SCALE MODEL NEWS

THIS 1:25 SCALE CHEVROLET IMPALA is one of the Revell California Wheels collection. It can also be used to make the custom Impala that starred in the 1973 movie American Graffiti , directed by George Lucas, also famed for his  Star Wars and Indiana Jones sagas. Mat Irvine:  On the face of it, what has a Revell 1958 Chevrolet Impala got to do with the classic  American Graffiti movie? Yes, there is a ’58 Impala in the film, but it has a specific red pinstripe finish over white, the Revell kit box depicting the model in blue. But look at the alternative white finish on one of the box ends, and the supplied decal set. There, the car is finished in white with red pinstriping, closely matching the car in  American Graffiti.  Forget the other cars on screen – John Milner’s Ford Deuce Hot Rod, Bob Falfa’s ’55 Chevy, even the mysterious blonde’s white T-Bird – it’s Steve Bolander’s ’58 Impala that you see most, even if it was driven mostly by Terry ‘The Toad’ Field. ...

THIS 1:87 SCALE MEL’S DRIVE-IN KIT will please model makers and movie buffs alike, as it features the famed restaurant seen in the classic 1973 movie American Graffiti . Mat Irvine: Mels drive-in - or rather ‘Mels drive-ins’-  exists for real, as there are seven of them, with an eighth opening in 2018. However, the original diner seen in the movie was demolished more than 40 years ago. But no matter, for Moebius takes us back to days past, when Mels was situated at 140 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. Moebius decided to add this iconic building specifically for 1:87 scale (H0 gauge) railroad layouts, and of course it is also to the same scale as countless H0 vehicles on the market. The bulk of the kit is in plastic ( above ) but the interior fittings and booths ( below ) are built up from card cutouts, a feature common with many other H0 railroad building kits. Clear acetate is supplied for the windows, and various card signs are provided to place at your discretion. The stru...