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So what's the real story on "Reverse Engineering" ?


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I think the version of the Monogram Rommel's Rod out now was reverse engineered from an original kit, as the original tooling was lost/scrapped back in the '70's. It's not a direct duplicate of the original kit, as they decided to tweak the parts fit while they were at it.

And someone saw fit to reverse engineer the Depth Charger too :blink: . I wonder how that sold. Just my opinion, and maybe I'm wrong, but I think there is more than one old Jo-Han kit that would get more interest and therefore generate a bit more revenue than that horrible thing.

Edited by novadose71
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i dunno, but that early hemi/potvin blower setup needs to be reissued in something and soon! its way cool.

I suspect the front blown Olds in the Revell Orange Crate kit is as close as you'll find for now.

I thought the New Monogram (Revell) Circus Wagon was mostly reverse engineered from Monogram's Dragon Wagon kit, too?

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  • 1 year later...

I've heard this term used over the last few years and the idea seems really great to bring back some of those lost treasures we keep talking about, lost in "The Fire" and "The Train Wreck" et. al.

So what's going on? I've heard both yes it was, and no it wasn't, on the Carl Casper Undertaker Dragster. :huh:

$(KGrHqFHJBcE-d(-K6qTBPyuKoo!m!~~60_35.J

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I believe we just saw an example of RE, when Polar reverse engineered the General Lee to the Street Charger and then back to it's original form of the Petty Charger. It involves taking an existing kit and engineering a new or refurbished mold to resurrect a section that was too damaged or re-engineered too many times.

Edited by MAGNUM4342
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I believe we just saw an example of RE, when Polar reverse engineered the General Lee to the Street Charger and then back to it's original form of the Petty Charger. It involves taking an existing kit and engineering a new or refurbished mold to resurrect a section that was too damaged or re-engineered too many times.

Actually that's not entirely true. The Dukes of Hazzard ran around in a second generation '69 Dodge Charger. The other is a third generation '72 Charger base line car, as it still had the '71 C panels, but with '72 SE grille and taillights (incorrect for the '72 base). Originally offered as a Petty and a, IIRC, Bobby Baker clear-bodied NASCAR full race cars that they ran in late '72 and '73. Later sold as a molded in black Super Charger with a blown 426. All had the full NASCAR race suspension. In the latest offerings the kits are being issued in reverse order from the originals. The only changes between the two '72s bodies was the type of plastic, clear vs. colored. The only RE involved was for the interior, engine (components), tires and rims, some of which may have come from other kits altogether. The Dukes of Hazzard '69 borrowed the chassis and engine from the '72 race version and has never been issued in any other form.

For a better example of RE look at the Dave Burkett i.e. AMT/ Model King 1959 Chrysler Imperial. The body molds were found, but no chrome molds. Burkett paid to reverse engineer the new mold from an original issue chrome tree. One reason the curb-side kits were so expensive.

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It is the process of taking a part and using it as your blueprint. You would just measure that part and make your prints from it.

Exactly. Using a finished product or part, taking measurements off it, and using the measurements and info to create the tooling to recreate that product or part. The "bad guys" do it all the time with captured military equipment.

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