First in-depth look - Revell's new '30 Model A Chopped Five Window Coupe kit...

[Spex84]

I should point out that if I mention 3 things that are "wrong", that means that everything else is RIGHT by default! This kit is going to be awesome, and I'm stoked for it. I would buy it just for parts even if I didn't want the body (which I do!).

 

 

[Jantrix]

FYI.

If you glue the roof insert into place for painting, you cannot put the steering wheel in place without making the firewall hole for the steering column a slot. Just thought you might wanna know. Not like I've just made that mistake or anything. 

[Greg Myers]

I didn't mean to re-open the whole firewall thing. It's a pretty easy swap from another kit, IMHO, for those who want a stock piece. The visor will be trickier to fix, but as soon as I get the kit in my hands I'll be looking at how to achieve that.

Shouldn't have to do that on a new kit. 

[Spex84]

Jantrix--haha, thanks for the heads-up.

On my Monogram "A" build a while back, I ended up putting a "stop" on the column, sliding it through the column drop on the dashboard, and then attaching the steering wheel. This gave me a loose attachment, allowing variable column angle but also meant the steering wheel would never push further into the interior than I wanted. Then I attached the firewall, slipping it over the protruding steering column. Then, when installing the body/interior unit onto the frame, I tilted the whole unit forward, guiding the open end of the steering column onto the protruding end of the steering box before settling the body down onto the frame. Worked pretty well, but I had to write myself an "order of operations" note so I wouldn't screw it up when the time came to glue it all together

TL:DR: steering columns are tricky. No wonder so many model cars leave them out entirely. Glad Revell included that detail on the '29 and '30 though!

[Ace-Garageguy]

I've got one on the way, should be here Monday or Tuesday.

First thing will be to test-fit the ancient (and excellent) Revell 1/25 '30-'31 Ford firewall, hood and grille... just to see how they actually work with the new-tool version.

Second thing I'm going to do is to look into making it into a '29, as there's been some interest expressed here as to how that could be most easily achieved. I just got a Revell '29 truck cab specifically to use as a donor for the forward section.

I have dimensioned drawings of all the relevant 1:1 bodies, so it ought to be interesting to see what really works relative to all the speculation.  

[unclescott58]

I got mine on Friday. And opened it up yesterday. I love what I found in the box. Every bit as nice as Mr. Boyd indicated. I very pleased.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Just got it. Had to stay home to get some paperwork out of the way, so I was here when it arrived.

First impression? Great kit, well worth the money. The body shell is nicely done, the top section fits very well, and the proportions look good. Tons of useful parts.

The body also fits well on the ancient (and correct) Revell 1/25 '30-'31 fenders, but will require filling at the rear quarters and replacement of the bead once that's done.

The firewall is NOT as much of an issue as has been lamented. It represents an aftermarket stamped part that includes a recess for a rear-mounted distributor on a V8. It needs to be shaved in the rear so it fits deeper without so much meat around it to avoid the clumsiness of the as-molded and assembled parts, but that's easy.

The roof insert isn't a big deal either, and it's easily modified to look more like the majority of real cars out there. The stock wood framing can be scratch-built if you want that look.

What IS a little unfortunate is the hugeness of the bead molded as part of the cowl adjacent to the firewall. This bead is NOT stamped as part of the sheet-metal on a real one, but is a chrome surround. The very old Revell '30 kits got it right, and made it as a separate chromed part. To look right on this new model, it's going to have to be pared down significantly and foiled.

Another little thing that would have been nicer, in my opinion, is if the visor had been molded as a separate part too. It's nailed on on the real car, not stamped as part of the roof. Drilling it for the holes popular on these cars in 1:1 and getting the thickness to look correct will be a little tricky.

More fitting with other, older kit parts and fiddling, with photos, later...after I get my paperwork done.

[Ace-Garageguy]

One more note. The firewall on the '30-'31 body is often recessed behind the leading edge of the cowl to get more engine room...like this. It's an effect you can get EASILY with the new kit, with just a little effort.

 

[Greg Myers]

Holes in the visor. 

Chrome cowl surround. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Another look at the cowl surround, and the relationship of the steps and depth of the firewall to the cowl, as manufactured by Ford.

[Spex84]

I just wanted to point out that the recessed grille on that blue car appears to be a flipped firewall--so the raised "X" center stamping is now inverted. A cool period-correct trick that is tough to replicate 100% with plastic parts, but the general "feel" could be achieved easily, as Bill suggests.

Yep, that cowl band is way fat, definitely needs to be either foiled to represent the original chrome band or shaved and replaced with a more in-scale band to represent the body stamping.

Have one of these in the mail, can't wait till it gets here!!

[Jantrix]

One more note. The firewall on the '30-'31 body is often recessed behind the leading edge of the cowl to get more engine room...like this. It's an effect you can get EASILY with the new kit, with just a little effort.

 

Hmm..........I probably should have done that with my I6 conversion. Might not have had to stretch the chassis.

[tim boyd]

Not sure if the car pictured above is the one, but several recent '30A Five Window Trad Hot Rod builds have used a '32 (not Model A) firewall in a recessed position as shown.  See details in the recent issue of Rodder's Journal that feature a detailed article on four such 1/1 scale rods.  Great ideas there....TIM 

[Greg Myers]

Another look at the cowl surround, and the relationship of the steps and depth of the firewall to the cowl, as manufactured by Ford.

Did you guys ever finish that thing ? 

[Greg Myers]

No chrome surround, removed, fell off, rusted away. 

[Greg Myers]

Not sure if the car pictured above is the one, but several recent '30A Five Window Trad Hot Rod builds have used a '32 (not Model A) firewall in a recessed position as shown.  See details in the recent issue of Rodder's Journal that feature a detailed article on four such 1/1 scale rods.  Great ideas there....TIM 

Edited July 11, 2016 by Greg Myers

[Greg Myers]

Chrome's gone too.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Greg Myers

[Ace-Garageguy]

Did you guys ever finish that thing ? 

Yup. I should point out again, I never so much as laid a wrench on this particular car, though it was built by the shop where I built most of two others over several years. 

    

                                 

                                                                                                       

This car is built on a frame that's quite similar to the "channeled" frame in the new Revell kit. It's essentially a boxed model-A frame made of rectangular steel tube, built to the longer wheelbase of the '32 Ford...much like the one in Revell's kit. Ford 9" rear end (but on a transverse leaf spring) and a smallblock Chebby crate-motor too.The difference, and an important one, is that besides being zeed in the rear, it's also zeed in front (just behind the firewall, and visible in the unfinished profile shot above) to get the nose down without having to use a drastically dropped axle or a suicide perch.       

                                                           

Here's a shot of what the stock roof opening and wooden framing looks like in reality.

             

 

 

It's made a couple of covers, including this French mag.   

                                                                                                    

  

Edited July 11, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Greg Myers]

WOW ! Talk about the right stuff. Thanks Bill. That should be some inspiration. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

So...if you want to put this body on the old Revell '30 fenders, you're going to have to fill the sides of the quarters first...

Then fill the tops of the fenders in to meet the quarters...

The firewall's obviously supposed to represent an aftermarket piece. It's significantly different from the old Revell stocker, but not THAT much. The stock firewall can easily be removed from the woody cowl (shown here) and transplanted.

What makes the new-tool firewall look really clunky isn't so much the firewall itself...it's the huge out-of-scale lip that is apparently supposed to represent the bright metal surround of the real car. See above.

[tim boyd]

Heads-up....in the instruction sheet, the blower drive for the blown Chevy engine is shown upside down and backwards, both during initial assembly and in subsequent steps.  Revell has been notified and will issue a correction.  .  

Cheers....TIM 

[Greg Myers]

Oh Boy ! Another "Collectors Item" 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Heads-up....in the instruction sheet, the blower drive for the blown Chevy engine is shown upside down and backwards, both during initial assembly and in subsequent steps.

I wonder how many will get built that way.    

[carnut]

Once again thanks Tim for an excellent review, I can't wait till it gets to my area. I finally saw one at my club's meet this last Sunday evening, it looks great it will sell well. There are a few things but not any biggie. It looks like a good starting point for building a traditional rod. Better do your homework though.

[Spex84]

For those who don't want to do a full firewall swap, it could be made to look more like a 1:1 with a couple of additions:

1. a strip around the perimeter to give it the "stepped" look like the original. Divots could be filed in the sides to match the 1:1.

2. sand the heck out of the "crown" of the firewall...right now it's ultra square ( like a square edge with a 2" scale fillet), whereas the 1:1 and the old AMT/Revell firewalls have a more gradual curve. The difference in radius can be seen very clearly in your comparison photographs, so thanks for those!