Right On! Replicas

RoR SnapShot Review 20140820*
Go-Mad Nomad by Dave Deal Revell Model Kit #85-4310 Review

Review and Photos by Doug Cole

Dave Deal’s cartoons graced the likes of CARtoons magazine regularly back in the seventies and did some work on the original Disney Cars movie. Dave lived large and his nickname “Big Deal” seemed a very appropriate match for his hobbies and talents. He was credited with being the first person to race a Baja Bug back in 1968 and set an off-road racing record in 1973. In addition to this he was also an accomplished pilot with thousands of hours in the air. His love of cars and planes combined with his talent for drawing were a natural fusion of his passions so he put them all together and designed dozens of model kits for Revell. With just a little effort you can build this custom contraption and display it proudly at home or in the office. This kit features a “far out” model with massive tires and a radically sculpted driver figure.” Dave passed away in 2008 but his legacy lives on in our hearts.  Have you ever been in a place where they sell models and saw a kit on the shelf that looked like fun but you thought, “I don’t have time for that”. Well, you should give it a try, it won’t take much and this “Made in America” kit is the perfect way to help rejuvenate those modeling desires.

For the Modeler: This is a re-issue of the Go-Mad Nomad Revell Model Kit #85-4310, part of the Deal’s Wheels model series. This Skill Level 2 kit consists of 57 plastic pieces molded in white, clear and chrome with four black vinyl tires.  Finished dimensions: Length: 5-1/2″,  Width: 4-5/16″, and Height: 3-1/16″. Construction is pretty straight-forward. The body and chassis are one piece each with a pair of rear leaf springs and a couple plastic axles connect that connect the “giganticus rear tires and skinnies up front.”  The rear tires are a bit of a challenge because they are assembled in two pieces.  I simply let some household contact cement get tacky then put them together.  The headers are two-piece units with one of the collector tubes coming in halves.  The assembly then glues onto the bottom of the front fender well in foolproof places provided for them.  The window glass is among the best I’ve seen for a car model. It is clear and mounts on some positive tabs in the front. I used a little five minute epoxy and placed it on the two mounting tabs of the frame letting the glue get tacky and pushed the frame into place/ Hold for a minute or two and you should be fine. Everything else goes together without issue.  Finishing off the crazy driver figure is up to you but it is well designed to hide the seam and the model would not be the same without ‘Rincon”.  The driver figure actually comes in four pieces with the head in two parts and the arms being separate.  You need to assemble and finish those off before attaching them to the interior plate.  I added some simple gauge circles and a seat pattern to add some interest in the passenger compartment. To finish the sunglasses I used a black sharpie marker and a thinned blue tint for the back of the lenses.

Overall – this is a great weekend project kit that will bring back some of those crazy memories from the sixties with some good clean fun! To really dress it up a generous amount of foil is needed for the brightwork and I scratch built a car top carrier for the Surfboard just like the old days. All the parts fit onto positive locations and if detailed, it makes a great display for your shelf.  On the downside – you’ll find a lot of flash and pin marks to deal with but you’ll have so much fun putting it together you won’t mind at all!  -Righton

Right On Replicas, LLC ©2014 All rights reserved.
*All registered trademarks are the property of their respective brands.

Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review 20140818*
Pete Brock’s BRE Datsun 510 Rally Car 1:25 Scale Revell Model Kit #85-1445 Review

Review and Photos by Alan Mann

Brock Racing Enterprises was a cutting edge racing and design team of the early seventies. The team was one of the first in America to use imported Toyotas, Hinos and Datsuns. Pete Brock, founder of BRE, modified the Datsun 510 economy car, turning it into a two-time National 2.5 Trans-Am Championship Winner. In 1971, with the import market heating up in the US, the SCCA and its professional Trans Am series relented to pressure from a number of teams who wanted to race imports. A separate series for smaller displacement engine vehicles resulted in what became known as the 2.5 Trans Am series. BRE then took on the professionals, using Datsun’s ubiquitous little, tin-top, two-door sedan called the 510. Against tough teams from BMW and Alfa-Romeo, BRE again decimated the series, winning two straight 2.5 Championships. It all ended too quickly however as the pressure from BRE was too tough for the competition. They quietly dropped out of the series leaving BRE no one to race with; end of game.

 

 

For the modeler: This review is based on the Selected Subjects Program (SSP) Revell Kit #85-1445 BRE Datsun 510 race car in 1/25 scale. This kit is considered a Skill Level 2 for the moderate builder. The build consists of 99 parts molded in White, Clear, Chrome and Vinyl tires and Tubing. This is a 100% re-release (REPOP) from Revell as one of their SSP (Selected Subjects Program) kits. The kit is a Limited Production One-time re-release of the kit as originally offered in 1973. And as such the Copyright on the chassis is 1973. The molding of the parts is clean and the detail very crisp, the quality is that of a newer kit. There is no Flash and the mold lines on the body are well designed to easily hide. The motor is nicely detailed with 11 different tubing lines run under the hood. The chassis pan is one piece with all the interior and undercarriage mounting directly to it. The chassis underside is simple and well depicted. The body is multiple parts with the main shell and the front and rear fasciae being separate. The decals are extensive and have been reproduced by Revell in their typical Top Quality decals of today’s standards. The paint scheme of this car does require you to do a tutone paint job. The overall dimensions are: Length: 6-3/8″, Width: 2-1/2″, Height: 2-1/8″.

 

 

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; complete paint and adhesive selections and applications; engine construction and detailing; test fitting; contest considerations are discussed throughout; mold seam identification; detailed suspension construction and painting; detailing the tires for realism; removing the molded trademark scripts; detailed interior construction;  engine hose length specs; motor construction; using your parts box to detail the dashboard;  frame assembly construction and detailing; adding superglue to joints for strength; masking tape considerations; using setting solutions for decals;  detailing the tires/wheels for authenticity; detailing the windows with a Sharpie marker; setting the windows in place; correcting instruction errors; decal preparation and application; are all fully examined in this 14 page, full-color Step-by-Step review in PDF format.

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Right On Replicas, LLC SnapShot Review 20140811*
1958 Corvette Roadster 1:25 Scale Revell Model Kit #85-4325 Review

Review and Photos by Alan Mann

Other sporty two-seaters have come and gone, but Corvettes have made American hearts thump for decades. Their combination of performance and elegance makes every generation timeless. The first generation Corvette was introduced late in the 1953 model year. Originally designed as a show car for the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto Show, it generated enough interest to induce GM to make a production version to sell to the public. To keep costs down, GM executive Robert F. McLean mandated off-the-shelf mechanical components, and used the chassis and suspension from the 1952 Chevy sedan. The drivetrain and passenger compartment were moved rearward to achieve a 53/47 front-to-rear weight distribution. It had a 102-inch wheelbase. The engine was the same inline six that powered all other Chevrolet models, but with a higher-compression ratio, three Carter side-draft carburetors, and a more aggressive cam. Output was 150 horsepower. Because there was currently no manual transmission available to Chevrolet rated to handle 150 HP, a two-speed Powerglide automatic was used. 0-60 mph time was 11.5 seconds. To keep tooling costs in line, the body was made out of fiberglass instead of steel.  The 1958 Vette was a distinctive part of the “solid axle generation” that sported substantial modifications. Among the most notable of these mods were hood louvers and trunk lids spears, changes only found on the 1958. Also, the 1958 Corvette received a body and interior freshening which included a longer front end with quad headlamps, bumper exiting exhaust tips, a new steering wheel, and a dashboard with all gauges mounted directly in front of the driver.

For the Modeler:This review is based on the Revell Kit #85-4325 ’58 Corvette Roadster in 1/25 scale. The kit is considered a Skill Level 3 for the advanced builder and consists of 149 parts molded in White, Chrome, Clear, Clear Red and Vinyl tires. A quick search on the internet shows multiple box arts over the years for this kit making this a re-release (Repop). A review of the parts shows a chassis Copyright date of 1997. Revell updated this kit to a ’59 and ’60 also with minor changes over the years. That being said this is still one of the better releases of this kit. It retains the opening trunk, steel wheels and popular soft top . The motor is a nicely detailed 283 V-8 and you get a carb or fuel injection option. The frame and suspension are well detailed and are built as a unit separate from the chassis pan making it easy to detail the chassis. A multi-piece interior has very crisp detail that is well defined and easy to detail. Decals are used heavily for the dash details. The body is a single piece with only minor mold lines on the back fender corners. The trunk and hood are separate units but install perfectly. Much of the major trim is in chrome and installs after assembly of the chassis to the body but some minor trim work is molded on the body and you will need Bare Metal Foil for it to look right. Beyond the interior decals there are very few decals for the body. Funny thing is that the decals include whitewall tire rings but the tires included in the kit are already Tampo-printed with whitewalls. Overall dimensions are: Length: 6-7/8″ Width: 2-13/16″ Height: 2-1/16″.

Overall: This was a great build! The parts went together perfectly and fit and finish is good. I really do not see the Skill Level 3 rating as I feel this kit is easy enough that a builder of moderate skill could assemble this and make a very nice model. With some aftermarket wires and some plumbing on the motor this engine bay would shine. The interior is easily detailed and looks good. Flocking and Bare Metal Foil on the trim would make it a contest winner. The body looks very nice when finished and the detail is crisp. I chose the GM color Glen Green for this build as you ALWAYS see Black and Red ones as well as the Silver-Blue. This is not a factory Corvette color but was available in 1958 on other models. Revell did a great job on this kit when it was originally released and it is still up to the quality of the newer kits they are releasing. If you are a ‘Vette builder this one should be on your list. It makes a beautiful addition. The overall look is right and the parts seem to recreate a stock version of the 58 Vette. It is nice to see a stock build once in a while; usually the customizers get their way… For the build I will rate this on a scale of 1 to 10 as a 9. Simple enough to make a nice build bit detailed enough to really look good. And with some aftermarket add-ons this one finds its way to the contest tables!

Right On Replicas, LLC ©2014 All rights reserved.

*All registered trademarks are the property of their respective brands.