good

Motor & Suspension- Best part. it had so many small parts to set it off. the suspnsion was great! full fo detail everywere. took me over 3 hours to get the motor and suspension together.

Exterior: Man it was good. i had a few fitment problems on the belly pan, but after those were fixxed it went well. the decals were good, and it was fun to build

Overall rating 9/10- needed better interior details of wires and ect. the body hada couple problems fitting but other then that went well

Last edited by supermod04; 04-21-2004 at 08:54 AM.
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Old 04-20-2004, 06:25 PM   #38
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Fujimi 2003 (2004 US) Subaru WRX STi

The car the US has been waiting years for finally arrives in the U.S. in 2004, The Impreza WRX STi, a 300 horsepower AWD beast which was designed and proven on the rough roads of the WRC, winning the 2003 WRC Championship.

first, this kit is pricey, I paid 42.50 for the sucker, but, I think its worth it, even though there are some noticable mistakes in the kit

Body
not bad, but the rear decklid is wrong, The kits is flat, and it should be shaped a little bit, but, when the kit is built up, you won't be able to notice this that much since the car has a big functional rear wing, but it would be needed to be fixed if you wanted to do a Impreza 2.5 RS, or a plain WRX

Interior
also. not great, but i've seen alot worse. there is no panel detail, but there also is'nt in some older Tamiya kits. The dash looks very good, but for some reason Fujimi put two dashes in the kit, which is nice since I'm gonna make a Left side dash for it. the kit also includes two gear shifters, on for an automatic, and another for a 6sp, but the details are sorta soft on them. the seats are correct. but don't have any detail in them. but some masking they can be fixed

chassis
not bad, seperate suspension detail, seperate exhaust, very good detail

Wheels,
no where near accurate for the WRX, but are close to the plain WRX or 2.5 RS rims, for accurate rims you would need to raid the Tamiya WRX kit

I give this kit a 6.5/10, since there are some noticable mistakes in the kit. but, any builder could make a convincing WRX STi outa it. plus, its the only current body style WRX kit out there
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Old 06-10-2004, 03:45 AM   #39
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1968 Ford Mustang GT500 3 in 1. AMT ertl kit. 1/25 scale.

The second kit I built was one of these, and it was 'orrible. So when it was recently reissued, I decided to pick one up while they last(the parts selection included is great for transfer).

Body: The body is well molded, accurate and a great rendition of a 67-68 Ford mustang. The GT spoiler came molded onto the body and it looks great. There was some minor flash along the lower rails under the doors, but nothing that couldn't be taken care of. There is only one hood included, which can have a hole cut in it if the high rise manifold is used. Unfortunately, the biggest let-down of the kit is the mega lame rear taillights. They're molded in chrome as a single piece without any clear lenses at all. best to strip them, paint lenses red and then rechrome with foil or just paint aluminium. The rear bumper, while beautiful, is just a bit large for the body. Not bad for AMT.

7/10

Interior: First off, the centre console(molded to the seat bases, for god's sake ) doesn't reach the Floor of the interior tub when placed on the trans tunnel. The Seats themselves are quite nicely molded, and also come with a set of low back buckets for the custom and race versions (seriously 80s equipment though). The rear seat can remain as normal or be folded flat in a race-like appearance. The latter is quite difficult to do for a beginner because of the awkward centre fold down piece, which glues only on its sides and would probably fall onto the seat base. Kit comes with a Roll bar, which can be fitted along with a roof console. The steering wheel, shifter, gauges and lining are excellently molded and are a highlight of the kit. They are very easy to detail. The Kit also comes with a fire extinguisher and an auxilary gauge panel which covers the existing radio for a more race car look. Interior is overall quite good.

8/10

Chassis: Well molded, detail is okay. only problem is that it is slightly too large for the body and requires a bit of squeezing to get it to fit. If fitted incorrectly the wheels will look too close to the front of the guards, and its easy to stuff up. The diff is molded to the leaf springs and refused to glue down, until I submitted and sat my finger on it for ten minutes while it was drying. Front suspension was a nightmare and would thoroughly bowl over a beginner. Don't even bother with the tie rod, the instructions don't make any sense in that part anyway. No disc Brakes are included. You have a choice of two wheel and tyre sets, the factory shelby 10 spokes which are moderately accurate, or the torque thrust wheels for the custom and racing versions. Also comes with a set of Goodyear blue streak rears for the drag version, but fitting them requires both a suspension lift and trimming the rear guards. Best to just not bother.

6/10

Engine: Ahh, the 428 big block Cobra Jet. This was easily my favourite part of the kit. You have three options with the engine, factory built, Custom street engine or Racing engine. More on that later. The factory rendition has a wholely inacurate but pretty chrome air cleaner, and a manifold that sits up between the heads and doesn't really meet with the block. Not very noticeable, but it will look a bit ridiculous. Factory and custom use the same headers, the custom version has side exit pipes and the racer has full open headers. The factory valve covers are smooth chrome, the Customs are engraved with the 'COBRA' lettering. The racing and custom manifold is a dual high riser. It uses TWO of the factory carbs (which is really silly). On the custom version, we get an oval air cleaner with the engraved namesake again. The racer gets two velocity stacks, a big front chrome engine piece and gigantic ford valve covers to turn it into a ferocious 427 SOHC. While the instructions doesn't mention it, you WILL need to cut the bonnet hole open for the custom engine setup. the engine will look quite nice with just some mild detail enhancements, or you could detail it to the max.

9/10

Sum Up: The kit has a lot of interchangeable parts which can be used to make the car more individual, or be put on other kits entirely. I saved my oval air cleaner and second carb and velocity stacks for other projects, but I added the COBRA rocker covers to give the car a more custom look. I might add the kit has some funky decals, red or white stripes and some eighty's styled stripes. I painted mine with gloss aluminium under telefonica blue and the result was dazzling. Although the chrome headlights took the whole thing down a notch. Definately not a beginner's kit, but with some strategic work, you can make it a real dazzler. I'd recommend it.

Total: 8/10

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Old 06-12-2004, 12:57 AM   #40
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1:24th scale Hasegawa/Revell of Germany Mitsubishi Lancer Evolultion VI road and race versions.

While the Yankee model companies have had the Camaro - Mustang rivalry to kit since 1967 (and most every year/generation has a kit available), the Japanese manufacturers have had their own feud to put into plastic; the Subaru Impreza WRX versus the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Just about every Japanese kit manufacturer has produced one or the other, if not both, and with varying degrees of success.

Hasegawa is well known for their rally kits, which often rival Tamiya's and depict more versions than Tamiya's. In the case of their rally LanEvo VI, the car is Tommi Makinen's ride at Rally New Zealand, complete with gravel setup. And for you road fans, they adapted this very same kit to replicate the GSR version of the road car. I'll be reviewing both as many parts are shared.

(side note, Revell of Germany has a marketing arrangement to sell reboxed Hasegawa kits. As I could not get ahold of a Hasegawa rally version, I am using the RoG kit as a review sample. There may be differences in decal quality between the two)

The Lancer Evolution is well known for carving corners with the best of them, and the well thought out suspension that gives it this ability is well represented in both kits. The front suspension breaks down very conventionally for a Japanese kit, with brake discs securing polycaps to front spindle/strut pieces that offer posable steering. The rally verison's brakes are pretty lacking, being devoid of the stellar engraving that Tamiya's version offers, but the stockers are just fine. However, the rally version's are bigger in diameter than the stock version. Good to get the details right. Also nice about the chassis is that both the exhaust and the drivetrain are full separate, making detail painting MUCH easier. A large skidplate piece contains the front lower control arms, and separate lower control arms and trailing links finish off the rear. It's a solid chassis.

Kudos, also, to Hasegawa for including a different back half of the exhaust for the rally version, as it's a good little detail for that racing version. Not to mention all you tuner builders with LanEvos might want it too. There's also fabric and templates included for making mudflaps. Too cool.

Most uncool, though, about the chassis is that the rally car was tooled up first, so the street car sits ready to take on gravel. Not cool. Not accurate. Cut a little bit out of the struts and drop this sucker.

Moving onto the interior, we find a serious problem. Again, the rally car came first, and this gives us all the stamping and metal floor detail we could ask for, but when you see this interior tub in the street car kit it's a big letdown. They give you a rear seat insert, a proper transmission tunnel, and correct seats and dashboard (RHD with stereo for the street car, LHD and bare bones for the rally) for the street car, but there's still the issue of no carpet texture and no side panel detail. In the rally version you get the proper shifter, hand brake, and plenty of rollcage tubing roaming around. The seats have all the right belt decals, but no carbon fiber decals. They have separate mounting brackets (Yay) but scale out a bit smaller than 1:25th. Either Tommi Makinen has the world's smallest heiney for a racing driver or someone at Hasegawa put down MM instead of CM for the measurement. Either way, scam seats from a Tamiya rally kit if you want to build the rally car.

By far the star of the kit, the Hasegawa body is superb. Only some tiny mold lines to clean up and all the panels are crisp and clean. The rear wing comprises three well fitting parts, and the tiny holes to mount it to the rear deck are easily filled for non wing enthusiasts. Street versus Rally, the only difference is the mirrors and the wheels. Both sets of wheels and tires are nice enough and represent the subject matter well. One does wish, though, that Hasegawa had satin plated the street wheels instead of molding them in plain grey plastic. Ah well, a good aluminum metalizer will be much more accurate.

Be forewarned, painting the tail-lights will be tricky. Hasegawa gave good instructions, but it's still a pain since the amber and clear areas are so small compared to the red. Also, is it such a pain to ask for chrome trees that include head and tail light buckets? Seriously, painting and/or foiling these areas never works as well as a separate part.

The rally version decals are of Tommi Makinen's New Zealand ride, and go on rather nicely. All photos and footage of the car say that they're accurate, and the addition of the kit's mesh for the grilles and the included wire antenna really spark the appearance of the car. It sure makes it a looker. The street is much plainer, but still has the mesh and the license plates. Not much, but it's something.

So, what do you get for buying Hasegawa's Lancers? Well, good fit on a Tamiya level, lots of mixed media dress up parts for the rally version, and excellent body accuracy. However, cost cutting measures sacrificed a lot of interior detail on the street version. The ride height issue is practically negligble, but having no side panel detail and no carpet engraving with windows this big bites big, especially without engine detail to make up for it. Plus Hasegawa kits regularly are marked at Tamiya level prices (sometimes more). You can build an excellent rally Lancer from the Hasegawa kit, and an okay street Lancer from the Hasegawa kit. However, at this price, you should have both kits in one box.

1:24th scale Hasegawa Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR

Accuracy: 1.5/3
Fit&Finish: 2/2
Detail: 1/1.5
Options: 0/1.5
Value: 1/2
Final Verdict: 5.5/10

1:24th scale Hasegawa/Revell of Germany Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Rally car

Accuracy: 2/3
Fit&Finish: 2/2
Detail: 1.5/1.5
Options: 0/1.5
Value: 1/2
Final Verdict: 6.5/10
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Old 06-26-2004, 10:57 PM   #41
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Re: KIT REVIEWS....Look in here to see other modellers veiws on kits

Revell Chevrolet SSR

"An Amercian Revolution." What an oxymoron. The new Chevy Aveo? Korean made. The Chevy Colorado with a 5 cyl engine? Doesnt seem too "Americany" to me. Pontiac GTO? Australian. Everything else? Pretty much Canadian. If their is one thing that could save the General's most popular make, it could be the SSR.

When i first saw some 3-D renderings of the SSR my first words were "HOLY SHIT" Noting has really sparked my attention since the killing of the F-Body, and this was like a wake up call. It was everything i liked. Sexy, yet muscular curves, big and wide tires, and an almost big V8. Maybe a Viper Killer? What seemed to be a hero, turned out to be an almost zero. Truthfully, i really dont like the production version. It recived the underpowered 300 horsepower 5.3 liter Vortec, which rockets the SSR to 60 MPH in 7 seconds (wooo...), the curves were toned down a bit. I think alot of us were especially let down with the 40K+ Price tag.

Enter the Revell SSR. This was a nice change of pace for my builds. Although not a fan of the real thing, i still enjoyed the smaller version of it.

The body of the kit is especually smooth, with only 2 parting lines, above the rear fender. It comes with 5 seperate pieces. The left and right lower rocker panels, front, and rear bumpers. It also comes with the optional fold down steel roof and bed cover. It comes with a choice of two body decals. a set of dual white racing stripes-something like what you would find on a Viper, and some nice suttle black pinstripes The way the hood hinges is also very unique, and i like it. It gets hinges at the bottom of the A-Pillar and a set of trianguler hinges next to the cowl.

Under the 40s and 50s reminicent hood is the underpowerd 5.3Liter Vortec V8's Theirs not much room for modificatons in the engine bay, but as is, the engine is nicly detailed. The air intake alone consists of 3 parts, and if the thought of dropping in an LS1 in their ever crossed your mind, your not alone.

The interior is beautifully detailed. It somes with a sepeate glass cover for the gauge pod, with gauge decals, and decals for the HVAN controlls. It comes with a nice chrome shifter, and decals for the gear selection. The seats are also nice, unlike the cheap stuff by AMT.

The chassis is also nice and detailed. The rear end suspension alone consists of several parts. The wheels are held on by metal pins, much like the Revell Integra and Civic. The brakes are lesser detailed, but get the job done. The chrome 19" front wheels and 20" back wheels, are wrapped with nicely detailed tires (unlike the cheaper plastc like tires found in other kits) The exhaust tips are from the ITR and Civic kits-metal.

Problems? I had a few. I installed the chrome door handles on before the rubbing compund. Needles to say the rubbing compund stripped the chrome right off. The same happened to the front bar. Not to mention the bar doesnt have the same curveature as the body. Also, i kept getting the front wheels stuck, and when they finally got loose they did just that, they got loose, giving it the effect it had some camber.

Value? Tamiya quality on a Revell box? Close but no cigar. With the few problems i had, and with a price tag of $12, i'd say its damn worth it.

Accuracy: How am i supposed to know? lol
Fit&Finish: 2/2
Detail: 1.5/1.5
Options: 1/1.5
Value: 2/2
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
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Old 06-26-2004, 11:29 PM   #42
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Re: KIT REVIEWS....Look in here to see other modellers veiws on kits

Revell 19XX Impala SS

A wolfs in sheeps clothing i tell ya! Okay, maybe a puppy in sheeps clothing. Lets face it, 260 horsepower and 4000 lbs just dont go together very well. Yea, it has an LT1......and 4 four doors. The 1994-1996 Impala makes a great sleeper car, due the the mods avaible for the LT1. The looks of this thing a just menacing, a car that should have been used in the Sopranos. Their were not many choices avaible for this car. Only one engine, LT1, one interior color, grey, and 3 colors. Monochromatic Black, Black Cherry, and a greenish color, that i do not know that name of.

In case you didnt know, this is the reissue of the Snap Tite Impala, so its a little tight fitting and details lacking.

This Impala SS came with the 9C1 intake, which is correct and incorrect at the same time. From all the referance pictures i gathered, it came with the Camaro/Firebird/Corvette upper and lower intake. A bit confusing, and lacking in details. The heads and lower intake and exhaust manifold are all molded as one piece. The belts pulleys, and water pump are all molded as one unit also. The lower intake manifold, has the connection for a radiator hose, but no hose is included, nor is their a sport for one in the radiator. Strange, and incorrect. The radiator hose should be mounted atop the water pump.. Your best bet? Loose the Impala SS LT1 and intall a much more detailed LT1 from revells pre 98 Camaro kits, or their pre 98 firebird kits. Thats what i was planning to do before i found an LS1..

The body is nicley molded. It comes with a seperate trunk lip/spoiler, and side mirrors. If your trying to replicate a 1996 verson, the mirors would be incorrect. New for '96 were the fold away mirrors. Also on a few of my kits, the body is a little warped, leaving a big gap inbetween the fender and the hood. Anyways, the hood doesnt fit right, with that big grille and a latch on the grille. Speaking of that, the grille is incorrect, it should be the body color, not chrome. Chrome parts are used from the Thom Taylor Caprice wagon, so it will come with a few odd parts.

The interior is mediocre. standard 2 piece seats, molded back seat in interior tub, but the dashboard is just stupid. Its two sepeate pieces, and dont fit together very well. Also incorrect is the steering column shift, it should be on the floor, once again sharing parts with the Caprice kits. But it does come with a seperate CHMSL (that and tail lights are molded in clear red)

The suspension is also standard revell quality. Dont be suprised to find it to be under detaled. Its just like every other revell, so i dont think i have to say much about it. Yes, it comes with the incorrect 17 inch 5 spoke chrome wheels (should be machined aluminum) and silly-stupid rubber-wannabe plastic tires.

Problems? Besides what was stated above, it has the snap tite lights, with the stupid stubs, which you can see on the other side of the light. Trying to get the bezel in the fender with out chipping the paint, and trying to get the lens into the bezel with out breaking it.

Value wise, its a good kit. Most of these can be had at garage sales for $2-$5 simply because their older kits, and have been circualted many-a-time. If bought new, expect to pay the normal $10-$15 revell price.

Accuracy: 1.5/3 Depends almost accuratly depicts 1994-1995 models, but ignores 1996 stuff. Remember, no year was said
Fit&Finish: .5/2 remember, old re-issued snap kit?
Detail: .5/1.5 ^above?
Options: 0/1.5 1 engine, 3 colors.
Value: 1.5/2
Final Verdict: 6.5/10
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Old 08-18-2004, 06:07 PM   #43
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Revell 2003 Ford Focus SVT

in 2002 Ford relized they needed a car that would compete with the hot compacts that where coming out of Japan, like the WRX, Celica, and Civic, there answer was the SVT Focus, powered by a high performance 121 CI 2.0 litre DOHC 4cyl. which is sent to the road via a 6sp transmission. the extrior of the car got a styling upgrade, which included different front bumper, and rear. they aslo have it different headlights and 17" X 7" 5 spoke aluminum rims, interior gets Ricardo leather seats with color inserts, and an indash CD Changer. finally Ford gave us what we where beggin for, a fast car, that we can drive everyday.

lets start with what colors are available for the car.

Infra Red Clearcoat
Sonic Blue Clearcoat
CD Silver Clearcoat
Pitch Black Clearcoat
Screaming Yellow (European Appearance Package only)
Competition Orange (European Appearance Package only)
Interior Blue or red cloth seating surfaces with black leather trim
Black Recaro seats with black leather trim (European Appearance Package only)

Revell did a fantastic job on this kit, engraving is fantastic and good luck looking for mold lines, there are none which is fantastic, deffinently Tamiya quality, The kit is molding in what, black, gray, crome and clear plastic, and are all individually bagged and protected.

The body proportions are deffinently correct, has seperate bumpers, side skirts, hood, and door handles, which is a touch that is rarely seen in kits, it has a stock SVT body kit and an EVO3 body kit, which has been done beutifully, only gripe is that the grill is attached to the body, its not a major problem but it would've been easy to paint if it was'nt attached

The interior is also beutiful, dash represents the Focus perfectly, the shifter is one of the best i've seen, looks just like leather, and is the perfect shape, the side panels are awsome, they even have details for the seat belts, they look great altho i'm gonna remove them and replace them with PE pieces, the interior options include Spargo style seats, and a big custom system enclosure with big amps and woofers, the kit is great for kit bashing, alot of custom parts,

The mechanicals in the kit are represented good, undercarrage is done to perfection, and the 2.0 litre motor is done perfectly to scale, although according to my resource Revell's instruction in painting it is incorrect.

The rims are tipical Revell, 3 sets, 2 brand new custom one and the stock wheels, and there awsome Toyo tires, (which someone should cast)

decals include Carbon fiber for hood and wing, decals for the speaker system, ricer decals for the body, for the interior there are stock seat inserts, and decals for the dash details, altho. I recommend paint them manually becouse the decals may look a little funky over all the details eched into dash

out of 10 I give this kit a 9, mainly becouse of the boy ricer racer optional parts, like the WAY oversized wing, and the ricer decals.
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Old 08-20-2004, 12:02 AM   #44
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Re: KIT REVIEWS....Look in here to see other modellers veiws on kits

i'd just like to add to the above:

For some reason, after much tweaking, the wheels still fit crookedly in their wheel arches. wtf eh?
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2002 F150 SuperCab FX4 6" Fabtech, 3" BL, Detroit locker, Edge tuned, Yukon 4.56s, 37" Nittos, Harley lights, Depo fogs, 8K HIDs, Powerstop brakes
1992 Lincoln Mark VII LSC 302 H.O, A9L ECU swap, 65mm TB, 73mm Granetelli MAF, FRPP 30lb injectors, Walbro 255, MSD ignition, Powerdyne BD11 supercharger, Efans, T-5 swap w/ FRPP flywheel, Ram HDX clutch and adjustable Steeda clutch quadrant, 4.10 gears, Nitto NT555R radials
2000 OBS Tahoe Z71 6k HIDs, 33" Goodyears. 280k mile daily beater
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Old 08-28-2004, 12:28 AM   #45
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Re: KIT REVIEWS....Look in here to see other modellers veiws on kits

Revell 1999 Eclipse GSX "GS-T"

Revell labeled/gave it "GS-T" Decals, but it has AWD, making it a GSX.

If i didnt know any better, i would sware this was a metal body Tamiya kit, IMHO. This is Revells rendition of the 2G Eclipse. The Eclipse came with many options, GS, GT, Spyder, GS-T, and the top-o-de-line GSX. The GS-T and GSX versions came with the 250..give or take.. horsepower 4G63 Engine, also found in the Lancer Evolution cars. The major difference between the GSX and GS-T was that the GSX was AWD. Almost an Evolution for the States.

Having both the die-cast Revell Eclipse, and this plastic one, i'd say they were exactly the same, except which one weighs more. The body is crisply molded, no mold lines what so ever. Bodylines are engraved fairly deep. The side view mirriors have big stubs that snap into the A-Pillar so, dont worry about breaking off the little bastards. Now, heres the nicesnt thing about this kit. The body options. 2 wings, a fiber-glass/plastic style wing, quite large, and tall, or a chrome GT Style wing, but doesnt have any details in the pillars or anything at all. (hmm..had the same problem with the die cast version..). It comes with 3 front bumpers. YES..THREE. a Blitz front, the style used for the Fast And Furious Eclipse, a front that looks ALMOST stock, (dunno what kinda?!) and a Eurbuni Shogun style front. The side..is..unfortunatly molded. It appears to have a Blitz side skirts molded on. For the back it comes with 2 bumpers, one that looks stock (Once again..dont know!?), and a Blitz bumper. It should have come with a Shogun rear end too! With the Shogun front end, the vents/grilles are molded in, time to whip out the dremel, and kinfe. Once you remove that, remove the grille molded into the body. Make sure you DONT remove the holes for the chassis and for the bumper itself. Dremel or cut around it. It comes with 2 different tail lamps, ones that look like it has Supra style tail lights molded into the body, and stock ones. The front light lens snap into place, so it has stubs molded into them. Unfortunatly you can see the stubs from the other side. The stubs are too long, so once they are in the body, trim them off. oh yeah, make sure YOU PUT THE LIGHS IN BEFORE GLUEING THE BUMPER ON. But, even doing that, you need to wiggle the bumper on to fit. Atleast, with the Shogun i had too. This kit also comes with 2 hoods. a Clear stock style hood, and another hood with a ram air scoop, and a carbon fiber decal for the hood. One problem with mine, even after being trimmed, the hood still fits snug, and has to be pryed open (..scratching the paint..)

The suspension was simple, and under detailed. Once again, using parts from the die cast, The rear end alone only consisted of 5 parts, counthing the metal axle..yes, front and rear have metal axles. I had some problem with the front suspension going into place. It just seems rather awkward, and i ended up breaking a strut. Like the diecast, too the tires and wheels set too far inside the wheel wells, and the axles themselves were too long. To fix this problem, i used some Integra Type R Disc brakes, for spacers. Speaking of brakes, this kit didnt have any. Just some discs, but no calipers of the sort. It comes with 3 wheel choices. Axis 6 (or 7?) spoke wheels, the same style used for the Fast And Furious kit, stock style wheels molded in white, and some kind of 10-spoke chrome rims. Once again, this kit uses the rubber band Toyo tires. BLAH!

Interior is another story. Nice, and crisp. Easy to paint for 2 tone schemes. And yes, this uses the diecast interior too. a Sub box.. 2 12" or so Subwoofers, and 2 tweeters, and 2 Amplifiers molded into the floor. It comes with a Nitrous bottle, molded in dark..DARK blue. IMO, you should use a bottle from AMT Supra kits. It comes with 2 sparco seats, with decals for a Carbon Fiber back, and decals for the belts. The seats seem a bit small compared to my other 1:25 scale racing seats. The dashboard is nice also. Detailed. It has an aftermarket steering column, and a Sparco steering wheel. It also comes with a "MONSTAH TACH," with a shift light. It comes with a decal for center mounted gauges. The decal for the tach doesnt fit right, as it doesnt fit around the reset button. The center console is also molded seperte. Its E-Brake handle is molded into place, and has an awkward shifter.

The engine..the almight 4G63. Like the diecast version...TONS of chrome pieces. Some detail paiting has to be done. The engine comes with an aftermarket valve cover, turbo, and a big cone filter. One of the pipes from the turbo, just, literly, attaches to the frame rail. WTF? The pulleys have little to no detail, and the wastegate is molded into place. The entire assembly inclues the engine block halves, intake manifold (chrome), intake with MAF and filter (chrome), turbine with header (chrome), fusebox, wastegate, and intake pipe (chrome), 2 halves of the transmission, oil pan, and transfercase. The coil pack is molded into the intake manifold, and is quite large, so wiring it shouldnt be too difficult. The rear driveshaft is a long one unit piece, molded to the differential. The exhaust is large for a model. Must be atleast a scale 3"-3.5" inches. The muffler..wtf..looks like a cat converter, plus the tip sticks out a bit too far.

Overall, the problems in this kit are minor, and the possibilites are endless. Everything fits great. Some thoughful mods make this kit a winner. Oh yeah, if you want to try and replicate the car on the box art, thats not paint. Those are decals, and are included.

Accuracy:3/3 I'd say its pretty dead on.
Fit&Finish:2/2 It fits good, and looks good finished. lol.
Detail: 1/1.5 Some parts are molded in parts, plus the suspension is mediocore
Options: 1.5/1.5 a total of 5 bumpers, 2 hood, 2 spoilers, 3 wheel styles..uh..
Value: 2/2 $13 at Wal-Mart, cont go wrong there.
Final Verdict: 9.5/10 A damn good kit, with a few very minor woes.


(My version, features, Shogun with mesh grille front, Blitz rear end, custom GT Wing, and dual exhaust. Has 10-spoke rims, and ram air hood.)
__________________
2002 F150 SuperCab FX4 6" Fabtech, 3" BL, Detroit locker, Edge tuned, Yukon 4.56s, 37" Nittos, Harley lights, Depo fogs, 8K HIDs, Powerstop brakes
1992 Lincoln Mark VII LSC 302 H.O, A9L ECU swap, 65mm TB, 73mm Granetelli MAF, FRPP 30lb injectors, Walbro 255, MSD ignition, Powerdyne BD11 supercharger, Efans, T-5 swap w/ FRPP flywheel, Ram HDX clutch and adjustable Steeda clutch quadrant, 4.10 gears, Nitto NT555R radials
2000 OBS Tahoe Z71 6k HIDs, 33" Goodyears. 280k mile daily beater

Last edited by CamaroSSBoy346; 08-28-2004 at 12:58 AM.
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