RoR Review 20110104 – ’69 Mustang Mach I Cobra Jet #85-4290
RoR Review 20110104 – ’69 Mustang Mach I Cobra Jet #85-4290
Review & Photos by Tom Schaefer
I had never really noticed the ’69 Mustang Mach 1 until my friend and his brother restored one in High School. Then I got a close up look at its attitude and style. Now, that Mustang doesn’t come close to the performance of Mustangs of today, but it sure turned heads back in 1987.
Figure 1
Revell’s® 1969 Mach 1 (kit 85-4290, fig. 1) is kind of the same in that aspect. I really didn’t appreciate it until I got a close up look and had the chance to build it. Now part of Revell’s® Motor City Muscle Series, this model has been around for a few years. It was a pretty easy build, with the no. 2 skill level being right on the money. The detail and accuracy is on pace with some of the more expensive kits while maintaining the easy building style.Â
Figure 2
The parts count (104 pieces, fig. 2) was pretty decent, and it included a few extras, such as c-pillar badges, separate oil filter and two-piece carb. As usual for most new Revell models the decal sheet was beautiful. I was disappointed to find out that this model had a “Drag version†but all that was included were the decals. No drag slicks, roll cages, headers, nothing’, bummer!Â
Figure 3
I started this car by looking it over and deciding how I would build it. I like the Mach 1 version, but is has been so over done. I ended up settling for a plain Grabber Blue (Krylon® short cuts “ocean blueâ€) paint job without the flat black hood and minimal striping. The perfect “sleeper†car, all power, no frills, in a plain wrapper. The body had some mold lines the needed cleaned up and the side vents needed glued in place. The vents don’t have a great fit; so a little putty may be needed to get them to fit right (fig. 3).
Figure 4
I also glued the front fascia on before paint, as this needs some sanding and filling also to get it to look good. Doing it after the paint is on would probably mess up the finish. After the paint dried for a couple of weeks, I mocked up the model just to see how it “sat†(fig 4).
Figures 6 & 7
The interior was a simple, yet detailed build. The gauges all have decals, and the dash and console are nicely molded with enough detail to let you pick them out with a small brush. After a coat of flat black I started detailing the dash with silver and tan paint to simulate wood grain. I also added black flocking to the floorboards and back tray. The results are pretty realistic (fig 6,7)
Figure 8
On to the chassis! This is where a little detail painting and detailing can go a long way. After some flat black paint I detail painted some of the things on the chassis. Using Testor’s® Metalizers came in handy. The gas tank got a coat of dry brushed steel (fig 8), the exhaust was painted with “burnt exhaust†Metalizer, the muffler was done in steel.
Figure 9
With white shocks and a touch of gloss black here and there, the underside looks worn but not tired (fig 9).
Figure 11
The engine was a big portion of this car’s personality. The “Cobra Jet†was not a little economy motor. It was big, mean, and powerful. Putting out just over 400 horsepower, it demanded attention. The engine in the model was a nicely done replication of the 428 cu in V8. It had just enough detail to look good without doing anything else to it. A few gas lines, some spark plug wires, and a little time detailing will make this power plant look almost real sitting in the engine bay (fig 11)
Figure 12
If I had one gripe other than the lack of drag parts, it would be the tires. I sanded the tread as I always do, but no sanding could get rid of the “bump†that was present. Due to what was probably a mold misalignment, the tire tread was very ugly (fig 12).
Figures 13
Overall, this model is a great starter to a very well detailed Mach 1, or, build it box stock and it will still get a second look on the display shelf (fig 13).
Figure 14
The Mach I Cobra Jet was a beauty from any angle.
