Originally produced by Monogram in 2000 for the Pro Modeler series, the Revell 1/25 scale 1970 Ford Torino Cobra plastic model kit has the “Shaker” hood scoop and can built as a standard Cobra or the special “Twister” edition. In late 1969, Ford built 190 Twister Special cars (mainly Torinos and Mustangs) for their Kansas City-area dealers, all painted Vermilion. I went with this version.
The six-page instructions have 28 concise steps and a brief history, parts index, and paint suggestions. You’ll want to follow the instructions’ build sequence, especially for the core support and grille area. Pay attention because there are a lot of small decals that need to be positioned as you go.
The 429 cid engine is well represented inside a busy engine compartment that includes a separate battery, voltage regulator, wiper motor, brake booster, and washer fluid container. There are two horns, but I could only find room to mount one.
The finished chassis consists of a separate rear axle, rear shocks, dual exhausts, driveshaft, and posable steering. The tie rod ends snap onto the movable spindles. I suggest waiting until the end of the build to snap them in place once. The front springs mount between the wheel well and the upper control arm. It might be easier to mount the springs to the wheel wells, remove the pin from the bottom of the spring, and let the spring float above the control arm. The interior floor forms the driveshaft tunnel; the resulting seam is not noticeable.
The vinyl tires surround chrome wheels and are decorated with white-letter, Firestone decals. The decals went on without issue, and no carrier film was noticeable.
The platform interior has detailed door panels and a dashboard with decals for the gauges. The seats, console, and steering wheel are separate pieces. The interior mirror is supposed to be mounted to the windshield, but rather than make a mess on the windshield, I mounted it between the sun visors. The individual windshield and rear glass are clear and fit well.
The crisply molded body had little flash. I mounted the rear valance before painting but left the front valance loose. I mounted this valance and the radiator wall after gluing the body to the chassis. Fixed hood hinges mount to the hood. They enter slots in the firewall that will let you pose the hood open. However, you will need to make a hood rod to keep the hood up. The blackout panel on the hood is a one-piece decal. It laid down well with the help of decal setting solution and a hair dryer. I got over-aggressive with mine and damaged it.
The only fit issue I ran into was mounting the hood pins. They stand proud of the hood. I sanded mine down until there was almost nothing left. As an alternative, you might countersink their recesses, but be careful not to go through the hood. I pinned the mirrors and door handles for added strength. I mounted the Shaker scoop last to make sure it was centered over the hood opening.
As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of decals, but they all performed well and definitely added to the model.
This is a straightforward build as long as you follow the build sequence. It took me around 58 hours to complete and would be a suitable project for an intermediate modeler with a couple of years of experience. Always a popular subject, I was happy to see the Revell 1/25 scale ’70 Ford Torino Cobra plastic model kit in the company’s lineup.