Review: Revell 1/24 Scale New Tool E Type Jaguar

A note from the author…

I’m Rob, a normal guy who enjoys making models! I’m by no means a ‘professional’ modeller, but I am passionate, try my best and kits generally turn out well! All my builds are done at home in my spare time with typical model tools and accessories – all views and opinions are my own and not that of Jadlam.

Name – Revell 07668 Jaguar E-Type (Coupe) 1:24 Model Kit
Number – 07668
Scale – 1/24
Price – £29.99 RRP
Availability – Early November 2020 – available for Pre-Order Now! Buy yours here!

In general I am a bit of a fan of Revell 1/24 car kits. Whilst they don’t always offer the same levels of details you find with some manufacturers they represent outstanding value for money and with a little care and attention build into great looking models. Sure there are consistently a few things I don’t like; The way they do the wheels being a prime example. The clear parts being slightly “wobbly” is another, but these are minor issues and shouldn’t really put anyone off.    

When I was given the opportunity of building a test shot of Revell’s newest kit; the 1/24 scale E Type Jaguar I jumped at the chance. Being a test shot everything (with the exception of the clear parts of course) came in grey plastic. When the retail kit arrives it will be the normal coloured plastic with chrome sprues. 

I was impressed with the quality of moulding on the parts and the level of detail in the engine bay in particular promised a very nice finished kit. Anyway, here are the sprue’s. 

Being a test shot there is always a small risk that some small details won’t be 100% correct. With this in mind I decided that dry test fitting would be the order of the day for everything, so I decided to remove all the parts from the sprue’s and clean them up to make the dry fit stage easier. I was left with a pile of parts, I hope I can remember where everything goes……

Time to get started.

The instructions start with the engine, rear suspension and floor pan – It’s a case of painting everything in line with the great full colour instructions. Main parts where sprayed with my airbrush and details hand painted. Airbrushing is ideal where you want a great finish, you could also do it with a rattle can – the key to it is masking. Here’s how I did the floor pan; Firstly I painted the body colour, in this case with Tamiya’s LP-21 Lacquer paint (These paints are a real pleasure to use; fast drying and excellent finish). A little bit smelly, but when using an airbrush you always should use the appropriate ventilation. 

Once the main colour is on its masking time – never rush your masking!

When you have finished masking it’s simply a case of applying the different shades of black NATO black on the Floor and Semi Gloss Black on the interior. Top Tip: Never paint along the edge of your masking tape, try and paint at a right angle and away from the tape – this will help prevent paint leaking under the edge.

When dry, the individual parts can then be painted and fitted. 

Once these main parts have been completed it’s just a case of going through the various stages of the instructions painting and adding parts as you. I did go a little bit off the instructions and added some HT leads I made from lead wire. I think this adds quite a lot without much additional work – although the model will look just as good without them!

The next part was the wheels. I had to paint mine, but I am pretty sure these will be Chrome in the production kit. 

In my introduction I mentioned I had a bit of an issue with Revell wheels. Anyway, it’s not an issue on this kit as the wire wheels are replicated as a single moulding! Before painting the wheels I added the spinners. 

When painted the wheels looked good, but a little toy-like. I decided to apply a water based wash from Vallejo, this made the detail pop out.

The finished wheels and interior can be fitted to the floor pan. 

We have a rolling chassis!

Next the body can be put in its final place. This involves pulling the sill sections apart and sliding it over the rolling chassis. Always a tense moment as you don’t want to spoil any of your hard work.

It’s starting to look like an E Type now, although maybe one going through a nut and bolt restoration. I used my wash on the panel lines around the doors and boot to make the detail stand out. 

Work now started on the front clam shell.**

**Disclaimer I actually painted these parts at the same time as the body, but wanted the write up to follow the instructions.

The finished front clamshell looks the part! Decal still to be added. 

All that’s left now is the clear parts. As the windows had a clear raised lip to show the chrome trim I masked using masking fluid. Hence the blue tint.

I painted the parts using Molotow chrome, This is the best chrome look you can get in my humble opinion. 

Then it was just a case of adding the clear parts and the front clam shell and the model is finished! 

The Verdict on this kit:

Build Time:

Start to finish in around 12 hours or so over the course of a week. 

Suggested Tools:

I would suggest an Airbrush or spray paint for the larger areas, smaller details can be brush painted as I did. Some masking tape and fluid. Decal solution would also be a help as would a wash (use an acrylic wash so you don’t damage the chrome plating), Otherwise standard modelling tools. 

Kit Specific Advice:

Take care when handling the clear parts. 

What we’ve taken away from this build:

Another step up from Revell in terms of detail. The decals are another highlight. Beautifully printed with even the smallest text being completely legible (sadly under a magnifying glass for me). They really enhance the finished model.

The ability to choose left or right hand drive is typical of Revell, but a nice touch for U.K. modellers sick of building left hand drive cars.

Overall I can’t really think of any negatives to this kit, perhaps the slightly wobbly clear parts, but that is most likely due to it being a test shot.

It’s a fun, straight forward build, looks great when finished and is a nice addition to the car collection.

Want to build this kit yourself? Pre-order yours here. Looking for more model kits? Explore our massive range here!