Renwal The Visible Automobile Chassis

[regular guy]

Builders

Anybody know when Revell is going to re release this kit?

"The most impressive model kit you'll ever build!"-side of box

Regular Guy

[Tom Geiger]

It's no doubt long gone!  It wasn't a big seller when new because it was very expensive in it's time.  I remember it was in the Sears Wishbook when I was a kid. I wanted that and the Visible V8. Being a kid I thought if I had both I could drive it around.   Like most kids I got the V8 and not the chassis!

[regular guy]

Tom

On the side of they might bring it back, let me point out the Mustang airplane model kit.

The one that is see through and drops the bomb and lowers the landing gear on the stand.

Revell has lots of practice digging up the old Renwal kits with their SSP re releases.

I say, they might bring back the Visible Chassis.

Thanks!

[MrObsessive]

I have one of those in pieces and in need of a resto, and they take up LOTS of room! No doubt that was one the reasons they were not that big of a seller when new, in addition to the high price. A lot of houses back in those days were not very big so not many kids were fortunate to get one of those. The V8 on the other hand naturally didn't suck up so much space, so that's what sold.

As Bob says........you never know what might turn up these days! Some of the things that's turned up on the hobby shelves in the last few years we thought we'd never see again. I'm sure there are some more surprises to come.

[GLMFAA1]

I had one a long long time ago, It was a fun kit to build and matched up the visible engine to it, It all worked in spurts. One good thing that Renwal did was provide a replacement parts sheet where you could send away for new parts, My brother and I souped it up with lower grit number sandpaper on the clutch plates, a little more battery kit to the motor. Used vasoline to keep things moving as directed in the directions) Have a few parts left, not many, It was big for a kid to move around. Had the radial airplane engine also. Parents thought good investment for a mechanically inclined child. greg

[MrObsessive]

Here's one that was fully built at this years NNL East. Very nicely done with the V8, and you can see how much room this would take up! I have the engine also (in the original box barely started), and this is one of those dream projects I'd like to do sometime.

He also had the Revell Slant Six in front of it...............might be nice to see that one come back too, but unfortunately the tooling for that one is probably long gone.

[regular guy]

Builders

A couple things about that built model:

Lots of detail, look at the hubcaps, horn ring and clear rear brake drums.

Revell probably consulted with GM on this. The front suspension looks GM and

GM was first with overhead valve V8 for '49 Cadillac.

Yes, big kits do take up a lot of room, not everybody can have a steel building

to house all their hobbies. It would be nice though!

Thanks!

Edited October 16, 2016 by regular guy

[Phirewriter]

Revell consulted no one about this kit. This was originally brought out by Renewal in the early 60's and is rather generic. As to reissuing it, first off the V8 was permanently changed to be hand crank driven so it will no longer match up to the transmission on the chassis. Nor can it be electricaly powered to function with the chassis as was in the original kit. Revell may have the molds yet for the plastic parts of the chassis but the numerous parts ( rubber tires, electrical components and hardware) were outsourced and more than likely cannot be found today. Looking at my kits, the huge amount of hardware alone would give production planners and purchasing agents nightmares! That's not even taking into consideration proprietary components like motors, gears and electrical parts and contacts. Some of the smallest stuff can often lead to huge costs on kits like this pricing them out of the final cost/profit equation. If after all these years Revell thought it was viable to bring it out they would have. 

Edited October 16, 2016 by Phirewriter

[regular guy]

Mr. Fischer

I think it could be done.Electrical parts keep getting manufactured.

They could put the kit out in sections.

I just noticed that transmission looks like a manual, they could put that out as one kit.

No need for it to have the electric motor, the frame and suspension would be good.

Then they could put out a wheels and tires kit.

I think it might be out this Christmas or next year.

Regular Guy

[JJPEngr]

I recently recovered a Renwal Visible Automobile Chassis and Visible V-8 engine I had built as a teenager in the 1960's from my mothers house. It is in need of some restoration and reassembly. The Visible V-8 and attached transmission are complete but the chassis needs some re-assembly of front suspension, steering, brakes, pedals, and linkages. Most parts are there but may be missing some.

I need to obtain a copy of the instruction manual for the kit to aid with restoration and assembly. I have the Visible V-8 manual but not the one for the Visible Automobile Chassis.

Does anyone know where I can obtain a copy of the manual? Paper or scanned pdf files are fine. Thank you,

John

[macart52]

Howdy neighbor. I'm down here in Cape. My wife was watching my screen and here ya go.

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/tonhazelaar/wwwhome/chassis-renwal.html

[MrObsessive]

Doug, that looks FANTASTIC!

I have one of these in many pieces, but heaven knows when I'd ever get around to getting it together. Then there's the space factor! Cute kitty BTW------he looks like a nosy one just like mine! The case you built is gorgeous..............that's too nice to let sit out and get attacked by dust.

[shifterkart26]

Greetings all,

Any idea what a complete Visible Chassis model kit is worth?

Thank you!

[regular guy]

 

Oldmodelkits.com had one for $800 and it sold.

Personally if you have one you should hang on to it.

That would give you membership to a pretty exclusive club.

There are probably under one hundred people that have one.

That's like the 'Owned by Elvis Presley' car club.

[shifterkart26]

Thank you Regular Guy!

[Tom Geiger]

I wanted that set up badly when I was maybe 10 years old.  It was for sale in the Sears Wish Book.  I over estimated the size it would be and thought I could drive it around the neighborhood.  I spent time drawing a custom convertible body I was planning on scratch building!  What day dreams.  My father compromised and bought me the V8 kit.  We assembled it together... more like he assembled it and I watched.   And that was the end of that dream.

[LDO]

I hope this isn't a hijack... I saw one in the window of a car insurance agency in Amberg, Bavaria in the late '90s when I served in the US Army over there. I knew what it was, and it did strike me as an unusual thing to see. A cool thing, though.

[disabled modeler]

Very nice..!  I had the engine once when I was younger but could never get a hold of the chassis one for it.

[MrObsessive]

 

Oldmodelkits.com had one for $800 and it sold.

Personally if you have one you should hang on to it.

That would give you membership to a pretty exclusive club.

There are probably under one hundred people that have one.

That's like the 'Owned by Elvis Presley' car club.

Just take a look and what they fetch on eBay, and that's pretty much right on the mark! Fortunately, I got mine from our yearly local toy show (Annual York Fairgrounds Toy Show), and I paid nowhere near that amount. Of course, mine was started but never quite finished, and about a year or so ago, I got the engine kit that goes with it.

Now if I could just find the time, ambition, (and ultimately space) to do up the whole works!

[Casey]

Anybody know when Revell is going to re release this kit?

I will say it- never. 1/8 scale kits are a tough sell regardless of the subject, and the number of people clamoring for a 60+ years old generic passenger car chassis is probably under 50. The price would be over $150 retail, it would be a PITA for production and packaging purposes, etc., etc. Ed Sexton already commented on the difficulties and costs involved with producing large scale kits when discussing the 1/12 Shelby GT500 Mustang kit, so a 1/4 scale generic chassis...never happening, and I think almost everyone realizes it's just not likely to ever happen.

Now, the 1/4 scale Chevy small block V8 engine "kit"...yeah, never gonna happen, either.

Edited November 19, 2017 by Casey

[MrObsessive]

Casey, along those lines the same thing could be said of AMT's 1/6 scale '57 Chevy Fuel Injected engine kit. I have that one and I don't remember it ever being reissued since it first came out. That one's a very super detailed kit with literally working everything. I think I've only ever seen one built, and that was in a hobby shop where the owner had one in a case.

I've not checked on eBay for average prices of what they go for now, but they weren't great sellers AFAIK, and I don't see that one coming back anytime soon either.

[disabled modeler]

Just take a look and what they fetch on eBay, and that's pretty much right on the mark! Fortunately, I got mine from our yearly local toy show (Annual York Fairgrounds Toy Show), and I paid nowhere near that amount. Of course, mine was started but never quite finished, and about a year or so ago, I got the engine kit that goes with it.

Now if I could just find the time, ambition, (and ultimately space) to do up the whole works!

That would be cool to see Bill.

[Brian Austin]

What is the wheelbase of the Renwall chassis?  To me it looks a bit on the short side, once you figure where the driver's seat is supposed to go.

 

And if it was reissued there'd be someone whining there's no body in the kit to put on it...

[The Skipper]

On 10/16/2016 at 10:51 AM, regular guy said:

Builders

A couple things about that built model:

Lots of detail, look at the hubcaps, horn ring and clear rear brake drums.

Revell probably consulted with GM on this. The front suspension looks GM and

GM was first with overhead valve V8 for '49 Cadillac.

Yes, big kits do take up a lot of room, not everybody can have a steel building

to house all their hobbies. It would be nice though!

Thanks!   Revell never had the molds for the Chassis. Just the engine. 

 

[The Skipper]

Hello guys! I was preparing an article on this kit for our chapter, and to get additional info, I was doing a search and I found this forum and post. What I know about this kit is the worst news you could ask for.

I'm 70 years old, started building in 1956. The Renwal Chassis was one of my early ones, along with the V-8, both built in the early 60's. It survived until 1979 when I was moving from my first house to my second. A friend helping me move was picking it up to carry to car, and decided to do something extremely stupid. He asked "Do the shocks work?" before I could stop him he set it on the floor, bounced it, and managed to break off all four wheels. At that point, I obviously was livid. I ran him out of the house and said never even speak to me again.

Having dealt with Revell, knowing they had released the v-8 and being people I knew and had often spoken with, I called them up to inquire about parts. Now comes the bad news. The chassis molds, like my model, had been so badly damaged from an accident, they were never reparable and were destroyed. Not until the internet, and decent search, was I able to start seeking a replacement. I know have 1 to restore, all parts there, and 2 brand new, never opened ones. Those 2, I lucked out on on E Bay when the sellers, not knowing what they had had no reserve. Got each one for under 400.00. 

As for it's popularity and cost originally, the price was never a factor, they became unavailable anywhere within months of production. There is quite possibly any other kit, I know more about than this one.

Gene Rasmussen,

IPMS

NMRA life member

 

Edited November 1, 2018 by The Skipper
improve flow of the post