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

Review Author
Jim Stepanek
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$24.95

This was really a fun kit. There’s not many parts but you do get 4 surfboards, 3 figures, 2 garbage cans (fuel tanks), and SCUBA tanks.

Engine

Bottom half of the engine is molded to the chassis.

Chassis

Front ans rear ladder bars hold the suspension. There’s really not much to it.

Interior

Seats, shifter, steering wheel and column, resemblance of a dashboard is all you get.

Body

It’s a real simple body without much detail. I decided my version would resemble a pickup truck turned into a landscaping vehicle. After priming the body with Duplicolor grey sandable primer, I shot a few coats of Dupli-Color dark cherry followed by a coat of Nason 2 part urethane clear. Only a little bit of wet sanding and polishing with Novus #2 was necessary before applying a coat of The Treatment Model Car Wax.

Review Author
William Mahoney
Paul Mahoney
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$12.95

I usually write about various aircraft-related items, but when I saw this Revell 2015 SnapTite Mustang I thought my son could pitch in and help with a review. He is almost nine, is an IPMS Junior member, and has several models under his belt. William primarily builds aircraft—like his dad—but the Mustang is one of his favorite cars. While most of his builds have been glued together and painted, he is still right in the target audience for this SnapTite kit.

Review Author
Ken Hart
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$24.99

Revell’s ‘65 Chevy Impala hardtop kit first hit the market in the late 1990s as a factory-stock-only offering. It was later released a lowrider, and its tooling was later used as the basis for a ‘65 convertible kit (which was recently reissued as part of Revell’s “California Wheels” series) and a ‘66 hardtop. It’s a good kit and always has been and it does an excellent job of capturing the character of the 1:1 vehicle.

This newest issue of the ‘65 hardtop is the latest addition to Revell’s Chip Foose Series, a kit line based on cars designed by the popular automotive artist and designer and built on the popular cable TV series “Overhaulin’.” All of the kits in the Foose Series have been created by adding new decals, box art and smatterings of newly tooled parts to existing kits, and this one is no exception.

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/6
MSRP
$375.00

Review Part 1 – Background and Kit Contents

Background

The Harley Davidson Fat Boy is the latest in Tamiya’s series of 1/6 scale motorcycle kits. This is a large, multimedia kit with plastic, metal, rubber, diecast, and photoetch parts.

From Tamiya’s website:

The Harley Davidson FLFSTB Fat Boy Lo belongs to the Softail series. It uses a 1548cc Twin Cam 96B V-Twin engine, and power is transferred via a drive belt. The Fat Boy Lo's classic form features numerous parts, which lend the bike a heavy feel, and it runs extremely low to the ground. Its fusion of classic looks and state-of-the art design has won the heart of the public around the globe. Tamiya's model replica comes in 1/6 scale! Every detail has been faithfully captured due to extensive research from Tamiya's designers and the cooperation of Harley Davidson.

Kit features:

Review Author
Ken Hart
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$24.95

PROS: All-new tooling, exciting subject matter, great engine.

CONS: Too-high ride height, inaccurate wheels.

Revell's 2013 Mustang Boss 302 kit is produced from an all-new tool - only the tires, which originated in the company's 2010 Mustang GT kit, are carried over. However, Revell clearly used the same masters it used for its other late-model Mustang glue kits to produce the tooling for this one, and, as such, this kit retains the same strengths and weaknesses as every other Revell Mustang model all the way back to the 2006 GT.

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Moebius Models
Scale
1/20
MSRP
$32.49

Background

This is the second Moebius Models kit based on the monster art of Von Franco, a self-taught American artist associated with the Lowbrow art movement and Kustom Kulture. Von Franco’s skill at drawing hot rod and monster art follows in the art style of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and Von Dutch.

The inspiration for this kit is Von Franco’s caricature monster painting Stoned Hoods & Crooks. The challenge of this kit is not in the build, but in painting the model in the cartoonish style of the box art. If you ever wanted to paint a fluorescent orange model piloted by a lime green monster driver with bloodshot eyes, then this is your kit!

Review Author
Jim Stepanek
Published on
Company
AMT
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$23.99

Round 2 Models, under the AMT brand, has re-released this 1/25 scale 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray. The kit features 1970’s Street Rod Series box art. The Retro Deluxe reissue contains a vintage 3-in-1 kit with a new, full-color decal sheet and pre-lettered drag slicks. Although the kit shows its age in the form of some excess flash, the parts do fit together pretty well.

Engine

The stock 327 engine has several options to choose from: a 4-barrel, fuel injection, three deuces, four Webers or a blown intake setup. You can also select from stock exhaust manifolds or two different sets of headers. These accessories are some really nice parts. I chose the Webers, but used the carbs from a Falcon kit and resin air filters.

Chassis

There’s nothing to the chassis other than gluing a couple of axle blocks into place.

Interior

The interior is just a tub with poor engraving. Though the dashboard is fairly crisp.

Review Author
Jim Stepanek
Published on
Company
AMT
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$23.99

Round 2 Models, under the AMT banner, has released a Jack Reacher 1970 Chevelle SS as part of their Silver Screen Machines series of kits. The ’70 Chevelle SS was “borrowed” by the title character, played by Tom Cruise, in the 2012 movie Jack Reacher, and had a blaze of glory during an exciting chase scene. This kit will allow you to build your own 1/25 scale copy of Jack Reacher’s Chevelle.

Engine

You get a 454ci engine that can be built with a single 4-barrel carburetor (LS6) or with a fuel-injected unit. I chose the fuelie option because I liked the way it looked.

Chassis

The chassis features nice detail and crisp engraving. The exhaust pipes and front suspension are molded onto the frame. The differential is separate, along with the shock absorbers. Some careful painting can bring out the exhaust pipe detail quite a bit.

Interior

The interior is just a tub with poor engraving. The dashboard is a fairly crisp though.

Review Author
Randy Robinson
Published on
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$92.00

Ferrari has a history of building limited edition supercars based on their Formula One racing technology. Think GTO, F40, F50 and the Enzo. The Ferrari La Ferrari is the latest chapter in this storied tradition. It is, essentially, a 200+ MPH, 963 horsepower, gas/electric Hybrid. With only 499 La Ferrari being built and those being offered to the upper echelon of Ferrari’s clientele, the chances of getting one are kneel to none.

Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$24.95

The “original” Mini was produced from 1959 to 2000 by the British Motor Corporation and its successors, British Leyland and the Rover Group, designed by Alec Issigonis and marketed under the Austin and Morris badges. The Mini Cooper was the “Sports” option that was developed by legendary race car maker John Cooper. The key here is that not all Minis are Coopers although most Americans know the Mini line of cars as “Mini Coopers”.