Custom Revell Chopper/Bobber

[Bluzboy66]

Spent a bunch of time tweaking this one, guys. I never liked the ultra-modern nature of the Revell choppers, so I decided to backdate one, and built a retro-flavored 'Bobber'.

I used a few of Norm Veber's Relicas & Miniatures of Md resin pieces - the seat, a Mustang style gas tank (which I modded to look more correct, like the 1:1 vintage piece), and the open primary chain and cogs. I shortened and unchopped/de-raked the frame, added the horizontal support tube under the tank (like a vintage Harley frame) and removed the goofy saddle dip, replacing it with straight PlastStruct sections and a smooth underseat filler panel, and then followed up with a smooth 'lead' job at all of the tubing junctions, especially at the steering neck and under the seat. The forks have been shortened and the lower legs are polished aluminum tubing, as are the custom exhaust tips. I also chopped the handlebar risers down nice and short, which really helped to nail that low, lean 'Bobber' look. The seat springs are electric guitar pickup mounting springs, and the aluminum bell-mouth on the carb is from my parts stash. Everything is wired and the shift linkage is bent steel rod. The paint is Pure Ice brand nail polish ($2 per bottle @ Wal-Mart) with 2-part clear topcoat.

All in all it's a very simple kit that lends itself to some cool mods.......

Thanks for looking!,

Mike

[davyou5]

Excellent job on that Copper! I like simplicity. And it is a Beautiful Build .

[Bluzboy66]

.....Oh, and most of the engine parts were stripped of their chrome plating, and sprayed with varying coats of Alclad to resemble polished aluminum.

Mike

[Bluzboy66]

Excellent job on that Copper! I like simplicity. And it is a Beautiful Build .

Me too.....simple, clean, nice proportion and lines. The stock Revell frame is just plain funky, at best. It just BEGGED to be chopped up into little pieces and re-engineered!

Thanks!

Mike

[Railfreak78]

Sweet bike! Clean and sporty.

[whale392]

Now THIS is what Revell SHOULD have given us instead of the weaksauce cheeze-choppers they did! Very nice job on this; looks similar to a friends Panhead (and my Pan is slightly wilder).

I have a bunch of the Imex Harleys, and even though they both are supposedly 1/12th, the Revell bikes are considerably larger.

[Harold]

Admit it- you used Mr. Obsessive's shrinking ray . Beautiful work.

[RatRod]

It looks great!!! Taking the kink out of the rear frame rails really help these hard tail frames look better. I have built many of these kits, and the possibilities are endless. I'm really glad I bought about 60+ kits @ Wal-Mart when they sold them for $9.99....

[Bluzboy66]

Now THIS is what Revell SHOULD have given us instead of the weaksauce cheeze-choppers they did! Very nice job on this; looks similar to a friends Panhead (and my Pan is slightly wilder).

I have a bunch of the Imex Harleys, and even though they both are supposedly 1/12th, the Revell bikes are considerably larger.

I agree, Revell could have put a little more thought into these chopper kits. I mean, they really did engineer them well, they build up nicely straight out of the box, AND I definitely appreciate that at least they OFFERED a new-tool chopper kit! Who else has?? If only they'd take it to the next level, and expand the line a bit. Hey, it's not too late Revell.

That being said, after I'd finished reworking the entire frame on my bobber project, and it was still in raw plastic, I asked Norm Veber of Replicas & Miniatures of Md (fellow CPMCC model club member) if he'd be interested in casting a resin piece from my 'master'. He shared very little enthusiasm, saying that there was little-to-no interest in these kits. Based on what I've seen at shows and all over the 'net, I have to believe that he's right. Still, I can't help but think that there are other chopper/bobber modelers out there that would love to have a resin repop of my 'back-dated' bobber frame. Hey, I tried.

For the record, Norm DOES offer quite a few cool items for Revell's chopper kits. Definitely worth checking out.......that is, IF he's still offering them.

Mike

[Bluzboy66]

It looks great!!! Taking the kink out of the rear frame rails really help these hard tail frames look better. I have built many of these kits, and the possibilities are endless. I'm really glad I bought about 60+ kits @ Wal-Mart when they sold them for $9.99....

60+ @ $9.99??...NICE! So, I guess I should snatch up every one that our club's kit dealer is selling for $6 a piece?

Mike

[RatRod]

60+ @ $9.99??...NICE! So, I guess I should snatch up every one that our club's kit dealer is selling for $6 a piece?

Mike

Heck yeah Mike, one can't have to many of these kits....

I agree that Revell could have upped the ante a little on detail, but when they hit the market, they were a great success, and were really hot for awhile. They are simple, yet are wide open for added detail, and personal building tastes for all calibers of builders. I would love to see them get popular again. Not to hijack your post, but if you haven't seen my last two, here's a peek....

Let's see some more of these cool bikes getting built again!!! Again, great build Mike!!!

[Bluzboy66]

Heck yeah Mike, one can't have to many of these kits....

I agree that Revell could have upped the ante a little on detail, but when they hit the market, they were a great success, and were really hot for awhile. They are simple, yet are wide open for added detail, and personal building tastes for all calibers of builders. I would love to see them get popular again. Not to hijack your post, but if you haven't seen my last two, here's a peek....

Let's see some more of these cool bikes getting built again!!! Again, great build Mike!!!

NICE builds, John. Thanks for posting the pics......I'd done a quick search to try and find pics of your bikes after seeing your profile pic. You've inspired me to tackle a few more of the Revell chopper kits in 2011.

....On a personal note, I've currently got a 1:1 '64 Triumph 650 TR6 bobber under construction. It has the factory front frame section and a 60's-vintage bolt-on hardtail, which I intend to weld on. For retro-authenticity, I'm thinking of keeping the 'bolt-on look', complete with fasteners, but actually welding the junctions for structural rigidity. I laced up a set of 16"/21" hoops with stainless spokes, Avon rubber, bolted up a 39mm narrowglide Sportster frontend with a HD-to-Triumph bearing conversion kit, etc., etc. Dad's a Harley nut, and has built some killer shovelhead choppers over the years (currently owns a stock '76 FLH, and a '79 Low Rider). He's a master wrench and will be showing me how to rebuild my 650 Triumph twin.....machine work's complete, just need a new set of crank bearings and we're ready to put 'er back together.

MORE chopper and bobber pics, folks!

Mike

.......These are just mock-up pics, with most parts 'gently' laid in place.....

[RatRod]

Oh man, your a man after my own heart.... Being a Harley guy myself, who in the heck can't help but love those Trumpy's? Your little project looks like a winner in the making!!! I went on a mission about 12 years ago to get every 1/8 Triumph kit that Revell made from 1964 thru 1972, and I did, with extras!! I had to finally sit down and build one of the Custom Show Bikes just to see how well one of these old kits actually went together (not many of them were ever built, or if they were started, never finished... ) Here's one I did a couple years ago as a test mule....

Anyway.....Let's get back to Mikes fantastic Bobber.....

[Bluzboy66]

Oh man, your a man after my own heart.... Being a Harley guy myself, who in the heck can't help but love those Trumpy's? Your little project looks like a winner in the making!!! I went on a mission about 12 years ago to get every 1/8 Triumph kit that Revell made from 1964 thru 1972, and I did, with extras!! I had to finally sit down and build one of the Custom Show Bikes just to see how well one of these old kits actually went together (not many of them were ever built, or if they were started, never finished... ) Here's one I did a couple years ago as a test mule....

Anyway.....Let's get back to Mikes fantastic Bobber.....

NICE Triumph bobber! And nice score on one of those old kits. I have to the newer (Germany??) releases, which I fully intend to hack up, as you might imagine. I like the Mustang-style tank you used on that kit. I have a 60's-vintage Mustang peanut for my 1:1 '64. Not sure which tank I'll end up using, but I've considered modding the old Triumph tank to mount like the Mustang, or visa-versa, so that I can paint them differently and swap them whenever I want to change things up a bit.

This was a welcome thread hi-jack, no worries!

Mike

[Bluzboy66]

Your model looks awesome, Mike! Very impressive improvements!

To digress just a bit, I think one of the reasons interest in these kits fizzled was that people got tired of seeing what were essentially the same kits over and over again, with only different decal sheets, box art and slightly different parts combinations to set them apart. Had they added some new parts to the mix, they might have been able sustain sales a bit longer.

I couldn't agree more. Well, who knows what Revell has up their sleeves. Maybe we'll see them revisit these kits. Fingers crossed...

Mike

[Lou N]

Nice bike builds guys, including the full scale Trumpy. Here's a pic of a bike I built this summer, I should probably build a couple of scale one now...

Lou

[whale392]

Hey Revell; time to revive these with some Pan, Knuck, or Shovel power, kick pedal, and the option to build it with a straight frame instead of a dropped frame. Add in a nice Springer, Denver Girder, or even an XA springer and I'd buy quite a few.

[Bluzboy66]

Nice bike builds guys, including the full scale Trumpy. Here's a pic of a bike I built this summer, I should probably build a couple of scale one now...

Lou

NICE build there, Lou. Classic, clean build.

Mike