The 1939 Chevrolet sedan delivery, like similar offerings from other auto-makers, was purpose-built to serve as a delivery vehicle on a passenger car platform. Later on, sedan delivery of different makes became popular in the hot-rodding world, even becoming a common sight from the late 1970s onward.
Revell’s 1/24 scale ’39 Chevy sedan delivery plastic model kit has roots in the Monogram ’39 Chevy sedan delivery hot rod kit from 1978. In 2005, Revell revived the 1939 Chevy sedan delivery, this time as a lowrider. Not reissued again until now, Revell, for its second go, has taken the kit back to its hot-rod beginnings.
The kit includes an all-new decal sheet with logos for four companies and beer barrels that appear to come from the Monogram 1/24 scale Tom Daniels “Beer Wagon” kit. Also new this time are the American Racing Gambler-style wheels you’d find in the Monogram ’39 Chevy coupe kit. Other optional parts include a drop visor, fog lamps, rear seats, a cut-out sunroof, and a swan hood ornament.
The Chevy big-block engine has remained the same since the kit’s original release and is fairly basic. Beginners should have no trouble building it. You’ll have clean up a seam between the engine halves.
The engine dresses up well with speed goodies like a dual-quad ram-style intake manifold, tube headers, embossed valve covers, and what looks like a magneto. However, there are no air cleaners. I ended up using some from my spares box.
The chassis comes as a single part with the exhaust system and fuel tank molded in place. You’ll have to clean up the part from front to back. Simplified front and rear suspensions attach with a positive locator pin, making a good base for detailing.
The engine, radiator and hose, and shocks all fit the chassis with no issues. My sample contained a short-shot driveshaft. I hunted through my spares box to find a front U-joint to mate to the transmission.
When it comes to the body and fenders, you’ll find crisply molded parts needing little cleanup, mainly the seam that runs off both ends of the drip rail down the side to the rear and forward to the cowl. If you are not going with the optional sunroof, I suggest filling the recesses on the inside with putty.
You’ll need to rectify a modest seam on the front of the side trim on the hood, too. Both options for the hood ornament look out of scale to me.
Designed to open, the hinges for the rear door are finicky and weak. If you’re a beginner, glue the door in place and leave it alone. If you want a challenge, be aware that the plastic pins are fragile, can break, and paint may hinder movement. You could replace the plastic pins with metal ones for more strength, but the hinges themselves remain weak.
The sedan delivery doesn’t have much of an interior, with carpeted floor and rear deck. A short-throw shifter and some old-style, high-back, skinny bucket seats, dash, and steering wheel complete the cabin. You’ll find two styles of instrument clusters on the decal sheet. I sanded off the molded-on gauges before painting.
The instructions show the dashboard glued directly to the bottom of the windshield. I found it easier to glue the windshield into the body first and then glue the dash in place after the window is set.
The firewall had a big hole in the middle that revealed the driver’s compartment. I filled it with styrene sheet. Not a difficult fix, but an unexpected requirement.
Overall, the Revell 1/24 scale 1939 Chevy sedan delivery plastic model kit is an older design that would be good for beginners or as a trip down Memory Lane for older modelers. The new updates, like the decals, barrels, and wheels, make the ’39 Chevy sedan delivery a fun hot rod to build.