This is a new review build for Scale Military Modelling International magazine, my forth one in the last year and the second 1/24th scale automotive kit released by ICM. The Mercedes Benz G4 I did last summer was a great model to build, even with its faults and the fiddly bits on the suspension, but this is even better from the first impressions of the kit.
First I will deal with the chassis. This kit has a proper complete chassis that comes separate from the floor section of the car. The chassis needs to be assembled and it consists of several parts for the chassis frames and front and rear suspension assemblies. Whilst building up the chassis, I deviated from the instructions slightly and added the cross braces in the middle section of the chassis. These two parts are not meant to be added until the chassis is fixed to the floor section of the body, but I wanted to fully assembled for painting. The front suspension on this model is a nice and solid unit, thus meaning that I will not have the problems of the sagging front axle I experienced on the G4.
The Admiral has a straight 6 cylinder 3.6 litre that produces 75hp. ICM have produce a great replica of this Opel engine with some nice and clean detail on it. I have only needed to remove a few mould line on the parts so far and the engine assembled up without any trouble. To finish off the engine, you only need to add some HT leads, hoses, wires and fuel lines around the engine bay. I am thinking about doing this and will need to find out the firing order for this engine.
Over the weekend, I had a little fun with his model. For a laugh I dropped the big block Chevy V8 I am using in the 53 BelAir and it has given me an idea for a future project. But putting this larking about aside, the proper engine sits on two mounts on the front suspension, then supported at the rear by the prop shaft and by no other means. I am going to have a good think about this and do some research into it to see if there was any support for the gearbox.
The Opel six would be close to correct for a stock '53 Bel Air. It's basically a Chevy Stovebolt 6.
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