Tommy Ivo’s Showboat with Figure 1:25 Scale Revell SSP Model Kit #85-1285 Review

2015 May 6
by Doug

Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review 20150506*
Tommy Ivo’s Showboat with Figure 1:25 Scale Revell SSP Model Kit #85-1285 Review
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Review and Photos by Alan Mann Alan Mann (Thumbnail)

“One is good, two is better, then Four Fire Breathin’ Nailheads Oughta Be TERRIFIC!” Said Tommy Ivo back in 1961 when he built one of the wildest drag cars ever to hit the strip. FOUR 454 cubic inch motors IN ONE CAR! 32 cylinders, or 1,856 cubic inches, and with 2,000 horsepower this four wheel drive car ripped up the strip with 4 M&H 9.00X15.00 slicks, covering the quarter at over 170 mph in 9.14! Tommy Ivo is an actor and drag racer, who was active in the 1960s racing community. The 4-motor car, christened “Showboat” debuted on July 23, 1961 at the San Fernando drag strip in the San Fernando Valley. Although it wasn’t Ivo’s most winning creation, the four-engine “Showboat” is probably his most famous machine. The quad Buick Nailheads were linked in pairs, making them essentially V16s. One pair drove the rear wheels and the other, turned backward, powered the fronts. “It was such a heavy car,” Ivo says. “If you hit a bump, it hurt! It wasn’t like those light flexi dragsters.” Still, it put on quite a smoke show. At the time, it was reported to have cost $13,000 which was a lot of money back then.

For the modeler: This review covers the current Re-release (Re-Pop) of the TV Tommy’s Showboat from Revell, Kit #1285. This is a Skill Level 3, for advanced builders, 1/25 scale kit and is a Limited Production release under Revell’s Selected Subjects Program 000b (SSP). The kit has 214 parts molded in White and Chrome with Vinyl tires and Metal axles. You get a fully painted Resin figure included with your build. The Instruction Sheet is in typical book format as with all Revell’s newer releases. A small decal sheet is included. The motors are highly detailed and assemble in multiple stages; a majority of the build is for the motors. The frame is simple and straight forward. There is no interior being a drag car. The body is in multiple parts but easy to assemble. The tires represent a good replica of what was on the real car based on reference photos. Overall dimensions are: Length: 6-3/4″, Width: 2-11/16″, Height: 1-11/16″.

Covered in this Review:  If you want to perfect your build; basic construction; preparing parts for better finishing; alternate assembly sequence suggestions for fit and ease of finishing; abrasive choices; complete paint and adhesive selections and applications; intake stack construction; engine assembly and detailing; wiring all four motors properly; exhaust header construction; engine wiring diagram; making personalized license plates; decal preparation and application; proper engine alignment and placement; making wired distributors; front/ rear axle assembly and detailing; detailing and building the frame/chassis; removing unwanted copyright script; preparing the body panels for paint; assembling and detailing the parachutes; assembling the steering gear; clarifying attachment points; axle orientation; correcting warped parts; using setting solutions for form-fitting decals; test fitting; detailing the tires for realism; chassis construction and detailing; mounting the body to the chassis; detailing the dashboard; are all fully examined in this 19 page, full-color Step-by-Step review in PDF format.

 

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