i recently purchased a 35th anniversary camaro from revel and im havin a bit of trouble to say the least. The problem lies in the rear bumper, its completly out of whack and im not too sure about how to go about straightening it out without snapping it like a wishbone, any ideas adivice is welcome. and as a side note, can anyone point me in the direction to get my hands on a couple of 98 firebirds with ram air? thanks in advance guys.
I have the same kit… is it a kit defect or was is on in a million?
it might be a defect, this fender is so out of whack its criminal, i may have to contact revell and ask them for a replacement part.
Good Luck!
Revell Customer service is anything but.
Last time I tried to get a piece replaced because they screwed it up, I had to give my credit card number and was charged $3, three times!! Yep, I kept getting the part mailed to me and charged of course. Took a while to get that sorted out. And they wanted the extra pieces back, so I paid for the postage!
Never again.
Don
FF31,
Depending on the type of distortion, you may be able to bend the bumper back into shape by heating it. Try very hot water, that is near the boiling point, and dip the part into the water for several seconds. Then gently apply pressure to the part so as to straighten it. The procedure requires patience and trial and error, hopefully less error.
Try a piece of spru from the same kit so that you are dealing with the same plastic compound and it should have the same characteristics as the kit part. The spru will also give you an idea as to how long to heat the part so it will “bend” into shape.
Reshape the part a little at a time and hold the part until it cools so it will retain the new shape. Try this, it works. I have used it to straighten out bodies that are twisted, as well as warped aircraft wings and fuselages.
Remember to take your time and be patient. Also remember that the plastic in two different kits, even if the manufacturer is the same, can be very different. Harder plastic takes longer to soften and seems to have more “memory” than the softer plastic. Experiment before you try the real thing. Good luck.
yea i thought about trying the hot water trick, either that one or the blow dryer trick, same thing really lol. If push comes to shove ill just buy a new kit and keep the old one for spare parts.
Note: a blow dryer heats one side, whereas the water heats all around the warped area.
The blow dryer can be used for flat pieces, say a warped wing, but the concentration of heat can cause more problems than it solves. If you are going to replace the kit you may as well experiment with the bumper!
good point about the blowdryer, i think i got the fender to even out somewhat lastnight. probably another round of hot water should do it.