Reviews of products for scale automotive models, including motorcycles and motorized vehicles.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Monogram
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$23.95

The Kit

This review covers the 1957 Ford Del Rio Ranch Wagon 1:25 Scale Model Kit #85-4193. A 2015 release, this model is a collection of past offerings with refreshed trees and some brand new tooling. It is a skill level 3 kit for the 12-year and older builder, molded in 156 pieces of white, clear, transparent red and chrome pieces with waterslide decals and instructions. As you can tell from the piece count it comes with quite a few options. Two complete versions can be built; either the police wagon or a stock version. Both use a highly detailed rendition of the 312 c.i.d. Thunderbird V-8. This kit includes a separate frame for enhanced detailing along with custom wheels and disc brakes. The completed dimensions are Length: 8”, Width: 3”, Height: 2-3/8”

Construction and Detailing

I elected to build the police version of this wagon for its “cool” factor and because the kit pieces were so nicely done in a period accurate manner.

Review Author
Gordon Miller
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$23.95

I was excited for the opportunity to build a truly wonderful American classic. In 1963 the Corvette had a base price of just under $4400. dollars and came in right under $5,000. for the fully loaded sport coupe . This model is one of the best offerings that will be coming out this year in my humble opinion . The car comes with all the accessories to build three different 327 c.i. power plants ! It comes with two engine blocks and parts to assemble three different versions of the famed motor. One , of course is the factory stock version , one is the custom one with a blower assembly and the other option is a fuel injected motor. The kit also gives you three hoods complete with the cutouts already completed on two of them . So trying to cut one out on my own is eliminated. That is very good news for some of us , namely me . And the third hood is for the factory edition . I chose to build the stock version of the car .

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$24.95

Cleanup on aisle six. That's what I kept thinking as I peeled away layer after layer of flash and mold seams from this kit. Michelangelo once said something like every block of stone has a masterpiece inside. It’s up to the sculptor to discover it. That's the way it is with this kit. Somewhere buried beneath all that flash is a nice kit.

This is a great Revell kit that once was a classic model that every car modeler needs to build. Dates on the sprues suggest this kit was first issued in 1982, and there have been several re-releases since then. The years have not been nice though, as the flash and worn moldings continue to grow, requiring lots of cleanup.

Review Author
Gilberto Ojeda
Published on
Company
Aoshima
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$38.99

DeLorean DMC-12

The DeLorean DMC-12 (commonly referred to simply as "the DeLorean", as it was the only model ever produced by the DeLorean company) is a sports car manufactured by John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company for the American market from 1981–83. The car features gull-wing doors and an innovative fiberglass chassis and underbody structure, along with a brushed stainless steel body. The car became widely known and iconic for its appearance, modified as a time machine, in the Back to the Future film trilogy.

Kit Contents

The kit has 2 dark-gray and 1 black sprues, a body, a chassis, one clear parts tree, a chrome-finished tree for the 4 wheels, 4 soft plastic tires, and a grease tube for the wheel mechanism that transforms the Time Machine from a regular car to a flying car in the movie.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$33.99

The Kit

This review covers the Time Machine Mark IV (Back To The Future III) 1:25 Scale Polar Lights Model Kit #POL932. A 2015 release, this model is a continuation of the previous Time Machine version offerings. This skill level 2 kit is molded in color in about 60 pieces in gray, clear, chrome, updated brushed steel, metal axles with waterslide and sticker license plate graphics. While the kit is fairly easy to assemble the details are small and difficult to paint. You may also need to find some online sources to supplement the build with homemade decals to really make the model stand out. The completed dimensions are Length: 7”, Width: 3”, Height: 2-1/4” and it comes with a set of rail tracks for display.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$22.99

The Kit

This review covers the Nestle Crunch Monster Truck 1:32 Scale AMT Model Kit #911. A 2015 release, this model is a repackaging of the popular USA-1 Monster Truck model. This kit is designed to be an easy-to-assemble kit with subject matter that appeals to youngsters. It is all about letting kids get into the hobby with minimal skills and come out with a great looking “monster truck” that has “eye candy” written all over it! A skill level 1 Snap It kit it is molded in color in 21 pieces that are (blue, white and chrome) with metal axles, monster style wheels and vinyl sticker graphics. The completed dimensions are Length: 7”, Width: 4-3/4”, Height: 4”. Assembly time is under an hour.

Review Author
Jim Stepanek
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$16.49

AMT and Round 2 are known for their automotive kits and have been for a very, very long time. To add to their cars, here’s some really nice tires as part of their "Custom and Competition" line. Anybody building a muscle car from the ‘60’s needs a set of these puppies. You get 4 F60 x 15 and 4 L60 x 15 tires. There are no wheels in the accessory pack. I just put some Cragar SS wheels for the pic.

And here’s a problem/issue I found. Round 2 does not have the tires shown on their website. Several aftermarket outlets have the tires available from their websites. Regardless, these are great additions to any muscle car and are recommended.

My thanks to round 2 Models for the review sample.

Review Author
John Kaylor
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$79.95

`The key word for this article is “big”.

Kenworth trucks are the “big rigs” of my childhood. I remember being entertained by “BJ and the Bear”, getting into CB-radios, Smokey and the Bandit, and being in awe of those truckers who could rattle on in CB-lingo for ten-minutes straight, and feeling lucky if I could manage to decode any of it. “10-4 good buddy – I got ya 5 by 5! Kojak with a Kodak in a gumball machine handing out invitations to meet the mayor at the Hilltop gun range. Keep to the double-nickel. Had me some hundred mile coffee last fingerprintin’ - on the way to a pickle park – over.” Even vaguely remember a series of trading cards with “trucker lingo” on them in a pack with a very stale piece of gum back in the day.

Review Author
Gordon Miller
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$23.95

The first Corvette made it's debut in New York City's Waldorf Historia Hotel at the 1953 Motorama, a traveling showcase of the days' automotive industry's newest styles. The '53 Corvette was designed by GM legendary designer, Harley Earl. For it's debut, the Corvette was made available in only a single color, white. Also, it had only a red interior with a black folding top. I did not know this until reading up the 1953 Corvette. And much to the chagrin of hot rodding enthusiasts, it also came with a V6! There were only 300 of these produced, as they were assembled in a single plant in Flint, Michigan.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Moebius Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$59.99

The Kit

This review covers the 53’ Smooth Side Trailer 1:25 Scale Moebius Model Kit #1303. A new release, this model should be readily available at most outlets. This is a complimentary version of the original corrugated side 1:25 scale trailer model with a reefer and roll-up rear door option. Moebius designates this as a Skill Level 3 kit for modelers 12 years and older. It is molded in white styrene with soft vinyl tires, chrome wheels, waterslide decals, and an extensive instruction manual. This kit features all the details of the real thing. There is a highly accurate undercarriage featuring cross-members with angle-braced landing gear and a tandem axle configuration. The instruction booklet is top notch with a centerfold for decal placement. The completed model is a whopping 26.5” long with the reefer option. Massive but simple, this detailed kit is the perfect compliment for your 1:25 scale tractor models.