Revell 1979 Z28 Camaro

[Ridgeback]

I've just won this on e bay, and wondered how it builds up. I'm not expecting great shakes as it seems to be from the 80's?

I can't seem to find out much.seems to be a version of the Street machine Camaro.

Cheers, Daz.

[Mark]

It should be easy to assemble, but the engine will be simplified to the extreme, and don't expect much detail on the chassis.  The body in this kit was also used for a custom Firebird, with a different hood and nose/tail pieces.  Accept it for what is, just do a clean assembly, and it will look good on the shelf. 

[Ridgeback]

Cheers Mark

I thought it might be ! I think I'll dive in when it comes and see what can be done,

[Casey]

As Mark said, keeps your hopes low and you won't be disappointed. Revell kits of the late '70s-to-early '80s weren't all that good, and this one is fairly typical of that "kind-of-looks-like-the-real-thing" feel which was common during that period. The engine block and transmission halves combine with a one-piece intake manifold/cylinder heads/carburetor, so while there are separate valve covers, don't expect great detail. I'm not sure if the 1/25 or 1/16 version came first, but they are basically the same, save for the size difference:

 

There were also Pontiac Firebird models in both 1/25 and 1/16, and I believe they share the same chassis and engine with the Camaro kits, as was very common at Revell back then. The rubber tires are interesting, though I recall they are a bit undersized, and closer to 14".

[The Junkman]

I bought this one back in the day.  Basically just for the decals to put on the stock Camaro kit as there was no aftermarket to speak of for police cars.  (No connection to the buyer-for illustration purposes only).  A fairly terrible rendition of the Camaro.  Still have it though.

http://tinyurl.com/z2rw8gw

Edited December 12, 2016 by The Junkman

[Can-Con]

The "Travolta Fever" Firebird came first. Based on a real car, it came out about '79 or '80.

Pretty poor kit. Only differences I can remember between the Firebird and Camaro kits were the wheels, front and back bumpers and the hoods. Possibly the dash too. Watch out for those wonderful real rubber tires, they have a tendency to rot. LOL

Edited December 12, 2016 by Can-Con

[Rob Hall]

I remember building a version of the Firebird when I was 10...cheap cheesy model, low detail, strange squishy tires.  The MPC and Monogram Firebirds and Camaros of that era are much better kits.  I remember being turned off by Revell kits for a long time after building the Firebird and '79 Mustang kits, very poor detail in general--a bad period for Revell. 

Edited December 13, 2016 by Rob Hall

[Mark]

Revell was doing a lot of those custom kits that gave two or three variations with a few parts changes.  I'm pretty sure their mini-pickups (Chevy LUV, Datsun, Ford Courier) shared a lot of parts, they also did a Chevy Monza/Pontiac Sunbird that were pretty much one and the same except for a few parts, and then there are several mid-Seventies Chevy pickups with a lot of common parts. 

The Travolta Firebird was one of those Barris deals, where he'd "give" the celebrity a "free" car...while they were signing the paperwork, they were signing away the merchandising rights which were probably in place before the car even got built.  The AMT Farrah's Foxy 'Vette was another one of those deals.  After a hectic day at the studio, JT relaxes on his way home by cruising a Firebird with "Travolta Fever" plastered across the hood...

[1972coronet]

Legend has it that Travolta used to cruise around in that sexy Firebird while wearing * just* a tanktop which had glitter iron on of Kelly Preston's high school annual photograph. 

[Junkman]

The kit also came in police flavour. I have that one.

Edited December 13, 2016 by Junkman

[Jon Cole]

Wow. First thing I notice was the width of the solid roof between the T-tops. Looks much better on the "Travolta" car rendering. Can the "T-top" inserts be glued in and smoothed over?

[Junkman]

Why not?

[ZIL 111V]

Pretty basic kit indeed, Z/Z8 & T/A sharing a lot of same parts, remember getting the Firebird T/A version back in 1980 at local K-Mart, thought real kool looking T/A kit back then!:

 

[stavanzer]

Daz, I just won a copy of this kit myself from the 'Bay. The pics in the ad were awful, so I was not sure what I was getting. Turns out the previous builder was a first class painter, and did a superb job on all the body parts. The Rest is built and painted, but not to the same high standards. I'm going to rebuild and repaint the chassis and engine and then assemble the kit. The only thing missing are the wheels. I can scrounge those.  It is a very simple kit and has what looks more like a Buick Nailhead than a small block for the engine. That same engine or variations of it, is in the CHP Camaro, the Chevy Monza, and some others. Revell tools at this time were much simplified, and this engine is a prime example of that. The Real Rubber Tires in my kit are OK, which is a first. They are usually rotten by now.

Hope you have a Fun Build with it. It is not a serious kit. Don't take it seriously. Just Enjoy it as a 'time capsule' build for the era in which it was made.

[Rob Hall]

Pretty basic kit indeed, Z/Z8 & T/A sharing a lot of same parts, remember getting the Firebird T/A version back in 1980 at local K-Mart, thought real kool looking T/A kit back then!:

 

That is the one I built as a kid.