Peterbilt 352 COE Cabover SnapTite 1/32 Revell 85-1964 Review

RoR Step-by-Step Review 20111011* – Peterbilt 352 Cabover SnapTite 1/32 Revell 85-1964 Review
Click Here to Buy This Kit -> Peterbilt 352 Cabover Tractor Snap 1/32 Revell

Review and photos by Tom Schaefer 

A few years ago I had the opportunity to attend a semi truck show in St. Ignace, Mi. I was lucky enough to be there with my Father-in-law, who had been a trucker for 30 years. He knew most of the trucks inside and out, mainly because he shared the road with these guys. Since then I have had a big interest in big rigs.

(FIG 1)  When I got the chance to review the re-release of Revell’s (Monogram) Peterbilt 352 COE, I jumped at the chance.

(FIG 2) Now, I knew it wasn’t going to be a very complicated build because of the fact it was a SnapTite 1/32 scale model with a parts count of only 59 pieces.

(FIG 3) When I received the model I was pleased to see a cleanly molded model for a tool that is 30 plus years old.  The cab, frame and interior are molded in blue, the tires and interior pieces in black and a nice chrome tree. The decals are actually stickers, which I will cover more in detail later on.  Very little clean up was necessary to start building.

(FIG 4) I decided to build this model as I did in my early teen years, not a lot of prep, using what I had on hand for materials, and doing the whole thing in one night. So sitting down on a Saturday night, I opened the box and away I went.  First was the chassis, after 10 minutes I had the axles and mud flaps attached and ready for paint. I was impressed with the detail and the attachment methods of the parts, very solid.  After a quick coat of black paint, it was ready for wheels and chrome parts. The fuel tanks and battery box went together easy, with most of seams hidden from view once attached.  The wheels are beautifully chromed and snap into the plastic black tires nicely. I left the tires unpainted and just sanded the tread for wear. The backs are open, but are barley noticeable when on the truck.

(FIG 5) After the chassis was dry, I mounted the chrome stacks on the headache rack and air intake tube I had painted with the chassis, and put the wheels and fuel tanks.

(FIG 6) I added the “Peterbilt” logos to the mud flaps, added the chrome taillights, which I had painted with a red and black Sharpie. After only about a half hour, I was ready for body and interior.

I searched my paint stash and found a nice color that I thought would dry fast and look good with the decals (stickers). I settled on Ace Hardware Premium enamel – Sunshine Yellow.  With a little scuffing with steel wool, I was ready for paint. The paint was actually very nice; it has a fine spray nozzle, and dries quickly. I will probably use this brand on future models, due its low price point and high quality. While the body dried, I sprayed the one-piece interior with Rust-o-leum’s American Accent fossil tan.

(FIG 7) Once the body was dry (1 hr), I outlined the window with a black Sharpie and started adding stickers.

(FIG 8) This is where some problems started. The “decals” are actually stickers printed on clear backing, while they are pretty thin, the thickness takes away from the detail. This was done with the Skill 1 build of this model in mind, considering that young people would be building it. Actually the decals were harder to work with in some instances and would frustrate an inexperienced builder.

(FIG 9) The stickers that go on flat areas worked well, but the ones that had to go over detail, were a challenge.

(FIG 10) I had to slit the sticker with a razor to get them over raised detail on the cab; not something you would want your 7 yr. old to do on their own.

(FIG 11) The Interior is extremely basic, everything except the steering wheel and shifter are molded in. There is some decent detail, but it would take a really steady hand to detail paint it. A gauge sticker would be great here. After detailing a little with a Sharpie, I was ready to install it and the window in the cab. With the interior installed, most of the detail is hard to see, so much of the detailing would be in vain.

(FIG 12) Now it was time to install the chrome. Most of the cab accessories are very fragile; the handrails on the side of the cab needed to be cut off the tree, as with the mirrors, trying to twist them off will break them. I broke the passenger side handrail when installing it, there was no sense trying to glue it back on.

(FIG 13) The clearance lights and horns went on easy and connect solid, except the holes for the horns are a little oversized, which detracts from the detail.

(FIG 15) After two and a half hours, I was finished with the model.  From across the room it looks pretty cool, but up close you’ll notice that it’s a snapper. I like this model, it would not be a good make-n-take for younger modelers, but for those who are honing their skills, it would make good practice. 

(FIG 18) If I were to do another one, more detail could be added.  Some of the New-Ray die cast 1/32 scale semi-trucks could be used for parts donors. My buddy is big into farming collectables, and 1/32 is a popular scale for them. This model would make a nice addition to a farm diorama, seeing how this is where you usually see cabover semi tractors.

(FIG 19) I would suggest this model for a young person who wants to take the next step in modeling. It has a little more detail than most snap kits, but the parts are a little fragile. The “Pete” looks good sitting on my shelf, and it would look really nice with a NASCAR hauler behind it.

(FIG 17)

Good luck and happy modeling.

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