Revell

1/25 Subaru WRX STi Tuner Series (2004)

Kit Number: 85-4205

Reviewed by  Steve Jahnke, IPMS #34991

MSRP: $17.00 115 pieces molded in white, black, clear, chrome plate and vinyl Website: www.revell.com The Kit: Like some other folks here at the GTR auto modelers club, my taste in cars is varied and sometimes a bit offbeat like French cars and goofy looking Ferrari styling exercises. So when I saw the WRX coming in kit form from Revell I knew that I had to have it. Tamiya has been putting out rally versions of the Soob for a number of years including a stock '98 version, but no one else has done a recent stock version. This kit however is the older (2004) metal die cast kit redone in plastic but reflects up-to-the-minute tooling and engineering details that make it an excellent build and satisfying model. This kit went together extremely well with only one minor fit issue. The Build: Like just about every kit that includes a detailed engine, we start the build with the 19 piece blown 2.5 liter boxer engine. The build is straight forward, just follow the assembly steps and you won't get into trouble. I finished the engine with an overall initial coat of Floquil platinum mist then repainted over that basecoat with various Tamiya metallic paints to add contrast and detail. I did not add the intercooler to the engine until the final assembly of the body to the chassis. The body is molded in white and didn't need much prep, a sign of intelligent engineering. I started with my usual body primer of Plasticote lacquer platinum grey sandable primer. After a day of gassing out, I sprayed the body with Tamiya TS-50 Mica Blue rattle can paint. This produced a fairly glossy finish right out of the gate followed up with a 4000 grit sanding cloth to get a few blemishes out of the hood area. I have found Tamiya rattle can paint very delicate so use care when polishing it. I attempted to use Final Finish wax but it really tore into the paint so use caution here as well. I then used an old standby Mike's Scale Speed Shop "Slick and Smooth" model car polish with great success to polish and gloss up the paint. For the interior glass I used a fat Sharpie chisel point marker pen to paint the black borders of the windows…this is a great tool and it is easier for me to control than a fine brush full of paint. The rear tail lights were painted with Tamiya clear red, a great product. The STi wheels were painted with Floquil Bright Gold paint and then over coated with a light coat of the original Metalizer Gold paint, buffed and then sealed with Testors Wet Look Gloss clear. The chassis build is next; I painted the chassis pan the body color and the front and rear suspension members Tamiya semi gloss black. The exhaust system was painted the same color as the motor with the cat and mufflers painted steel. I did all of the chassis build except for mounting the front struts to the chassis, I assembled this part during the final assembly of the body to the chassis. I was going to foil the heat baffle in back with cigarette package foil but could not find any empties in time to do it. Now I am barraged with empty packs from the smokers at my wife's office. The interior was very straight forward build, everything was painted Tamiya NATO black which is a very dark grey, I then hand brushed aluminum pieces picked out with Tamiya flat aluminum. There are a number of decals for the instruments, STi logos and 3 point safety harnesses to add to the interior. I over sprayed the flat NATO black paint with Testors Visions semi matte acrylic finish for a realistic interior look. Final assembly; starting with assembly step 11, follow the steps in sequence, I assembled the grille insert and radiator assembly before the headlight assembly, no dice, the grille assembly traps the headlight assembly so I had to pry the radiator and fan assembly apart to continue. The completed chassis and interior slides into the body shell, this is when I attached the front struts, axles and wheels to the car. Six tiny screws attach the chassis to the body; everything is then wrapped up nice and tight. With the hood off I then attached the cold air intercooler to the engine. The build was finished by adding the wipers and other exterior bits and decals. The only part that required a little finagling and super glue was the connection between the air cleaner assembly in step 13 to the turbo inlet pipe. Overall this kit is a definite 4 tight lug nuts and one loose out of five. The loose lug nut is due to sketchy details for all of the pertinent decals (check out the internet) but on the positive side there are three sets of wheels, a roll cage and a optional zoomy rear wing. I definitely recommend this kit for its easy build and downright nice looking finished product. I liked it so much I bought a second kit that will be painted in yellow, a low volume color available for that year. I purchased this kit from a local hobby shop.

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