Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review * Ed Roth 57 Chevy Bel Air 1:25 Scale Revell Model Kit # Review

Transcription

1 Right On Replicas, LLC Step-by-Step Review * Ed Roth 57 Chevy Bel Air 1:25 Scale Revell Model Kit # Review Review and Photos by Alan Mann The 1957 Chevy was introduced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors in September It was available in three series models: the upscale Bel Air, the mid-range "Two-Ten", and the "One-Fifty". A two-door station wagon, the Nomad was produced as a Bel Air model. An upscale trim option called the "Delray" was available for two-ten 2-door sedans. It is a popular and sought after classic car. These vehicles are often restored to their original condition and sometimes modified. In 1957 Ed Roth painted a new '57 Chevy in a custom paint scheme to help promote his California pin striping shop. It was the perfect ride to blazon his name down the side in flaming letters. For 1957, the New Bel Air model was equipped with a fresh 283ci V-8. Additionally, Bel Air had reached the peak of refined retro elegance. Their fins and headlamps were stylish and the interior was spacious, comfortable and elegant. For the Modeler: This review is based on the Ed Roth 57 Chevy Bel Air 1:25 Scale Revell Model Kit # Revell rates this as a Skill Level 3 for a more advanced builder. The kit includes 185 parts molded in White, Clear and Chrome and Rubber tires. Copyright dates on the chassis and parts date this kit to 1973, making this a Re-Issue or REPOP. That being said it looks like this is a straight re-release of the old 3n1 kit that has been around forever but with Roth decals now. The molding is thicker on the parts not the usual thin parts seen in new kits; also there is some flash to deal with and mold lines. The motor is quite detailed and has 3 different intake options, Roth (Custom), Street or Drag. This motor lends itself to easy aftermarket details! The chassis is straight forward and clean. One note is this kit deletes the Drag tire options and you only get one set of tires. The interior is nicely detailed and a multi-part design due to the trunk and doors opening. The body is nice but all the trim is molded on to it meaning lots of Bare Metal Foil work or Silver Paint Details. Decals include a Roth Flame Job or some basic Drag decals. Overall completed dimensions are Length: 8-1/8", Width: 3", Height: 2-1/4".

2 BUILDING CAVIATS: Having organization and a proper work area is important if you want to build a model properly. But even without dedicated space a place to leave your build while you work is necessary. Being able to lay out your parts organized helps the build as you are not digging for parts in the box possibly losing or damaging them. Also you really should have a place to let painted parts cure. One of the major benefits of using automotive paint is a very fast drying time. You can get just as good results using Spray can products but they require a longer drying time. Automotive paint is FULLY cured in less than an hour and clear about 6 hours. Use a good quality airbrush to paint automotive products because Lacquer Thinner will destroy the cheaper ones quickly. ****NOTE**** Throughout the review you will find OPTIONAL IDEAS that I suggest. These are completely your choice. Not doing these steps will in no way affect the build, they are just ways to offer some personal and custom touches to your builds. OPTIONS will be noted. *** Based on the age of the molds and the numerous re-releases there are some blemishes that need attention on this kit. Most of the parts have some flash, mold lines or injector pin marks. To create a contest quality kit, or just a better built kit, you need to take the time to thoroughly prepare each part prior to paint. Removing mold lines and flash is simple but time consuming. Take the extra time to clean the parts and this kit will be a beautiful addition to your collection. Pic 1 shows the parts as they come from the box. Pic 2 shows the box art for this kit as released in the Ed Roth 57 Chevy version. Unless otherwise stated I use Testors Tube Glue (Orange Tube) for assembly of the parts. Other adhesives used in the construction are Superglue and Elmer s School Glue. Paints consist of Testors Enamel bottle paints and Rattle can spray paints. The body is finished using 1:1 automotive use paint products shot with an airbrush. **Note: Assembly paint colors may vary from instructions as I use simplified colors that most model builders should have on hand. Before beginning your build soak and wash your parts with a mild detergent like DAWN to remove any mold release agents and help with paint adhesion. PIC 3 Here is a scan of the new decal sheet included in the kit. These are the standard quality from Revell as of late. The decals float easily and lay fairly well without much help. The roof panel WILL require some work and you will need to use Micro-Set and Micro-Sol both. The carrier on the decals is very tight against the color and no additional trimming is needed. The sheet includes the full Roth Flame decals and some generic Drag decals. Tire Whitewalls and a set of accurate numbered license plates are also included. NOTE: Decide in advance what design you want to create based on your personal preferences. The instruction sheet will clearly guide you through the parts you need for each assembly based on your choices and is well marked as to which version each set of parts is for. BUT there is no set rule if you want to lower your front end as in the Roth version you cannot also use the

3 Drag version rear leaf spring blocks to lift the rear even more. This car lends itself to many alterations of design to create a very one of a kind build. PIC 4 Here are the parts to assemble the motor. I am building the Roth version so I have omitted any unused parts from the other versions. Never throw away the excess parts, set those aside for your parts bin! A note on this motor, it is very detailed and would be a great Diorama motor to have in different stages of assembly or as parts on shelves in a shop diorama. PIC 5 Motor Painting: As the block is all one color assemble that prior to paint. Attach both top block halves to the bottom block. Attach the heads to the assembly. Attach the oil pan. Attach the water pump and intake to the assembly. Paint this assembly Red; highlight the water pump in Steel and the oil filter in Orange. Assemble the transmission halves and paint that Aluminum. Paint the bell housing Steel. Paint the starter Black with a Gold solenoid. Paint the exhaust Steel. Paint the fan Black. Paint the belt Flat Black with Black pulleys and generator. Paint the distributor Tan and the oil cap Silver.

4 PIC 6 Motor Assembly: Attach the transmission to the bell housing. Attach the starter to the bell housing and then attach this assembly to the motor block. Assemble the air meter and attach it to the plenum right side and fuel meter to the left. Install the plenum on the intake. Attach the oil cap and distributor to the intake. Attach the valve covers to the heads. Attach the fan belt in place and the fan on the pulley. Install the exhaust manifolds. NOTE: Remember to scrape the chrome off of contact areas to help the glue adhere the parts. Glue will not adhere to the chrome and the parts will fall off easily. PIC 7 Here are the chassis and front suspension assembly parts for the next step. I have omitted the Drag only parts.

5 PIC 8 The Roth and Street versions are the same parts and the only difference is the attachment of the spindle lift, the Roth version has the suspension in lowered position as the Street has it in lifted. See detailed picture for the spindle assembly difference. PIC 9 PIC 10 Prior to any paint work the chassis needs attention. There are multiple copyright marks and part number marks that need to be sanded off. As well there are injection release pin marks that need removed. PIC 11 Chassis Painting: Paint the spindles Black after attaching the spindle spacer in place on each. Paint the springs Flat Black and dry brush Steel on the spring itself (See Close up photo).

6 PIC 12 Paint the upper cross member Black. Paint the tie rod Steel and the retainers Black. Paint the A- Arms Black with a Flat Black cross member. Paint the gas tank Black. The mufflers are Silver and the exhaust pipes Steel. The chassis is painted Flat Black overall with a Black frame rail. Assembly: On the upper cross member attach both spindles and springs in place. Slide the cross member in place. Attach the tie rod and retainers to the spindle. Attach the A-arms in place. Attach the gas tank. Insert the exhaust pipes into the slot on the mufflers and install those in place. PIC 13 PIC 14 These are the rear suspension parts. For the Roth version I have omitted the axle lowering blocks and the leaf spring lifts that are used in the Street and Drag versions. Assemble the axle halves, brakes and inner axle. Paint that unit Black with a Gold yolk. Paint the leaf springs Steel. Paint the shocks your favorite brand s color, most are Blue, Red or Yellow, I did Yellow. Assemble the leaf springs on to the axle and attach that to the chassis. Attach the shocks in place.

7 PIC 15 Flip the Chassis over and install the motor at this time. The next step in the instructions would have you install the tires. I switched the construction and finished the chassis assembly before the tires. PIC 16 PIC 17 Here are the final chassis parts. Paint the exhaust pipes Steel and install from the exhaust manifold into the muffler. Paint the driveshaft Gray and install in place. Paint the retainers Black and install in place.

8 PIC 18 The tires need to be prepared and decaled before finishing. Cut the tires off of the sprue and remove the flash tab. Using 220 grit sandpaper press and roll the tire tread on the sandpaper giving it a used worn look. The whitewalls are decals if you decide to use them, apply the decals on the tires as normal. PIC 19 PIC 20 The front and rear assemblies have different parts. Note the Brakes and retainer pins on the fronts. Paint the rim backs Silver. Paint the brakes Black. The center of the hubcap is painted Black on the Roth version. PIC 20 Assemble the FRONT tires by inserting the rim front into the tire whitewall side. Insert the rim back into the back of the tire. Install the retainer pin into the brake. Attach the hubcaps to the rims and glue the retainer pin into the hole on the hubcap holding the brake onto the tire. Attach that assembly to the spindles on the front suspension. Assemble the REAR tires by inserting the rim fronts and rears and attaching the hubcaps the same as the fronts. Attach the tires to the rear axle by inserting the inner axle into the hole in the hubcap.

9 PIC 21 PIC22 Here is a finished shot of the front and rear suspension assemblies with the tires installed. The chassis is now complete on the underside. PIC 23 PIC 24 Here is the overall shot of the finished chassis (upper) and a side view of the Rolling Chassis (lower). You are now ready to start the interior which is built directly on to the chassis floor pan. You should have painted that Flat Black already.

10 PIC 25 These are the interior parts. I have included the door panels although they will be used in a later step so the paint work is all the same. Paint the firewall and rear panel Flat Black. Paint the gas pedal and wiper motor Silver. Decide the interior color and paint the tire cover, seats, door panels and side panels the main interior color. Pick a contrast color to go with your interior color and paint the seat insert areas, top of rear panels and door panels with that. Highlight the tops of the side panels, door panels and the door handles and cranks in Silver. Paint the top of the tire cover Flat Black. The colors I chose for my interior are a Golden Copper main color and a Flat Black contrast color. PIC 26 Interior Assembly: Attach the tire cover in the trunk. Attach the rear panel in place, note the copyright molding on the panel goes to the interior side as it will be hidden by the seat. Install the rear seat and side panels into place. Attach the wiper motor to the firewall side and the gas pedal to the floor side and install that into the chassis. Assemble the front seat and attach that to the floor in place. The Drag version uses a floor shifter and the Street version uses the rectangular gas pedal not the foot shaped, set those parts aside for the Roth version.

11 PIC 27 The door panels are used in a later assembly but I painted them with the interior. Note the difference in the panels as they are two sided. The Roth version uses the pleated side and the Street or Drag version the smooth side. You can use either side and I painted both so I can decide later which I will use. As I am building the Roth version I will most likely do the pleated side. The body is prepared next. All further assemblies will include the finished body shell. Care must be taken when working with the finished body as to not damage the paint and decal work. Even though the car is built in multiple assemblies we will do all the preparation assembly and finish work on the whole car first. The reason behind skipping around is to ease later assembly of the finished parts without damage. Also painting and decal work needs to all match, therefore all the parts must be assembled and painted as a unit. Much like you would do a real car. PIC 28 PIC 29 The doors, trunk and hood need to have their hinges installed before paint work. Gluing the parts together unfinished gives a better bond because the Testors Cement actually melts the plastic, bonding the parts together. There are pins on the parts to line the hinges up on. PIC 30 PIC 31 There are a few blemishes on the body that need repaired. On the rear quarter panel at the corners of the back window you need to sand off the molding lines on both sides. There are a few minor sink marks in the panels where the hinges are located on the body. While almost impossible to see in the photos they may show in the final paint. The cowl area between the windshield and hood, the area between the rear window and trunk and in front of both doors on the fenders all have very minor indents. I have

12 highlighted all the areas with a marker in the photos as they blemishes do not show in a picture. If you are using the Roth decals there is a good chance the blemishes will be hidden. I have decided not to try and repair the blemishes as they are so minor I feel the paint and decals will mask them enough. PIC 32 Prepare the body for paint. After sanding off the mold lines, and if you repaired the blemishes, WET SAND the whole body and all parts with 1000 grit sandpaper. Be careful to only sand the body smooth cutting the gloss of the plastic but not sanding the details off of the parts such as molded on trim work. Using a good Primer coat all the parts in a smooth coat of Primer and let it dry. WATER SAND the Primer coat with 1000 grit sandpaper and finish the parts in the color of your choice. I am building the Roth car so I will use a Black paint. PIC 33 With the car in the paint color of your choice you are now ready to do the finish details of trim work and decals. NOTE: Thoroughly CLEAN your work area for the following steps. It is important to have no dust, dirt or crud that can get under the Bare Metal Foil or Decals. I usually water sand any blemishes in the paint with 1500 grit sandpaper to make a smooth surface for Foil and Decals. As long as you do not break through the paint when you Clear Coat it will cover the dull spots from sanding. PIC 34 PIC 35 Older cars have Chrome trim. There are different ways to highlight the trim on a model; the way most often used is paint. For a more correct look a product called Bare Metal Foil is available. This is a very thin sheet of aluminum foil with adhesive on it. When applied properly it gives the model a real chromed look. One of the best arguments for the use of Bare Metal Foil is the 57 Chevy fender trim! ***NOTE*** Bare Metal Foil Application is a little on the tricky side if not done slowly. Here is a method I use: It is VERY IMPORTANT that you use a BRAND NEW #11 blade in your hobby knife, and keep a few extras handy as all you are using is the very end of the tip point. From the foil sheet cut a strip twice the width and about ¼ inch longer than the detail you intend to cover using a sharp set of regular scissors. I then peel the foil off of the backer sheet and lightly lay it on the detail area. Using my finger I will slowly slide along the detail area smoothing the foil lightly, then a second time more firmly to press it into place. Using a Q-Tip I burnish the foil onto the detail area only. I then use a toothpick that has been tapped on the table to dull the tip and run that along the outside edge of the details I intend to cut the foil around. After the

13 detail area is defined and the foil is smooth and burnished on I slowly cut around the edge with the hobby knife. If you feel the knife snag or grab the foil CHANGE THE BLADE, it will rip your foil very easily. Now you can strip all excess foil away. You can peel the excess loose leaving just your detailed part covered. I then burnish it again with a Q-Tip. You can do foil work in sections as it is thin enough that when burnished it will mold itself into looking like one piece. Most people Bare Metal Foil AFTER clear coating the car, I prefer to clear coat over the foil so it will never move as my cars tend to get handled. PIC 36 Body Decaling and Finishing: After you have your base coat on the car you are ready to decal it. Remember decals lay better on a GLOSS surface and will not adhere properly on a FLAT surface. If you decal a flat surface you get what is called SILVERING of the decals, or the look that they are not adhered, as air is trapped under the decal. Clean your work area good so no dust or grunge from building and sanding gets under your decals. Pick the decals you want to work with and plan out how the best way to lay them out without handling previously laid decals will be. I try either a Front to Back or Top to Bottom approach doing one side at a time then the front and rear of the car in steps giving the decals time to set and dry in place before handling it again. Once you have a plan of action cut your first decal as close to the edge of the outermost color as possible. Once trimmed place the decal into warm water and let it get soft until it Floats loosely on the carrier paper. Put a little water on the spot of the car you want to transfer the decal on to and carefully float the decal off the carrier paper onto the car. Using tweezers and a Q-tip position the decal in to place where it will be located when finished. Now with a small part of paper towel carefully extract the water from the area by lightly dabbing around the decal and then on top of the decal. Using a moist paper towel and or moist Q-tip you can smooth out and air bubbles and wrinkles from the center of the decal out to the edges. Now continue this process until all the decals for that area are done, wait for them to set and continue the rest of the car.

14 PIC 37 This build requires a little Help on the decals. Microscale Industries has a product set called Micro-Set and Micro-Sol. The purpose is to soften the decals to help them conform to the contours of the body and lay smooth. To apply Micro Set, use a soft brush and apply Micro Set to the part where you are going to apply the decal. Next apply the decal as normal. Use a small pointed tip synthetic bristle brush and carefully position the decal. Blot the decal carefully with a Q-tip or paper towel so as not to move it and allow it to dry. For a tougher decal like the roof panel apply Micro-Sol with a small flat brush on to the decal. Apply with as few strokes as possible so as not to disturb the decal. As the decal dries slowly work any creases or blemishes in the decal out with a Q-tip or damp paper towel. Work slowly as not to damage the decal. A second coat of Micro-Sol can be added if needed. ***NOTE*** Let the decals cure at least overnight before applying your clear coat. PIC 38 PIC 39 Assemble and install the doors next. The window glass is glued in using Elmer s White Glue. Decide the door panel you want to show and glue that in place. I used the Pleated side for the Roth version. Paint the hinge mount Flat Black and install the doors into the body in place. Glue the hinge mount to the body leaving the hinge able to open and close freely. PIC 40 PIC 41 The fender wells are assembled and painted now. They will be installed at a later time. Paint the parts Satin Black on the top side and Flat Black in the wheel well and install the vent tubes in place. Set these aside for now.

15 PIC 42 PIC 43 Here are the parts to assemble the dash. The overall dash will be Interior Color as will the steering column and steering wheel. The pedals are Black with Silver arms. Detail paint the dash with Silver and Black knobs and use the decals for the instruments. The steering wheel horn ring is Silver as is the shift arm on the column. See the completed photo of details of how I painted my dash. PIC 44 Here are the parts for the next assembly. Using the fender wells from earlier, the dash and the glass you will now install it all into the body. PIC 45 Starting with the glass insert it in place in the frame and use Elmer s White Glue to run a bead around the glass to secure it. The Elmer s glue dries clear and will not react with the plastic and haze the glass.

16 PIC 46 PIC 47 Install the fender wells in place now. Slide the dash into place and attach it from the underside to the body. You will still be able to open and close the doors when the dash is in place properly. PIC 48 PIC 49 Install the radiator next. Paint the radiator and horns Flat Black. The battery and heater blower gets painted Black. Highlight the battery posts Steel with Red caps. Highlight the radiator cap Silver. Attach the horns to the radiator wall and install the radiator in place on the outside of the radiator supports on the body. Attach the battery in place. Attach the heater blower in place, both go on the Right fender. PIC 50 Here are the parts to finish the main body construction.

17 PIC 51 The side glass is mounted on a pin and glued in place on the interior rear panels. The hood and trunk hinges are painted Flat Black. PIC 52 Install the hood and trunk in place and glue the hinge mounts to the body so both parts are able to be opened freely. The hinge will be trapped between the body and hinge mount. PIC 53 Time to mount the chassis and body sub-assemblies into one car! Carefully slide the chassis into place in the body starting from the front to the rear. I did not glue the body into place as it is held tightly and seems to not move once assembled.

18 PIC 54 PIC 55 Here are photos of the completed engine bay less the radiator hose and the trunk. As the hood and trunk lid open nicely you can get a good view of the parts once the car is assembled. PIC 56 PIC 57 Here are the parts for the final front end assembly. This is done in 2 steps in the instructions but we will make it one assembly. Paint the grille Flat Black. Paint the radiator hose Flat Black. Use Elmer s Glue for the headlights and glue them into the housings. Install the housings into the body. Attach the hood ornaments to the hood. Apply the decal to the grille and attach the grille to the bumper. Attach the hood trim to the hood and the bumper to the body. Use the license plate decal on the plate holder and attach that to the front bumper. There is no positive attachment point for the plate. PIC 58 Here is the completed front end. The glue will dry Clear.

19 PIC 59 PIC 60 Here are the final parts for the rear assembly. Paint the upper lights and lower lights Stop Light Red on the bumper ends. Attach the bumper to the body and frame. Attach the fins to the fenders. Attach the rear moldings in place on the fenders. Use the plate decal on the plate holder and attach that in place on the trunk lid. PIC 61 Depending on your construction choices you will have a good amount of unused parts. Here is a shot of what I had left over in my build.

20 999 Overall Impressions: This kit is a CLASSIC. If you have ever built a 57 Chevy you probably have done this one. I like the kit and have always thought it went together fairly easy for the fact the doors, trunk and hood are all hinged. The fit and finish for those areas has always been ok. But on a sour note this kit is starting to show its age. Flash is getting bad as well as loss of details overall. The motor builds into a nice looking completed assembly. But as noted earlier the details lend it more for a diorama than in the car. The chassis looks good finished and overall is a straightforward build. The interior fits nicely and looks good. Again the molds are getting old and details on the dash are getting muddy but it can still be made to look good. The body is one spot the molds are aging, the trim work is not crisp and it is uneven. You can still work with it but it is not as nice as it should be. The decals were fairly easy but you must use a setting solution on the roof if you want it to lay proper. The finished build looks pretty good overall. While not the caliber of kit put out today it still can be a contest car. But it needs work. I am torn on rating this build because I do like the kit but it is showing its age. I will rate on a scale of 1 to 10 this kit is still a 7. It builds nicely and assembly is not too difficult even with the opening doors and trunk. For a kit designed at least 40 years ago it still holds its own.