1/25 Revell '49 Mercury Wagon

[Brett Barrow]

Instruction sheet scan is done:

http://public.fotki.com/barrowb98/revell-49-mercury-wagon/

[Ron Hamilton]

I got my hands on a woody today, and compared it to the Mod Squad Woody.

More on this in a separate post.

[martinfan5]

From what I am reading, this is another new release that is having chrome plating issues, so much for Revell's QC department

[Casey]

Is the framing "wood" smooth or woodgrain textured on the model?

[martinfan5]

Is the framing "wood" smooth or woodgrain textured on the model?

There are wood grain decals for the inserts but not the trim, no wood engraving as to my understanding from someone that bought the kit

Edited December 21, 2013 by martinfan5

[Modlbldr]

Gotta get me a couple. "Honey, where's the debit card???"

Later-

[Erik Smith]

Is the framing "wood" smooth or woodgrain textured on the model?

Smooth

From what I am reading, this is another new release that is having chrome plating issues, so much for Revell's QC department

My copy had decent chrome - but…somewhere along the line it took a "hit", I guess, because the chrome sprue was broken in a couple spots and one wheel was halfway off - little bit of damage

I did a quick look over and couple things:

1. There is an annoying spot on the rear window that the mold looks like it bulged out or something and it interferes with the molding, which will require some finesse clean up

2. I am surprised how little this kit shares with the '49 Mercury kit - frame and engine and a few parts are identical, but a lot of the parts are close but slightly reworked

Overall, it's a really cool kit. Most of it pretty crisply molded (for Revell standards)

Hey Tom - B and B has a few $19

White Elephant will be a little slower in getting them, but probably save a few bucks on them!

[Casey]

I am surprised how little this kit shares with the '49 Mercury kit - frame and engine and a few parts are identical, but a lot of the parts are close but slightly reworked

Are the suspension heights different? Is there less/no channelling of the body over the frame on the Woodie?

[martinfan5]

Smooth

My copy had decent chrome - but…somewhere along the line it took a "hit", I guess, because the chrome sprue was broken in a couple spots and one wheel was halfway off - little bit of damage

I did a quick look over and couple things:

1. There is an annoying spot on the rear window that the mold looks like it bulged out or something and it interferes with the molding, which will require some finesse clean up

2. I am surprised how little this kit shares with the '49 Mercury kit - frame and engine and a few parts are identical, but a lot of the parts are close but slightly reworked

Overall, it's a really cool kit. Most of it pretty crisply molded (for Revell standards)

Hey Tom - B and B has a few $19

White Elephant will be a little slower in getting them, but probably save a few bucks on them!

Some people are also reporting chrome issues on the 69 Shelby Convert kit as well

[Erik Smith]

Are the suspension heights different? Is there less/no channelling of the body over the frame on the Woodie?

Suspension is not lowered on the wagon - it looks like it is still channelled, though. I can post some comparisons in the morning.

[Hayabusa]

Am I blind or is there no lower radiator hose?

Edited December 21, 2013 by Hayabusa

[DaveM]

I have bad chrome on a couple of the hubcaps too. I will either build it as a custom or send them out for rechroming. The kit is pretty close to stock other than the engine. As mentioned above, there might be a slight channel. The interior engraving looks nice. I will probably just end up rechroming the wheels, grabbing the engine from an AMT '49 and building it stock. It's a fairly nice looking kit.

[Erik Smith]

Here is a shot of the chassis plate/interior bottom/engine bay part.

New Mercury Wagon on the left, Mercury Custom on the right:

New gas tank, spare tire area and:

ever so slightly more narrow (the wagon). Quick glance and they look the same, but they are not. The wagon is still channelled, though, correct?

[Erik Smith]

Suspension

'49 Mercury Custom:

Wagon:

and that little spot on the back window molding where the mold bulged or something:

It's minor, but will interfere with proper foiling if not remedied.

The engine has different valve covers from the custom kit as well - same nice beehive, though!

[Brett Barrow]

Mercurys were "channeled" from the factory., the frame is completely hidden by the rocker panels. The Merc is a lot like the step-down Hudsons except you don't step down in a Merc and the Hudson's rocker panels are separate pieces (not just the rocker molding, but also the panel behind it), the Merc's are integrated into the bodywork.

The Wagon kit is totally factory-stock on the outside and interior.

I've bought a bunch a recent Revell kits and this is the first one with the chrome problems. Some folks that bought 70 Cudas had it, but mine are fine.I don't know what it is, it's hard to explain, it's almost like frost. It's possible it's something that doesn't develop until the sprues are bagged and packed, so it might not be something the QC inspectors would see at the factory.

[niteowl7710]

I've bought a bunch a recent Revell kits and this is the first one with the chrome problems. Some folks that bought 70 Cudas had it, but mine are fine.I don't know what it is, it's hard to explain, it's almost like frost. It's possible it's something that doesn't develop until the sprues are bagged and packed, so it might not be something the QC inspectors would see at the factory.

Another factor would be who's responsible for the kit's overall Q.A. Is the chrome-plating done at the same factory that molds the kits, or like the boxes and decals, is it outsourced somewhere else? If out-sourced does the plating facilities inspection "count", eg - We inspected them, they're fine, and ready to go. Or does someone at the "end" boxing the kits up do a final inspection beyond assuring the correct number and types of baggies are included.

Is the plating Q.C. a 100% rate, or just random runners are checked from each batch, and if no defects are found, they ship the entire batch?

The frosting issue, combined with the the runners either not being entirely submerged in the plating tanks, or perhaps not properly undercoated resulting in runners like the one I got in the M.K. '57 Ford that half the runner has no plating on it is going to get Revell's attention in a big fat hurry when they have to replace a lot of parts, if not entire chrome runners in a landslide of replacement requests in the next quarter.

I had planned to get the Shelby Convertible & '49 Merc, but now I'm hesitant to drop that cash if I'm going to have stupid Q.A. problems with the chrome. Guess I'll stick with the Beetle and Beetle Cabriolet since their plating is done in Poland, not China.

[Casey]

Thanks for the pics, Eric. It looks like the dropped front and rear suspension pieces from the '49 Mercury Custom can be straight swapped to drop the Woodie.

Mercurys were "channeled" from the factory., the frame is completely hidden by the rocker panels. The Merc is a lot like the step-down Hudsons except you don't step down in a Merc and the Hudson's rocker panels are separate pieces (not just the rocker molding, but also the panel behind it), the Merc's are integrated into the bodywork.

I found underside pics of a real '49 wagon onlinne earlier this year, and that was the conclusion I came to, also.

[mrknowetall]

No, but it wouldn't be difficult to rework it to stock specs. Namely raise the suspension a couple of scale inches. The present exhaust system could be adapted into a stock version.

The woody kit offers stock height suspension already. One less thing to do.

[DaveM]

I wonder if the lower hose was a casualty of trying to design a "stock" setup for a non-flathead in a flathead based car. A "Stock 49 Merc radiator wouldn't have a fitting for the same hoses that are required for this model..

I still like most of the stuff in this kit. It even has emblems on the hood! (Although it is pretty shallow.) It should build into a really impressive model.

[Hayabusa]

@DaveM - Yes, your probably right about the missing radiator hose.

I like this kit also. I think it has a lot of potential.

[Danno]

The "frosted" chrome sounds like the same type of issue Trumpeter had with the first run of their '60 Bonneville kits. Suppose Revell will offer the same solution ~ replacement chrome trees?

[charlie8575]

The "frosted" chrome sounds like the same type of issue Trumpeter had with the first run of their '60 Bonneville kits. Suppose Revell will offer the same solution ~ replacement chrome trees?

If the complaints come in hard and loud enough.

I'm sold- probably grab one of these 1Q14.

Anyone have a spare Flathead from one of the '48 Fords?

Charlie Larkin

[Brett Barrow]

That flathead wouldn't be accurate for a stock '49 Merc. You need the one from the AMT '49 Merc kit for that.

Right, you need one with front port heads and the distributor on the side (like on a Mopar). That type of flathead (I forget the designation - 9CM?) was new in '49. Modern-tooled versions can be found in Revell's '50 Ford F-1 and Lindberg's '53 Ford.

[Brett Barrow]

The '50 Ford engine has the wrong tranny and the currently available version doesn't have the stock heads, intake or exhaust manifolds. The Lindberg flattie is oddly sized. Replicas and Miniatures Co. of Md. casts the '50 Ford block and '49 Merc tranny separately, so that would be another option. However, the good thing about using the AMT kit as an engine source is that you get all the stock parts you need in one box, PLUS a second engine, a 426 Max Wedge, that you can use when you build the AMT kit!

And there are some speed parts for the flathead in there, too, finned heads and a two-carb intake. I just don't know how that old motor will look in there with the rest of the kit being modern tooling

[mrknowetall]

OK then! Back to the forefront for this thread. This kit arrived in distribution today, which means it'll be in your local hobby shops by the end of this week, or early next week.