Revell 1999 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra

[polybius]

The latest build to move from the bench to the display shelf is this Revell/Monogram 1/25 scale 1999 Mustang SVT Cobra.  Back in '99 I worked for a big-box auto parts chain and a co-worker showed up one day in a new Mustang GT in Electric Green.  It was an odd color and some loved it and some hated it.  All these years later as I searched around for factory colors for the '99 Cobra the green I remembered from all those years ago jumped at me.  With '99 Cobra hardtop coupe colors limited Black, Laser Red, Ultra White, and Electric Green, it was the obvious choice.  According to Ford's production numbers it was the rarest of the Cobra colors that year.  I happened to have a few jars of Mr. Color C77 Metallic Green that, after soaking a few test spoons with it, seemed to be a reasonable match for Ford's Electric Green.  If I had to guess, the correct color has a slightly more yellow hue whereas the Mr. Color version leans more blueish.  Regardless it was a go!  While the color coats were airbrushed through a trusty old Paasche H, the clearcoat is my go-to rattle can Rustoleum clear lacquer subsequently wet sanded and polished.  

Having built plenty of MPC/AMT and Monogram 1980s Mustangs back in the day I wasn't expecting much from this offering but was very surprised at the complexity and detail of this tooling.  I had already thrown an AMT '97 Cobra back into its box after giving up trying to fix the badly misaligned body and bumpers, and in comparison this 'Revellogram' was a joy!  The rear suspension is an intricate multi-piece apparatus, and the engine builds up with beautiful accuracy.  The instruction sheet was significantly lacking, however, since the mounting locations for most parts are vague.  The cooling hoses, for example, are comprised of several parts that must be precisely assembled to have any chance of lining up with the radiator, intake, and lower engine block but the instructions offer only confusing arrows and generic sketches.  There are some pitfalls, as well.  The lack of positive mounting points on the aforementioned rear suspension makes alignment very challenging since the thin and bendable rear axle shafts seemingly float between the differential and rotors.  I'm also not a fan of having to attach the interior to the chassis rather than the interior to the body.  Since some of the suspension components do not attach until after the chassis is mated to the interior, I found it necessary to trim both front and rear shocks before installation to ensure a proper fit.  Otherwise, the shocks were too long to allow the chassis and interior to fit flushly together.  

Otherwise it was box-stock with only some black embossing powder added for interior carpeting.  Since I used the original issue of the kit from 1998-99, the decals were barely usable.  I was able to salvage the Ford oval, some underhood markings, and part of the instrument cluster, otherwise the rest crumbled to pieces.  The headlights and taillights were easy enough to install after some routine clean-up, but would have benefitted from having multi-piece buckets and lenses.  Painting the tiny amber slats and the correct black bucket trim was an exersise in patience.  The taillights received the correct amber turn signal treatment, but the molded in reflectors don't quite match the lenses so the red tends to wash the amber out.  If I build another, and someday soon I just might, it'll go together a bit easier knowing the ins, outs, and pitfalls in advance.  Until then this Cobra will sit on the shelf and remind me of the first time I saw that green '99 Mustang pull into the parking lot looking just like a grasshopper.

 

[Belugawrx]

Very nice paint and finish Jess.. you nailed it !

[berr13]

Looks great!!

[Craig]

Beautiful! I've built this kit a couple of times. It is quite good. You've done a fantastic job!????

[Tommy124]

Beautiful build and a nice paint job! The kit wheels look good, too. Well done!

[vamach1]

Great paint and sorrry to ear about the building issues.  I built one of these a long time ago but cannot remember having major problems but I sure others will benefit from your experiences.  Keep those Mustangs coming.

[slusher]

Beautiful model.!!

[espo]

Beautiful looking build and I like the color and the paint finish. Looks Showroom fresh. 

[Dragonhawk1066]

Nicely done and great color choice!

[Erik Smith]

Great paint!  Very nice model. Well done. 

[Pierre_tec]

although seem most modelers got problems with Rust Oleum, you nail it!! it gave it a nice realistic oem shine to it

[kelson]

Nice build!!,i have the exact plans to build one the same way!.

[Mattilacken]

Beautifully! I just love those cobras! 

[Funkychiken]

It's very realistic looking, great quality finish!

[ukfiveo]

Really like that, many years ago I remember going to see an identical green 99 Cobra to that when I was doing a bit of freelancing for an American car magazine over here in the UK. Your model has totally nailed it. 

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[PappyD340]

Super nice Mustang!

[polybius]

Thanks so much everyone!  Yes, the Rustoleum clear lacquer can be very tricky but it's cheap and readily available, and with some patience gives an acceptable result.  I've found the key is very light mist coats every step of the way with at least 10-20min off-gas between coats, and only the final coat is moderate to heavy.  It also takes a very long time to fully off-gas and cure despite being perfectly dry to the touch, so I'll let a body sit for weeks or sometimes months before wet sanding and polishing it.  I'd imagine 2k through the airbrush would be the faster and easier route, but I'm comfortable with the consistency of the technique and results.  

Again, much appreciated!!