611 replies to this topic

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Well by your grandfather's definition, Bob, ANYTHING that isn't 100% scratch built is kit assembly - and here we are in a forum that's all about building car models from kits, so the point is - ?

 

The blog is "The Anti-Rivet-Counter Jihad", found under the blog button above - but I realized it's actually covering a parallel issue, and not hitting the kit-assembler thing head-on; must have remembered that from about fifty other posts I did, so here we go again:

 

To call somebody a kit assembler is to say, necessarily, that his skills as a modeler are somehow limited.  It is one of many devices used over and over again to personally attack people criticizing a kit, presuming the critic only criticizes because he can't fix the problems himself.  The equally illogical flip side is, real modelers never criticize, they just fix the problems.  It assumes that you can't be a modeler, that you can't BUILD, and criticize at the same time, which is a ridiculous assumption on its face.

 

Bill Geary, Steve Boutte, and John Goschke are three championship-caliber modelers, just off the top of my head, who have pointed out inaccuracies in kits and then gone on to obliterate any trace of the problems they point out.  They expose the "kit assembler" angle for the mockery it is, and something tells me they're not the only three on the face of the planet.

[Darin Bastedo]

I've Read this topic with interest, and found a number of people who have made some interesting points. Like always I try not to comment on the model itself until I hold it in my hot little hands. Now that I have one here is my take on it;

 

First let me say I tend to come to the subject of scale fidelity and accuracy from a slightly different perspective. I've been building Models for the better part of 40 years. Had this kit, or anything close to its quality come out back in the '70s when I started building, it would have been met with accolades by the modelers. I'm old enough to remember when the typical kit merely bore a close approximation to the real car. Back then the only '32 fords available were the AMT (almost toy like) MPC (look at the recent  American Grafitti re-release) and the Monogram (Roadster only, fenders molded to the frame and no easy way to do a fenderless car) Take a look at any of these and tell me that even this compromised kit isn't far superior to any of those options.

 

Second, I grade kits on what I can build it into. I have absolutely Zero interest in the 1:1 Rat Roaster, but can understand that if that is what you want to build how you could be disappointed with the kit. Also I Can understand if you are disappointed that there is no I-beam axle as there are many cars I could build with that as well. That said this kit has some great stuff in it.

 

1. I love the wheels and tires. There are a lot of things I could do with those.

 

2. Buick Portholes, I see me adding those to my custom Hudson Hornet tonight or tomorrow.

 

3 The Engine. I can put that in anything from a t-bucket to a 69 Camaro. Heck the short block and tranny would be a great start on a pro-touring engine build.

 

4. The Front cycle fenders and bobbed rears will look great on a vintage hot rod build.

 

5. The seats look cool and would work in many period customs

 

6. the guitar is a nice touch

 

7.  The Gear shift is kinda cool too, and would look good in any hot rod build.

 

8. Having a stock firewall that isn't resin is nice too.

 

I'll probably buy several of these over the years because the parts are so nice. Is it a perfect replica of the 1:1? nope, but it is a really nice model kit. 

[Danno]

Post 502:

 

 

Now there's a modeler!

 

 

[Brett Barrow]

Repeat after me, class...

 

 

I think this thread has pretty much run its course.  It's jumped the shark, at least. 

[Draggon]

Yup, agreed. Those of us who are really traditional already knew the troubles with the 1:1. I never build OOTB, so its no big deal. I'm stoked over the wheels and tires, the cycle fenders, and the bobbed rears, and tho I'm a Ford guy, I am glad it has a smallblock. I never liked the FOMOCO in the highboy. Lets put the shark to rest. Over 500 posts on this? Good grief. Oh, ugh, I contributed to the madness..........

[Casey]

Please lock this thread. Its a dead horse now.

 

It did get a bit off-topic, but the discussion was still related to the Rat Roaster, and people are sure to have more opinions and comments about the kit, so I don't think it should be locked.

 

 

 

5. The seats look cool and would work in many period customs

 

The only bummer is the "bomber" look is lost when the seat covers are installed, but they will no doubt find their way into other builds:

 

 

 

6. the guitar is a nice touch

 

It's very unique:

 

 

 

 

7.  The Gear shift is kinda cool too, and would look good in any hot rod build.

 

I do like the gearshift lever, but can't tell what the shift knob is supposed to be, based on its cone(?) shape?:

 

 

 

 

8. Having a stock firewall that isn't resin is nice too.

 

 

Easily one of the kit's best parts:

 

 

 

I know some think the hood portholes are cheesy, but I think they're one of the details which makes this car stand out. To me, they seem like a bit of a nod to past styling, but now incorporated into the hood in a position where they could actually have a function. When I first saw the car with the hood on, I was hoping there were injector stacks which lined up with the portholes, and though two more would be needed to jive with a traditional V-8 Hilborn style mechanical fuel injection setup, they at least show Stacey's aware of American automotive history and styling:

 

 

 

The windshield frame is really nice, too, and probably long overdue:

 

 

 

The front cycle fender are also prime for using on other builds. Here's a close up shot of the mounting bracket:

 

 

 

Not my best photography, but you can at least make out the classic shape of the front fenders, and hopefully see they have a nice, think edge bead detail:

 

 

 

Here are the chrome parts:

 

[Chuck Kourouklis]

There's a musical theme to the car, so the shifter is supposed to be a microphone, iIrc.

 

They used a drum kick pedal for the throttle, too.  Shouldn't be too hard to scratch up.  

 

Revell's A-bones seem to have some potential as a beam axle source, and I think a triangulated four-link with plastruct or evergreen box sections for the joints shouldn't be a big deal. Just wondering about that big X in the middle of the frame...

[CEKPETHO BCE]

This kit isn't perfect, but it has a lot of decent parts. Only thing it's missing, in my opinion, is an I-beam front axle. It would have been nice if Revell decided to build an all new frame that is somehow compatible with other 32 kits, but this kit is a step forward in the right direction regardless of the frame.

[Brett Barrow]

 
They used a drum kick pedal for the throttle, too.  Shouldn't be too hard to scratch up.  
 

He mentioned it on the show but it didn't end up making it in the end. At least it wasn't in there when it came back from the Hot Rod Institute.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

OH.  Well.  Good they didn't include it then - wouldn't wanna rankle all those rivet counters. 

[b_lever1]

the point is if it is not what you want  , make it what you want  plain and simple there are so many talented modelers here and i'm not wanting to insult anyone it has taken years to get to where i'm happy building the way that i do.it's like some mags say their experts everybody has their opinion! if things don't work out and you want it right make it right and keep trying. don't give up you never know who is the next expert

 

 

 

 

 

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Well then by that very logic, there should be no problem discussing what's missing in the kit so that people will know what they'll need to make the way they want, right?

[niteowl7710]

[font='comic sans ms', cursive][size=3]the point is if it is not what you want  , make it what you want  plain and simple
 
 

Well I've studied the parts for hours, and honestly I'll be darned if I can figure out a way to make this thing into a Bugatti Veyron...

[Danno]

Does it have a roll bar or a wet bar or a light bar?

 

Oh.

 

Then I guess it's not all things to all people, after all.

[Greg Myers]

 

I think it has an Eight in it.

[Harry P.]

Please lock this thread. Its a dead horse now.

 

Let's leave it up to the moderators to decide when a thread needs to be locked.

[High octane]

I've got enough Deuce kits in my stash and I'm taking a pass on buying the roaster.

[brad4321]

I have very little interest in this subject.  But I had to have one for some reason.  I like to go outside my box sometimes.  I'm enjoying the build.   It's typical Revell quality or lack thereof.  Include me in the group of people that would never notice the innaccuracies.  I do hate the wheels.  They require a lot of force to get inside the tire and the process of doing so means you can't paint a whitewall or dullcote the tires.  The chrome trees are junk but that's typical.  Most parts have to be stipped, sanded, and repainted, unless you want crappy looking marks on the parts.  

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Hey Michael - have you tried white Duplicolor upholstery dye in a spray can?

 

Revell's '50 Oldsmobile tires were giving me the exact problem you described.  After finding the decals useless and realizing I would have to use paint of some kind, I gave this stuff a try and it's very flexible and opaque - not to mention, formulated specifically for vinyl.

 

I found the best masking method to be using a compass blade to cut a circular stencil out of a piece of card stock, putting that card stock in a set of "extra hands" clips, and simply holding the tire at the right position behind the stencil as you airbrush the decanted dye onto the tire, building thin coats to a pure white.  To block the dye from getting on the backside of the tire, I also cut small card stock fillets to put inside the tire, slightly larger than the diameter of the wheel.

 

Then, if you just make sure to push the wheel in from behind, the whitewall you have on the front should be plenty flexible enough to take the necessary bending and stretching till you get the wheel home.  Worked like a charm on the Olds tires; I know Revell has since supplied tampo prints on request from the parts department, but I like the way mine turned out.

 

[Dragline]

I'm going to add another useless post about this kit. No, I don't have one. No, I'll never buy one. But why in the Wide World of Sports are there now 26 pages on a kit that's been out a while?

 

 

That guitar? Bleh!!! Gimme a Les Paul any day instead of that one off Gibson made for him. Or a V or Explorer [my faves and own]. Post 502 made sense. There are parts to scavenge and build into whatever your devious hearts can conjure.

 

 

It's Hot Rodding after all.

 

 

Bob