1977 Chevy Monte Carlo Revell 85-1962 Review

RoR Review 20110624 – 1977 Monte Carlo™ Revell #85-1962 Review

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Review and Photos by Stephen Wilder 

Revell’s SnapTite line has long been the standard in entry-level kits.  While many may write these off as nothing but simple models for the beginner, with a little effort, they can be turned into respectable shelf-sitters, providing a good amount of enjoyment along the way.

001 This release of the 1977 Monte Carlo is molded in red with white interior parts.  Chrome sprues provide the front grille and bumper, the rear bumper, and stock wheels.  A single clear part covers the windshield, rear glass, and rear quarter windows, while another clear sprue contains headlights.  A clear red sprue is included for the brake lights, while an assembled chassis (molded in black), rubber tires, and metal axles and screws round out the contents of the kit.  One sheet of self-adhesive stickers containing the flame graphics shown on the box art as well as a couple of license plates is also included.

After attending a recent contest, I saw how the finishes on my builds could use some improvement.  I had some trouble maintaining the quality of finish I would have liked with my combination of primer, paint, and clear, so I set out to try a few new things.  After tracking down a new brand of primer and type of clear, I first tried this new combination out on disposable plastic spoons (the so-called “spoon test”).  With positive results in hand, it was time to try my newfound combination out on an actual model – this is where the SnapTite kit comes in!

002 Since I wanted to focus my efforts on the finish, I didn’t want a kit that would involve hours of engine detailing and chassis assembly.  I also didn’t want to shell out top dollar for a kit, in case something in this new paint combination turned a scale plastic body into a 1:1 mess of goo.  This SnapTite kit fit the bill perfectly, with no engine, minimal chassis detail, and a respectable price.

003 The first step in the construction process was to prep the body for painting.  The one-piece body had a few molding lines that needed to be sanded smooth, but no flash or sink marks.  I also tacked the mirrors to toothpicks in order to hold them during painting.  The body was then given two coats of Plasti-kote Super Enamel primer.  This was allowed to dry for two days before three color coats of Dupli-Color light blue metallic lacquer were applied.  This was followed up about 45 minutes later with three coats of DupliColor acrylic enamel gloss.  Two “rules” were broken in this process – I mixed brands and applied lacquers over enamels.  Don’t be afraid to try different combinations out; the “spoon test” is a very cheap way to see if something unconventional might work.  After a few days of curing, the body was sanded and polished using 2000-grit sandpaper and Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound. 

004 Just because I was focusing on the finish didn’t mean that I wanted to avoid other areas of the build.  The chrome-plated grille assembly looked well detailed, but was suffering from a lack of depth.  Prototype pictures showed the recesses to be black, with body color strips in between the grille openings.  Turn signals and black bumper protectors also highlighted the massive chrome bumpers.  All of that detail was molded in.  I mixed up a “sludge wash” of black acrylic paint, dish soap, and water to darken the grille, while a similar wash of silver and blue acrylic was used to represent the body color areas.  The rubber bumper protectors were done with Tamiya XF-1 flat black acrylic, and the turn signals were painted with white and orange acrylic mixed on the part with a few drops of water.  These simple changes drastically improved the appearance of the kit parts.

005 The kit wheels and tires were improved as well.  The prototype wheels are painted with chrome hubcaps and rings.  The middle ring of each wheel was painted with Tamiya XF-16 flat aluminum to tone it down, while the backside of each wheel was given a coat of craft paint flat black.  I then sanded the tire treads with an emery board to simulate wear.  I robbed some whitewall decals from the Revell ’41 Chevy Pickup kit and applied these to the tires, using Solvaset to keep them in place.

006 The model comes with a landau top molded into the body.  Since the vinyl texture and chrome trim strips were already molded in place, and because I didn’t want to go through the hassle of masking the entire car off, I chose to brush paint this vinyl top.  I found that Polly Scale C&O Enchantment Blue was a good compliment to the light blue metallic of the body, so several coats of this were brushed on with a soft flat brush.

007 I then proceeded by applying Bare Metal Foil to the body.  This kit has a lot of trim and requires a lot of BMF! 

008 With that process done, I applied more sludge wash to the cowl vents.  This process can be a bit sloppy, as the soap allows excess paint to be wiped from the surface cleanly.

009 The chassis was sprayed flat black with store-brand spray paint.  Some of the details were highlighted, such as the exhaust, transmission, and oil pan – just enough to add some interest to this part of the model.

010 The interior of the kit built up nicely as well.  I sprayed all of the parts with the same C&O blue.  Chrome bits were highlighted with a DecoColor silver paint marker.

011 To bring out the detail on the dash, I painted the wood area around the gauges with two shades of acrylic tan, followed by a final coat of Tamiya clear orange acrylic.  The gauges themselves were painted flat black, and then the lettering was picked out with a white Prismacolor colored pencil.

012 The interior components snapped together nicely, and the finished product is not too far removed from its Skill 2 cousins.

013 One interesting quirk to this model is its adjustable suspension.  Teeth on the front and rear axle allow them to be raised and lowered.  This allows the car to be a bit of a “lowrider”, a “donk”, or something in between.

014 In the end, the finished model looks very different from its box art, simply by adding some paint, foil, decals, and a bit of effort.

015 It was a nice break from super-detailed builds and high parts counts.  In the end, my finishing skills could still use some improvement, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.  I found this to be the perfect kit to get some practice on.

016 I spent about 10 hours assembling this kit, most of that time devoted to painting and foiling.  If built out of the box, the kit’s 34 parts would make a nice evening’s work for a preteen or father-and-son team. 

 

Pros: Nicely molded and detailed parts; good kit for any age or skill set

Cons: Windshield glass is very thick – likely a compromise for younger builders.

 

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