Here is the 1/24 Chevy Van from AMT thru Round 2 Models. They have joined forces with Canadian artist ”Dirty Donny” Gillies and result is a ”Vantastic” set of murals provided in 2 big decal sheets. The model kit itself is stamped as 1975 and as common with kits from the era, *some* parts are either big or thick. On this particular kit, I did not find enough flash to write home about. However, molding lines are all over the parts…
1/24 Dirty Donny Vantasy Chevy Van
- Scale: 1/25
- Skill Level: 2 (ages 10 and up)
- Glue assembly, paint required
- Molded in white, plus clear and chrome parts
- Huge decal sheet with many options
- Packaging and decal artwork by Dirty Donny
- Bonus Car Kulture Deluxe magazine article reprint on Dirty Donny
- Item No:Â AMT691
- MSRP: $21.99
…the downside to these mold lines is more time cleaning them up. After they are cleaned, they will fit graciously where they belong. As for me, I don’t complain about it. C’mon, this kit came out when we were doing The Hustle with Van McCoy.
All chrome parts were stripped off with oven cleaner and painted with Alclad2 aircraft aluminum. Mating the engine with the chassis (my most dreaded step) was very easy. Just make sure to skip the carburetor and air filter and install it with tweezers after the engine is in its bay.
There are optional clear skylights, sunroof, side portholes, and roof spoiler. The side portholes windows call for either for surface mount or inside. Should you go for the inside installation, be aware that the instructions suggest a 1/2” hole. The problem is that after measuring the part with a 1/2 flat drill bit I have, the porthole window would go thru the drilled opening. Second, the plastic in the area is thick and the windows wouldn’t look raised enough on the body shell.
The chassis was painted with Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and the body shell was painted with Testors One Coat Lacquer LIME ICE 1835 sealed with a single coat of Wet Looks Clear also from Testors.
Decals are the main star in this kit. There is no hint on who printed them to give the proper credit. They did the HECK of a great job. They look at first glance very opaque, lusterless, but the final clear gloss coat will take care of that. A close up picture of the decals (see pictures below) shows a dot matrix printing pattern. Nothing to worry about, your naked eye won’t notice this. No color bleeding in the designs and strong enough not let your base color show thru.
There is a total of 5 different murals and 7 colorful random panel designs and other assorted decals. This will give the modeler plenty of options to choose from. Also, parts to build a stock version of the Chevy Van are included.
I’ve had a great time building this model up. Great customizing ideas came up but time was a factor. Either if you’re an auto enthusiast or you’re looking to take a break from the winged or threaded subjects, the AMT 1/24 Vantasy is a refreshing subject to look at. I highly recommend this kit.
Review sample courtesy of my wallet.
