Revell-Monogram '68 Corvette roadster 2n1 kit #2544

Engine

The venerable 435 horsepower 427 CID V-8 is the subject engine in this kit. The block/tranny is molded together with the oil pan, so a couple swipes of the sanding stick is necessary to remove the parting seam on the pan. The heads, valve covers, intake and exhaust manifolds, starter, distributor, alternator, water pump, oil filter, and fuel pump are separate pieces of note. A single 4-barrel carb with "spaceship" air cleaner are used for the stock version, while a GMC 6-71 supercharger with twin 4-barrel carbs and "bugcatcher" scoop is included to produce a blown version of the monster big block.

Chassis

Although the frame rails are molded into the floorboard on this kit's chassis, it nevertheless builds up into a thing of beauty. In back are a two-piece trailing arm, rear spring assembly, and separate shocks. Up front are two two-piece coil springs, lower suspension assembly, and separate tie rod. Assembly is simplified but the results look good. Two-piece radiator, steering box, separate frame crossmember, two-piece exhaust system with separate chrome tips, and two upper A-arms round out this beauty. Be careful if building the stock version to install the exhaust system <b><i>before</b></i> gluing the frame crossmember down or you'll have problems...the exhaust pipes fit snugly into rounded-out indents between the crossmember and the floorboard. Tires are Goodyear "Flexten" GT Radial P255/60R-15 with Chevrolet Rallye wheels inside on the stock version and plated "Billet" wheels for the street machine.

Interior

The bucket-type interior consists of separate door panels (nice touch), steering wheel, chromed inside mirror, separate steering column with turn signal stalk, separate parking brake lever and shifter, and three-piece bucket seats. The detailed console is molded into the floorboard and gas, brake, and clutch pedals are suspended from the bottom of the nicely detailed dashboard. Pedals have nice detail as well. Straightforward construction which results in a handsome looking cockpit. I painted mine satin black.

Body

The feature of the car that first attracted me to this kit has been flawlessly executed in this author's humble opinion. Contours look right on the money and emblem detail is strong enough not to get lost under a coat of paint. I painted my Corvette with<B> Rainbow Products' Marina Blue</B>. I know, I know...Marina Blue wasn't offered for '68 Corvettes, Ron Palmer of Rainbow Products even told me so himself at a recent local auto show that we both attended. But, boy does it look sweet on this car! I think GM should have offered this color for '68. One really neat feature of this body that surprised me is the opened "gills" behind the front wheelwell. Two separate hoods are included...the cowl-inducted 427 hood and a custom hood with center teardrop molding with a cutout for the monstrous blower assembly. Lakepipes and teardrop chrome mirrors adorn the street machine version while chromed body opening strips grace the exhaust tips where they protrude from the rear valance panel for the stock version. Chrome bumpers, grille, rocker panel moldings, and taillight surrounds with separate red plastic taillight lenses round out the exterior features. Also included are hard and soft uptops, which allows the builder the choice of coupe or ragtop versions. Decals include flames for hood and front fenders, engine decals, and two different versions of license plates from California, "GHI-771" in black and "68VETT" in white. Separate inner fenders with washer bottle and air chamber under the stock hood are also included, as well as separate firewall with separate brake booster, master cylinder, wiper canister, and upper and lower radiator hoses for the engine compartment.

Final Thoughts

I'm sure glad I attended the MAMA (Maryland Automotive Modelers' Association) meeting last month and caught sight of that '68 Corvette body laying there on the display table. Truthfully, otherwise I may never have given this kit a second thought, and that's a shame. I've kinda learned a valuable lesson from this: never brush off a kit that seems like it may not interest me, I just may lose out on a thoroughly enjoyable modeling experience!