Ford introduced its Bronco in 1966, and the first generation ran until 1977 in one of three configurations: the roadster, station wagon, and the half-cab pickup. Revell has brought us a couple of variants of the fabled Bronco, and a couple of resin casters have even offered a half-cab retrofit for previous issues. But now Revell brings us the half-cab in a complete kit—no need for additional parts! And as a bonus, Revell paired the Bronco with a reissue of the Sandman dune buggy and dual-axle trailer that hasn’t been seen for decades.
Starting with the Bronco itself, the instructions have you build the 19-part 302 small-block V8 and attached transmission first. The parts needed minimal cleanup, and the powerplant went together with no complications whatsoever. The chassis assembles as well as the engine and required only cursory attention to mold lines and a little flash. Against the instructions, I completed the chassis before installing the engine, powertrain, and wheels. The kit wheels are supposed represent 15-inch rims but are undersized and measure barely 14 scale inches. However, the all-terrain unbranded tires look the part and have a nice tread.
As one would expect from a first-generation Bronco, the minimalist interior comes equipped with floor pans that you should paint the same color as the body, a set of seats, door panels, and a shifter. The immaculate Bronco body shows crisp details, clean lines, and didn’t need much attention at all beyond spraying some paint.
Marrying the body and interior to the chassis went flawlessly, and the clear windshield, roof, and final details completed the iconic four-wheeler.
With the main course out of the way, I was up for some dessert, but I needed to pause first and complete the trailer. Not too challenging, you can probably build and paint the trailer in a single session. However, to my eye, the plastic wheels appear to be small—a holdover from the kit’s vintage pedigree.
Finally, I get to the Sandman dune buggy! This kit last saw the light of day as part of the Monogram Mr. Sandman Chevy pickup kit all the way back in the early ‘80s. Brought back for this release, I was excited to build it.
A pretty basic model, the dune buggy comprises 27 parts, including two-piece plastic tires with integrated rims. You’ll need to be good with masking to paint them satisfactorily. Even though the kit engineering shows its age, the molds have held up well, the parts fit precisely, and the dune buggy was a real joy to assemble.
Every aspect of this kit (really a 3-in-1) was enjoyable. I encountered no issues at all and plan on buying a couple of these sets as the aftermarket offers all kinds of off-road parts to help upgrade Revell Bronco kits. A set of vinyl rubber tires and separate wheels for the dune buggy would be nice. Overall, I would recommend this kit to anyone who has a love for the first-generation Bronco. A new or novice builder may find the dune buggy’s plastic wheel/tire combinations a challenge. The rest of the builds easily without any stress.