Revell instruction sheet up for the Gran Torino

[Mr mopar]

http://manuals.hobbico.com/rmx/85-4412.pdf

[randyc]

Hmmmm might be able to build one in tribute to my Mom's basic model 72.   Not sure I'm up to the task of converting something to make it a 72.  And I don;t know that anyone ever did the basic Torino in plastic.  The race version has the "fancy" front bumper.  Cool to see the plain wheel covers too, but wouldn't it have been cool with a set of optional wire covers for even more upscale and/or parts box stuffer?  

[Jaguar man 21]

Im defanitly going to get one but I'm still waiting for a detailed 72 Torino 

[Rob Hall]

Looks like they still forgot to include a front license plate (need something to put the plate decal on). 

[Zoom Zoom]

Looks like they still forgot to include a front license plate (need something to put the plate decal on). 

Honestly it's better this way. Just cut around the decal with scissors and glue carefully to the bumper...it will look infinitely better and properly scaled vs. an overly-thick injection molded bracket, which likely would be engineered with pins mating to oversize holes in the bumper itself, and also better than having the bracket engraved to the bumper itself therefore ruining the effect of a plate-free bumper that's common in so much of the country. The Japanese are bad enough about having ginormous molded license plate holes in fascias (vs. flashed over), and Revell GmbH that put huge, out-of-scale, completely incorrect Euro plate brackets on the face of their 918 Spyders, SLS, and others, really annoying.

[Rob Hall]

Honestly it's better this way. Just cut around the decal with scissors and glue carefully to the bumper...it will look infinitely better and properly scaled vs. an overly-thick injection molded bracket, which likely would be engineered with pins mating to oversize holes in the bumper itself 

That wouldn't look good, since the decal would hang below the bumper if placed in the correct spot...would look weird having a decal stuck directly to the bumper and hanging down.  it needs a proper plate and bracket. A plate-free bumper would look weird IMO on this car, since the offside license plate was such a '70s detail, esp. in two plate states...I'll make my own plate and bracket, just seems odd Revell would include decals but no plate. 

Edited August 9, 2017 by Rob Hall

[Zoom Zoom]

Regardless, if Revell had molded a bracket it would be wildly out of scale (like all front plate holders generally are if injection molded). Your second photo shows that you barely see anything but the plate itself, I'd rather have just the thickness of the decal-on-paper plate than a 1/16" thick, chrome plated monstrosity that Revell would include for that job or having it engraved in place.

Look for some photoetch brackets & surround or scratchbuild if you want it to look as good as intended.

[martinfan5]

I am with Bob on this, and its what I do most of the time,  but I dont glue, I use double sided clear tape.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Based on the results I got with the McGriff OIds conversion, seems like applying the plate decal to thin plastic sheet stock and trimming around it might be a good compromise.

[Zoom Zoom]

I am with Bob on this, and its what I do most of the time,  but I dont glue, I use double sided clear tape.

I do that too sometimes, depending which is closer...the tape or the glue 

When I print my own plates I cover each side with glossy clear packing tape for more strength.

I rarely use kit-based plate bases since they're generally so completely out of scale. I did use the rear bracket on the Revell early Bronco, it's in a recessed area so it's thickness isn't quite so obvious, and the detailing above the plate is quite nice. I left the front one off, too thick and didn't want a tag up front.

[Rob Hall]

I see..the decal with the backing intact (or other reinforcement), not the decal by itself...makes sense. 

[Zoom Zoom]

I see..the decal with the backing intact (or other reinforcement), not the decal by itself...makes sense. 

Yep. Cut it out, don't dip in water. Or dip decal in water, apply to thin styrene sheet, let dry, trim. Either will give you scale thickness far more accurate than any separate piece that's injection molded as part of the kit. Much like some of the newer kits, especially Revell, that have entire instrument clusters on the decal sheet, you can trim the whole piece out and rather than dip in water, just glue it to the face of the cluster. 

[samdiego]

My favorite aspect of Arizona cars is that they don't have a front tag or hardware.

 

[martinfan5]

I do that too sometimes, depending which is closer...the tape or the glue 

When I print my own plates I cover each side with glossy clear packing tape for more strength.

I rarely use kit-based plate bases since they're generally so completely out of scale. I did use the rear bracket on the Revell early Bronco, it's in a recessed area so it's thickness isn't quite so obvious, and the detailing above the plate is quite nice. I left the front one off, too thick and didn't want a tag up front.

Interesting, covering them in clear tape, I print mine out on photo paper, and the strength seems to be on point so never thought about that. 

I can not tell you the last time I use any kit based plate bases.

[Rob Hall]

My favorite aspect of Arizona cars is that they don't have a front tag or hardware.

 

Yeah, my Jeep didn't have one when I bought it in Phoenix...had to get a plate bracket installed when I got my Ohio plates. 

[Don Sikora II]

Yep. Cut it out, don't dip in water. Or dip decal in water, apply to thin styrene sheet, let dry, trim. Either will give you scale thickness far more accurate than any separate piece that's injection molded as part of the kit. Much like some of the newer kits, especially Revell, that have entire instrument clusters on the decal sheet, you can trim the whole piece out and rather than dip in water, just glue it to the face of the cluster. 

When I've used a plate that's still on the paper, before installation I'll paint the backside with a thin coat of Tamiya acrylic aluminum. That way if the plate hangs off the bumper a bit you don't see the typical pink or blue decal paper. 

[THarrison351]

So, this to me is a first. It's a stock car with hubcaps and they are not chrome plated. The stock hubcaps were polished stainless steel and a brushed middle. You can't do that with paint. The black and white photos on the instructions look terrible and they don't represent well. Here's what a new hubcap looks like:

[unclescott58]

All right! Revell fixed this kit in a way that will get me to finally buy one. The wheels and carb set up, plus the red plastic, kept me away from the Starsky and Hutch version. The wheel covers they chose for the new release are not my favorites. But, at least they are factory correct. I'll be using them.

Scott

 

[randyc]

So, this to me is a first. It's a stock car with hubcaps and they are not chrome plated. The stock hubcaps were polished stainless steel and a brushed middle. You can't do that with paint. The black and white photos on the instructions look terrible and they don't represent well. Here's what a new hubcap looks like:

Oh yeah, I can make that look pretty dang good.  Some stainless steel metallizers, even brushed on, some black and some red.  Way better than kit chrome, which to me, just looks toyish.  I found on a recent build that spraying kit chrome with some clear with a drop or two of black mixed in, looks way more real. 

[martinfan5]

I gotta agree, most kit chrome does indeed look why too toyish.

[THarrison351]

OK, whatever. I see shades of grey paint and you see polished stainless or chrome.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Caps are on the chrome tree fwiw.  Tires are the Polyglas made to replace TRX tires from the '91 Baldwin-Motion '69 Camaro onward, tampo printed narrow whites on the bare sidewalls.

One possible surprise benefit?  The 351 valve covers stamped "Powered By Ford" - weren't these missing from the Mach 1 Special Edition of the '70 Mustang?  They DO specificy it's a Windsor this time for the Torino, so the covers don't appear to have the exact shape for the Mustang's Cleveland, scale fudging aside. But now we've at least got something to copy the script from...

[BobbyG]

The only reason I'll buy this kit is to use the chassis and modify the interior with my Johan 72 Torino promo and Torino NASCAR (body with open hood) kits. Never really liked the years after the 72s but this kit is the answer to detail the 72 Torino.

[unclescott58]

Two days ago I got my non-Starsky and Hutch Revell '76 Torino. And I'm very happy with the changes made to this kit. They fixed just about everything I disliked about the Starsky and Hutch version. The only way they could have made it better, would have been to give us the optional bucket seat and console interior. And the 460 V8. But, I'll accept a bench seat car with a 351. The only other thing I see that's now incorrect on this kit, is the dual exhaust without catalytic converters. I believe all factory built '76 Torinos came with single exhaust, and a converter. Revell's mistake on this one minor thing, is not enough to make me unhappy with the kit.

I'd like to see more mid-size car kits from this era. The 1977 through '79 Thunderbirds were really nothing but modified '72 through '76 Torinos. So I'm wondering how hard it would be for Revell to now tool up one of the those based off of their new '76 Torino? (In my case. Make it a '77 or '78. I hate the grille and taillights on the '79 T-bird.)

Other mid-size cars from that era I'd like to see in kit? Any "stock" (read non-NASCAR) '73 - '77 GM A-body Colonnade coupe. In particular the '73 Chevelle SS, Pontiac GTO, Buick Gran Sport, and Olds 4-4-2. Another nice one would be a '75 - '79 Córdoba ( in particlar the '79 300), Charger, or Magnum. Why the above kits were not done back in the day, I'll never know? Hopefully Revell's '76 Torino will be a success, and we'll see more like them in the future.

 

[unclescott58]

Seeing others respond to my above comments in the last 48 hours, make me question if this kit going to sell or not. Did Revell make a mistake offering this version of the kit? Is this kit only popular and/or interesting because of its relationship with the TV show Starsky and Hutch? Am I the only one out there interested in kits of cars like this, mid-size cars from the post muscle car era?