CJ1971
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Posts posted by CJ1971
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Tim, ditto mate ??
I, as do many other members, appreciate your thoughts, not only here, but in a lot of other forums both domestic & international. That being said I'll still stick to my guns ( internationally ) that tooling up snap kits for the younger market is futile, in this modern age. I've witnessed it first hand & the hobby, for the younger generation/s isn't just dying slowly, it's pretty much taken it's last breath. My LHS, which proclaims to be the biggest in northern NSW ( Newcastle ) is a fully stocked Hobby Shop with R/C, diecast, toy, train, plastic ( all - military/naval/auto/sci-fi ) sections, as well as supplies. I personally haven't bought ANY kits from them in well over 2-3yrs because they're outrageously priced, ( the auto section anyway ), American kits twice as expensive as EBay/On-line & the Japanese kits like Tamiya as high as $75-85au!! Absolutely outrageous!
I go there mainly for small supplies & I usually pop in regularly, once or twice a month, weekday or weekend. I have yet to see 1 child in the snap-kit age bracket, either looking at the plastic kits or buying any. Not 1 single kid. Not in the 5+yrs I've been going there. I've seen them in the R/C section, the trains section & of course the toy section, but not once in the plastic kit section.
This is how/why I've formed my opinion/s. So hopefully you can understand ??
Do you know how many American ( Revell/Amt/RC2/Mobeius/MPC ) kits I've purchased in the last 2-3yrs? 1. The recent 70 Cuda kit. I bought 6 of them. Haven't yet built 1 & I'll probably buy a few more ? In the same period of time I've bought Aoshima's Aventador/Roadster/GT86/BRZ/Murcielago SV, Tamiya's La Ferrari, Fujimi's F12, Aventador, Veneno & several older Ferrari kits... That's just off memory because I'm not at home right now to go through my stash ? ... Not to mention all the paint/supplies/after market wheels etc. Obviously I make a decent living & have money to spend on kits I want/in my preferred subject field. I WANT to spend money on my hobby, I'd like to buy more American kits, but not on snap tite Skill Level 1 or no interest kits.
As happens often, here & on all other boards/forums, threads are started & go on for page after page, on "what would you like to see kitted " ( autos )... & there's a current thread right now in the General Section about What wagon would you like to see kitted?, of which I've added my 2c... It's already 5? Pages long with umpteen numbers of wish wagons... Even if the 2 subjects I posted are never kitted ( highly likely ) there are others that I'd be interested in & would buy... But who's listening... Which kit manufacturer is LISTENING to the MAIN customers of this hobby? Which one wants our money for the subjects we're all begging to be kitted? & not in 2yrs or 4yrs or 10yrs time.... But on the shelf for sale in 12/18mnths.... RC2? Revell? ??
Now I can't speak for the rest of the world but I can for Australia.... Most kids in the snap kit age bracket aren't encouraged to be indoors on weekends/school holidays. Nearly all are in some type of sporting activity, be it surfing, swimming, cricket, footy ( NRL/AFL/ARU ), soccer, skate-boarding/scooter etc. We're lucky down here in that we have, generally, really good weather all year round. Our culture is an outdoorsy culture... Get out & get about ?? This all comes down to the parents/guardians... They're the ones responsible for their children's leisure activities. The hobby, down here, is virtually dead, in that age bracket. This is why I see no future or business sense in investing in that age bracket ( for kits ). There's no real future in it. My reasoning is solely based on what I actually see-hear-read... Therefore if I was an Excutive at a model company I'd be pleasing my majority customers & making as many new/modern kits as possible, while there's still money to be made in this industry, & running al the way to the bank. ??
Sorry I've gone on a bit, but as I said, just my opinion ?? Tim.
BTW... Your 2015 Mustang.... Fabulous!
Cheers mate, Cliff
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Don't get me wrong guys, I love the DOH just as much as the next person. I grew up watching it, have every season on DVD & all the movies, so I am a fan ?? The GL is the MAIN reason I love Mopars & got into this hobby. Have NO doubt about that. I've built many GLs... Yet still don't have 1 on my shelf... All were given as presents or sold ? Lol.
Tim, while I respect your knowledge & service to our hobby, I too have been involved, to a certain degree, with a Japanese kit manufacturer, who right now is making/kitting some of the best detailed & quality kits going around. So I have some idea about cost/profitability in the process of what's viable to kit up/sell.
I honestly think the main reason behind this kit being made/sold is because RC2 have to recoupe their $ after paying big $ for licensing. Look at most of their kits... Movie/TV cars... There's a lot of cash involved in licensing. ?
As for being a big seller? Most, if not all, of the comments made here, are by guys living in the US, right? Except me of course ? Is every kit manufacturers target market only the USA? Shouldn't it be the whole World? Kids across the globe? I honestly can't speak for the kids in the US, but down here... In that target market age group... 7-14yo.... It's Lego, Lego, Lego or outdoor activities. Not many, if any know about the GL/DOH...
Tim, I DO love the hobby, I'm glad I'm in it, I at times do have the attention span of a gnat, but we're a different breed from the kids of today. We grew up without all the leisure activities involving laptops/pads/iPhones/Xbox/Sony ps etc.... It's a totally different World these kids are living in today. Snap kits or any model kits just don't do it for them. If I owned a model company I'd be targeting my MAJOR clients, for bigger profits & I wouldn't give even an after thought to the minority clients.... Simple.
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Not to mention the time that kids would have been interested in a General Lee snap kit was 30-35 years ago..
Exactly! ?
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Don't think the fine people of Round2, or any other model company for that matter, are wasting today's limited funds.
Maybe the tool for the glue version is almost toast and they have to cut another one, to satisfy demand, Why a snapper, I've heard numerous times, snappers outsell glue kits (factor?), they're also cheaper to tool, so why not?
After-all the bulk of kits, to my knowledge is still sold to the so called "weekend modeler"
About the Revell Chargers, IMHO somewhere down the line, they should release it as a street machine, with those turbine wheels...(maybe group all sorts of street machine stuff in a, "one or two tree tool"(*), they can add, to any kit currently in their lineup))
Again just my humble opinion.
* Unlike in the past when one kit was one big tool, kits today are a cluster of smaller tools, it makes it easier to add versions, just swap...(engine parts tool, chassis parts tool, interior parts tool, body parts tool, clear parts tool....)
Can you imagine if for instance Revell tooled their '69 Charger that way?
IMHO we would've had a '68 Coronet and a '70 Charger by now
IMO... They have, indeed, wasted their funds, limited or not. Why waste whatever those funds are, on a snap GL kit? Why spend say, $100K, to tool up a snap kit, only to make a profit of $250K, when they could spend $250K on a full detail 70 Charger kit & probably make a profit in the millions? Why waste money on a minority "purchaser" like a kid, rather than actually spending money on the hobby's REAL target market? Makes NO business sense to me... Other than the fact they're squeezing every last cent out of their Warner Bros contract for the GL, before it expires?
Instead of investing in new-tooling/technology/kits & progressing they're investing in rubbish. They're not going forward... They're going backward. Utter stupidity ?
As for adding extra parts ( Revell's Chargers ) ... Hell, why not! I'd be more interested in that than a snap GL kit.
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Another reason... They can be "baked" to cure/dry the paint, because they're metal. Obviously plastic can't be.
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Arguably, is the operative word. There would be a dispute or a zillion, regarding this collection being "THEE" greatest collection in the World... It's only GM cars.... Therefore it CANNOT be the BEST car collection in the World. Simple.
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What an absolute waste of effort, time & money, with this. Their target audience, kids 8-14yo, don't build models. Simple. 99% of them have the attention span of a gnat. Fact.
Secondly, this hobby is dominated by guys with money for a hobby, not kids who don't earn a living.
Thirdly, why bother when both ( readily available ) Revell's '68 & '69 Chargers are a much better option & are much more accurate to build a General Lee? Not only that, but, RC2 already has numerous ( incorrect ) GL kits already in the marketplace?
Fourth, what they should've re-tooled ( if necessary ) or re-kitted/new tooling, is the '70 Charger, not an utterly useless snap-kit.
For every kid ( target buyer ) that actually buys or gets mum or dad to buy them THIS kit, the REAL
People in this hobby would've bought 10 full detail/skill level 3, '70 Chargers! Personally I'd of have bought a carton of '70 Chargers.
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Another awesome car we cant here, the Audi RS6 Avante
We get 'em here ... Just can't afford one yet... Until that HUGE lottery win ??
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I love ❤️ wagons so it's a very, very tough question to answer... If I had to make a short list, it would come down to either of these 2...
The Aston Martin Rapide Shooting Brake...
Or the Audi RS6 Avante... ( Worlds fastest production wagon)
Cheers Cliff
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I received the pegasus 23 inchers. They fill the opening better but I would have liked a bit more rubber specially on the rear wheels. Now gotta choose the wheel design...
A)
Or
more popular...You should've tried to source some Hobby Design wheels... They have many styles & sizes that would fill those wheel wells up no problem. I have quite a few sets. I also have a lot of Aoshima big 20in with tyres, spare, if you're interested? Let me know... It would be a shame to stop work on this build because you can't find the right sized/styled wheels ??
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Hang on a second... I'm on your side Harry.
The thread starter made absolutely NO distinction when he mentioned - diecast, therefore generalising, meaning ALL diecast, including anything from Hot Wheels through to your high-end $500-$1000 Auto Art etc diecasts. If the thread starter actually specified which diecasts he was referring to then this whole debate about Harry being right/wrong about his statement/comment would not be where it's at... Completely unnecessary. High end diecasts ARE mass produced, just because they're not sold in your regular toy store, doesn't mean they're not mass produced. If I or anyone else was paying upwards of $500 for a diecast car, it sure as hell better have a flawless paint job!! ??
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Thanks Cliff. Actually, the paint is Alclad II. I used mostly Aluminum and Steel colors. Although it didn't turn out as envisioned, I'm still happy with it.
Oh ok... Did you first use their gloss black base coat? If you didn't then that may be why it didn't "shine/silver" up. I use their metallizers quite often, always over ( very light passes ) a gloss black base coat & got the desired look.
The problem that needs to be solved is how to keep it that way without getting fingerprints etc all over it ? I've used their light-sheen as well as their Matt/flat clear & while they seal the final colour... They do dull the metal look a little ?
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2 things mate...
1- I wouldn't be using a product like Windex to thin paint. It's not meant to be used as such & it will wind up ruining your paint jobs. It's fine to use as a cleaner, followed by a good rinse of warm/hot water.
2- Before posting, please check what you've written. It's pretty hard reading what's not written in English, spelling is incorrect & grammar is quite bad. I don't mean to sound mean, but it's hard for people to help you when they have a hard time understanding what you're trying to say. ??
If you like this hobby & plan on staying in it... Do yourself a favour... Invest in it with quality rather than quantity. Use the correct solvents for the types of paint you're using, buy it in bulk & you'll save in the long run. Sure Windex is cheap... But your paint job will look cheap too ??
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Thank you all for the kind comments. UncleScott - the grill is stainless steel mesh available from McMaster Carr.
Obviously I missed my mark going for the bare metal look. I just couldn't figure out how to turn my resin body into real metal so I settled for painting. My bad.
Some of my inspiration can be seen below. One man's silver...
Mate you did a good job none the less. It's a cool rod, just not the effect you were after. If you still want to get that "bare metal" look, I'd suggest using Alcad's range of metal paint, either steel/stainless steel etc... You can get the bare metal effect on resin, as you would on regular kits, it's all in the prep' ??
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Double ?? lol -
Of course, the "shine" on diecast model cars will vary, depending on whether it's something made for the mass merchandising trade (you know, those models made to sell in the $15-perhaps $30 price range), or the ones produced by Franklin or Danbury Mint, costing $100 and up.
Basically, most all diecast models are painted rather heavily, often with the same type of "production spray guns" used say, in the autobody business. Most generallly, enamel paints are used, and the body shells then are baked to dry that to very hard, which serves to at least protect the shine. The two "Mints" I mentioned, along with the likes of GMP and Highway 61 as a rule have the factories polish out their paintjobs, and wax them. With most budget-priced diecasts, however, secondary colors (think 2-tone paintjobs here) are not baked, as at least in my experience doing product development for Johnny LIghtning diecasts back 10-13 years ago, it was impossible to bake a second color without ruining the first, or basic color of the model--so often that white roof on a 2-tone Chevy didn't come out with the same level of shine as the first, or lower body, color.
But in the end, it's the much thicker paintjobs that tend to make them appear so shiny. Along those lines, it is perfectly possible to get as good a shine, even depth of color on a model car you build and paint yourself, which of course means learning techniques that will help you achieve such results.
Art
Nail... On... Head. ?
No further answer required.
Good answer Art ??
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Great work Mango! Your client should be very pleased indeed! I have the 1:16 Doyusha LP500S still waiting to be built... ?
Cheers Cliff
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I was going to say the same thing. Doesn't look like "bare metal" at all to me. Looks flat black. Bare metal, as Harry has said, is silver-ish. If that was the look you were going for.. You failed.By "bare metal" do you mean bare, unpainted metal body?
Wouldn't that be a pretty bright silver, and not dark gray? More like the color of the wheels?
It's quite clear, on close-up inspection, it's been painted. I know you've left the "chop" weld lines in, as well as some patch-up work, & that's what makes it evident the car has been painted.
Now this is a bare metal hot rod...
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Why would it be wrong? Roadrunners came optioned with the Hemi... As did Cudas, GTXs & Superbirds.
What code are you talking about?
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I've also seen it on a number of car apps... CarBuzz to name 1 & as Harry said, Facebook... Mopar Muscle's & Mopar Action's page... Weird? ? I'm thinking maybe it's only come to light now because of the laws/restrictions surrounding the case? Maybe the court/police wouldn't allow the story to be published? It does seem odd that it's been 2yrs since this actually took place... Especially in this day & age of mobile ph cameras etc... I mean Paul Walker's death was virtually filmed within secs of it becoming a fireball...
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The best paint jobs come from the best prepared bodies/parts. It's like a 5 course dinner... Takes longer to prep' than to cook... But tastes incredible... ??
No models ( bodies ) are perfect. Most Japanese, Fujimi/Tamiya & Aoshima kits are close & Revell, AMT/RC2/MPC kits need more prep' work, but at some stage they all need attention to sand away mold/seam lines, high/low spots etc. Do this first then prime... Always prime! ? Priming allows you to see imperfections & gives the colour paint something to stick to.
As for pre-thinned paints... As some guys have mentioned, Tamiya cans ( Lacquer ) are very good. Decant them & use through your A/B so you have better pressure control & better coverage. For engine parts/metal colours, both Alcad ( lacquer ) & Testors ( enamel ) sell bottles pre-thinned & are very good. I also believe Scale Finishes ( on-line store ) sell their paints ( acrylics ) pre-thinned & you can purchase real 1:1 factory colours ?
There is a wealth of information here, on all aspects of building, from preperation through to completion, so search around & as you've already done, just ask if you're unsure ??
Cheers Cliff
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What... No Hemi? ??... Lol! Just kiddin' mate... Well done! Love those wheels ??
Cheers Cliffo
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More pics...
It's been reported in Hot Rod magazine that, indeed, it hit a tree & the thief who stole the car survived...
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I remember this car from an article in Mopar Collector's Guide.....I believe that in the article the driver of the car was a young man with some personal demons that he was dealing with....do not know if it was drugs or mental illness.....he decided to end his life and stole this car which was outside the shop. I cannot recall the exact speed but I do know that he hit a tree and HE did survive!!! In the article it did not state what his injuries were, but that he would have to be taken care for the rest of his life. No mention of a wall...but I could be wrong....and I am sure that many of you have seen drunks or people under the influence of drugs survive car accidents on the local news. It would seem that being under the influence makes your body more relaxed?? Maybe that is why they survive while sober people tend to get killed. I am only going by memory, and without having to dig through my umpteen boxes of magazines to try and find it....if i can find any info that could be more beneficial...I will update.
Curt
And there's a very, very, very looooooong list of dead drunk/drug drivers that can attest to being that the ones who do survive, do so via pure luck.
Surviving a head-on, sober or under the influence, has nothing to do with it. It's just not their time for Mr Reaper to come calling... Plain & simple ???
more popular...
GM's Secret Stash
in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Posted · Edited by CJ1971
Where there's an open door there's a closed one.. Where there's an up there's a down...
Where there's a no there's a yes...
Where there's a good there's an evil... Etc etc
As Dirty Harry once said... Opinions are like a**holes, everybody's got one ?
So if you feel sorry for me champ... You should also feel sorry for yourself ??