AMT/Ertl. 1/25 scale ProShop 1966 Chevy Nova

Manufacturer:AMT/Ertl, P.O. Box 500, Highways 136 & 20, Dyersville, IA 52040-0500, 800-553-4886
www.racn.com
Kit: No. 31218
Scale: 1/25
Price: N/A
Comments: Injection-molded, 117 parts (4 vinyl), decals
Pros: Prepainted, good finish, good fit
Cons:Gaps in seats show unpainted plastic. Silver-painted trim would be better covered with foil, hood color lighter than body

Ask any car modeler what is the most time-consuming part of building a model kit, and the answer will probably be "painting." AMT/Ertl has addressed this with its pre-painted kits in which all of the parts in the kit are painted and detailed. AMT's sturdy box has a clear window to show off the decorated body. The pre-painted small parts are packaged in strips of clear-plastic pillows with the part numbers stenciled on each pillow.


The '66 Nova body is painted in metallic blue with a white stripe running the length of both sides. The paint finish is smooth, but I polished it a bit. The hood of my sample didn't get as much paint as the body and is noticeably lighter in color. The silver paint on the Nova's chrome trim and emblems look nice, but I covered most of the trim with Bare-Metal Foil for a little more realism. I was impressed with painted turn signals, SS emblems, and the grille, which has a black wash already applied.


The platform-style interior comes painted a nice satin black with the door handles and dashboard detailed with silver paint. One area that needs attention is the two-piece seats. When assembled they have a noticeable gap with the unpainted insides showing through. I retouched with Dutch Boy Satin Black spray paint, a near match. Assembly of the interior was straightforward and everything else fit well.


The chassis is modeled after a generic pro-street frame - stock suspension up front with a narrowed, racing-style rear end. The chassis pan is painted the same blue as the body, with the frame rails picked out in gloss black. The front end consists of separate upper and lower A-arms, spindles, and springs. There is also a steering box that connects to the tie rod. The rear end is well detailed and includes optional wheelie bars.


The Chevy 327 engine is a nice easy build that looks good in the finished car. Painted Chevy orange, the engine has separate heads, an oil pan, and a front cover that are a slightly different color than the block. Chrome parts comprise the top half of the engine and really add a performance feel to it. The transmission is molded to the block halves but is painted aluminum. With the oil pan as a separate part, the one visible seam that runs down the center of the tranny is hardly noticeable. The only extra detailing that I did to the engine was to paint the pulleys chrome silver.


This was a pleasant five hours of building that turned out a decent car model. This kit would be perfect for the young or inexperienced modeler who would like to avoid painting.