Post by Chuck Most on Jul 30, 2010 16:44:45 GMT -5
Hmmm... nobody seems surprised that I'M the guy posting this!
Okay, where were we now...
First let me take you back to the late '70's, when this kit was first produced by Ertl, which, at that time was in no way affiliated with AMT. They produced three versions of the kit, the standard Scout II, the 'Off Road' model with special tires, headers, and a few other unique pieces, and the SSII, with that model's specific grille, door cutouts, and seats.
Then, about six years ago, RC2, in a rare moment of intellegence for them, decided that instead of reissuing one of the same ten old muscle car kits they'd already reissued five times the year before, decided to blow the dust of the old Ertl beauty. Available as a Hot Trucks issue (Wal-Mart versions of which included a crappy paint brush, crappier-yet non-toxic glue, and crappy but usable acrylic paint in two three-pot containers), or a standard blue background version, it was pretty much identical to the earlier versions, aside from the '77 style grille. Also it was molded in white (usually the glue/paint Walmart versions) or light gray (most other versions, though some of the ones which included paint, glue and brush were also molded gray... I've never run across one in white that did not include the other items).
The hard parts...
Detail wise, the kit is kind of a bummer, especially when you stack it up against Ertl's 'Big' IH kits of the same era (the Paystar and Transtar kits, which featured working steering and the like). The interior tub is molded to the chassis, and other than the upper radiator hose and battery, there is no engine room detail.
The interior is decent enough (though it's hidden by the thick one piece glass somewhat), but the inner door panels are molded WAY too long! Fortunately, the front seatbacks help to hide this. Their engraving is basic, but for the most part, it all looks correct and detailing helps. The dash is basic, but then, so it is on a 1:1 Scout II, and it looks very good with simple detailing.
The body is a mixed bag... Ertl got the basic shapes and details right, but dropped the ball in quite a few spots. There are missing panel cut lines at either end of the cowl, on either side of the 'splash apron', and at each rear quarter panel endcap. The hood is missing the peak that should run along its center, and worst of all- the hood and top edge of the grille are curved, which they should not be. This is compounded by the fact the headlamps and bezels are a bit underscale, and these two hiccups conspire to give the model a 'beady eyed' look. All of these are easily fixed, but you have to wonder what the Ertl people were thinking!
Running gear is largely good, if a bit simplified. The 345 falls a bit short in the department of detail, but looks good enough when cleanly built and detailed. Both Dana axles look okay, as do the 14" slot mags and Goodyear Tracker A/T tires. Some spare Dana diff covers from an AMT Mopar pro streeter, and a spare (or resin copied) transmission pan from an AMT/Ertl '71 Charger would help add some detail to the underside, but keep in mind, the floor of the interior tub is quite narrow!
The decals are pretty good- but the optional Rallye stripes fit poorly. If you line them up in one area, they're way off in another, I'd reccomend cutting them into separate hood, fender, door, and quarter sections like on a 1:1. Then again... these aren't the right decals for a '77-up model, so maybe you should just skip 'em altogether, or 'downgrade' the grille to a '76 version, which the original kit had.
Now, it might sound like I don't like this kit. That isn't true. It does have its faults, but all things considered, what you get isn't bad. Okay.. maybe some of my Binder Predjudice is showing... I'd love this kit even if it were COMPLETELY terrible. The fact that it isn't makes it more enjoyable, and the low parts count actually means it's an easy project to tackle, whether you choose to fix its faults or not.
And, it's cheap... I have yet to pay more than $20 for one at the hobby shop or online, and it's quite a bit cheaper than the original versions, when/if you can find them! It is certainly worth your time. Even a beginner can build a nice model from this kit, and a seasoned pro should have a blast making it into what it should have been or better OOB!
I've got several in my stash, and I'm always on the lookout for more!
Okay, where were we now...
First let me take you back to the late '70's, when this kit was first produced by Ertl, which, at that time was in no way affiliated with AMT. They produced three versions of the kit, the standard Scout II, the 'Off Road' model with special tires, headers, and a few other unique pieces, and the SSII, with that model's specific grille, door cutouts, and seats.
Then, about six years ago, RC2, in a rare moment of intellegence for them, decided that instead of reissuing one of the same ten old muscle car kits they'd already reissued five times the year before, decided to blow the dust of the old Ertl beauty. Available as a Hot Trucks issue (Wal-Mart versions of which included a crappy paint brush, crappier-yet non-toxic glue, and crappy but usable acrylic paint in two three-pot containers), or a standard blue background version, it was pretty much identical to the earlier versions, aside from the '77 style grille. Also it was molded in white (usually the glue/paint Walmart versions) or light gray (most other versions, though some of the ones which included paint, glue and brush were also molded gray... I've never run across one in white that did not include the other items).
The hard parts...
Detail wise, the kit is kind of a bummer, especially when you stack it up against Ertl's 'Big' IH kits of the same era (the Paystar and Transtar kits, which featured working steering and the like). The interior tub is molded to the chassis, and other than the upper radiator hose and battery, there is no engine room detail.
The interior is decent enough (though it's hidden by the thick one piece glass somewhat), but the inner door panels are molded WAY too long! Fortunately, the front seatbacks help to hide this. Their engraving is basic, but for the most part, it all looks correct and detailing helps. The dash is basic, but then, so it is on a 1:1 Scout II, and it looks very good with simple detailing.
The body is a mixed bag... Ertl got the basic shapes and details right, but dropped the ball in quite a few spots. There are missing panel cut lines at either end of the cowl, on either side of the 'splash apron', and at each rear quarter panel endcap. The hood is missing the peak that should run along its center, and worst of all- the hood and top edge of the grille are curved, which they should not be. This is compounded by the fact the headlamps and bezels are a bit underscale, and these two hiccups conspire to give the model a 'beady eyed' look. All of these are easily fixed, but you have to wonder what the Ertl people were thinking!
Running gear is largely good, if a bit simplified. The 345 falls a bit short in the department of detail, but looks good enough when cleanly built and detailed. Both Dana axles look okay, as do the 14" slot mags and Goodyear Tracker A/T tires. Some spare Dana diff covers from an AMT Mopar pro streeter, and a spare (or resin copied) transmission pan from an AMT/Ertl '71 Charger would help add some detail to the underside, but keep in mind, the floor of the interior tub is quite narrow!
The decals are pretty good- but the optional Rallye stripes fit poorly. If you line them up in one area, they're way off in another, I'd reccomend cutting them into separate hood, fender, door, and quarter sections like on a 1:1. Then again... these aren't the right decals for a '77-up model, so maybe you should just skip 'em altogether, or 'downgrade' the grille to a '76 version, which the original kit had.
Now, it might sound like I don't like this kit. That isn't true. It does have its faults, but all things considered, what you get isn't bad. Okay.. maybe some of my Binder Predjudice is showing... I'd love this kit even if it were COMPLETELY terrible. The fact that it isn't makes it more enjoyable, and the low parts count actually means it's an easy project to tackle, whether you choose to fix its faults or not.
And, it's cheap... I have yet to pay more than $20 for one at the hobby shop or online, and it's quite a bit cheaper than the original versions, when/if you can find them! It is certainly worth your time. Even a beginner can build a nice model from this kit, and a seasoned pro should have a blast making it into what it should have been or better OOB!
I've got several in my stash, and I'm always on the lookout for more!