fseva Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Agree completely. And as I'm not that big into engine/chassis detailing, I rather enjoy the old kits, as long as the body shape is correct. They can look just as good sitting on the shelf as the latest SOTA superkit with 150+ parts. Please let me know... lots of comments keep referring to "SOTA", but I haven't got a clue what it means! Please enlighten an old fart... and thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 (edited) There are plenty of options to find out what's inside a kit, including this and other forums, facebook, eBay sellers parting out the kit in question, etc., so all it takes it a few seconds searching and you'll find things like this: '69 Cougar Eliminator kit's contents Hmmm... a "moderator" already told me about the "search" function here, and I intend to put it to good use. BTW, photos of a kit's contents don't tell how well it builds up. If you think that's all I needed, perhaps I'll just start searching the internet instead of trying to offer some info of my own so that guys, like me, know what they're in for when they buy a new kit. Edited March 9, 2015 by fseva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Please let me know... lots of comments keep referring to "SOTA", but I haven't got a clue what it means! Please enlighten an old fart... and thank you! SOTA=State Of The Art. Means the newest, latest, gizziest, most detailed (and should be most accurate but often isn't) kits or aftermarket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledsel Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 SOTA..... State of the Art.... you would think it means better, but not always. Glad you are pleased with your build, it is a nice kit. Are you going to post pics of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 OK - it seems as if you're trying to offer an olive branch, and I'll accept that. I understand what the other guys were saying about the big picture, specifically the look of the completed model. I now have one as well, and have already posted a message to this thread that indicates that I am now happy to make a complimentary comment on this kit. I hope you will see that as my olive branch. Sorry I got carried away. The kit isn't perfect, but very build able compared to some others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I get what you are saying Frank. The price is steep for something not made here and that has been paid for decades ago. That being said how many times do we show the underside of our models anyway? I do not know about you but I cringe when someone wants to handle my models (not that I have many done enough for that). If you buy THE MODEL CAR DIRECTORY it will tell you when every model kit was made and released. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) I get what you are saying Frank. The price is steep for something not made here and that has been paid for decades ago. That being said how many times do we show the underside of our models anyway? I do not know about you but I cringe when someone wants to handle my models (not that I have many done enough for that). If you buy THE MODEL CAR DIRECTORY it will tell you when every model kit was made and released. I think what I'm most ticked at right now is that I posted what I thought was a helpful review, and even promised updates (which I have fulfilled), and it seemed the vast majority of responders wanted to burn me in effigy! Actually, I wasn't saying that I think R2 should have offered it at the same price it was released, but I looked at the R2 website before I bought mine, and they didn't say anything about it being based on a 50-year old tool. That's the kind of thing I was hoping to learn here, but if guys here think that I want to be pandered to by saying that 40-50 year old tools still produce great kits, like... (whatever I'm asking about), that isn't helpful to me, and it's no better than the media, which can't seem to say anything negative about the kits they review. (I wouldn't be surprised if the truly bad kits never get reviewed, for that very reason.) Until the media figures out how to make money on publishing that doesn't involve pandering to advertisers, I guess I'm stuck. Edited March 10, 2015 by fseva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledsel Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Just remember, the AMT's and MPC's are all repops..... kits of yesteryear. Most build up to be very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 Pics/slideshow of the kit's contents are viewable HERE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I sometimes forget that everyone here hasn't been building model cars since the '60s...or at least since sometime in say the '80s...and doesn't necessarily know the history and lineage of every repop that appears...my bad.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Frank this is a catch 22 with the Magazines. If they tell the truth they could be cutting their own throat. If you read Hot Rod and Car Craft or any of the other car magazines they do the same thing. If you build a car with a truck load of advertised parts you have a better chance of getting published. Just remember that there are some newer kit subjects out there to build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) I sometimes forget that everyone here hasn't been building model cars since the '60s...or at least since sometime in say the '80s...and doesn't necessarily know the history and lineage of every repop that appears...my bad.... True..I started in '78 as a kid, so I take much of modeling history for granted, as common knowledge...there is just so much information available here and on other sites about kits, that every reissue seems predictable to me..that little is unknown.. Edited March 10, 2015 by Rob Hall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledsel Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I get what you are saying Frank. The price is steep for something not made here and that has been paid for decades ago. That being said how many times do we show the underside of our models anyway? I do not know about you but I cringe when someone wants to handle my models (not that I have many done enough for that). If you buy THE MODEL CAR DIRECTORY it will tell you when every model kit was made and released. R2 is transfering the molding process to the US now............ FYI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RancheroSteve Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 For my money, I'll take a well proportioned but simple kit over a more detailed but inaccurate kit any day. Case in point: AMT '64 Comet vs. Trumpeter Falcon. Not trying to brag, but here's what can be done with a simple curbside: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=98929&hl= Like others have said, do your research before you buy and make your choice accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sledsel Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 For my money, I'll take a well proportioned but simple kit over a more detailed but inaccurate kit any day. Case in point: AMT '64 Comet vs. Trumpeter Falcon. Not trying to brag, but here's what can be done with a simple curbside: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=98929&hl= Like others have said, do your research before you buy and make your choice accordingly. Agreed, and super Comet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Frank this is a catch 22 with the Magazines. If they tell the truth they could be cutting their own throat. If you read Hot Rod and Car Craft or any of the other car magazines they do the same thing. If you build a car with a truck load of advertised parts you have a better chance of getting published. Just remember that there are some newer kit subjects out there to build. I think that I basically said that - I know what the score is right now in the media - that's why I said that until they find a way to publish without pandering to advertisers, I'm basically stuck - If I don't get the info I need from the media, and the forums prefer nothing negative to be said, I just keep spending my limited income on kits that aren't that satisfying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 For my money, I'll take a well proportioned but simple kit over a more detailed but inaccurate kit any day. Case in point: AMT '64 Comet vs. Trumpeter Falcon. Not trying to brag, but here's what can be done with a simple curbside: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=98929&hl= Like others have said, do your research before you buy and make your choice accordingly. Steve, you obviously have a background that gives you the necessary info on what is accurate and what is not. I don't have that luxury, and so I have to be satisfied with whatever the manufacturers put out. And believe me, I don't need someone to tell me that I should do my research. The point I have been trying to make is that the info out there is tainted. And now I can see how much forum members don't appreciate the truth from my perspective, and it leaves me wanting an alternative... but there ain't any others... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuzzed Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 What info is "tainted", and what is the source of the "tainted" info? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Ellis Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 fseva, it is a helpful review. Everybody knows what this kit is now, if they didn't before. It's a mixed bag. Round2 is the caretaker of all of the remaining AMT/MPC/Lindberg/ERTL tools. Round2 may try to update these 10-56 year old tools, but I would guess that you can only do so much. I don't see any all new kits coming from Round2, but maybe somebody knows differently? No matter how simple these 40+ year old kits are , their fidelity to shape makes up for lack of detail on all the old AMT. Most of us could not kit bash them or scratch build them either. That 64 Comet is a good example. We are all friends. Not going to get mad at each other over this Cougar kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete L. Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) Fellas, I want to know if anyone will release the Dyno Don "Super Cat" drag car decals along with his Pro Stock Cougar decals ??? I haven't seen many pics of the ProStocker, I wonder if there was ever a magazine article on the car ? Edited March 10, 2015 by Pete L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Frank if you are thinking about buying a kit you can always send me a PM and If I know about the kit I will tell you when it was produced. A small budget does make it hard to buy kits when you are not happy with what you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 The slotted wheels shown on the Street Machine box art aren't included in that kit...mine has the stock wheels from the annual kit. The Boss 429 engine in that issue is the one that AMT used in their Pinto annual kits, '71 through '75. After the '75 annual came the Mini Muscle Car which had the turbo setup for the stock engine; the 429 never resurfaced in the Pinto kit after that. If you look closely at the built custom Cougar on the Swingin' Sixties/Countdown Series box, you can see the more rounded rear wheel flares left over from the funny car issue. The box art car was probably built from a test shot, done before the wheel openings were changed back to stock in the body tooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RancheroSteve Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Steve, you obviously have a background that gives you the necessary info on what is accurate and what is not. I don't have that luxury, and so I have to be satisfied with whatever the manufacturers put out. And believe me, I don't need someone to tell me that I should do my research. The point I have been trying to make is that the info out there is tainted. And now I can see how much forum members don't appreciate the truth from my perspective, and it leaves me wanting an alternative... but there ain't any others... Frank, the only background I have is some real world experience with cars and a history of building models off and on since I was a kid. Like anybody else, I've developed my own perspective and tastes. My sincere apologies if you felt like I was telling you what to do. What I was trying to say (like I think a lot of other posters here) is that there are a lot of kit choices out there today - everything from late 50's multi-piece body kits, through early 60's promo-style kits, and right up through the modern sophisticated detailed tooling of today. The trick is to find a kit that's right for you - especially with the cost of a model kit these days - and I think this is where this forum works well. From what I can see, I don't think there are a lot of folks here with axes to grind when it comes to assessing the merits of a particular kit, and I think there's freedom here to discuss the negatives as well as the positives. This kind of debate is healthy if it helps someone to decide whether or not to put down their hard-earned money for a model. I'm not trying to change your mind about this particular kit - or anything else - just trying to show that there are several ways to look at this issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) Frank if you are thinking about buying a kit you can always send me a PM and If I know about the kit I will tell you when it was produced. A small budget does make it hard to buy kits when you are not happy with what you get. That's a very nice offer and I will definitely keep it in mind. Just one thing though, does knowing when the kit was released guarantee that it won't be unchanged when it's re-released? Or would the manufacturer say something like "complete upgrade to tool"? I know Revell says "Limited Edition - New Tool", and that's really become my go-to type of kit. Edited March 10, 2015 by fseva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 The trick is to find a kit that's right for you - especially with the cost of a model kit these days - and I think this is where this forum works well. From what I can see, I don't think there are a lot of folks here with axes to grind when it comes to assessing the merits of a particular kit, and I think there's freedom here to discuss the negatives as well as the positives. This kind of debate is healthy if it helps someone to decide whether or not to put down their hard-earned money for a model. Now that's the kind of healthy attitude I was hoping to find here! And I hope that if I say something that seems to be "whining", that the forum in general won't jump all over me and make me feel like I don't belong here. That is not healthy and it's one that will eventually discourage open discussions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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