Revell '55 Chevy

[Greg Myers]

As long as everyone is reissuing old kits, i think a repop of Revells first "55 would be great.

[Mark]

If you are into Tri-Five Chevies, you should build one of the old Revell kits just to be able to say you did.  The '55 is probably the "easiest" of them (even the last couple of issues look pretty good).  The '57 hardtop is still okay, particularly the (most recent) Ed Roth issue, though the rear window in post-1970 kits is a bear to fit.  I actually cut down an AMT '60 Ford Starliner window to fit the car pictured.  This one was a club build from about three years ago; I went nuts on it, scratchbuilt a number of small parts and used some photoetch (Model Car Garage scripts, AMT Pro Shop kit grille if I remember right).  Don't try to re-engineer the thing, the pieces do seem to fit fairly well.  But there are a few glitches.  The bellhousing doesn't come anywhere near to meeting the frame mounts as it should (on the stock 1:1 the engine is mounted to the frame at the front of the block and the bellhousing; the transmission hangs off the back).  The engine blocks in all of these kits are post-'57 (side mounts on the block) and the '55 and '56 kits have rams' horn exhaust manifolds which first appeared in '57.  The front fender "gills" lean forward a bit (should be vertical) and the vertical fin trim at the rear is narrower than the area it attaches to.  You should think about working up a mounting system for the front bumper, and make up some backing for the headlight lenses while mocking it up. 

If you attempt the opening-doors Revell '56, do yourself a favor and get an early issue.  The later ones are unbuildable; the windows fall through the openings among other things.  The '57 Nomad is likewise a tough nut.  I did recently turn up a barely-started first issue which might actually be buildable.  I've got a '55 hardtop in the works; among other things, the sloppy hinges will be replaced.  But it should look decent when finished...  

[Snake45]

 

If you attempt the opening-doors Revell '56, do yourself a favor and get an early issue.  The later ones are unbuildable; the windows fall through the openings among other things.

 

I can confirm this. Every issue from the Hot Rod issue on (at least) is usable only as a source of parts to restore an earlier one.

[Daddyfink]

I think building a Revell Tri Five is a Rite of Passage! 

Along with the satisfaction that there is not much worse out there!!