Fixing the Revell Model A roadster Rear Fenders
Tips and tricks for fixing the rear fenders on the Revell 1/25 scale ’29 Ford Model A roadster kit
A common complaint about the new Revell 1/25 scale ’29 Ford Model A roadster (No. 85-4463) body has been the radically radiused rear fender openings. Trendy in 1/1 hot rods in the early 2000s, it quickly fell out of favor; the original factory design is preferred today. Here’s how you can modify the Revell body to correct the rear fender well to a factory-stock appearance.
Compare the factory-original rear wheel well design of an AMT 1929 Model A kit (left) to the Revell kit (right). The Revell body has many desirable features, including the windshield and cowl treatment and correct, outward-facing wheel-well strengthening beads.
Mark the correct height for the top of the fender opening with 1/8-inch-wide tape from the AMT body onto the Revell body. If you don’t have the AMT body, you can approximate this step using the body on the right in the photo as a reference.
Revell molds the inner wheel well with the interior side panels. Take the interior panels (parts 53 and 54) and tape them inside the Revell body, aligning them with the top of the interior wheel well mark from the AMT body. Mark the Revell body opening on the interior panels as shown. The driver’s side panel is shown below.
Carefully cut along the lines you’ve marked on the interior panels. Glue this arc-shaped piece into the Revell body, aligning the outside edge of the new part with the body’s exterior. Fine tune for the best fit before gluing. The top shows the completed operation. The small crosshatched area on both panels will need to be trimmed.
Smooth the body along the fender openings on each side to achieve a flush surface. Use Mr. Surfacer 500 to fill joints where the two parts meet. After sanding, prime the body, check for any flaws, and repeat the filler/sand/prime process until you are satisfied with the result.
The modified and painted Revell 1/25 scale Model A roadster body (top) preserves all the plusses of the modern kit body while restoring the fender wells to stock appearance with the correct, outward-facing beading.
Here you see two completed Revell 1929 Model A roadster hot-rod models, one in the original kit form (left) and one with the fender-well modification. Anyone familiar with full-size hot rods will immediately notice the difference. While these models show the kit’s channeled version, the difference will be even more evident if you build the kit’s highboy version instead. What’s more, if you’re not experienced with model car bodywork, this is a relatively simple project to begin building your skills.