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Posted (edited)

When Revell released the '67 Camaro, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  I wasn't sure if it was possible, but I had something I had always wanted to try.

One of my favorite movies in high school was Better Off Dead with John Cusack, and like many, I lusted after the black Camaro he and his hot exchange student love interest rebuild in the garage.  It was also my wife's all-time dream car.  I hadn't really seen anyone do a model of it before, but I wanted to try.  So I bought the Revell kit, then had a laundry list of things to get:

  • Pre-wired distributor and battery cables
  • MCG seat belt hardware
  • Paint - after using the automotive clear on the 70 Cuda and having it look so nice, I bought Duplicolor Universal Black and then used that clear again
  • BFG decals from Fireball Modelworks
  • Resin RS Grille was an ebay purchase
  • Bought a set of floor mats for extra detail
  • Wheels/tires - the kit wheels are way too small, so I needed a larger diameter short-cap (for 1967) Chevy rally wheel.  The best example was the Revell 67 Chevelle SS, so I bought that kit (already built and posted that one)  to borrow its wheels.  Interestingly, the tires in that kit were strangely low profile and small for such a large car, but two of them were perfect for the front tires in this build.  (ended up using the 70 Cuda kit tires for the Chevelle) The rears were KEY to this... searched around quite a bit, and decided the best fit (and something I know would work with a Revell wheel) was the larger rear tires from the Starsky and Hutch Torino or the '32 Duece kits.  I didn't want to buy another kit... I bought 4 for Holiday/2016 projects including the Chevelle, so I posted on the Randy Ayers board, knowing that the S/H Torino would be a popular NASCAR conversion and some people wouldn't be using the kit tires.  I found someone who sold me two sets of the rears, and I had my rubber.

Build Notes:

  • I didn't follow one major detail.  The movie car had a red interior.  As I was building my wife's dream car, I let her adjust if she wanted something different while maintaining the outside appearance.  Her biggest request was a black interior instead of red.  HOWEVER, she wanted the black deluxe interior, and this car has the base interior.  Keeping that simple, I free-handed the white outline around the seats with my tiniest detail brush.  Not perfect, but I'm happy with it
  • This kit is awesome... everything fits perfectly.  However, I did have one major difficulty at the end.  Since the kit tires are so tall and skinny, my low-profile fronts were sitting way up...  the ride height was level, and the car looked like a tractor.  So I removed the axle pins, found some extra wheel backs in the parts box, shaved the brake calipers off of the brakes to give a flat surface, and super-glued the wheelbacks to the disc brakes.  Not perfect, but effective.  This car is all about that stance... there's a million black Camaros, but not like this one!
  • My first seatbelt and battery cable application... that was fun

Anyway, I'm sure others have done this before, but I had never found a post of this iconic car.  I had always wanted to build this.  I hope you like it!!  (Go that way really fast..... if something gets in your way... turn)

First, one shot of the real thing:

BOD_Camaro_15.thumb.jpg.f4e445c3f6811c05

A few WIP/details pics:

BOD_Camaro_1.thumb.jpg.26f726977c9f554d0BOD_Camaro_2.thumb.jpg.60d03cad22dcbc32cBOD_Camaro_4.thumb.jpg.1958dfb66804de27cBOD_Camaro_6.thumb.jpg.49eed38c91abfc277BOD_Camaro_7.thumb.jpg.d1291288ae148f303

Rolling stock:

BOD_Camaro_5.thumb.jpg.91cfdac523747e540

Once I got the front wheels adjusted, I still had to move into final assembly of door handles, lights, etc, but had to get a couple pics:

BOD_Camaro_8.thumb.jpg.7c700f62cf5813910BOD_Camaro_9.thumb.jpg.de9ec03e7737a28db

Complete:

BOD_Camaro_10.thumb.jpg.e9dded04b2cabff5BOD_Camaro_11.thumb.jpg.a4a85878ef30c0c8BOD_Camaro_12.thumb.jpg.d74a87f6c46198faBOD_Camaro_13.thumb.jpg.ee721df43c062c43BOD_Camaro_14.thumb.jpg.c899b7fe0c3ecadd

 

Edited by Kmb0319
Posted

Great build, I liked the movie, 'just go real fast then turn'  great lines both in the movie and on the car, If your interested PM me if you want the skis and poles from the old MPC poncho kit?

greg

 

Posted

Being a Camaro fan, I absolutely love this model. Beautiful paint and crisp details throughout. 

Posted (edited)

I went to high school with the great Dan Schneider, and he was one of the two incredible class clowns we had. They livened up things. But we never thought Dan would amount to much - then straight out of high school he lands in this film, and the rest is history. (Dan went on to have a great career at Nickelodeon.)

I've always loved this movie. Nice to see it commemorated.

Edited by Harry Joy
Posted

Beautiful work!  Also, thanks for the notes about what went into it - I just picked up the DVD a couple of weeks ago for reference (the last time I saw it was quite a while back), and was hoping to start building the Camaro this summer.

Posted

I need to build me one! One of my all time fav movies!! 

Luckily the car still exists!

Screen-shot-2013-02-18-at-12.46.05-PM.jp

this was my #1 reference picture, which linked me to the site about the actual car.  I'm so glad it's still alive and well!

Posted

I grew up watching this flick when I was kid.  My absolute favorite part of the movie is when Monique hands Lane the keys and you the motor start and Mr Muddy Waters starts singing Mannish Boy.

Your version of this 67 Camaro looks like it stepped right off the screen.  Johnny still wont be able to catch Lane for his $2 I guess.  You nailed the paint, the stance, the wheels and the feel of the movie car.  Love it!

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

What a great movie. Wow, You nailed it with that car. I always thought that the Otaki /Arii B f - Goodrich tires would of been perfect for the car but unfortunately they don't make them anymore. Again, What a great job you did.   Thanks.     Jeff 

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