# Building the classic Revell Outlaw



## Modlerbob (Feb 10, 2011)

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away a teenage boy tried to build this model. I honestly don't know whether I finished it but after that I stuck with building model cars from Monogram and AMT for a while. Recently I saw the Outlaw kit and the AMT Ala Kart at a model show and I bought them wondering how much better a job I could do now after many years of experience and improved skills. I started with the Outlaw and decided to build it pretty much straight from the box as I would have as a teenager. Doing some research online I saw images of other's builds of this kit and at first wasn't very impressed. Now I have come to realize that anyone who finishes this kit deserves praise no matter how bad the finished product looks. First it has a large amount of chrome parts and with the molds as old as they are there was a lot of flash to remove. To build this model for a show using the kit parts one would probably have to replate most of the chrome pieces after cleaning them up. I made do with the liberal use of Testors chrome silver after the model was assembled. Initially I made a couple of errors assembling the engine and had to carefully remove the heads and flip the over. The front axle is very fragile and the use of Tenax to attach the spring mounts weakened the axle to the point of breaking. I repaired it with super glue. The chassis builds up from separate rails and cross members and even though I did my best to keep it straight when I attached the wheels I found it was warped and the right front wheel was about 1/8" in the air. It was almost impossible at that stage to do much about it as the model is so fragile. Everything else progressed smoothly until it was time to add the decals on the body and front fenders. I don't have the skills to paint such details so to do the model as the Outlaw using the decals was necessary. They matched up poorly and would not conform to the compound curves of the model. It would have been better to come up with my own paint scheme and throw the decals away. In the end I got the model finished and from a couple of feet away it looks OK, but it ain't going to any shows.

Maybe sometimes it is best not to try to revisit one's past. This model came very close to ending up on the floor and getting crushed by my power chair. Next up is the Ala Kart and after looking in the box carefully I think it will be an easier build and as for color and decals I might just do my own custom paint job.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

The Outlaw seems to be one of those models that was produced for the sole purpose of testing the modelers' skills and patience. I haven't built one myself yet, but I can't recall ever hearing or reading any modeler's account of building one that didn't include a good deal of problematic assembly, painting, and/or decaling. I think most modelers these days would strip all of the chrome parts and repaint them with Alclad after assembly, and use setting solutions like Micro Sol to get the decals to lay down properly.

That said, in my opinion your build-up looks just fine in the photos you posted. Yeah, a close inspection reveals a couple of minor problem areas, but in my experience most people wouldn't even notice them if you didn't point them out.  Nice work!


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## Modlerbob (Feb 10, 2011)

I did use Alclad II on the rear axle assembly as it looked terrible after sanding off the flash. I also used the micro sol micro set system on the decals but they refused to conform to the curves. It may have been due to the age of the decals. Even though this was a rebox of the original kit I think it is over twenty years old.


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## Mr Morton (Feb 10, 2013)

Bob, from here in Sebastian, FL it looks just fine. Good job!


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

Beautiful.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Very excellent work on building one of the most brittle kits of all time!

I read somewhere that when Revell made the molds of these kits, they were going for "True Scale". According to an interview with Big Daddy, Revell took measurements of his cars and shrunk them down to make the model.

Since Roth couldn't make the fiberglass bodies exactly perfect, like a steel stamping from Detroit, the Revell model builders also inadvertantly copied some of the real car's imperfections into the kit. 

Also, because they used "True Scale" instead of building the model with some parts "just a little fatter" for durability, the end result was very thin plastic parts. While this is ok for straight coloured plastic, it became extremly brittle when chrome plated. 

AMT, on the other hand, never went for "True Scale". They understood the problem with those tollerances and made the parts slightly thicker than they really should be. That is why you will probably find Ala Kart easier to assemble.

Other Revell kits that used that "True Scale" include all the Roth kits (With exception to the "monster" series, like Mr. Gasser), the 1955, 1956, and 1957 Chevies (With the opening hood, doors and trunks) and the 1931 Ford Woodie (with the opening doors and tiny pin hinges). All of those kits are brittle and very hard to build.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

I'd never heard about that before MCR. Thanks for letting us know!


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

This is what I get for reading all those magazines!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Very cool work. Yes those old Revell cars can be TOUGH. Modern glues and paints and things like Alclad certainly help. I can't see building one of these in 1964 with tube glue and clothes pins. 

The Ala Kart goes together ok since its a new kit. AMT screwed up the old one decades ago so the current version is a new tooled design from the 2000s. Oddly the old one was more accurate in some ways (new one has the wrong engine).


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

djnick66 said:


> ...I can't see building one of these in 1964 with tube glue and clothes pins...


Hell, I _still_ use tube glue and clothes pins. :lol:


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

mmm....TESTER'S....


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## Whitewarrior0000 (Sep 8, 2013)

Nice job! And don't feel lonely Zombie_61! Alot of us still do!!


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## burheelwilles (Sep 12, 2013)

Modlerbob said:


> A long time ago in a galaxy far far away a teenage boy tried to build this model. I honestly don't know whether I finished it but after that I stuck with building model cars from Monogram and AMT for a while. Recently I saw the Outlaw kit and the AMT Ala Kart at a model show and I bought them wondering how much better a job I could do now after many years of experience and improved skills. I started with the Outlaw and decided to build it pretty much straight from the box as I would have as a teenager. Doing some research online I saw images of other's builds of this kit and at first wasn't very impressed. Now I have come to realize that anyone who finishes this kit deserves praise no matter how bad the finished product looks. First it has a large amount of chrome parts and with the molds as old as they are there was a lot of flash to remove. To build this model for a show using the kit parts one would probably have to replate most of the chrome pieces after cleaning them up. I made do with the liberal use of Testors chrome silver after the model was assembled. Initially I made a couple of errors assembling the engine and had to carefully remove the heads and flip the over. The front axle is very fragile and the use of Tenax to attach the spring mounts weakened the axle to the point of breaking. I repaired it with super glue. The chassis builds up from separate rails and cross members and even though I did my best to keep it straight when I attached the wheels I found it was warped and the right front wheel was about 1/8" in the air. It was almost impossible at that stage to do much about it as the model is so fragile. Everything else progressed smoothly until it was time to add the decals on the body and front fenders. I don't have the skills to paint such details so to do the model as the Outlaw using the decals was necessary. They matched up poorly and would not conform to the compound curves of the model. It would have been better to come up with my own paint scheme and throw the decals away. In the end I got the model finished and from a couple of feet away it looks OK, but it ain't going to any shows.
> 
> Maybe sometimes it is best not to try to revisit one's past. This model came very close to ending up on the floor and getting crushed by my power chair. Next up is the Ala Kart and after looking in the box carefully I think it will be an easier build and as for color and decals I might just do my own custom paint job.


Hey,, your car really looks awesome,, :thumbsup:
Great Job!! :thumbsup:
Can you suggest me some tips so I could also make a car for myself !!
automatic garage door opener


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