Revell 1/24 Pickup with Snow Plow
By Fabrizio Fae
THE TRUCK
Revell released this GMC Pickup with Snow Plow in their TRUCKS series. In 1977 the GMC pickup received a restyled front end, new exterior colors, new interior fabrics and a new interior hood release latch. The engine was a 350 cubic inch V8 and 4-wheel drive was a popular option. A nice strong truck, it was used for work or play.
THE KIT
The first thing that will capture you is the nice orange truck with red snowplow on the light blue/gray background of the box. The box is a little bigger and heavier than usual. This model is in 1/24th scale, which means it's 24 times smaller than the real truck. One side of the box describes the model's features, such as its length (8 1/16") and the number of parts included (103 - this explains the "extra" weight of the box). The kit is molded in white plastic. There is a short description of the real truck and plow plus suggested colors that you may use during construction. There are also four pictures of the completed model that show how its detail and these will give you a nice idea of this truck.
The best part is opening the box, and starting to look at all those parts. Inside there are three bags with all the white plastic parts, a bag with the chrome parts, one with the clear parts and one bag with the tires, plus the instructions and a decal sheet. The instructions are a 16-page booklet-don't be scared, they are simple and easy to read. They include a brief history of the pickup and snowplow. The instructions have an illustrated step-by-step build sequence, the color recommendations, and a full page for decal placement, with also two pictures of the finished model.
The cab and bed are separate pieces; the plastic is very nice and soft. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there is no flash around the plastic-they did a beautiful job on those molds. On the cab interior there are some nice details, like the shifter on the floor, and a CB radio. You have the option of cutting a sunroof for the cab and this is explained in the instructions. Another great detail are the front fender mudflaps. For the bed there is a roll bar, the CB antenna, a pair of off-road lights, a gas can, and a spare tire with cover for the tailgate. Another thing that is very nice is that the bed floor is not attached to the bed sides and tailgate. This is a huge plus, because you can paint the bed in a different color than the body, without the issue, or problem, of masking each part for painting them.
The chassis is also very well made, with a lot of details. The motor is a fuel injected 350 cubic inch V-8. You can build it with white plastic or chrome rocker covers, which is a nice touch because sometimes you want to build a stock engine but you need to remove the chrome from the valve covers. Or you want chrome valve covers and the kit only comes with white plastic! Here you have both to choose from. The clear parts are very nice and scratch free. The chrome parts are as always, nice. They are well plated and detailed. The chrome grille has a GMC logo and the headlights and off road lights have clear lenses, which give them a nice realistic look. The wheels are chromed and with a nice design, they will go on a set of tires that are soft rubber.
The one part that makes this kit so unique is the snowplow. It is very well detailed and it looks very realistic. This also is because the lights attached to it have clear lenses.
The kit decals are very well printed and provide different combinations for customizing. You can build this pickup with the snowplow, in two work combinations. The first is as a BGL Lawn & Tree Service truck, the second as a Glacier Plowing truck. For BGL Lawn & Tree Service, you will have white stock stripes for the cab and bed, the BGL logo for the doors, and decals with the description of the services the company provides. The second option has the Glacier Plowing logos on the doors and "24 Hr. Radio Dispatch" decals for each side of the bed. Any way you choose to build it, there is an optional windshield sun visor with GMC letters, a 4X4 decal for the rear window, another GMC decal for the spare tire cover, a "Flammable" decal for the gas can, two choices for regular license plates, side marker decals with a shadow to give them a realistic look, plus reflective decals for the taillight and snow plow. If you opt to paint the snowplow in a lighter color, you can apply a pair of angry eyeball decals to it...
CONCLUSION
I'm very happy that Revell reissued this kit because there are not many 4x4 truck kits in the market. The quality of the plastic molding is excellent. This truck will expand your construction possibilities and it also provides a good opportunity to build a small diorama with it. You will have fun - no matter how you build it. I would like to thank Revell for providing the review sample.