Has anyone done a comparison between these 1/25 Challenger kits?

[Monty]

I just saw where someone posted a pic of what AMT is now calling the Vanishing Point Challenger and I wondered if it was just the old Yankee Challenge kit.  Am I correct in thinking it had a poorly crafted roof?

 

The other 1/25 Challenger is Revell's Street Burner version, which, IIRC, has a wire axle up front.

 

I'm curious how these two compare in these areas:

1) Body accuracy

2) Drivetrain/chassis accuracy

Does either kit have any major flaws?  If you could only buy one, which would you buy, and why?

 

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2015 by Monty

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Revell SB is a converted diecast, Mont; pure Slab City in the body shell.  If you look closely at the pics, you can make out how much tubbier the Revell kit is below the belt line.

Ideally I'd look to mosh up the better bits between both kits.  Gun to head for either-or?  AMT has its problems, but even with the funky roof, it's the one I'd go with (yes, it is the "Yankee Challenge").

Edited September 10, 2015 by Chuck Kourouklis

[Mark]

The Revell kit pictured is based on a diecast version that was issued previously.  It's closer to 1/24 scale than 1/25.  The 340 and 383/440 engine versions in that kit use the same block.  The body sides looked a bit flat to me.  I bought one thinking it was 1/25 scale, sold it when it turned out to be not a whole lot smaller than the ex-Monogram 1/24 scale kit. 

The Vanishing Point kit is based on the Lesney/AMT Yankee Challenge kit.  It still has the convertible body with separate, glue-on, vinyl textured roof.  New parts for the Vanishing Point issue include the twin-scoop hood, "argent" wheels, and front bumper.  I don't have the VP version (bought one when it was new; took it back for a refund because it had bad plating).  But I have three or four of the AMT kits (including one built shortly after it was first issued), and none of the Revell ex-diecast kit... 

[Dave Van]

Neither kit is great. I have built both....lik the Revell kit better. 

 

[SteveG]

I just saw where someone posted a pic of what AMT is now calling the Vanishing Point Challenger and I wondered if it was just the old Yankee Challenge kit.  Am I correct in thinking it had a poorly crafted roof?

 

The other 1/25 Challenger is Revell's Street Burner version, which, IIRC, has a wire axle up front.

 

I'm curious how these two compare in these areas:

1) Body accuracy

2) Drivetrain/chassis accuracy

Does either kit have any major flaws?  If you could only buy one, which would you buy, and why?

 

 

 

 

I have, if you want an accurate 70 Hardtop neither one is great.  The AMT kit is the Yankee Challenger with a new hood,  IIRC.   The Revell kit has some decent detail if you can get past the terrible body proportions.  I couldn't and traded it away after I took these photos.   Take a look ..... 

That's the Revell 70 Challenger in the center, Lindberg's 71 HT is on the left and the AMT ragtop is on the right.  Clearly the Revell body is bigger then 1/25th scale.

The Revell kit overall shape almost makes the Palmer based Lindberg 71 Challenger look good. The Revell kit is on the bottom here ...

To my knowledge there's no out of the box way to build an accurate and detailed 1/25th 70 Challenger HT from a single kit.  

-Steve

 

[CapSat 6]

I'd mostly give it to the AMT kit, with some caveats: 

- The Vanishing Point parts (new stock hood with no hole, "Hemi" parts for the engine, Rallye wheels) are, well- yuck. The hood looks a little bizarre even compared to the hole-in-hood Yankee Challenge version. You'd be better off filling the hole in the Yankee Challenge hood. Look at them side-by-side and you will see what I mean. The Hemi engine parts are WAY off, laughable and unusable (think: 440 valve covers with little bumps), but then again, Hemis are terribly common in 1/25 scale, so if you must have a Hemi, you could find a better one in almost any other Hemi kit. The Rallyes aren't too bad, but better ones can be had. I think the last VP issue also included the old Magnum 500 wheels (good ones), and the old hood with the hole in it, along with the 440 Six Pack parts, so let's hope Round 2 includes this stuff with the reissue.  

-The interior is so-so, at best. The Dash is the pretty bad, but once installed, it might not bother you. You could get a better dash from almost any other Cuda or Challenger kit.      

-You would have to graft the roof onto the body to build it. It's a separate vinyl textured roof, so if you want no vinyl roof, you'll have to knock the vinyl texture off. Also, you would have to bond and fill the leading edge of the roof to the windshield frame.  It can be done, but it will take considerable work. 

-The kit comes with a Dana axle. Not many 1:1 Challengers were equipped this way, an 8-3/4 was much more common. Not too much of a drawback, really. 

-The headlights look a little funky. Cut the mounting bosses off of the backs, and maybe drill out and foil the buckets to make them look better. 

To it's credit, I think the body proportions are much better in the AMT kit than the Revell kit. Also, the 440 Six Pack, while basic, at least looks the part. This kit is the only source I know of for Chrome-plated Rallye mirrors (which could be used on many 70's Mopars), and- if you want to build a convertible, as long as the boot is included, it's much easier to go that route than a hardtop with this kit. The chassis is fairly nice, again- looks the part. 

The Revell kit is just wrong-looking enough to my eyes, but I did build one of the VP diecasts. It looks OK on the shelf, if a little porky. The metal axle thru the block doesn't bother me as much as the shrimpy tires, and the chassis plate that doesn't seem to want to settle in under the body. The details are pretty nice with the Revell kit- the chassis, while still simple, maybe looks a bit better than the AMT kit. The interior is pretty nice. The engine, while simple, has a nice 440 4-BBL air cleaner. You have the option to build a T/A with the Revell kit, and it has everything you need, except for the engine. The 440 block is used - 4BBL for the R/T option, 440 Six Pack for the T/A, while you would need a 340 Six Pack for the T/A. 

The one thing I really like about the Revell kit is: the interior side panels show power window buttons instead of cranks. Again- there are many 70's Mopar applications for these; they could always be foil-cast from these side panels and used on an AMT '71 Charger or '74 Road Runner, for examples.    

  

 

 

[CapSat 6]

...Maybe, on second thought, if you can live with the looks of the Revell kit- considering the separate roof problem in the AMT kit, you might just want to go with the Revell kit. Just keep in mind that the Revell kit is somewhere between 1/25 and 1/24 scale, as shown in the pics above. I've owned and/or been around a few E-Bodies in my time, so when they don't look good in scale, they really irk me. 

[MGL]

I'm just finishing a Vanishing Point Challenger based off the Revell 2n1 kit. There are no screws in the Revell kit. The body is not quite right, in addition to the issues mentioned above the rear window shape as viewed from the side profile bulges outward instead of being flat. I sanded and filled as needed to bring it closer to correct but short on major reworking it will never be right. As Bill mentiones above, the chassis pan does not want to set under the body, the bottom of the interior pan is too thick and the rear sides of the chassis are too wide. I ground about 1/16 off the bottom of the interior and almost as much at points of contact with the chassis and got it right. The axle does run through the block but that could be fixed easily enoughby filling the hole and either cutting the axle and gluing it in the spindles or using sprue. The engine can be detailed to make a presentable big block but you would have to find a small block if you want to make the T/A version. The Revell kit can be made presentable if you are willing to do some fiddling but it will never be correct. If you are willing to overlook the problems with scale and the inaccuracies of the body and the axle running through the block, and if you have a 340 (if thats what you want) to put in it, you can make a reasonably nice model if not a perfect replica. It is better than the old Monagram 1/24 T/A that I built by the dozen back in the 80's.

[Carmak]

I have any original Plamer 71 Challenger and I really don't mind the way it looks. I know it is off a bit but not in a way that looks that bad to my eye. Interestingly my Palmer Challenger has a dual scoop hood.

The slab sides of the Revell Challenger on the other hand look so wrong to me.

Carmak

[Snake45]

I was just at Walmart and saw a diecast 1/24 '70 Challenger that looked pretty darn accurate to me. It was black with orange trim and I think runs around $20. Might have bought it in a different color, but I'm not enough of a Challenger bug to want to repaint the thing. But if I wanted a nice accurate 1/24 Challenger, I would sure give that thing a look--I think it might be the closest thing available in 1/24.

ETA: It's made by M2Machines. They have several versions available, both Hemis and TAs. Here's a link to page 3 of their site showing a few. There are more on page 5, and some '71s on page 4. If I ever run across that green TA at Walmart, it's mine!

http://www.m2machines.com/1-24-scale-p.3.html

Edited September 19, 2015 by Snake45

[Snake45]

Just remembered, I have a 1/24 Johnny Lightning '70 Challenger in my modest diecast collection that doesn't look bad. Not as nice as the M2 one, but it fills the Challenger slot on my shelf pretty nicely, and I didn't pay very much for it. It looks like this:

http://www.toywonders.com/productcart/pc/catalog/53758agn.jpg

[Bob Ellis]

The Palmer 1971 Challenger became a 1973. Then it later showed up as a Lindberg kit. To me, it is the only good kit Palmer ever did, though some may disagree.

I bought the 1971 at Woolworths back in the '70s. The box says 440 Six Pack, but it has a single 4bbl HEMI.

It is a starting point to do a 1972-74 Challenger.