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

[Junkman]

Maybe not quite as obscure across the pond, but over here, Zodiac kits are definitely obscure, and Airfix kits in general (automotive subjects in particular) seem to be few and far between.

Let me guess, Christian has one of these.

LOL, no. I sold all my 1/32 kits years ago, not realizing how rare the Airfix ones are. Apart from the ones that have been reissued recently, all 1/32 airfix car kits are extremely rare. The Zodiac will never be reissued anyway, because the tool was butchered in the Seventies to create a series of Brit style customs. They are quite whacky in their own right, but as I said, the tools were butchered. There were at least these three:

There may have been more, but I don't know of them.

Even these custom kits demand their money nowadays. I see them regularily fetching 100+ quid on ebay UK.

[Casey]

A Monkeemobile Pontiac GTO ( ) by Imai?

[philo426]

Thats the one!There is another in the series where a skeleton pops out of a pipe organ

[Foxer]

see them regularily fetching 100+ quid on ebay UK.

Now that you mention it, Christian, I've always wondered .. is a quid the same as a pound?

[mr moto]

A Monkeemobile Pontiac GTO ( ) by Imai?

That's hilarious!! I've seen the MPC Monkeemobile before but the idea of selling it as just a '66 GTO is too much!

[Austin T]

Yep cause that's definitely a STOCK 66 GTO.

[Edsel-Dan]

I have seen that MonkeeMobile also sold as the MoonEyes GTO molded in Yellow.

I was wondering if anyone else had seen the 2 Injection Molding machines!

I have the AMT Escort, a 1/32 scale Decotora Van, MPC's Ski Doo snow mobile,

and the Testor's Supervan. I believe it was also an IMC kit they re-issued.

I love the Odd Police kits I have seen, and the Vauxhall wagon. (ANT Wagon!)

I knew about the 1/32 scale Owner's club Cedric/Gloria convertible/Open pheaton, but not he 1/24..

Here are a few others no one has listed; (Sorry for the evilpay links, but I don't have the kits myself, or have pic's in my photobucket to post them here)

Pioneer Boom Box

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PIONEER-RUNAWAY-SK-900-1-6-MODEL-KIT-AOSHIMA-JAPAN-/370570523468?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5647b9734c

Sony Liberty Component Stereo system

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SONY-Liberty-type-1-1-6-MODEL-KIT-AOSHIMA-JAPAN-/370544494674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56462c4852

I have also seen Fork lift & pallet trucks, a Pull tractor called an "Off-Road Truck", A Bath-tub Hot-Rod;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/YUKYLINE-BATHTUB-JAPAN-LUPIN-III-MODEL-KIT-MARUI-/370506536578?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5643e91682#ht_3019wt_1030

Aoshima has Several City Buses in 1/32 scale!!

I could not find the Drum Set kit, but I am still looking. I use to have it in my watch

It was molded in clear red metallic like the Chase version of the Meyer's Manx.

The Japanese & Chinese kit manufacture's will make a kit of just about ANYTHING!

[Edsel-Dan]

Forgot something.

The "Heavy Petal" Black 72 Longbox Stepside Chevy pickup from MPC was the second of 3 issues of that kit.

First was a fairly Sock version molded white showing a Gold built on the box. It included a Yamaha Dirt bike

The Heavy Petal is not exactly like the box art. It shows the stock front bumper, but includes a heavy-duty type.

also, though deep set, the grill is a Stock 71/2 style rather than the tube type on the box.

I have both the 74 issue with motorcycle & Heavy Petal.

Last was the "Rolling Thunder" molded in Blue and has a "Sleeper Box" added.

I am still looking for one of those, But 2 unbuilt of the Heavy Petal, and 1 unbuilt plus 5 Built restorable

of the first issue will hold me for a little while!! (sadly, only the unbuilt boxed kit has the motorcycle!)

I need to take some pictures of those. And a lot of other kits I have

Like my 3 Different Isuzu BDX-30 Bonnet Buses.

[Junkman]

Now that you mention it, Christian, I've always wondered .. is a quid the same as a pound?

That would be correct, Sir. Quid, cable, sterling, it's all the same.

[jbwelda]

i need to look for those "kustom" capri and cortina and zodiac. those look pretty wild from the box art. if you have those christian would you consider taking some shots of whats in the box for us?

[Junkman]

i need to look for those "kustom" capri and cortina and zodiac. those look pretty wild from the box art. if you have those christian would you consider taking some shots of whats in the box for us?

I don't have them, no. They are above my income group.

[Luc Janssens]

LOL, no. I sold all my 1/32 kits years ago, not realizing how rare the Airfix ones are. Apart from the ones that have been reissued recently, all 1/32 airfix car kits are extremely rare. The Zodiac will never be reissued anyway, because the tool was butchered in the Seventies to create a series of Brit style customs. They are quite whacky in their own right, but as I said, the tools were butchered. There were at least these three:

There may have been more, but I don't know of them.

Even these custom kits demand their money nowadays. I see them regularily fetching 100+ quid on ebay UK.

The box-art style reminds me of the same era Mpc street machines, which is kinda normal, since they were both owned by the same company, General Mills fundimentions. IIRC

Too bad the Yanks, couldn't convince the Brits to abandon the 1/32 scale for automotive kits and use 1/24 instead.....

Edited May 26, 2012 by Luc Janssens

[donkeypuncher76]

I have that

I have that Winnebago. They used to give them away at Winnebago dealers. It was made two different ways. The first being an all assembled promo type toy and the second being the "kit" which was the same thing, just disassembled. It has stickers for the stripes and is designed to be motorized.

there is a 1/8 or 1/12 scale scratch built one of these on the forum somwhere neat..

[Borgis]

I wasn't gonna mention the "plasma" VG30E engine either....

Not that obscure, actually. At least not according to Wikipedia...

"

Glossary

• Nissan PLASMA ("purazuma") (Powerful ＆ Econonomic, Lightweight, Accurate, Silent, Mighty, Advanced) is an acronym for the Nissan engine series designed to counterToyota's Lightweight Advanced Super Response Engine (LASRE)."
  

[phil-east]

LOL, no. I sold all my 1/32 kits years ago, not realizing how rare the Airfix ones are. Apart from the ones that have been reissued recently, all 1/32 airfix car kits are extremely rare. The Zodiac will never be reissued anyway, because the tool was butchered in the Seventies to create a series of Brit style customs. They are quite whacky in their own right, but as I said, the tools were butchered. There were at least these three:

There may have been more, but I don't know of them.

Even these custom kits demand their money nowadays. I see them regularily fetching 100+ quid on ebay UK.

those 3 kits are all selling on ebay.co.uk now, the kansas cruiser and night prowler are currently at 50 quid, the Krackle Kat is going for 285 quid. all have 5 hours left.

[Austin T]

http://www.showrods.com/showrod_pages/leva_car.html This looks cool,It even "WORKS".

[Casey]

http://www.showrods....s/leva_car.html This looks cool,It even "WORKS".

They look kind of neat, and there's some kind of blow pipe through which the air passes, goes under the car and makes it levitate. Very futuristic.

[Dave Van]

I WANT that road roller!!!! I can see a motor out of SCool Bus sitting in it!!!

[jbwelda]

strange as it may seem, i think AMT had that Levicar thing on their reissue lists at one time recently. maybe i am dreaming...

thanks for the link on those UK cars there, even though the auction was over, it might have saved me some money! not really, i dont think i could afford to drop that coin, but i have them in my saved searches on this side to see if anything turns up.

great thread and great its still going...

[Don Sikora II]

and these:

I have two partial Record Florides that came off U.S. eBay maybe 5 or 6 years ago. It's a pretty nice kit, very similar in parts breakdown and detail to the multi-piece body Revell sports cars like the 1959 Corvette, Porsche 356 Speedster, and Austin Healey 100-6. I've never seen that Matra before. What scale is that?

[Zarana-X]

Those Airfix Euro-Fords look pretty cool to me.

And, why do all these 60's models look like they're made out of sealing wax?

[Junkman]

I have two partial Record Florides that came off U.S. eBay maybe 5 or 6 years ago. It's a pretty nice kit, very similar in parts breakdown and detail to the multi-piece body Revell sports cars like the 1959 Corvette, Porsche 356 Speedster, and Austin Healey 100-6. I've never seen that Matra before. What scale is that?

It is 1:24 scale and to my best knowlege it is the only kit ever been made by a company called Verneuil.

[Don Sikora II]

It is 1:24 scale and to my best knowlege it is the only kit ever been made by a company called Verneuil.

Wow, 1/24 scale. Very cool. Thanks for the info. This goes on to my want list. I have a major soft spot for French cars, not to mention French model kits of French cars.

[jbwelda]

yep that matra is killer. i need one of those. looks like it builds up pretty nice...minimal detail i would guess?

[Junkman]

yep that matra is killer. i need one of those. looks like it builds up pretty nice...minimal detail i would guess?

It is full detail. Chassis, interior, engine, everything. And all doors and lids open. I'd say it is on par with the old IMC kits.