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

[primera man]

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

[Layla's Keeper]

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.

[David_]

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)

[CamaroSSBoy346]

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 ) 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.

[slk320]

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.

[drumcat]

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 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;

[CADguy]

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.

[Layla's Keeper]

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.


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?

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

[Zcaithaca]

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

[willster127]

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

[CamaroSSBoy346]

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

[blueboost]

Tamiya Nissan Skyline R32 GTR



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



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



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 )
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



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

[Sebstar]

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


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 . 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.


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.


Total score:
9/10

[86_SR5]

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.

[chaos]

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.