Revell 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396...........My take

[MrObsessive]

19 minutes ago, tim boyd said:

Like many (most?) of you, I had my frustrations with some of the work of the "old" Revell (such as the 1967 Camaro kits), but I also think that that product development team rightfully deserves the credit for the "right" work they did...and I think it is a huge loss to the hobby that the Revell team was disbanded just as they seemed to have reached a new level of competency in their kit development.  Just my 2 cents....TIM 

Well Tim, I have to say that's it's an utter shame things happened the way they did! The effort the old team at Revell put into this kit........I can't find a single fault with it!

Too bad as who knows what other gems we might have gotten had things not gone the way they did. Here's hoping that whomever is in charge there now sees the enthusiasm of us out here over this kit and how as I mentioned before in another post...............a good looking/accurate model will sell itself.

Edited December 24, 2018 by MrObsessive

[Luc Janssens]

4 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Guys.....just want to clarify that the kit as you see it from Bill's images above is 100% the work of the "old" Revell product development  .....this is exactly what I saw (except for the decals and box art) when I visited their "old Revell) offices a little over a year ago.  Same with the Boss 302 kit.  

Also, there were additional spinoffs of existing tools that were well underway at the "old" Revell that have yet to break cover....should they actually materialize we need to make sure the proper team receives the credit.  

Like many (most?) of you, I had my frustrations with some of the work of the "old" Revell (such as the 1967 Camaro kits), but I also think that that product development team rightfully deserves the credit for the "right" work they did...and I think it is a huge loss to the hobby that the Revell team was disbanded just as they seemed to have reached a new level of competency in their kit development.  Just my 2 cents....TIM 

Indeed Tim.

[Khils]

39 minutes ago, Luc Janssens said:

Just my 2 cents....TIM 

Yours!      Always!..... has a higher value with us Tim.

[martinfan5]

6 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Guys.....just want to clarify that the kit as you see it from Bill's images above is 100% the work of the "old" Revell product development  .....this is exactly what I saw (except for the decals and box art) when I visited their "old Revell) offices a little over a year ago.  Same with the Boss 302 kit.  

Also, there were additional spinoffs of existing tools that were well underway at the "old" Revell that have yet to break cover....should they actually materialize we need to make sure the proper team receives the credit.  

Like many (most?) of you, I had my frustrations with some of the work of the "old" Revell (such as the 1967 Camaro kits), but I also think that that product development team rightfully deserves the credit for the "right" work they did...and I think it is a huge loss to the hobby that the Revell team was disbanded just as they seemed to have reached a new level of competency in their kit development.  Just my 2 cents....TIM 

The new full detail NASCAR kits they did were some of the best kits Revell did to date, and I can kind of see that work carrying over in the photos of the Chevelle kit.

[W-409]

Looks like I need to buy one of these when I see one. Thanks for the great review Bill. This would make a great Stock Eliminator car that could be seen nowadays in any NHRA event. I'm also interested to see if we see some other versions based on this tooling.

[Snake45]

27 minutes ago, W-409 said:

 I'm also interested to see if we see some other versions based on this tooling.

I'd be even happier if Revell would offer to send out new nosepieces for everyone who bought the Mach I. 

[Khils]

20 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

I'd be even happier if Revell would offer to send out new nosepieces for everyone who bought the Mach I. 

I will gladly sign that petition! 

[russosborne]

I don't like Chevelles, but I am going to have to get this kit for the chassis for another model.

This will be the second Chevelle kit to donate it's chassis for me.

Oh, well.

Russ

[mikemodeler]

15 hours ago, russosborne said:

I don't like Chevelles, but I am going to have to get this kit for the chassis for another model.

This will be the second Chevelle kit to donate it's chassis for me.

Oh, well.

Russ

Find a Slot car racer to buy the body off of you, that I what I have done with some of my donor cars!

 

[Brutalform]

On 12/24/2018 at 3:32 PM, W-409 said:

Looks like I need to buy one of these when I see one. Thanks for the great review Bill. This would make a great Stock Eliminator car that could be seen nowadays in any NHRA event. I'm also interested to see if we see some other versions based on this tooling.

Exactly, Niko, we think alike. My plans for it will be, a brutally fast, small tired drag car, with a factory paint scheme, with no decals, except on the rear windows. Tracking indicates mine will arrive tomorrow.

Edited December 25, 2018 by Brutalform

[R.J]

I love the separate frame and exhaust from the floor pan this makes it so much easier to build a short track racer and a better detailed build for you street car builders.

[W-409]

12 minutes ago, Brutalform said:

Exactly, Niko, we think alike. My plans for it will be, a brutally fast, small tired drag car, with a factory paint scheme, with no decals, except on the rear windows. Tracking indicates mine will arrive tomorrow.

That's another option that I was thinking actually, something for the Small Tire "Street Car classes". But the Stock Eliminator car was a winner this time. At least it's easy to get reference material for those Stockers to get all details right...

[Bob Ellis]

I received 3 new 1968 Chevelle model kits. Very nice. The new grille is bigger than the old AMT. Same as the 68 Elcomino. Makes me wonder if old AMT 68-69 Chevelles are undersized?

[Snake45]

Hey Bill (Mr. O), your comment on my '68 Elky Glue Bomb Rescue gave me this idea: 

When you get around to building this '68 Chevelle, why don't you drag out your AMT  '68 Elky kit and build it at the same time? Both seem to be first rate kits, and both have separate frames. Doing a build like this in tandem, you can do a lot of painting at the same time (like chassis parts, engines, etc.) so it doesn't take you 2X as long to build two complete models, more like 1.5X. And at the end you'll have a better idea of which kit is better in each area. 

I did a dual build like this back when both AMT and Revell dropped their '67 Chevelles at the same time, and it was a LOT of fun. 

[MrObsessive]

5 hours ago, Bob Ellis said:

I received 3 new 1968 Chevelle model kits. Very nice. The new grille is bigger than the old AMT. Same as the 68 Elcomino. Makes me wonder if old AMT 68-69 Chevelles are undersized?

I've always thought that........the AMT one seems to be more 1/26 than 1/25 scale.

4 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Hey Bill (Mr. O), your comment on my '68 Elky Glue Bomb Rescue gave me this idea: 

When you get around to building this '68 Chevelle, why don't you drag out your AMT  '68 Elky kit and build it at the same time? Both seem to be first rate kits, and both have separate frames. Doing a build like this in tandem, you can do a lot of painting at the same time (like chassis parts, engines, etc.) so it doesn't take you 2X as long to build two complete models, more like 1.5X. And at the end you'll have a better idea of which kit is better in each area. 

I did a dual build like this back when both AMT and Revell dropped their '67 Chevelles at the same time, and it was a LOT of fun. 

Hmmm...........I'll have to think about that!

While I'm not a fan of Rally wheels on this type of car, on the El Camino to my eyes they suit it just fine. The Chevelle to me looks better with the 'factory mag hubcaps' which I believe were still available for '68. Redlines on both are a MUST! Cars (and the El Camino) of this type look their best in '68 with a nice set of redlines.

[lordairgtar]

On 12/24/2018 at 6:09 AM, Classicgas said:

There were no 350 SS's.

Correct, the last SS with a small block was the 327 in a 1965 Chevelle and the next small block SS wouldn't happen until 1971.

[unclescott58]

On 12/24/2018 at 7:26 AM, tim boyd said:

Guys.....just want to clarify that the kit as you see it from Bill's images above is 100% the work of the "old" Revell product development  .....this is exactly what I saw (except for the decals and box art) when I visited their "old Revell) offices a little over a year ago.  Same with the Boss 302 kit.  

Also, there were additional spinoffs of existing tools that were well underway at the "old" Revell that have yet to break cover....should they actually materialize we need to make sure the proper team receives the credit.  

Like many (most?) of you, I had my frustrations with some of the work of the "old" Revell (such as the 1967 Camaro kits), but I also think that that product development team rightfully deserves the credit for the "right" work they did...and I think it is a huge loss to the hobby that the Revell team was disbanded just as they seemed to have reached a new level of competency in their kit development.  Just my 2 cents....TIM 

Tim - if your view is worth 2 cents, mine is only worth a penny. I always enjoying hearing your opinions on the subject of model kits in particular. Because your opinions tend to be based on facts and logic, rather conjecture. 

[Bob Ellis]

Both the Revell 1968 Chevelle and 1967 Camaro kits were worth waiting for. I just wish a SS427 68-69 was in the works someday.

[Casey]

11 minutes ago, Bob Ellis said:

Both the Revell 1968 Chevelle and 1967 Camaro kits were worth waiting for. I just wish a SS427 68-69 was in the works someday.

I would bet on a '68 or '69 427 Yenko version from Revell, all debate regarding the legitimate existence of a '68 Yenko 427 aside.  Not sure if Revell still has the Yenko licensing or not, but they've released Yenko versions of both the '69 Camaro and Nova kits previously (yes, it was a different company, understood), but I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch. A non-SS grille,  a bench seat(?), some steels wheels and dog dish hubcaps, and some Yenko decals and boom, you've got a 'new' '69 Yenko Chevelle 427 kit.

[Bob Ellis]

I meant a SS427 Impala 1968-69.

[Snake45]

13 minutes ago, Casey said:

 A non-SS grille,  a bench seat(?), some steels wheels and dog dish hubcaps, and some Yenko decals and boom, you've got a 'new' '69 Yenko Chevelle 427 kit.

The COPO 9562 Chevelles (which is what the Yenkos were) seem to have come through with Rallys standard. And Yenko replaced those on many with the Atlas mags (as seen in the Revell Yenko Camaro kit). So, no dog dishes, please. 

[Luc Janssens]

1 hour ago, Casey said:

I would bet on a '68 or '69 427 Yenko version from Revell, all debate regarding the legitimate existence of a '68 Yenko 427 aside.  Not sure if Revell still has the Yenko licensing or not, but they've released Yenko versions of both the '69 Camaro and Nova kits previously (yes, it was a different company, understood), but I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch. A non-SS grille,  a bench seat(?), some steels wheels and dog dish hubcaps, and some Yenko decals and boom, you've got a 'new' '69 Yenko Chevelle 427 kit.

I don't know if you remember the Muscle Car collection by Otis Chandler back in the '90s, it looks like Revell took some of these as subject to be kitted.

[Casey]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

The COPO 9562 Chevelles (which is what the Yenkos were) seem to have come through with Rallys standard. And Yenko replaced those on many with the Atlas mags (as seen in the Revell Yenko Camaro kit). So, no dog dishes, please. 

Oops, I should've said C.O.P.O. rather than Yenko, as that was most likely what I was thinking of from an '80s issue of MuscleCar Review, similar to this '69:

I guess we'll see what the future holds. 

Edited December 26, 2018 by Casey

[Rob Hall]

17 minutes ago, Luc Janssens said:

I don't know if you remember the Muscle Car collection by Otis Chandler back in the '90s, it looks like Revell took some of these as subject to be kitted.

I remember that..I have a coffee table book of photos of cars from that collection. 

[Can-Con]

If I may speculate here now, They may go the same route they did with thier '67 Camaros. 

They gave us a new variation with new front grille, new tail lights, new hood and new interior. Plus some new engine parts.

IF they did the same with the Chevelle they could do a '69 Malibu with the side trim and a flat hood plus maybe a small block engine. [or at least some hop-up parts for the big block]