179 replies to this topic

[W-409]

Yeah, the subjects are "The Thing" why I'd like to see Jo-Han kits reissued, under Jo-Han name or under any other name. Those AMC kits are very cool and they had very much cool Drag Car kits, and kits from cars that were never produced by anyone else. And Jo-Han bodies are good too. I have currently 4 Jo-Han kits on my bench and actually I have one Jo-Han Turbine Car Glue Bomb too. I'm trying to buy those Jo-Hans every time I see them with decent price.

[martinfan5]

Not everyone wants Jo-Han to come back, and I think almost all of us realize they probably never will, but the history of the company and its products, and the emotions and memories their products stir up and bring back have a certain value to some.

As Antonio mentioned, they had a very unique product lineup, which seems to have been a boon for them earlier on, and hinderance toward the end.

Dont think I am hating on Jo-Han, there are lot of Jo-Han kits I would like to get, but not paying the going rate, and I do have memory's as kid building the Caddy hearse /abmo kit, the Fury police car, the Caddy Eldorado kit, to me as a kid, they were good kits, and would love to get be able to do those over again.

[von Zipper]

In the early 1980's (1980-84) I worked for a burglar alarm company in Detroit, one of the older accounts was the Jo Han building on Moran. Over the years I had to go there 4 or 5 times to do repairs to their alarm system. Other than the fact they made model cars there-It was like every other machine shop we went to. I do remember they had an addition/lean to built on the rear of the building where they stored what looked like the dies/molds shown above.

A couple of years ago I talked to my old boss from the alarm company and he told me he had that account back when it was called "Ideal Models" and he remembers John Hanley very well.

It was a bad neighbor hood even back then- And another funny thing is the address listed on the original box art, it said "17255 Moran, Detroit Michigan 48212" which is not Detroit at all-it's technically Hamtramck.

[Mark]

I was just looking at some of my unbuilt Jo-Han kits the other day and other than the body, they are rather crude, even for those times.

But the body is what you see first, and that's where Jo-Han's stuff really shined. Some of the other parts they did were great, too:
-late Oldsmobile engine (so good that Ertl cribbed it for their '69 4-4-2 kit)
-426 Hemi engine (still one of the better ones out there)
-Boss 429 engine (the best one ever done)
-Logghe Brothers early funny car chassis (still the best one ever done IMO)
-Toronado front-drive unit (the focal point of those cars; Jo-Han took the trouble to do it right)
-Hurst mag wheels (again, the best ones out there)
-Firestone Drag 500 tires and slicks (only ones out there, but Jo-Han wasn't sticking dragster slicks in their pro stock kits!)

[Danno]

Dont think I am hating on Jo-Han, there are lot of Jo-Han kits I would like to get, but not paying the going rate, and I do have memory's as kid building the Caddy hearse /abmo kit, the Fury police car, the Caddy Eldorado kit, to me as a kid, they were good kits, and would love to get be able to do those over again.

Ahh, but you can, Grasshopper.

I know a very excellent source who happens to have them all.

Check for today's market prices.

[Casey]

And another funny thing is the address listed on the original box art, it said "17255 Moran, Detroit Michigan 48212" which is not Detroit at all-it's technically Hamtramck.

I noticed that when I Google mapped the address a few years ago. I think they may have listed "Moran Ave." as the road name, too, when it's Moran Street...unless that changed at some point?

Thanks for sharing that story, Chris.

[martinfan5]

Ahh, but you can, Grasshopper.

I know a very excellent source who happens to have them all.

Check for today's market prices.

I am pretty sure I know who the seller is you are talking about Chief , but I am not sure I can afford them right now , is there a lay-a-way plan available

[Draggon]

Funny how the Jo-Han threads keep reappearing. I loved the way the Jo-Hans sorta fell together, and looked very accurate. I've still got a Comet Pro Stock, an Olds Toronado, a 71 Javelin, an AMX, 62 Dart, 64 caddy, and the infamous 59 rambler wagon. Only the Comet, Javelin, and Dart are built. People must love these things as the prices on ebay are so high.

[Draggon]

Oh and I forgot about this

[Deathgoblin]

Not all of their kits were crude. Some of them were barely above promos, but then there were ones like the full detail Chrysler Turbine. There's nothing crude about that kit. It's as detailed and fiddly as any that are out there now.

[W-409]

but then there were ones like the full detail Chrysler Turbine. There's nothing crude about that kit. It's as detailed and fiddly as any that are out there now.

I have to agree. Turbine Car is really great kit and builds parts fit is very nice, too. Same thing with '72 Torino Oval Track Racer, parts are nice and there are pretty much of them, in chassis too! How about those Funny Car kits, that Jo-Han has produced, what's the quality of them?

[charlie8575]

Not all of their kits were crude. Some of them were barely above promos, but then there were ones like the full detail Chrysler Turbine. There's nothing crude about that kit. It's as detailed and fiddly as any that are out there now.

The 1931 Cadillacs are very nice, too. Someday, mine will all be built.

Charlie Larkin

[Rob Hall]

I'm particularly fond of Johan's Toronados, Eldorados, and deVilles...

[Futurabat]

Like any company, they had thier dogs, and they had thier gold. There were subjects that tripped my switch and others I wouldn't look twice at. Then again it was exactly the same at MPC, AMT, Revell...you get the idea. Would I like to see Jo-Han come back? I think if someone were to cherry pick the best bits, the HEMI's the great bodies and upgrade them. If only Polar Lights/Round2 would get hold of them and do a little mix and match. The Jo-Han body from the Sox & Martin Superbird on the AMT Roadrunner chassis. Heck, i'd even buy them if they were just bodies. There you go. Cherry pick the best stuff and sell them as kit accesories. If I bought that S&M bird i'd throw out the chassis anyway.

[Craig Irwin]

There you go. Cherry pick the best stuff and sell them as kit accesories.

I sugested just that to Okey years ago, sort of a plastic resin kit if you will.

[von Zipper]

Would I like to see Jo-Han come back?

NOPE, I wouldn't want to see that.

We could chase our tails in circles until we turn into butter-but JoHan aint never coming back. Once the name went to SeVille - the original JoHan company was done and gone.
I was really hoping Okey could revive the name and bring back all those classic kits....and he gave it a valiant effort, but due to circumstances beyond his control it didn't come to be. I'm sure he wanted it to succeed as much or more than we did.

Look at Schwinn bicycles-once the company left Chicago and sent the company operations all over the globe, not to mention they are sold at Wal-Mart now instead of a once exclusive Schwinn dealerships-the classic bikes from the '50 to the '70s are worth more to than the new ones . They were only "Made in Chicago" that one time in history...and the way it's looking they aren't coming back any time soon (to Chicago)

I didn't start out as a model collector, but over the years it happens. I have more kits than I could build in a life time but still have to get a copy or two of all the new kits coming out. I'm glad that there were people back then that had the same problem and we still find vintage/mint in the box kits today.

They were only "Jo-Han" kits once, trying to replicate them would be as disappointing as the re-make of the Munsters.........

[sjordan2]

Back in the day when they were at their best, I always saw Jo-Han as second-rate up against Revell and AMT, particularly because I thought their interior tubs were too shallow for contemporary cars. On the other hand, while I don't have a broad view of their classic cars, I will put their 1935 Mercedes 500K up against anything being marketed today.

[Fat Brian]

How about those Funny Car kits, that Jo-Han has produced, what's the quality of them?

I have the 71-73 Mustang and Pinto funny cars and they are very good, better than AMT was doing at the same period. The only thing that is odd is that the rear axle is tremendously out of scale, it looks like it came from a semi truck, but everything else is great.

[route66modeler]

It seems as we all get older, we get pickier about everything. I grew up buiding kits with metal axles. they were cool, once you built the car you could actual roll them around. BTW, did you every look at the carbs on the MPC prostock kits? They were pretty bad compared to todays kits. But, for the 1970's I guess they were the best MPC could do. And have you seen how much mint old mpc prostock kits go for?

[Jantrix]

I will put their 1935 Mercedes 500K up against anything being marketed today.

Quite right. It's an excellent kit and I for one am wondering how that happened?

On a side note if anyone has a '60 Desoto Adventurer kit in any condition and are willing to part with it please give me a holler.

Edited by Jantrix, 29 October 2012 - 05:26 AM.