1/25 Revell '70 Plymouth HEMI 'Cuda 2'n1

[Chuck Most]

I can get past the 7-lead distributor, but I can't really abide what I've seen in person and online from people who've bought this kit- horrendous flash on the chrome parts, warped/distorted parts, and bent/kinked decal sheets. I'm a bit timid to buy one of these kits after seeing all of that. I know first-hand that Revell is pretty good about providing replacement parts, but some of what I've seen with this kit is just silly. If they'd just make the box tad bigger that would cure the kinked decals and some of the distorted parts, but the issues with the chrome are just bad quality control.

[Brett Barrow]

Yeah the chrome thing is a bit disturbing, my 'cuda was fine, and other recent Revell kits I bought were as well, but I got hit with spotty chrome on the Merc Wagon.

Maybe best to wait a couple months so all the bad ones in the supply chain get used up. The first production run of a new kit is usually a lot smaller than a normal run, just in case they need to go back and fix things they don't flood the market with too many bad ones.

[Erik Smith]

The decal sheet thing looks like a misfeed on the packaging equipment - and doesn't seem to effect the decals. Mine were in exactly the position it appears others are in - and once placed properly back into the instruction manual, they are fine.

Mine also had good chrome and no flash - except on the chassis piece - which has a lot (like from a 50 year old mold )

My biggest complaints are the over done fender flares (not sure what's going on with those…) which causes the body line to move up and around the wheel well openings and the new Revell wheel mounting method - with the rim to insert into the tire. Please, Revell, stop doing that!

[niteowl7710]

Well I would point out in the defense of my apparent "over nit-picking" that the AAR Cuda, a kit I think we all agree is the weakest of the three Hemi Cuda kits that Revell & Monogram have attempted has an 8 point distributor cap. The entire distributor stinks on ice in comparison to the part in the new kit, but even on that really subpar effort they got the small details correct.

[VRM]

Another nice detail is something which was omitted, namely the battery cables. That detail alone makes the battery much more realistic than one with molded in cables running straight down the side of the battery.

Also the lack of brake and fuel lines on the chassis...nothing moulded in that has to be removed for a full detail. All of the chassis and suspension seems very well thought out.

[kitswapper]

There is no perfect kit and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but stop the darn negative rivet counting !!, if you don't like it don't buy it plain and simple, model kits are a niche market and until a few years ago we were only really getting reissues and there was very few new tooling of Revell Monogram kits. Now that we are getting complete new tooling of several kits.. the rivet counting starts... there's a difference between finding a mistake and they happen, and hopefully they get corrected, but droning on and on and picking every little thing apart..REALLY !!..News Flash.. there is no perfect kit.. nor will there be, but this going on and on and on complaining about every little thing on here is getting ridiculous.....my suggestion.. open the kit if look at it,.. if your not happy after looking at it... take it back...Ok I now return you to Distributor Wars..or Cuda Dynasty..Now I feel better..

Edited December 31, 2013 by kitswapper

[Erik Smith]

There is no perfect kit and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but stop the darn negative rivet counting !!, if you don't like it don't buy it plain and simple, model kits are a niche market and until a few years ago we were only really getting reissues and there was very few new tooling of Revell Monogram kits. Now that we are getting complete new tooling of several kits.. the rivet counting starts... there's a difference between finding a mistake and they happen, and hopefully they get corrected, but droning on and on and picking every little thing apart..REALLY !!..News Flash.. there is no perfect kit.. nor will there be, but this going on and on and on complaining about every little thing on here is getting ridiculous.....my suggestion.. open the kit if look at it,.. if your not happy after looking at it... take it back...Ok I now return you to Distributor Wars..or Cuda Dynasty..Now I feel better..

I guess the same would apply if you don't like a thread - don't read it.

Really, it's a hard thing to figure out what's discussion, what's counting rivets, and what's whining - I suppose, on a text only format, it's all in all in how you interpret it. Look at it as a general conversation - people are just adding to the thread! No harm meant or done.

[Casey]

Really, it's a hard thing to figure out what's discussion, what's counting rivets, and what's whining - I suppose, on a text only format, it's all in all in how you interpret it. Look at it as a general conversation - people are just adding to the thread! No harm meant or done.

There's room for all kinds of comments about the kit, and as long those comments address the actual kit, we all have to give each other some leeway and room for interpretation, as Eric hinted at.

Also the lack of brake and fuel lines on the chassis...nothing moulded in that has to be removed for a full detail. All of the chassis and suspension seems very well thought out.

I noticed that, too, and the kit has a different "feel" compared to other recent new tool Revell kits I've purchased. I guess we'll see if that holds true for other all-new Revell musclecar kits in the near future.

[niteowl7710]

Send me one! Seriously, the distributor issue is mute. Even with night owls complaint that there are still seven lines, who the heck is gonna notice? It is a part 1/4 inch or less across.

Well when the thing is tan, and people paint the tips of the distributor lead black, that contrast in color (and attempt to detail the engine) draws ones eye to it, and the fact it's one cylinder short of a Hemi. Lot of people like the drill out the distributor and wire into the cap, can't do that either for the same reason.

There is no perfect kit and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but stop the darn negative rivet counting !!, if you don't like it don't buy it plain and simple, model kits are a niche market and until a few years ago we were only really getting reissues and there was very few new tooling of Revell Monogram kits. Now that we are getting complete new tooling of several kits.. the rivet counting starts... there's a difference between finding a mistake and they happen, and hopefully they get corrected, but droning on and on and picking every little thing apart..REALLY !!..News Flash.. there is no perfect kit.. nor will there be, but this going on and on and on complaining about every little thing on here is getting ridiculous.....my suggestion.. open the kit if look at it,.. if your not happy after looking at it... take it back...Ok I now return you to Distributor Wars..or Cuda Dynasty..Now I feel better..

Part of a kit review should let people know the positives AND the negatives in a kit. In this case it also alerts someone who planned to wire the distributor directly through the cap "leads" that there are in fact an INSUFFICIENT number of them. Nor can they display the carburetors in the kit without the air cleaner on, unless they're O.K. with the fact that instead of having a set of primaries and a set of secondaries the venturis on the kit pieces are arranged N/S/E/W in the shape of a CROSS.

I'm pointing out kit flaws yes, but don't take them to be complaints. I never said the kit was junk, or not to buy it. I just think that 25 hours from 2014 someone at the R&D department can't count higher than 7 and apparently if confused about the proper design of the carbs can't "Google Image Search" the thing and get the picture they need in .00004 seconds would be laughable if it wasn't so depressing.

Edited December 31, 2013 by niteowl7710

[moparfarmer]

Some people are complaining about the mold lines and the feel of the plastic..Maybe it has to do with the plastic supplier in China..Since models have been coming from there they just don't have

the feel that they used to..Or the nice smell of American plastic..My rant...

[martinfan5]

There is no perfect kit and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but stop the darn negative rivet counting !!, if you don't like it don't buy it plain and simple, model kits are a niche market and until a few years ago we were only really getting reissues and there was very few new tooling of Revell Monogram kits. Now that we are getting complete new tooling of several kits.. the rivet counting starts... there's a difference between finding a mistake and they happen, and hopefully they get corrected, but droning on and on and picking every little thing apart..REALLY !!..News Flash.. there is no perfect kit.. nor will there be, but this going on and on and on complaining about every little thing on here is getting ridiculous.....my suggestion.. open the kit if look at it,.. if your not happy after looking at it... take it back...Ok I now return you to Distributor Wars..or Cuda Dynasty..Now I feel better..

I see a lot of new releases, maybe Revell is not doing that many, but there a alot of other model company's releasing new kits , but we live in 2013, and with the price's Revell is asking for their kits, little mistake like the one my friend James pointed out should not be happening, I mean, they mess up something that they have been getting right for how long now?. Sure its a small mistake, but its the fact that its happening, that is the point some of people that are replying in this thread are trying to make.

Some people seem to think that we should let these types of mistakes slide, that Revell is doing us a favor by tooling up new kits, but here is the truth, Revell is not "our" friend, they are a business, they care about the bottom line, and you as the consumer should care about the product you are buying, and Revell releasing a kit with parts that are wrong that they have been getting right for what?, three decades now?, that is a problem, they really seem to not care about the products they are releasing, and that is what some of us have issues with .

Sure, a 7 point distributor cap may go unnoticed by a lot of people, heck, I didnt notice it tell it was pointed out to me, and will it effect the way the kit is built?, of course not, and its something that can be dealt with easily, but whats next, square tires ?

Edited December 31, 2013 by martinfan5

[Luc Janssens]

I can get past the 7-lead distributor, but I can't really abide what I've seen in person and online from people who've bought this kit- horrendous flash on the chrome parts, warped/distorted parts, and bent/kinked decal sheets. I'm a bit timid to buy one of these kits after seeing all of that. I know first-hand that Revell is pretty good about providing replacement parts, but some of what I've seen with this kit is just silly. If they'd just make the box tad bigger that would cure the kinked decals and some of the distorted parts, but the issues with the chrome are just bad quality control.

A bigger box means fewer kits in shipping boxes, fewer in the container = higher price per unit.

Maybe they could design a two part decal sheet, one with everything but the long stripes and one with just the stripes, they can insert the last one diagonally in the box so it won't bend.

Just my 2 cents....

;^)

Edited December 31, 2013 by Luc Janssens

[tim boyd]

Guys...everyone is entitled to their judgment on this and any other kit that is produced for us.

But I dare any of you to actually build this kit and then still conclude that Revell "does not seem to care about the products they are releasing".

Is it 100% correct? No, and many of you (along with myself, in my earlier QuickBuild and Kit Review assessments) have pointed out some of its shortcomings.

Is a seven-point distributor an embarrassing error? Yes. But it's hardly something to worry about within the context of an overall kit like this one, and it is easily fixed via a whole number of build alternatives.

Is a folded decal sheet an evidence of poor quality control? Well, if you actually build the kit (my decal sheets looked folded just like those above) you'll find the decals to be one of the many high points of this kit, and the folding has absolutely zero affect on the appearance or usability of the decals.

One of the chrome sheets on my kits had a blotch, but it was right on the part of the Rallye Wheel that you paint argent silver for the correct appearance. So that had zero impact, at least for me on that particular kit. Still, this is a worrying concern.

But the only flash I saw was on the base chassis/floor pan and it took about two minutes to clean up.

My point here is simply that, if you actually build and complete the kit, you will find errors, but you will also probably find that there are many points of evidence that suggest (at least they did to me) that Revell cared a great deal about this kit.

Sorry, maybe I'm just too close to the manufacturing/marketing side of this hobby to remain objective on this subject, but like everyone else here, I am also entitled to my point of view. And that is that 1) any detailed critique of a kit like this carries a lot more credibility if it is based on actually building the kit, and 2) from what I know about the model car industry, virtually all the model company staffs do care about their products, and they generally try to do the best job that they can within the many business constraints they face.

TIM

[Harry P.]

Good lord, I guess we are not modelers, we are kit assemblers. This nitpicking is getting out of hand.

You have to remember that this is the Kit Reviews section, not the Love Letters to the Kit Manufacturers section.

A good, unbiased and informative kit review will cite both the positive and negative (if any) aspects of a model. Obviously a seven-cylinder distributor cap is a mistake, and just as obviously, that's worth mentioning in any review. You may think it's "nit picking," but that doesn't take away from the fact that it is a mistake and it is a legitimate point to mention in a review. The importance or significance each modeler places on a seven-cylinder distributor cap (or any other mistake or flaw that a reviewer has pointed out) is up to that individual modeler... but why slam someone else for pointing out the mistake?

That what a review is for!

[Luc Janssens]

From what I know about the model car industry, virtually all the model company staffs do care about their products, and they generally try to do the best job that they can within the many business constraints they face.

TIM

So true!

[Chuck Kourouklis]

... but why slam someone else for pointing out the mistake?

That what a review is for!

As ever, thanks for that, Harry. I know I've sure posed that question time and time again to be met with deafening silence. Maybe you'll have better luck.

I'm of a mind that you can see very plainly how passionately Revell invested itself in this kit from examining the parts. Thing is, as galling as the 7-point distributor must have been to them, that doesn't make it any less galling to me as a consumer. And I'm sorry, but if anyone is going to object to the snark headed Revell's way, then the only consistent thing to do is also to repudiate the far sharper, more frequent and personally directed variety of snark as Harry quoted above.

Meantime, everybody continue moving along from the link below. Nothing to see there.

Edited December 31, 2013 by Chuck Kourouklis

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Top man! If you don't mind, let me commend you on that, Lee!

[Harry P.]

You have a good point Harry, I guess I didn't look at it like that. Sorry guys, especially you niteowl.

It's all good, Lee.

Let's call it a "teachable moment"...

[niteowl7710]

You have a good point Harry, I guess I didn't look at it like that. Sorry guys, especially you niteowl.

No biggie Lee, the written word can convey an idea, but not necessarily the tone (or in this case the bewildered amusement) of the idea.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

My thought was to see about popping a resin cap mold from the '67 GTX or '68-9 Charger hemis, say, and grafting it onto the 'Cuda's shaft...

[FASTBACK340]

<sigh…> People get touchy about pointing out the obvious, regardless if it's emotion speaking….

Seven posts on the distributor is something that shouldn't have happened. Is it the end of the world? No... Does it show that the details were sweated? No…. It's a mistake.

Remember the riot over the upside down Hemi valve covers this past spring? That was a mistake also, but people got emotional about it too. This is a forum to discuss Model Cars. We're discussing it…. It just seems odd that something like that got through. Kinda like the 429 Corvette kits years ago. How does THAT happen? Or the wrong year Hemi under Glass picture of the recent first-generation re-issue? Good grief, like no one would notice.

[Hawk312]

Has anyone seen this kit at their local Hobby Lobby yet?

[Luc Janssens]

<sigh…> People get touchy about pointing out the obvious, regardless if it's emotion speaking….

Seven posts on the distributor is something that shouldn't have happened. Is it the end of the world? No... Does it show that the details were sweated? No…. It's a mistake.

Remember the riot over the upside down Hemi valve covers this past spring? That was a mistake also, but people got emotional about it too. This is a forum to discuss Model Cars.

<sigh…> People get touchy about pointing out the obvious, regardless if it's emotion speaking….

Seven posts on the distributor is something that shouldn't have happened. Is it the end of the world? No... Does it show that the details were sweated? No…. It's a mistake.

Remember the riot over the upside down Hemi valve covers this past spring? That was a mistake also, but people got emotional about it too. This is a forum to discuss Model Cars. We're discussing it…. It just seems odd that something like that got through. Kinda like the 429 Corvette kits years ago. How does THAT happen? Or the wrong year Hemi under Glass picture of the recent first-generation re-issue? Good grief, like no one would notice.We're discussing it…. It just seems odd that something like that got through. Kinda like the 429 Corvette kits years ago. How does THAT happen? Or the wrong year Hemi under Glass picture of the recent first-generation re-issue? Good grief, like no one would notice.

Maybe model companies can avoid such things by sending test shots and a box art preview to knowledgeable and discrete people outside the company.

Cuz sometimes when working intensely on project you seem to take certain things for granted, especially when you seem to run on auto.

Been there, when following pre-production vehicles on the assy line.....

[Guest]

<sigh…> People get touchy about pointing out the obvious, regardless if it's emotion speaking….

Seven posts on the distributor is something that shouldn't have happened. Is it the end of the world? No... Does it show that the details were sweated? No…. It's a mistake.

Remember the riot over the upside down Hemi valve covers this past spring? That was a mistake also, but people got emotional about it too. This is a forum to discuss Model Cars. We're discussing it…. It just seems odd that something like that got through. Kinda like the 429 Corvette kits years ago. How does THAT happen? Or the wrong year Hemi under Glass picture of the recent first-generation re-issue? Good grief, like no one would notice.

I apologized.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

You absolutely did, Lee, and in fairness, it must be pointed out you were hardly the only one, or even the most lurid example.

You just hit one of the tactics I describe in the link below, then expressed regret. There are others who covered almost half the list in one post and remain oblivious.

Trust me, you are plainly the bigger man.