tim boyd

George, both the front and the rear wheel wells are overly flared vs. the 1.1 scale car, the rear moreso than the front. I did not modify my build, but I was careful to keep the BareMetal trim as thin as possible (just like the 1:1) which also tends the draw the eye away from the overly emphasized flares. \ For my next build of this kit, I will remove most of the flares, reshape the front opening (if needed), then do the thin BareMetal foil again. I think that will be a nice enhancement/refinement and shouldn't be too difficult to pull off. Thanks for the compliments on the model! Best..TIM .

Curtis...haven't tried it but my semi-educated guess would be "yes". Cheers...TIM

Dave...be sure and let us know if that works! Thanks..TIM

I just checked mine, the '70 'cuda MPC kit has a separate grille insert that is inserted from behind the remainder of the grille assembly. It does have the red pinstripe element engraved, slightly proud of the remaining grille surface. You'd have to be a pretty gifted modeler to lay a consistent line of red paint along that engraved element. We're probably talking a width of 1/64" at the max. Or else find - or cut - some really, really thin pinstriping tape. Overall I think the Revell grille casting is more accurate, but the red line element does remain a detail to be added somehow. Good discussion and input from everyone on this one, thanks guys! TIM

Click on the link below for 21 pictures and captions showing all of what's new in this kit Revell just introduced last week. Here's the link, and thanks for looking! TIM http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/first-look-at-all-n/first-lookwhats-new/first-lookwhats-new/

David...you are exactly correct about the red molding (I call it a red "stripe"), but of course, you already knew that!. Revell did not include the red stripe, but they did include an excellent decal for the "Plymouth" badge that lies at the end of the right edge of the red stripe when viewed from the front (that would be, the far left side of the driver's side grille insert). They also did not raise the grille surface where the red stripe lies, so you can't effectively "drybrush" it either. I've already completed a second build of this kit for a different assignment, and on that one I was able to figure a way to do the pinstripe, but in silver instead of the correct red. For those of you now familiar with David's point, this red pinstripe is exceptionally thin, and that makes it really, really difficult to replicate in 1/25th scale and then apply in a straight line to a deeply recessed grille surface I'll bet someone in the aftermarket figures out a solution, but right now it's an open challenge to all you modelers out there! Hmm....maybe I could paint the entire recessed grille surface red first, then fill in the rest of the grille with hand-brushed flat black, leaving the horizontal red stripe in the middle? Best...TIM

Wow! The OnLine QuickBuild of the Revell '70 'cuda is finally finished. It took parts of eight days, and most of it was pure fun (a little hard not to get a tad stressed during final assembly today, but we made it). Here are a few views of the completed model.... Thanks everyone for your interest, your questions, your comments, and your enthusiasm! Now let's see YOUR builds of this kit! Best regards...TIM.

Lee...sorry for misunderstanding your initial question. Based on everything I have observed and read, not the double bubble/twin scoop hood was not an option for the Hemi. Best regards...TIM

Jim....interesting. I've got three of them now, one had no flash, the second had just a little bit on the floorpan/Unibody casting, and the third I haven't looked at closely yet but don't recall seeing any. Add your experience and that's a lot of variation for a new tool. Hmmm TB

Greg...that is sharp! The color scheme is really cool too! When you get the Revell kit, you will find it to be a fascinating comparison to the MPC kit. Let me know your conclusions....Christmas is not THAT far away! TIm

David...that is the cleanest '75 I've seen in a long, long time. If the '74 B and E body 360's are rare, a '75 has be to be mega rare! TIM Thanks Don! Best...TIM

Yes, it was! The E58 360 is one of the most misunderstood muscle ear engines of all time. Most car book authors call it a dog and they don't have the first clue what they are talking about. I have first hand experience here, having purchased new a '73 Duster 340 and then factory ordering a new '74 RoadRunner 360. The 340 would wind more but the 360 had mid-range torque that the 340 could only dream of. And that was in a much heavier B body vs. the A body 340. It was a great car - kept it for 16 years and 140,00 miles, but like most Mopars back then, the body rusted at the mere hint of moisture or salt. Sigh...TIM

Paul...ME TOO! I really don't care for that combo pack they offer in the hobby stores now - I just want the wax. I recently got on their website and could not find this product either. I ended up buying some 1.1 scale "Carnauba Wax" IIRC, but I haven't tried it yet so I don't know if its the same product or not. Hmmm....TB

Confirming several items from Bill's post based on my research on the same subjects... * Road lamps were standard on the '70 'cuda (but optional on the '71). * For the first half of the '70 model year, the only color available with both front AND rear Elastomeric (body color) bumpers was FE5 Rallye Red. (At mid-year, it got very complicated - way too much to explain here.) * The standard 'cuda black tailamp cove and surround molding Bill correctly references is, unfortunately, omitted in Revell's body engraving. You'll need to wing this to make for a fully accurate model - not easy to do, but can be done. This was one of the reasons I chose Black for my QuickBuild color - at least it's not as noticeable an omission with that body color. * One other point, on the 340 cars only, E60-15 (not F60's like the Hemi) on 15"x7" rims were standard. The size difference would be almost imperceptible in 1/25th scale, however. (As an aside, the 1970 'cuda and challenger programs must have been a product planner's dream - or nightmare - due to it's complexity! For restorers and modelers...well....) TB

Time for quick update - spent the last day waxing the paint, prepping all the body components, and doing a ton of BareMetal foil work. If everything goes well, the next update should show the finished project. Here's an in-progress shot...

David - Oh man, that breaks my heart. Sandpebble Biege is not my idea of a great color, but a 340 4-speed survivor? $25k is a lot to swallow under any context, but I agree with you, that sounds like it would have been a really good move to get it. So I share your pain! I also had a chance to grab an FE5 '74 'cuda with the E58 360 hi-po in the late 1990's - it was around $18K at the time IIRC correctly and it great shape. I passed too. Like you said, what was I thinking? As for the moldings, yes it's those stripes above and below (and in the front and the back end) of the molding that would be so hard to pull off, yet they are what gives the option its character. Maybe someone in the aftermarket will figure out a solution? TIM

Lee, at the time I first made my proposal to Revell on the content that they should include in the kit, I assumed that the Shaker hood was optional on all 'cudas including the Hemi (just as the Shaker hood was optional on Hemi Challengers), so I recommended they include both hoods in their kit. But fortunately Revell did their homework (unlike me) - or someone else providing them input had their facts straight - and so Revell correctly determined that the Shaker hood was standard with the Hemi. All other 'cuda engines came with the "double bubble" (as someone called it) hood as standard. Revelll went ahead and included the double bubble as the hood for the custom version, but also for all us kitbashers out there that want to do a version with the standard hood. Also to their credit, they corrected the hood from the version that was first shown a year ago at the 2012 NNL Nats (where the sccops and assocated area between were too raised above the main hood surface). Best regards...TIM

I've been collecting books and articles on '70 'cudas for over 25 years now, it turns out, awaiting the time when we'd have a modern 'cuda kit to build. Info above was from several different published sources that all agree on those topics. But exactly like you, I haven't personally seen all the colors described above.... TIM

Me too. I figure I can do the moldings themselves, but how to do the fine pinstriping around the molding? Great color, btw! TIM

The sources I consulted pretty much agree on the following: Shakers on '70 'cudas were available in four colors by the end of the model year - Astrotone (heavy silver flake), - Organisol Black (matt black) - Rallye Red (with Rallye Red cars only ) and - BlueFire Metallic (with B5 BlueFireMetalllic cars only). Organisol Black (IIRC) and Rallye Red (definitely) started the year, Astrotone added later, and finally, BlueFire at midyear - making that color pretty rare in final production. There doesn't appear to be any consensus, however, on what determined whether the Astrotone or Organisol Black was used with various exterior colors. I haven't researched the '71 Air Grabber colors, but the B5 Blue was a different color that year, and the entire 'cuda color and trim program was greatly simplified for that year, so it probably affected the AirGrabber colors. TIM PS, as Bill notes, Fram was a supplier, and sources say that they also provided/painted the air cleaner used with Air Grabbers, and as a result it was a different shade of orange than the Street Hemi Orange on the engine block. Revell provides the air cleaner as a separate part, so I dutifully painted it different orange (pictures later....) TB

And the sources I have consulted suggest that the Shaker scoop "Astrotone" is a much heavier flake than the grille's silver paint .. TB Aha! I get it now! TIM

Bill...thanks! The Shaker hood in this kit is actually comprised of several parts...the hood, the shaker scoop, the grille insert for the shaker scoop, the pan that does under the shaker scoop, and the air cleaner that sits on top of the pan and under the scoop. I'll show these in my next update. Not sure if that impacts your request but wanted to make sure you were aware (if you weren't already). TIM

For those non-Mopar modelers out there, John's note refers to the fact that on most Mopars, and specifically E-Body 'cudas and Challengers, the engine compartment paint matches the exterior paint color. Since I painted this model Gloss Black...well, that's also the color of the engine compartment, vs. the generic matt black, for instance, of many GM muscle car engine compartments no matter what their exterior color. Thanks for the compliment, Johm! TB

Casey....the taillights need a good deal of paint detailing to look presentable but once complete, they actually are fairly convincing. I'll try to show this in my next update. Best...TIM

Here are a few shots with the latest progress... First, the completed engine... Next, the completed interior in 1970 Plymouth code H6B5 'cuda all-vinyl Blue. Note the "'cuda" decal above the door window crank that is provided on the Revell decal sheet. Finally, note the parting line on the far left edge of the instrument panel crash pad that I missed during prep...I am hoping that doesn't show when the interior is inserted in the body, but thought you should be forewarned for your builds! And finally, a shot of the engine compartment side fenderwells, radiator wall, and firewalls. Will probably be several days until the next update...thanks for looking....TIM