611 replies to this topic

[Brett Barrow]

I've got one in my grubby little paws right now...

 

 

And it's mine, all mine!!!  Got to get back to work, but I'll try to snag a few quick pics when I can today.  Even while working in the model business, sitting in your office playing with models is still sorta frowned upon...    

[Blown03SVT]

Wow... it does EXIST!

[gluebomb]

Picked up mine, the willys hot rod and the challenger I

[Brett Barrow]

The good, the bad, and the ugly - 

 

Part 1 - The Good:

 

Fresh tooling - it's clear this is a brand new mold.  Everything is sharp and clean.  

Gorgeous wheel and tire combo - we'll be seeing these on a lot of models over the next few years.  

Great decals - all the black interior panels and those weird padded circle cut outs are on the decal sheet, along with gauge faces and "Rat Roaster" embroidered floor mats.  Looks like you'll be able to paint the interior panels body color and do the black upholstery without complex masking.     

The "trim" on the 1:1 car is not molded onto the body shell - it's on the decal sheet. (I don't like it on the 1:1, so that's a plus in my book!) 

SBC w/ Tremec TKO transmission.  We'll be seeing a lot of this puppy, too.  

Weiand 250 series supercharger - While we're still waiting for a decent 4-71, I applaud Mr. David for using something other than the ubiquitous 6-71.  

The tall velocity stacks and front cycle fenders are offered as options in the kit.  

Stock-appearing firewall - IMO this is the star part of this kit.  No doubt we'll be seeing a lot of these used on other deuces.  

Stock-appearing grille and shell - I'm not a deuce expert, but I think this part is how Henry made 'em.

Bobbed rear fenders - just plain cool.

The over-the-frame headers - personally I think they'd look better on a T bucket, but they're what the 1:1 has. I would have prefered lakes-style headers (aka "limefire-style") on the 1:1 

Chopped windshield - 'nuff said.

The Buick port holes - I don't care for them, but I'm sure a lot of guys will be using them on other projects.   

Appears at first glance that this kit will be 100% compatible with current Revell deuces - which leads me to...

 

Part 2 - The Bad.

 

There's a lot of familiar looking parts in here.  Mainly the tube-style front axle.  I was told there would be an I-beam front axle.  Apparently there must have been some confusion somewhere up the line as to what an I-beam dropped axle actually looks like.  To me, and I'm sure most fans of the car, the dropped I-beam axle is as much a part of the car's heart and soul as the blower, or the interior, or the headers, and it would have been a very visible part of the finished model, and would have added to the list of parts that already make this a great source for donor parts for other projects. 

 

The rear suspension and frame are pretty much the same as before, right down to the air bags.  As I said, it's a new mold, but this part is more like an old friend that went to the plastic surgeon to get a facelift than being a totally new design.  I can excuse them for this, as It's not nearly as visible when the finished model is on 4 wheels.

 

No hood sides - I don't care for them on the 1:1 with those headers, so not really a big deal to me.

 

Part 3 - The Ugly.  

 

That interior.  Don't get me wrong, Revell did a great job capturing the look of the 1:1, but I don't like it on the 1:1!!! The seats are kinda cool, though.    

 

Overall, I'd give this kit an A-. An accurate I-beam front axle would have bumped it to an A, and an accurate rear setup would have gotten it to an A+.  I'm sure there will be plenty of nit-picking and gnashing of teeth over some of the concessions and omissions, but kudos to Revell for freshing up the old girl.  Now they have a fresh tool to help further the life of this now classic series.  Hopefully one day soon we'll get closer to something a little more 50's and 60's period-correct.  I've got a feeling we will...        

[Casey]

 I've got a feeling we will...        

 

Oh no you d'in't! 

 

The kit sounds like what we were expecting (cue the Dennis Green presser   ), and despite the fact that the 1:1 has so many unique/personal elements, I think the parts donation possibilities alone will make this a must have for many people.

 

Are the front and rear tires hollow?

[Bernard Kron]

Thanx Brett!

 

I'm not surprised by your report. Unfortunately it means that this continues the Mk. I versions of the Deuces beginning with the Dan Fink car, rather than initiating a Mk. II series with significant basic changes. The front wheels are good news, the new motor a continuation of the alternate motor strategy (the lack of a second motor, the all too familiar Ford small block won't be missed by me, at least). The firewall is a welcome feature, as are the front fenders and the bobbed rears (I assume they are separate) and the chopped windshield is a labor saver for those of us who have chopped their own and introduces a changed look for those who haven't. A second source for correct length chromed hairpins is also a good thing. And of course, the roadster is back in production! I think this will be a popular kit but, from the perspective of a "new beginning", it is a real let down in my book.

 

As far as the general market is concerned I think this leaves the door wide open for a proper old school Deuce from a competitor. The Stacey David car is in questionable taste, IMHO, and will age poorly. The Rodder’s Journal style traditional rod, with a buggy spring rear end, I-Beam front end, proper tuck 'n' roll interior, up top, and fully louvered hood set has tremendous appeal in today's marketplace. In the era of premium superbly detailed new kits from the likes of Moebius, I'm certain that, even at a Japanese kit price point, such a kit would be enormously successful, the shortfall of the Stacey David car only emphasizing the point. However, I'd be very surprised if such an offering ever appeared. I guess I'll be continuing to buy plenty of Revell '29 Ford RPU's in the future...

Edited by Bernard Kron, 22 January 2013 - 10:03 AM.

[Draggon]

Just ordered mine! Maybe one of the traditional guys will master some tweaks for Replicas and Miniatures to make this really old school. An interior bucket, new suspension, headers.....just remember all the parts they did for the Revell 5-window coupe. I cant wait to get my hands on the wheels and tires. I just might have to learn resin casting!

[Brett Barrow]

 

The kit sounds like what we were expecting (cue the Dennis Green presser 

 

Are the front and rear tires hollow?

THEY ARE WHAT WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!!!

 

The tires are hollow, but not real thin.  Think of the new AMT pie-crust slicks.  

[johnbuzzed]

Holy cow- this kit certainly is getting a lot of attention.  With all of the other Revell Deuce kits available that allow for multiple building options, I gotta ask: why?  Is it because of the individual parts like the wheels and tires or what?  I would like to see Revell offer all those individual parts as options in their other Deuce kits.  I think of this kit as the current AMT '62 Pontiac, you know, "You gotta get this kit- it's the greatest thing since (fill in the blank)".  Uh-huh.  The only reason I have one of those is because it came in a value pack with two or three other models at Toys R Us.  If I do buy a Rat Roaster, it will be just for parts.  Green metalflake hot rods with Buick portholes make me cringe.  I would rather have seen the R&D $$$ go to a replica of the McMullen Roadster.  Of course, that's just my opinion and we all have our opinions...

[Blown03SVT]

...Roth had questionable taste too, those kits still seem to sell pretty well. I think the kit will age fine. Glad to have more new choices.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Hmm.  If they'da just done the correct suspension, presto, more reasons to snap it up and bash it with other Revell deuces.

 

Oh well. Guess I'll have to express my disappointment by getting two or three.

Edited by Chuck Kourouklis, 22 January 2013 - 12:38 PM.

[zenrat]

...Roth had questionable taste too, those kits still seem to sell pretty well. I think the kit will age fine. Glad to have more new choices.

 

Go wash your mouth out Eric.

There is no question about Roth's taste.  It was unquestionably off the wall - and all the better for it.

 

And John, I like your thinking.  A Revell Deuce "Master kit" containing all the parts from all the kits would be a doozy and we will never ever see it as they will always want you to buy 2 or 3 kits to get all the parts you want.

[southpier]

.....The Rodder’s Journal style traditional rod, with a buggy spring rear end, I-Beam front end, proper tuck 'n' roll interior, up top, and fully louvered hood set has tremendous appeal....

 

dear Diety of the Bent Crank Rod & Spun Main Bearing, please make them listen!

 

 

truly Hot Rodders'  purgatory

 

....  Green metalflake hot rods with Buick portholes make me cringe. ....

 

[dodgefever]

*Still* no I beam?  Argh!  I was all set to get a couple of these, but if it's another rehash of the tube axle & air bag setup, I'll pass. 

[tim boyd]

Brett...thanks for the comprehensive review and everyone else, thanks for weighing in with your points of view.  

 

As for me....the thought of an SBC in a FORD hot rod makes me noxious.   I can understand (sort of) why you'd do this in a historically correct recreation of a Deuce icon like the McMullen Roadster - or any Deuce built from the mid 1950's - late 1960's.  But once the small block Ford became available at affordable used prices, there really was and still is little justifiable explanation for defacing a Ford product with a Chevy engine.  Just as putting a Ford engine in a '69 Camaro wouldn't make sense either.  

 

I guess I had a silent hopeful thought that in doing this kit, Revell would have chosen not to put in the SBC parts and instead would have done a 5.0L Ford with the Rat Roaster induction system (or an FE Ford, or a 385 series SuperCobraJet, or 351 Cleveland, or..well, I think you get my point here).  Now any of THOSE would have been yet another reason to buy multiple copies of this kit.  A generic as heck SBC?  Not on your life.     

 

OK, rant over.  Realize I'm in the minority here, but that's how I feel! 

 

It will be interesting to buy and build a new '32 Ford Hot Rod kit, but it will have to go a wide and long way to top the first build I did of the circa 1996 Revell Deuce 3 Window! 

 

TIM     

 

PS - I too sense that a more traditional hot rod chassis might eventually be in the offing, but maybe not exactly in the form we'd expect, and certainly not in the near term future.  I have NOT heard this from anyone inside Revell, Round 2/AMT, or the other manufacturers, but I have heard tidbits from outside sources.   Time will tell....TB    

Edited by tim boyd, 22 January 2013 - 02:22 PM.

[Ace-Garageguy]

 

As for me....the thought of an SBC in a FORD hot rod makes me noxious.   I can understand (sort of) why you'd do this in a historically correct recreation of a Deuce icon like the McMullen Roadster - or any Deuce built from the mid 1950's - late 1960's.  But once the small block Ford became available at affordable used prices, there really was and still is little justifiable explanation for defacing a Ford product with a Chevy engine.  Just as putting a Ford engine in a '69 Camaro wouldn't make sense either.  

 

I'm not a Chevy guy, but the reason the smallblock Chev is in EVERYTHING is because, in 1955, when real hot-rodding was defining itself, it was THE state of the art in overhead-valve, American V8 engines from a power-to-weight-ratio standpoint, and from an availability standpoint. Huge numbers of Chevy V8 engines in production made early junkyard-sourcing possible for low-bucks, and the low engine weight, high revving capability and small overall size made it the perfect package for any hot-rodder interested primarliy in performance. Please remember that going fast, cheaply, was the name of the game in those days. When the Chevy 265 was introduced in '55, there was NO WAY to go as fast with a Ford in a Ford. The idea caught on, and stuck.

 

Because of its rapid proliferation into the hod-rod, fast-car scene, the aftermarket climbed on the smallblock Chev bandwagon, and made many more go-fast goodies for it than for anything else in history...a situation that contines to this day, and has kept performance parts for the little Chevy cheaper than for most other engine makes. Price is an important factor in many people's hot-rod building equations. Though the little Ford is also a fine engine, in some ways superior to the Chevy, it still lags far behind in terms of how much stuff you can get for it, and how much that stuff costs.

 

Frankly, I used to be put off by all the cookie-cutter, smallblock Chevy powered everythings, but over the past few years, since I've become totally immersed in building period-correct 1:1s, and researching the history of the sport / hobby, I've come to understand how the mouse motor came to be as much an icon of hot-rodding as the flathead Ford engine, and the '32 Ford itself. It's simply a very VERY good engine.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy, 22 January 2013 - 03:24 PM.

[Draggon]

Now I'm imagining a proper 100% correct McMulllen roadster......

 

[CEKPETHO BCE]

I also do not like the idea of a Chevy engine inside a Ford, but  it's still a lot better than the 302 from the other kits. Maybe I just don't like Ford engines besides the flathead, 429 Boss, and the 427 SOHC in any cars other than what they were born in.

 

As for the front axle, I am very disappointed. Maybe they will correct this in the future releases along with the traditional frame. Still getting 2 or 3 of these kits, hopefully.

[Casey]

Now I'm imagining a proper 100% correct McMulllen roadster......

 

 

Already (mostly) available in 1/8 scale. 

 

 

Are the Rat Roaster's portholes molded as one with the hood, or are they separate pieces? Are two hoods included or just one?

[Blown03SVT]

 

Go wash your mouth out Eric.

There is no question about Roth's taste.  It was unquestionably off the wall - and all the better for it.

 

And John, I like your thinking.  A Revell Deuce "Master kit" containing all the parts from all the kits would be a doozy and we will never ever see it as they will always want you to buy 2 or 3 kits to get all the parts you want.

The point was they were strange. Questionable to some. I have all the Roth kits in my stash. To me they are a piece of polystyrene history. The epitome of wild 60's show cars. They have aged well... as I believe this kit will as well. As for the dropped I-beam. Some resin caster will rise up and make it right.