During the muscle-car heydays, the Super Bee was Dodge’s equivalent of the Plymouth Road Runner. And 1969 was the only year the 440 V8 engine was available with a triple 2-barrel carburetor known as a Six Pack.
This Revell reissue of the original Monogram kit is a 2 ’n 1 that can be built stock or as a custom supercharged street machine. I elected to build the stock version. The 37-step instructions feature a parts index, paint call outs, and assembly drawings.
The engine molding shows its age splitting the powerplant vertically through the oil pan. The starter and transmission are molded with the block. The custom version adds a supercharger with dual carbs. The induction-style air cleaner is nicely done. The battery, wiper motor and washer reservoir are molded to the firewall and inner fenders; the power brake-booster and master cylinder are separate. There is an upper radiator hose but no lower hose. Step 20 has you install the core support while installing the engine, but I recommend waiting till after the chassis is mated to the body to avoid knocking off parts (like the fan).
The front and rear subframes are molded with the well-detailed unibody floor. While it’s nice the front and rear suspensions are separate, the torsion bars up front contact push against the underbody, which leaves them bent.
The exhaust pipes are molded with the rear axle assembly and that makes painting a little more involved. Also, I believe the instructions are misleading here. In steps 16 and 17, two risers (Part 71) are shown in the rear spring hanger location. These are intended to lower the tailpipes to exit under the bumper; they drop the pipes a little too low though.
The generic tires mount to Magnum wheels. Alternate alloy-style disc wheels using the same tires are offered for the custom version. The tires’ inner circumference required trimming for the wheels to fit.
The interior tub gets separate bucket seats, front dash, and a rearview mirror. The door-panel details are very light, especially the handles. Decals are supplied for the instruments, and all the glass comes as a single, clear piece that fits well.
Even after many years, the tools for the body produce a crisp part. I recommend a light primer coat to help find the mold lines. The taillight panel, rear panel, grille, and front filler panel come as separate parts. The headlights are clear inserts, but the taillights require painting. The hood scoop is a separate part. The Super Bee had a one-piece fiberglass hood, so the hood’s appearance will benefit from blending in the scoop with putty and sanding it smooth. The kit includes another hood with an opening for use with the supercharged version.
I painted the body Model Car World (MCW), bright green. This was a factory color in 1969. Then I wet-sanded and polished but didn’t apply a clear coat. The interior and hood were done in Model Master black chrome trim.
The comprehensive decal sheet looks great. The white or black bumble bee stripes are keyed for the right and left sides of the car. Use plenty of water or they won’t want to move into position. They overlap on the trunk lid, but the black ones I used were so thin I couldn’t see the seam. The custom version uses what looks like 1970 Super Bee striping. Also included are decals for the exterior badging and marker light lenses.
This is very nice kit. A builder with a few models under their belt should have no issues with this one. Thanks to Revell for bringing the ’69 Super Bee back!