Harry P. Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Not to start a cultural debate but your making the assumption that your average Chinese worker has the same internet freedoms we all take for granted here. I'm not talking about the "average Chinese worker," I'm talking about Trumpeter the company. Not some schmo working in their plant, but the people in charge of R&D. Just as I wouldn't expect Joe Smith who works the second shift at Revell (assuming they had a second shift!) to be in charge of "getting it right," but Revell the company. The people in charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olds Rocket 88 Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Looks great......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted September 29, 2011 Author Share Posted September 29, 2011 (edited) I'm not talking about the "average Chinese worker," I'm talking about Trumpeter the company. Not some schmo working in their plant, but the people in charge of R&D. Just as I wouldn't expect Joe Smith who works the second shift at Revell (assuming they had a second shift!) to be in charge of "getting it right," but Revell the company. The people in charge. Harry your preaching to the choir, I doubt there are more then a single handful of real executives at the Wasan Plastic Model Co (Trumpeter) and I'd gladly bet you that none of them could tell you a Ford Falcon from bird by the same name before their US distributor suggested they produce one. Even the guys with the good jobs there like R&D, CAD design, Plant Managers .... you name it don't live half as well as Joe Smith working the loading dock at Revell. I'm sure all those mid level guys all work hard and do the best they can with what they get to work with. Your right, the blame should go to the exceutives who run the company. The Falcon kits are at least an improvement over their previous releases which is the right direction. However, based on their history, the only way we're really going to get top quality kits from them is for somebody on this side of the ocean to get tough. Demand proof of quailty through photos or test shots or whatever they have to do. Maybe if they sent a whole boatload back to Zongshan (China) they might get the message. Edited September 29, 2011 by SteveG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zelkam Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 very nice build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 All I'm going to say is I like how this one came out. The kit may be far from great, but in the right hands it can be built into a pretty good looking model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted September 29, 2011 Author Share Posted September 29, 2011 All I'm going to say is I like how this one came out. The kit may be far from great, but in the right hands it can be built into a pretty good looking model. Thanks Chuck !! It's my opinion that that with the exception of the tailgate issue that just about any modeler with basic skills could slap one of these together and get a decent looking model. -Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berr13 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 3/28/14: Squadron Shop has these on sale for under $14 dollars for the next few days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Very sharp model.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Nice build, Steve. A very clean and impressive representation of what's in the box. Kinda hard to justify a lot of corrective measures when the whole point was to demonstrate the product. Methinks some of us overlook that point sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duntov Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Nice work ---interesting subject for a change--- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatz4u Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 I like it, the gold color on the valve covers & air cleaner were Ford colors for a '64 260 V-8 which had a Generator, '65 289 V-8's were Blue & equipt with alternators.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impcon Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 For what it is worth, I do not see Trumpeter as being any worse than big time kit manufacturers when it comes to accuracy on a model although I agree that their products are really somewhat over priced. An AMT kit retails for $28.00 here at a local hobby shop and a Moebius kit, sells for $38.00. Trumpeter kits are even more which is why I refuse to buy them, given the issues that they seem to have.... Based on what I have seen and heard about Moebius products and the steps that they have gone through before casting some of their truck and car kits, I would respectfully suggest that they are the standard by which all should be judged. I've seen some pretty sad attempts at producing a model from AMT, Revell and Monogram - and all are issues that in this day and age with the computer assisted capabilities - one has to wonder why, for instance, the '58 Plymouth was ever marketed given the major flaw in the body lines. Trim levels are screwed up as is badging and even items like bumpers and grilles - the original AMT '66 442 for example. Anyone who could be bothered to do any research would have picked up on the difference between the Cutlass and the 442 air intake system. Maybe they need to hire people to do their research that actually love and know something about cars as opposed to who is doing at least some of the R&D. Now there's a job that I'd give my left... uh - baby finger, to have! Having said that, I for one, am grateful that we have the kits available to us that we do have. Having the privilege of saying no and not buying a model kit because there is something that you do not like is still better than not having any options open to us at all. But that doesn't excuse the refusal by manufacturers to correct obvious, glaring issues with a kit. Another point to be made is that some of the models released back in the sixties such as the old AMT '57 Ford hardtop and the '59 El Camino and even the old Trophy Series '34 Ford pick up were better representations of their respective subject matter IMHO, than some of the stuff released in the last few years. Even some of the Johan kits that came from what was really a sort of a small time operation were superior in many ways to some current releases. With the ability to scan and 3D print things that are accurate to within ridiculously small parameters, it would only seem to be reasonable to expect the models and in particular, more delicate and fine things such as grilles and scripts to be accurate and not look like an after thought. And lastly, I am inclined to agree with the train of thought that would suggest that were things manufactured here where there is a more of a sense of pride in what is produced, we'd likely have to pay a bit more for the product, but at least we would be supporting North American workers and the quality would be better than it is. I do not blame the workers over there nearly as much as management here and over there. However, on the other hand, we have a responsibility to let management know that unless they pull up their socks and start producing a better product, they will have to sell what they produce in China because we wont accept it here. Then let's see how good sales are... There is, in my ever top be humble opinion, no excuse aside from simple greed at the upper levels, that the kit manufacturers in general can't fix some of the issues with older but popular castings and give us a better product for our money as opposed to just grinding out the same things from half worn out dies without changing anything except for the box art. They add a few trinkets from some older releases and make a big deal of it. Why not just improve on what they are already making?? As long as we keep buying without expressing discontent and paying the executive's bonus packages with ever increasing kit prices, they will keep shelling out what is often a second rate reproduction. I know that it costs money to do all that is needed to create a new release kit, but if you are going to do it, then for goodness' sake, do it right and do your best. Just my humble opinion.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maindrian Pace Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I like it, the gold color on the valve covers & air cleaner were Ford colors for a '64 260 V-8 which had a Generator, '65 289 V-8's were Blue & equipt with alternators.. The '64 Falcon 260s had black block, heads, and intake with blue valve clovers and air cleaner. Not Ford corporate blue, but a lighter shade. The '65 289 was as in the model, black engine with gold valve covers/air cleaner, and the '66-up engines were all Ford corporate blue. -MJS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlotDaddy1963 Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 food for thought... when trumpeter released their 1/32 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat kit a few years ago, there were glaring inaccuracies in the overall shape of the fuselage. I suppose enough people complained about it that they pulled it from the market and reissued it, with an entirely new fuselage, wings and interior (cockpit and inner wall details ). Several sprue sets were replaced... Maybe we should bitch and nag more and louder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impcon Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 (edited) food for thought... when trumpeter released their 1/32 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat kit a few years ago, there were glaring inaccuracies in the overall shape of the fuselage. I suppose enough people complained about it that they pulled it from the market and reissued it, with an entirely new fuselage, wings and interior (cockpit and inner wall details ). Several sprue sets were replaced... Maybe we should bitch and nag more and louder Agreed! Change will come only when the manufacturers begin to grasp the fact that the consumer willl not settle for "That's good enough". They can produce a better product but if they can pass something flawed off without being made to acknowledge their errors, then why fix it? It doesn't cost any more to mold some accurately right atthe start than it does to do a slip shod job. Edited April 2, 2014 by impcon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete L. Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 (edited) Super nice, the pictures look like a 1:1 sales brochure from "back in the day " !!! Edited May 16, 2014 by Pete L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duntov Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Nice!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Several times I've come back to look at this posting. So maybe it's time to say something? I'm impressed. It's a great looking model. Right or wrong? Because of your build, I keep thinking about buying a Trumpeter Ranchero. Price is the only thing stopping me so far. But, seeing your build, I might just get past that. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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