Lindberg and Revell Snap Tite Police Cars - Same Model?!?!

[Drake69]

I pulled out my Lindberg unmarked Ford LTD Crown Vic Police Car as an easy build and to play with my recently printed local county police decals and noticed that the bubble top that comes with the kit is red. Since my local police uses blue lights for police, I set out to Hobbytown to see if they had any other Lindy cop kits I could swap out the lightbars for. I picked up the Lindberg Tennessee State Trooper kit and saw the Revell Snap Tite Ford LTD Crown Vic kit on the shelf. And since I've been in a "government/cop" mood lately, I bought the Revell kit as well for a quick build.

So, here I am, trying to get a decal stripe to lie down on the model and having to wait until it sets, and I decide to crack open the Revell kit. As I'm sorting through it, I noticed that the chassis detail on the bottom looks VERY CLOSE to the Lindy kit, with minor changes in the exhaust pipes. I flip over the chassis and see that the mount holes are also different (the Revell kit doesn't use screws...), but still they are almost identical. I looked at the interior tub and see that it is identical to the Lindy kit in every way, right down to the handheld radios in the center console! The dash is also identical, AND mounts to the tub in the same way as the Lindy does! Interesting!

Thirdly, I looked at the bodies of both cars and saw only a few differences there, all in the mounting of the body to the chassis. Otherwise they are completely the same. The front grill and rear lamps mount in exactly the same way in both kits, but the window glass doesn't have pins on the Revell kit as the Lindy kit does.

Now, I thought Lindberg/AMT and Revell were two completely different companies, so how can Revell get away with selling this kit? Wouldn't there be licensing issues at stake with these two?

Edited June 23, 2016 by Drake69

[louie]

The only thing I can think of is that, I have heard of one company leasing it's casting molds to another model company or they sold them to Revell but I'll go with the leasing part of it. Besides that, you got me. 

Thanks.       Jeff 

[SSNJim]

They are not the same bodies, and are quite a bit different.

The Lindberg represents a P71 (Police Interceptor) with the proper side moldings (no chrome strips), and does not have the seams that continue from the front fender to the headlights, nor does it have the separate strip in the C pillar.

The Revell is a P73/P74 (Crown Victoria/LX), and has the proper "civilian" side moldings with the chrome strips, and has the aforementioned seams and correct strip in the C pillar. Despite.the markings and light bars, it's the same car Aunt Matilda would drive. Yes, the "cop hubcaps" were available on the lower line Crown Victorias sold to the public. Overall, I think the Revell body shell is better.

[av405]

We discussed this when the Revell kit was first announced:

Somebody made a thread comparing the two models side by side. While I hear the Revell kit is not bad, the Lindberg kit is the best kit as it is much more detailed and well proportioned. 

[Drake69]

Ahhh. Thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering how this was done.

[unclescott58]

We discussed this when the Revell kit was first announced:

Somebody made a thread comparing the two models side by side. While I hear the Revell kit is not bad, the Lindberg kit is the best kit as it is much more detailed and well proportioned. 

Is there a link you can give us to the comparison? It would be interesting.

[av405]

Yes, my apologies. I initially coudln't find it. Here is Chuck Most's build of the Revell kit:

Here is where he actually compares the two:

http://chuckmost.wix.com/madhouse-miniatures#!Crown-Vic-Smackdown-Lindberg-Vs-Revell/ccly/553500460cf23d0164389507

On a related note, Lindberg just re-released yet another incarnation of the Crown Victoria. This is the 4th release and the 2nd in just the past year:

http://www.autoworldstore.com/product_p/hl130.htm

[unclescott58]

Yes, my apologies. I initially coudln't find it. Here is Chuck Most's build of the Revell kit:

Here is where he actually compares the two:

http://chuckmost.wix.com/madhouse-miniatures#!Crown-Vic-Smackdown-Lindberg-Vs-Revell/ccly/553500460cf23d0164389507

On a related note, Lindberg just re-released yet another incarnation of the Crown Victoria. This is the 4th release and the 2nd in just the past year:

http://www.autoworldstore.com/product_p/hl130.htm

Chuck Most does a series of reviews at the above web site. And the ones I looked at were all pretty good. Thanks for posting the link Alberto.

[horsepower]

Imagine that, two companies produce a a model of what is basically the same same car, and they both look almost exactly the same. A miracle isn't it?

I like the the old quote "They're EXACTLY the same, except where they're different" lol.

[The Junkman]

I, for one, wish Revell had left the 92-97 CV to Lindberg and gone with the 98-2011 body style.  The differences and shortcomings noted in a direct comparison would have been muted and we would have a police car of a 14 year production model.  I'm sure they had their reasons but for the money spent on the 1992 they could have had a more current model.

[louie]

Imagine that, two companies produce a a model of what is basically the same same car, and they both look almost exactly the same. A miracle isn't it?

I like the the old quote "They're EXACTLY the same, except where they're different" lol.

I fell for it reading the opening post here until I read Chuck's review. Stupid me, will I ever learn to do my homework first.    Jeff 

[Edsel-Dan]

Which Lindberg kit did you have with a Red Light bar??

I know with the run that had several State Agencies, After the First issue Ohio

with the Then incorrect V bar 4 Red domes and 3 clear while box art look s like it shows 2 each red & Blue

(And I was told that those Crown-Vids had Whelan Edge bars NOT the Vision/Vetor V bar

, and the Orange County Fire unit, All have the Lightbar dome AND Tail lights in clear that are Painted/tinted

91% Isopropol Alcohol will strip them FAST!!

 

Did the Orange County kit have a clear red Light bar?

Thatt is one I never had

 

Another big difference in the Lindberg & Revell kits, is the lightbar

Sadly we lost that Great V bar after the Ohio issue, but the MX700 is nivce too

The Revell kit has the Generic Edge Tyoe bar first produced in their second Impala Police kit, The Curbside snap kit

The Full Detail (Glue) Snap kit 91 Impala had a Streethawk light bar

That same Generic lightbar is in the Ford Expedition Police kit

in all pictures I have seen (Even on the Revell Box)

their tires look Wider than Lindberg's

Edited June 24, 2016 by Edsel-Dan

[Drake69]

The "Unmarked Police Car" has a red lightbar, which I thought odd. After all, shouldn't the bubbletop be clear so the builder can make a choice of color depending on what city/county/state he's trying to build?

Not my pic...

[Drake69]

The lightbar is clear in the kit,  I was able to do one R/B

Then I got an older kit. Mine was all red with clear in the middle.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Drake69

[martinfan5]

Then I got an older kit. Mine was all red with clear in the middle.

 

You replied too fast for me to correct myself , I was talking about the fire chief version.

The fire chief version that was released came with the lightbar clear, as thats where mine came from, I believe the unmarked version came out in the same time period when they did all the pre painted version, and those all have the lightbars pre painted.

this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LINDBERG-72715-1-25-CROWN-VICTORIA-ORANGE-COUNTY-FIRE-DEPT-SUPER-SNAP-ULTRA-KIT-/152138972369?hash=item236c307cd1:g:jpgAAOSwGIRXab87

Edited June 24, 2016 by martinfan5

[badcaditude]

I keep wondering why the left front wheel(s) and tire(s) on some of these Lindberg Crown Vic's stick out so far. I have an ebay junker and it doesn't have that problem. Yes, the front and rear axles need to be move forward a little, the Paint looks like it sprayed on in the dark, has mismatched side Mirrors and ACTUAL Duct Tape covering the Light bar holes in the roof. (The Duct Tape was my doing) It looks like a well used and decommissioned Emergency Vehicle. Except, it has all of the Full Wheel Covers and there's nothing that says "Interceptor" anywhere. I'll have to Print up some Decals.

Another nice set of Wheels and Tires come in the Revell Chevy Impala (Snap Tite) kit. They look similar to the ones most State and Local Police HAD on the Crown Vic's until the new Units. I haven't had a chance to ogle one of them yet.

I just bought the Revell version and really like the Oversized(?) wheels and tires. It's a more aggressive look and will look good as another Cop Car put out to... pasture. I'll have to see how they look on the Lindberg.   

I'll be looking for some Spotlights for both and Mirrors for the Revell soon enough.  That'll be fun.

Edited August 20, 2017 by badcaditude

[niteowl7710]

There wouldn't be anything that says "Interceptor" on this era of Crown Victoria. They did not start getting that official designation and badging from Ford until 1999.

[av405]

niteowl is correct. The CROWN VICTORIA decals normally included with the Lindberg kits would be correct for the 1992-1998 models. 

The Impala wheels look somewhat similar to the police steel wheels used on the 1998-2002 models, but not at all similar to the 1995-1997 models. For whatever reason, the overwhelming majority of the 1992-1997 Crown Victorias were equipped with the full wheel covers by their respective agencies. I'd say this is pretty unique among any generation of police cars. 

The Revell wheels/covers are indeed extremely oversized. The Lindberg ones, on the other hand, are extremely accurate. 

[Agent G]

We had full wheel covers on our CV's from '95-'02.

G

[Jon Cole]

Good write-up on it in Wiki.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Crown_Victoria_Police_Interceptor