Chip Foose has added his touch to this new release of the 2015 Stingray with a definite nod to the iconic styling of the 1978 Indy 500 Pace Car. This is another “transition” kit from Revell meant to give the novice some experience with glue joints and decals but it will still look great on the shelf. That gives them an all important ego boost and they can still say “I made that!” with pride and move on to more detailed kits.

Construction and Detailing

This review covers the skill level 3 (10 years and older) Foose Design 2015 Corvette Stingray 1:25 Scale Revell Model Kit #85-4397. About the only reason this is a skill level 3 kit is because it requires glue and decals for assembly in the pre-decorated series of kits. That this kit was spawned from a SnapTite model is evident. Even though glue is required the positive placement points with posts and receivers make assembly easy. Additionally, there is some paint recommended for this model to finish off details like engine parts, etc. That explains the three hour assembly rating on the package but if you spend an extra hour – you can really make this kit look great! The kit is precisely molded in, black, and chrome plated parts with clear windows (with pre-painted surrounds), vinyl tires and transparent red taillights. There’s virtually no flash and the pre-finished exterior is excellent. It assembles easily following the instructions. Finished dimensions are: Length: 6-15/16", Width: 3-5/16", Height: 1-7/8".

I consider this the perfect transition kit when trying to move a novice builder into glue kits. With a low piece count of 57 and beautifully finished – this kit will really be a source of pride for the new modeler. It will teach someone the concept of following directions and allows for some minor paint details to be added as well.

As far as that added hour goes; I added some additional detailing that gives the model a little more presence and realism without going overboard. I added some metallic colors to pick out the drivetrain and exhaust, painted the engine details, added some flocking to the carpet, printed out some gauge images for the dash and a couple floor mats. I removed the copyright script from the bottom of the front pan. Finally, I added a some window tint to the glass. Just doing a few small things like that makes the kit looks much better as a finished model. Obviously, more could be done, like some wiring and plumbing to make a nice advanced display of it.

There were a few things that I think would have made this a better kit though. A few decals for the dash gauges would be nice. One area that will take some care is the body-to-chassis fit. You’ll have to spread the body sides apart and wriggle the rear end into the back end, then drop the front of the body down to get it mated to the chassis.

Overall

The part fit on this kit is excellent. It’s also the first kitted version out for the 2015 Stingray. This is a great first kit for the novice builder moving into the realm of glue kits. You won’t find a car kit that has this intent more clearly engineered than this one. Even a novice should be able to build this kit in a weekend so they won’t lose interest before it’s finished. Although it’s a simple kit, it has great detail and room for optional work by the advanced builder. For accomplishing its mission in that regard, I give this kit 10 out of 10 stars! I’d like to thank Revell for providing the model and IPMS for allowing me to review it!