Revell-Monogram

1/25 Dodge Viper SRT-10

Kit Number 2188

Reviewed By Hugh Gilmartin, #39490

The Dodge Viper has finally undergone its long - awaited first evolution for the original, and from the reports I have seen the reviews are good.  In the real car, the main improvements were to the ergonomics of the driver and sole passenger.  No other changes were made, which was appreciated by Viper fans that feared that the Viper was to go the way of the Corvette - and that was not what they wanted!  Instead, they got the improvements in the driving environment such as easier steering, less pedal effort requirement and removal of all the so-called luxury items associated with the Corvette - rightly or not.

The kit from Revell Monogram includes the following: 2 bags of white plastic body parts, 1 bag of clear parts, 1 bag of colored clear parts-in this case red rear light caps, 1 large bag of black parts, 1 sprue of chromed parts, 2 bags of gray parts, 1 sprue of vinyl tires, decals and an instruction sheet.

Starting the kit was a breeze; the research showed that the instructions are spot on and are accurate in all respects - a far cry from the instructions in the Cadillac Lowrider kit I previously reviewed.

The construction of the kit was simplified by the excellent instructions and to the fact that all of the engine bay and chassis are flat black only; the interior is gloss black only!  The engine block and related parts are all aluminum except for the valve covers, which are gloss red with a decal for the VIPER label to be attached later.  This does not get any easier than this.  As a result, I used OOB assembly procedures as defined in the Competition Handbook except for the clear parts.

The only decision one has to make in building this kit is what color to make the exterior shell.  You have five choices here.  Based on the data from Dodge, they are Copper Orange, Gloss Black, Gloss White, Gloss Red, or Silver Pewter - the last was my choice for this kit.

As I proceeded with assembly my next concern was to get the decals for the dials and gauges installed into the interior bathtub.  This took careful maneuvering and the use of a jig to hold the kit steady while I carefully inserted the gauge decals.  I then assembled, painted the interior gloss black and set aside to dry!

The engine went together in a similar fashion; all parts went together as directed without problems and I was able to paint the subassembly aluminum set aside to dry.

While this was going on, I assembled the chassis which only required minor sanding to fit everything together.  Since I was able to pre-paint these parts flat black, I went through the assembly in short order.

Next was the wheel assembly and here I had to be careful as the tire pattern is to be set in a specific direction.

The next step, after several days to allow the parts to dry and set, was the assembly of the subsets.  The first step was to put the engine and transmission including engine bay to chassis.  Then the interior bathtub including door pan seals, seats and dashboard to the chassis,  Followed by the wheels and brake assembly to chassis and finally the body and clear parts to main chassis assembly and here I ran into my main concern-the clear parts.

In my kit I found the clear parts were scratched some so I contacted Revell-Monogram to see about getting a replacement set.  Let me say, in the most polite manner I can under the circumstances, that the experience was not a pleasant one and hope that this was a one time event.  As a result, I decided to make the clear parts I needed out of Micro Crystal Clear and Future and continue this project.  As a result I had to make major modifications to the front headlights using foil for the first time.

Ratings:

As the kit covers a relevant subject of interest to all generations, has excellent directions, great parts without flash or other defect except for the clear parts and assembly went together perfectly, I do give the kit an 80 out of 100 points possible mostly for the disappointing clear parts - having to make my own clear parts was not what I had in mind.

Information, images, and all other items placed electronically on this site are the intellectual property of IPMS/USA ®.