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"Holy Grail" Models?


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It's interesting to see that there are a few guys looking for 1972 Impalas. It seems the 1971 and 1972 are the hardest to find. I needed a '72 to complete my run of full size Chevys without paying over $200 for an unbuilt kit. So I put my search into eBay and got emails as ones came up for sale. As they'd come up, I'd bid on them (in my snipe program) and lost a bunch to guys willing to pay more than I for crusty rebuildables. Finally I got one that was built as a low rider for $60. It will get redone... eventually!

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I was finally able to find and buy my holy grail earlier last year, but I've not had the chance to build it yet.

10024294.jpg

Already a limited run of 2000 in Japan alone, this kit is almost completely unheard of here in the states. And it commonly gets confused with the MK2 Celica XX kit, which is just slightly more common to find as only 10000 were released! (And I have one of these as well! )

ToyotaCelicaXX.jpg

What makes them so rare is that they are not curbside models, but actually have full-on engine bays and detailed engines. All the ones Tamiya have released and exported to the US have been curbside, the Testors model kit that pops up on fleaBay from time to time is curbside, and many of the different body-style Fujimi kits with the Aero parts and such are always curbside. Yes, with some customizing and detail work they can have fully realized engine bays, AND you can buy resin engine block kits with turbo manifolds and intercoolers, but it just makes it nicer to have. Hopefully I'll have mine built with its swapped in 2JZ-GTE later this year.

I have a question out of curiosity more than anything else. why would a model kit company do a limited run of 2000 of anything? I would think that it would not make financial sense to cut steel to only make 2000 of something unless they were under contract to do so. Most model companies reuse tooling over and over to amortize the tooling costs so having a limited run of a particular kit seems odd.

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I have a question out of curiosity more than anything else. why would a model kit company do a limited run of 2000 of anything? I would think that it would not make financial sense to cut steel to only make 2000 of something unless they were under contract to do so. Most model companies reuse tooling over and over to amortize the tooling costs so having a limited run of a particular kit seems odd.

In Japan I hear it's all about shelf space. Most of the model kits from there are primarily curbside, so they sell those far more frequently than fully detaIled kits. Also, they compete with lots of really popular Sci-Fi kits like the mecha, superheroes, and spaceships every year, so they only have a small amount of shelf area to deal with. Picture walking into a Hobbytown with about 40% Robotech, Battletech, and Anime otaku characters, another 30% to military vehicles, AND THEN another 25% to RC vehicles.

That would leave about 5% space for cars and trucks, and you'd want to have only those kits that you can move quickly and easily to keep the stock fresh.

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I was finally able to find and buy my holy grail earlier last year, but I've not had the chance to build it yet.

Already a limited run of 2000 in Japan alone, this kit is almost completely unheard of here in the states. And it commonly gets confused with the MK2 Celica XX kit, which is just slightly more common to find as only 10000 were released! (And I have one of these as well! )

Cool. I spotted both in your workbench pictures in other thread. Great kits, Supra's rock. Great scores,

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After reflecting on this a bit, there are two more that I'd add, the Lindberg 75 Buick Century, and the AMT 74 Pinto. I owned both cars, and loved them both. Having tribute models of them on my shelves would be truly outstanding. (All of the other cars I've owned in my life, seem to have no corresponding kits, unfortunately.)

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After reflecting on this a bit, there are two more that I'd add, the Lindberg 75 Buick Century, and the AMT 74 Pinto. I owned both cars, and loved them both. Having tribute models of them on my shelves would be truly outstanding. (All of the other cars I've owned in my life, seem to have no corresponding kits, unfortunately.)

But there might be promos of them Kevin?

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Isn't the Lindberg '75 Buick 1/32 scale? I have a vague recollection that it is.

I think there's an inexpensive 1/24 diecast of the '74 Pinto available. I seem to recall seeing it at the gas station a couple years ago. For some reason the brand name "Wild Cherries" comes to mind in connection with it. I think they had a Vega and maybe a Gremlin too.

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Isn't the Lindberg '75 Buick 1/32 scale? I have a vague recollection that it is.

I think there's an inexpensive 1/24 diecast of the '74 Pinto available. I seem to recall seeing it at the gas station a couple years ago. For some reason the brand name "Wild Cherries" comes to mind in connection with it. I think they had a Vega and maybe a Gremlin too.

Yes it is, but it's the only Century model that I'm aware of. While not exactly like my Century, it's close enough. Getting rally type wheels for it might prove difficult though, I really haven't checked. I really don't want to go diecast for the Pinto, but I suppose it'd be better than nothing.

Edited by Roadrunner
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Those were called "Fresh Cherries." They still make them, but I don't know if they were in 1/24. They do em in 1/87 for us HO scale railroad people.

Of the ones I know, there's a Pinto Cruiser Wagon (the panel wagon with the round windows in back,) a Mercury Bobcat, a Pacer, a Gremlin, and a '71 Sportsroof Mustang.

**EDIT**

I stand corrected. There were 1/24 scale diecasts of them. Carry on.

They're all made by Motor Max. Here's a pic of a Pinto.

post-13841-0-46146100-1419995663_thumb.j

Edited by chunkypeanutbutter
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I've been pretty lucky chasing grail models. Most of them were favorites from my childhood. The Flameout seen below was the first one I chased. I had no luck even finding one on e-bay. A friend actually got me one in the box from another source. I had to build it. The background matches the Flameout box art.

lowresleft-vi.jpgHosted on Fotki

One of the grails that was not from my childhood was the Supper Digger. I lost a lot of bids on that until I finally stepped up and spent the $$ to get one in the box. Then they reissued it two years in after.

Edited by Scott Colmer
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Scott, some of my holy grails were the Tom Daniel kits from the late 1960s. They were advertised in comic books back then so I had to have them. I had the T'rantula, Tijuana Taxi, Pie Wagon, Paddy Wagon, Circus Wagon, Rommels Rod, and I always wanted the S'cool Bus since I had the Hot Wheels version.

I was fortunate that several of them were current kits when I got back to the hobby in the late 1980s. That only fueled me to search out and find the rest. I paid big money for an incomplete TJ Taxi, and got parts from friends in Germany and The Netherlands to finish it up. I also paid money for a Rommels Rod and Circus Wagon glue bombs. Of course after I did that all these kits got reissued! But it's all good, I get to relive my youth, and build them much better than I did back then!

And to bring it to a really happy conclusion, I got to meet Tom Daniel at GSL a few year ago. Actually got to have a beer with him! All I could think of was that I never could have imagined that when I was a kid building his kits. The little kid inside me was screaming with excitement!

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Hey Tom. I hear you brother. I did the exact same thing in that I recaptured my youth by replacing all my TD models. Yep - Some were pretty expensive grails.

I never got to meet TD in person but... As a kid I wrote TD a letter at Monogram with a drawing of a trike in it. My Christmas Story dream was that he would see my design genius and make me the sorcerer's apprentice. I did not know was that Tom was gone by then. I got my drawing back with a letter from a marketing manager. (Don't remember the name) I was crushed.

Then 40+ years after that TD was a judge on the Showrods site contest. He acknowledged my entry and we had a brief e-mail exchange. A dream come true.

That was a grail experience. Back to grail kits.

Scott

Edited by Scott Colmer
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Hey Tom. I hear you brother. I did the exact same thing in that I recaptured my youth by replacing all my TD models. Yep - Some were pretty expensive grails.

I never got to meet TD in person but... As a kid I wrote TD a letter at Monogram with a drawing of a trike in it. My Christmas Story dream was that he would see my design genius and make me the sorcerer's apprentice. I did not know was that Tom was gone by then. I got my drawing back with a letter from a marketing manager. (Don't remember the name) I was crushed.

Then 40+ years after that TD was a judge on the Showrods site contest. He acknowledged my entry and we had a brief e-mail exchange. A dream come true.

That was a grail experience. Back to grail kits.

Scott

I always liked them too...2 from my childhood days has always eluded me...the(Un-Real Roller) and (Mean Maverick)kits.

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The only Tom Daniel kits I've ever owned are the Badman '55 Chevy and the Street Fighter '60 Chev SD. Unlike many of his later designs, these have some connection to reality and can be built into tasteful models (with a little work). Never been a fan of his cartoon-like "thingies."

A few years ago I scored a bunch of early '60s Rod & Custom magazines at a flea market. TD had a regular "Sketchpad" feature in them, with custom and styling ideas. Having only been exposed to his thingies of the late '60s and '70s, I was absolutely stunned at how beautiful and tasteful some of his earlier ideas had been. In fact, I think a few of these ideas were actually picked up by Detroit and used on some of the late '60s-early '70s musclecars that we all love. Really nice stuff and I hope to someday build a model or two based on TD's early works.

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The talk of Tom Daniel, brings up three of his designs I'd like to see come back. The Mean Maverick. One of great Christmas gift models (along with the Renwall Visable V-8) I ever got as a kid. And the Poison Pinto and Rat Vega. The Poison Pinto needs to be green version.

There are other Tom Daniel designs I love. But, I've been lucky. They've reissued most of those and I bought copies. Some of my favorites of his that have been re-released, are the Street Fighter, Rommel's Rod, and the S'cool Bus. The Street Fighter and Rommel's Rod are finished. I need to get cracking on the S'cool Bus. I also have other TD designs like the Red Baron and Beer Wagon (built as a Mountain Dew Wagon). And I keep thinking about maybe picking up an Ice "T".

Scott

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