Revell 1983 Hurst Oldsmobile
Almost a decade ago, Revell announced a couple of new entries in their much-maligned "Donks" series. Both kits were to be all-new, simplified subjects rendered in 1:25 scale. One was a Buick Regal, and the other was to be an '87 Cutlass Supreme. After the initial announcement, not much else was said, and soon after the two kits were quietly shelved. While many were fond to bid the two might-have-been kits good riddance, others, while not exactly in love with the Donk-style and oversized wheels, lamented the loss, thinking that either kit could be modified into a fairly decent stock Regal or Cutlass. At any rate, that was that. Until...
Revell at some point decided to do a major rework of the prototype tooling, and release the kit not as a modified '87 Cutlass Supreme, but as a 1983 Hurst Oldsmobile. For me personally, this was good news, as the moment I saw the photos of the prototype Donk kit, I was already making a list of what I'd need to convert it to this very version. Needless to say, Revell just saved me quite a bit of effort. The 1983 model was the 15th anniversary Hurst/Olds, and came only in the paint scheme shown- black over silver with red accents. It was easily the best looking version of the '81-'88 Cutlass variants.
So, you'd think that after nearly a decade in development, the kit would be an epic tour-de-force, something that would re-write the book on detail and accuracy? Well, perhaps for an '80's subject like this. In many ways it is a typical modern Revell offering, and in others, well... let's just take a look.
The body captures the look of the real car pretty well, although you can see that the engine bay and many of the accessories are molded in place. If you look closely at the roof, you can see where the T-tops on the prototype used to be- there are some faint machine marks. I think a little primer and sanding should take care of that fairly quickly, but the fact that it slipped through the cracks in the first place is a bit of a head-scratcher. Overall, the body is molded pretty well, with no warpage or distortion present.
The hood, front fender slats, and spoiler are included on the sprue to the right- these are all specific to the Hurst version. Same story for the sprue to the left, which includes the front fascia, rear bumper, air cleaner assembly, and steering wheel. The grille pattern is molded into the fascia, and the engraving isn't sharp, so a little care will be needed to avoid clogging it up with paint. Also, you'll need to cover the backs of the headlight lenses with Bare Metal Foil, as no plated headlight buckets are provided.
The axle has decent surface detail, but stealing a page from the old Monogram playbook, the top is molded open. This has been a sore point for some modelers, personally it's a non-issue for me. That sprue also contains the springs, shocks, and wheel pin retainers. The two-piece bucket seats have decent detail, including the upholstery pattern and the ash trays in each seat back.
The gauge panel is separate from the dash- you place the gauge decal onto the dash and then secure the panel over it. The inner door panels, steering column, and mirrors are also included on this sprue. All of these parts have decent surface detail, but Revell provides no more detailing graphics for the dash on the decal sheet aside from the gauges.
The exhaust system and front suspension are done as one-piece castings, and the starter, alternator, and AC compressor are provided as separate pieces. Strangely, Revell does not supply any mounting brackets for the engine-driven accessories.
Again, borrowing from early Monogram, the oil pan is molded to the engine block. For reasons which completely defy me, the valve covers are also molded to the cylinder heads. Those two gripes notwithstanding, the engine is fairly complete as far as details go. There are better second-gen Olds V8 engines in kit form, but to be fair this one isn't exactly a wasted effort.
The interior tub has the back seat, console, and pedals molded in place. Something of a step down compared to the platform-style interiors we've gotten used to, but it looks more than up to the job. I'll save the final verdict until after I've gotten it assembled and detailed. The package shelf looks a little short, but the ones in the real Cutlasses of this era were as well, and I'm not sure how obvious it will be on the completed model.
The chassis and floor pan are molded as one unit, and the lower half of the fan shroud is molded in place. It's been a while since I've been underneath a Cutlass of this era, but it looks like Revell got the basic details and features right, anyway.
The chrome sprue is fairly restrained, featuring only the mirror faces, rearview mirror, the signature Hurst "Lightning Rods" shifter (also known as a "His and Hers shifter"), and the Olds Rally wheels. The part in the lower left corner is not called out in the instructions or parts list, but I'm going to go on a limb and assume it's a hood ornament, meant for some future non-Hurst version of this kit.
And no, our eyes don't deceive you- the red stripe along the wheel rim comes already painted (or rather, printed) on them, saving you a little frustration. Or fun, depending on how you view such things.
Each piece of glass is separate- windshield, backlight, quarter glass, all lamp lenses and the gauge panel lens. The tail lamps come treated in transparent red paint. As is typical with modern Revell kits, four small aluminum pins are provided to mount the wheels and tires to the suspension.
The tires are.... well.... they're recycled no-name bias-ply units. They'd be fine for a late '60's or early '70's car, but are way out of place for an '83. Since Revell is planning more variants of this kit, tooling up some appropriate period-correct radials would have been a good move. I'll be checking my spares to see if I have something more appropriate. The '83 Hurst Oldsmobile came standard with Goodyear Eagles with raided white letters, so even if you just stuck with the kit tires some dry transfers or decals would improve the look to a degree.
The instruction sheet is also typical "late model" Revell, with a brief history of the real car on the first page, followed by basic assembly tips, a parts list, and then the assembly sequence.
The decal sheet is fairly small, but includes all of the important markings. I'm a bit worried about how some of the stripes will conform to the curves and creases in the body, but then again, I've never been great with decals like these. It is up to you to paint the lower part of the body in silver.
So... was it worth the near-decade wait? To be honest, it's a mixed bag. I'm glad it's here. I do admit some bias- I pretty much grew up in the long shadow cast by Olds HQ in Lansing, Michigan. As a kid, many of my friends had a parent or aunt/uncle who worked at the Olds factory, and it seemed like every third or fourth car you'd see on the road. Even now, 12 years after the last Oldsmobile was built, they're still a common sight the closer you get to Ingham county. And I've always been fond of the '81-'88 Cutlass Supreme, and the '83 Hurst in particular. So I'm willing to look past the flaws to a degree.
Even then, the oversimplification, the iffy tires, and the fact this new Revell kit sort of looks and "feels" like a 1986-era Monogram offering (albeit in 1:25 scale instead of 1:24), I can certainly understand the cold feeling quite a few modelers have expressed. On the one hand, I can understand Revell cuting a few corners- it's not like they can squeeze a dozen variants out of this tooling. But on the other hand, I can see quite a bit of cross-genre appeal for this kit. Revell can market this kit to everyone from replica-stock muscle car enthusiasts to the lowrider guys. Most modelers know that you are never restricted to what's shown in the box, so taking a stock kit and turning it into a lowrider or a drag car will definitely be happening. Hell, I'm pretty sure a few guys will turn it back into a t-top Donk!
Bottom line is, this is a good kit. But if it were just a bit closer in design to a modern Revell full-detail kit, rather than an '80's Monogram offering, it might have been a great kit.
That being said, I'm good for a few, and I can't wait to see what Revell does with it next.
