
Faust
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Round 2's Datsun 620 Pickup - Out of Box review
Faust replied to Faust's topic in Truck Kit News & Reviews
Yeah, me too, buddy, me too. I gotta have this thing stock. It's too cute not to. Interesting. I actually wasn't following along too closely; I remember someone (on here I think) posting that they'd love to see this one, and then I remember hearing the rumours about the moulds being torched. I'm glad that wasn't the case, and it was smart of MPC to do it this way! I have noticed a big increase in the number of old Japanese truck kits lately, true. I wouldn't mind seeing the 1/20 King Cab reissued, or the 720 Targa (just because a targa truck is nonsensical, and thus cool). -
Some kits you just never expect to be rare. Some, especially those by MPC, got issued, reissued and re-reissued and reworked so many times that it makes sense to think they’d be around forever. However, history has shown that’s almost never the case for the more mundane vehicles, like Pacers, Fieros and Pintos. That same fate applies to the MPC 1975 Datsun 620 pickup model as well. Despite numerous warmovers, customs and reworkings, the 620 hasn’t been largely seen around for years and years. When the Monster Tow Truck version was repopped by Round 2, I don’t think too many of us expected to see the stock ’75 ever see the light of day. However, we were (gladly) wrong, and somehow the good folks at Round 2 have managed to bring back this classic in a much less radical form. You can also build it purely stock… almost. Clearly, since it is an “everyday” car and an MPC, I was all over this when I saw it at my local shop. Check out this newest in Round 2’s “Legion of the dead”; it proves that with hope, anything is possible! (Still need that ’75 Sprint and Monza notchback, if you’re listening there, Round 2…) https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/round-2-mpc-1-25-1975-datsun-620-pickup/
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I guess I must be one of very few people in the world, but I don't like Porsches at all. I don't like their styling, I'm not a two-seater fan and I think their SUVs are ugly as sin. It seems to me there are a billion and one Porsche kits out there, so I'm surprised the particular model that some people want doesn't already exist. I completely pass over any and all Porsche kits with a shake of my head, wondering why anyone cares, or perhaps, why I don't. I am such a non-fan of their styling, that I would literally not take one as a lottery prize. I would trade it for cash or sell it. I like power sedans, 4-doors, big motors and the ability to go fast while hauling my family and a trunkful of stuff. That's why I love my G8, as well as Chargers and, to a degree, 300s. HOWEVER... I absolutely LOVE the Panamera. No one, and I mean no one else I talk to likes it. I think it is by far the MOST beautiful Porsche product ever designed, especially with a small rear spoiler. It adds mass, strength, purpose and maturity to a styling trend that always seems to produce what, to me, look like melting ice sculptures of snake heads. Extending the body, adding those two extra doors... absolute perfection. It is the ONLY Porsche I would ever consider paying for. I even looked into one once. I saw the price and stopped right away, of course! So, I for one am SUPER STOKED to see a Panamera kit. I don't like the Sport Turismo (or whatever the wagon is called) anywhere near as much. This release is exactly like Revell Germany read my mind. I couldn't be happier. If it's as nicely detailed as their Trabant, I'll be ecstatic!
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Of course, for personal reasons, I do love the red bird! I will keep my fingers crossed they can get the Turbo Version, with the correct bird, out sometime, as the decals do look stunning! On thing I do not like, though, is the red tail lights. Why, oh why to mode and toy companies KEEP making the tail lights on these cars RED. They're NOT red unless illuminated. They're BLACK. only the reflective strip at the bottom is red. Green Light's '80 Turbos all suffer from this (in multiple scales as far as I can tell) and it is such an unnecessary mistake to make. If the tail lights were just moulded in the same tinted/smokey colour used on a lot of other Round 2 kits then everything would be fine. The rest of the kit is largely good, it seems. However, they kept the embossed "fire chicken" between the back seats, and that's on the '79 Tenth Anniversary cars only. So, that'll have to be sanded, and might well ruin the surface texture of the seats. At least the spoiler is right, and the T-tops are right. So often, replicas use the wrong style of T-Top. On this type of T/A, they should extend right to the door opening. That is usually wrong, too. Greenlight's small and large Turbo T/A replicas fudge that up spectacularly (so bad that I won't even buy the big one!). Overall, it looks cool. As the owner of a real one, I'd love to get my hands on the Turbo version and really see how good the details are! Casting the "disco dash" in chrome was an interesting touch, too!
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Thanks, Steve! Sometimes, I get into a funny mood, and it just happened that I had a funny subject at hand! I had a good time writing it, too. I like to try and make reviews of kits fun and entertaining, and maybe get a bit of a different thought going in people's heads. It means a lot to me that people actually read and enjoy them!
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Just in time for American Thanksgiving, we have many things to be thankful for and they’re all related to a turkey! Of course, I’m talking not about that most sleep-inducing of oven-roasted fowl, but something large, semi-flight capable and definitely more than a little foul. I speak, perhaps unexpectedly, of the Heller 1/72 Amiot 143! I came across this kit a few years ago, and my excitement was only equalled by my revulsion. I knew of the plane, and to see its horrors manifested in such unforgivingly mediocre plastic was the culmination of a dream of sorts. Well, a fever dream, maybe, but still… So, what do you have to be thankful for? Well, you have a few things: 1.) They don’t make them like this anymore, either in plastic or real life. 2.) Only Heller would make a kit of this, and it’s largely forgotten. 3.) Everyone needs a laugh, and this plane and kit have to be worth that. You can also be thankful that you can now experience the beast vicariously, just by clicking the link below, and you don’t have to waste money or room buying one yourself. Unless, like me, you’re just a sucker for punishment. J https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/heller-1-72-amiot-143-oob/
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I am sorry if this is a duplicate post, but I thought I'd put this up here but couldn't find it. I guess I forgot to. Stop me if you've heard this one, as they say! Every now and then, I see a kit that’s a bit different than something I’d normally build, and rather than just ignoring it, I’m pulled to it for some reason. That was the case when I picked up my 1/25 1964 Chevy Fleetside kit. I got it cheap, so that helped, but I was eager to get into it as well. I don’ t normally build pickups OR vehicles from this era, but it looked fun. It turns out, there was a lot more I had to research on this kit then I though, and it almost made me give up in frustration. However, I stuck it out, and now I have the chassis and engine done! Check them out at the link below and tell me what you think! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/64-chevy-fleetside-update-1-good-foundations/
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Every now and then, I see a kit that’s a bit different than something I’d normally build, and rather than just ignoring it, I’m pulled to it for some reason. That was the case when I picked up my 1/25 1964 Chevy Fleetside kit. I got it cheap, so that helped, but I was eager to get into it as well. I don’ t normally build pickups OR vehicles from this era, but it looked fun. It turns out, there was a lot more I had to research on this kit then I though, and it almost made me give up in frustration. However, I stuck it out, and now I have the chassis and engine done! Check them out at the link below and tell me what you think! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/64-chevy-fleetside-update-1-good-foundations/
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I’m only relatively new to the world of armour modelling, and most of what I’ve got is old Matchbox and Fujimi 1/76 kits. These are fun little gems that largely build well, fast and simply. I am not into the armour for the superdetailing of it all; I just pick designs that are cool-looking, unusual or funky (or a Matchbox). I don’t really care if it’s a truck, tank, SP gun or command/recon car, if it arouses my interest, I’ll give it a shot. That’s why I surprised myself when I picked up my newest armour acquisition, the old Hasegawa 1/72 Isuzu TX-40 fuel truck. I mean, it’s not all that elegant or unusual; it’s just a gas truck. However, something about it called out to me and I’m glad it did. This kit is sometimes bundled with Hasegawa’s 1/72 Japanese aircraft, in order to create a diorama set. It’s certainly a good choice for it. However, I didn’t buy it for a diorama. I just bought it because it seems to me that everyone forgets the important role that simple little trucks have in wartime, whether it was in WWII or even now. I wanted to have a little display piece that would remind everyone, including me, that there was more to ground combat than tanks and mobile guns. I wanted to immortalize the oft-disregarded vehicles toiling behind the scenes. Check out this little old kit at the link below. Sure, it’s simple, but I think it’ll be fun! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/hasegawa-172-isuzu-tx-40-fuel-truck-out-of-box/
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If there’s one thing that Build Fighters has taught us, it’s that it’s cool to customize Gundam kits. Of course, many of us knew that already. For a good number of us, the more generic types of MS kits (like Zakus, Doms and GMs) are sometimes even more attractive as canvases for our imaginations than the more famous mecha in the Gundam universe. A perfect example is the GM series from both the original Gundam, and it’s barely-upgraded Z Gundam follow on, the GM II. I was surprised when Bandai bothered to make a GM II, and I was even more surprised when I bought it. I don’t really like the GM II at all, but like all of its cannon-fodder ilk, it had potential to be so much more! Check out my GM Cannon modification to this otherwise hapless suit, giving it not only more punch and personality, but also making it harder to pin down in the UC timeline! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/bandai-1144-rms-179-gmii-cannon/
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When I was learning about WWII planes, a long time ago, I was fascinated with several aircraft that just seemed strange compared to what I’d seen before. One, of course, was the Boulton Paul Defiant; it was a part-Hurricane/part-Spitfire concoction WITH A TURRET!! I grew up with the 80’s GI Joes, so I had a Rattler, which was a VTOL A-10 ripoff with a turret on it. So it didn’t look out of place because I wasn’t used to turrets, it looked out of place because I didn’t realize anyone had ever done that! I, of course, wanted a kit of it, but the only kit at the time was the old Airfix one, and even 25 years ago I knew that kit was a piece of, well, “history”, shall we say. I’ve had to wait a long time for a decent, affordable Defiant in 1/72, but now that Airfix’s new kit is here, I can say it was worth it! Check out my completed Defiant, and be amazed at how far Airfix actually has come from the old days! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/planes/airfix-172-boulton-paul-defiant-mk-i/
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From what I've seen on a couple of other posts, it's something akin to a bar of soap with a vaguely Corvette outline. You KNOW I'm going to have fun with that!
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I think it's too late anyway. I'm either immune or already infected, so I think I'm safe!
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I've got the Stealth, the '94 (?) Z-28SS, the Z-10 pickup, a Police Grand Cherokee and a Jimmy. They all look decent enough. I've passed on the Explorer, myself. I've got a much nicer AMT in 1/24.
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That is largely true, at least for the Monograms and MPCs I've seen. I've got a bunch of Lindberg 1/20 kits from the mid-90s, and they seem to be pretty nice, with good detail, but certainly no more complexity of build than a 1/24 or 1/25. Even the large scale Japanese cars are pretty much just pantographed up. That's not quite true of that Toyota Sport van, though, and certianly not true of the Heller 1/20 Renault 16. (There's one I should set loose on the internet world...)
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Well, I am very surprised to see how many people are for me opening it and letting this plague out upon the world! I have to say I'm really thinking this could become the basis for Chia-Vette after all. Man, I didn't know these were this bad. I mean, the box art is cool, as Mike said, but I didn't think it would be worse than, say, a bad old Revell or something. Man, now I'm almost ITCHING to open it. Of course, the itching could mean there's a leak in the containment plastic, as it seems to be suggested! Of course, if I open it, I'll have to slaughter it in a review. I guess that's okay, eh?
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Oh, I wouldn't argue that at all. People constantly say "Smokey and the Bandit!!" when they see my Turbo '80; it's just what is associated with that big hoodbird! I just don't think we need another '77/78 until we get more balance out there. I've never seen the big MPC, but I do like their small kits just fine. However, I do know that the small MPC '79 is kinda poor on detail compared to other kits they make, which is an eternal disappointment!
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You know when you’re going through a hobby shop, and you find something so weird, you have to buy it? It’s a bit like wanting to rescue the runt of the litter, I guess, and it happens to me all the time. Well, this time I’ve come across something that seems to be fairly uncommon. In fact, I can find almost nothing about it on the internet! It’s a Palmer 1970 Corvette, and I think it’s 1/32. It doesn’t actually say. Anyway, I’d like to know anything you can tell me about this kit, as well as your opinions as to what I should do with it! Check it out at the link below, and let me know what you think, both about the kit and what it’s fate should be, with the poll at the end of the article! Thanks, all! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2017/09/17/palm-er-or-pop-er-give-a-man-a-hand/
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Gack. There are more than enough '77/'78s (Gen 2.3) out there. I don't really care for '76s either, but at least it's something different. I, personally, am ecstatic to see the Gen 2.4 birds getting more love again. They were heavily kitted back in the day, but then fell out of favour and it seems like for ages all you could get were Gen 2.3s. I've had enough of them to last a lifetime! I would be crushed and, quite honestly angry, if they'd reworked the beautiful Gen 2.4 into the Gen 2.3, knowing they had the moulds to do the Gen 2.4 the whole time! I say Kudos to Round 2, and Bring on the Trophy Turbo Bird!
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The link to my car should tell you quite a bit about them, actually! The biggest difference is the hood. Good luck replicating that simply. There are a lot of compound curves on it; trust me, I've waxed every inch of one enough times to know it intimately. Also, there's a couple of big differences. The Turbo T/A's blower isn't quite like others, and it doesn't have any blow off valves. It's all vacuum actuated wastegate that does the work. Also, the crossover pipe would be interesting to make correctly. The biggest difference, is that the intake is modified so that the air cleaner/carb is off to one side, under the bulge, not on centre like a normal 301. That would require some work, I think. Interior-wise, the Turbos all had the deluxe interior, I believe, and that means the fancy cloth. Not much else different, though. Technically, all Turbos are WS-6 cars too, so they'd need the bigger stabilizer bars, etc. However, that'd be hard to tell, even at 1/16. The Turbo Rims from the '79 pace are the standard Turbo wheels. you couldn't get Snowflakes on a Turbo, I don't believe. That's what I can think of off the top of my head.
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Gack! Don't desecrate a T/A with a 305!!! That's heresy! Keep your Poncho ALL Poncho. if you're going to make it an '80, make it a 301 '80. Or, you know, lobby Round 2 to make the Trophy version again, with the Turbo 301. And this time do it with red bird decals. Because, you know, that's sexy as all get out! On that note, I don't know if he still does, but I think someone told me J-Bot decals used to make decals for T/As. That's just word of mouth, mind you, but it's a possibility!
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It's not that bad. Not once you know what your'e up against. I mean, it's not a new Revell Germany, and it's no MPC, but it's no worse that other Monograms of that era. Sadly, that tinting thing seems to have been a big deal, and I agree too many kits used it. Still, until Round 2 reissues the Trophy T/A with red bird decals like on my car (MASSIVE HINT!!! ANYONE?), this one will have to do me for big-scale Turbo T/As. Making decals for it is going to suck, though.