# Building the Revell Lincoln Futura



## moonbus01

Anyone know of a decent tutorial on building this kit ? On some builds I've seen, the final fit looks a bit dodgy. I've already gotten over the shock of the multi-piece body and tires. I've heard there is a bit of warpage, so maybe that's what I am seeing. I have collected loads of photo reference material, and will be building this kit stock. I already know about the cars' history and Batmobile connection, etc. Any building insight will be appreciated. Thx, Rob.


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## rtbeuke

Here are a couple photos of the one I built using the colors similar to the illustrations on the box, but it actually should be a Pearl White in color.

I did a lot of pre-fitting and taping the parts together, filing and sanding as needed, then once they looked right I used an MEK based liquid "weld" type cement. Plastic Weld comes to mind.

Just take your time and make sure to check fit before gluing.

I have a second one that I'm going to build in the pearl white colors.

The one you have in your photo was the original that was painted red for the movie "It Started with a Kiss". If I can find another kit I'd like to build it in that color too.


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## djnick66

I've built the kit a few times. I like the box art color, but, as noted, the real car started out in pearl white.










The main issues with the kit center around fit, or lack of it. The multi part body takes some fiddling to get together, and the chrome parts which wrap around the car at the belt line are rough and ill fitting.

I built my kits "out of the box" and worked with what you got from Revell as best as I could. But, if you want a cleaner body, I would consider doing it this way:

Cut the floor area out of the chassis as neatly as possible. Basically you are removing a big rectangle. Clean up the edges and glue some strips of plastic inside the bottom edges of the lower body to act as a ledge for when you glue the bottom back in place later.

The reason for cutting the bottom out is so you can fit the interior in place after the body is painted, more like a regular car model. Otherwise, getting the interior in place, everything painted and masked, etc. is a pain.

Glue the body together as neatly as possible. The side seams are the worst. 

Take the chrome sprue and either strip all the chrome of everything (using ammonia, oven cleaner, or Castrol Super Clean). Be sure to remove the clear lacquer layer under the chrome. If you don't want to strip the antennas and hub caps, cut them of first. But, the kit chrome isn't great and its easier to refinish it all later.

Next, you can clean up and install all of the chrome trim on the body. There are wrap around areas at the corners of the bumpers that have gaps, and those can be puttied and sanded out. You can sand and fill in around the chrome strips for a seamless, smooth look. Also, by working with the bare plastic on the body and chrome, you are getting a good, solid, glue joint.

Assemble the interior and test fit it to the body. Same with the kit's underwhelming wheels. The tires are an odd size. I never found any great replacements, but I didn't look too hard either. Its not like they are terribly visible.

Now paint the body in the color of your choice. I used a pale pearl green Tamiya spray paint on my car. The chrome can be done in two ways. First: When the paint is THOROUGHLY dried. Carefully mask off the paint, leaving the chrome areas exposed. Airbrush them with Alclad II "Chrome". Despite what you hear on the internet, this does not have to be applied over a black base coat. It can be, and you can paint the chrome areas gloss black first. But, you do not have to. Apply the Alclad Chrome very lightly until you get a smooth, bright, finish. Too much gives a duller, dusty, finish. You can use Spazstyx chrome too, although I have no personal experience with it.

The second option is to do the chrome with good, old fashioned, Bare Metal Foil. This is actually pretty easy, although it takes some time. You can use this on the window frames too (I did on my car above). You can work the BMF into the grill by using smaller pieces of foil and any seams can be polished out with a Q-tip. BMF also works or the badgework on the body, dash trim, etc.

Last steps are simply adding the interior, glass, antenna, wheels, etc.


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## moonbus01

Thanks for all of the useful information, especially the removal of the floor pan; that just makes sense! I like that you included the nuclear couple. I'm going to paint mine as Lucy and Ricky.


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## djnick66

The Revell Cadillac Broughm is another tricky build. In that one you can actually build the whole body and then, one piece at a time, add the interior after the fact. Then glue the separate roof in place. These kits have a lot of appeal but are really challenging to build. To be fair, these are some of the first 1/24/25 car kits.


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## aussiemuscle308

I also cut out the chassis when building this so i could glue and paint the body as one


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## djnick66

Looks nice in red. I find this kit really addictive. I've sold all of the ones I have built in the past. I still have two more of the kits in my stash. I'm surprised no one ever bothered to make a new kit of the car.


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## f1steph

That's a basic kit, too bad they didn't retooled one with more realistic detailing. I've built one in light blue color but indeed, the real color was pearl white. 
Speaking of ''It started with a kiss'', that movie was on TCM a couple of weeks ago. It's pretty cool to see it in red and not black and also without 2 weird dudes in it... hihihihi.... 

Here's mine:
https://goo.gl/photos/1pxJR778ZafDass26


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## BatToys

The late Bill Lastovich was the Revell Production Manager and he asked me if they should reissue the Lincoln Futura. I said Yes! That it would sell for Batmobile conversions. Later he said they could not find the windshield canopies mold. The original canopies mold had a defect that made a bifocal line in the middle. Bill asked me if they should keep that bifocal line for the new mold and I said no as the real car did not have that. 

Before they reissued it, the Futura was one of the hardest kits to find. I saw a built one at a toy show and did a double take at this green Batmobile. I wrote an article about it in Bill Bruegman's Model and Toy Collector first issue. Readers wrote that was the reason they subscribed to it.

A model car collector who literally had every car model ever made. His house was floor to ceiling car model kits like wallpaper. I bought his first issue Lincoln Futura kit. He said he saw the original car and that the color shifted. It was pearlescent white that could look blue/green.


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## BrianM

Nice builds!


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## aussiemuscle308

BatToys said:


> Yes! That it would sell for Batmobile conversions.




that boat has sailed now that AMT has released a proper license batmobile kit. i've not seen many built as a Futura.


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## BatToys

aussiemuscle308 said:


> that boat has sailed now that AMT has released a proper license batmobile kit. i've not seen many built as a Futura.


Yes but the Futura reissue was years before the great AMT 1966 Batmobile kit.
At that time no one thought the mess of Batmobile rights would be resolved.


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## f1steph

I bought 3 Futura kits when it was reissued. I've built one in light blue (link somewhere above), one converted into the 1966 Batmobile with scartchbuilt details (turned out kinda crappy). That was wayyyy before the end of the saga of rights between WB, Barris, DC's..... So I've got one more in my stock that I intend to built as it should be pretty soon.... stay put for more details...hehehe... I've already started collecting the parts that I need for this project....

There's wasn't any ''legal'' Batmobile on the market a couple years back. So I bought 2 resin kits from a guy in Italy (and one conversion kit for the 55 Futura that I've never used). I've built one of the resin kits with a flashing beacon and reactor flame.

https://goo.gl/photos/udpagPJTDmQG5jYK7

Steph


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