Revell 1/25 Dale Earnhardt #3 Goodwrench Chevy Lumina Kit First Look

By Phil Cooley, Front Range Auto Modelers (FRAM)

First Look

Chevy’s best known NASCAR entry is the Monte Carlo. But from 1988 through 1994 Chevy didn’t make a Monte Carlo. During most of that timeframe, their teams ran Chevy Luminas. And by far, the most famous, or rather “infamous”, was the black Lumina of the “Man in Black”, the Intimidator, Dale Earnhardt. During his career, Dale senior won a record-tying seven NASCAR Championships. Four of those championships were won while driving Luminas like the one depicted in this kit.

This kit is a re-release.

The Engine: The engine is a 22 piece rendition of the classic small block Chevy, though in this case a 700 hp. NASCAR version. Nice touches are a distributor with plug wires, two-piece headers, plus a separate breather, belt sump (for the oil pump), a power pump, and upper and lower radiator hoses. The instructions call for the carburetor, rocker covers, and alternator to be chromed. This sample kit did not have any chrome parts.

The chassis: The chassis is a one-piece with upper (interior) and lower detailing. It includes separate upper and lower A-arm assemblies and a shock assembly in the front and a two-piece rear axle. Other chassis parts include rear springs, a rear shock assembly, an oil tank (called an oiler tank in the directions), a rear arm assembly, a driveshaft, differential cooler, and exhaust system. Also included is a firewall assembly, a steering shaft, and fuel cell.

Wheels/tires: The wheels are deep dish NASCAR steelies. As is pretty much standard these days, the tires are no-name, and there are not any Goodyear or Eagle decals for them. Curiously, there are Goodyear sponsor decals for the front fenders.

The interior: The interior builds atop the chassis. There is a highly detailed rollcage assembly—it takes a total of 9 steps to assemble. Other interior parts include the seat, shifter, fire extinguisher, instrument panel, steering column, gas, clutch, and brake pedal assembly, and dash top. Oh, I almost forgot, there are also a couple of air hoses, which the teams used to pull cooler air into the interior from the outside to help keep the driver and various components cool.

The body: Back in the 90s, NASCARs still resembled their showroom stablemates, at least as far as their rooflines went. This Lumina is no exception. Obviously, the body is molded in black, Earnhardt’s characteristic color. It has an opening hood and a separate front and rear bumper/fascia assembly. The front assembly includes a grille and lower air intake, and the rear of the body includes a separate rear spoiler. There are also separate hood pins for the hood and rear decklid. They are tiny and will require a bit of finesse to install. Lots of glass is included in this kit, including a front and rear windshield, rear side windows and a side window for the passenger’s side. The glass all installs from the outside, I would recommend you install the glass with white glue or clear paint to lessen the chance of glue/fingerprints on the glass. The glass in my kit was scratched—a little polishing followed by a quick dip in Future would take care of that.

Decals: A full decal sheet is included. NASCARs have a lot of sponsors—you’ll find decals ranging from GM and Goodwrench to Goodys, Dinner Bell, Right Guard and many others.

Instructions: The instructions are well done, though they do call for chrome parts when there aren’t any. Painting guidance is included to make the Lumina accurate, as is a good depiction of decal placement.

If you are a Dale Earnhardt senior fan and you missed this kit back in the 90s, you need it to complete your collection. With a little care, you should be able to build a very accurate model. Squint, and you can almost see the “Man in Black”, complete with his bushy mustache, sunglasses, open-faced helmet, and a big grin sitting behind the wheel.

Many thanks to Revell for the product sample.

Ed Note: Phil is a member of Front Range Auto Modelers of Colorado Springs, CO.