70 AAR Cuda Issues

[Guest 66dragfreak]

I know alot has been said about the 70 AAR 'Cuda and the inaccuracies of the body, specifically the rear quarterpanel shapes. I'm wondering what it would take to fix these issues and have a decent looking 'Cuda when I'm done. What other inaccuracies does this kit have that need attention? I have 2 of these kits that I really want to build but have held off because of the nightmare stories I've heard from those who have tried to build an accurate kit.

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome.

[The Creative Explorer]

don't rate my opinion too high, but....I like the shape of the Cuda, it might not be the most accurate for the diehards and true fans.

It does make a really nice kit, and I don't really get most of the discussions about the accuracy of the smaller details. I think it is more important to have a kit, have fun building it and looks decent to the real car. So what if the panels are a little of or the tailgate is slightly in a different angle...

[MrObsessive]

Back over a year ago, Darin Bastedo gave a pretty good how-to on fixing this "kit".

I use quotes because frankly, this thing should have never hit the stores in the first place as it's still not right from the first time. I COULD fix this one, but I won't when there's much better bodies to start with. (AMT/MPC and better yet, Johan)

You can check out the thread here to see what he did, but it's not for the faint of heart!

[Zoom Zoom]

It really depends on the viewer. Some people just don't see what all the fuss is, but I wince every time I see one because of the rear fender shapes. To me it's cartoonish, and (to me) it's exponentially worse than the minor stuff people are fussing about on the new '69 Nova kit. To me the 'cuda is one of the best looking musclecars of all time, and MPC and Johan nailed the shape while Revell/Monogram blew it completely...twice. Design is subjective, for sure.

Ron Hamilton has corrected one; check w/him (search for his build) to find out all he did to fix the rear fender. The top edge from the door back needs a lot of recontouring, and the bevel between the bodyside and the taillight panel is also rather wide by a factor of two. Study pictures of a real car and the model. If you can see the issues and it bothers you, it's some work. If it's not that bad, just build it. If you reshape the fenders you'll need new decals too. That's also why it bothers me so much...the fender is so off that the decals look all wrong and magnify it.