59 Cadallic-Revell: Has anyone built this kit

[69NovaYenko]

The Revell `59 Cadillac Eldorado kitI looks interesting and I`ve been thinking about acquiring  one.  I was wondering if anyone has built this Caddy kit. If so can you give us an overview of how well it went together and how the finished kit looks? 

[unclescott58]

I believe this was the first 1/25 scale, rather 1/24, kit that Monogram design after merging with Revell. And it was a considered a landmark kit at the time. It's a beautiful kit. Very accurate in design. And builds up very nicely.

I built one shortly after it came out. It turned out very nice. But, within a few short years the chrome started disappearing from were my fingers had touched it! Revell/Monogram's chrome was not the best at that time. Still I liked the kit enough, that I bought another one. Which someday I need to get around to building.

[mike 51]

It's a kit that came out 20+ years ago,so yes lots of them have been built.

 It has some proportion problems with the front fender shapes,but if you don't know what 59 Cadillacs look like, it passes.  Orherwise it's a very nice kit,as is the hardtop version.

Might be a bit complicated for a beginner tho..... 

Edited June 8, 2016 by mike 51

[Ron Hamilton]

I built the convertible when the kit first came out, and I was quite impressed with it. It went together easily, and as a matter of fact, it is still standing on my shelf proudly after all of these years. I also have a hardtop, which I want to build at a later date.

[jjsipes]

Just purchased the rerleeased hardtop kit a few weeks ago. Looks like a great kit. The only concern is that the roof is pushed to the drivers side a little bit. Hope when the windows go in it will straighten out. Had the convertible years ago and it came with foil for the side trim but the new kit has the chrome trim on the decal sheet but looks more like silver thatn chrome.

[Edsel-Dan]

I started on the Convertible (Biarritz) shortly after its release

Stalled for some time now

They did Compromise on the grill/bumper/headlight bezels

Done that way the bezels extend too far back in the fender.

 

Also, Due to the shield that is part of the Chrome trim on the door

I will use BMF (or other THIS model chrome trim foil

instead of the Thick Mylar from the kit

That mylar will not conform to the shield in any way

where BMF and other Model foils will!!

 

I have wanted the Seville version for a LONG time, but.......

[Can-Con]

 

They did Compromise on the grill/bumper/headlight bezels

Done that way the bezels extend too far back in the fender.

 

 

Yea, that's my only complaint with the kit but every 1/25 '69 Caddy kit I can think of, JoHan original, Ghostbusters cars and a lot of the die-casts have been done like that for some reason.

[Edsel-Dan]

Gunze did a Better job there on their 1/32 kit

They have the head light bezel's cast in place 

on the body, and the correct dividing line is there

for where they end on the side of the fender!!

[Merkur XR4Ti]

The kit looks great and goes together perfectly. I built a convertible version of the '59 a while ago from an older Monogram issue and for the time it was introduced it was truly state-of-the-art. It has a ton of presence at 1/25 scale. I had no problems with the chrome pieces but used BMF for the trim instead of the kit-supplied chrome foil.

[Luc Janssens]

Yea, that's my only complaint with the kit but every 1/25 '69 Caddy kit I can think of, JoHan original, Ghostbusters cars and a lot of the die-casts have been done like that for some reason.

Always found it odd, finding a promolike feature on this otherwise state of the art kit.

Also probably because it's one piece, they didn't engrave some of the grillework below the grille divider under the headlamps.

If I were king, all that front chrome, would've been a 5 piece assembly (LH&RH headlamp bezels, grille, bumper and divider)

[Edsel-Dan]

I am somewhat surprised no Aftermarket company 

has offered a better Multi-piece grill/bumper set for the 59 Caddy

What with FOUR Modern kits (Actually Three, but Convert + Hardtop versions for Monogram/Revelle)

It seems like a No brainer!!!

Unless ALL (including producers) expected it to be done in Photo-etch only!

 

Is the grill too fine a detail for resin??

 

I still have a Ghostbuster's and the Biarrits in progress, so

maybe look at using an extra grill or 2 and cutting all the pieces apart as on the actual car???

[69NovaYenko]

Speaking of photo-etched parts is there a photo etched Cadillac set out there? Would love to get the "Cadillac" script as a photo-etched part.

[SfanGoch]

Model Care Garage MCG-2078

[69NovaYenko]

Model Care Garage MCG-2078

Awesome and outstanding...thanks for the info. :-)

[Art Anderson]

I believe this was the first 1/25 scale, rather 1/24, kit that Monogram design after merging with Revell. And it was a considered a landmark kit at the time. It's a beautiful kit. Very accurate in design. And builds up very nicely.

I built one shortly after it came out. It turned out very nice. But, within a few short years the chrome started disappearing from were my fingers had touched it! Revell/Monogram In fa's chrome was not the best at that time. Still I liked the kit enough, that I bought another one. Which someday I need to get around to building.

It was. In fact, that was right at the time that my late friend, Bill Lastovich had left his job as warehouse foreman for Trost Modelcraft & Hobbies (the very first hobby wholesaler on the planet!) to work at Monogram.  Bill told me that the '59 Cadillac Eldorado was an experiment, and if it sold, it would mark the end of 1/24 scale at Monogram, save for race cars.  The Caddy was highly successful, and Bill's pronouncement proved to be true.

Art

[John Goschke]

Given the choice I'd build the hardtop version of the kit. The appearance of the convertible is severely hampered by an ill-fitting and out-of-scale windshield and windshield frame, as are the '59 Impala, '55 BelAir, and the recent '57 BelAir convertibles.

The best way to make a replica of the Caddy ragtop might be to cut the roof off the hardtop, leaving the windshield frame in place, and making any other changes are needed to the tulip panel to work with the boot and uptop in the convertible kit. Then throw the convertible body and windshield frame in the dust bin.

In spite of that, remembering when this kit came out and what a great thing it was to see a stake finally driven though the heart of 1/24th scale at Monogram.

[Junkman]

Then throw the convertible body and windshield frame in the dust bin.

Alternatively, cut the rearmost inch off and make a Cadillac Couch out of it.

[Bert]

Heres mine

[Casey]

Here's a look at the contents of the (original, I think?) 1992 issue 1/25 Monogram '59 Cadillac Eldorado Seville Hardtop: https://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/1661/25-monogram-cadillac-eldorado-seville

 

Though I never built it, it was worth the cost for the Cadillac V8 engine alone-- I have yet to see any other 1/25 scale Caddy V8 which comes close to this one in terms of fit, detail, and overall "look". I think the chrome stickers were an odd choice, but maybe just the folks at Revell-Monogram trying something new.

Edited December 11, 2021 by Casey

[Mike999]

On 12/10/2021 at 7:53 PM, Casey said:

Here's a look at the contents of the (original, I think?) 1992 issue 1/25 Monogram '59 Cadillac Eldorado Seville

That is the original, in the bigger box.  I believe it was also the only Monogram '59 Caddy with a vinyl top molded in.  The vinyl top was an option on the Seville and a fairly popular one, IIRC.  

Later issues removed the vinyl texture from the top and were usually in smaller boxes.  The "California Wheels" issue shown below was in a box that was just too small.  Because of that, they're often found with the bent roof pillars mentioned in a post above.  Something to watch out for if you're buying the kit at a swap meet or on eBay.