Review

Testor Corporation's Quick-Build Model activity sets include complete 1:32-scale kits for the Dodge Viper and Saleen S7. Each kit contains three colors of acrylic paint, a paint brush, and decals. With minimal parts count and press-fit assembly, these kits are intended to introduce children ages 8 and up to model kit building, with "assembly time of less than 15 minutes" as stated on the packaging.

I built the Viper kit first, to get a feel for assembly and build time; our 14-year-old son Bill then agreed to build the Saleen kit for comparison. It took approximately 25 minutes to build the Viper, using a sprue cutter to neatly remove the 23 parts. No sanding, painting, or decaling was done at this point, to give a baseline for the minimum amount a young modeler might do to complete a kit.

I encountered a couple of problems that could hinder inexperienced builders. The wheels did not fit well into the plastic tires, so I used my soft-jawed Dremel vise to exert pressure on the pieces until they snapped into place. The other difficulty was in mating the body to the chassis; it would not snap cleanly into place. After inspection, I found that a tab inside the body was the culprit; it would not "click" into place as it should. After several attempts, I simply cut off the offending part, which had no real impact on assembly anyway, and the fit was fine.

With my model complete, I asked Bill to start on the Saleen while I timed and documented the build. He was not present when I built the Viper, so as not to bias his thoughts on the building process. The Saleen went together more smoothly than the Viper, with Bill using a sprue cutter to cleanly remove the parts as I did. The one-piece "glass" was a bit tricky to keep in place, but no other problems were encountered, and he finished the basic model in 25 minutes - the same time it took me to complete the Viper.

The models looked a bit strange without paint, because the bulk of the parts are molded in gray plastic, so the models were disassembled and brush-painted per the kits' instructions. This added 30 minutes or so to the building time, but Bill said, "they really do look better painted."

We never did add the waterlside decals, which probably would have taken another 30-45 minutes to apply. They look fine on the sheet, and would probably "dress up" the models a bit more. Bill added that "it was a fun kit to build" and "the cars look cool." That basic appeal was a factor in his decision to build the Saleen.

These are definitely "parent-child time" kits, of the type where a rainy afternoon can be put to good use. I strongly recommend painting the models, because their all-plastic construction looks a bit toylike without a little help - especially the tires. Be prepared to invest more than the stated 15 minutes to build one of these models, or perhaps break the building into two or more sessions if your young modeler's concentration wanders a bit. A few small parts may require assistance for proper assembly, but the clear, concise instruction sheet should keep even the youngest builders on track.