The last time I saw the Revell 1/12 scale ‘69 Camaro Z/28 kit was when it was released as a Chip Foose edition. This new re-boxing, the Revell 1/12 scale 1969 Camaro Z/28 3’N 1 plastic model kit, gives you the ability to build the car stock, street, or drag. The retro box art on the cover is enticing, and I also like that Revell shows the decal sheet on the side panel of the box, along with a paint guide if you choose to use Revell colors.
When you open up your kit, you will notice that everything is wrapped securely and inside compartments to keep parts safe from damage. A 24-page booklet provides suggestions for tools you’ll need as well as assembly instructions. The step-by-step instructions can be vague at times. Be mindful, always test-fit the parts before applying glue, and you shouldn’t have too many problems. The instructions also have a helpful paint guide.
The kit’s V8 engine assembly starts with the carburetors and air cleaner. Choose from a stock or street-racing setup. Assembly is straightforward, and the variety of decal options adds realism to the large-scale engine. The kit does not have stock exhaust manifolds, using headers instead, which I prefer in this instance. The kit provides spark-plug wires and a diagram for proper wiring in Step 14. Make sure that you leave the stock air cleaner with the carburetor setup off — you’ll install them near the end of the build.
The nicely detailed chassis looked good out of the box, and I decided not to paint it. For Step 22, as you assemble the radiator (Part 42), radiator shroud (Part 43), and radiator support (Part 41), you may want to leave this entire assembly out and not place it during Step 23. When I joined the finished chassis to the body, the radiator support panel made it nearly impossible to close up. I ended up removing this entire subassembly, which allowed me to install the chassis into the body. Then, put the radiator support with the radiator and shroud in from the top. Revell also supplies tubing heater hoses — another nice touch!
The front suspension assembled in typical fashion, but I noticed the front wheels sit a little proud. The exhaust fits nicely into all the locator holes. However, I think that the ends of the exhaust could be spread out a little further so they don’t contact the rear spring shackles. I had the stock rear shackles in place and wasn’t happy with the ride height. The rear sat way too low, and there is no room to adjust to make them sit higher. So, I switched to the street-racing shackles for a better ride height.
You have a variety of choices when it comes to wheels and tires for this kit: stock wheels; a set of four street-racing, five-spoke mag wheels; and 10 tires. I went with the street-racing setup.
The Camaro’s interior went together without any issues. I really liked all the decal options, from the houndstooth seats to the custom wood-grain center console and dashboard. I did have a slight problem getting a seat decal to lay properly, but it may have been from handling the decal a little too much.
When it came to the Camaro body, I really had my heart set on using the stripes from the decal sheet. I tried to be very careful with these, but they are very transparent, and, with the bumps in the hood, it made it nearly impossible for the stripes to look straight without them tearing. I tried to save the stripes, but nothing seemed to work. I ended up painting the stripes for the car instead of using the decals.
Up front, the grille, fog lights, bumper, and lower chin spoiler fit well. In steps 48 and 49, you install the rear and front glass. The windshield doesn’t fit properly. Be careful not to stretch it too far to the pillar posts, or you will crack it, like I did. Luckily, I had a backup windshield and set it in place without pressing it completely to the pillar post, leaving a slight gap.
Joining the body to the chassis can be a bit of a challenge. As mentioned, I left out the radiator support and assembly. Take your time and work through any problems you encounter. Once it’s on, all that’s left are the antenna, mirrors, windshield wipers, and door handles. I kept a few under-the-hood components from the earlier steps in the kit, and some factory decals for the end.
The Revell 1/12 scale 1969 Camaro Z/28 3’N 1 plastic model kit takes a lot of time and patience, but builds into a nicely detailed replica, though with a few shortcomings that modelers will have to work to minimize or correct. These challenges make the Camaro a good kit for experienced builders, but unsuitable for novices.