63 Chevy Nova 1/25 from Trumpeter

I bough this kit back in 2004 and it was one of the biggest surprises I ever had with a model kit. I didn’t know much about Trumpeter. They used to make airplanes and other military model kits, that was all I knew. This kit is one of the few cars they made so far. The quality of the model is really good. Nice details and in general the parts are very well done. It doesn’t have so many rough shapes and it doesn’t require much clean up work – just some little here and there. Let’s get into detail:

First the downsides. The body seems to be a bit too small when you hold it in your hands. Maybe it is just a feeling, but it feels out of scale with the other 1/25 model cars. Another thing is that it doesn’t include a closed soft top as other convertibles do (for example the 65 Ford Mustang from Revell or the 48 Ford Convertible also from Revell). Besides, it only has one set of wheels and rims – not so good for the custom builders. Last but not least, it only includes one engine. But not all is bad with this model kit.

The good news are: The model features some details made with photo etched parts. For instance, the “Nova” emblems for the sides. But what got he most is that this model also includes hood hinges. They are built of several photo etched parts, that properly folded and assembled, make a full working hood hinge (see instruction above) – it also includes non movable plastic hood hinges for the lazy ones. The engine compartment in general is pretty good. As you can see in the instructions above, the wheel houses are pretty well detailed.

All in all, I can say that the instructions are pretty good. In the pic above you can see that the steps are pretty well described. Here you can see some other nice details, such as the working front suspension or the body trims on the sides. It also includes chromed rear mirrors, door handles, windshield wipers and gas cap. Of course, the bumpers are chromed too as well as the rims. The rear lights are built from several parts, such as the chromed light frame and the clear red parts.

The inside of the hood and trunk lide are made of a separate part, as shown in the picture above. This makes the model car look pretty realistic. I personally like the fact that it includes a 6 cylinder engine. It makes the kit a bit more diverse – after all, almost every kit comes with the V8.

The chromed parts are pretty neat and clean, as you can see on the picture above.

Let’s get the specs all at once:

• Over 150 parts
• Working hood hinges
• Opening trunk lid
• Photo etched Nova emblems
• Vinyl Tires
• Working steering mechanism (didn’t I mentioned that above?)
• Working front suspension
• Lots of chromed parts

Downsides

• Only one set of tires and rims
• Only one engine
• No closed soft top

And yes, I will make a junker out of it! I can already see the rusted through floor 😉

Tagged as: 1963 chevy, chevrolet convertible, chevy nova, kit review, trumpeter