164 replies to this topic

[Modelmartin]

I like the idea of a Craptastic Kit CBP. I have a Pyro VW Beetle beach buggy half done and need an excuse to finish it.

[sjordan2]

I like the idea of a Craptastic Kit CBP. I have a Pyro VW Beetle beach buggy half done and need an excuse to finish it.

This a great excuse right here . Show how you can make a nice model out of a craptastic kit.

Edited by sjordan2, 05 January 2012 - 01:29 PM.

[Gluhead]

I love those old VW panel kits and not because they build well! I think you are remembering the California Roller version. That was neon green.

Yep that's he one. I had to be around 10 or 11 when I got that. Pretty sure I threw it against the wall halfway through. lol. I grokked one at a show as an adult and it almost sent me into seizures.

The new Fujimi and New tool Revell make up for it, though.

I've built one of the Hasegawa pickup versions. That was a treat. Didn't even paint the body or interior, it was so nice. Just detail painted here and there where it mattered. I've built a Fujimi 365...I'd imagine that their VW's are also pleasant. Will get around to one of the new Revells one of these days.

I've also noticed several mentions of the Revell '56 F100. Truth. Talk about a tooling that was ridden hard and put away wet. But, I manage to massage one into a very nice truck, 'bashed together with a twin I beam from a junker van, a parts box rear suspension, and the wheels & tires from the F350 kit. It was painted (my first good one, if I remember right) and about a days work away from final assembly...when my gf at the time...destroyed...it...in one of her many fits of utter clumbsiness. I haven't been able to put myself through that kit again. Took me months to get it to where it was.

[Deathgoblin]

Okay, I'm probably beating a dead horse here but I think I'm done building Trumpeter kits. The Bonneville wasn't bad other than some little detail issues and was pretty decent overall. There were some things that were chromed that shouldn't have been, and some that weren't chromed that should have been, but overall not terrible. The 78 Monte Carlo, on the other hand, is an abomination. The engine/transmission was so poorly designed that it was completely unusable. The interior was okay except for the dash, which was as bad as the engine. I swapped engine, exhaust, dash and steering column and parts of the frame from the Revellogram 86 Monte Carlo SS. I've got the chassis in the body now, but it doesn't go in correctly and leaves about 1/8 to 1/16 of the inner front fender well sticking out below the fender openings. I'm going to try and adjust the fit to see if it'll go in there better. And it's got a stance like a 4x4, even without the goofy little tires.

[59 Impala]

You know Brian, the price kept me away from the Trumpeter kits in the first place, but I hear they weren't very good from other people. The Pontiac convertible was Ok, but the hard top was way off with the top. The Nova coupe was Ok but the convertible windshield was wrong, to tall. Now you and others have said the Monti is bad. To bad for Trumpeter I think. I do have both of the Nova's and I'm going to try and sell them at the Zanesville model show later this month.

On another note, would you be interested in coming to the Buckeye Scale Auto clubs meeting this coming Thursday? We meet at Panera's in Westerville on Rt.3 and Maxtown Rd.starting at 7 PM. I get there around 5 PM. You're welcome to come and have a good time. Dan

[Deathgoblin]

Might just do that! Thanks!

[jbwelda]

that barnabas collins thing is an abomination. i recently built one (edit: oops i didnt BUILD one, i bought one! doubt i will ever build one! end edit) with the idea of making a channeled rod from it but one look at it and the flash and the level of (non) detail and it went into my junk pile. the only thing i might remotely be interested in is the coffin and trailer but that is for an off the wall project i will never get to (re: bob marley: mr brown).

another one...one of my favorite cars that i just got a reissue of from a friend, the lil coffin. sweet car but the kit is a monstrosity...warped body and not enough there to unwarp it, even when i glued in the roof panel and the doors its still all sideways and it looks like the bottom of the body was short-shot or if not its just way too thin to even think it will go together. at first i thought maybe the frame would straighten it out but instead looks like the body will twist the frame instead. add to that all the flash and the poor molding and i am thinking all i am getting out of this one is the skeleton and maybe the mag wheels. another piece for the trash can. well maybe the six twos and log manifold are usable elsewhere but the rest is a joke. i dont remember it being like this in 1963 or whenever i built it originally.

Edited by jbwelda, 03 September 2012 - 04:28 PM.

[rmvw guy]

You asked for it! And I would add to that the first kit I ever built a '60 Edsel which I no longer have. These are the survivors.

[Deathgoblin]

The Lil' Coffin is a finicky kit. It's really nifty looking once it's together, though. I need to get another one of those. Revell is doing a reissue of the Boot Hill Express, hopefully they'll do that one as well.

[rmvw guy]

I forgot to mention this one. I had four of them and this is the only survivor so far. I don't know if it will ever make it to the bench.

[59 Impala]

Might just do that! Thanks!

Great. I hope that you can make it. We meet in the room on the left when you come in the door. We have it reserved every first Thursday of the month. Hope ta see ya there. Dan

[59 Impala]

Well, one of the worst ones was the Revell 71 'Cuda. That thing fought me every which-a-way until I got it finished. Even the decal on the rear fenders fought me. I almost gave up on it, but I persevered. I said a new word fer me (persevered) Dan

[Fat Brian]

Two of the worst, most disappointing kits I've ever bought were the recent reissue of AMTs old 69 Daytona kit and their 55 Corvette. Those two wastes of plastic should have never seen the light of day again.

[2002p51]

I have actually just read through this entire thread and I'm exhausted as if I actually tried to build all those terrible kits!

My nominees for the worst kits ever have to start with those Revell tri-five Chevys first issued in the sixties. The ones with the opening everything and well fitting nothing! They could be built, with a lot of effort, but when you were done you had something that didn't really look all that much like a Chevrolet. Except for the engines, might have been the best small block Chevy of the era.

Next on my list would the whole series of those awful AMT Modified Stockers. Cartoon cars is what they were and I place them in the same genre as MPC's Zingers!

But the winner and Grand Champion worst kit I've ever built is . . . the envelope please . . . the Accurate Miniatures Can Am McLarens!

I'm surprised nobody as mentioned these before now but perhaps it's because all of you were smarter than I and never started one of these things in the first place. Nothing in this kit fit properly, every part needed messaging and some never would fit. Huge panel gaps and a stance after final assembly like a 4x4 truck!

This kit was a huge disappointment especially coming after their excellent Corvette Grand Sport. I built one for a review in that "other" magazine and, once it was done and photographed, it went right in the trash. (First time I ever did THAT with a model!) In all of the model press mine was the only honest review that pointed out all of the kit's problems. One British reviewer praised the kit to the sky and mentioned how well the panel fit was when right there in the photos you could see daylight through the gaps down to the table!

I think the proof that I was right is that today you can occasionally find one these kits on eBay selling for way below retail!

[Dr. Cranky]

I'm just glad I haven't build too many stinkers, then again I tend to build the same kinds of kits over and over . . .

[Deathgoblin]

I'm hoping the California Roller isn't too bad. I have one of those in my stash. :/

[59 Impala]

Brian, is that the VW van? If it is, I built one many years ago and I didn't like it. The reason is the multi piece body and I couldn't build it stock. It has a stupid CB with a round circle around it on the front of the body where the VW would normally be. You get big and little wheels for it which I would have liked the VW wheels instead. The engine is ok but that's about it. Oh, and the opening doors don't fit to well either. Just my thoughts on the kit. Dan

[Interceptor001]

The only kits I have ever despised were the Airfix models! I have had several from planes to cars. And none of them ever fit together with out hugh gaps and thin plastic...Joe

[Deathgoblin]

Yup, it's the VW van. I've seen a couple of people on here that have done improved hinges for the doors like that type of van, so that shouldn't be too bad. I'd already planned on replacing the goofy CB insignia on the nose. Might see what it would look like without it, or I'll scratch build one. I'm also planning on replacing the wheels and tires.

[59 Impala]

I hope you have better luck than I did. I think that I have a resin copy of the VW in the circle for the front and if you come to the meeting I'll bring it with me fer ya. Dan