Kit Review

2005 Chevrolet Corvette

Revell kit # 85-2840

Review by Ron Hamilton

Additional Comments by Ismael Gonzalez

[Revell 1/25th scale; 96 pieces, plus decals – new tool]

Well, I got my hands on this one, and I can tell you Revell nailed it, from my reference materials, as well as visual sightings of the actual car. Of course, a lot of the assemblies are simplified, but the ease of assembly, and level of engraving make this an enjoyable kit to assemble and display.

Engine: This 22-piece unit is a well-engraved rendition of Chevrolet’s 6.0 liter V8. The engine block halves are mated to the rearmounted transaxle as a unit, as in the real car. The other well engraved parts complete the assembly. Proper painting with various flats and metalizers will bring this assembly out.

Chassis: The front and rear suspension units are simplified, with separate, well-engraved disc brakes at each corner. Poseable steering is not part of the equation. The exhaust system has a nice set of chrome metal exhaust tips, which attach to the muffler unit. Shock absorbers are also included.

Interior: The interior assembly consists of a tub unit, which incorporates the underhood area, molded in a dark gray. The console, floorboards, and interior sides are engraved and textured properly, and are integral with this unit. The door panels, firewall, interior rear wall, pedals, master cylinder and firewall are separate, well engraved pieces. The shifter, handbrake lever, and underhood hose unit are also separate, and well engraved. The dashboard is also well engraved, with a decal for the instruments, a separate glass panel, steering column and wheel, with a decal for the steering wheel emblem. If you can, get some photographs of a Corvette interior, as there are some ‘accents,’ which are not called out in the instructions. The seats are also well done, but there is a resultant seam that must be taken care of for a more realistic appearance. Curiously, there is no seat belt detail in this interior. This assembly mounts to the chassis, which makes for a rigid, stable point to mount the body. There is a three-piece radiator assembly, and intake air cleaner unit, which are hidden, once the body is mounted onto the chassis.

Wheels & Tires: The wheels are a very well engraved renditions of the current Corvette chromed aluminum wheels with decals representing the emblems. The rubber-like tires have a nice tread, but no manufacturer’s trade name. The front wheels/tires mount to the chassis on metal stub axles with plastic retainers, while the rear wheels/tires mount on a metal axle, much like the Chevrolet SSR from Revell.

Body: The body is a beautiful, well-proportioned rendition of the C6, molded in white plastic, exhibiting very little flash on the fender and down the front fenders. The windshield and rear window mount from the outside of the body, for a proper flush appearance, and the rearview mirror mounts inside. Follow the instructions and mount the hood after painting and finishing, allowing for glue. The roof panel is separate, and fits properly, as do the various lenses for the lights, and the mirror units.

Instructions: While the kit instructions call for painting the car in the new ‘Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic’ exterior paint, with a Cashmere (Beige) leather interior trimmed in black, there are other interior/exterior color combos available. Do your research, and then do your thing.

Decals: The sheet is impressive, complete with gauges, interior trim sections, and a full array of underhood stickers.

While the kit provides excellent raw material, there is plenty of research material out there on this car (i.e. manufacturer’s brochures, magazine articles, web photos) to help the modeler. A beautiful model can be built from this kit with care and proper painting. I recommend this kit to the modeler who has a lot of patience, and has built a few models, as this kit requires a lot of proper detail painting to get a pleasing result. It is fairly demanding and cries out for some extra detailing. I expect to see quite a few of these built up over the next year, including my own.

By: Ron Hamilton

Additional Comments:

    This is a great kit.  You can have a great looking model at any level, from box stock to super detail.  However, as any other kit, some areas need some attention:

     Word of CAUTION:  There is one aspect I need to warn you about: The plastic material used in this kit is different to other formulas of styrene.  It is much softer than previous kits, and it is more susceptible than ever to etching or crazing.  This was usually a problem in the past when using hot paints such as lacquers, but in this case, even enamel metalizers and primers can attack the plastic and ruin it.  Be very careful when using paints or primers.  At the first sight of etching or crazing STOP IMMEDIATELY.
      The only assembly problem in this kit is the proper centering of the wheels in the body's wheel wells.  This is particularly noticeable in the driver's side front wheel.  The headlights are 3 elements each on a single part.  I would recommend to cut them from the carrier and install them as separate pieces.  The instructions call for the sun visor's decals to be placed on top of the visor, but the correct position is underneath the visor.  The top part houses the vanity mirror.  If you want to do a factory correct car, the cashmere interior is the only one with non-black carpets.  The carpets are tan colored as well.

    Despite these minor issues, the kit is excellent.  Botton line: If you like the subject,  hurry and buy one before Robert and I buy them all....

By: Ismael Gonzalez

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Page updated  11/07/05