1/25 Revell '63 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe SnapTite

[Casey]

Contents of the 1/25 Revell '63 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe, kit #85-1955, can be viewed here: http://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/1006/revell-1955-corvette-sting-snaptite

This particular issue was released in 2008...:

 

...but there was an earlier (and I believe, the first) "Wheels of Fire" issue from 2002, which had a red molded body and stock six-spoke full wheel covers:

 

The currently/recently available version is again much like the "Wheels of Fire" version, with a red molded body an the stock wheel covers. A review of this version can be viewed here: http://www.internetmodeler.com/scalemodels/flautomotive/Revell-1-25-Snap-Tite-63-Corvette-Sting-Ray-Coupe.php

 

Despite the curbside nature of this kit, with a little work and some wheel swapping between the other Revell SnapTitie kits, a gorgeous finished model results, as can be seen here:

 

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by Casey

[Mr mopar]

To bad there sticker not waterslide decals !

[Snake45]

Is it molded in red or orange? 

There's also another issue of this kit with large wheels and molded in metallic red. 

[Flatout]

8 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Is it molded in red or orange? 

There's also another issue of this kit with large wheels and molded in metallic red. 

Built this with latest reissue and it was molded in red.  I used the wheels and tires from the snap corvette roadster.

[Snake45]

Here's the two I've built, both polished plastic. The solid red one is completely OOB. The metallic/pearly red one has wheels from Revell's snapper '57 Chevy. 

 

[Mike999]

That's a great-looking Vette!  Especially the emblems.

My usual reminder when the Revell '63 Vette Snappers come up:  they're a rare combination of equipment, which I appreciate.  They have air conditioning vents in the dash and the shifter for a Powerglide automatic (no T-shaped reverse lockout). 

Off and on, I'm fooling with building an AMT '63 Vette roadster equipped that way, and have parts from a Snap-Kit to do it.  I also plan to build it with the base 327 engine, and the hardtop only, permanently fixed in place.  You could order the Vette with either a hard or soft top.  If you wanted both, the second top cost extra.  One glitch so far:  the hood in my AMT kit was short-shot and left huge gaps between the hood and fenders.  I'll steal one from a '63 AMT coupe, it fits perfectly.  I might steal the A/C system from a '68 El Camino. I don't think they changed much from '63 to '68.

Edited January 28, 2019 by Mike999
omit

[mikemodeler]

Those are great kits, I have several of the convertibles and hardtops to build. Great way to spend a Saturday detailing and painting them, they make for a great shelf model when done.

[Don Sikora II]

Early on there was a ProFinish version of the ‘63 coupe too. That one was black with flames. 

[Classicgas]

I wonder if the 67 chassis would work under this.

[Snake45]

4 minutes ago, Classicgas said:

I wonder if the 67 chassis would work under this.

Dunno why it wouldn't, but the Revell '67 Vettes come with big blocks, which of course the '63 didn't have, and one of them has only side exhausts, likewise. And then you'd probably want to cut the hood out of the snapper body to show off your work. But yeah, it's all theoretically possible. 

[Classicgas]

Easy enough to source a small block and exhaust. If you are not building factory stock, the bb is fine, I gotta think someone did it in 1/1. The 63 is badly needed in full detail.

Edited January 28, 2019 by Classicgas

[Casey]

10 hours ago, Don Sikora II said:

Early on there was a ProFinish version of the ‘63 coupe too. That one was black with flames. 

16 hours ago, Flatout said:

Built this with latest reissue and it was molded in red.  I used the wheels and tires from the snap corvette roadster.

Beautiful. 

[Mr. Metallic]

4 hours ago, Classicgas said:

I wonder if the 67 chassis would work under this.

My understanding is that it does fit, with minor rework of the interior tub for clearance. I have the same thought for a future project.(item #1723 in the future project list )

[Mike999]

9 hours ago, Classicgas said:

I wonder if the 67 chassis would work under this.

I just did a quick check, with the Snapper roadster body/interior against the full-detail Revell '67 Vette roadster chassis.  Looks pretty close, but you'd have to grind out some material from the back of the Snapper interior.  And maybe the top of the chassis. The interior tub should sit flat on the chassis but won't without some modifying. And depending on how detailed you want to get, the 427 cars used a different front cross-member than the small blocks.

I also checked the Revell Snapper against the chassis of the MPC '67 Vette "Night Stalker."  That fit a lot better than the Revell chassis.  It was nearly a drop-fit, and looked like the axle locations would center in the wheel wells of the Snapper body.  The MPC kit is pretty easy to find and reasonably priced on Big Auction Site.  That chassis will also fit under the '63-67 AMT Vette kits.

Be warned that cutting out the hood on a Revell Snapper is a little tricky because the plastic is very thick.  I did it not long ago, sort of successfully. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Mike999
omit

[mikemodeler]

12 hours ago, Classicgas said:

Easy enough to source a small block and exhaust. If you are not building factory stock, the bb is fine, I gotta think someone did it in 1/1. The 63 is badly needed in full detail.

Lee,

An old co-worker of mine who has built some pretty cool cars over the years built this 63 Corvette split window with a big block. 

/home/michael/Downloads/10603431_880562868639890_5874987499704933316_n.jpg

 

 

[unclescott58]

I love the Revell snap-kit '63 Corvettes. I have several in my collection. Being curbside kits doesn't bother me one bit. And as noted in the past, one of the things I like about them, is they represent Powerglide cars with air conditioning. A fuelie with a four-speed is what I would really want in real life. But, a Powerglide '63 Vette with air, would be nice too. So, in model form, I have AMT's '63 Corvettes for taking care of my performance, fuelie, four-speed, with aluminum wheels fantasy. And the Revell kits with stock wheel covers, Powerglide, and air, for my relaxed cruising/touring fantasies. Other the real car, what more can one ask for? 

[Dave Darby]

17 hours ago, mikemodeler said:

Lee,

An old co-worker of mine who has built some pretty cool cars over the years built this 63 Corvette split window with a big block. 

/home/michael/Downloads/10603431_880562868639890_5874987499704933316_n.jpg

 

 

 

I like the 66 big block hood on there. One sharp Vette.

[mikemodeler]

It has a big block under the hood, so it's pretty fitting to have the hood Dave. I built a replica of it with the snap fast kit and big block hood and used the flames stickers too. 

[Zoom Zoom]

I love the Revell snap '63's; I've built two and intend to build the roadster as well. VRM makes a sheet of Corvette racing decals that I used on the Bondurant car, there are sets of decals for 4 different early 60's Corvettes with lots of extra emblem decals that are really nice; chrome base, layer color and lettering over them.

[unclescott58]

2 hours ago, Zoom Zoom said:

I love the Revell snap '63's; I've built two and intend to build the roadster as well. VRM makes a sheet of Corvette racing decals that I used on the Bondurant car, there are sets of decals for 4 different early 60's Corvettes with lots of extra emblem decals that are really nice; chrome base, layer color and lettering over them.

Wow! Two stunning looking Vette models. Beautiful. 

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, mikemodeler said:

It has a big block under the hood, so it's pretty fitting to have the hood 

I think the hood is pretty much required when a BB is under the hood. Pretty much why that hood exists.  (Same is true for the SS or CI hoods on '67-'69 Camaros.) 

[Dave Darby]

4 hours ago, mikemodeler said:

It has a big block under the hood, so it's pretty fitting to have the hood Dave. I built a replica of it with the snap fast kit and big block hood and used the flames stickers too. 

I wasn't questioning it. I said I like it. Sometimes more than the more common 67 hood. I wish the 65-66 hood was easier to find in 1/25th scale.

[Tommy124]

On 28.1.2019 at 12:49 AM, Casey said:

Despite the curbside nature of this kit, with a little work and some wheel swapping between the other Revell SnapTitie kits, a gorgeous finished model results, as can be seen here:

And here (although the wheels are a bit over-the-top for me...): 

 

[Gramps46]

12 hours ago, Zoom Zoom said:

I love the Revell snap '63's; I've built two and intend to build the roadster as well. VRM makes a sheet of Corvette racing decals that I used on the Bondurant car, there are sets of decals for 4 different early 60's Corvettes with lots of extra emblem decals that are really nice; chrome base, layer color and lettering over them.

 

 

 

Bob, great looking builds. Did  you have to trim the VRM hood grilles just a tad?  Its like they were scaled for 1/24 instead of 1/25.

[Snake45]

9 hours ago, Dave Darby said:

 I wish the 65-66 hood was easier to find in 1/25th scale.

AFAIK the only kit ever had it was the MPC '66 annual. The AMT '66 Vetter roadster had a hood that seems to be "inspired by" but not an accurate replica. Modelhaus offered repops of the MPC '66 hood (which fits the AMT body almost perfectly) but of course they're gone now. I don't know if anyone else is making them in resin yet.