rebuilds and "glue bombs"

[tom.ulmer]

So I just got back into the Hobby and Im seeing a ton of posts on the forums about rebuilds and blue bombs. Tell me what Im missing here, is it the fun of fixing them up or just something that's more of a challenge instead of a fresh kit? Please, enlighten me

[thatz4u]

It's both, that and you can restore a kit that's out of production, some of them forever..if not longer.

[Tom Geiger]

Sometimes it's just the thrill of making something from nothing... the same thing as seeing an old car in a field and wanting to restore it. For example....

This was a kit that probably was built by a kid. Runny paint that didn't cover everything and glue everywhere! I got it in a parts box deal. This kit is available in several of the past renditions fairly cheap. It's out again as the Blue Bandito. Easy enough to find a brand new kit to build, but there was something about this truck that drew me in. So I decided to base a project on it.

And here she is today....

Much better than before!

[StevenGuthmiller]

It's all about subject matter. If you're like me & you love the cars from the 50s & early 60s, your choices are pretty limited. As an example, think for a moment about how many kits are available for cars from 1961. You can count them on about 3 fingers. The Lindberg '61 Impala, the AMT '61 Galaxie & the AMT Ranchero. That's it!! I now have in my collection, some built & some yet to build, at least 10 with several more I could still acquire. This same equation works for virtually every year from 1958-1967 or so. There are a lot of great old annuals out there, so unless you're content with building 15 different versions of a '57 Chevy, You have to branch out to old annuals. Steve

[tom.ulmer]

Yep, these are the exact reasons I was thinking. And you know what, it's awesome! It's funny now that I think of it I'm going to be on the look out for stuff and yard sales and what not now. Thanks guys, I'm enlightened.

[Nova-ss]

For its about all of the reasons others have stated, but also learn some about biulding,it's a different skill set from

getting it apart,to fixing what is broken to whats missing.and making it better then was,from paint,glue,clear parts

and gives you a change to learn so much! I love rebuilding kit and parts.but love building a fresh kit as well.

[impcon]

I actually prefer salvaging a stray puppy and breathing new life into it over a out of the box build. It takes a lot more time to put something back together and it usually ends up costing more than a new kit would, but the results are always worth it. "Nothing good comes easy - or cheap" and with the rising prices of stuff in the hobby shop, I'd just as soon put my money into something that is for one reason or another, is special to me and unique. The feeling of gratification is unequaled both when I find one that is affordable ( the thrill of the hunt - the primitive hunter and gatherer mindset - what ever... ) and seeing it come together - yeah - it's all about that!

I see that prices of the old annuals seem to be rising unfortunately, and I am learning to be thankful for what I have. I like the newer kits too but like the real 1:1 thing, "old" has it's own charm and magnetism for some of us. Plus, seeing the work of some of the guys on the forum who really have an appreciation and a heart for the old kits - well, when I see some of the craftsmanship and talent here and how a fifty year old kit that was basically junk can be made to look absolutely gorgeous - well, it is always a sure thing to put a smile on my face.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I actually prefer salvaging a stray puppy and breathing new life into it over a out of the box build. It takes a lot more time to put something back together and it usually ends up costing more than a new kit would, but the results are always worth it. "Nothing good comes easy - or cheap" and with the rising prices of stuff in the hobby shop, I'd just as soon put my money into something that is for one reason or another, is special to me and unique. The feeling of gratification is unequaled both when I find one that is affordable ( the thrill of the hunt - the primitive hunter and gatherer mindset - what ever... ) and seeing it come together - yeah - it's all about that!

I see that prices of the old annuals seem to be rising unfortunately, and I am learning to be thankful for what I have. I like the newer kits too but like the real 1:1 thing, "old" has it's own charm and magnetism for some of us. Plus, seeing the work of some of the guys on the forum who really have an appreciation and a heart for the old kits - well, when I see some of the craftsmanship and talent here and how a fifty year old kit that was basically junk can be made to look absolutely gorgeous - well, it is always a sure thing to put a smile on my face.

They are surely expensive aren't they Gary. I try not too think too much about the amount that can be spent on one of these old kits, but by the time you add up the cost of the kit itself, primer, paint, masking tape, foil, parts, chroming, etc, etc, etc, OUCH!! it can really add up in a hurry! of course when you figure in a lot of that same stuff for a new kit......well, let's just say the hobby is getting a little spendy! Steve

[tom.ulmer]

I can see where the dollars can add up but compared to my other hobby 1/8 scale nitro rc racing it's not bad. Heck a set of tires for them is 60-70$.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I can see where the dollars can add up but compared to my other hobby 1/8 scale nitro rc racing it's not bad. Heck a set of tires for them is 60-70$.

Yikes! You're a glutton for punishment aren't you Tom? Steve

[tom.ulmer]

Heh, yeah I guess so. Modeling is at the least my new winter hobby so it's ok.

[gtx6970]

It's all about subject matter. If you're like me & you love the cars from the 50s & early 60s, your choices are pretty limited. As an example, think for a moment about how many kits are available for cars from 1961. You can count them on about 3 fingers. The Lindberg '61 Impala, the AMT '61 Galaxie & the AMT Ranchero. That's it!! I now have in my collection, some built & some yet to build, at least 10 with several more I could still acquire. This same equation works for virtually every year from 1958-1967 or so. There are a lot of great old annuals out there, so unless you're content with building 15 different versions of a '57 Chevy, You have to branch out to old annuals. Steve

Ditto

This is exactly the reason I have started looking for some older kits to redo, and unless they are cheap ( not likely ) I have to look at old builtup annuals , Concentrating on 1958 thru 1960 model years at the moment . Even builtups it's not exactly a cheap undertaking . I never imagned a 1960 Buick would sell for nearly a C note

Bid on a 1958 Buick convetible last week and was blown out of the water when it sold for over $100

[Tom Geiger]

Tom Ulmer- I've never found anything significant at garage sales. Maybe just my luck. You'd do better at area model car swap meets. I see you are local, so one is held 4 times a year in Gilbertsville. There is also a model car show there in September.

Depending on how far you want to go, there are 3 clubs in the area. The Delaware Valley club (the Philly Guys) meet in Philadelphia. Silent Traffic meets in Trooper. And the Central PA club is a bit further out. There are also two clubs in NJ, Jersey Shore Model Car Cub in Brick, and Tri-State Scale Model Car Club in Perth Amboy. Clubs are the best way to get immersed in the hobby since you meet people and see models in person. People do bring things to sell and trade to club meetings so I seldom come home empty handed.

Hit me on the board PM system, or by my email address listed below this message for more info.

[mustang1989]

I'm currently rebuilding a Challenger that I built when I was 14 years old and I've got to say that this is a complete blast. I find my mind constantly going back to those days thinking either , "Now what did I do that for?" or remembering, " Oh man I remember this particular stage of the build!". Fun stuff..................especially 32 years ( Did I just say that????) later.

Edited December 11, 2014 by mustang1989

[StevenGuthmiller]

Ditto

This is exactly the reason I have started looking for some older kits to redo, and unless they are cheap ( not likely ) I have to look at old builtup annuals , Concentrating on 1958 thru 1960 model years at the moment . Even builtups it's not exactly a cheap undertaking . I never imagned a 1960 Buick would sell for nearly a C note

Bid on a 1958 Buick convetible last week and was blown out of the water when it sold for over $100

'58 is a tough year Bill. All of the AMT kits from '58 bring some pretty hefty cash. most are fairly rare. Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

Tom Ulmer- I've never found anything significant at garage sales. Maybe just my luck. You'd do better at area model car swap meets. I see you are local, so one is held 4 times a year in Gilbertsville. There is also a model car show there in September.

Depending on how far you want to go, there are 3 clubs in the area. The Delaware Valley club (the Philly Guys) meet in Philadelphia. Silent Traffic meets in Trooper. And the Central PA club is a bit further out. There are also two clubs in NJ, Jersey Shore Model Car Cub in Brick, and Tri-State Scale Model Car Club in Perth Amboy. Clubs are the best way to get immersed in the hobby since you meet people and see models in person. People do bring things to sell and trade to club meetings so I seldom come home empty handed.

Hit me on the board PM system, or by my email address listed below this message for more info.

I once picked up a 1960 Lincoln continental & a 1958 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, in the boxes & restorable, for $8.00 apiece at a little roadside antique shop! But that was a few years ago & a very unusual situation. Unless your okay with spending the next 50 years filling out your collection, either ebay or swap meets & clubs are the only answer, as you say. Steve

[impcon]

Steve, I actually started to write a post last evening regarding the prices - both asking and selling prices - on Ebay and how I gam getting the sense that the greed factor has kicked in and is messing this hobby up just like happened in the real 1:1 hobby that I loved for mostof my 63 years. I canned the partially written post because I did not want to seem like a whiner but maybe I should have finished it because in retrospect, what I was stating were facts that can easily be backed up. but enough of that... this is kind of getting off subject..

I regularly seem to spend in excess of a hundred dollars a month on Ebay on parts and kits but I decided last night to stop buying more projects and just buy what I need to work on some of the old built ups that I have already bought - and I have a few of them. I know that lots of guys do not like using resin parts on a restoration and while I too prefer styrene, I see worn parts that need rechroming selling for more than what Modelhaus sells the same part for and it just doesn't make any sense. In the 1:1 hobby, guys restore cars and trucks using after market panels and parts and the end product is usually very nice. So if I use a Modelhaus grille and bumpers and taillights on the 58 Ford hardtop that I am workingon - is there really that much of a difference? I really enjoy and appreciate the stock look and usually do not deviate too far from that theme butthen I feel the same way regarding 1:1 cars for the most part. I can appreciate good workmanship and even the looks of a lot of customs but my personal preference is and always has been, factory original.

[Tom Geiger]

Value has been defined as a price established by the meeting of two minds. That is, when an item changes hands at a price that is acceptable to both the seller and the buyer. Apparently that's been happening at higher numbers.

What is relative value? Back when I got into the hobby 28 years ago, I was buying new kits for $6 each, and I'd regularly buy old kits in the $5-10 price range at shows. I'd buy old built ups in the $5-20 range. I'd really have to do some thinking on that $20 purchase!

28 years have passed and I'm buying my new kits in the $20 range. It's only reasonable to agree that older kits and built up prices would have risen too. Looking at the change in the new kits I buy, that $20 built up of a 1950s annual should sell around $66. I see that at shows, and certainly eBay. When people are asking $100 for an old built up, I'd opt for a clean ModelHaus resin kit instead. Still, I'm not beyond spending $100 for a model I want.

Still, nobody says you need to participate in this frenzy. I'm content bargain hunting and recently at shows I was able to buy some nice old 1960s annual built ups in the $25-30 range. Sometimes a guy will have something priced high, but once you start talking the price descends rapidly too! Or it may be time to go through my collection of rebuildables and decide what I no longer need. Maybe I can go fishing for $100 bills on eBay too!

Edited December 11, 2014 by Tom Geiger

[Tom Geiger]

I regularly seem to spend in excess of a hundred dollars a month on Ebay on parts and kits but I decided last night to stop buying more projects and just buy what I need to work on some of the old built ups that I have already bought - and I have a few of them. I know that lots of guys do not like using resin parts on a restoration and while I too prefer styrene, I see worn parts that need rechroming selling for more than what Modelhaus sells the same part for and it just doesn't make any sense. In the 1:1 hobby, guys restore cars and trucks using after market panels and parts and the end product is usually very nice. So if I use a Modelhaus grille and bumpers and taillights on the 58 Ford hardtop that I am working on - is there really that much of a difference?

There's nothing wrong with Modelhaus chrome. In fact it's better than kit chrome. Don usually sands off any mold lines and imperfections. And nothing leaves their shop unless the chrome is perfect. Certainly a bargain with all the work involved by them!

I'd suspect that the guys who are selling worn chrome parts on eBay have bought Modelhaus chrome for their model, and are selling the old parts to try to recoup some of the cost!

I do know a guy who will have 2 of the same old built up model... he'll cherry pick the best parts for his build, then sell the other one off on eBay. So you are buying the worst of 2 kits there!

[Snake45]

Like others, I enjoy bringing a rare old kit or promo back to life. In most cases I simply can't afford an unbuilt kit of the subject, but have in many cases been able to find an affordable glue bomb or "distressed" promo on eBay for a fraction of the cost.

As others have said, it's much more satisfying to bring one of these back than to build even the best brand-new kit.

But generally, if a kit's still in production and available new, I won't waste time or effort on rebuilding it.

[Tom Geiger]

"distressed" promo on eBay for a fraction of the cost.

A good source for cars never done as kits. I've collected a whole series of Ramblers...

You'll quickly see that these both have busted posts... complete trash for a promo collector, no problem for us model guys!

[sjordan2]

I collect kits that are usually very complicated 1/16 classics. I sometimes buy built glue bombs of these kits to see how they look like when they're assembled and perhaps as parts replacement donors.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Steve, I actually started to write a post last evening regarding the prices - both asking and selling prices - on Ebay and how I gam getting the sense that the greed factor has kicked in and is messing this hobby up just like happened in the real 1:1 hobby that I loved for mostof my 63 years. I canned the partially written post because I did not want to seem like a whiner but maybe I should have finished it because in retrospect, what I was stating were facts that can easily be backed up. but enough of that... this is kind of getting off subject..

I regularly seem to spend in excess of a hundred dollars a month on Ebay on parts and kits but I decided last night to stop buying more projects and just buy what I need to work on some of the old built ups that I have already bought - and I have a few of them. I know that lots of guys do not like using resin parts on a restoration and while I too prefer styrene, I see worn parts that need rechroming selling for more than what Modelhaus sells the same part for and it just doesn't make any sense. In the 1:1 hobby, guys restore cars and trucks using after market panels and parts and the end product is usually very nice. So if I use a Modelhaus grille and bumpers and taillights on the 58 Ford hardtop that I am workingon - is there really that much of a difference? I really enjoy and appreciate the stock look and usually do not deviate too far from that theme butthen I feel the same way regarding 1:1 cars for the most part. I can appreciate good workmanship and even the looks of a lot of customs but my personal preference is and always has been, factory original.

Nothing wrong with Modelhaus parts at all Gary. I use them too from time to time. But I also buy parts on ebay if they can be found. Just my preference. I like to keep each kit as close to original with as many styrene parts as I can.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Value has been defined as a price established by the meeting of two minds. That is, when an item changes hands at a price that is acceptable to both the seller and the buyer. Apparently that's been happening at higher numbers.

What is relative value? Back when I got into the hobby 28 years ago, I was buying new kits for $6 each, and I'd regularly buy old kits in the $5-10 price range at shows. I'd buy old built ups in the $5-20 range. I'd really have to do some thinking on that $20 purchase!

28 years have passed and I'm buying my new kits in the $20 range. It's only reasonable to agree that older kits and built up prices would have risen too. Looking at the change in the new kits I buy, that $20 built up of a 1950s annual should sell around $66. I see that at shows, and certainly eBay. When people are asking $100 for an old built up, I'd opt for a clean ModelHaus resin kit instead. Still, I'm not beyond spending $100 for a model I want.

Still, nobody says you need to participate in this frenzy. I'm content bargain hunting and recently at shows I was able to buy some nice old 1960s annual built ups in the $25-30 range. Sometimes a guy will have something priced high, but once you start talking the price descends rapidly too! Or it may be time to go through my collection of rebuildables and decide what I no longer need. Maybe I can go fishing for $100 bills on eBay too!

I guess my thing is, if I'm going to spend $100.00 for a kit anyway, I'd just as soon have one in styrene vs. resin. If there were a wider difference in prices, (& some times there are) then I may feel differently. Most of my old buildups were purchased for less than the cost of a Modelhaus resin. Sometimes it just takes patience. & although there are extra expenses that may come up with restoring an original, It's still pretty close. & personally, I'd rather work with styrene. Just my personal bugaboo! Steve

[tom.ulmer]

Wow, I sure sparked a debate with this thread.

I had no idea some kits were upwards of. $100. I can see why though and by comparison to most this is still a cheap hobby. My nitro rc car is close to $1500 all in so I'm ok with it. For now I'll be building fresh kits as I improve my skills. Thanks guys.