Ace-Garageguy Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 (edited) If someone built a GOOD DB-4 bodyshell in resin that fit the old Aurora / Revellogram guts, do you all suppose there would be any real interest? The white-plastic old Airfix "Bond" DB-5 shell looks quite good, with only relatively minor corrections to make a very nice representation in scale of the real car, but it's probably pretty hard to find one too. Edited May 25, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exotics_Builder Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 If someone built a GOOD DB-4 bodyshell in resin that fit the old Aurora / Revellogram guts, do you all suppose there would be any real interest? The white-plastic old Airfix "Bond" DB-5 shell looks quite good, with only relatively minor corrections to make a very nice representation in scale of the real car, but it's probably pretty hard to find one too. I'm with you on that. I was thinking of adapting the Aurora/Revellogram to the Doyusha and not use the Bond pieces. But then, maybe I should check the price on Evilbay the Doyusha is going for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 In the UK, you're looking at about £120+ for the Airfix Bond kit (£40 just for the BOX!), about £35-40 for the Doyusha DB5 and £40-£50 for the Bond version with the figures included, and maybe £25-£30 for the Monogram DB4. The Airfix box of the non-Bond Doyusha can occasionally be had for £20-£25 (I got mine as a "I'll never build it" for £20 for the "cut and shut"). I've never seen an actual kit of the Airfix DB6 for sale, but the box (with parts for "spares or repair", sometimes) goes for maybe £20. If I only knew a good resin caster, the Airfix Bond DB5 body could form the basis for a resin DB4 Srs I-III body (shorten and blend in the Monogram front end for the headlights), DB4GT (shorten and leave the headlights alone), DB5 (using all the kit parts) and, with a bit of work, a DB6 (though the best bet would be, maybe, to use an Airfix DB6 kit and rework the roof line and tail). My plan, I think, is to take the Monogram DB4, glue some thick sheet to the bottom edge and sand back the body to a more curvaceous shape, rework the window line, and narrow the floor pan to fit inside the curvier body... bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 If I only knew a good resin caster, the Airfix Bond DB5 body could form the basis for a resin DB4 Srs I-III body (shorten and blend in the Monogram front end for the headlights), DB4GT (shorten and leave the headlights alone), DB5 (using all the kit parts) and, with a bit of work, a DB6 (though the best bet would be, maybe, to use an Airfix DB6 kit and rework the roof line and tail). Kinda what I was thinking. I'm capable of building a fine quality master, but not really interested in getting into production resin casting at this time (though in actuality, it's very similar in many ways to the composite work I'm well versed in). Really interested if all the work would be justified though. How good are the Doyusha guts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 The Doyusha is basic, to say the least: I can't find the pix of the Bond version, but it's much the same with a radio-telephone and a neat attache case for your guns... I'll try to dig out and photograph the Airfix chassis, engine and interior. One seat and the floor are messed up to accommodate the "working" ejection seat, but the rest is reasonably well-detailed, IIRC... bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djflyer Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 I don't see it being mentioned but it appears the back window on the Aurora based body is also incorrect - perhaps too large or extends down too far. The reference photos I found online seem to support this (although the clearest ones were labled as UK-spec cars if that matters). The vents in the wings also seem to be a bit off - incorrect size/shape/placement, although this could be distortion based on the contours of the body being incorrect also. One question re the driveline. I believe the Aurora kit is the only one with the motor so how accurate is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Okay the more I read this, the more confused I'm getting. Is there one fairly accurate 1/25th or 1/24th scale kit of this car available right now? And if so, which one? Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Okay the more I read this, the more confused I'm getting. Is there one fairly accurate 1/25th or 1/24th scale kit of this car available right now? And if so, which one? Scott You find discussing Ferraris, Jaguars, Maseratis, Avantis and airplanes on a thread about Aston Martin confusing? Yea me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Okay the more I read this, the more confused I'm getting. Is there one fairly accurate 1/25th or 1/24th scale kit of this car available right now? And if so, which one? Scott Oh, there's a simple answer to that. No, there isn't. The Airfix James Bond release of 1967 is the only one with a reasonably accurate body shape, engine details etc. Except the tooling doesn't exist any more, it's not been available for years, and if you can find one today you'll be paying collector prices. Apart from the digressions, most of the rest is about discussing what needs fixing with the two other more easily available (but not currently in production) kits from Doyusha and Monogram. Does that clear things up? ;-P bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djflyer Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Matt - what is your opinion on the accuracy of the driveline in the Aurora-based kits? Workable or not really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Okay the more I read this, the more confused I'm getting. Is there one fairly accurate 1/25th or 1/24th scale kit of this car available right now? And if so, which one? Scott You find discussing Ferraris, Jaguars, Maseratis, Avantis and airplanes on a thread about Aston Martin confusing? Yea me too. Ignore the digressions and tangents. LOOK at the pictures Matt put up in post #41. The ONLY one that looks like an Aston Martin is the white one...old Airfix, no longer available...unless you score an expensive NOS or possibly built kit. The rest are disasters...fixable if you're really good and really really patient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) I still say, to the average builder, that has never seen a DB4 in person, and even if he has probably doesn't remember much about it aside from the WOW ! factor, the Aurora / Monogram kits will do just fine. An easy, fun build yielding a passable DB4 kit for your display .Beyond that most of your friends wont know any of what has been discussed here. If you don't tell them , they wont know. You have fun building the model and your friends are awed at your model building prowess. Edited May 27, 2015 by Greg Myers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 I still say, to the average builder, that has never seen a DB4 in person, and even if he has probably doesn't remember much about it aside from the WOW ! factor, the Aurora / Monogram kits will do just fine. An easy, fun build yielding a passable DB4 kit for your display .Beyond that most of your friends wont know any of what has been discussed here. If you don't tell them , they wont know. You have fun building the model and your friends are awed at your model building prowess. Ah.... Thank you Greg. This is kind of what I was getting at. Okay the Monogram one isn't perfect. I get that. But, is it close enough for most people, including casual car buffs, to think its okay? Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 ... But, is it close enough for most people, including casual car buffs, to think its okay? Scott Well, yes. Greg's right. If you aren't really familiar with the cars, or don't have a set of photos of a real one to compare to, the Revellogram (nee Aurora) kit makes a very attractive model. It looks enough like an Aston to be pretty well instantly recognizable as an Aston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I think the main question is: how many people WANT an Aston Martin DB4 - DB6 series car who AREN'T going to know it well enough to know that it doesn't look quite right themselves? It you want a "James Bond" car, then the Doyusha one, with its bells and whistles, will certainly look the part, mostly BECAUSE of its bells and whistles. I've built two of the Doyusha kits now in one form or another, so I'm obviously not dismissing them out of hand. My problem is that I personally think that the DB4 series III or IV are the pinnacle of those cars' good looks, so I'm going to "go the extra mile" when I build mine to try and capture them a bit better. Back on the digressions, for the Aston and Maserati 3500GT I can understand people still buying the Aurora/Monogram kits, because they are the only game in town. But I can see NO reason at all for buying the "caricature" 250GTO or E-Type. The ancient Revell 1/25 E-type is not at all bad and re-issued again recently, and Heller is now selling its Coupe and OTS kits in 1/24 again. You're spoilt for choice with the 250GTO, with Revell boxing the pretty darn good Italeri kit at the moment, and Fujimi's outstanding kit also available at a bit of a higher price. I'll take a look at the Monogram DB4 engine in the next couple of days... bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Well, yes. Greg's right. If you aren't really familiar with the cars, or don't have a set of photos of a real one to compare to, the Revellogram (nee Aurora) kit makes a very attractive model. It looks enough like an Aston to be pretty well instantly recognizable as an Aston. We have this type of argument constantly over in Model Airplane World. Everyone has their own areas of special interest, in which we are prepared to rivet-count any given kit to death; most everything else, we're prepared to say "Hey, it looks like a Dizbuster Mark V to me." I've lost count of the times I've posted what's wrong with the Revellogram A-26 or the Academy F4U-4, only to be told "Well, it looks pretty good to ME" by guys who would quickly turn their own noses up at any Bf-109, FW-190, Spitfire, or P-40B on almost anybody's shelf. As Cheryl Crow sang, "If it makes you happy...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 " Whatever turns your crank. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exotics_Builder Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I think the main question is: how many people WANT an Aston Martin DB4 - DB6 series car who AREN'T going to know it well enough to know that it doesn't look quite right themselves? It you want a "James Bond" car, then the Doyusha one, with its bells and whistles, will certainly look the part, mostly BECAUSE of its bells and whistles. I've built two of the Doyusha kits now in one form or another, so I'm obviously not dismissing them out of hand. My problem is that I personally think that the DB4 series III or IV are the pinnacle of those cars' good looks, so I'm going to "go the extra mile" when I build mine to try and capture them a bit better. Back on the digressions, for the Aston and Maserati 3500GT I can understand people still buying the Aurora/Monogram kits, because they are the only game in town. But I can see NO reason at all for buying the "caricature" 250GTO or E-Type. The ancient Revell 1/25 E-type is not at all bad and re-issued again recently, and Heller is now selling its Coupe and OTS kits in 1/24 again. You're spoilt for choice with the 250GTO, with Revell boxing the pretty darn good Italeri kit at the moment, and Fujimi's outstanding kit also available at a bit of a higher price. I'll take a look at the Monogram DB4 engine in the next couple of days... bestest, M. Did Revell change 250 GTO's? Last time I looked (almost a year ago) it was the Protar 250 GTO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I thought I'd heard that the newest RoG release was the Italeri reboxed, but it looks like I was wrong. Apologies if I got anyone's hopes up! bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Matt, FINALLY I got around to taking that pic of the DB6 body you wanted. As you can see, it doesn't look all that much like a DB6 in roof/windown lines. As I said, I'm thinking of shortening the body until the rear wheel opening is right next to the door line, as on the DB4/5, and then driving on with a phantom DB5 fastback/Kammback. I'd cut the lower body right behind the doors, but the roof through about the middle of the front windows, to minimize matchup. And then I'd just reshape the side windows till I got a shape that was pleasing to my eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djflyer Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 (edited) You know Snake before you cut that one up any chance to get it re-popped? The window lines would definitely have to be re-worked but its not a bad start for a DB6. Edited June 14, 2015 by djflyer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Thanks, so much, Snake! I'm with David... from that angle, it looks like all you'd really need to do for the DB6 is to cut the topline of the windows to be higher and follow the roofline more. But since they're flat glass, replacing the clear parts with sheet shouldn't be a big deal... bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjordan2 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Thanks, so much, Snake! I'm with David... from that angle, it looks like all you'd really need to do for the DB6 is to cut the topline of the windows to be higher and follow the roofline more. But since they're flat glass, replacing the clear parts with sheet shouldn't be a big deal... bestest, M. If you can do anything close to what you did with the Maserati 3500 GTi, you'll end up with the best DB6 model ever made. Thanks, so much, Snake! I'm with David... from that angle, it looks like all you'd really need to do for the DB6 is to cut the topline of the windows to be higher and follow the roofline more. But since they're flat glass, replacing the clear parts with sheet shouldn't be a big deal... bestest, M. If you can do anything close to what you did with the Maserati 3500 GTi, you'll end up with the best DB6 model ever made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 this is the "To die for" version, pricey and 1/12th scale. But even it has it critiques. to wit after market wheels @ $125 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 this is the "To die for" version, pricey and 1/12th scale. But even it has it critiques. to wit after market wheels @ $125 Looks like a Ferrai GTO, a very nice one but not an Aston Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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