1969 Chevrolet Nova SS Yenko/SC 427 – Revell

As it stands, Revell’s line of “Special Edition” releases are arguably the best that Revell-Monogram has to offer. At least presently, cause they unfortunately killed off the “Pro Modeler” line a long time ago after just a few car kits and a handful of plane kits. But under the Special Edition line, Revell’s put out some absolutely epic models; the ’83 Hurst/Olds Cutlass, the ’70 Ford Mustang, the ’67 Chevelle, the ’72 Olds Cutlass, ’70 Plymouth Cuda, it goes on and on, and among the long list of ultra detailed cars with large decal sheets and epic molding is the 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS.

Back in 2009, Revell released the first of three(Nova COPO in ’11 and the Nova SS in ’12) Nova model kits and started it off with the Yenko Nova, or “Super Nova” as folks called it way back then. I got the 2016 re-release that’s 100% identical besides a new model kit number and a slightly updated box. So the Yenko/SC Supernova had some interesting quirks that made this car truly unique and rare.

And what were they? Well the car was batshit insane dangerous to drive. There were only 37 made by the end of 1969, only 29 of those having the 427ci V8 and Don Yenko himself went on record to say they’re lethal in both the terms of lethally quick(4 sec to hit 60MPH in ’69? Damn!) and lethally dangerous, and turns out it also wasn’t a whole lotta fun to ride passenger in on the bench-seats. So it was sort of doomed by its own strength, it got nailed into the coffin by insurance agents who put a ridiculous premium on it cause of it’s ultra ‘crashability‘. Yenko did mend the situation with the ’70 Yenko Deuce Nova by putting a still superbly quick 350ci V8 from a Corvette in it, taming the beast while also making the insurance and government folks happy.

But in the end, there’s only 7 known ’69 Super Novas left today. And Revell justifiably made a killer choice by putting the Yenko Nova out on the kit market, making it slightly less rare in the eyes of the enthusiast.

So onto the kit! It’s been the same kit since 2009, with the Magnum 500 wheels and ventilated hood, along with the SS grille and trunk emblem. All in all, the kit goes together fantastically, like most of the “Special Edition” releases from Revell, it’s all a intricate puzzle of well fitting pieces. Besides… the wheels.

Those damn things are a bane on nearly every Revell release, especially the Chevrolet models for which they use these little metal axles that for instance; don’t fit, don’t go together with the plastic leaf springs and require a stupid amount of force to fit which as one might’ve guessed: barely glued together leaf springs that are attached by two tiny prongs that somehow need to resist the pressure and pushing of these little bastards in, doesn’t work!

But besides that, the kit goes together really well. It’s got fantastic detailing all around, the body got an excessive amount of love as per usual in the Special Edition line and the chassis detail is really high too. Interior has apparently got the wrong get-up, I’m told, as apparently the Novas from Yenko had literally one choice for interior and color and it was the single bench seat and in all black, but given how customizable COPO Chevy’s were, I’m willing to believe it could’ve been separate seats too.

I did paint the car in one of the colors it apparently wasn’t available in, though I do dig myself an all-white Yenko car with the black decals. It just looks fantastic in my opinion. There’s enough decals to make a giant sheet with, all the logos, side-markers, interior and engine decals are there, as well as two sets of Yenko/SC body stripes; one in black, one in white. The Cooper Cobra Radial G/T decals, courtesy of Fireball Modelworks, finishing it off nicely.

It’s just such a good kit, through and through and man am I happy with the result. Well, all but the one ruined tail-light. May or may not have dropped it on accident into a little bowl of brush cleaner! Oh well.