57 Bel Air Kits

[WizPorsche944]

Guys going out of my comfort zone with this build, I want to attempt to build a 57 Chevy Bel Air. I see both Revell & AMT offer a kit. Which is recommended ? I would also love to see your builds to give me some motivation. Thanks !!!

[oldnslow]

stock , hot rod , gasser , pro street ? Some kits lend themselves to different styles .

[Force]

First you have to decide what Bel Air body style you want to build as there are several to choose from, there are Hard Top, Sedan, Convertible and Nomad available in 1:25th scale and both AMT and Revell has several kits out there.

AMT has two different '57 Chevy toolings, the old one from the 60's and the new one from the late 90's with opening trunk and separate chassis, both are HT's, the old one isn't that bad but in my opinion the newer one is better and more detailed, the newer tooling was available in two basic versions, one stock, one stock Pro Shop with some additional parts and one hopped up version with tubbed rear fenderwells and big block engine.

Revell has at least four different '57 Chevy kits in 1:25th scale, the old '57 tooling from the 60's with opening doors and trunk, these came as both HT and Nomad in several versions and it's not that great kits, but they have recently done both a Sedan and a Convertible wich are good, they also have a Snap '57 HT in 1:25th scale.
Revell did a new tooling 57 150 Utility Sedan of wich you can do the "Black Widow", it's not a Bel Air but it's a nice kit and the recent Bel Air Sedan and Convertible are based on this kit.

So if I sum this up the old kits has their place in the hobby but the new tooling kits are the best choice detail wise.

Edited May 21, 2017 by Force

[BigTallDad]

I'd strongly recommend the AMT Pro Shop (with yellow box art), kit # 8455. It's a skill-level 3, so there are lots of parts.

It has a V8 with twin 4bbl carbs, photoetch for grille, rear panels, etc. as well as ignition wiring. 

I built one as a convertible (sawed the top off) and was impressed with the detail.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/101899-57-chevy-convertible/#comment-1424997

 

 

Edited May 21, 2017 by BigTallDad

[WizPorsche944]

Want to build a stock sedan.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Want to build a stock sedan.

The only "sedan" that I can think of is the Revell 2 door sedan kit.

I believe that everything else are hardtops or convertibles.

I haven't built the Revell sedan, but judging from most of the kits that Revell has produced in recent years, it should be a good one.

As far as hard tops go, the old AMT kit was a good kit.

The newer tool AMT kit with the opening trunk is a fairly good kit as well, but it's a little more "finicky".

I had some parts fit issues when I built mine.

Especially with the engine & transmission mounts.

But it finishes pretty nicely.

I have not built one of the Revell kits yet, but the convertible that I got recently looks like a great kit.

This is my AMT build.

 

Steve

 

[WizPorsche944]

That is the one I want the hardtop version. Sorry like I said out of my comfort zone lol. 

[unclescott58]

I still like the old AMT 60's hardtop kit the best. It goes together nice, and looks good when it's done. The one from the 90's is okay. But, something doesn't look quite right with that kit. And I don't know what? I haven't looked at one in several years now. I've always been a little intimidated by the old Revell kits. I've always found Revell kits designed in the 60's to be a little trickier to build with their working features. Revell's '57 snap kit is very nice. But it's only a curbside.

Revell vs Monogram's '57 Nomad? The Monogram builds easier. But, looks way too boxy. Fat and squashed. Just not right. The old Revell Nomad, a little though to build. But, looks right when done.

I have not built Revell's '57 sedans or convertible. So I can not pass judgment on those. The sedan I have seen look good. And reports I've heard are good. The convertible I have not seen, or anything about. I don't know anybody who has built one yet.

Scott

 

[MrObsessive]

I still like the old AMT 60's hardtop kit the best. It goes together nice, and looks good when it's done. The one from the 90's is okay. But, something doesn't look quite right with that kit. And I don't know what? I haven't looked at one in several years now. I've always been a little intimidated by the old Revell kits. I've always found Revell kits designed in the 60's to be a little trickier to build with their working features. Revell's '57 snap kit is very nice. But it's only a curbside.

Revell vs Monogram's '57 Nomad? The Monogram builds easier. But, looks way too boxy. Fat and squashed. Just not right. The old Revell Nomad, a little though to build. But, looks right when done.

I have not built Revell's '57 sedans or convertible. So I can not pass judgment on those. The sedan I have seen look good. And reports I've heard are good. The convertible I have not seen, or anything about. I don't know anybody who has built one yet.

Scott

 

AMT's '60's version I built many years ago, and while it came out pretty good, one detail that I noticed compared to the 1:1 is the rear fender trim sits up too high on the body. AMT's '90's version is OK overall, but you mentioned about something being "off". I've always thought that the wheelwells for the body were a bit "big", and if I were building one now I'd have to do something to shrink them just a tad. Or, slap the fender skirts on it and call it a day! Also, it's been mentioned over the years that the car seems a bit wide in the roof area, particularly at the rear with it being just a bit wider than the front. 

I can't speak to that as I don't have a real '57 in front of me, but the roofline shape itself appears spot on to me.

Now Revell's '57 sedan aka Black Widow and Bel Air............I'm not so sure Revell got that one totally right to my eyes as far as the roofline.