Revell: Stranger Things; Billy´s Chevy Camaro

[OldSkool81]

7 hours ago, niteowl7710 said:

Revell has been tooling up multiple kits out a single tool since the late 80s when the '69 Camaro and '32 Ford series of kits were started. If anything the AG (or GMbH) side of Revell is the one that does one-off kits. There's never been a follow up to the AMG SLS, AMG GT, McLaren 570S, Porsche Panamera, or any of the three Vintage tractors, etc, et al.

Really the only single use kits that come to mind from the U.S. side of things are the very custom Foose kits (Ford P/U & Eldorod) as they managed to recycle the Rat Roaster into a different '32 Hot Rod concept.

Hmm I wasn't aware about those car kits; I don't remember seeing them at the online stores I do business with... You do have a good point with the tractors, and yet they're doing it again with the upcoming Fendt tractor... So to resume, it should be a pre 1987 big car or truck, from the size I'd think more American than European, new tool so it's something they never issued before, with the possibility of being a niche kit with no other future plans...

[Junkman]

On 2/22/2025 at 7:07 PM, OldSkool81 said:

Let's not forget that the filming ended in december 2024, and season 5 is now in editing, so a big company like Revell who paid big bucks for licensing must have had prime access before anybody else a while ago.

The hamster in my head has been running pretty fast in its wheel lately, also trying to figure this out. I briefly thought about the Cadillac like you, but its life pretty much ended when it got crashed at the Starcourt mall. Also, IIRC in Revell's 2025 catalog, the description underneath the mystery car's photo says that it will play a key role in season 5 by the main caracters, so I bet it's a new vehicle in the series. Here's the link:

https://revell.de/en/shop/product/077329090-car-stranger-things?srsltid=AfmBOor6VKPiJp3XkM5ZMHyOP3AKdU9HkEAe1f1GVmUf2ommw_FoboeY

I said I realised it now.
However, the being crashed argument doesn't hold, since Billy's Camaro is also crashed

 

[Junkman]

19 hours ago, OldSkool81 said:

I agree with Luc; Revell being ran by Germans means they do things rationally and won't throw money out the window, so they usually won't tool up a brand new model just for a one-shot deal. They milk the heck out of their tools, so the model has to have a broad appeal and be able to be used for many future variations. That squarebody that Can-Con suggested would fit the bill nicely, using part of the new Blazer tool, but if that's the case, why a curbside when you could use the Blazer's engine? That's the only part that gives me doubts about that squarebody.

Even if they'd deviate from doing things rationally for once, don't forget that the German, and European, for that matter, taste in American cars differs vastly from the American one.

[Junkman]

On 2/22/2025 at 8:19 PM, Luc Janssens said:

Hmm...maybe cuz in another tread it said; no engine and rolling wheels. Which for a non factory convertible, makes sense, a one trick pony by default and nothing of which the tooling can be used to spawn several planned versions.

 

Edit: just learned that there were indeed factory Eldo's ragtops in 84 and 85. But anyway think beyond the show the intetest for a model of this car would be slim.

Hopefully the New York Toy Show brings us more news.

Cheers.

Same with The Green Hornet's Black Beauty and all Batmobiles of all of ever.
Besides, the 'vert could then be cloned into a k00p, which also interests exactly nobody.

I already said my reasoning was wrong. The simple fact that it's going to be a season 5 car already blew it out of the window.

And here was me, hoping for a red K car convertible.
It won't happen in my life, because I'm the only one.

[ChrisBcritter]

Of course, if they DID do the Eldo, and they worked a deal with Denise Halicki for Eleanor, just maybe we could get H.B.'s ride from The Junkman:

[Junkman]

Yeah, but, you know.

[niteowl7710]

23 hours ago, stitchdup said:

there are more tractors coming

Sure but none of them overlap. They're all different tooling.

[stitchdup]

2 hours ago, niteowl7710 said:

Sure but none of them overlap. They're all different tooling.

tractors would be difficult to run multiples from one tool. they tend to have much more changes from model to model so all that might swap is the rear ends. you can always paint them as airfield tractors though. heller only got 2 versions out of the grey fergie and 2635 because they were only smaller parts on the fergie and a colour change on the 2635. if you look at the miniart tractors you can see what i mean easier. they follow succesive versions and none of the parts carry over between them. i think there is only 4  years between those kits

[Fat Brian]

The new roof on this thing is pretty rough and will take to some work to get looking right. There seems to be enough meat in the edge of the window opening to sand a bit of an arch in it to lessen the too flat look. Unfortunately, there are some saggy areas where the t tops were.

Here is the window opening after a bit of sanding.

You can also see the dip over the window.

I highlighted where the low spots are in the roof. The side profile still follows the old line but the areas for the top openings are low somehow.

[mikemodeler]

Wow, that is worse than what I was expecting. I guess I will hold on to my older MPC Camaro kits that don't have the roof issues this one does.

[Fat Brian]

57 minutes ago, mikemodeler said:

Wow, that is worse than what I was expecting. I guess I will hold on to my older MPC Camaro kits that don't have the roof issues this one does.

Fixing the window shape isn't too bad, it's the low spots that will be difficult. 

[Zoom Zoom]

1 hour ago, mikemodeler said:

Wow, that is worse than what I was expecting. I guess I will hold on to my older MPC Camaro kits that don't have the roof issues this one does.

Honestly it's exactly what I was expecting. I don't want to be negative, but I know from owning/building enough of them that Revell products run the gamut and one never knows until a kit comes out if it's a winner or a dud or somewhere in between. I already have the T-top version of the kit, if I want it w/a solid roof I already know how to do a roof graft similar to what I did on the 1/24th T/A kit used with my C1 restomod project. The last Revell kit I built (the '71 Mach I) is a brilliant kit from design to execution to assembly. Their snap-kit VW Westfalia camper I built was a great kit, so much fun to detail out and looks killer when built, and Tim Kolankiewicz showed everyone how to build it in the pages of MCM, including the stocking trick for making the open camper top look realistic. Then Revell kind of borked the new-tool 007 Aston Martin, it's also a snap kit but it definitely wasn't treated to the same level of design competency nor parts quality. It can look good built, a club member did an amazing job on his, but it required some very heavy lifting and finishing skills.

[Luc Janssens]

9 hours ago, Zoom Zoom said:

Honestly it's exactly what I was expecting. I don't want to be negative, but I know from owning/building enough of them that Revell products run the gamut and one never knows until a kit comes out if it's a winner or a dud or somewhere in between. I already have the T-top version of the kit, if I want it w/a solid roof I already know how to do a roof graft similar to what I did on the 1/24th T/A kit used with my C1 restomod project. The last Revell kit I built (the '71 Mach I) is a brilliant kit from design to execution to assembly. Their snap-kit VW Westfalia camper I built was a great kit, so much fun to detail out and looks killer when built, and Tim Kolankiewicz showed everyone how to build it in the pages of MCM, including the stocking trick for making the open camper top look realistic. Then Revell kind of borked the new-tool 007 Aston Martin, it's also a snap kit but it definitely wasn't treated to the same level of design competency nor parts quality. It can look good built, a club member did an amazing job on his, but it required some very heavy lifting and finishing skills.

Wonder how the roof on 1/24 snap-tite kit is....

 

[Zoom Zoom]

5 hours ago, Luc Janssens said:

Wonder how the roof on 1/24 snap-tite kit is....

 

Never have had that particular kit, just the glue kit w/T-tops. I have several of the Revell/Monogram backdated '70 T/A kits, roof arch is good, drip rail area needs some careful reshaping (no putty needed, just removing material). 

[tim boyd]

On 3/10/2025 at 3:51 PM, Zoom Zoom said:

Honestly it's exactly what I was expecting. I don't want to be negative, but I know from owning/building enough of them that Revell products run the gamut and one never knows until a kit comes out if it's a winner or a dud or somewhere in between. I already have the T-top version of the kit, if I want it w/a solid roof I already know how to do a roof graft similar to what I did on the 1/24th T/A kit used with my C1 restomod project. The last Revell kit I built (the '71 Mach I) is a brilliant kit from design to execution to assembly. Their snap-kit VW Westfalia camper I built was a great kit, so much fun to detail out and looks killer when built, and Tim Kolankiewicz showed everyone how to build it in the pages of MCM, including the stocking trick for making the open camper top look realistic. Then Revell kind of borked the new-tool 007 Aston Martin, it's also a snap kit but it definitely wasn't treated to the same level of design competency nor parts quality. It can look good built, a club member did an amazing job on his, but it required some very heavy lifting and finishing skills.

Always, always great to hear your perspective on these topics, Bob.  Thanks for sharing!    Best...TIM

[mikos]

On 3/10/2025 at 11:11 AM, mikemodeler said:

Wow, that is worse than what I was expecting. I guess I will hold on to my older MPC Camaro kits that don't have the roof issues this one does.

The MPC Camaro had their problems too.  The passenger side window shape goes a little goofy about half way back.  It’s a relatively easy fix, but it’s something you still have to deal with to be accurate.  Also, sometime in the mid ‘70’s or so, the rear wheel well shape gets a little funky too.  The later the model year,  the more the rear wheel well shape gets bad.

However, this doesn’t mean I would not want to see a reissue of the early ‘80’s Camaro Z28 again.  Steve G. @ Round2 stated that the ‘80-‘81 Camaro Pro Street (last issue of the original tooling) would be reissued again, but nothing as of yet.  I don’t know what’s going on, but maybe they found the tooling to be too far gone to be reissued again.  I certainly hope not.

Edited March 13 by mikos

[Luc Janssens]

22 minutes ago, mikos said:

The MPC Camaro had their problems too.  The passenger side window shape goes a little goofy about half way back.  It’s a relatively easy fix, but it’s something you still have to deal with to be accurate.  Also, sometime in the mid ‘70’s or so, the rear wheel well shape gets a little funky too.  The later the model year,  the more the rear wheel well shape gets bad.

However, this doesn’t mean I would not want to see a reissue of the early ‘80’s Camaro Z28 again.  Steve G. @ Round2 stated that the ‘80-‘81 Camaro Pro Street (last issue of the original tooling) would be reissued again, but nothing as of yet.  I don’t know what’s going on, but maybe they found the tooling to be too far gone to be reissued again.  I certainly hope not.

Pure speculation on my part, but maybe they're looking into improved reverse engineering on that one and who knows they might include the sister car as well

Cheers

Luc

 

 

Edited March 13 by Luc Janssens

[stavanzer]

9 hours ago, mikos said:

 Steve G. @ Round2 stated that the ‘80-‘81 Camaro Pro Street (last issue of the original tooling) would be reissued again, but nothing as of yet.

I think it has been delayed, but the last I recall Steve saying was 2025, "Sometime".

He seemed very enthused about the kit, so hopefully, they are just 'sweating the details'.

I too, am waiting "Worm-on-Tongue" for the kit ti arrive.

(Worm-on-Tongue= Baited Breath)

[SteveG]

10 hours ago, stavanzer said:

I think it has been delayed, but the last I recall Steve saying was 2025, "Sometime".

He seemed very enthused about the kit, so hopefully, they are just 'sweating the details'.

I too, am waiting "Worm-on-Tongue" for the kit ti arrive.

(Worm-on-Tongue= Baited Breath)

See my new post on this in its own thread.   Let's keep this one about the Revell kit.

-Steve  

[stavanzer]

22 minutes ago, SteveG said:

See my new post on this in its own thread.   Let's keep this one about the Revell kit.

-Steve  

Sure!

[OldSkool81]

I know my fair share about muscle cars, but I'm not a Camaro God, so pardon my ignorance... But could the roof from the Revell/Monogram 1/24 1970 Trans Am be used? The ST Camaro and the 70 Trans Am are the same generation of F-bodies, right? Or is the Trans Am roof just as bad?

[mikos]

On 1/13/2025 at 6:54 AM, stavanzer said:

Revell, was trying to make a Quik Buk by using an already tooled kit. And that is completely Fair. Modify an existing tool, and make more money? Great!

The intended market for this kit, will not know or care about the flat roof/window niggles that bother some on the internet. Like Round2 Coca Cola kits, the Fringe, is not who this kit is for. Will we buy them? Of Course! I need a new Camaro, and this is a good one.  The lack of chrome does  not worry me, and I can make a blown Street Warrior with this kit, with just whats in the box. I suspect most of these that actually get built, will be the box art car.

They goofed up on the side window drip rail by filling in the T-tops.   It’s similar to the same thing they did on the ‘71 Olds 442 except that never had T-tops. For some reason, they don’t seem to be able to the get proper side window shape correct in these classic cars.   On the Camaro, it looks really bad because that is a major design element of the 2nd generation F-body.  The designers wanted the upper side window shape to look like a long cape unfurling in the wind.  

Right out of the box, you have to correct this mistake.  If you don’t, it looks really noticeable like the blue car build up posted above and you can see it from a mile away.  The MPC version has its faults too, but it looks way better in this detail than the Revell kit.  Sure, I realize you can easily correct it with some careful file work and some plastic filler.  However, why should a builder have to correct the basic shape of the side window openings on a model car?  When does it end?  If we keep going down this rabbit hole, it won’t be long before they just give us a big blob of plastic to where we have to carve out our own model car body’s from it.  

I will say that the Revell kit does look good otherwise.  However, if we keep accepting these mistakes, they will never improve.

Edited March 15 by mikos

[Junkman]

16 hours ago, mikos said:

...it won’t be long before they just give us a big blob of plastic to where we have to carve out our own model car body’s from it.  

Or a block of Balsa wood, like in ye goode olde dayse, when men were men and smelled like horses.

[Can-Con]

" However, if we keep accepting these mistakes, they will never improve."

 

Yea, I've been hearing that like for , what, 40 or 50 years now. 🤨😁

[Fat Brian]

23 hours ago, OldSkool81 said:

I know my fair share about muscle cars, but I'm not a Camaro God, so pardon my ignorance... But could the roof from the Revell/Monogram 1/24 1970 Trans Am be used? The ST Camaro and the 70 Trans Am are the same generation of F-bodies, right? Or is the Trans Am roof just as bad?

Probably yes, I will get my calipers out and measure them tomorrow if I can remember.