Revell

1/25 '67 Chevy Stepside

Kit Number: # 85-7210

Reviewed by  Roger Carrano, IPMS #45853

MSRP: $22.95 Website: www.revell.com The last time I put together an auto kit such as this one, I was just starting to get into modeling which was longer than I care to admit. More frequently, I have been building armor and aircraft. I decided to review this kit as a change of pace and I chose to paint it Candy Apple Red because I always wanted to paint a car that color, but never had the opportunity. This kit is a 1965 Chevy Stepside Pickup with old style classic lines that truly reflect the sign of the times. As for the construction, the instructions were fairly well laid out and easy to follow. There are two choices available for building this kit. The first is a stock showroom model and the other is a custom model with all the chrome trimmings and low profile tires with the wheels to match. The decals looked pretty cool but I chose not to use the flames because they were outlined in green trim, which wouldn't look right for the color I chose. The flames were designed for a metallic green color as depicted on the box top. I followed the assemblies in order and built the engine first, which I chose to use some custom parts and some stock parts. I also went a little further and did a little wiring in case I wanted to show the truck with the hood up. It took a lot of work to get the motor to fit together properly. Sanding and shaving were a big part of this assembly and the added parts to the block also had to be shaved in order to get them to fit straight. Once this was done the motor turned out to look pretty good. I then painted and assembled the interior, making sure that all of the panels are straight, as this will effect how well it will fit into the cab. I would suggest painting and putting in the "glass" in the cab before inserting the interior, as it will be nearly impossible to get the "glass" in without a mess. A dry fit is necessary so it can be determined where you will have to glue without glue marks showing. I had to jiggle it a little to get it right and place some spacers, made of sprue, to keep the interior assembly straight and true. After the cab and bed assembly is done, the instructions then turn to the chassis assembly. Here you have a choice for a low rider or a stock look. I never did like "Low Riders" so I stuck with the stock height. The chassis assembly went well with no problems at all. At this point the motor was attached to the chassis and the rotors and wheels were assembled and fitted to the axles as well. Decals were applied to the brake rotors at this time and with decals added they looked almost real. Not only did the instructions not show exactly to what or where the rotors are attached, but also they were a very wobbly fit as well as the wheels. The only way to make them look correct and stay in place was to glue them to the axle and hold them in place with tape until the glue dried. This extra step not done would cause the wheels to look as if a radical alignment was necessary. Though not difficult, a careful placement of the cab to the chassis is necessary so as to not knock off any engine parts. The body & bed fit well using the guide pins. The rest of the build is just careful placement of the small parts and decals, which add detail to the truck. Decals did lay down nicely but be very careful placing the decal in the bed of the truck. It's one of those simple yet frustrating details that is necessary, unless you choose to paint the bed instead. My thoughts on this kit go in two different directions. When compared to the high priced, highly detailed kits which cost anywhere from $50 and up, kits like this make it affordable for a youngster to buy with his saved up coins or maybe a newbie just getting his feet wet in the hobby and feels it's not worth buying a high priced kit to learn on. Even though there are many reasons to manufacture kits in this price range, the difficult fit of these parts make it hard for a newbie to produce something even close to what the box cover depicts. The gaps, part fit and mold seams make it frustrating for anyone wanting to build a contest style model. The most noticeable seam was where the joining of the front fairing meets both the left and right fenders on a curve, which needs to be filled, sanded, and rounded out to make it look smooth. I feel that I'm in a bind here because, in spite of all the negatives, the kit was built into a nice rendition of this pickup truck. I think all these fit problems that the builder comes across will either do one of two things. It might frustrate and intimidate the newcomer and the young ones to a point where they'll either give up or it will cause them to try harder and overcome these little problems inherent in model building. In spite of all my negativity, I do have to say that I would recommend this kit in the hopes of not discouraging anyone from building models but to use these kits as a foundation to hone their skills, so that one day they will be our future Master Modelers. With patience and a little TLC this kit was built into a beautiful copy of the real thing that anyone would be proud to show. We, at IPMS, would like to thank the Revell for allowing us to review this kit. All of Revell's products can be found on their website at www.revell.com.