Harry P.

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-81023964/ Oops... looks like you have to be a member to see the article. I'll copy and paste... American heavyweight muscle match: Camaro Z28 vs Dodge Challenger Hellcat We like to think of the 1960s and early '70s as the glory days of the muscle car, but today marks a new golden age for American muscle. Modern muscle cars are pushing the performance envelope ever outward, and two new cars in particular can achieve performance figures never dreamed of in the glory days. Dodge revived the Challenger for the 2008 model year, and along with a 2014 refresh comes the Challenger SRT Hellcat, which is not only the most powerful Challenger but the most powerful American car of all time. Meanwhile, after its 2010 revival, Chevrolet updates the Camaro for the 2014 model year and brings back the Z28 moniker, this time on the best handling pony car America has ever seen. Having had the opportunity to drive both cars within just a few days of each other, we decided a comparison was in order. Let's break these cars down based on three main factors to help muscle car fans decide if they want the ultimate Camaro or the ultimate Challenger. Round 1: Power The 2014 Camaro Z28 is powered by the 7.0-liter LS7 V8 that had previously done time in the Corvette Z06. This all-aluminum V8 spins out 505 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque. It's not as powerful as the ZL1 Camaro's supercharged 6.2-liter V8, which makes 580 horsepower, but this naturally aspirated engine offers immediate throttle response, ridiculous amounts of torque to help the car leap off the line, and plenty of thrust as speeds increase into the triple digits. The Z28's performance numbers are fantastic. Chevrolet says the top speed is 172 mph, and according to Car and Driver, it accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and covers the quarter mile in 12.7 seconds. Frankly, we love the immediate response and rumbling note of this engine, and there are few engines that can top it. One powerplant that can top the LS7 is Dodge's new supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8. The supercharger force feeds the engine 11.6 psi of air, helping the Hellcat produce an astonishing 707 horsepower (!) and 650 pound-feet of torque. While the Camaro burbles, the Hellcat rumbles like the earth is opening up so hell can spew forth. The engine is surprisingly tractable in city driving, though initial throttle tip-in is a bit too aggressive. Stab the throttle, though, and the power erupts, pinning you back in your seat and shooting the car forward like it was shot out of a cannon. Dodge has posted a 0 to 60 mph time of less than four seconds and a quarter-mile run of just 11.2 seconds. Be aware, however, that achieving those times requires straddling the line between traction and chaos. It's awfully easy to light up the tires in a puff of smoke, which results in slower times. Amazingly, the big, wide Challenger can reach a top speed of 199 mph. Scoring: Hellcat, without a doubt. Round 2: Dynamics While the Challenger Hellcat is a tactical missile that does its best work in a straight line, the Camaro is a precision fighter jet built for agility. Chevrolet engineers started with the already great handling 1LE package, reduced the weight as much as possible, and threw every part it could at the Z28 to turn it into a factory-ready road racer. For agility, they installed spool-valve shocks borrowed from Formula One racing and sticky Pirelli Trofeo R compound tires that are the closest thing to racing slicks legal for the street. To prevent oil starvation during hard cornering, Chevrolet outfitted the LS7 with a dry sump oiling system. And to help it stop on a dime, they opted for Brembo ceramic composite brakes, which wear better than steel discs and weigh 21 pounds less. The Z28 still weighs in at a somewhat hefty 3820 pounds, but it feels much lighter. It doesn't just track through corners, it attacks them with incredible agility. The sticky tires provide unrelenting grip and the car changes direction like a lithe wide receiver. Despite the phenomenal handling, we have a few caveats. The tires provide so much grip and the car leans so little that there is very little feedback when the car is approaching the limits of grip. A couple journalists found that out during our test drive at southwestern Michigan's Gingerman Raceway, as they spun the car during aggressive cornering. Second, the tires are so specialized that they are probably only good for 5000 miles or so, and they cost $500 a pop. Finally, the suspension is so focused on track handling that the Z28 will be harsh on public roads and jittery on the freeway, and the wide front tires will likely follow any line they encounter on the highway. The Hellcat, on the other hand, is surprisingly comfortable on the street. It does get jiggly on the highway when the adjustable shocks are set to Track mode, but this car would be easy to live with every day. The Hellcat rides a shortened version of a full-size car platform and it weighs some 600 pounds more than the Z28, so track handling isn't nearly as accomplished as its GM rival. Still, it is capable on a road course. The brakes are big enough to handle all the power and weight, and the car rotates through turns nicely provided you slow it down enough to take them. Scoring: For track duty, the Z28. For real-world driving, the Hellcat. Round 3: Interior The Challenger's greatest shortcoming is also its greatest advantage. The excess size gives it a hospitable interior. In fact, it can seat up to five in comfort while the Camaro accommodates only four and the backseat passengers are cramped. The Hellcat also boasts better sight lines, much higher quality materials, and the latest in infotainment systems, including an 8.4-inch touchscreen and Chrysler's Performance Pages software that shows real-time performance figures. The Camaro, on the other hand, has no navigation system and one of the least impressive, overly plastic interiors on the market. Scoring: This is a slam dunk for the Hellcat. The Verdict: In this three-round fight the Hellcat comes out on top as the ultimate muscle car to drive on a daily basis. Not only is it more powerful, but it's roomier, more refined, and more comfortable. It's also cheaper, with pricing that starts at $59,995 versus $75,000 for the Z28. However, if ultimate track-ready performance is your main concern, you can't beat the Z28.

I thought Lucas supplied electric components, like lights, relays, batteries, switches... not wiring. Maybe I'm wrong.

What a beautiful old car.

Man, that stuff really has 1,001 uses! My wife used to use it as bug repellant on the kids!

I think that wing is there to smoothly deflect the airflow up and over the trailer, not to create downforce on the driving wheels of the tractor.

"Called my mom from a payphone... I said "I'm down to my last." She said "I sent you to college... now go call your dad." And the waitress that he married, well she hung up the phone. You know she never did like me, but I can stand on my own."

The Four Seasons... I think it's called "Oh, What a Night" but not really sure of the title. "Late December back in '63, what a very special time for me, as I remember, what a night" or something like that. I can hear the song in my head, just don't know the specific title.

Since my bikes seem to be getting a pretty good response... here are a couple more. They are all 1/9 scale.

Nice.

Thank you, Tim!

That is just sad...

Taking off the fenders also eliminated a bunch of unnecessary weight.

Many companies that still do catalogs at all do them in PDF format... you can either look at them as digital files or download and print them out, if that's what you want to do.

Curbside means no opening hood. Slammer means no interior either (usually blacked out windows) and no chassis detail.

They keep reissuing the same kits over and over again because we keep buying them. Simple as that. If nobody bought them, they'd stop reissuing them! If they reissued yet another '57 Chevy or '32 Ford and they didn't sell, the manufacturers would take notice. But as long as we keep buying the same old reissued kits over and over again, they'll keep coming, because a reissue is almost all profit... the tooling has been paid off a long time ago.

Man oh man, what a beautiful car.

From the article you cited: "Audi said the European fatalities occurred in accidents at speeds exceeding 110 miles an hour; such speeds are not unusual on German autobahns but are extraordinary in North America."

That's pretty cool...

I agree. Which is why it makes no sense to say they read online comments but then ignore them. If you're just going to ignore them, why bother reading them? They're either reading them and paying attention (not necessarily answering, though)... or they're not reading them in the first place. It would make no sense to monitor online comments just so you can then ignore them.

You look past the cool muscle car and get excited about a Jeep???

At the speeds cars are driven on the street, I agree any wing is pretty much useless. You have to be going a whole lot faster for a wing to have any effect.

I don't get it. You guys have said that you know from "reliable sources" that Revell does read online comments, but ignores and/or doesn't act based on them. If they are going to ignore and not act based on online comments, why are they reading online comments?

Aerodynamics don't discriminate between front or rear-wheel drive. A correctly shaped spoiler or wing, mounted in the correct position, provides downforce at speed, regardless of which wheels are being driven. You can make the argument that a FWD car doesn't need downforce applied to the rear wheels... but if the wing or spoiler is done correctly, it will provide downforce–if the car's speed is high enough for the wing to have an effect. Of course, street driven cars don't go fast enough for even a correctly shaped and mounted spoiler or wing to do much of anything... they're just for looks.

A sensible family car...

Hint: If topics about Revell bother you, stop clicking on topics with "Revell" in the title.