Review

The Datsun 240Z was, arguably, the first Japanese sports car to gain popularity in the U.S. With its sleek good looks, powerful 2.4-liter engine and good handling, it did not take long for the Z to become a winner on the street and on the track. This year Nissan has introduced the latest Z-car, the 350Z, continuing the Z's legacy.

Revell has taken this opportunity to re-release its '70s era 240Z kit, to capitalize on the new found nostalgia for the Z. The kit is molded in white plastic, with clear and chrome plated parts. The parts are molded well; however, there are some rather heavy mold lines on some, especially the body. Special care must be taken when removing these as they are quite close to some body emblems.

Still, the body captures the look of the Z quite well and the separate front fascia fits well, but the rear panel needs some extra work to make it fit. I painted mine with Tamiya Gloss Aluminum spray, but red, orange and black were popular colors for the 1970s-era Z.

The chassis is very well done for a '70s kit, with multi-piece assemblies for the front and rear suspensions. These fit well with no major hassles. The kit's trickiest part is building up the exhaust system. The two-piece muffler and resonator need to be aligned just right with the pipes, and I found precious little positive locating areas for these.

The interior builds up off of the chassis plate. There is less detail here than we are accustomed to these days, but when painted and built it looks good, especially in black. Revell has included two sets of gauge decals, plus custom stripes for the seats.

The best part here, though, is the engine. The 15-piece assembly, when painted, looks extremely convincing. I would recommend stripping the chrome plating from the plated engine parts, and painting them with aluminum Metalizer for a more accurate finish.

If a builder takes the time and pays attention to the eight-page instruction sheet, a convincing replica can be built. A modeler of moderate experience should have no problems building this kit. I spent about 12 hours on mine, and I am happy with the result. All told, it was very enjoyable to build.