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Monogram 1/8th Scale Drag T


mredjr

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The big scale kits have always been a problem for me. Where do you put them when your done? That and the cost. 1/8 scale is pretty big and pretty expensive. And I personal have no real interest in the Big Drag. The only one of that scale I have any interest in is Monogram's '65 Corvette. Even then, I'm not 100% sure I'd buy one.

Now I don't mind 1/16 scale car kits. They're still big. But not as big 1/8. The prices for 1/16 kits seem to be within my budget if the subject is right. I recently picked up an unbillt, mostly complete, MPC '63 Corvette. And I could easily part with my money for either of AMT's 1/16 Thunderbirds. Especially the '55. But, 1/8? Like I say Monogram's '65 Corvette maybe. And again that's just a maybe.

There is one other large scale kit I would be will to part with my money for. And I can't remember off hand the scale. I'm pretty sure it was smaller than 1/8. But, bigger than 1/16. And that is Monogram's Mean Maverick funny car.

 

Edited by unclescott58
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I have a number of 1/8th's--------Monogram's Jag, '65 & '85 'Vettes, '32 Ford, Big Tub, and Big T. A couple were started, but the others remain in their boxes untouched. It's not so much that I don't have room-----I don't have the time! 1/8th scale to me means LOTS of detail......more so than what I put into my 1/24-1/25 scale.

Not to mention all of Revell's first issue 1/12 scales...........

I'd NEVER get all of 'em done at the rate I build! Frankly, I just like to look at em every now and then the way they are in their boxes they're so nicely done! :D

 

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Quite honesty..I love large scale to build. there more fun to me then 25th an 24th scale.I would,and do have some of the other scales and subjects.there easier to detail,see and build.I don't keep most of my builds after done anyways.they get sold,given away or put in other places on loan.so were to put them isn't a issue..sides I feel they should be big so its easier for other to view them.everytime you go to a show..out comes the glasses...people getting close to see.watch the larger scales...there impressivem and get a audience. other scales like 24th an smaller do as well,but 16th and larger just seem easier to see and people look.most of what I build is 24th and 25th but only because...more available subjects.but I'm with on the drag T....I hope so.and what I've said is my own opinion, no one else's.just what I have seen over the years in contest,shows and club meetings....Chris 

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I quite honestly love the 1/8 scale kits too, but when they were tooled in 1963, the asking price was a mere $10.98, now they are $104 + new, and grow rapidly as time goes by. These molds are still around, but with the advent of parts packs, some of the "special" parts have been misplaced as per Revell. I ask them all the time on their website! The molds are paid for by a long shot, so why so expensive now?

 

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A mere $10.98? I was 11 in 1963 and that would have bought 6 or 7 1/25th scale kits.  Those kits are now $20 to $30.

I can understand Revell's unwillingness to make these again. The demand just isn't there. I used to work in a factory that molded plastic parts. The molds might be paid for ,but they still require maintenance ,the presses are $$$$$,Not to mention the cost of all that styrene ,the sheer size of the packaging ,add  labor and shipping and overhead... You get the idea.

If you want a Big Drag bad enough,do like I did. buy the parts from Ebay. I made mind from original parts,new parts,whatever it took. The blower is the hard part. I found this one,and it was painted (nicely) so it may be resin. not sure.

big_drag4.jpg

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The big scale kits have always been a problem for me. Where do you put them when your done? That and the cost. 1/8 scale is pretty big and pretty expensive. And I personal have no real interest in the Big Drag. The only one of that scale I have any interest in is Monogram's '65 Corvette. Even then, I'm not 100% sure I'd buy one.

Now I don't mind 1/16 scale car kits. They're still big. But not as big 1/8. The prices for 1/16 kits seem to be within my budget if the subject is right. I recently picked up an unbillt, mostly complete, MPC '63 Corvette. And I could easily part with my money for either of AMT's 1/16 Thunderbirds. Especially the '55. But, 1/8? Like I say Monogram's '65 Corvette maybe. And again that's just a maybe.

There is one other large scale kit I would be will to part with my money for. And I can't remember off hand the scale. I'm pretty sure it was smaller than 1/8. But, bigger than 1/16. And that is Monogram's Mean Maverick funny car.

 

Aquariums make good displays cases for the large scale stuff. New ones aren't too expensive to purchase and you can cut a piece of plexiglass for a top to keep the dust out. Colored aquarium gravel can make a neat base to set your completed model on in your aquarium display case.

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Aquariums make good displays cases for the large scale stuff. New ones aren't too expensive to purchase and you can cut a piece of plexiglass for a top to keep the dust out. Colored aquarium gravel can make a neat base to set your completed model on in your aquarium display case.

But wouldn't something that large crowd out the fish?

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I'd buy a few if they came back. Last time I saw a complete unmolested original Big Drag it was something like $300, which I'll happily pay if I ever see another one.

I've lucked into a couple of these over the years too, at not-insane prices.

This is all 1/8 scale, and offers nice options for other 1/8 kits.

275e61fcf36804c70ab0c355cc957fb0.jpg

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I had two of those, one totally complete with a nice box and most of the parts still on the trees and nothing glued or painted, the second one had been built as a stock engine with the single four barrel but all the other parts were still there and like the fool I am let someone talk me out of them. Wish I had kept the optional parts from the built one, I think I could have found someone willing to mold and cast them in resin.

The right fish might enjoy it. Just don't build the kit using Elmer's regular white glue. Or you'll be reassembling it in a very short time.

 

or you can paint it in a rusty aged version and it would make a great "Titanic" type discovery car.

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Do you mean The Big Drag? From what I've read on here Revell isn't interested in reissuing big scale models. Too bad...

I asked Ed Sexton a few years ago about the Big Drag specifically, and he thought an insert or two was missing and would need to be re-created to reissue the original Big Drag kit.

Were/are the parts specific to the Big Drag also available in the separate 1/8 scale parts packs Monogram offered?

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I'd buy a few if they came back. Last time I saw a complete unmolested original Big Drag it was something like $300, which I'll happily pay if I ever see another one.

I've lucked into a couple of these over the years too, at not-insane prices.

This is all 1/8 scale, and offers nice options for other 1/8 kits.

275e61fcf36804c70ab0c355cc957fb0.jpg

 

 I would love to see this one reissued. Would love to build one of each engine option and line them up in a case. 

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Looking at the box art for the engine, it shows no spark plugs or spark plug wiring on model. Did it come with plugs and wires? In 1/8 scale, you would think it would.

 

No they didn't. They had a distributor instead of the magneto like the later kits.

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I know its money,but would buy them if reissued.if no risk no pay off.its a different time now . probably never make what is wanted,and never make what 24th an 25th would,but ya never know.I would love to see and would buy many of the larger scales if reissued.......Chris 

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It's one of the rare occasions where I have to side with the industry.

When Lindberg refilled a plethora of their big scale tools with fresh styrene a while back, they were hard pressed to shift 5,000 units, despite the Exterminator was among them,
originals of which were silly money back then and the shouts for its reissue were loud and widespread.

Monovell followed suit with quite a few or their old big scale chod, including the Big Tub, and must have faced a similar feat, considering the stuff was still all over the internet
years later and finally sold at heavily discounted rates (guess when I bought mine).

RoG regularly fell on the nose when they repopped the '65 'Vette, E-type and Big Deuce.

These big scale thingys require a healthy dose of injectable to begin with, sizeable packaging and consequently high shipping costs per unit, hence I guess there is very little
dosh going into the bank account after the dust has settled. All these things considered, even I wouldn't bother.

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