Revell has re-released their 1992 Firebird Formula and 1985 Camaro Z28 kits. 3rd gen model kits are always hard to come by, so grab one while you can. Here's the links to both on the Revell.com website (and yes I know the description for the Camaro is wrong).

http://www.revell.com/model-kits/cars/85-4012.html
http://www.revell.com/model-kits/cars/85-4015.html

 

They have had the Yellow Formula for some time, I bought 2 back in 2010 or 2011...

John

 

The firebird kits looks nice, but they did a bad job on the Camaro IMO.

 

I much prefer the AMT 82-84 Z28 kit, but it's become a pain to find. I also have the AMT 1985 Firebird Trans Am kit. I kitbashed the two to make my Camaro a T-Top to match my 83 Z28. As for the Revell kits, I know the Firebird had been released recently, however their website has it listed as being re-released again. This probably means they changed the box art or something. Revell does this all the time with their kits.

 

I bought the Camaro back in 06' and did a terrible job building it, looks like I will be buying two of each of these, build one and keep one this time

 

I've never gotten my hands on the Revell Camaro, just the AMT kit. What are the deficiencies? I have a spare TPI engine out of an AMT Corvette I can use to convert it to an 88 IROC-Z, but curious what other issues I'll run into.

 

I'm in the process of a move at the moment, but I'll tell ya what, when I get my box of car memorabilia to the new place I'll take some pictures with a measuring tape so you can see the dimensions of the revell kit, to be honest it's the only thirdgen kit I have ever bought, every other thirdgen I have is a diecast collector car because I can never locate a model to build again

 

Just bought the '85 Camaro one and the '82 Corvette one also. Not sure if I want to build them quite yet though.

 

How do they look? Which engine is offered in the Camaro? Interior detail? Engine compartment detail?

I liked the AMT kits because they usually have better detail. The engine compartment had the brake booster and fluid reservior as separate pieces rather than as lumps molded on the firewall, the engine was more detailed, it had the upper coolant hose, and an electric fan with a rotating blade in a housing. Revell tends to be pretty scarce on detail, but with a little skill at superdetailing can be made to look good.

 

Keep in mind that many of these molds are simply shared or rented out to company to company. I bought my son an airplane model kit, and it was exactly the same as the one I made 30 years earlier... The dies were more warn, and there was a little more flash on the new one, that was easily cut off, but it was identical, even down to the minor crack that showed in the model from the dies.

These molds are probably from 1985 and 1991...

 

I have no doubt. My Revell USS Saratoga CV-60 model kit is a re-issue of their original 1959 kit, just with a couple of added "updated" parts on an extra sprue. the work I'm having to go through to correct the model to reflect the actual ship is almost a complete rework.

That said, Revell kits are the low end of the modeling totem pole. You have to understand what you're getting when you buy one. Flash, poorly fitting parts, glaring errors, no detail. They can be made to look nice, but it takes a lot of extra effort. AMT kits are a step up, but still fairly low by modeling standards. Unfortunately, companies like Dragon DML, Tamiya, Fujumi, Italeri, etc, don't make 3rd gen kits.