'72 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

Published on
December 1, 2010
Review Author(s)
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$22.95
Product / Stock #
85-4275
Company: Revell, Inc. - Website: Visit Site
Provided by: Revell, Inc. - Website: Visit Site
Box Art

My latest kit for review is the new Revell’s '72 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Upon opening the box, the first thing I noticed was the very clean molds. The mold seams on the body were scarce and very easy to clean up. Moving on, the kit gives a few different options to build the car. First off is the choice of an automatic or manual transmission (I'll be building the manual version) which also includes an extra set of floor pedals, different center consoles and shifter options.

Also optional with the kit is the choice of a top up or down convertible, and lastly a set of stock wheels (I'll be using) and an optional set of 5 spoke mag wheels for a modern custom look. One other very nice feature with the body is the separate windshield frame. It makes painting the body etc. much less cumbersome and prone to breaking the frame throughout handling. Included also is a pair of machined aluminum exhaust tips and the decal sheet offers white and black side stripes, white rally hood/trunk stripes, 3 license plate pairs (2 regular and 1 vanity), white wall stripes, disc brakes (for custom wheel option) body scripts, interior/dash, misc. contingency/club markers, and engine compartment detail markers.

Moving on to the engine assembly, Revell took the time to make the transmission and engine block pieces separate which will be great for the customizers out there. It was also refreshing to see Revell make the oil pan a separate piece, and eliminating the annoying seam down the middle of the pan as with many other castings. The transmission still has a seam running down the center, but it is easily cleaned up. The completed engine has plenty of detail, and is a great base for detailing.

The interior is made up of several pieces, with separate side door panels, dash, steering wheel and column, center console, bucket seats and the main inner engine bay, pan, and rear seat making up the main portion of the assembly. Decals are included for the dash, door panels, and center console to replicate the wood grain detail. One flaw I found is with the passenger side door panel decal. It is notched out for a window control that is not molded in to the door. There are extra wood grain panels for the automatic parts, so one could easily patch over it.

Also, if you plan to use the decals, you will have to remove the raised detail of the radio and air conditioning control to make them lie down. The completed interior assembly is very well detailed, and taking the time to bare metal foil the necessary parts will definitely make it pop and show the molded in details. One note regarding the bucket seat assemblies - they appear to not line up, but research of the car shows that a separate back with chrome trim snuggles the back of the actual seat, so do not sand this smooth. The last component to complete the upper interior assembly is the fire wall comprised of the main fire wall, brake cylinder, and wiper motor.

The chassis assembly is a bit more simplified. Here, again, there are optional components for the custom or stock version. The exhaust went in to place without issue. Going the stock route, the front steering rack, springs, drive train, and rear axle make up the components. Installing the completed engine revealed one minor fit issue. The header assembly on the passenger side runs in to the chassis and the engine will not seat correctly. A slight modification to notch out the chassis cures the issue. Also take note to place the cross brace for the automatic or manual transmission on assembly of the chassis. There are two spots for it depending on the build.

After installing the completed engine assembly and getting it seated, another fit issue arises and the exhaust headers do not line up correctly with the exhaust on the passenger side. Mounting the tires has been re-engineered as well. Revell includes four metal pins that mount inside the backing plate of the tire and insert in to the front and rear mounting points. I had to slightly open the connecting points to get them to fit, but once seated in to place, the car sat on all fours cleanly.

Revell has made the windshield assembly a separate piece that slides in to place from the underside of the fire wall area. Sliding the part up the two mounting posts, it appears that the fit isn't right, however a bit of muscle allows the window frame to snap securely in place and line up beautifully. The visor and rear view mirror assembly also attaches to the frame and matches up beautifully. It was now time to connect the body to the chassis assembly. A bit of finessing is required to stretch the body around the wheel wells front and back. Moving front to back and taking care to line things up, the body and chassis fit perfectly together and the interior sits flush with the body for a great convertible look. After seeing both come together, the potential for detailing the engine bay really shows.

Next up was mounting the headlight and grille assembly which matches up perfectly to the front, top, and underside chassis. Putting the hood on then shows how well engineered it all is. A perfect match and the car is looking great. It's also at this same step you have the option of building it with the top up or top down convertible option. I opted for the top down look. The final details include installing the rear bumper, separate door handles, and rear view mirrors and they really finish the car off nicely.

I would like to thank Revelland IPMS/USA for this review sample. On a whole, Revell really put together a nice package for the modeling community. I will definitely be purchasing one or two more to build for myself. The potential for detail in this kit is outstanding for an experienced builder, and it builds up well enough for a beginner to really have an enjoyable build. Bravo Revell!

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