Revell No. 85-4445
Molded Colors: White, clear, clear
red, chrome, soft black
Scale: 1/25
MSRP: $24.95
Pros: Crisp molding; popular
subject; good decals
Cons: Minor fit issues; short-shot
partRevell 1968 Chevelle SS 396
http://www.ScaleAutoMag.com 61Revell has given us a new
tool of the 1968 Chevelle SS
396, and it was worth the
wait. Cleanly molded in white, the body
is one of the kit’s standout features. The
decal offerings are another.
The instructions are in Revell’s latest
format: a booklet featuring a brief
vehicle history, parts index with
descriptions, paint guide, and visual
assembly steps. There are 18 of these
steps, plus a page showing decal
placement.
Twenty-three pieces comprise the
396 big-block engine. The water pump,
oil filter, and oil pan are molded
separately. The mounting bracket is
molded to the alternator, but there isn’t
a bracket for the power-steering pump.
On my sample, the fan clutch (Part
101) was short shot without the pin that
mounts the fan-belt assembly to the
engine. Not a major issue. The decal
sheet provides markings for the valve
covers, oil filter, battery, and air cleaner.
The instructions say to install the
engine prior to attaching the frame to
the floor pan. Shorten the mounting
pin on the transmission and you can
slide the engine in later if you want.
The front suspension features
individual coil springs. The steering
linkage has contact points for the
Pitman and idler arms. The five-piece
rear axle and suspension builds up as a
subassembly. I suggest you temporarily
fit this assembly to the frame and floor
(before attaching the exhaust) and let
the glue dry to keep it properly aligned.
Redline tires come in the kit. One
had a small gap that was easily touched
up. You can choose between a pair of
wheel styles: GM rally or Magnum 500.
I went with rally. Wheels mount to the
axles using metal pins, but I had to
shorten the rear pins to get the wheels
to fit properly.
Inside, the dash, door panels,
console, front buckets, and rear benchare all separate parts. The rearview
mirror mounts to the sun-visor
assembly. Decals detail the gauges and
radio. The windshield, vent windows,
and rear glass mount from the inside
and fit well.
The body requires hardly any
cleanup. Take care when mounting the
rear corner caps (parts 150 and 151),
otherwise the rear bumper assembly
won’t mount correctly. The seams
around these caps should be there, so
don’t fill them. Test-fit the front grille
and bumper along with the rear
bumper to get a good fit. The rear
bumper needed some filing behind the
license-plate recess. I filed down the
ears on the firewall (Part 28) to fit the
body to the underbody and interior.
The comprehensive decal sheet
includes white, red, and black body
stripes. The stripes are easy to use if you
keep things wet while aligning. No
tearing or curling.
I was pleased with this kit and
recommend it to intermediate and
advanced builders.- Al Hoffman