Monogram C4 Corvette ZR-1 .. or 2 .. or 3?

[polybius]

This build started our almost two years ago as one '89 ZR-1 from Monogram's High Performance Series, and it ended up recently finished as three C4 ZR-1s.  I can't possibly begin to explain how it happened - it just did.  It might have been some cosmic alignment, or it might have been some repressed form of self-torture.  

As it happened, while researching color options for the first-year '89 ZR-1, I came across two other colors that caught my eye.  Spying both Monogram's '91 ZR-1 and '92 ZR-1 that were also on my open-box shelf, the self-torture part really kicked in.  Several years ago I came across a bargain find of old stock small cans of Dupli-Color and picked up nearly 100 of them for 59 cents each.  I'd already picked GM Medium Quazar Blue for the '89 from my stash of colors, and to my surprise I also had the correct GM Bright Aqua along with a close match to GM Polo Green. 

Fast-forward a year and a half and they're finally done.  Other than the body, wheel, and interior differences for the '89, the parts for all three kits were nearly identical.  I swapped out the tinted window unit that came in the '89 kit for a clear unit from the later kits.  Then, all three got the same tinted roof panel treatment.  There were some fit issues to deal with as was expected in an old Monogram tooling that had spawned a decade of kits. The '89 hood fit slightly better than the '91 and '92, and the way it latches onto the hinge pins is a bit different.  When assembled, the '89 hood is almost impossible to remove while the the later ones' hoods wiggle off easily.  There was some warpage in all three kits, and a lot of time was spent trimming and re-fitting to get things to line up as intended.

I built two of the Monogram C4 convertible kits in the mid-80s as a kid - the '86 Indy Pace Car and the blue Metal Flake version.  Both, of course, turned out as typical glue bombs slobbered with gloppy brushed Testors enamel that I probably ended up crash testing with a hammer in the driveway.  I regret the fates of all those crushed glue bombs.  So, here we are and here are these three amigos.
 

[PappyD340]

Nice group of Vettes!

[baycolony]

These were very important Vettes of their time and still are the only Vette to ever garner a DOHC engine.  I am lucky enough to own a red one with only 1400 original miles on it.  You have done these justice.  Nice job.

[Tom99]

They look great!!

[Gramps46]

Very, very well done.

[iamsuperdan]

Great work!

The C4 is still my favourite generation of Corvette. It was the first one I got to drive, so still holds a place in my automotive heart! Besides, I fit in a C4, which is something I cannot say about the newer cars.

 

 

[Scott8950]

3 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

Great work!

The C4 is still my favourite generation of Corvette. It was the first one I got to drive, so still holds a place in my automotive heart! Besides, I fit in a C4, which is something I cannot say about the newer cars.

 

 

Totally agree!!! I've owned 5 c4's over the years. My first was a white 86 and while it wasnt fast it was a blast to drive.

[larman]

Very nice job on these! It seems hard to get these to look nice in scale, at least it was for me, you have done a first rate job! 

[kelson]

A beautiful trio of Vettes!, I built a 92'convertible and painted it Bright Aqua Metallic.

[KWT]

I like a well done Vette, and these are that indeed.