Okay, I moved the party and there's no voting, but there's likes, the rest basically stays the same, come up with one idea for a model kit and work it out

[Luc Janssens]

1981-87 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 442, by Von Digger &  Bill Austin

A: 1981-87 Cutlass by Von Digger

1) what subject would you kit, and why? I would do a 81-87 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. I have never seen a kit for this car and I am sure that it would make a very interesting build.  

2) Set your target audience, decide on skill level, parts breakdown and overall design. It would be a skill level 2 and want to target builders from 18-35 years of age since from personal experience I have found that the cars appeals to all of them.  - Chassis: I would want a chassis pan with the frame and chassis pan with molded in fender wells, and gas tank.  - Drive-train: A Oldsmobile V-8 with A/C, P/S pump and Alternator and all the associated brackets backed by a 200r4 overdrive transmission. The rear end would be a standard corporate 10 bolt rear.  - Interior: An Interior pan with moulded door panels. From there a seperate dash, steering wheel, a choice of either a bench or bucket seat, center console, oh yeah and a seperate back seat. The locators for all the interior pieces will be either snap style or fairly easy to glue to.  - Body: For the subject that I chose to do, the main part of the body spans all the years in question. I would include the 2 different header panels so that it could be built as either an 81-86, or an 87. The 87 version had composite headlights and not the open lights like the previous 6 years. I would also include the headlights on the chrome tree as well as the 2 different versions of the tail lights. 81-84 had a chrome strip going through the center of the tail light from top to bottom, while the 85-87 had a Oldsmobile symbol in the center of the light.  - General: nothing more than I can think of off the top of my head  

3) Do you want to include optional parts? name them, and why? - Drive-train upgrades: I would include the parts to turn the 307 V-8 into a 350 Rocket Block for a possible street machine version.  - Body add-on's: Possibly a 72 styled 442 hood with the twin ram air option. There have been a few aftermarket companies that made this hood for the 1:1 cars and they look attractive.  - Interior options: As stated above, I would include factory buckets and a center console with a floor shifter.  - Wheels & tires: I would include a set of aftermarket style wheels and "bigs and littles" for a street machine version.  - Decals: Since the regular Cutlass had next to no real markings and what little markings they did have they also shared with their high end models, in which case would add the graphics to make it either a 442 or a Hurst olds.  

4) Are there alternative versions possible from that tool?, and if so, what parts can be used for both versions? As stated above the main body can be used for all versions since the body remained unchanged in 7 years.  

5) How do you want the packaging? -Box art: The car sitting in front of a dealership in stock form. Or the street machine version sitting at the local hangout.  -Info on the box: I picture of the real car on the top of the box, with pictures of a build up on the sides. -Box vs. parts layout: I would want the model put in an average size box.  -Packaging of the parts. I would want all the different trees packaged separately. The molded in color parts, chrome parts, clear parts and decals all in a protective bag, and or sleeve.  

6) The bean counters went all over your little project and it seems the kit you're proposing slightly exceeds the budget, luckily you are in the planning stadium, so what do you loose, and why? 
First of all I would loose the optional hood. That would be basically another part to make a mold for, albeit small, but still costly and timely. Next, I would mould the center console into the floor-pan of theinterior and get rid of the bench seat. This would combine a few parts in one as well as delete a few other parts from the mix. Lastly I would probably drop the 442 option from the decal sheet and leave only the Hurst Olds option.  

B: 1987 CUTLASS by Bill Austin Why: There is no kit of the 1981-1988 Cutlass coupes available. It was a very popular automobile with some popular performance models, including 442’ s and Hurst/Olds versions. It is a favorite for restorers and low-riders, coming in a wide range of interior types: fairly basic, vinyl or leather buckets, and even the plush “pillow” seating of the Broughams. The 1987 was the last of that body style to be a 442, and it had the flat-face headlight modules instead of the four individual headlights of the earlier models.  Target audience: 442 fans, Cutlass fans, Oldsmobile performance fans, muscle car fans, low-rider fans, and (with future models in mind) Hurst fans.  Skill level: 2  Parts and design: A kit at the general level of the Revell ’ 87 Buick GN and ’ 87 Monte Carlo SS Aero-back kits, with the nose piece a separate part like the 1:1 car to allow easier future or aftermarket conversion to a different year model with a different nose piece and grille inserts. The interior should have separate seats and sides to allow for inexpensive changes for future release variations. The parts that would be different in future releases should ideally be isolated on separate trees from the remainder of the kit, minimizing tooling costs for variations.  It would have the 442 H.O. Olds 307 cu. in. V8, the 4 speed manual transmission, the steel sport wheels, performance tires, bucket seats, console, and emblems. It would have decals for the body accent stripes (in several original colors, if possible), 442 labels, engine compartment labels, and dash layout.  The kit would use white plastic to avoid bleed-through problems when painted.  The clear parts tree would be in a separate bag to avoid scratching.  Optional parts: I would include slapper bars, with wide and skinny tires that fit the stock wheels for a mild drag or street custom version, but would keep costs down by not including any other major optional parts in this kit, but rather design it from the beginning to be released later as a separate kit with different options like the AMT ’ 66 442 W30 and ’ 66 442 Convertible kits were. If costs allowed, some of them might be included in this kit (see versions below).  Alternative Version Number One:  1985 Cutlass Supreme Brougham. This kit would have the early nose style with the four individual headlights and the appropriate separate grille grid inserts, the V6 engine, an automatic transmission with column shift, the “pillow” seats interior with the split bench front seat, wire wheel covers, white wall tires, and the body would have the partial (back only) vinyl roof and chrome rocker panel trim either as part of a revised body or as add-on parts. This should be a favorite of the low-rider fans and if costs allowed, it could include parts for a lowered or adjustable suspension. See all-out “hopper”version below.  Parts from this kit and the first kit would allow mixing and matching for a great variety of combinations.  Alternative Version Number Two:  A “Special Edition” release, the 1983 Hurst/Olds 15th Anniversary coupe. It would mainly have parts from the previous two kits, but it would have the automatic transmission with a console and the “lightning rod” shifter. It would have appropriate grille inserts for the four individual headlights nose, a bucket seat interior, and the steel sport wheels. The decal sheet would have all the stripes, labels, etc. of the Hurst/Olds.  If the automatic transmission and console were included in the original ‘ 87 442 kit and the ’ 83 grille inserts in the original ’ 85 kit as optional parts and the parts trees of those kits were properly allocated, there would not have to be any new tooling for this kit, just a different assortment of existing parts trees. The only new thing needed would be a decal sheet with the Hurst/Olds stripes and emblems.  Alternative Version Number Three:  An all-out low-rider “hopper” version of the Supreme Brougham, with an opening trunk, speakers, hydraulics, etc. The chrome tree might be done in “gold” for this one, with low-rider style wheels and tires. This might even be one of those that actually hops. Some wild “scene” graphics on a decal sheet would be a nice item, too. Alternative Version Number Four:  A Speedway/ NASCAR type race car variant. I think A.J. Foyt drove a Cutlass of this body style for a 
while. This would be easier for a kit maker that already has an appropriate race car kit and would only need to use the body, with appropriately redesigned nose and tail pieces like the 1:1 race cars and a decal sheet with the needed graphics.  Packaging:  Each kit should have a beautiful picture of a 1:1 car on the top and ends that can be built from the parts in the kit, a picture or two of a built model on one side, and on the other side a list with pictures of the key parts included in the kit but not visible in the main pictures: engine compartment, interior, chassis, and optional parts. This would encourage multiple kit purchases to get the exact combination of features/options someone wanted.  The instruction sheets should be clear line drawings and TESTED for correctness, including parts numbers and build sequence. Exact information for decal placement should be included.  If the bean counters want to cut back something:  Leave out the extra tires and slapper bars in the first kit. If that is not enough, use generic tires instead of correctly branded ones. If that does not do it, forget about separate interior sides and have just the front seats separate. Wait on final tooling of the second kit until the first kit sales are established, but have the parts trees contents allocated to allow the versions discussed above. 

[Luc Janssens]

1975-’ 76 Ford Gran Torino Sport, by D. Van

1) what subject would you kit, and why? 1975/76 Ford Torino 2 door. This is the famous Starsky & Hutch car. But it also is the first car NASCAR driver Bill Elliott drove in a cup race. The car also fits the new ‘ Mainstream’  theme of American cars. Very few Fords where modeled during this time frame.  

2) Set your target audience, decide on skill level, parts breakdown and overall design.  Wide target audience. This would mean a kit along the lines of the Revell ‘ Wheels of Fire’  Chevy Monte Carlo. I would like to see a 3 piece chassis with nice detail and separate simplified front and rear suspension clips. Body would be a showroom stock trim. An interior with separate side panels would make using it as a stocker would be simplified.  

3) Do you want to include optional parts? name them, and why? Wheels and tires. Factory style Slot wheels with period BFG tires. Maybe a S&H stripe in decal and/or die cut stick on - or both as Polar Lights have done.

4) Are there alternative versions possible from that tool?, and if so, what parts can be used for both versions? I would sell it as a 3 N 1 kit. S&H Torino, Period street machine using a mix of stock and S&H parts and some stock wheel covers to build a mid range showroom Torino. The NASCAR guys would use the kit as a starting point as a Cup car. The bodies were very close to stock at this time but another chassis would need to be used for a contest model. If the modeler wanted a passable curbside stocker could be built using kit parts and some suitable wheels.  

5) How do you want the packaging? I would see a box with box ART. A box showing a S&H Torino on a city street power sliding into a side street with a showroom stock Torino parked nearby. It would not need to be labeled a S&H Torino but rather a special edition Torino as labeled by Ford.  

6) The bean counters went all over your little project and it seems the kit you're proposing slightly exceeds the budget, luckily you are in the planning stadium, so what do you loose, and why? About the only trimming that could be done would be losing the stock wheel covers or going to a one piece chassis. I would tend to go for the chassis first as the wheel covers are needed for the optional building versions. Going with only the decal or the sticker would help cost but not enough to make or break the project. 

[Luc Janssens]

1952 Hudson Hornet, by SpeedyO.K,  I'll give it a go.  

1.) What subject and why? 1952 Hudson Hornet This was one of the most significant cars of it's era. An engineering feat in it's "Step-Down" advertising and design. One literally stepped down to enter this automobile while the others were riding high. (Hmmm..a factory low-rider!) This factor offered excellent handling with it's lowered center of gravity.

2.)Target audience would be skill level two to advanced. Parts breakdown would be along the lines of AMT's 49 Merc. Remember, Hudson’ s were simple but effective cars. One could make the argument for marketing this kit as a convertible and include two optional tops to build a standard coupe or Hollywood hardtop version. That alone offers three building options from one tool.

3.) Chassis. These were uni-body cars and as such would be modeled along the lines of much later MOPARS. Posable steering, separate exhaust and suspension lowering options are a must.

4.) Drive-train. Separate parts for drive-shaft, differential and springs.

5.) Interior. Floor-pan, separate side panels and rear seat. Stock and custom dash. stock and custom seats, scale fuzzy dice for the rearview.  

6.) Body. A clean and crisp one peice molding with separate hood. Bright work options to create'48 to '52 models. Custom parts include full fender skirts, lake pipes, frenched headlights,'59 Caddy tail lights, etc. Again ala '49 Merc kit.  

7.) General. The engine in this kit offers one of the most powerful flathead 6 cylinders ever manufactured. Twin H (dual carb) production engines were 308 cubic inches and could and did give Rocket 88 Oldsmobiles fits. Wheels would be stock steelies with options for stock or custom wheel covers. Tires would be period wide whitewalls with optional later low profile tires.  

8.) If the bean counters (get the shotgun, Ma!) object, I'd say chuck all the custom parts and just give me the basic kit! My imagination will take care of the rest. Maybe this will make my thoughts clearer.

[stitchdup]

OK here is my proposal for a kit. I have aimed this at revell or tamiya since they do full detail beetles already and revell already do a split screen van so may be a logical step for them.

 

1) what subject would you kit and why?
I propose a 1968-79 volkswagen van. As far as I know it has never been reproduced in plastic kit form (at least in
1/24 or 1/25 ). I propose starting with a panel van version initially.
2) target audience, skill level parts breakdown overall design?
The target audience would be all ages of the hobby, kids like them because they are funky, and adults (especially vw fans)
would love the possiblities a kit of this van would give. I would have a one piece body and use engine and suspension
parts from one of the beetle or split screen kits thus reducing tooling costs. It could also be done as a curbside kit but
I think it would sell better as a level 2 or 3 kit.
3)Do you want to include extra parts? name and why?
For extra parts I would include a period set of aftermarket wheels such as empi or brm, and possibly some lowered
suspension parts. I would also include fully detailed cylinders for the engine, as an option part with the stock tins as
the stock part. Some other possible versions could include rat or resto style roof racks
4)Are there alternative versions possible from that tool?
Alternative versions for a future later date would be a window bus, company branded panel vans, a camper version with a
pop top roof (this version would be a premium priced kit since so many extra parts would need to be included but some of
the camper parts could also be used in the split window bus kit as a special edition of it), a rat style van with hoodride decals,
and a pick up version. This kit would lend itself to a lot of different other version too such as fire brigade vans, or even
high top roof vans or cherry pickers.
5) how do you want packaging?
For the packaging I would have the built up kit on a sandy beach background with the kit in a stock colour scheme, or the
kit against a period but stylised industrial background (eg. a brick built factory) with a company logo on the van sides.
6)The bean counters went all over your little project and some has to be lost? What and why?
I'm not sure if anything would need to be lost from this due to the large amount of the kit that is already made. EG. the
tooling for the engine and suspension is already in the bug and split screen kits.

[Luc Janssens]

1973 Ford Bronco, by Mike Boyle

1) What subject would you kit, and why? 1973 Ford Bronco. One of the greatly overlooked "SUV" subjects.  

2) Set your target audience, decide on skill level, parts breakdown and overall design. Skill level 2, adult audience.  - Chassis: Separate ladder frame, multi piece suspension with separate coil and leaf springs  - Drive-train:  Full detail 289/302 small block, separate 3spd or C4 tranny, accurate Dana 20 T-case  - Body:  1 piece "tub" with separate windshield, hood, doors and tailgate. Stock rear 1/4 panels with light scribe on inside to indicate where to cut for "sport flares." Full hard top.  - Interior:  Simple molded as part of body tub. Stock bucket and rear bench seats. Stock 4 point roll bar. Decal for guage cluster.  

3) Do you want to include optional parts? Name them, and why? - Drive-train upgrades: 3" lifted coil and leaf springs. Rancho shocks for lifted suspension.  - Body add-on's: Optional "sport" fender flares for front and rear. Swing-out tire carrier. 1/4 cab and back cab wall. Inserts for door openings.  - Interior options: Racing or Sport bucket seats. Floor shifter. Full 6 point rollcage.  - Wheels & tires: 5 (not 4) Nice modern 35" radial mud terrain tires (BFG style). 15"x8" Aluminum slot mags.  - Decals: 4wd aftermarket logo sheet (similar to the contingency sheets AMT use to put in their kits)  

4) Are there alternative versions possible from that tool?, and if so, what parts can be used for both versions? Alternative kit #1: Stroppe Bronco. Most kit parts will carry over. New decal sheet and laser cut paint masks included in kit.  
Alternative kit #2: Big Oly Baja Bronco. The body would be about the only thing that would carry over. New full tube race chassis, correct detalis, decal sheet and laser cut paint mask. (Info on Big Oly can be found by searching link on Stroppe Bronco at bottom of the page)  

5) How do you want the packaging?  - Box art: Typical layout, photo of real vehicle on box top, one side panel showing photos of built model in stock and custom versions  - Info on the box: Building and parts options  - Box vs. parts layout: Larger box (size of the Revell '50 Ford P.U.)  - Packaging of the parts: Bagged as normal, white plastic, chrome, windows, tires, decals in clear packaging, instructions calling parts by name and giving full factory color options.  6) The bean counters went all over your little project and it seems the kit  you're proposing slightly exceeds the budget, luckily you are in the  planning stage, so what do you lose, and why? </b> I'd lose the 1/4 cab and rear wall, the full roll cage and that’ s it! 

[stitchdup]

I missed out that for different versions both front and rear ends could be made by having an option grille for the front, and the rear light body moulding as a seperate part to reduce body tooling changes.

[Luc Janssens]

There are a few more which could've inspired certain models, I'll post them sometime..

 

 

[martinfan5]

*edited*

Edited May 13, 2017 by martinfan5

[martinfan5]

Curious why this question has not been answered.  

What benefit does the person that presents an idea receive? 

How will the ideas be used?  

Will the ideas be used or is this just a thought exercise?

Least he answered you.

Edited May 13, 2017 by martinfan5

[waynehulsey]

Does look like someone looked at them. Have a couple of the Revell Focus since I had a 2000 ZX3. Started doing the conversion then got rear ended by a F250 and totaled. Probably should get back to it since that one of the last cars that Ford made that I really liked and just loved the one I had. As a matter of fact am now on my 3rd one a 2017 SE since my 2nd one got t-boned by a idiot running a stop sign about a month ago. It was a 2008 so at least I get about 8 years out of them with minimal service.

Surprised that Revell didn't do the tooling changes to do a ZX3 version. Guess it didn't sell that well.