Darin Bastedo Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Historic Racing Miniatures Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe Full Detail Resin & Photoetched Mulimedia Kit MSRP $185.00 Sample Bought From Strada Sports I recently traded in my Gunze Sangyo Shelby Cobra Daytona kit, and took the $185 plunge to get the Historic Racing Miniatures Resin Cobra Daytona Coupe. Generally the Guze Kit sells for $75-$125 on Ebay, when you can get one. The difference between it and the HRM kit, leaves no doubt that the extra money spent is a bargain. Being a Shelby Cobra Fan, The Gunze Kit has been a grail of mine, for years. A few years ago I bought one, and at first was thrilled but eventually the thrill wore off as I realized that the Gunze kit has some major problems; 1. It's frame consists of tubing and intructions of how to cut it. basicly they expect you to scratch build the Chassis. 2. the Chassis detail that is there is cast in white metal that requires a lot of clean-up. 3. It's a curbside, which in and of itself is not bad, but for a curbside it is a very complicated build. Given these problems the Gunze kit reamianed un-built on my shelf, as I dreamt of building it into a full detail contest winner. In the mean time I was browsing through Strada Sport's website and stumbled across The HRM Cobra Daytona. It looked good and came highly recommended, but the $185.00 Price tag made me shiver. I wrestled with the discision for months wieghing the plusses and minuses, and finally last week I bought it. I have to say I was pleasently surprised, not only was the kit in stock, but Kevin Rodgers of Strada Sports got the kit to me in just a couple of days. I opened the box and was in shock. I've never seen a better resin kit at any price. I haven't Counted but there must be more than 200 pieces, but not one of them had so much as a pinhole or even the smallest flaw. All the photo you will see are the kit pieces exactly as I pulled them out of the box with no clean up. The Body is well proportions, thinly cast and smooth inside and out... The Hood Is cast separately but mates up to the body flsh and straight. The panel at the back of the hood is lightly glued in to protect the hood durind shipping, and the delicate innerfenders are taped in place to protect them too. Even the hood hinges are cast inplace to ensure proper fit... The Chassis is cast in one piece and sits level... The suspension pieces are simplified but finely detailed. Clever Detail painting will really make these come alive. The Photoetched parts are well done, and look to be the work of the Model Car Garage... To be continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darin Bastedo Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 The Kit also comes with a fully detailed engine... The Decals are supplied by Vintage Racing Miniatures and Printed by Cartografâ„¢... The wheels and tires are crisply cast and far superior to those found in the Gunze Kit. Anther rare and impressive feature of this kit, is the cast glass parts. Most Resin kits come with fiddley vacu-formed glass, but the crisp and nearly distortion-free glass in this kit will be welcomed by those used to traditional kit glass. Over all I'd have to say this is the best resin kit I've ever bought. There is no need to to buy a donor kit, or anything but glue and paint to complete this kit. For More Pictures click here to to view my Fotki folder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Woodruff Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Yes it is the best resin kit I have ever bought too! It is next up on my build schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Can't beat Harold Bradford's stuff when it comes to quality, his stuff is worth the money everytime and there is no nicer guy out there!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Zoom Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 It certainly is an amazing kit, perfect for someone who wants a full-detail build. Make sure to keep it level, store it properly as I've seen one of these bodies warp badly. Harold replaced it, even though the owner was the one who put it back in the box poorly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Yup! I've got one of those too along with the original Gunze Kit (Can't part with it! ) and it's one of the best resin kits out there for the money IMO! ............And yes, Harold's one of the nicest guys you'll meet and is VERY knowledgeable about the subject matter he casts particularly with the 1:1's. Don't ask when I'll build mine as I've had it several years now.........it's just as impressive to look at unbuilt as it is built! BTW, you may wanna check out this guy's site. He's got one he's reproducing just like the actual Daytona............Lotsa pics to detail by! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 It certainly is an amazing kit, perfect for someone who wants a full-detail build. Make sure to keep it level, store it properly as I've seen one of these bodies warp badly. Harold replaced it, even though the owner was the one who put it back in the box poorly. Yeah, Harold cautioned me about that when I originally got mine from him at the MAMA meeting. So I definitely make sure it goes back in the way it came each time I take a look at it! In fact, I make sure no other model boxes are sitting on TOP of it------I'm that paranoid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Lombardo Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Just as a little side note, years ago I purchased the Gunze Cobra Daytona kit. I guess if I had to pick my one and only favorite car of all time, this and the Cobra roadster (427 version) would fight it out, but most likely the coupe and its sexy lines would win. I immediately opened up the hood with complete expectation of building the under hood details. I began sourcing out an engine and such when HRM announced their kit. I contacted Harold to see if I could purchase just the parts I needed to complete the Gunze kit as a full detail model (I have yet to begin the construction mainly because I enjoy looking at the beautiful pristine parts from HRM so much I do not want to contaminate them). Well, obviously they sold me the parts, at a very fair price, I might add and one day, I will build it. The main reason I wanted to add my two cents to this thread is that, HRM is a great company to do business with. The quality of the castings are absolutely first rate….like I said before, they are so clean and perfect that it seems a shame to “dirty†them with paint and glue. The delicate castings of the inner fender walls are amazing. Even though I was “up†for constructing the metal tube chassis of the Gunze kit, Harold insisted on sending me their molded version….wise decision because it is also perfect. The engine and carburetor detail is not to be believed. Yes, the full kit from HRM is pricy, but like most everything else in this world, you get what you pay for. I am seriously contemplating the purchase of a full HRM kit, so I can feel better about building the modified Gunze kit, and keep the new HRM kit un-built so I can periodically pull out the parts and ogle them. I know…sick…but there is something about perfectly molded white parts in their separate little bags and the promise of what they can become. There is so much potential in every pristine kit….you look at the parts and think how great that kit will look once it is completed, than all too often, the results don’t live up to the expectation. Anyway, I digress, the HRM kit and detail is great…if you are even just thinking about one….do it….beg, borrow or steal the cash…sell your soul to your wife and promise years of dedicated “Honey Do†list completion if she will allow your indulgence. The kit is just flat out worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Hamilton Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 (edited) With all of the vintage unbuilts in my collection, this is the most expensive kit I own, and worth every penny! I watched Harold did the work researching and creating the master for this kit. The product is what Bill, Bob, & Darin wrote about it, and more. Gordon Holsinger normally does the exquisite buildups for Harold, and the one he did is flat out gorgeous. Gordon is a great modeler, and having this great kit made his work that much easier. I'm sorry that I do not have a picture of Gordon's Finished model, other than the one on Harold's package, which is shown in Darin's photography at the top of this thread. Edited July 11, 2008 by Ron Hamilton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 NEED... no. Want.... YES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyle Willits Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Gordon Holsinger's build-up of the kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 More of Gordon's work here with a HRM correct engine done and available for this kit. Can't say enough about HRM, real good quality and again, you won't meet a nicer guy anywhere, between him and Norm Veber of Replicas and Miniatures this club wouldn't be what it is today!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Interior work in the car!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I can justify that kind of money for a real car, the wife would have a problem if she knew I spent that much for a model.... Of course, she would have to know first Gonna have to start saving the pennies!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAL Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Yeah, I don't need one that bad either. I agree on the AM comment, too. I guess that decision came down to one of the AM guys who had unlimited access to one. I gave them another more likely profitable kit suggestion, too. They responded with, “We just don’t have access to that.†So I got the access to any one of several, but they just were not interested. Then I got more of the truth out of them, and they were going to do what they wanted and had a personal interest in, and didn’t have much interest in anything else – even if it may have been a money maker. However, in the end it was a number of things outside of kits, modeling and model making that brought them to ruins. And I am not sure even a Cobra Daytona kit would have helped them. No AM2 has abandoned any future car kits because the ones they do have, "Just don't sell." I strongly believe that they shot themselves in both feet on there car kits. 1. Over complicated kit, nice, but hard for the average builder to build. 2. Subject, subject, subject. I think if they had a little stronger subject and a little easier kit to build they would have been a lot further down the road to success. However, like many American business owners, they knew best, they knew what they were doing, and nobody was going to tell the differently. The new AM management isn't any different, and hasn't had any better luck or success. Furthermore, the do a good kit, and I am not sure why they are so afraid of competing head-to-head with Hasegawa, Tamiya, Eduards, Revell, AMT or any of the other companies out there. But they are terrified to release a kit that someone else has released or is releasing, and they been jumped a half a dozen times. At least once after tooling was being cut. They just abort and shelf the project, well they had a lot of those. Strange, very strange stuff happened over there at AM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurfalien Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) Old thread but I love HRMs products and will prolly be calling Norm@R&MM in the coming weeks to order this bad boy!I've been into forgein race cars circa late 50's to late 70's but am desiring to build some serious American muscle of this era!Harold and Norm are amazing! It's tough to run a biz like this or any other for that matter and they both seem to be keeping the ship a-float so serious accolades to em. Edited September 14, 2015 by aurfalien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vamach1 Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 (edited) I'd love to build all six :-) but I have one unbuilt HRM and a built Sunze one I did many years. Edited September 14, 2015 by vamach1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurfalien Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 (edited) Wow, well thats a lotta buildin my friend.I'd have to thank Darin for posting his kit review on it.I've a lot of resin type kits on my stash and I'd have to say all are rough, lotta flash etc.. Except for Paul Fishers kits which are pretty clean. But Harolds kit seems über pro. It would be awesome if he did a McLaren CanAm that hasn't been kitted yet. Or even a remake of the Hardcastle Coyote. Edited September 14, 2015 by aurfalien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wku88 Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I'm guessing the only one without meatballs is the Phil Specter car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I wish there was a reasonably priced 1/25th scale styrene kit of the the above Cobra coupes. I wonder why one is not be offered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurfalien Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 (edited) Well, I've been reading a lot about HRMs offering on this. Reasonably priced is relative and for what you get, it seems a total bargain. Hand made, presicion, parts count, great customer service and of course the rare subject matter itself. There resin is killer. I've there GT40 engine and a few carb kits and man, the resin seems like a high quality plastic, highly detailed, thin etc... Just really great stuff.MFH Cobra Daytona Coupe has nothing over this kit fo sho and its ~$300.What a kit! Edited September 15, 2015 by aurfalien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Woodruff Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Here is the HRM Cobra Daytona kit I did a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Here is the HRM Cobra Daytona kit I did a few years ago. Very nice Len. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurfalien Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Wow Len, pretty incredible.Did you add anything to the kit or is this box stock and simply painted really really really well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Woodruff Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Brian it is fully plumbed with braided lines and AN Anodized Fittings from RB Motion. Turned Aluminum Spark Plugs and Rubber boots. Turned aluminum Velocity stacks, brake rotors and outboard wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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