Pardon my ignorance - are these the same basic kit?

[Monty]

I saw this at Hobby Lobby the other day. I guess I still think it's weird to see a 1/25 scale Monogram kit, let alone one with a skill rating of 3.

Is it basically the same as this? The wheels look just like the ones in the Monogram kit. For some reason the skill rating on this one is only 2.

Or this? I thought the most current Bel Air hardtop tooling was based on the '55 convertible Revell released about a decade or so ago. The Hot Rod series cars were released in the '80s, weren't they? Somebody at Revellogram really likes those blankity-blank bumper guards...

[Don Sikora II]

Yes, the top two are the same basic kit. They are based on the Bel Air convertible kit. The Hot Rod kit is a reissue of the Sixties-era Revell kit with opening doors etc. The Hot Rod kits were first released around 1986.

Edited August 12, 2012 by Don Sikora II

[niteowl7710]

What Don said. The Monogram box is the newest version of the top two. This is part of Revell's mysterious plan to sell pretty much everything that is a straight reissue as a Monogram kit. It looks like universally all of the Fall '12 release list that is straight re-pops of existing tooling (The Buick GSX and '04 Vette Z-06 being the first offerings this month) is being released under the banner "Dream Wheels" in Monogram boxing, even though at least half of those kits are 1:25 Revell kits.

Edited August 12, 2012 by niteowl7710

[charlie8575]

The Revell "Hot Rod" kit is a modification of the c. 1965 everything-opens-and-functions kits that included a that' 55, a 1956 2-door sedan with separate trim to make a Bel-Air, 210 or 150 at the builder's discretion, and a 1957 Bel Air sport coupe and Nomad. VERY challenging kits to assemble, but they look good when they're completed.

Charlie Larkin

[Chuck Most]

Monogram switched over to 1:25 for its American subjects in the early '90's- I'm not sure how it is Revell determines their skill level system. It seems to have more to do with parts count than actual difficulty of assembly. I haven't built many Tri-Five Chevy kits, but these newer Monogram-branded kits have never given me any trouble.