Testors

1/32 Dodge Viper SRT-10

Kit Number 630016

Reviewed By Joe Staudt, #39453

MSRP: $15.99 USD

The Dodge Viper is one of the hottest American-made vehicles on the market today.  In SRT-10 trim it easily performs along with the best production “super cars” from Europe.  As such, it is a prime subject for kits of all skill levels.  The subject of this review is a skill level 1 metal-body kit in 1:32 scale.  It looked like an excellent opportunity for my daughter’s first solo build, and she was quite excited to give it a shot.  Here is what she has to say about it:

“I am Madalyn.  I am 8 years old.  My Dad helped me build this kit.  I was in charge.  All the steps made sense except for step four.  I got a little confused on step four.  My Dad had to help me put the wheels on the axles.  Also tightening the screws.  I absolutely love it!!!!”

Okay, so she didn’t do it all by herself, but she was in charge of the build, with me there for support and guidance (and muscle) only.  Here are the details of the kit and the building experience.

The kit comes packaged in a see-through box.  All the parts are already removed from the trees, with decals and some paint detail already applied.  The paint on the body of my copy was excellent, with no orange peel or other blemishes.  There are no additional decals to apply.  The full-color instructions are printed on the back of the box, and will be quite clear to anyone with some modeling experience, i.e.  anyone who knows that kit instructions sometimes have to be taken with a grain of salt.  Construction is simple, consisting of attaching the wheels to the chassis, installing the windshield, dashboard, and interior tub into the body, and then attaching the chassis to the body with three screws.  A screwdriver is provided in the kit.  Most 8-year olds would be able to complete this kit with little or no help, aside from a little extra muscle needed to get the wheels onto the axles and to tighten the screws.

The resulting model is a curbside with opening doors and rolling wheels on metal axles.  The box advertises “pullback action”, but the necessary mechanism is not included in the kit, nor is it mentioned in the instructions.  The proportions of the kit look pretty good, but chassis detail is rudimentary at best.  The end product is essentially a metal-body toy car with some nice detail.  To that extent, it is a great kit for any kid old enough to build it.  My daughter certainly enjoyed the experience, and she and her 3-year-old sister will enjoy playing with it.  My thanks to Testors for providing the kit.

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