Obscure Kits You Never Knew Were Made...Until Now

[Safire6]

On 4/26/2012 at 9:50 PM, Jon Cole said:

I found two of these at a yard sale, both unbuilt. The kid told me his dad got them while on a business trip to Japan

 

That is pretty cool I think! 36 years ago I used to work for Cincinnati Milacron, a well known manufacturer of machine tools but they also manufactured (and still do) plastic injection molding machines, like the Nissei above. They also manufactured several industrial six axis robots, both hydraulically powered and electric motor driven. I worked at Milacron's plant that built the injection molding machines as a co-op student. When I graduated from college I worked at Milacron's robot R&D facility building their first small electric industrial robot prototypes. A couple years later the company held an "open house" for all employees and their families and they gave out one of each of these robot models to everyone that wanted one. I'm pretty sure they were molded on their own injection molding machines. The models were already assembled when they handed them out, so not really a "kit". The cream colored one is about 1/10 scale and the blue hydraulic one is about 1:18 scale.

 

 

[unclescott58]

On 3/25/2020 at 3:51 PM, Tom Geiger said:

I attend a lot of shows and watch eBay and I cannot recall seeing this one. As I’ve collected all the MPC car kits if this era I surely would’ve bought it!

 

On 3/25/2020 at 2:16 PM, Erik Smith said:

I’m sure this has been mentioned around here over the last decade, but I have zero memory of seeing this kit (chances are there is a thread here with me commenting on it and this kit is in it...):

I though someone other than a Japanese model maker made a Skyhawk. Being a Buick fan, I was hoping it was true. The only thing I'm now wondering, did MPC ever make a "stock" version of this kit? I'd love find and build a stock Skyhawk. 

[sfhess]

After seeing the Skyhawk kit, the question begs:  Was there an Olds Starfire?

[Erik Smith]

14 minutes ago, unclescott58 said:

 

I though someone other than a Japanese model maker made a Skyhawk. Being a Buick fan, I was hoping it was true. The only thing I'm now wondering, did MPC ever make a "stock" version of this kit? I'd love find and build a stock Skyhawk. 

Nitto/Doyusha did a Skyhawk. It is an old motorized kit. It’s very basic. I don’t even think it has interior side panels. Kit photos from the internet.

[Casey]

59 minutes ago, unclescott58 said:

did MPC ever make a "stock" version of this kit?

I'm 99% sure there was no stock version, only the Street Modified kit. You could combine the Nitto Kogaku kit's body and wheels with the balance filled out by the MPC kit's parts:

 

55 minutes ago, sfhess said:

After seeing the Skyhawk kit, the question begs:  Was there an Olds Starfire?

No, nor was there a Pontiac Sunbird, at least not from MPC. Here's a fairly decent rundown of the GM late H-body kits:

https://monza.homestead.com/models.html

[Snake45]

The MPC Skyhawk seems to have a small block Chevy. Dunno if Buick ever put a V8 in these; my real one had a V6 and it was peppy and fun to drive with a 5 speed. 

[Mark]

Pretty sure the 1:1 Skyhawk came with a V6.  No Vega four, no Iron Duke four, no V8.  The MPC kit was one of those mid-year deals, in between the '75 and '76 Monza annual kits.  The MPC reissue Jeepster (Commando) has a Buick V6 (incorrect for that kit) that is a good start on a stock engine for the Skyhawk.  Needs only the air cleaner, maybe exhaust manifolds and pulleys/belts.

[Snake45]

2 minutes ago, Mark said:

Pretty sure the 1:1 Skyhawk came with a V6.  

I know for a fact it did, as I drove one for several years. 

[Mark]

Skyhawk (and the Olds Starfire) may have been V6 only at the start, though I think the Olds may have been offered with a 260 V8 later.  The 260 was an underbored 350 (bore was barely big enough for the connecting rod big end to pass through), so anywhere a 260 fit, so did a 350.  It's surprising you didn't see more of those with a 350 swapped in...

[Daddyfink]

4 hours ago, Casey said:

tNo, nor was there a Pontiac Sunbird, at least not from MPC. Here's a fairly decent rundown of the GM late H-body kits:

https://monza.homestead.com/models.html

The Revell one is rather clunky and shares the same chassis as the Monza and Mustang! Just a good novelty to have in the collection

[Daddyfink]

Just some more weirdos

[stavanzer]

Man, If Revell had ever downsized that Big Bad Van to 1/25 scale, I'd have owned a ton of them. They did the same thing with the Sneaky Pete pickup, and I have a couple of those.

( i don't mean they downsized the SP. I mean thy did the truck nose thing, with the Pete)

[Erik Smith]

9 hours ago, Daddyfink said:

 

That’s the first model I ever built. 

[Daddyfink]

59 minutes ago, alexis said:

Man, If Revell had ever downsized that Big Bad Van to 1/25 scale, I'd have owned a ton of them. They did the same thing with the Sneaky Pete pickup, and I have a couple of those.

( i don't mean they downsized the SP. I mean thy did the truck nose thing, with the Pete)

Well, they kinda did in a way. Same body style and layout. Still pretty big for a supposed 1/25th scale. 

[stavanzer]

Close, but missing the absurd Big Rig details that the 1/16 Van has. That, sadly, is just another Custom Van, and pretty bland as those things went.

[Can-Con]

7 hours ago, alexis said:

Man, If Revell had ever downsized that Big Bad Van to 1/25 scale, I'd have owned a ton of them. They did the same thing with the Sneaky Pete pickup, and I have a couple of those.

( i don't mean they downsized the SP. I mean thy did the truck nose thing, with the Pete)

Here ya go. I had one back in the day.

[stavanzer]

Thanks, Steve!

I've never even seen one of those..............

Great (sarc) Another Ghost to chase on eBay.  I gotta have one of these!

[cobraman]

This kit may fit the bill . Just came today . Got it on the bay . I had never seen it before . 

[Daddyfink]

Just now, Can-Con said:

Here ya go. I had one back in the day.

How did I forget about that! I have one! 

[Pete J.]

Practically everyone who has built models knows Tamiya Campus friends.  It is one of the iconic issues from Tamiya.

But how many of you are aware that Tamiya actually issue a kit with three other scooters besides the Vespa?

 

[Daddyfink]

[Atmobil]

17 hours ago, Pete J. said:

Practically everyone who has built models knows Tamiya Campus friends.  It is one of the iconic issues from Tamiya.

But how many of you are aware that Tamiya actually issue a kit with three other scooters besides the Vespa?

 

It is a cool set with all the scooters. All of them have been issued as bonuses in different 1:24 car kits aswell.

[Pete J.]

16 hours ago, Daddyfink said:

Jessie, nice kit I didn't know about but here is another that probably was from the same era.  Do you remember the old wood burning kits?  Lets give a kid a block of wood and a very hot soldering iron and tell them to burn a pattern into the wood!  What could possibly go wrong.  p.s. I've still got the scars to prove it!

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Pete J. said:

Jessie, nice kit I didn't know about but here is another that probably was from the same era.  Do you remember the old wood burning kits?  Lets give a kid a block of wood and a very hot soldering iron and tell them to burn a pattern into the wood!  What could possibly go wrong.  p.s. I've still got the scars to prove it!

I had one of those, used it a few times without injury. 

Later, I tried to jury-rig an Xacto knife head to it and make my own "Auto Cutter." The aluminum Xacto head didn't survive two minutes of the first test session. 

[tim boyd]

This flyer was in some MPC car kits around 1970.  Apparently it has been reissued during the Round 2 era, presumably due to the sci-fi interest. 

Pretty interesting late 1960's vision for manned interplanetary exploration,  eventually missed by decades and still not on the plate 50 years later....TIM