What are the most accurate kits?

[sjordan2]

Based on the somewhat passionate discussion about the pros and cons of Moebius' upcoming Hudson Hornet and the Trumpeter Falcon, it would be interesting to know your opinions on the styrene kits that really nailed it for accuracy and detail, and have the fewest problems. I can't think of any based on my experience, but what are your thoughts? What would you suggest as something that really got it right?

Edited July 16, 2011 by sjordan2

[The Creative Explorer]

Tamiya 1/12 Porsche 911 RSR

Tamiya 1/24 Enzo

[Erik Smith]

Is there anything wrong with Revell's 62 Impala?

I am no Chevy expert but I like that kit a lot - accurate and superbly engineered.

[LOBBS]

It's really hard to find fault with Revell's 1/25th '69 Camaro.

[slantasaurus]

Revell's trio of 67 Mopars, 67 GTX, 67 Coronet R/T, and 67 Charger are all great kits with no faults I can find with them. Their 68 and 69 Charger R/T's are also very good except for the very early issue 69's with the incorrect roof. At least they took the time and spent the money to fix that.

[Chuck Most]

I can't think of any based on my experience...

Ditto. Even the best kits I've personally built have some issue. Maybe they're accurate, but not well detailed, or vice versa. If you put a gun to my head,though, I think I'd hand 'most accurate' and 'best detailed' to Galaxie's Chevy kits, or Revell's series of Deuces. They may not be completely, unflinchingly accurate (I don't think such a thing exists in a scale kit), but they're close enough for me.

[Guest Markus355]

galaxies 48 chevy kits are SUPERB.

[bandit1]

Ditto. Even the best kits I've personally built have some issue. Maybe they're accurate, but not well detailed, or vice versa. If you put a gun to my head,though, I think I'd hand 'most accurate' and 'best detailed' to Galaxie's Chevy kits, or Revell's series of Deuces. They may not be completely, unflinchingly accurate (I don't think such a thing exists in a scale kit), but they're close enough for me.

the revells 69 camaro kits i dont think i have had to fix any issue with them with the exception of "my doings!" :lol:

revell b-17 bomber kit is awsome as well never had an issue with the first two i built with the exception of my dumbness! :D

other than the tire issue with the revell snap pete kits that is an awsome kit to have!

now enough r/m how about amt

the proshop series cougar eliminator kit is awsome with the exception of the hood clearance and modify the spoiler so the stachions can fit and with that done you might as well paint the spoiler semi black along with the mirrors and hood scoop and add 1 black decal but still an awsome kit to have in the stash!

[Chuck Most]

Sean- those Revell Camaros could be the best model kits ever made, but I'd never be able to tell you- never built one, or even peeked inside the box of one.

[bandit1]

Sean- those Revell Camaros could be the best model kits ever made, but I'd never be able to tell you- never built one, or even peeked inside the box of one.

well go get one and build one!!!

[Chuck Most]

It hasnt been molded yet and never will be

I think the former Led Zepplin bassist may be onto something there! And even if a kit is totally accurate, SOMEBODY's going to think the b-posts are .010" too thick, and bring the whole 'scale effect' thing into the argument.

[Erik Smith]

It hasnt been molded yet and never will be

"Most accurate" is different from perfect. There are plenty that fit the pretty-darn-close category.

[slantasaurus]

It's really hard to find fault with Revell's 1/25th '69 Camaro.

Really, I can think of at least 1 error Revell made with this kit. It's missing the chrome trim around the fake vents (or whatever they are) on the rear quarters in front of the rear tires. The only issue of the 69 Camaro that this would be correct for is the Yenko COPO 427 which did not have this trim, but the Z-28, RS, and SS all had this trim but its never been added by Revell in any of the issues or reissues. I'm no expert on Camaros and the 69 is one of my least liked cars but I remember SAE calling them out on the missing trim more than 15 years ago and it's never been fixed.

Edited July 17, 2011 by slantasaurus

[LOBBS]

Really, I can think of at least 1 error Revell made with this kit. It's missing the chrome trim around the fake vents (or whatever they are) on the rear quarters in front of the rear tires. The only issue of the 69 Camaro that this would be correct for is the Yenko COPO 427 which did not have this trim, but the Z-28, RS, and SS all had this trim but its never been added by Revell in any of the issues or reissues. I'm no expert on Camaros and the 69 is one of my least liked cars but I remember SAE calling them out on the missing trim more than 15 years ago and it's never been fixed.

I'll take you for your word on that. I've seen so many Camaros without that trim that I never would have guessed that it was standard issue. In any case, I'm an absolute minimalist when it comes to cars and chrome so it's one less thing that has to come off.

[Guest]

Really, I can think of at least 1 error Revell made with this kit. It's missing the chrome trim around the fake vents (or whatever they are) on the rear quarters in front of the rear tires. The only issue of the 69 Camaro that this would be correct for is the Yenko COPO 427 which did not have this trim, but the Z-28, RS, and SS all had this trim but its never been added by Revell in any of the issues or reissues. I'm no expert on Camaros and the 69 is one of my least liked cars but I remember SAE calling them out on the missing trim more than 15 years ago and it's never been fixed.

It was actually a option on the real car. Yes, most had it, but a option none the less. So, in that sense, Revell did it correctly.

[MrObsessive]

Revell's trio of 67 Mopars, 67 GTX, 67 Coronet R/T, and 67 Charger are all great kits with no faults I can find with them. Their 68 and 69 Charger R/T's are also very good except for the very early issue 69's with the incorrect roof. At least they took the time and spent the money to fix that.

Accuracy can be subjective among various kits to different people-----but I gotta tell ya that the above Mopars especially the '67 Coronet leave a lot to be desired IMO. I have that particular kit, and comparing it to plenty of 1:1 pics I have------it looks like the back end of the car was scrunched down in an accident!

Particularly where the C pillar meets the beltline...........I think Revell made a major goof. They did a better job on the beltline/quarters of the '67 Charger though. Both the '67 GTX and Coronet's rooflines are too flat especially at the rear window area----should be a subtle curve not perfectly flat. This stuck out to me like a sore thumb when one example I got-----the roof was warped back there so I had it replaced. Revell sent me a new body and as I thought, the roof is just too flat compared to 1:1 pics I have.

At least they did fix the roof on the '69 Charger................that was a big relief as that's my favorite of all of those Mopars.

Interestingly, a few years ago I got a "conversion" off eBay of someone who was trying to convert MPC's '67 Charger into a Coronet hardtop. The fellow must have noticed the same thing I did as he corrected the too flat area in the back window..........but he made a mess of the trunk area. My plan is to someday fix it using the Revell trunk and taillights.

I don't mean to step on anyone's toes who may have built these particular models.........but there's a lot of times when Revell (and others) get things "almost right"--------but it's usually an area that can be most visible (at least to me) when something is really wrong.

Edited July 17, 2011 by MrObsessive

[charlie8575]

I have to agree- for subject fidelity, the Galaxie Chevy kits set a high bar. I also like the Monogram/Revell 1959 Chevy and Cadillacs. Those are two excellent models.

I also thought from overall appearance and "feel," a lot of the late-1990s AMT kits, like the Edsel and '57 Chrysler 300 make excellent models.

I'm looking forward to the Hudson, and the 300. From the pictures, I think we're going to get excellent models that are well-designed and will be joys to build.

Charlie Larkin

[Harry P.]

I also like the Monogram/Revell 1959 Chevy and Cadillacs. Those are two excellent models.

Charlie Larkin

Those are two good examples of accurate kits at "regular" scale (regular for most people here). Also, Revell's '67 GTX is a nice kit.

[Ron Hamilton]

It was actually a option on the real car. Yes, most had it, but a option none the less. So, in that sense, Revell did it correctly.

I have to dispute your statement, but that rear quarter trim on the louvers WAS part of the Z28 package, no matter if the car was a Rally Sport, Style Trim Group, or Base. Why Chevy had it on all of them was beyond me. That was one of the ways we were able to spot a "Fake" Z28 on the street, without having the build sheet. back in the day. Revell missed that trim on the '69 Z28 kit. When I built mine, I made that trim out of thin plastic rod. Model Car Garage included it with their excellent Photetch Detail Set. Revell did not include the trim on the 1/25 nor the 1/12 scale '69 Camaros. In my opinion, the Revell '69 Camaro kits were among the best ones available. I built 6 of them over the years, and have several more.

[Darin Bastedo]

The most accurate model is the one you know nothing about, that way you can build it in blissful ingnorance.

[sjordan2]

The most accurate model is the one you know nothing about, that way you can build it in blissful ingnorance.

Until you start researching the 1:1, when you realize what you're in for.

[Darin Bastedo]

Until you start researching the 1:1, when you realize what you're in for.

the trick is to remain blissfully ignorant.

[Repstock]

Monogram/Revell '70 Torino in it's various forms are one of the rare cases where the new model looks better than the annual (to me, anyway).

[Hawk312]

Monogram `67 Corvette! But I am a little biased. If Revell ever re-releases this, hopefully they include the rallye wheels from the big Camaro kit (also a great kit!). I think there are a few 1/8 kits that we very convincing as well. The 1/8 `79 and `80 Trans Ams look real when built up. I have also seen some *very* convincing builds of the 1/8 Camaro Iroc kits. I just wish they would also would have molded a 1/8 Trans Am/GTA kit as well, since they would share so many pieces. They did this in 1/16 scale (those kits weren`t that great IMO), so I`m not sure why they didn`t do it in 1/8. As others have said, the `69 1/25 Camaro kits from Revell. I think you can build just about any version you want....RS/SS, Z/28, hardtop, convertible, big block, small block, Yenko, Baldwin Motion....etc. Also with a little work, almost any of the 1/25 Corvette kits can be built to look like the real thing. The Tamiya F-50 kits and the Fujimi F-40 kit were great and built up convincing, IMO.

Edited July 18, 2011 by Hawk312

[highway]

I have to dispute your statement, but that rear quarter trim on the louvers WAS part of the Z28 package, no matter if the car was a Rally Sport, Style Trim Group, or Base. Why Chevy had it on all of them was beyond me. That was one of the ways we were able to spot a "Fake" Z28 on the street,...

Well then, we all have just been building models of the fakes!!!

Now back to serious me and the topic at hand, I'm just surprised no one has mentioned the other Trumpeter car kits. Now I"m far from an expert on either the Nova or the Bonneville, so I don't know exactly how accurate they are to the 1:1s, but I'm impressed by the kits. Another Trumpeter kit I'm impressed by and know a little more about is the American LaFrance fire engine. I'm not happy it doesn't have a full detail engine, but detail wise it's the best large truck in my "fleet", well until I can finally buy a Moebius Lonestar and tear into it. I must say, and even Trumpeter beat Moebius on this detail, it is the ONLY heavy truck that has a correctly molded drive (rear) tire with a realistic tread pattern instead of a "one tire for all positions" generic steering tire.