Jim Stepanek
Reviews By Author
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Elvis Meyers Manx "Live a Little, Love a Little"Published:
Manx dune buggies have been around for several decades. EngineThe kit engine is all chrome and fits together very well with very little flash. I decided to use a nCovair engine from my parts box for this build mostly because I had a set of big sand paddle tires that I was itching to use. ChassisThe typical VW chassis is a wonder in simplification and the parts in the kit go together easily. InteriorThere’s not much to a dune buggy interior. The kit seats looked a trifle small to me, so I substituted a pair of bomber seats from my stock. This buggy was made to play in the sand so there is no carpeting or upholstery. I modified the kit rollbar and tied it into the front support bar from the kit. The dashboard was left out… more |
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1978 Pacer XPublished:
A cousin of mine had a Pacer X back in the late 1970s and I thought it was a pretty cool little car, so I thought I’d give the MPC kit a review. I was greatly disappointed in the kit. EngineThe kit engine is pretty well detailed and the parts fit properly as long as you can get past all the flash. I decided to go to the wild side and installed a small block Chevy engine. ChassisThe chassis in the kit I received was warped. Even soaking it in hot water wasn’t enough to bring it all the way back. All the running gear is molded as one big piece with very poor engraving. InteriorThe interior matched the chassis for being warped and poorly engraved. Keeping with the different motif, I left out the back seat and covered it with… more |
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Jeep Wrangler RubiconPublished:
Jeep must be an American icon. They’ve been around forever and keep on going. EngineWell, there isn’t an engine. All you get is an oil pan molded into the chassis. ChassisThe chassis features nice detail and crisp engraving. The exhaust pipe, front and rear differentials, and springs are separate assemblies. The kit comes with actual springs for springs – they were a very pleasant surprise. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to screw the chassis to the body, but this kit calls for it. Fit is right on and the screw heads are covered by the suspension parts. The kit also has metal axles to hold the wheel/tires to the suspension. Wheels are gorgeous bead-lock units and the no-name tires are just beautiful. I’d like to see the wheels/tires in a… more |
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1966 Chevelle Station WagonPublished:
In front of the "A" pillar, the '66 Chevelle Station Wagon is all muscle car. It was built with the same engine and drive train as one of the most potent muscle cars in history, the Chevelle. But you have to put the kids somewhere. The station wagon's designers stretched the two-door, four-seat car into a four-door, eight-seat wagon. The kit directions contain a paint guide that you can follow if you so desire, and a beautiful decal sheet should you care to use it. The decal sheet contains decals that will cover most of the side in a wood grain pattern with flames. EngineThe kit features a big block 396 ci engine that’s engraved very well. I changed out the kit chrome-plated valve covers for a resin pair of painted Moroso covers. The engine then got spark… more |
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1956 Ford VictoriaPublished:
This ’56 Ford Victoria was originally issued by AMT in the 1960’s, then re-released several times after that. Even with Round 2’s mold clean-up process, I have never encountered so much flash on a model before. Literally, every piece had excessive flash that needed to be cleaned off prior to fitting and painting. A few minor negatives, from a model builder’s viewpoint: one of the versions included in the kit is a racing version, so the molded exhaust pipes and mufflers on the undercarriage are a little out of place. The doors are designed to be opened, but the hinge system as originally engineered by AMT is nearly unworkable, so plan to make your own set of hinges for more accuracy. The dashboard does not fit properly onto the side panels. The only way I could get everything to… more |