RoR Review 20110108 – Revell® Chi Town Hustler NHRA Funny Car #85-4286

RoR Review 20110108 – Revell® Chi Town Hustler NHRA Funny Car #85-4286

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Review and Photos by Tony Gibson

When I first got this kit I was pretty excited about it, and that continued all the way through. The kit went together beautifully and there is a lot of room for detail. Built as a box stock, I couldn’t ask for a nicer drag model. Revell did their homework with this kit. From the tooling, the marking, the decals, the details to the mold and the chassis, it was a big WOW! This car took about 50 hours to build. A lot of attention was given to the paint and keeping the build as clean as possible. The 58 piece decal sheet was the toughest part of the whole build, about 8 hours was put in on them alone. If you push this and try to finish it too soon, you could run into trouble. Be patient and careful with the decals – they really make this kit standout.
Figure 00

Revell® Chi Town Hustler 1969 Dodge® Charger NHRA Funny Car. 90 pieces molded in white, chrome and clear windows. Drag slicks and decal sheet included. 1/25 scale, skill level 3.

Figure(s) 1

The body had some minor clean up from die marks (marked in green). The tooling was nice and clean. The areas were sanded with 600 grit sand paper, then finished with 1000 grit for a smooth finish. The whole body was then washed with dish soap and warm water, dried and prepped for primer.

Figure(s)  2, 3

Figure(s)  4, 5

The main chassis part was exceptional because it was molded in one piece. After it was cut off the tree there was almost no twist or bow to the piece. This was nice for a change, some of the older 2 piece chassis could be hard to get straight.

Figure(s)  25, 26

Before painting, the chassis and tub were mocked up for fit. The body was then put on to make sure everything fit and no adjustments needed to be made. This takes just a few minutes and will make final assembly go much smoother. Also, glue the front spoiler onto the body at this point. It is easier to do this now then after painting and looks much better.

Figure(s)  6,7

This car needed primer, 2 paint colors for brilliance and clear coat. All paints were Duplicolorâ„¢ products. First, Gray primer/sealer, then Champagne Pearl (BCC0401 Chrysler color), Bordeaux Red Metallic (BH0959 Honda Color), lastly Crystal Clear. The Champagne color was applied first because it will give the primary a little more pop and brilliance. One nice, smooth, even coat was all it took. The Bordeaux has some transparency to it so the metallic from the Champagne will come through. Two light, even coats were used, 10-15 minutes between coats. Do not try to make the coats of Bordeaux too heavy, stay at least 8-10 inches away when you spray. 3 even coats of clear were applied last, 15-20 minutes between coats.

Figure(s)  8

This paint scheme was rather specific and needed to be done correctly. One of the easiest ways to test paint colors and combinations is to use plastic spoons. This is the same styrene plastic that the kits are molded in. Fortunately, if the kit is not molded in white, other spoon colors are available at party supply stores. Find the spoons closest in color to the mold color. They are not expensive and should last a long time. Do not assume that colors tested on white will turn out the same as those sprayed on another color model, some molded colors will bleed through. Do yourself a favor and test, test, test!

Figure(s)  9, 10, 11

Figure(s)  12, 13

After 24-36 hours, the paint is dry enough for polishing. Use a very fine polish (Mothers™ FX Synwax was used here). This is a non-abrasive polish, not a compound. This will help bring out the luster in your finish and remove very small imperfections. Rub lightly over the surface with t-shirt like material. Don’t rub too long or hard on any surface or edges, you’ll go through the clear. Before applying decals, wash the body again with mild dish soap and dry with a very clean, very soft cloth.

Figure(s)  14, 15

　Instead of painting, Bare Metal Foil™ chrome was used on the bumpers. This was the builder’s choice, but it gives a nice look that is cleaner than painting. The bumpers were done in sections, using 2 pieces for each. The seams can be nearly invisible if the time is taken to match up the edges. A q-tip and soft cloth were used to get the foil into the creases and smooth everything out. Use a light touch and be patient.

Figure(s)  16, 17

The decal sheet was pretty amazing. The graphics and colors were beautiful. Except for a mistake or two, which will be pointed out, these were great decals.

Figure(s)  18

Start by taping the hood into place on the underside. Good sturdy masking tape will do the trick. This is important because of the flame decals on the hood.

Figure(s)  19

When putting these decals on, make sure they are completely wet and slide easily. They should be soaked for a couple minutes, then take out of the water and let set for another couple minutes. Put a little water on the hood so the decals will slide around a little for positioning. After getting them into place and lined up along the contours, dab with a piece of t-shirt material or soft, damp, paper towel. They were purposely put in place over the gap between the hood and the body. After they set for about half an hour, go in with a clean, very sharp blade and cut at the gap. Dampen the edges at the cuts and set the edges down carefully. The hood can be taken off before you dampen the edges if it’s easier for you to work with it. If you try to cut the hood decals and put them on in pieces over the hood and fenders, you will have a very hard time getting everything lined up.

Figure(s)  20, 21

The rest of the decals went on smoothly, just follow the directions for placement and take your time. The windshield and side glass were put on after the decals were dried and set. They fit like a glove and the black decal around the windshield was the last to go on.

Figure(s)  22

When putting on some of the sponsor decals (Dexter® and Champion®) it was noticed that they were backwards! Someone wasn’t paying attention when they were laying these out. Hopefully, Revell® will straighten this out soon. In this case, it was left as it came off the sheet. If you need it to be perfect you will have to find these same decals on another sheet (if you have extras laying around). Most likely you’ll find them on other drag racing sheets or NASCAR decals.

Figure(s)  23, 24

The engine went together nicely, good fit and nice detail. The colors were taken straight from the decal sheet. A light wash of thinned black bottle paint was done over the chrome to tone it down a bit and to bring out the detail. The front suspension had a couple errors on the direction sheet. Parts #8 & #9, front trailing arms, were shown with the wrong placement onto the chassis. The proper areas are marked in green. This was found during mock-up. Check this before you glue into place.

Figure(s)  27, 28

Then you’ll notice part #7, steering linkage, goes where the trailing arms were to go. This is marked in green also. Always test fit these areas first, clean up around the holes before gluing, and scrape chrome parts for a better bond. The rest went together easily and as stated on the directions.

Figure(s)  29, 30

One minor problem with the engine build was with the super charger. Part 63, super charger front, and part #64, super charger rear, there were two small, raised areas in the mold. At first they looked like slots to line up parts. On assembly they wouldn’t fit flush. They needed to be removed with a sharp blade, test fitting until they fit properly.

Figure(s)  31, 32

This raised area also popped up in section 2 of the rear suspension assembly. Part #32, rear axel cover, needs the raised areas removed, test fitting frequently. The rest of the rear assembly went together without a problem, just follow the directions.

Figure(s)  33, 34

This shows a good shot of the head and chassis. Keep them at a 90 degree angle from the blower, the direction sheets tells exactly how they should be.

Figure(s)  35

The interior tub was painted with silver metallic base (aerosol) then the seat was painted with flat black bottle paint. Seat belts were made from a vinyl pinstripe tape. The buckles were highlighted with silver Sharpieâ„¢ marker. There are other ways to do this that probably look more real, but this was a quick, easy way to detail it a little.

Figure(s)  36

The chassis and body were mocked up to make sure everything was fitting into place. After everything looked good, it was time for tires and final assembly

Figure(s)  38, 41

The drag slicks were very nice because they were 1 piece. The wheel combination that was provided was exceptional. Some light sanding on the tires with emery board gave them a more realistic look. The decals were added to the tires and they were placed onto the chassis. Before putting the wheels on the car, scraped the chrome off the pins for a better fit and bond. Made sure the rear wheels are slid onto the axel as far as they will go or the body will not fit properly over the rear tires. At this point, the body can also be put on.

Figure(s)  39, 40

If you were into NHRA racing the sight of the Chi Town Hustler always commanded your attention. Sleek and powerful it was one of the genres finest examples.

Figure(s)  43

Have Fun!

Keep the glue off the windshield!
Tony Gibson