KIT REVIEWS....Look in here to see other modellers veiws on kits

This thread is for looking to see what others think of a kit and hear there views

I posted this in a separate thread before. So I'll just copy paste the review here.

If you're a fan of muscle cars, Corvettes, or vintage sports racers, you've probably noticed this one on your local hobby shop shelf recently and written it off as another half-baked reissue of the same C3 Vette we've been getting from Revell since the mid-80's. Well, I picked one up today and found that this is not completely the case.

For starters, the kit is based on the Owens Corning Vette racer kit that was released under the Monogram label. However, this car discards the Owens Corning SCCA A-production car's cutdown windscreen and #1 graphics for a complex stars and stripes motif with the #48, and a full size Vette windshield.

The decals are your typical Cartograf goodies. Lamentable, the "new headlights" which are supposed to replicate the lovely fixed headlights that the prototype used, are decals which are applied over the stock lids and under clear lenses. The lenses are incredibly well molded, and the decals would work fine if it weren't for the fact that they snuggle down into the panel lines for the headlight lids. If you build this kit as the Greenwood car, make sure to fill those panel lines.

Now, the kit itself has some real bright spots. For starters, it contains one beautiful rendition of the Chevy 427, with really good fit. Especially on the valve covers. The separate fuel pump, oil filter, and starter are all great pieces. One detractor, though, is the oil pan as it's molded onto the block halves. One more piece to sand smooth. It's a shame, since this is a separate piece on the 1967 Vette 427. It's a near perfect factory L88. Problem is, this car didn't race with a factory stock 427. A good open element air cleaner and aluminum intake manifold will be acceptable enough to make this more of a "race" engine.

Suspension wise, it's accurate and detailed. It'll rival most any regular Tamiya kit for detail, and goes together easily. Some separate disc brakes would have been appreciated, though. Ah well, a trip to the parts box or to the closest Fujimi wheel/tire set can fix that if you want some. Though Brembos aren't exactly accurate for this year of car.

In the interior, it's a pretty straightforward tub approach with separate side panels and a panel dashboard to represent a generic racing piece. No gauge decals are included (strange in comparison to Revell's current standard practice) but the gauges are so well molded a schizoid chimp on amphetamines could paint them properly. The classic style racing buckets and roll bar with molded-in-place fire extinguisher are both great touches.

Now, the body is another great story. Beyond the fact that this is the best C3 Corvette on the market, this kit brings back stellar rear fender flares from (again) the Owens Corning kit. Thes fit quite well, and look great filled with the Goodyear Blue Streak specials and deep dish Torq-Thrusts included in the kit. Trust me when I tell you that THESE are the tires that should've been included in the Baldwin-Motion Vette coupe re-release from earlier this year. (of course, the lousy old GT Radials in that kit can be improved upon by grabbing the o-ring out of your kitchen faucet and slipping that onto the wheels). It's a little questionable that the sidewall lettering was excised from these well-known tires (they're most famous for their inclusion in the Revell's famous '32 Ford Coupe street rod kit. By the way, this Vette does have different Torq-Thrusts than those in that kit) It's all capped off by two lustrous HUGE headers and side dumps that, honestly, I'd use on any other Trans-Am style muscle car. They're that good.

One little niggle, though, is the bare plastic grille and rear bumpers. I know this is a race car, but these parts need to be chrome. Ah well, Chrome-Tech USA anyone? Also, beware the mold lines that bisect the door handles in the little crevasse of the rear fender. They're hell to remove, and you'll probably lose the door handle in the process.

Now, if you're not into the classic sports racer vibe, well, except for the dashboard, wheels, and tires, you can build this kit totally street stock. The stock exhaust pipes and exhaust manifolds, and the side chrome trim, remain in the kit. It's great to have all this goodness.

So what's the bottom line in this kit? Well, it's a modified reissue of one of the best kits Revell did in the 80's that contains very worthwhile optional parts that haven't been available for ages on end. It's combination of good engraving, logical parts breakdown, and low cost (LHS stocked it for $16.80.) make it a truly good kit, and the unique subject matter (even if it's not 100% accurately represented) makes it really a great piece.

If you need a C3 Vette Roadster, Torq-Thrusts for that muscle car project, a 427 for that Chevy hot rod, or seats for a vintage SCCA style project (Datsun 510 guys listen up), this is the kit to get.

Final Rating 9.5/10

Hope plenty of other guys get in on this.

tamiya rx7 r1, is good. all except how the tamiya wheels work, i hate them and they don't fit

the evo6 is also good (both of these are by tamiya)

AMT 1993-1997 LT1 Camaro Z28

Remember the days when muscle cars were the hottest thing you could drive? Names such as Z28, Hemi, 6-Pack, and Cobra all ruled the streets in colors such as Hugger Orange, Ermine White, and Plum Crazy Purple. Those days are long gone unfortunately due to emissions, climbing insurance rates, among other things. To young to remember these days? Well the muscle cars aren’t completely gone. Names such as Z28 and Cobra still exist, and are still just as badass. Although they don’t rely on big blocks and carburetors, they still make do with enough Horsepower to lay the smack down on unsuspecting imports. The Z28 Camaro is still one of the fastest cars you can buy for the money. Sub 13-second quarter miles for around $20,000?! Not bad. It all started with the 4th gen LT1 Z28’s, back in 1993.

The best representations of the 4th Gen LT1 Camaro’s are AMT. AMT has made every year of the 4th gen LT1 Camaro. Kits made by AMT are 93 Convertible and T-TOP, 94, 95, and 96 Convertibles, and 97 30th Anniv. Convertible, and 97 SS. The kit I built was the 93 Camaro Z28 with T-Tops.

The accuracy is especially good compared to Revell Monogram Camaro’s of the same Generation. Under the hood, is the 280 horsepower 310 lb ft of tq LT1 350 Iron block with a T56 6 Speed transmission. The engine is especially detailed. It has separately molded starter, unlike most Revell engines that are molded into the blocks. The valve covers also have “LT-1” engraved into them, taking the detail further. It also has a chrome-plated intake. The intake is the only place where theirs a molding problem. The intake and throttle body are molded in 1 piece, and is chrome plated. The throttle body has a dimple in the plastic, which is easily fixable. For my engine, I built mine with a Vortech Supercharger, with custom made belts and pullies, and after cooler core which actually came with the kit. The kit comes with the SS Ram Air box. I trimmed the tubes off of it, and now serves as an after cooler core. The tubes from supercharger-to-core and intake-to-core were all custom built. Surprisingly the radiator hoses were easy to get in, with such little room. Some guess work comes in when putting the belts/fans on the chrome engine front cover/water pump. I put a 1mm gap between the belt and cover.

The suspension is workable, but not perfect. The front track is a little wide, and therefore sticks a little out of the fenders. The rear end is weak. I actually decided to run larger tires out back, and the axles are even weaker. (Kind of like the 10 bolt in the real 1:1 Car :uhoh: ) If you don’t use super glue, the spindles/shock tower need some time to set up in the lower A-Arm.

Interior varies. Some of the kits come with cloth seats, others come with leather seats. Also, the newer ones have an updated dashboard. Seats might come out of place if you don’t use enough glue. There is a minor problem, the transmission hump and back seat. There is a bigger gap between the seat and hump, then in the 1:1 Car. But, at least it has the hump in the passenger floor, a detail neglected by Revell. Lastly, a minor problem is the interior tub may not fit right. Some superglue will easily correct this problem.

Also, AMT got all the body lines right, where as Revell didn’t. The body... its pretty detailed. On earlier kits you’ll find that the “Z28” is molded into the sides, unlike the newer ones. The spoiler may sit a little crooked, leaving a bigger gap then on the other side. The rear taillights don’t quite contour correctly with the body, so you’ll need to hold it in place until the glue sets up. Also, the front spindle/shock tower is to front forward, so the front tires might rub against the front fender. Another problem is with the tires. These tires seem to be universal with all AMT Sports cars. The kit comes with a plastic shiny “P245/50 ZR16s” Good Year Eagle GSC’s. The rear axle is too short, and made the tires stick too far inside the fenders. I compensated this by replacing the P245/50 ZR16s for a pair of P285/40ZR17 from a Corvette kit. The stock Z28 “Salad Shredder” rims still fit in the Corvette tires.Painting the T-Top pillar might be a problem because there is no bodyline to stop the paint from running out of control. Just use masking tape, and you should be okay. Or get a bottle of touch up paint. And since there were only 4 decals, I didn’t bother to use them (3 “Z28” Decals and a license plate)

Value on this kit is good. It’s parts are interchangeable within one and other, and at a price of $13.99 its well worth it, But expect to pay $15.00+ for the hardtop kit because it is much more rare then the convertible. And $17.00+ for the SS Version.

All in all, its about an 8.5/10 Not too bad for an AMT kit.

http://www.rankmyride.com/data//b/2/8295//.large/image238.jpg

Tamiya Porsche GT2 Club Racer (Review) Kit #_________

Overall impression: The GT2 Club Racer is the more civilized, urbanized street version of the Porsche GT2 race car release in a prior kit (kit #_____). It was inevitable that Tamiya would make a street car out of that kit as it proved to be a popular subject matter for conversions and modifications by many enthusiasts. All the good things that came with the original kit are there, but all the typical Tamiya problems (like lack of engine) are there as well.

Body
The body is Tamiya typical, flash free and in my sample had a few running mold lines along the top fenders that were difficult to remove perfectly, but other than that it is perfect. One negative about the body is that Tamiya chose to leave the opening for tow hook, roof mounted antenna, front hood flap and all the race prep hardware molded into the body. Developing a new mold for the main piece would be costly, but would have been preffered over the attempt of converting the race body to street use.

Chasis:
The jewels of this kit are by far the beautiful renditions of the BBS Le Mans multi piece wheels. These come with outrageous 345-size rear tires, monstrous lip, and can be super detailed to perfect accuracy. The tires are now street treaded Pirelli tires and they are nice, albeit a bit large of a sidewall for the wheel. The biggest gripe that I have with the chassis of this kit is the lack of engine, although there is a very prominent intercooler that is attached to the engine skeleton, it would take more work (such as robbing the engine from the Fujimi Enthusiast series Porsches) to make this look accurate. The suspension and exhaust seem realistic and with low part count (4 for the front and 6 for the rear) it does not take much to make it look realistic. The brakes are a good rendition of the Brembo F40 rotor and caliper and Tamiya provides decals for the caliper “Porsche” marking. They can look realistic if properly detailed, but be warned, these pieces are molded in black and need to be primered prior to painting, which may cause some lost detailed on a finely engraved cross drilled rotors.

Interior:
Interior is a step construction mixed bag of race ready technology and anchor points mounted on to the chassis pan, but with two seats, a slightly different non race steering wheel, but no mounting points for the passenger Recaro ? Tamiya clearly did not take the interior portion of this kit seriously, since the real road GT2 has a filled floor plan with carpeting, a different SPG Recaro seats and interior paneling. The kit represents something closer to the race ready stripped down model of a weekend racer car. A lot of work would have to be put into making the interior more “streeetable”, especially if you plan on opening the doors via a Renaissance transkit (which is described below)

Overall fit and finish
Overall this is a very enjoyable kit, typical Tamiya in terms of precision of fit and detail level. This kit could be built straight out of the box with great results, or super detailed using a variety of aftermarket items readily available. Some strong pros are the unique subject matter, great wheels, precise fit and ease of built, while strong cons are the lack of a detailed or correct interior, simplified chassis and lack of engine detail. It is overall a high 8/10 but could be finessed into a fine scale replica with a lot of work. Be prepared to use the BBS wheels on other projects as well. Highly Recommended!

Aftemarket:
Renaissance makes a conversion transkit for this kit that includes resin drivers door and window frame, interior side panel and everything you will need to detail this kit properly (PE fret sheet includes most of goodies like pedals, brakes, dry sump gas cap, etc) Studio 27 makes a number of decals that would allow you to build a different race version of each race that used this car.

i think the AMT oldsmoile 442 w-30 is a good kit good molding some flash here and there but overall a good kit many wayts to build it custom , street or stock. the chasis is nicely detailed and the engine bay and engine are very detailed. overall i would say its a good kit and should be a fun build for any modeler its also a skill level 2 the interior was sketchy no decals for the gauges and there was a lack of detail the decals for the exterior however set nice and looked good :biggrin: the mold lines werent too bad there were some towards the rear i had problems with the dashboard though because the molding was off plastic was were it shouldnt be the center console was gay and looked horrible i had to make one myself out of putty. the chrome parts were actually really nice it was good for an amt kit. the wheels were really messed up though if you tried to put the custom rims that they ave you in the custom tires you had to use alot of force and pressure and the kit had quite a few things that had to do with plumbing more than a normal kit such as a radiator house and air house and some transmission lines

the 69 oldsmobile w-30 442: when it was first intorduced in 1964 the olds 442 was essentially a police package that was made available to the public consisting of a four barrel carburetor a four speed manual transmission and dual exhaust the designation of a 442 was self descriptive actually the customer got alot more than a four barrel on his 330 cubic inch engine also included was a special camshaft, heavy-duty rods and main bearings heavy dutysuspension and speed rated tires were part of the chassis up-grade marking a total performance car. this characteristic was to be hallmark of all subsequent 442s so far as total performance muscle cars of the 60's the olds 442 was the best compsed all around performer money could buy off the showroom floor. not only could a 442 provide mind dazzling straight line aceleration it could find its way around twisty sections too.

in '69 the 442 got a styling change that is with us today the traditional body color divider in the center of the grille or two grilles instead of one. the 442 also came standard with a 400 cubic inch v-8 which developed 350 horspower in standard trim and 360 with the w-30 cold air package. the four speed was still with the package and of course the dual exhaust sustem played some lovely tunes in true automotive stereo. the high level suspension kept the four spcial tires planted on the road with front and rear anti roll bars havy duty springs and shocks road testers of the time acknoledged the 442 as the best all around performance car of the era and i agree
stats: starting price $ 3,141.00; number built in 69 26,357; wheel base 112' length 201.9; bas weight 3,502 lbs:
engine specs: 400cid; hp 350/360@3600rpm; torque 440foot/pounds;

Corvette C5-R - 2001 Daytona 24 Hours version
Manufacturer: Revell
Kit #: 85-2376

Overview:

This kit is to commererate the 2001 Daytona winning corvette piloted by Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell, Chris Kneifel and Frank Freon. The #2 car won 1st place over all classes. Cartograph decals are also included to make the #3 car driven by Dale Earnhardt, his son, Dale Jr. , Andy Pilgim and Kelly Collins. Along with these 2 versions, decals are included to make 2 other versions of the car raced at LeMans in 2001.

Accuracy:

Exterior: Although this kit is labeled 2001, the body is accurate for many cars from 2000, to 2003. Nearly all ducts, grilles, decals, and interior details are replicated to perfection. Race cars vary from race to race. Some of these details will have to be sorted out by the builder. Even if these minute details are overlooked, most observers will never know. The only problem with the body is that it is all one piece! This kit comes with an awesomely detailed engine, but the entire body has to come off to view it. This bothered me, so I simply cut the body into 3 pieces. The nose, hood, and cabin/rear.

Interior: I have studied these cars in some detail at many races here in Atlanta, and also in Sebring. The interior details are perfect. Computer boxes and fire control sytems are located in the proper place. As are nearly all colors called out for in the painting instructions.

Engine: This is the highlight of this kit. The engine is very well replicated for years 2000-2002. The airbox was changed in 2003, and would need changed for an exact replica. It comes with awesome Carbon fiber decals for the airbox, that with patience and MicroSol work perfectly. All hose locations are spot on also. Although it is highly detailed there is still room for super-detailing.

Fit/Finish:

The fit of this kit is wonderful. Some parts had odd mold lines, but they were very small, and easily sanded down. The tubular frame is a bit of a challenge. My suggestion is to have all parts necessary for steps 2 through 5 ready to install all at the same time. Installing all of these parts in one step is much easier than letting each step dry completely, before going to the next.
The fit of this kit was so good after buiding my first kit that on my other versions I cleaned the mold lines off of the parts on the trees, and painted all parts while they were all still on the trees. After all parts were painted, assembly took about 3 evenings to put together.
The only negative on fit was the height of the front of the car. It is much too high for a road racing car. This is easily remedied by moving the brake rotors up about 2-3mm on the spindles, and sanding the bottom of the hood to make a little room for the tires to tuck under.

Value:
The value of this kit is in the Decal sheet. One box gives you the choice of one of four cars. Each is unique and different on the outside. I paid about $12 for each of my kits, and they were well worth it. For less than half the cost of a Fujimi or Tamiya kit you get Full engine detail, full interior details, and accurate exterior details.


Aftermarket:
Many aftermarket accessories are available for this car. Photo-etched details and carbon fiber decals are available from Scale Motorsports. I have used the photo-etch sheet, and it added a much more realistic finish to the car. There are also machined aluminum parts available for under the hood from Arrowhead Specialties. And there is also a transkit, and decals available for many other race versions available from Scale Designs. The decals are a work of art and extremely easy to use.

Summary.
I really loved building each one of my 4 versions of this car. I have never built the same model more than once, and I have built 4 Corvette C5-R's. I also have plans and decals for 2 more versions. This alone is testament to the quality of this kit. It has many parts and is not for the inexperienced modeler, but an enjoyable kit for a moderately experienced builder.

I give this kit an 8/10 rating.

Revell Datsun 510 1/25th scale

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of this kit, a little history lesson on its origins is probably in order as it'll explain a lot of why it is the way it is.

For starters, this kit was originally introduced in 1973 as the BRE Datsun 510, a famous little car that stomped on Alfa Romeo GTV's and BMW 2002's in the SCCA Trans-Am class for under 2.0L cars. It's one of the cars that pioneered what has now grown into the import rodding hobby, and looked damn cool with its fender flares and 4 spoke American Racing Libre wheels.

http://www.iris.dti.ne.jp/~telly/gallery03set/BRE5102.jpg
Now, onto the kit.

Starting with the engine, we find that it's a little gem of an L series four cylinder, and I do mean little. If it weren't for the well-engraved (if chrome and flash choked) Weber DCOE sidedraft carburetors - or Solexs, or Mikunis, same design - this engine would seem to be hovering in the engine bay. Good luck trying to drill wires into the tiny separate distributor cap, but it'll be worth it if you do as the passenger side of the engine (where the spark plugs are) is pretty bare, only dressed up with a separate oil filter. The oil filter isn't too good, either. Just the usual cylinder of plastic. Grab an Exacto knife and whittle some fluting into the bottom of this thing to give it real detail, and scam AC Delco decals out of a Lindberg Impala for added realism. Also, look into stripping the chrome off the valve cover, as it's a mile thick and obscures a lot of detail. As I said before, same goes for the Weber/Mikuni/Solexs.

A good representation of a classic BRE "bundle of snakes" header is the last engine piece to complete a really nice engine that has really aged well. It helps that the last time this kit appeared was in the Revell Selected Subjects Program, which reissues classic kits as limited run collectors items with original box art.

Also, kitbashers and engine swappers note; the 510's engine has separate mounts. So, if the L18 four isn't up to the task for you, just save the mounts and adapt them to whatever else catches your fancy. Mazda 13B rotary, perhaps? :evillol:

Now, we do have one problem that pops up in several other places in the kit. You noticed that I've mentioned the header, the Weber DCOE's, and other racing accessories, right? Well, that's it. There is no stock engine option for this kit, as it was never tooled as a stock Datsun 510. Get ready to pirate some SU carbs from the parts box and scratchbuild the rest if replicas are your bag.

Moving to the chassis, we find more good detail news and more evidence of the kit's age. A well-engraved chassis pan is marred by several injector pin marks and some flash. Luckily, the copyright notice is in a relatively easy place for removal. Sure enough, it says Revell 1973. The gas tank is a separate item (which is good if you want to add a fuel cell, instead) and the rear suspension is comprised of nine well-engraved pieces. Everything fits together quite well, though the differential back plate tends to leave a small gap after installation that needs to be filled. Also, there's a small hole through the rear crossmember that the exhaust is supposed to be placed inside of when the two halves of the crossmember are put together. I can't confirm through my sources if this is correct or not, but it sure looks funny when you don't use the kit's tiny exhaust pipe.

At the front, things are also quite good, with six pieces representing a sway bar, the front struts, control arms, and a tie rod. There's no posable steering, but that can be worked out by an experienced builder. A big problem, though, is that the upper strut mounts are attached to the body, not the chassis, so aligning the suspension before you paint and attach the body becomes a very tricky affair. If anything, I'd suggest removing those mounts from the body and attaching them to the chassis's inner fenders. It'll make lowering and aligning that much easier. The last few things for chassis detail are some good underhood bits; the master cylinder, wiper motor, battery, and windshield washer fluid bottle are all separate and well realized pieces. An interesting detail is the steering box and steering shaft piece, which attaches to the front subframe and passes through the firewall to also function as the steering column. Pretty neat for 1973. All of these pieces should be coveted by anyone who builds Fujimi's kits of classic JDM Nissans like the Fairlady Z or KPGC10 Skyline, as those kits, even when they have engines, lack these details.

Revell was kind enough to ditch the old two piece Goodyear Blue Streaks that this kit (and it's BRE Datsun 240Z sidekick) had originally. But the no name tires we got in exchange are no better, as they fit miserably on the kits American Racing Libre wheels. Not a great loss, though, as these Libres have seen far better days. The thick chrome and heavy flash on the wheels can be removed, but it's time consuming and tedious, and the results won't be very satisfying. R&D Unique sells a resin set of Libres of this size for $5. It'll be money well spent when compared to agonizing over these kit pieces.

The interior is another interesting story. As I don't have a Revell BRE 510 reissue on hand to confirm this, I can't say for certain, but it looks like they've added factory stock seats, dashboard, and side panels to the racer's interior. Sure enough, there's no carpet engraving on the top side of the chassis pan (where the interior builds up, much like the real deal. How's that for accuracy?) and there's a bare metal rear partition for the package shelf. But somehow this spartan, race ready, enviroment spawned a radio in the dashboard and massive speakers on the package shelf (represented by decals).

It's good stuff, though. The seats have good upholstery engraving and the dashboard is very fine. A set of gauge decals helps with all the tiny details, for those of us who aren't keen on painting them. But I still can't help but laugh at the juxtaposition of a fire extinguisher and a bare floor beneath factory seats and massive speakers.

The body is an interesting piece, too. It's very attractive, and almost menacing with it's finely engraved trim and large fender flares. There's a good BRE chin spoiler in the kit, and a very funtional hood hinge that doesn't compromise realism very much at all. But there's some other problems. First off, there are some massive mold lines that go through some window trim, so sanding them obliterates some details. Also, the separate front and rear valances are nearly impossible to align properly. Break out the putty and sanding sticks for this one guys. The bumpers and grille are well done but the chrome is thick and obscures a lot of detail. The headlights are represented by clear pieces (a welcome touch, no doubt). However, the tail-lights were modled onto the rear valance. Adding to this problem is the fact that the other 510 kit on the market is Hasegawa's 1/24th scale JDM four door. Cutting and sanding are going to be a big part of any solution to that problem.

Oh yeah, and remember what I said about no stock option? Same here. The body is BRE all the way, so if you want a stock 2 door Datsun 510, get cozy with a Hasegawa kit and a razor saw to build this one stock.

The decal sheet, is a nice one, with plenty of emblems (good, since the ones on the body are either going to get sanded off while removing mold lines or buried by a coat of paint) and two very interesting (attractive is a whole other story) graphics packages. The decals lay down well, and don't react badly to setting solutions, so if they're the sort of look you like, they're very workable.

By no means is this a bad kit. It represents a subject that hasn't been touched by the other kit manufacturers and has lots of neat details. But time has not been kind to the tooling as it is now producing a lot of flash. It's probably due to the fact that this tool sat on the shelf for decades while muscle cars and street rods were produced time after time. This kit celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, and is a fun one to build. But don't be surprised if you run into some difficulties because of its middle-aged status.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

If you like low-riders, you obviously know about the 64’ Impala SS… for years people have been customizing these cars… some of the custom work is the use of hydraulics, chrome trim, candy paints, and custom airbrushed paint jobs… all of which have been replicated in this great kit by revell for a moderate price. This is defiantly one of Revell’s finest efforts in 1/25 scale.

Engine: I feel the engine is good and it has many options....It is a 327 c.i. small block and has an automatic transmission…the kit gives the option of build a 327 (stock) or 409 (low-rider)…it gives you the choice to have a stock or aftermarket air cleaner. The aftermarket cleaner is chrome...it also gives you a choice of manifolds. Both of these pieces are chrome-which can be good if you are going for a low-rider...the one thing that bothered me was a distributor with plugs in it but no wires...so I wired the engine. The engine is very accurate and detailed… Overall the engine is a solid 7/10

Interior: The interior is good...it has an option for a low-rider (chain) or stock steering wheel....the seats are two piece and they are also easy to mask due to their flatness (accurate to the real car).... it comes with a "low-rider emblem plaque" and it also comes with the hydraulic switch box to further improve detail...the dash is very accurate...overall I would say its a good 7.5/10

Chassis/underbody: the exhaust is accurate and the underbody is very accurate...it comes with two sets of wheels. One set it low-rider wire mesh wheels and the other is the stock wheels that come with the 64' impala SS...It comes with chrome such as the grilles and bumpers and trim on the hood. This kit also has pose-able suspension....so you can get that hydraulic look easily (I did have some trouble in the fitting of the struts though) it has a little trouble fitting in the body...but is not a big deal...8/10

Other: The decals that come with this kit are great! It comes with “airbrush style” murals and also comes with decals for the stock impala… it has an open-able trunk (boot) that reveals amps, batteries, and chrome hydraulic pumps. I have found the chrome in the kit was very good…and had no bare spots. I did notice, however, that the instructions did not state what color to paint the body to match box.

Overall: this is a good kit and is pretty accurate...I found it fun to build and loved all the options. It was not the quality of most Tamiyas...but it was good for a Revell...Overall...I would rate it a 7.5/10

1/24 Tamiya Toyota GT-1 TS020 (TAM 24222)

This kit represents the Toyota GT-1 as raced in the Le MAns 24 Hour race 0f 1999. It can be built as either the No. 3 car of Katayama, Suzuki and Tsuchiya or the No.1 car of Brundle, Collard and Sospiri.

In my opinion this was the best looking sportscar ever made and the kit captures the lines of the actual car very well. Upon opening the box you will find 4 sprues of parts, One black containing the undertray, monocoque,Engine parts and wheels etc, One White containing brakes and body parts, one clear containing the windows and light covers and one chromed part with the turbos, exhausts and radiators. In addition there are the two main body parts moulded in white, two sheets of excellent decals, a tyre bag, tyre decals and a masking sheet for the white areas on the body.

Construction begins with the engine, rear suspension and gearbox, standard for most Tamiya race car kits. This whole area of the kit is extremely well detailed and a convincing replica can be made by simply following the paint callouts given in the instructions, for the more adventurous builder the use of carbon decal would give an extremely realistic engine area due to the inclusion of all radiator ducting and brake cooling ducts, Like I said before, this is one extremely detailed engine bay for a standard kit.

Following assembly of the engine construction moves onto the monocoque and interior of the car. In my opinion this is where tis kit excels, anyone who is familiar with this car will be aware of the aerodynamics used and how the radiators are cooled and the whole ducting of air through the body and past the monocoque is true in this model. The whole tub, front suspension, cockpit and firewall area is a model in itself, the only real dissapointment with the standard kit is the lack of any real seatbelts, these are covered with a simple decal, more on that later...

The bodywork is the final major stage in the construction of this kit and the entire outside shape of the car is moulded in 9 major parts. This is also where one of only two errors I could find in this kit occurs. The colour scheme of the car is a 'marlboroesque' red and white and the kit supplies masking seals to cover the white areas while the red is painted. In the instructions it says to only use masking seals A and B which leaves two unused, and unlabelled, masks on the sheet. If you follow the instructions you will end up with a 'flat topped' triangle on the front of the car and a simple white band around the air intake on top of the car. However, these should both be triangles and if you use the other two masks that are included you will get the proper paint scheme. The second error is also to do with the marlboro type colouring of the car, on the decal sheet there are some red triangles that are not called out, these should be used on the white areas on the rear wing to again give the desired white triangle look of the real car.

The final steps are some additional engine bay items, more ducts and some stiffener bars and the wheels and tyres.

Once assembled this kit looks fantastic and as I mentioned earlier it could be made to look stunning with the use of aftermarket parts. Scale Motorsport produces an excellent templated carbon fiber decal set that I used on my model as well as a photoetch set. I also used their 1/24 racing harness set to increase the realism on the interior.

As expected from a Tamiya kit the fit and finish of all the parts is excellent, even the chrome plating is comvincing enough not to strip off. If your into sportscars and want an excellent addition to your collection you have to get this kit. I would rate this kit a 9 or a 10 but due to the errors in the instructions and the potential for someone to make a model that is not true to the car I will drop this score down to an 8.

Thanks for reading

1:24 Scale Tamiya Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo Z32 Fairlady

If you have been hanging around this board for awhile. you would have noticed the Tamiya 300ZX is becoming very popular. Any shouldnt it? The 300ZX was a hot import, and still is. This kit is also very popular because it has engine detail. Unlike most of Tamiya's curbsides. Who wouldnt like the oppertunity to build a 280HP Twin turbo 3.0L V6 in 1:24 scale?

The body shell is typical tamiya quality. Excellent. Due to the fact that i am not a 300ZX Z32 expert, i cannot tell you that the body is accurate, but being the fact that it is a tamiya, i am certain it is correct. The only problem i had was the t-tops kept sinking to low, making the center T bar look too thick. Even with that, its still a plus compared to the Fujimi 300ZX which doesnt even include T-Tops. I also like the front light bar, it features seperate lenses, unlike the Fujimi, which is all molded as one piece. It also gives the option of having a clear hood, very cool indeed, but if its warped, its basically worthless. Because its clear, you cant bend it back into shape with out cracking it. Trust me, i found out the hard way. 8.5/10

The engine is also acceptable. The engine is very accurate, and isnt simplified like many other tamiya cars with engine detail. Some problems with it i had a few, and minor. The first one being the directions. It tells you to paint the front engine cover grey or aluminum. This would be incorrect, after viewing other 1:1 300ZX's the front engine cover is black. Another thing i have a problem is with the passenger side intake pipe is supposted to attach to the radiator. Unfortunatly, it doesnt fit flush with the radiator. 8.5/10

The suspension is pretty simplified, but it does the job. The only problem i have with the chassis is the exhaust system looks big, dumb and clumsy, and the tips have different sized holes in them, making them look retarded. Also, the front suspension has a little camber to it, and the tie rod is abit too long (making the wheels appear turned/look like a V) 8.5/10

The interior is good, but i've had a stroke of bad luck with it. The 1:1 cars had 2 tone interiors, and my paint kept running, so i just painted it all flat black. The shifter looks kinda toy-like. What i like about it is, the gauge pod consists of 2 main parts. The back, and top. No more crooked gauge faces! w000! This car has alot of detail, compared to the Fujimi 300zx insdie, the tamiya features the back strut bar, and the luggage belts. It also comes with a big flat area to put some nitrous bottles in their if you please. Also, the seat backs look a little thin. 9/10

Value on this kit is exceptionally well, A: Its a tamiya B: It has an engine C: I picked mine up for $17.99. 9.5/10

http://www.rankmyride.com/data//b/2/8295//.large/image177.jpg
http://www.rankmyride.com/data//b/2/8295//.large/image180.jpg

Tamiya Nissan Skyline R32 GTR

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/blueboost/images/newavi%203d%20hood%20on.bmp

The Tamiya R32 was a very enjoyable kit to build. I
found no great flaws with the kit and the instructions
are an easy read. I would say anyone with intermediate
or above modeling skills could produce a good clean
build. The Parts are molded in black and dark gray;
clear pieces also included. the kit has Complete
engine detail which I found to be of exceptional
quality. This kit is typical of the quality modelers
have come to expect from a Tamiya kit.

The accuracy of
the model is spot on, My only nit-pics would be the
ride height of the model, which tends to be a bit
higher then the actual 1:1 car, and the exhaust
muffler looks a bit "toyish". everything else was
heavily detailed, all the way down to the little
"nissan" letters on the brake calipers. Due to the
excellent craftmanship overall PLUS the fabulous
engine detail,

I must award this kit the full 3pts for
accuracy. 3/3

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/blueboost/images/newavi%203d.bmp

When building the kit everything go's together pretty
well. I did have a little trimming to do. The window
sat uneven until I did a bit of sanding to it. and the
hood required a small amount of sanding for that
perfect fit. There was a small amount of flash on the
front and rear bumpers that need some sanding. The
waterslide decals were just great; not too fragile and
realistic in appearance. Also, the head and taillights
were a great fit and look very realistic when detailed.
The fit and finish of this particular model is very good.

fit&finish: 1.75/2.0

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/blueboost/images/newavi%20back.bmp

I would say this kit rings in as one of the funnest
kits I've built lately and the fact that it comes with
the infamous RB26DETT engine is a bonus. I kit-bashed
my first R32 kit for the engine so I could use it in
another model. Ordering the parts tree containing the
engine parts was only as hard as a phone call to
tamiya (and a $20 charge to my credit card :D )
The fact that this is a R-series Skyline model makes
this kit that much better as their are so many lovers
of this great car. The wheels in the kit are of course
the R32 GTR stockers, but with a little touch of paint
they can look pretty good in the wheel wells if you
decide to use them. I've awarded this kit a solid 1.5
in the detail catagory. It's obvious to me whoever
designed this kit enjoyed doing so, it was tooled
superbly. Add the fact that you get great engine detail,
which seems to be quite a bonus these days and
the decision was easy.

detail: 1.5/1.5

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/blueboost/images/newavi.bmp

all in all this kit is everything you would expect from
a skyline model, with sharp detail inside and out.
there aren't any photoeched parts or small batch
resin goodies, but the kit has everything you need
to be truly pleased with your finished product. the kit
options go as far as showroom stock only. there aren't
any aftermarket parts included. Fujimi has a skyline
with the RB26DETT engine included in the kit so sourcing
this famous engine in scale isn't impossible but this particular kits worth
increases in my opinion based on the fact that the engine could
be used for other models. Without this, some other kits would
be destined to live a curb-side only life. I would highly recommend
building one of these Iconic Japanese tuners if you haven't already.

Options: 1.0/1.5

total Pts. 7.25/8.0

Tamiya Rx-7 R1

This is definately one of the most popular japanese performance cars out there, and this kit really reflects the smooth streaks of this powerful twin turbo rotary monster.

Accuracy of model to the actual car:
Here in Australia we have quite a few Series 6 Rx7s driving around, and everytime I see one, I imagine my car and I notice that the car really is spot on. Even the ride height seems to be spot on to the actual car. The decals included in this kit are for Mazda, and not the Japanese tagged Enfini. The detail of this kit follows through from the molded Rx-7 logo on the back of the car to the Mazda molded into the front break calipers. The engine bay looks very good as well, however there are some fitting problems of the airbox part to the rotary housing. However this isn't very noticable. Also, this car comes with parts for both LHD and RHD steering
I give this car 9/10 for accuracy and detail
http://www.suckmystifter.com/other/rx7/IMGP2977.jpg

Build:
This was my first car, and without a doubt it was a joy to build. Through and Through. Like every model however, the exhaust is peashooter size, so I thought I'd make my own out of plastic straws. I reckon they look alright but you be the judge of that. Everything fits together nicely, except the rear window. I am not sure if its only my model, but it is a bit irritating to look at. I am sure its easily fixed, but I didn't have the experience to do . The chassis fits perfectly to the body! No sanding necessary. However it doesn't have any clips or similar to fasten the body to the chassis, so if you are a person who doesn't want to glue on the car, this kit should only be in a display box, and far away from people who want to lift it up :lol: . Bonnet is also a perfect fit and no sanding has to be done here. Of course, this being a 10 year old kit or so, it has the usual mold lines from the front bumper over the roof to the rear bumper. This is easily sanded off and even heavy sanding won't damage the detail of the car.
I give this car a 9/10 for build.
http://www.suckmystifter.com/other/rx7/IMGP2981.jpg

Final Thought:
AMAZING. Thats the only word to explain it. My particular car is black, so it attracts quite a bit of visible dust. This however doesn't make it any different. Looking at the car next to my computer makes me feel comfortable with myself. I know this car is not perfect, far from it (as in my modeling capabilities). It's just something about the rx-7 that I have always loved. The aggressive curves, the sporty look. The famous 13b rotary engine. This kit encompasses the feel of the car perfectly. Definately a must have for any serious perfomance car enthusiast.
http://www.suckmystifter.com/other/rx7/IMGP2975.jpg

Total score:
9/10

1994 DODGE STEALTH R/T TT

Everyone remembers the days when muscle cars ruled the streets. Classic names like Chevy, Ford, and Dodge were seen everywhere from the local drag strips to the stoplights on Hollywood Boulevard. Most of us are too young to remember some of the classic Dodge, and Chrysler muscle cars such as the Superbee, and the Road Runner. Well, today, Dodge offers a car that has muscle car blood running in its veins, power in its gut, and the stylish looks of the modern day car.

We introduce the 1994 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo, by AMT/Ertl. The car features a unique engine/drive train system. It’s composed of Chryslers famed 3.0 liter, DOHC, v6, equipped with Twin Turbo chargers. The car cranks out 300hp, and around 280 ft lbs. of torque. With the awd system at hand, the car is capable of speeds well beyond the imagination of anyone.

Body, Engine, Interior:

AMT has done a well job of capturing the cars body lines quite well. Those who are interested in mold lines, the car has about 6 total (at least the kit I got did). It’s complete with the hatch style wing the glues right behind the rear window like on the 1:1 car. The engine and drivetrain are done quite well, amt has done a fine job of supply both turbo’s, and all the piping, and air boxes needed to represent the TT V6. The only thing that seems to be missing is the two intercoolers that the 1:1 car has mounted in the front clip of the vehicle. The interior is not quite what the experienced builder would expect, the car is a 2+2 2 seater sports car, whereas the model’s interior is the coupe version with a rear seat. This can be taken care of with a dremel, cutting disc, plastic card, and some putty.
The interior features bucket seats, a short shifter for the Getrag 5spd manual with overdrive transaxel. The dash seems to be complete, is missing proper decals for gauge faces however, this is something an in-experienced modeler wouldn’t care about. The steering wheel, and center console look complete, but could use some better detail.

Wheels and Suspension:

The Stealth sports 17” cast aluminum 5spoke slanted razor style rims with Good Year Eagle Gatorback direction, v-tread rubber. Amt did a very nice job with coming to accuracy with the rubbers for this car, look very nice, only complaint is you have to cut out some rubber on one side of the wheel for the rim to fit, if not done right, the rim sits to one side. The rim looks to be about 14”x5”, very ugly. Hardly looks like the 1:1 car’s rims which are very nice, and sharp, whereas these are fat and rounded. The optional rims are “17’’ “ Fittistar wheels, basic 5spoke, dipped wheel, looks similar to that of an American Racing wheel. These suit the car much better than the stockers.
The suspension is captured nicely and looks to be what you’d expect from a fine Revell kit. Although, it does seem to sit a little high, some trimming of the springs, and bending of the suspension pieces allow the car to sit at the correct R/T TT cars height.

Under Chassis:

The under chassis is nicely detailed, which includes accurate suspension bolt-up places, and exhaust bolt in points. The fuel tank is molded into the chassis, and looks to represent the full detail of the car including the slots that are seen on most fuel tanks. The rear diffuser is made into the car’s rear clip, which, I’m not sure about, but I think was bolted onto the under chassis.

The Judgement:

Overall this kit was finely done, most pieces captured accurately, besides the few things I’ve pointed out, I can’t find anything else wrong with the car. With the kit’s MSRP ranging from $9.00-$12.50 usd PPOL (Price Pending On Location, and store) it’s definitely a good kit to add to your collection if you’re a Mopar Maniac, or just want to get out of a modeling block. I suggest this car to an in-experienced builder as a great starter model, and for the experienced who want to take this to the edge, such as my friend Adam, who purchased this same kit, and placed a 1/24th scale 360cubic inch, supercharged, fuel injected small block Dodge motor in this, which he modified the frame, and suspension to make it fit the RWD format while keeping the car’s ride height and overall look the same.

I rate this kit a 6.5-7/10 kit. Considering it’s an AMT, the detail, and price it’s a very cool car overall to build, and will look just as mean as any other Mopar muscle machine, or modern day sports car sitting on your shelf.

This kit is based on the car Mercedes and AMG released for the 1994 German Touring Car Championship season.

The body was flash free but had some pretty deep mold lines which needed a fair bit of sanding – the process of sanding these mold lines inevitably removed some detail especially from the rear bumper. Since decals were placed over these areas – it didn’t concern me as much. The front cowl and side vents come as separate parts.

The stripped down race interior was reasonably straightforward with the roll cage fitting together almost perfectly! I say this cos the last few roll cages I built needed quite a bit of tinkering to get right. The seat harness hardware is replicated by decals.

The chasis is relatively detailed and there were no issues with fitment. The front wheels are poseable but I found that once everything was assembled, I was unable to steer them (of course, this might have been an assembly mistake on my part). The exhaust tips are chrome plated which add to overall appearance. The kit does have an engine, but virtually disappears once final assembly is completed.

The majority of the car is decaled. I only used ‘MicroSet’, with which I had no problems. I am unaware whether decal softners would adversely affect these decals. I found that some decals were a tad too big in certain areas and needed some careful trimming.

The following are some of the issues with the kit. On final assembly, I could not get the body to attach to the chasis and gaps are seen. The front cowl does not attach perfectly as well. The window had very little unseen space to apply the glue and this added to the unnecessary frustration of the building experience. Overall, I’d give the car 5/10 – the main reason is the poor final fitment of my sample of this car, which in end, regardless of everything else, is the 1st thing that people notice.

Fujimi BMW 5 Series (1989-1995 ?)

This has got to be one of my favorite european cars. These were some of the best performance sedans in its heyday. The M5, built and assembled in Munich Germany, this car could run with names such as Corvettes. Im not talking about the L89 Corvette either. Im talking about the Corvette's of the same year. With a curb weight of 3803 pounds, a 340 HP 300 lb ft of tq Inline 6, this car could do the quarter mile in 14 seconds and rip to 60 mph in 6 seconds. And if that wasnt enough, you could contract Dinan or AC Schnitzer to have your 5 series supercharged, put new body kits on, or wheels.

Fujimi has recreated the BMW M5, 535i, and AC Schnitzer 535i. All 3 kits are exactly the same, however they all offer the same level of excitment. Having built both the M5 and AC Schnitzer 535i, i can say these are some pretty good kits. Way above other average Fujimi Kits

Unfortunatly, this is a curbside. Meaning no engine. Just like every other Fujimi. On the under side, you will find some engine detail. a square for the oil pan, and the transmission. Even with that little detail, its not very detailed The exhaust is also molded into the chassis (except tail pipe and muffler) 5/10

The suspension..its a joke to say the least. Wheels are held in place with a metal axle, both front and rear= no steering wheels. To keep the wheels from sliding back and forth, 1 piece holders have been made. The rear holder consists of something that resembles lower A-Arms, differential housing, and a 2mm drive shaft, which connects to a molded drive shaft, that is covered by the molded in exhaust. The metal axle acts as the axle and axles housing. Up font its the same lay out. The piece that holds the axle in place consists of the oilpan, tie rods, and stabilizers, and something that you could call a lower a arm. The coil springs, and shocks are molded into the chassis piece. It also comes with a seperate fuel tank. Wheels included are BBS 2 Piece lace mesh rims with Pirelli Cinturato P7's 2/10

The interior is okay. It comes with seperate door panels, a choice of auto or 5 speed stick shifters, and a 2 piece dashboard. The seats arent very detailed, and have no back. The dashboard face; which consists of HVAC controlls and radio isnt very detailed, and is hard to make out what it is. It also comes with a choice of 2 steering wheels 7/10

Body is nicle scuplted, and has a few mold lines on the sides of the roof. It also comes with seperate front and rear bumper. It also comes optional with the AC Schnitzer spoiler. Unfortunatley, the body lines arent deep, and may be coved under heavy paint. 8.5/10

Overall, this is a good kit for the ameature. But for the skilled modeler, this may be a let down. As all the kits are the same, for better or for worse. A great kit for the amature, as its not too difficult. Overall, 7.5/10

FnF-9 Acc-9 Val-8 Overall-8.75

The Tamiya S2000 kit was a joy from the shelf in the hobby shop to the shelf in my display case. The kit was just what you would expect from Tamiya; accurate, well fitting, and with a few frills to keep everyone satisfied.

Fit and Finish 9/10

When you open the box there are few surprises. The whole model goes together easily, with no fixing or adjusting parts to get them to fit, and they all just go in place so easily and intuitively that the instructions probably won’t be needed for 95% of the construction. But when they are needed, they are the very clear and only have a couple omissions, all dealing with paint call outs. The rear turn signals are poorly called out for painting, but after checking some reference material it was obvious. The front turn signals aren’t called out for paint at all, which is correct for a JDM S2000, however they are amber on the US market S2000. This isn’t a mistake on the original release that had only right hand drive, but the newer version of the kit has a dash for the North American market, and the paint should have been called out as optional depending on the version. It is a little difficult to paint the chrome headlights, too, but all the chrome on the car is well done. It is very smooth and evenly applied, and matches the polished metal of the stock rims and exhaust finishers perfectly. The only rub is the headlight buckets that could be a little shinier, but under the headlight lens it looks fine. Besides the chrome plated parts, there are metal adhesive transfers for the H and S2000 logos, and the mirror surfaces. When I first got this model and built it, the metal transfers were new and really raised the bar for logos and mirror surfaces. Tamiya includes these in most of their kits now, and they are wonderful, the clear backing makes them pretty simple to apply. The entire kit was beautifully and crisply molded, with no flash and very little mold lines. There is some minor and easily removed mold lines on the body, but on one of my four samples had a slight sink mark in the rear bumper, just inboard of the mold line. It was shallow and was mostly sanded out when removing the mold lines and was easily covered by just sandable primer. The only time the mold lines posed a problem were on the complex suspension parts, and of course the strut and spring assemblies. Otherwise, they were very easily removed with a sharp knife and sandpaper. The biggest molding flaw was on the package shelf, where two rather deep ejection pin marks mar the interior bucket molding. They are very difficult to remove, and I just left them. If you build the model with the top down, the convertible boot will cover them, but they will probably be visible behind the glass of the included hard top and up-convertible top. I used a resin aftermarket roof on one model, and built it with the top down on the other, so the marks were not visible either of my completed S2000s. The decals are full color and complete for a showroom stock street car. Tamiya even includes two decals for the digital display that is the S2000’s instrument cluster; one for the car stopped and one for full throttle. That was a nice touch, I thought. The decals have the biggest drawback to the kit, I think, as the decals for the H logos on the wheel center cap do not look convincing nor do they stick to the semigloss chrome. If you plan to use them, a coat of gloss clear might do the trick. I don’t understand why Tamiya didn’t mold the logo into the wheel center instead of using a decal, it would have looked much better.

Accuracy 9/10
The accuracy suffers here because of the lack of engine detail. If there is anything special about the S2000 it’s the tiny, aluminum block, 4cyl, 2L, 240hp motor. However, credit has to be given to Tamiya for another intensely accurate model. They body mold very accurately captures the aggressive, angry lines of the S2000 that make it a design masterpiece. As far as the body molding goes, there are no discrepancies between the 1:1 and 1:24, which makes me very happy that Tamiya got the license to issue this particular Honda. From the reference photos I’ve studies, the undercarriage is spot on, as well, the only inaccuracy is a paint omission, the instructions do not call out the spare tire well as being painted flat gray. I’ve studied these cars in depth, and the suspension is a marvel. The parts are very well molded and accurately. There are only a couple problems with the rear suspension, the lower suspension arms are molded as solid, without the holes in the delicate cast piece. I imagine Tamiya did this for strength; in the mold, in the box, and on the display shelf. However, with a sharp knife you can easily open these spaces out and make it look perfect. The other problem is the rear surface where you mate the top and bottom frame parts. The do not mate flush, and need to be sanded smooth, nor do the look accurate. The actual subframe resembles two X’s next to each other (XX), while the kit has a solid piece of plastic. This is common on Tamiya kits, and is also probably for strength on the display shelf. It is quite hidden, though, so unless you’re a total nit-picker this will be a non-issue. The interior is spot on, whatever version you plan to build. Tamiya did a good job with making a simple, very detailed interior. The only thing they could have done to improve it would be separate parts for the door handles (instead of molded on) and two-piece seats with mesh to sandwich in the headrest to give it a more accurate appearance, as on the 1:1 the headrest is a mesh that you can see through. Other than that, and the ejector pin marks on the package shelf, the interior is a masterpiece, including a piece of clear for the glass between the seats. The glass on the car is also very well done, with three-part taillamps to really show off the innovative cluster that Honda uses. The third lamp is great as well, and if you paint the attaching surface black and the locating pin silver, you can make it look very convincing. The exhaust is well done, though the mufflers should be black instead of silver as indicated by the instructions. The radiator molded into the floorpan is a little too far forward, but that isn’t noticeable unless you open it up and add an aftermarket engine. The wheels are well molded, and the detail in the tires are perfect.

Value 8/10

The inclusion of the Mugen rims in the newer V-spec release are a great addition to the car, and the hard top is also good. The real value in the newer release opposed to the older one, is the left hand drive dash, which allows North American modelers to build a replica of the cars sold here. The Mugen rims are beautifully molded, and will find their way onto at least one other Honda in my future projects. However, I can only use them on an otherwise trashed kit since it needs the included tires (in my opinion). I plan on using the S2000 suspension as well. Those, however, are the only parts of the kit that could be used for anything else without some intense research, planning, modification and scratchbuilding. Even the seats are application specific, and would take some work to put in another model. The lack of an engine really hurts the kit, as the entire thing is beautiful and could use that little extra bit to make it just perfect. By that token, Tamya makes it easy for you if you want to add, and can find, an aftermarket F20C. Only the V-spec issue has any real build options. The first one lets you choose top up or down, while the V-spec allows you to choose either stock or Mugen rims; right or left hand drive; top up, down, or hardtop; and V-spec or not (with a choice of steering wheels). Still, the price is a little high for a curbside kit, but not unfair. For the sheer joy of the build quality, and the wonderful subject matter, this kit is great. Just be sure to get the V-spec if you want any options out of the box.

Overall 8.75

If you love the S2000, you’ll love this kit. But if you just like it, or don’t care one way or another, you’ll like this kit. It is very good quality, easy and fun to build, and due to the subject matter can be build many different ways in the hands of an experienced or adventurous modeler. Just don’t expect anything beyond typical Tamiya, however, because in some instances you may be left wanting.

Revell Acura Integra Type R

The Acura Integra has become one of the most popular modified cars. As it’s cheap, and makes about 140HP, depending on which version you get. Weather it be LS, GS, GSR, or Type R, they all come with a 1.8L 4cyl. Revell has introduced the Integra Type R, which comes with its 180HP 1.8L 4cyl.

This is a truly Revell’s finest attempt at making a model car. This car has so many options its mind blowing. But yet, it goes together with such ease. The Type R comes with 4 different wheels, with rubber band like Toyo Proxy tires. It comes with a BBS like 2-piece mesh rim, a 5-spoke rim, or a rim with 12 or so spokes (not sure off the top of my head) it also comes with the stock gunmetal Type R rims. It also comes with 3 spoilers, a GSR like spoiler, a stock Type R spoiler, and an Invader like spoiler. It comes with 2 front lips also. The stock Type R one, or a modified, bigger front lip. It also comes with a longer rear bumper, or the stock one.

The engine is pretty detailed, which Revell is known for making detailed engines. The 1.8 is crisply molded with a separately molded transmission. The car comes with a custom exhaust header, chrome plated, but mot very detailed, intake manifold, and a cold air intake. The engine bay also has tons of details on its fender wells. It also comes with a separate firewall, and radiator. I actually found enough room to drop in a front mount intercooler, and a Turbo in there. A good ideal, though, you might want to change the engine top, from the molded gray one, for the chrome plated Civic Si top, which fits much better.

The interior molded in gray, comes with the option of stock, or white face gauges, and crisply molded seats. It also comes with separate side panels. A nice feature for this kit is it comes with a separate gauge pod cover, this way you don’t have to fiddle around with the decal trying to get it straight. It comes with a separate handbrake (unlike most revell’s like ive seen), and a separate center armrest.

The suspension is also a work of art-for revell at least. It comes with separately molded brakes, separate tie rod, spindles, and lower a-arms. The wheels are also attached with metal pins, with female rims, like Fujimi cars. Out back, it comes with a nicely molded one-piece rear end, with the stabilizer bar molded in. The car also comes with a chrome-plated exhaust, which is a nice modifier touch. It also comes with a nice muffler, and a metal exhaust tip. Unfortunately, the front end may give a little camber-drifter like style-and camber on FWD cars isn’t exactly a good idea.

The body is where it starts to get scary. In the front it comes with mold lines on the front side bumpers, which I just couldn’t seem to get rid of. The back bumper doesn’t seem to curve in contour wi9th the body. It also has some dimples in the back fascia part of the bumper. The biggest problem, is their are some big dimples in the rear quarter panels

Value of this kit is exceptionally good, with a price of about $12.99, you cant beat it, as their are so many options, and many different left over parts, that can go on other cars. This kit is great for the beginner, or professional, as it is much fun to build, with its oh-so-many options. I built my kit with a pair of Racing Hart C-2 rims my XSTuning..

[IMG]http://www.rankmyride.com/data//b/2/8295//.large/image185.jpg/IMG]

Mike, I think the 5spokes are Volks, the 15 spoke(multispoke chrome) are motegi MR15's, the 12 motegi mr12, and the gunmetal are for sure mr7's.

Every now again, a car comes along that becomes synonymous with a form of motorsport. Much like the Volkswagen Beetle became the darling of the Baja, and the 1969 Camaro Z28 became the car of the Trans-Am, no car is more closely aligned to the drift scene than Nissan's S13 chassis Silvia K.

Plentiful, thanks to a production run that went from 1988 to 1994, and powerful thanks to a pair of durable turbo four cylinders (the 2000cc SR20DET and the 1800cc CA18DET) the Silvia was an instant favorite. Also helping was a more than capable chassis with a Macpherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear, a comfortable (if a little tight for four) interior, and a handsome coupe body. With all this going for it, plus several other stylish interpretations of the chassis (the fastback Sil-80, and the pop up headlight variations; 180SX and One-Via) it's no wonder that the S13 Silvia has become one of the premiere cars in drifting competitions. In fact, it's almost to the point where you cannot hold a drift meet without at least having one S13 in the field.

From Tamiya, we were given a 1:24th scale rendition of this contemporary classic that has remained in production even as its 180SX kit companion was dropped. The kit creates a curbside replica of a Silvia K (turbo model) as it left the factory. Upon opening the box, you're greeted with one clear tree, two trees of grey pieces for the chassis and interior, a tree of sea green parts for the mirrors, wheels, and package shelf, Tamiya's usual baggie of tires and poly caps, and the separately bagged body; also molded in sea green. First impression is that the parts count is rather restrained, almost simplified. Also, one does wish for a chrome parts tree for headlight buckets and mirror faces.

The body is good, but not spectacular on the Tamiya S13. As compared to the Fujimi kit, the front bumper is far better shaped, plus it has the correct single intake scoop for a K model. The separate rear spoiler is a nice piece though it lacks any mounting points on the rear decklid, so line it up carefully. However, the people who'll be buying this kit to modify it will appreciate that no holes will need to be filled and no cutting will be necessary to mount a new spoiler. Otherwise, the body is nothing spectacular. The only difficulties with working on it are the difficult to paint clear multi-color taillights and grille/headlights piece and a few mold lines.

In the interior, it's obvious that the tooling of the kit is very restrained and intended to be cost effective. The whole interior tub, which mounts to the top of the chassis plate, is shared with the 180SX kit. The only concession to the Silvia's coupe body is a separate package shelf piece with molded in speakers. Not particularly auspicious, but it's doable. There is an incredible lack of engraved detail on the interior side panels, as they have only the barest of contouring. There are no molded in door handles, window controls, or door locks, which are all very visible on the 1:1 car. The rear seat area is well defined, but there is no carpet texturing on the floor or package shelf whatsoever. A nice addition to this tub is the pair of separate consoles, one for LHD and one for RHD which allows you to put the separate handbrake on the correct side for the car you're building. The shifter and boot piece is okay, and the LHD and RHD dashboards are pretty good too, with excellent radio face and climate control detail, but the gauge cluster is decal only so those who prefer to paint such details are not going to be pleased.

The seats that go into this interior are also a disappointment, as they lack upholstery detailing and have no seatbacks. Some sheet styrene will work wonders here, and you guys not worried about the stock look can travel over to your parts box without hesitation.

The chassis is a fair piece, comparable to other curbside Tamiyas in this range of kits. The chassis plate itself features some great engraving, such as the engine lowers, the forward portion of the exhaust system including the catalytic converter, and the fuel tank. The three piece front suspension is passable thanks to good engraving, but the rear suspension is a star, comprised of six superbly engraved pieces. Separate four wheel discs that hold the polycaps, in fine Tamiya tradition, finish off the chassis. They're somewhat plain compared to the fanciful cross drilled rotors and massive Brembo calipers in other Tamiya kits, but this is an everyday factory stock car. Finally, there's the back half of the exhaust system. It's a good in scale piece, but you'll want to drilll out the dual tips for more realism.

All four wheels are stock Nissan disc type wheels. They're well done and scale out well, but are very very boring. Unless you're building a replica of a factory stock Silvia, find some new wheels. It would've been very nice of Tamiya to include 17inch wheels from one of their BTCC or tarmac WRC kits. The tires are very good Dunlops, though. Not very wide and they don't have the wicked directional pattern of a Bridgestone Potenza, but they're solid for a modern street car and should be heavily considered by replica stock builders working on similar year cars.

The decal sheet is all about the badges and markings of the car, plus a selection of license plates. Very standard, unadventurous stuff that does add to a better detailed model.

So, what's the bottom line on this kit? Well, the accuracy of the body and the superb chassis detail place it above Fujimi's kit of an S13K Silvia. However, that's if you're comparing stock to stock. For tuners, this kit is only raw material, and more difficult to work with raw material in some places as well. Tamiya's reliance on male wheels limits your wheel supply based on your scratchbuilding abilities, and the molded in catalytic converter, while well detailed in of itself, means that removing it will lead to a need for more serious scratchbuilding. The interior is shamefully undetailed, save for the dashboard, and the lack of chrome parts for the headlight buckets and the mirror faces is troubling as well. The fact that this kit's only option is right or left hand drive effects its value heavily, too. By and large, the fit and finish of the parts is straight-up Tamiya, but some assemblies, like painting the multi-color taillights, or constructing and painting the three piece clear grille/headlights assembly, will try even seasoned modelers' patiences.

Yes, you can pick them up from HLJ for $13.16 USD, not counting shipping, but in the long run that 13+ dollars can get you a lot more kit for the buck from Revell, AMT, or even Fujimi.

Yes it's a Tamiya, and yes it's accurate. But being Tamiya and being accurate aren't enough to offset the lack of detail and the unfriendly builder experience. This is an average kit, and if had come from Revell or AMT they'd have been crucified for it.

Final Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Tamiya 1:24th scale Nissan 350Z

This is one of Tamiya's "simplified" kits. Most of us who've built some of their older kits will find a marked difference in what we've come to expect. With that said, the kit was a joy to build and although, the kit doesn’t contain as many parts, the end result is a perfect replica of this beautiful car.

The chasis has the exhaust system, and suspension all molded in (this is what I meant by the kit being simplified). This does pose a very frustrating masking experience when painting the chasis. Since most models are shelved and the chasis is not an often displayed area of a model - this may not be an important consideration for some. The exhaust barrel does come as a separate piece and chromed tail pipes included in the kit. Builders will notice the absence of shock absorbers! The wheels are accurately sized and represented, but, aren’t poseable. The tires are beautiful etched and sized. It is also to be noted that this is a curbside kit.

The interior is probably one of the most outstanding and enjoyable features of this model - the accuracy is impeccable. The details on the dash/console area are, in my opinion, spot on. The seats are well represented – Tamiya have come up with a precise paint mix ratio to closely match the colour of the 1:1’s stock seats. The door panels come as separate pieces and chrome door handles are also included. There is great potential to make this a highly detailed interior if the builder spends enough time on it.

The body is as per Tamiya’s expected quality – no flash, and the mold lines are easily sanded away. I could not find any flaws on the body. The head and tail lights are pre-chromed and the tail light lenses come in clear red plastic. This adds a wonderful dimension of realism to the model. The lenses practically snap into place. Other inclusions body-wise are chrome door handles, chrome side mirror glass, window masks, and metal emblems. The body fits onto the chasis like hand in glove.

The end product is a visual treat, and as I said earlier – it is a perfect replica. This car is one for the new modeler as well as the seasoned builder as it offers the potential for great detailing (especially on the interior as noted above).

~ Accuracy….. 3 / 3
~ Fit & Finish.. 1.5 / 2 – the chrome parts, although an awesome addition, do show some bare plastic when coming off the sprue; and the lack of poseable front wheels may be an issue for some as most Tamiya kits do offer this feature
~ Detail……….1.0 / 1.5 – no shock absorbers & curbside
~ Options……..0.5 / 1.5 – LHD and RHD available
~ Overall……6

Aftermarket parts available = Studio 27 photoetched parts and Scale Auto Style resin body kits.

This is one of Tamiya’s “simplified” kits. Most of us who’ve built Tamiya kits before would notice a the lack of parts, and the addition of a small number of ‘new’ parts (such as pre-painted wheels, coloured light lenses, and a few others that you’ll become aware of as the review continues). Nevertheless, the kit comes together very well and is a fair replica of the 1:1 car.

The chasis would be the substance of what I meant when I said this was a simplified kit. The exhaust system and suspension is molded onto the chasis and does prove to be quite a challenge when masking areas off for detailed painting. Builders will also note the absence of separate shock absorbers, instead these are molded onto the interior tub. The kit does feature a chromed tail pipe, and pre-painted gold brake pads that represent the Sti’s Brembo’s well. This adds to the visual dimension of the car as the brakes are quite noticeable through the wheels. The wheels are also pre-painted in gold and are a good representation of the 1:1’s stock gold rims. However, the wheels are not poseable. Also, note that this kit is curbside.

The interior is reasonably accurate with nice detail on the dash. The seats are fairly detailed down to the pleats and the suggested paint mix to closely embody the stock Sti’s seats. The door panels come as separate pieces. This interior has some great potential to be detailed by the veteran modeler.

The body is clean with no flash and easily sanded mold lines. The head and fog lamps are chromed and add depth of the realism of the completed model. There is the option of having fog lamp covers. Tamiya include a small sheet of adhesive silver foil and a template for cutting the foil that make up various parts of the rear lamp. The rear lenses are in clear red and the side blinkers are in clear orange. There were no fitment issues with the lenses except for the side lenses which may prove to be pesky parts to handle as they are rather tiny. Other additions are window masks, metal emblems and metal transfers for the side and rear mirrors. There were no fitment issues with attaching the body to the chasis.

The completed model is beautiful replica of the 1:1 car. The car offers a good place for new modelers to start from and the potential for detailing by the seasoned ones.

~ Accuracy – 3 / 3
~ Fit & Finish – 1.75 / 2 (lack of poseable front wheels)
~ Detail – 1.0 / 1.5 (the lack of proper shock absorbers & no engine)
~ Options – 0.5 / 1.5 (fog lamps or fog lamp covers available)
~ Overall - 6.25

Everything you ever wanted to know about Z32 (1989 - 2000) Nissan 300ZX models but were too afraid to ask

Sorry this got so long, but I'll bet there isn't a more comprehensive collection of info anywhere else!


There are 2 main manufacturers of 300ZX 1:24 scale models that most will be familiar with: Tamiya and Fujimi, however there are other that will be mentioned later on.

Tamiya make but the 2 kits, a 2 seater TT targa top coupe (with series 1 89-93 wing as part of the body), and an NA convertible:
http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/tam1.jpg
http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/tam2.jpg


Fujimi, on the other hand, seems intent to bamboozle the market with dozens (23 all up) of different variants and packages. Most are only available in Japan and most are no longer in production, but different ones pop up from time to time on eBay or around the place, so here's a quick rundown of what's out there and what you actually get.


http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/fuj1.jpg
This kit is still in production and is easiest to get. It is a series 2 (94-97) TT coupe (meaning it has the raised series 2 wing) slicktop (no targa roof) with Version S 16" BBS wheels.

There are several other package designs out there with the same thing, however these are not so common
http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/fuj2.jpg
The bottom right has slight wheel variation (you get red dish pieces) and possibly other small changes. The bottom left is as per usual, however you get some accessories to make a diorama, such as a drink machine and other stuff. Unsure if all of these are slicktop or targa top, as box art suggests some have targa roofs.

In the early 90's Fujimi had various box art variations of early model Z's (series 1 wing and standard 16" wheels):
http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/fuj3.jpg
The yellow one is the only NA coupe I'm aware of (no wing, no intercooler slits in front bar), the drifting Z at the bottom comes with a few extra decals. All are targa tops, however the left hand model comes in both slicktop and targa top, I don't know how to tell them apart from the box (or if it's possible)

Then there are some minor variants, mostly with different wheels:
http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/fuj4.jpg
The top left has 18" wheels and possibly minor stick on body mods (a roof spoiler, etc), the bottom left may have sometuning parts. Bottom right has 18" wheels and some extra decals, and top right has different wheels, exhaust, brakes, front bar winglets, a roof wing and stick on rear bumper mod.

Some of the more drastic modified versions Fujimi made:
http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/fuj5.jpg
The 2 widebody kits are the same as far as I know, and are very rare. Never seen them for sale outside Japan. The police version *may* still be in production, I believe hlj still sells it at time of writing. Have not seen it for sale outside of Japan. As well as the changes seen it comes with some interior add ons and some stuff for a diorama such as traffic cones and speed camera. The 2 Veilside versions are different Veilside body kits, the upper from the early 90's, the lower with the more modern Veilside style.

Finally Fujimi convertibles:
http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/fuj6.jpg
Those on the left are standard (all NA), the lower right has different wheels and the upper right has I think different wheels, exhaust and a rear wing, but not 100% sure on that (I know one does, just not sure which).


Those are the Fujimi's, there are a few more out there
http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/otherscale1.jpg
The Snaptite 1:32 scale I have not seen but don't think it's of great quality, the 1:12 scale Hasegawa is from what I hear excellent (what would you expect from 1:12?) with a lot of detail and cast metal parts (such as the engine). This is no longer in production and is very rare. I've seen it advertised for as much as US$600 (though it didn't sell), the going rate if you can find one seems to be around US$300.

There are also some IMSA / LeMans versions around
http://yoyo.its.monash.edu.au/~blipman/trash/otherscale2.jpg
I think they are all full multimedia resin kits in 1:43 scale and 1:24 scale by Studio 27, Renaissance and others, info is hard to comeby. I don't know who makes what in what scale, however I believe the Renaissance kit (whichever that may be) is 1:24 scale, and while expensive, very good quality, including full interior and under body work detail to an impressive degree.

I know of no 2+2 (4 seater) kits out there, and none of series 4 (97-2000) Z's which had the more modern body styling :(


OK, on to a comparison between Fujimi and Tamya, since that's what 99% of people will make:

Overall: The Tamiya is a better and easier to build kit, but the variety of Fujimi kits may be more appealing to some. All Fujimi kits have the same parts, with an extra tree or parts added to the kit which are then glued on, so comments overall will apply to all Fujimi kits, however I can't comment on the extra pieces.

Body: The Tamiya is of excellent quality and fit, the Fujimi had cast marks which needed to be removed. The Tamiya is one piece, while the Fujimi requires you to glue on the front spoiler and rear wing, which is why there are so many variants.... the body's always the same and you get a tree of extra parts which is different for each variant. The lack of rear wing on the Fujimi means if you want to add your own wing it's a better prospect. The Tamiya has fixrd targa panels, while with the fujimi they can be removed on targa top versions. Both are quite true to the real thing.

Interior: The Tamiya interior is better modelled (the Fujimi seats are a little average) and has more parts, making painting and assembly easier. The Fujimi interior is slightly less accurate and some parts look like little care was given. The Tamiya cluster is in a few pieces making decal application of the dials a lot easier, and it simply has an overall more quality feel to it.

Engine: no Fujimi's have engine detail. The Tamiya engine detail is quite good, fitment of the intake pipes leaves a bit of a gap at the front, and it is NA only (more on that later). The hood is transparent, for those who want to show off underbonnet detail.

Ease to build: the Tamiya appears to be far easier to build well. The body is one piece, while for the Fujimi you have to glue on wings, front bumper trim and front spoiler, and for targa roofs clear pieces need to be masked and painted partially body colour. The front indicators and fog lights on the Fujimi are carelessly done, it will be quite hard to paint them well, while the Tamya does it right and seperates clear parts from painted parts as it should be. Overall fit appears to be better for the Tamiya. The headlights are also going to be much harder to get right on the Fujimi.

Accuracy: don't get me started on the Fujimi, it's hopeless. Both kits will look like a Z when done, but for the nitpickers who know Z's well, the Fujimi underside is hopeless, I can only assume it's based on another car. The exhaust comes from one side and then Y's into the 2 at the back, while the 1:1 real deal has a dual exhaust from the engine back (it's a V6). The suspension is from something other than a 300ZX as well in both suspension arms and strut assemblies, and the rear brakes are 2 piston sliding calipers rather than opposed twin piston as they should be (the two look very different).
The Tamiya is almost faultless aside from the engine.... it is NA for both the NA convertible and the TT coupe. The TT has turbos to bolt on (not that you'll ever see them) but the TT engine is missing the very distinctive second set of intake pipes, in 1:1 scale only having 2 inlet pipes as on the model is always a giveaway of an NA engine. Otherwise it's very good.

Overall the Tamiya is a better model. If you don't want to build stock, the Fujimi offers many more options as kits, the Tamiya front will be easier to modify due to how it handles the front indicators and fog lights, while the Fujimi will be easier to add a rear wing to as the wing is not part of the body. All other areas each should be about equal in terms of ease to modify.

Ben

pfft.. i already reviewed the tamiya 300zx, but those other 300zx's are interesting

-Fujimi S14 Silvia K's edition- http://www.blueboost.blacblam.com/images/fuj03412box.gif

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/blueboost/images/fuj03412box.bmp
I have a 200SX. In the US, this is not the silvia/240SX its the baby brother... the little 2 door "sentra" if you will. My car is also known as the
Lucino in other countries. I want a 240SX/Silvia. This model I'm building represents the car I look to purchase in the somewhat near future. A 240SX/Silvia in the U.S begins life with a non-turbocharged KA24 series engine. But, with the slue of venerable engine swap options, it quite quickly can become a true champion of modified Japanese Imports in the U.S. as well as abroad. For example, a silvia with a RB25DET from the skyline (GTS-T) will run 12's at stock boost (7psi). pretty neat eh? Can you feel the Nissan love?

If Nissans quality control was anything like fujimi's they would be out of business. I guess thats why Fujimi makes model cars instead of.. cars.

Breaking open the box and diving in, the first thing I sorted out was the ride height. the suspension pieces and undercarriage/frame are identical on all the Fujimi Silvia's S13-S15, so take note -anything
mentioned here about suspension work/quality/modification go's for all Fujimi silvias.

I plan on fitting 18 inch rims by fujimi and lowering the suspension. The stock ride height and wheels are a joke. Actually, the rims although small in diameter, are a pretty good representation of the stockers (they even have the little Nissan emblem cast in the center), but... the tires seem a bit out of scale (too much sidewall). If building the model box stock, expect the car to have the ride height of a SUV. Here's what I did to correct this. I used Joeclaws tutorial in our "how-to" depository to lower the car onto my 18" rims. The tutorial is spot on and I can't recommend it enough, but it doesn't cover the rear suspenion. The shocks and springs are not at all representitive of what the actual pieces on the 1:1 car look like. The wheels can be turned back and forth when completed. lowering the rear of the car proved to be quite an affair to sort out. I recommend taking a good look at what you need
to do before putting any of the parts under the knife. What I did, was modify the spring area of the shocks just like I did the fronts per joeclaws how-to, then I filled in the little spots (with styrene) on the end
of the suspension arm where the axle sits. finally, I cut and sanded out the back area of the brake disk/shock part to accommodate for the end of the suspension arm no longer lining up with the hole its supposed to fit in. Once it was sitting lower, the model began to make sense.

the undercarriage is O.K. There's nothing really to specifically complain about and nothing to write home about. basic undercarriage details are there, undersurface of engine detail also, but very plain. Cat back piping is molded to chassis, exhaust is a seperate piece and its the stock Nissan muffler. The interior tub is a one piece joint to which you
apply only the dash, seats and shifter. The doorpanel detail is weak. The dashboard isn't very good, instrumentation cluster dials are cast and decals are to be applied. center console detail is acceptable, with
HVAC dials and something that could be made to look like a single-din stereo. There is a HUGE mold line running across the top of the dashboard directly above the drivers side. It's pretty annoying having to sand all of this stuff, at this point all the mold lines are getting old quickly. You wouldn't have to do any of this with a better quality model. The steering wheel detail is good, it has the Nissan emblem area hollowed out, ready for a decal. On the surface where your hands would touch the steering wheel you can see texture.

The seats are molded after stock S14 silvia seats and are ugly in
real life and in the model kit. the quality of the seats are acceptable, they're pretty plain seats in reality, and fujimi is real good at replicating that "plain" effect. credit is given for molding them with seatbacks and making the seats a one piece unit instead of having to build them. There's no detail on the seats for adjusting the seatback or seat position. I upgraded the seats to skyline seats from a Tamiya R32 GTR kit. The Skyline seats represent a realistic upgrade as the seats are
almost a direct fit replacement in real life and offer much greater support. The Tamiya skyline seats fit on the Fujimi chassis quite well. They slide right into the existing seat guides molded on the chassis. they
only require a small amount of sanding on the bottom to lower their position a bit, as they were too high (but do fit without any modification).

fit and finish of the chassis to the tub and the other pieces in the tub fit together well. the door sills line right up with the interior tub, better even
then some Tamiya models I've built. the plastic windows are a single piece unit that fits without any real modification or finesse. their are molded 6x9's on the rear trunk deck that can be seen through the
rear window. they could easily be sanded off if you were so inclined. that about wraps up the interior of the Silvia. Back seats are present but no great detail.

The body. Here's where things go awry. The mold lines are VERY invasive. There are mold lines in the last place you would want to have to deal with mold lines. they run along the window frames right near what would be the rubber trim around the windows (but they AREN'T the window trim) , meaning once you sand your mold lines.. you guessed it -you've sanded your window trim off also. if your going to do it right, your going to need a dental scraper to score deeper grooves around the window trim after you've sanded the mold lines. the mold lines run down the A-pillar, there are mold lines SURROUNDING the antenna, mold lines run across the top of the front quarter panels, right in the bend where the quarter panel turns into the A-pillar. FUN!!! Theres more too!
needless to say the body is going to require plenty of attention with sandpaper. This cannot be a slap together 1st place model, this one requires extra love (and extra sandpaper!!)

One of the greatest features of the S14 are those menacing headlights. Fujimi's representation of these headlights is so-so. The lines of the car, the headlights, everything LOOKS good, but its up to you as to just HOW good its going to look. The headlight body's are molded into the chassis and have no chrome plate. the clear covers of course are seperate pieces that fit...so-so, the do FIT, but its up to you to determine the quality of the fit and finish end result (want that 1st place show winning fitment? gonna require some work). Paint and patience will be required to get a high level of realism from them, but a quality build is possible. The taillights are a choice between the kouki or zenki versions of the S14, as Fujimi puts all versions of S14 lighting on the same clear parts tree.

With adequate work I do believe this model can be made into a good piece. If your looking for an easy kit to build this isn't the one. This is a kit for people that just love the S14 silvia and have to build the model. Since you are limited in your choices, you work with what you have. Expect extra work on this kit, but if you want to build a S14 get it. It contains no aftermarket pieces, no GT-wings or mufflers, just a K's aero S14 Silvia. Not the greatest, but nothing that will have you sending the kit back for a refund either.

love's love folks. and love will make you do strange things. If you love the S14 like I do, then you'll probably love building this kit regardless of it's flaws.

Accuracy: 2.75/3
Fit&Finish: .50/2
Detail: 1.0/1.5
Options: .75/1.5
Final Verdict: 5.0/8.0
(only perfect kits with a price under what you'd expect to pay will land a higher than 8.0 ranking. Making them special 9.0-10.0 kits)

Revell 1/25th scale Datsun 240Z and BRE Datsun 240Z

Well, since both of these kits are derived from the same tooling, and have been re-released recently, (stock 240Z is current production, BRE kit reissued as part of the SSP program in 1996) I thought it made the most sense to review them together, thus letting you in on one of Revell's decidedly better ideas.

The history of the Datsun 240Z should be common knowledge to any import or sports car fan, as it is the car that legitimized the Japanese motor industry on the international level. The humble Z, which positioned itself in the market share that was above classic roadsters like the Triumph Spitfire, yet below pricey near-exotics like the Jaguar XK-E. At the time, the only car that was similar to the 240Z was the rapidly aging MGB GT, which indeed was partial inspiration for the Z's concept and styling, even lending it's deeply bucketed headlights and fast-hatchback roofline to the Z.

Upon it's debut, the Z sold fast and well, and garnered a reputation for being reliable, practical (as sports cars go) and quick. To establish a racing heritage for the car, Datsun once again turned to Pete Brock and John Morton of BRE, who took the Z to the first of many championships in SCCA competition.

The Revell street kit represents a high level Z of 1972 vintage, with full bumper over-riders and dressy wheels. The body is the best representation of a USDM Datsun 240Z available, but that's a double edged sword considering the only other Z kit in this scale is Fujimi's, which either comes with the Z432 shortnose bodywork (a factory racing Z which used the S20 engine from the Hakosuka GTR's and fiberglass front fenders) or the 240ZG long nose bodywork (a JDM exclusive). Hence, if you want to build a DATSUN 240Z, this is your kit.

There are some quibbles with the body as it is. For starters, the windshield is a mite bit too curved for accuracy's sake, and the trim is too finely engraved to last a coat of primer, let alone paint. The same goes for the badges, but thanks to thoughful reproduction on the decal sheet, you can get away with sanding them off.

And speaking of sanding, be prepared to do A LOT. This kit has been around the block, as Revell originally released it in 1972, so it's flash and mold line city. The worst of these massive ridges is on the C pillar. It runs down from the trailing edge of the drip rail, nearly BISECTS the tiny 240Z badge, and then follows the curve of the fender back to the tail. There is no way, I repeat, NO WAY to remove this mold line effectively without marring the drip rail or removing the badge. Ouch. Equally distressing are the cutouts for the tail lights. Once upon a time, these were nicely rectangular with fine trim engraved around them. Now they're misshapen due to flash and an absolute nightmare to reform. The stiffening braces in the windshields are a treat, too, as there's no way to remove them without, you guessed it, destroying the windshield trim. Capping off this flexi-file wet dream is the separate front fascia. It's correctly shaped, and even separates at the natural breakline of the car (Yay!) but has a massive indentation on its lower surface where the chassis attachs to the body, creating an unsightly and unrealistic gap (Boo!).

The BRE kit fares a little better, since it's an older release. The mold lines are a little less obnoxious and the kit features a well done "Spook" style chin spoiler that, while a little finicky to line up, really adds to the look of the car. Plus it covers up that massive attachment gap when you're looking at the model from the front. There's also a nice included BRE tail spoiler, which by the way, is also included in the stock kit. Nice touch, but remember to sand away the Datsun 240Z badge on the decklid before attaching it, otherwise it'll never sit properly. Thank whatever deity you can think of that Revell though to mention this in huge letters in the instructions for both kits. Rounding out the BRE body features are a neat little curiousity; the headlight bucket fairings that were made famous on the BRE car. These are a neat throwback to early aerodynamics and fit quite nicely, though one would wish they were clear. Find a friend who can vacuform stuff and use these as a master for cool headlight covers.

Both kits have one major issue, though. If you're new to modeling or don't have much patience, DON'T TRY TO CONSTRUCT THE HOOD HINGE! Someone at Revell must have been a sadist, because this multi-piece triumph of non-engineering will have you tugging at your hair for hours, and it's not particularly sturdy, either. Either make your own hinge or leave the hood unhinged. Trust me, your stomach ulcers will thank you.

As a side note between the two kits, body wise, the stock kit's bumpers have the later federally mandated bumper overriders while the BRE has the classic "blade" style bumpers. If you prefer the cleaner blade bumpers, rob them from a BRE kit. They're, after all, interchangeable.

One last thing, the separate front turn signals are very nice. Very nice indeed.

Moving along to the chassis, we find that both kits are identical. Which is not a bad thing as the Revell chassis doesn't skimp on the detail; though it does skimp on the engraving. This chassis, honestly, looks more like somebody scratchbuilt it out of sheet styrene than an honest-to-god injection molded piece. But, never you fear, there are enough injector pin sinkholes to prove other wise. I counted five on mine. Once more, lots of sanding to do. Although, thankfully, two of them are hidden by the separate gastank/spare tire well piece. Interesting part, I think.

The front suspension is represented by five separate pieces, which fit a little vaguely to the chassis but look good. Revell, thankfully, remembered to include the sway bar and trailing links on the front end, something Fujimi completely forgot. If you're building a JDM Fairlady out of a Fujimi kit, grab this kit and transplant as much of the front suspension as you can. It's that much better. The rear suspension works out nicely, too. Four well engraved pieces with good solid fit. You could smack your brother in the face with this rear suspension.

That's one odd thing about this chassis, all of the neat tricks, good fit, and cool pieces are at the back. Almost as if two different groups of tool-cutters were working on the kit at once.

Cautionary note; as you're building up the suspension, constantly check the ride height as the nose on these Z kits tends to sit way high up. In fact, I've never seen a box stock example of this kit where the nose wasn't somewhere up in gasser country. Lowering is just a matter of filing down the mounting points and opening up the strut mounts in the inner front fenders, but it's still a nuisance.

The stock kit and the BRE kit do not share an exhaust system, though. The BRE kit has a wild dual pipe "Stinger" style exhause (which is correct for the BRE car) while the stock kit has a single pipe exhaust with a two-piece chrome resonator. Either one needs its tip drilled out for added realism, and do something to knock the chrome off the stock resonator.

The interiors, which build up platform style on the chassis plate, are highly similar and well-detailed as well. The stock kit has nice two piece seats, a very finely engraved dashboard (break out some Three Dog Night and dig on the 8 track! ) , a separate hand brake, separate pedals that attach to the firewall, nicely done shifter and boot, and decently engraved side panels. The side panels look bare, but the 1:1 240Z's side panels are equally bare according to my references. The real divergence in the kits is options. The stock kit gives you the options of speaker decals for the door panels, orange on black, or white on black gauge decals (which are nice to have considering the tiny size of the gauges and the difficulty of painting them) and a rollbar with fire extinguisher. Funny, though, that same rollbar and fire extinguisher are in the BRE kit. The BRE kit, though, also offers a great Mono Lita style racing steering wheel (drill out the spokes for good measure, though) and classy high back LeCarra style racing seat (with molded in harness, bleah). Either or, the interior (which is highly visible thanks to the large windows of the Z) is a nicely represented area.

The engine bay houses a great L24 straight six. And I do mean great. The engraving is topnotch and this is one grouping of parts that flash hasn't overtaken. There's a separate fuel pump (chrome), and well done engine front piece with molded in distributor (chrome). Oddly enough, the fan, fan belts, and air conditioner pump/belts are also chrome. Grab some bleach and get to stripping if you really mind all this. The big differences between the engine in the BRE kit and the engine in the stock kit are in the exhaust and intake; the stock kit has a five piece assembly representing the stock twin SU carbs, balance tube, intake manifold, and air cleaner housing - all of which is chrome - for intake. The BRE kit has triple 44mm Solex/Mikuni/Weber sidedraft carbs with separate throttle linkage. The stock kit has the stock exhaust manifold(chrome again, sheesh) while the BRE kit has a GREAT BRE bundle of snakes header that isn't chrome. One has to ask, though, why the BRE engine bits weren't included in the stock kit, considering the stock kit has the deck spoiler and roll bar from the BRE kit.

Surrounding the engine in the bay is a treasure trove of accessory parts. The stock kit has a separate coil, brake booster, oil filter, battery (up on the firewall) radiator and core support, and upper radiator hose. All this is nice, until you get into the BRE kit. The BRE kit moves the battery down to the passenger side subframe rail and gives you an oil tank and oil cooler, then supplies you with scale rubber hose and diagrams to plumb the whole oiling system. Too cool. :thumbsup:

The wheels and tires all this rides on are kit specific. The BRE kit has a classy set of American Racing Libres (ten times better in mold quality than the Libres in the 510 kit, and differently shaped) while the stock kit has stock full dress wheels. The sore spot in either kit, though, is the tires. The BRE kit has two-piece Goodyear Blue Streak Sports Car Special tires that fit the rims nicely, but are too shiny and oversquare to be realistic. The stock kit has some no name skinnies, probably related to Revell's old Michelin TRX tires, that don't seat the wheels properly and are a bit triangular in shape. If you can spare Dunlops from a stock Tamiya S13 kit for the stocker, or the tires from some Fujimi 14" wheel set for the BRE, it'd improve the look of the car a ton.

Decals in both kits are extensive. Naturally, the BRE comes with all the markings to replicate John Morton's C Production winning #46 car (though these tend to react poorly to setting solutions). The BRE kit does, however, ask you the builder to paint the complext two-tone red & white paint scheme. Be careful with your masking. The stocker has large "tuner" motifs that announce "DATSUN 240Z" in tremendous white or black stripes, plus has all the emblems and marker lights represented. It's sharply registered and lays down well, if a little thick. And it's hard to deny the coolness of the Illinois "ZEEE 1" license plate.

When it comes right down to it, the Revell 240Z's are a mixed bag. They're well detailed and fairly good representations of their subject matter, but they're troublesome to build and showing their age. Still, these kits hold their heads up high when compared to other import car kits, outshining their Fujimi counterparts and many newer tooled kits of similar subject matter. The stock kit's modern decal sheet and excellent SU carb intake are great selling points to replica stock builders, but in the end it's the BRE kit that's the real star with all of its vintage speed goodies and it's comparable lack of flash. The only real reasons to get the stock Z over the older, out of production BRE kit are the decal sheet and availability.

And, if you can afford it, buy both. Either or, if you're up to the challenge and willing to put in the effort to deal with the aging flaws, the Revell Z's are good kits.

Revell Datsun 240Z
Accuracy: 2/3
Fit&Finish: 1/2
Detail: 1.0/1.5
Options: 1/1.5
Value: 1/2
Final Verdict: 6.0/10.0
(value based against MSRP of $12 USD)

Revell SSP series BRE Datsun 240Z
Accuracy: 2.25/3
Fit&Finish: 1.25/2
Detail: 1.5/1.5
Options: 1.25/1.5
Value: 1.5/2
Final Verdict: 8.25/10.0
(value based against average price taken from several classic kit vendors. Expect to pay between $15 and $22 USD for an unopened BRE Datsun)

Revell 2002 Camaro SS-

The Camaro SS/Z28 was one of the best "21st century muscle car" With over 300HP stock, this thing had great potention. Not to mention, you could buy one for as cheap as 8 grand (98-LS1's)

The engine is pretty well detailed, but it would also make good with a pair of Corvette fuel rail covers, just to dress it up. Some problems i had with it are the throttle body doesnt line up correctly with the airbox. Another minus on it, is the air box is molded into the body. No forced induction with out some cutting first. Thats the only real problem with thats under the hood. engine:6/10

Inside isnt that great. The Bad:Alot of things are wrong with this car. A: The car comes with manual window cranks. Um, i dont belive this was an option for 2002. I think its because it shares parts with Monogram's 97 (?) Pontiac Forumula. And, with this kit, the dashboard has the Delco sterio installed. But it comes with the steering wheel radio controls. The steering wheel radio controlls were equipped if only the car had the Monsoon system. interior:5/10

The suspension is fairly simple, but can turn into a major porject. For most people, this kit sits too high, just cutting the coils would work. Up front, the coild dont fit all the way up in the shock tower, letting it wiggle free. If you dont add spacers, the car might get a little front camber. Also, Revell got cheap woth the wheels. Instead of making accurate 17 inch 10 spokes, they decided to make them 16's, jsut so they would fit with the regular Z28 tires. suspension:6/10

The body-its okay, but not great. at all. The way the front facia attaches to the bumper is wrong, so you'll want to fill some lines and rescribe them. Oh yeah, dont follow the directions/box art. In the box art car it shows the reverse lights on bottom and blinkers on top. That is wrong. Do the opposite. Also, the hood, it fits a little tight, so you might brake off the little ass hinges. Plus it doesnt have the real SS ducts. Just some lousy lines to depict the ducts. Also, dont get upset if you get glue on the headlights. Its basically impossible not to. And if you like me, and like to glue everything on, then paint it you might brake the front facia off trying to get the chassis to fit in there. And a tip: Break the window piece in half. Place it in as 2 pieces. A: This way you wont fuck up the paint on the edges of the pillars, and you wonr brake anything. Body:6/10


The Verdict: Great car, fucked up by revell. If you really want a good simple LS1 SS, i suggest getting AMT's Z28, and put the SS Hood, spoiler and LS1Nose on it.

http://www.modelroundup.com/images/rmx7691.jpg

Revell 2004 Chevy SSR

Chevrolet introduced the SSR at the 2000 Detriot Auto show and it was a huge hit, enough so Chevy decided that they would produce the popular 2 seat roadster. Powered by GM's bulletproof 5.3 litre Vortec all aluminum V8. which produces 300 horses. which is connected to a 5sp Automatic transmission

The Chevy SSR has a very unique convertible top, which comes apart and folds into a small compartment. allow there to be alot of trunk space.

The most striking item on the SSR is the styling, vintage Chevrolet. with smooth lines. The SSR wears 19" rims up front, and 20's in the rear. giving the truck/car a classic lean to it.

Revell did a fantastic job replicating this truck to scale. molded in black, transparent, red, gray, and white plastic. which helps in the painting process. there are four small mold line on the truck, on the front under the headlight, and about 3/4 of the way down the bed, which are very easy to remove. cause they are in places that don't have alot of detail that could be sanded away. there is 0 flash on this kit, everything is super clean, just like Tamiya kits. The kit also includes and up top, which is perfect. and fits to the body perfectly. which is a rare thing cause up tops usually warp, and don't fit that well.

The motor on this kit is great, but it is missing two items. A quick cross reference with the Silverado reveals a missing air conditioning pump (part #54 in the Silverado kits). A/C is standard on the 1:1 SSR. Also missing is the oil filler cap (part #95 in the Silverado kits). but they are easily fixed.

The chassis is screw together. which at first glance is a turn off, but, when the kit is completely assembled, those screws can not be seen. and are well hidden.

The interior is where I feel this kit shines. fully detailed, and its missing nothing, even has the OnStar buttons on the rear view mirror. which is a detail I thought Revell was gonna miss.

The rims are fantastic, the crome is perfect on it. and they replicate perfectly the SSR's rims.

imperfections on this kit are non existant. it is perfect. it is as good as Tamiya quality. if not better. retail price of the kit is $10.50. which is in line with Revells recent new kits. I give it 9/10.

I cannot agree anymore with CamaroSSBoy346 on the Revell 2002 camaro. I ran into problems with it left and right. First off the radiator was a major pain to get in. The interior like he said was very low on detail. The Fascia and bumper were waayy to big for the body as well. The headlights posed a problem as well. Overall I thought it was the worst kit ever!!!

a review for current stock Tamiya Toyota celice kits, 1986-2000

1986-1989 Celica

http://i17.ebayimg.com/01/i/01/25/ea/34_1.JPG

great kit, interior is very well done, but is the lowest detail of the current three celica's though. well done 5sp shifter. but low door panel detail take away from the motor

The body is soo cool on this kit, working headlights. but they are easy to break. and must be handled carefully. all the details on the body are very crisp. with alot of detail through out it

THe chassis is very good. the front and wheel wheel assembly is simplified, but the kit still has a seperate exhaust.

8/10

1990-1993 Celica

http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/3/web/495000-495999/495636_1.jpg Photo of actual model not found

The rarest of all the Tamiya Celica kits. interior is fairly well detailed. left and right hand drive. but it has the JDM steering wheel. to make an accurate U.S. style steering wheel you'll need the steering wheel from the Tamiya 94-99 Celica. 5sp tranny. with the nice racing style bucket seat.

the body on this model is also very well done. sperate rear spoiler. seperate headlight assembly which makes painting it very easy. also includes the JDM, and American mirrors, a fantastic touch,

the chassis is tipical Tamiya, with the typical setup, but it as a seperate gas tank. which makes painting very easy.

I give this kit a 9/10

1994-1999 Celica.

http://www.speednation.com/store/media/celicaSSIITAM24131big.jpg

The only full detail Celica kit from Tamiya, also available in GT-Four trim. I wanted to throw this kit accross the room several times. terrible chassis fit. terrible engine details

The interior is pretty well done. Left and right hand drive steering. 5sp manual tranny. well detailed dashes. with even marking for the CD player.

The chassis is the high mark of this kit, very well done, also nice to see that it was molded in red with the body. makes painting it accurately easy.

the wheels are also very well done. accurate 15" aluminum wheels, and disk brakes.

Front clip is not molded to the chassis, but I accidently glued the front clip to the chassis for painting. which made foiling the headlight almost impossible.

I give this kit a 6.5/10 becouse of the low engine detail, and bad chassis fit.

2000-2002 Celica.

http://us.st2.yimg.com/store6.yimg.com/I/matrixcollectibles_1780_12717588

My favorite of all the Celica kits. by far the best detail. the interioir has left and right hand steering. and has a choice between auto, and 5sp (the kit represents a GT, the GTS has the 6sp) The door panel detail is fantastically detailed, right down to the power window and door lock controls. dash is beutiful. every single detail is there.

The body is great. they got the lines of the Celica perfectly. it also got Tamiya's fantastic metal transfers. which look so realistic when applied to the kit.

The chassis is again, typical Tamiya. seperate exhaust. and well detailed engine, which gets covered up by the brush guard (have no clue what they call that).

The wheel are 15", alloy wheels, replicating a GT wheel. (GTS has 16" 5 spoke wheels).

another great touch is the mask for the windows, without it, its a pain in the butt to paint it.

I give this kit a 10/10, by far the best.


I still have a couple Celica's to get, and i'll update this thread when I get them.

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

http://www.revell-monogram.com/store/img/prods/m/239m.jpg

Hmmm.... after reading the above review, I might have to rethink the one I have in the basement...

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. :rolleyes:

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. :biggrin:

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 :screwy:Although their music rocked! :ylsuper: 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

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.

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:
http://www.joeyandmona.com/albums/album136/2_G.sized.jpg
http://www.joeyandmona.com/albums/album136/4_G.sized.jpg
http://www.joeyandmona.com/albums/album136/1_G.sized.jpg

the brakes:
http://www.joeyandmona.com/albums/album136/5_G_001.sized.jpg

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

http://i10.ebayimg.com/03/i/01/66/59/e9_1_b.JPG

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

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 :screwy: ) 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

:biggrin:

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

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

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

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.

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?

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.

http://www.rankmyride.com/data//4/1/1423//.large/image1330.jpg
(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.)

I wish I coul find Lee's version of the AMG S-600 sedan:(

Fujimi NSX-R

If you love the NSX and are willing to rebody the Tamiya Chassis and engine, this kit will be worth your while.

Fit and Finish 5/10

I know Fujimi quality is pretty suspect in everyone’s opinion, but upon the first inspection of this model and subsequently assembling it, I was very disappointed. The only tree that was well molded was the interior parts, the rest of the kit seemed like it was spat out of a 30 year old machine. The body was full of flash and mold lines, especially around the headlights. This is particularly frustrating as they are the only real reason to get this kit instead of the Tamiya offering. Not only is the molding on the headlights so poor it leaves flash around the buckets, but there are weird triangles of plastic that must be removed in front of the lights. The worst aspect in my opinion are the front and rear bumper parts. They are warped, flashed, and so poorly molded they don’t fit on the body without leaving gaps. They are not properly shaped or sized, and require work to blend smoothly into the lines on the car. The same applies to the separately molded hood. Only the interior is well molded, it is fairly convincing despite the single piece molded bucket; the seats and the dash both look good. The engine is a very poor effort. The top of the engine is molded into the interior tub, and Fujimi tries to hide their poor engine detail with mesh to cover the motor. The brakes and wheel hubs are a joke. They are the worst I've seen from Fujimi, and I've never respected their wheel attachment or carriers.

Accuracy 6/10

While none of the kit is molded well, none of the details seem to be wrong. The overall shape of the car seems right, and the wheels are good depictions of the real thing. The tires should be Bridgestones, but they Dunlop. The hood and the headlights are close to correct, and will make a reasonable representation of the real thing, and can be modified to look correct. The spoiler, which is unique to the R version of the NSX is a bit chunky and seems narrow. It’s close though. The seats are good, but not correct. Close, again. The mirrors are oversized, as are most of the suspension components. The suspension, as well as the engine, suffer from Fujimi’s poor engineering. Everything is oversized, crudely shapped, and poorly sized. Jay was trying to tell me the engine was more like an older version, not the 2002+, but in my opinion, there is so little detail in the engine compartment it isn’t any worse a representation of one engine than another. If you are willing to work for it, this kit can be correct, but straight from the box, it will be just an NSX model.

Value 4/10

Do you love the NSX? If your answer is not a resounding “Yes!” you may want to pass this one up. Unfortunately, it is the only kit still in production of the NSX, which might corner you if you aren’t willing to pay inflated prices for the Tamiya offering (which can be gotten for $20 or less on Ebay if you are diligent). The quality of the kit does not at all reflect the price of the model, and to make a good model it will have to be kitbashed with an old Tamiya kit, effectively doubling the cost (though not substantially changing the amount of work required) involved. With no engine detail to speak of, with only one set of seats (instead of Fujimi’s usual inclusion of a second sprue with extra Type R seats, they only have one), with rally no spare parts, this kit isn’t very useful outside of building it up stock and making a mediocre model. This kit scores very low on bang for the buck, and really only has intrinsic value as the only kit of the modern NSX. But you will have to modify it plenty to make it accurate.

Overall 5/10

If you want the new NSX, get it. If you want a challenge, get it. If you want a great NSX kit, or a well engineered and relatively simple kit to build, hunt the Tamiya version on Ebay.

Tamiya Toyota bB (Scion xB)

Toyota introduced the Toyota bB at the 2000 Tokyo Auto Show, and it was a big hit. it was so different then any other car that Toyota has produced until then. it was basically a box, everything inside and outside of the car was designed as a box. which made the car very unique, and very popular with the young crowd in Japan. trying to bank of the success of "Tuner" cars in the United States Toyota starting importing the little funky box to the U.S. in late 2003, under Toyota's new Scion brand name. a division in which Toyota started to bring younger buyers into Toyota's show room.

The Tamiya kit is typical awsome Tamiya, no mold lines, awsome engaving, but the kit is based of the Japanese version bB, which is different from the American version, Exterior there are no differences between the bB and the xB, but the interior is almost completely different. The only piece shared between the two cars in the door panels, The steering wheel is the same on but cars but the bB uses a colunm shifter, the U.S. Xb uses a floor shifter on both auto and manual transmission cars, and it would also require scratch building a center console, another thing in which the bB does'nt have. also the seats are completely different, the bB has basically a bench front seat, and the xB has buckets. The dash is the same on both vehicles but the kit is a RHD only, but with some basic scratchbuiiding it could be converted.

now lets get to reviewing the kit. THe body on the kit is great, and it features a seperate front and rear bumper assemblies, which is great for the aftermarket to give us a Drift or any other style body kit for it. The glass is a two piece unit, which is wierd for Tamiya becouse on most of there lower kits they all have one piece glass. The kit is new enough that it has window masks, but still too old for Tamiya's fantastic metal transfers. The kit comes with a flames decals, and decals for the interior and bB markings for the exterior

The interior is typical Tamiya. but a nice feature is the carpet for the interior, also some cutting is needed to get it to fit which may be above the skills of some lesser skilled modelers.

The chassis features seperate exhaust, and front and rear suspention

The wheels and tires are correct for both the bB and the Xb,

once again another fantastic kit from Tamiya, which has become of habit of there kits. although it would be nice for Tamiya to update this kit it is nice just to have a Scion xB in any form.

I give this kit a 9/10, just becouse i'm picky and want a U.S. Scion version :evillol:

Review - 1:24th scale Tamiya Jaguar XJR-9LM

With the Le Mans Contest in full swing, I figured it'd be a good time to take a look at some Le Mans subject matter, and few cars capture the imagination quite as well as the classic Group C cars of the 80's. Blindingly fast, stunningly handsome (even downright pretty sometimes), and packed to the gills with individuality and creativity, Group C (and its American and Japanese counterparts - IMSA GTP and JSPC) became the Can Am of a generation.

One of the most successful and memorable series of cars from this era were out of the Tom Walkinshaw Racing stables - the Jaguar XJR's. Though the Group C/GTP Jaguars started in the Group 44 stable as built by Fabcar, the thundering V12 Jags from TWR in their bright purple, gold and white Silk Cut livery became more than just fast pretty race cars - they became icons.

It didn't hurt that the Silk Cut Jags also won Le Mans twice.

The Tamiya kit represents the XJR-9LM as it competed in 1988, taking the illustrious Le Mans win back to Jaguar, and it does it well. When looking over the parts trees, you notice a distinct lack of flash and very crisp molding. Good points, especially in a re-issue of an older kit. If there's any detractors at first glance, it has to be the fact that Tamiya continues the practice of molding parts trees in different colors. All white is preferable for painting, and I'm fairly sure anyone who can remember this car will be painting as opposed to leaving parts either white or grey.

Now, onto the kit itself. The gem of the kit, and I do mean gem, is the rear drivetrain. The intricate header layout and the precise interplay between the coil-overs and control arms at the rear-suspension really pop and give a good reason for that massive bit of removable rear bodywork. This is one to display with the deck off.

However, there are still some faults. The coil-overs are very weakly attached to their bracket and can break off if carelessly handled. Also, the engine's mounting point to the chassis plate is a little vague. But all in all the engine and rear-suspension are really the shining stars in this kit.

The front suspension is simplified in typical Tamiya Group C fashion. Only the control arms, tie rod, spindles, and pushrods of the front suspension are represented. It's servicable, but hardly note-worthy.

In the interior is a very well-detailed dashboard with decals for every imaginable gauge. Pay close attention to the intstructions during this step otherwise it's easy to get confused as there are six gauge decals. The dashboard mounts to the inside of the body. The rest of the interior isn't quite as stellar. There's a typical bulkhead assembly, an unidentified "black box", and a seat that unfortunately has the harness molded in place. Detail painting can make it look okay, but careful sanding and an aftermarket harness will look better.

I'd also like to point out that, even though the pedals can't be seen very well through the Jag's tiny windows, it's still a shame they weren't included in the kit.

The bodywork in the kit, against all my resources, checks out beautifully. The flush sides of the Jaguar bodywork are well rendered and the two piece wing very well represents the prototype. The minor qualm I have is in the vague fit of the "glass". Molding the window separate from the windshield is a big benefit to anyone wanting to cut open the dramatic butterfly doors of the Jag, but without positive locators for the kit glass the less adventurous amongst us have to put up with a decent headache.

Not a headache, however, are the excellent - if incomplete, but I'm getting to that - Cartograf decals. Past complaints about Tamiya kits, in particular the race cars with complex liveries, were most centered around thick and difficult to apply decals. No more. The Cartografs are great and make giving the Tamiya Jag its distinctive scheme a joy instead of a pain. Be careful, though, the Cartografs get very soft and fragile if you use a setting solution. I found this out the hard way with one of the front corner decals.

Now, here's one thorn in my side about the Tamiya kit, and it isn't Tamiya's fault. There are no Silk Cut decals in the kit, as Silk Cut is a tobacco company. Instead, there are large white and purple blank panels that mimic the car's paint scheme at races that had tobacco sponsership legislation. That's all well and good, but the Le Mans cars wore Silk Cut markings, and with Revell making the jump to put Coors and Budweiser on their stock car kits as "Adult Collectibles" it may be time for Tamiya to do the same.

However, props to Tamiya for including the correct numbering and lettering decals for each of the 3 TWR cars at Le Mans in 1988.

Also, fair warning about Tamiya's painting instructions for the car. In the instructions, it's implied that the line across the nose to mask between the white and the purple is straight. Umm, no. It dips down in a little curve around the fenders to the inner nose. If you don't notice this on photos of the car or on the decal sheet, be prepared for a huge error. Again, I found out the hard way.

But, the qualms I have about the kit all can be chalked up to the experience level of the builder. This is a well-detailed kit of a historically important and incredibly beautiful race car. It's very accurate, excepting the Silk Cut decal fiasco, and when finished in its purple, gold, and white livery it's sure to grab eyes on your shelf.

So long as you're ready for a little work, and have access to Studio 27's Silk Cut decals, the Tamiya Jaguar XJR-9LM is a fantastic and easily recommendable build, and perfect starting material for your own Le Mans build-up.

Accuracy: 2/3
Fit&Finish: 1.75/2
Detail: 1.25/1.5
Options: 1/1.5
Value: 2/2
Final Verdict: 8/10

http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/1988/TN_Le_Mans-1988-06-12-002.jpg

ARII '77 Celica Coupe (Owners Club Series)
First off this model represents a 2nd generation Celica (RA4) which was introduced as a 1978 model. This car would represent either a 1978 or 1979 but not a 1977 which kinda looks like a scaled down late 60's Mustang. Also the model is probably closer to 1/23 scale when the dimensions are compared to my 1978 Celica Liftback.

Body: This is the best part of the kit I would give it an 7 out of 10. The leading edge of the doors are canted a bit too far forward at the top and the gas door is too rectangular, but other than that it is a pretty decent 1/23 scale representation.

Engine: None (curbside)

Chassis: I've seen better engraving on the underside of Tonka trucks. Huge opening strategically placed in the center to accomidate batteries if you wish. a 0 out of 10 is generous. Flat plastic would be a serious improvement. Wheels are pretty nice replicas of the optional spoked alloys and I've seen worse tires but nothing could improve the rating of this chassis.

Interior: The worst I have ever seen, it is sort of like the typical interior in a Matchbox car only bigger. It is only 1/2" deep so it will not interfere with the important battery compartment and the "seats" are molded in place. The only piece you might be able to use is the RHD dash which appears to have been engraved by hand with a #11 X-acto knife blade. I give the interior a 2 out of 10 since the one piece glass can be blacked out sparing anyone from actually seeing this mess.

In conclusion, If you are looking for a great kit, look elsewhere, but if you are a huge fan of the second gen Celica, this is the only kit that I know of other than the out of production 1/20 Imex kit. While a bit on the large side, the body would be a good basis for a racer or a tuner unlike any other on the contest table.

Kit Review: Hasegawa 1:24th scale Lancia Stratos HF Stradale

When you talk rally these days, the hot buzz is all around all-wheel drive turbo compacts like the Subaru WRX or Peugeot 307. These little rockets tear through stages with electronic wizardry controlling the diffs and complex transmissions selecting the gears. They've allowed drivers to conquer gravel and laugh at tarmac.

However, when the topic comes up of the world's top rally car, the title falls back to a stumpy Bertone bodied wedge with a Ferrari V6; the Lancia Stratos.

Weighing in at a scant 2,160lbs, and only 12ft, 2in from its needle-sharp nose to the tip of its tail spoiler (that's a full 10 inches shorter than a MIATA, folks) the Lancia was a tiny missle locked onto destroying the twists and turns of the Monte Carlo. And after a difficult gestation (the car originally housed a Lancia Fulvia V4) and a brief production run of only 400 cars, the Stratos did just that taking four out of five wins in the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally from 1975 to 1979.

Thanks to its rally winning ways (and the fact that it was no slouch itself) the Stratos street car became an instant collectable that became the archetype of the low production rally special and laid the groundwork for Lancia rally domination with such other instant classics as the O37, the S4, and the Delta Integrale.



Being a fan of rallying, Lancia, Ferrari, and wild looking classic sports cars, there was a lot of anticipation going into this kit. I admit to having been disappointed in my previous experience with a Hasegawa kit (the previously reviewed Lancer Evolution VI) but keeping an open mind I slit the shrink wrap and dove into this new release.

Boy am I glad I did.

Though a modified reissue based on their Group 4 spec rally Stratos, Hasegawa does the subject matter proud by making ALL of the proper modifications to the tool to give the oppurtunity to build a really good curbside street Stratos.

The first pleasant surprise is the chassis. Detail abounds here, especially at the complex rear end. An engraved four piece "block" takes the place of an engine, and with a little paint detailing it hides the kit's curbside status fairly well. That's important, too, because the rear end is highly visible thanks to the Stratos's naturally tall stance. Every little structural rod is separate, and assembly of the rear superstructure is a little daunting, but with a little patience it all aligns together very well.

I will say this, though. The exposed muffler and shield piece is overly fiddly and its mounting point is a little vague. Be sure to use the "header pipes" as a guide to aligning the muffler on its mounts. Otherwise the 10 piece rear suspension is a class act.

Ditto for the 10 piece front suspension. Thanks to some very well thought out locator pins, the separate upper control arms and coil-overs of the front end slot in with ease and sit level. It's almost a shame that the dramatic tilt front and rear ends of the Stratos don't make it into this curbside kit, because the detail that is here is superb.

One thing in the front end does give me a pause. The blank for the trunk space - which is visible through the body's open vent work on the nose - contains a molded replica of the RALLY car's spare wheel. The painting instructions for this piece are thorough and there's even a decal for the center hub, but it's a gaffe that betrays the tons of effort Hasegawa put into making this a good street Stratos.

The interior is a great example of this effort. It pays that the road car and the rally car were equally spartan, but even still a completely new two piece dashboard with decals for ALL instrumentation (and very legible decals, too), brand new seats with good upholstery engraving, a new shifter, and new door panels with separate map pockets make for a really complete transformation. Personal favorite detail? Tough choice, but it has to be the awesome metal transfer for the rear view mirror face.

But the best assembly in the whole kit has to be the body. Between the metal transfers, decals, and the 25(!) tiny detail pieces, plus the option of popped up headlights if you want, this body stands out as one phenomeonal way to occupy 6 inches of your desk. You'll have to be careful painting the tiny clear turn signals their multiple colors, and the single windshield wiper is a little tough to align on the wraparound windshield, but otherwise assembly is trouble-free.

You'll still spend a bit of time cleaning up mold lines, admittedly. A one-piece body with this many compound curves really makes it unavoidable.

And to help guide you when building your Lancia Stratos, Hasegawa kindly provides a color guide for production Stratoses that covers the available colors, the mix ratios to achieve their equivalents with Gunze Sangyo paints, AND an interior color cross reference chart.

Please, for heaven's sake, DON'T build the lime green Stratos with light green interior! It's absolutely correct, but damned hideous.

And for the kicker, in keeping with Hasegawa's fine rally-to-street kit tradition, almost ALL of the rally Stratos parts including the awesome five spoke mag wheels, the night stage light rack, the racing seats, steering wheel, shifter, dashboard, side mirrors, skidplates, AND fire extinguisher are all present and accounted for. It makes for some awesome kitbashing without having to buy another Hasegawa Stratos, or a great stockpile for your parts box.

It's hard to say really what makes the Hasegawa Lancia Stratos such a good build, but it has to be in the little things they get right. The parts have very thin and tiny connectors to the trees, making them easy to remove cleanly and clean up before assembly. There isn't any corner cutting when it comes to detail, and the accuracy is there at every corner. Flourishes like the spare parts, the metal transfers, and the copious decal sheet only sweeten the pot.

At $35 at your local hobby shop, it's a fair chunk of change to plop down for a single model kit. But if you love rally cars, love classic exotics, and love well-detailed, fun to assemble kits, then you owe it to yourself to find and grab Hasegawa's Lancia Stratos. It's really that good.

Accuracy: 2.75/3
Fit&Finish: 2/2
Detail: 1.25/1.5
Options: 1.5/1.5
Value: 2/2
Final Verdict: 9.5/10

Revell Corvette C5-r Le Mans 2001
It is true that revell kits are relative cheaper than other brands.
But they also are known for por finishing. With this kit my decals where printed rater big and the us flag was blown over the sheet.:sly: I also found out that the fuel caps where not on the place as seen in the race. :eek7: Disapointment :mad: . But not to be complaining about the kit itself. it was fun building the interior with some extra detail. :naughty:
I would say it deserves a 6/10 :banghead: pitty but they anounsed that they will work on it in the future to make there new kits much better. lets hope so. It is nessesary for them to be competing so we'll get the best en a much wider scale of offering of kits :evillol:

dose anyone have a reveiw of an old 91 formula firebird by monogram i just got it off ebay and was wondering how the fit was

before you read this, there is another review of Fujimi's S13 in this thread, it is by "Layla's Keeper". but it is more of a comparison of fujimi's and Tamiya's.

this review is of the Fujimi Nissan Silvia S-13 Touge version

upon opening the box we are greeted to a nice amount of parts. four trees of black parts, one clear tree, and one chrome tree (wheels and exhaust tip). the main part though that the touge kit contains, is the decal sheet; it has the normal badges, but also has an assortment of tuning companies and other JDM businesses, ENDLESS, OPTION, 5ZIGEN and a few more.

all of the parts look quite nicely moulded, yes there is a bit of flashing on some parts (the suspension springs mostly) but these can be cleaned up fairly easily. If you are lucky (like I was) you will find a custom front bumper, and a GT wing (it looks more like a high mount stock wing).

upon assembly we find that the suspension goes together very well, and sits solid and level. as well as this the suspension looks very nicely detailed, especially the rear suspension. the interior seems to fit nicely together, but not as well as the underside. the door panels are bland, but the dash is nicely detailed. the only real flaws in the interior are; the seats have no back and are flat (no simulated wrinkles for leather), and the dash leaves a small gap (about 1mm) where it joins the console. the body is nice looking and has decent details, one gripe is that the headlight housing is flat, and that will make it harder to look more real. the bumpers are just as nicely moulded as the body, but the tuning bumper sits lower than the rest of the car and looks strange (side skirts and a rear apron will fix this)

all in all this is an enjoyable kit to build, it is fairly simple to build, but also allows for that little bit of extra care to make a very nice model indeed.

ease of building: 7/10
Detail: 7/10
enjoyability: 9/10

overall: 7.7/10

Revell 1992 Thunderbird Super Coupe 3n1 Lowrider kit

The MN12 Thunderbird. The last of the REAL Thunderbirds. (Not this crappy retro thing..) These cars were cruisers, with Independent suspension at all 4 corners. Thats untill you droped a few bucks, and you can get you a Sport Thunderbird, which came with a 5.0L V8 (Or a 4.6L V8 after 1993) upgraded wheels, brakes and suspension. Spend a few more presidents, and you can get yourself the "Super Coupe." Its not called "SUPER" for anything. Introduced in 1989, it was the top of the line Thunderbird. It came with upgraded suspension over LX models, 16x7 Unidirectional wheels, optional CD Player and cell phone, and a V6. Wait, what? A V6? Wouldnt the Sport with the V8 be better? Nope. The V6 comes with an Eaton Supercharger, hence "SUPER.." They also came with an optional 5-Speed transmission. Unfortunately, the Sport, LX, or Base models NEVER came with a manual, from the factory. Infact, the 1989 SC won Motor Trends car of the year? How 'bout that..

Now, its been gone for awhile, and the only place you could get them were on ebay...I'm talking about the model here. Revell made many different variatons of the SC kit. The 1989, 35th Anniv Ed, 1991 (I think..) and the 1992. Revell modified the molds of the 1992 kit, giving it the correct tail lights. This is the 3n1 Kit, so it comes with the outragous (in a bad way) lowrider parts (tires wheels decals), custom (which resembles a salt flat racer type theme) and stock.

Engine
The engine is a 3.8L V6, with an Eaton roots-type blower, SET AT 12 psi. The engine made 210 HP, and a whopping 315 TQ. The engine is extremely detailed (One inside the engine bay, there are so many pipes..). Except, the intake manifold, and SC are molded as one unit in chrome. Also, the intake pipe is molded in chrome too, along with the intercooler pipe. I did have a fit issue, and clearence issue. With the engine fully assembled The hood wouldnt close all the way. The first time around, I just lowered the K-Member, the second time, I trimmed the top of the blower, and bottom of the intake. Both times, I needed to sand the inside of the hood, to make it thinner. Also, when assembled, the chrome intake pipe can be a hassle to get in. The intercooler pipe doesnt quite fit right either, and may take a coupe of test fits, and filing. The kit also comes with the M5R2 Manual transmission.

Suspension
The biggest problem on this kit. Its very finnicky, to the point where you get so pissed off you just throw it against the wall. Its very detailed yes, but it doesnt go together right. The front suspension consists of 5 pieces alone. When built, without any alterations, the front suspension will give some very weird cambers, and offsets. By that I mean, one wheel might stick out of the fender, and one might stick way inside. Its a real PITA. Also, the wheels may look "too far foward". The back suspension is...the same way. The back consists of 6 pieces. The first time I built this kit, I put on the suspension before the chassis went together with the body, and ended up having to take it back off for some modifications. The suspension sits too low, and the wheels will look to close to the front of the fender. To fix this, I grinded off the little knobs/stubs that the subframe connects to, then I trimmed the stubs, that are supposed to represnt the coil springs. Then I added the suspension after the chassis was witht ehb ody, so I could line up the suspension to look right. As with the front, the wheels look like one sticks out farther then the other. What I found out was, apparently, not all the tires are the same, so Play around with them, and see what looks good. I also trimmed the inside of the wheels. Unmodified, they stick out of the tire, making the tire look too skinny.

Interior
This is a fairly nice interior, comes with seperate door panels, and comes with a choice of three different gauge clusters. (Stock, one with a built in shift light, and a gold one.) The way the dashboard connects with the center console looks a little weird though. I built this kit twice, and there seems to be some kind of..something..on the seats, that rejects paint.

Body
A very nice, cleanly molded body, with the revised tail lights, molded in clear red. The tail lights say "Thunderbird" on them, this is incorrect, there arent supposed to be anything on there. If you happen to have the 1989 Kit, it might be unique to add that bumper onto the 92 kit. The 89 it has "SC" molded into the front bumper. The windoes didnt come with any lines for the trim, so good luck painting them. Also, the wheels are chrome, which is incorrect. They are supposed to be silver, but I have seen only ONE EVER with chrome wheels. If you're building a 1:1 Replica, the 89-93 SC's came in Red, Black, Silver, and Teal.

Overall
For $12, and being the only MN12 Thunderbird made, I guess you have no other choice. The suspension is a major MAJOR PITA.

Accuracy: Pretty much spot on.. 3/3
Fit/Finish: The suspension ruins it.. .5/2
Detail: Box stock, theres alot of it.. 1/1.5
Options: Lowrider, Custom, stock.. 1.5/1.5
Value: Its a Revell..its cheap, but dont expect Tamiya quality.. 2/2
Final Verdict: 7/10

Pontiac GTO

HI since about one year of non-reply-time-for I decide to come back again to show you what I've done in one hour.

My father woke up me with the gto box in my face. After read wath I can I begin to built it 10 minutes later.

The box art show a good GTo drift machines with the Rhys Millen car with great bumbers, wheels and wing.
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4060/sanstitre1op.png (http://imageshack.us)

after opening the box checking what's inside I wasn't happy like at beginning. The engine don't look good for the drift car detail and mod
http://img330.imageshack.us/img330/4686/p10303558fu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Polar light don't provide the good wheel for D1 racer and certainly don't fit perfectly at the right heigth
http://img330.imageshack.us/img330/705/p10303532kb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The body show good atention to the quality of the paint.
http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/3070/p10303693fo.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

but the bumper doesn't correspond with the depicted car either in front and rear
http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/3568/p10303621ju.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/2126/p10303638no.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

the chassis look good but simple and with an extras work here and there it would be nice to show it
http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/3817/p10303663cc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

the interior show simple engravement and not accurate for the race car
its without roll cage or racing seat and its easy to built it clean
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/6435/p10303700lf.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

In overall for a good modeler its a great need-to-be modifiable kit.

7 out of 10 for it


enjoy a detailled thread on it later!

FUJIMI R32 GT-R V-Spec II

very poor design imediatly noticed lack of inner door trimmings and worst of all this thing isnt even 4wd..
its plain rwd with molded exhaust till half way.complete undercaraige that looks nothing alike an no rear wheel steering completely wrong suspension and oil pan.. interier is very acurate not highly detailed but still acurate with exeption of door trims which as stated before are as good as not there.. rear speakers on parcel shelf is inacurate aswell..
body seems fairly good except there are no indicators on the front gaurds an no nissan badge for the bonnet other than that front bar and shell seems pretty good. wheels are alright exept the need some shaving on the inside to get them all to sit flush inside the body when lowered a bitbrakes are good exept a drilled not slotted an vented calipers are right size to 2 pot not 4.. both front and rear clamp on 1 side only rather that a even pots on either side coil over suspension seems accurate.

http://www.rpphobby.com/rmx2867hummerh2.jpg

Revell 2003 Hummer H2

awsome kit. but huge, prohibably the biggest 1:25 scale kit I've ever bought that was'nt a semi.

Body is perfect on this. they got every detail. The molding and engraving is excellent. and its stock, except for the wheels. which are huge. 26". I have 1:18 cars that have smaller wheels lol. The kit represents a 2003 version. The only way I can tell the difference is that that the logo on the steering wheel just says Hummer. unlike the 04-05 which say H2.

The interior is excellent. except for one thing. there no stock third seat. but the third row of seats are removable and optional in the 1:1 so leaving it out is'nt a big issue. the only option is a speaker box. which is just like the one in the Revell Escallade.

The chassis and underbody is just like the recent Revell kits. seperate suspension and exhaust. its a curbside converting it to stock would be an issue becouse it has a lowered suspension, I would recommend getting the diecast Revell H2 becouse it has the stock suspension and wheels.

The crome is very nice on this kit but its too shinny. a good coat of dull coat should take care of that.

I give Revell a 9/10 for this kit. they'd get a 10/10 if they would've included a stock suspension at least. and a 11/10 if they had stock wheels with stock suspension. this is deffinently an awsome kit. and I give Revell credit for decided to release it in plastic. I thing with gas prices as high as they are that Revell will sell a ton of these. for people who want to buy the 1:1...but can't afford the gas.

I've had this kit in my "under construction" pile for a while. Here's a quick review/run-down of the kit. If I've left anything out please feel free to add your comments on this kit.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/18590DSCF0529.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/18590FUJ06224b.jpg

KIT # - TC-59
SCALE - 1/24TH
PARTS COUNT - 112
MOLDED IN YELLOW, CLEAR & BLACK STYRENE
WITH DECALS, VINYL & PLATED PARTS.
M.S.R.P $35.00

First off, let it be known that this kit is a stock Fujimi 25th Anniversary "Real Sports Car Series" Countach rather than the highly detailed Enthusiast Model Series. Therefore the car on the box cannot be built without major modifications and scratch building. This came as a big disappointment because no efforts other than the decals and tires were made to accurately represent the full scale Rain-X Countach. There are a few different versions of this car as it developed over the years. Good research should be done before any modifications to the kit are made.

BODY - A 22-piece assembly of a stock 25th Ann. Countach. Body modifications will consist of removing the front valance and rear tail light panel and replacing them with scratch built parts. You will have to add six vents to the engine cover and reconfigure the air vents on the rear quarter panel tops. A stock rear countach wing is included so you'll have to construct a new correct one from scratch.

ENGINE - None, this is a curbside model.

CHASSIS - This is the simplified chassis with metal axles, poseable front suspension, front & rear disc brakes and relief molding of the engine underside. I like these chassis over the EM series, due to the accurate stance your finished model will have. Wheels are also stock 25th Ann. items, but now have new "no name" racing tires. No decals where added to replicate a specific brand name for them. Strange for such a kit!

INTERIOR - There are no modifications to the stock interior and no additional parts where added to correctly represent a racing interior (racing seats, harness, fire extinguisher, etc.).

DECALS - They are complete. However all of the dark blue sections are printed in a pale blue, requiring new decals to be printed to correct them.

FINAL THOUGHT - This kit has a lot of potential, but will take a lot of work to replicate the real car. The biggest hurdles will be the front valance, air vents and making new decals. Fujimi obviously took advantage of their molds here and released a kit geared more towards the collector rather than the builder.

Surgery started on the front valance. Thankfully the Fujimi kit makes the mods easy by scribing along good definition lines.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/18590DSCF0517.jpg
Here the rear taillight section has been cut away and sheet stock applied. Same for the rear window areas.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/18590DSCF0521.jpg

The decals. . . ugh

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/18590DSCF0527.jpg

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1082/12uh1.jpg

Kit - Testors 1/4 Hemi Visible Engine
Kit # - Testors - 452
Scale - 1/4th
Molded in Clear, Silver, and Chrome plated.
Part count - 300 plus
MSRP - 80-100 US Dollars.

First off, this is a working model. It is powered by 3 AA batteries. The batteries power a small motor in the base which in turn powers the crank and then powers the rest of the moving parts. The Crank, pistons, cam, and valves move.

Mold: The mold is terrific with no flash what-so-ever. The clear parts are very well made, but removing the little bit of sprue takes a bit of care so you don't crack it.

Detail: The detail on this is stunning, a great replica of a Hemi engine. When completed, the engine looks like it is ready to roar to life.

Pros: Great kit with wonderful detail.

Cons: Directions a bit confusing at times. Belts are too small and pull in A/C and Water pump, need to be heated and stretched.

Overall: 8.5/10.