Faust

You're welcome. There was a time when I built nothing BUT robots, and I almost quit modelling because it got so repetitive. Thanks to my friends in my local club (IPMS London, Ontario) I got introduced, or re-introduced in some cases, to lots of different subjects. Now, like you Al, I love seeing and learning about different kit types. Heck, I'm even buying armour kits now!

I don't think there are enough Twinkies, Mountain Dew and Doritos to fully deal with this thing... You gotta wonder just what and what else went through the people's heads when they made this.

Sometimes the neatest things are NOT what you are looking for, but you find them anyway! I can think of a few examples of things like this I’ve stumbled across, and I’m sure you can too. However, every now and then I come across something SO weird that not only wasn’t I looking for it, I didn’t even KNOW to look for it? Confused? So was I! The object in question was an old, large-scale Corgi from the British children’s TV show “The Magic Roundabout”. Given that tomorrow is 4-20 (with all the countercultural implications), it seemed that there couldn’t be a better time to post this oddest of little oddities! Check it out for something completely different! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/corgi-807-dougals-magic-roundabout-car/

I’ve been concentrating on loser cars and realistic airplanes for a while, so I felt the need to get back to the “What If”-side of my personality! I remember back when Dragon first started issuing kits of some of the Luft ’46 projects; I was hooked! I didn’t even know what these planes were, but the models were super-cool. Sadly, they were also more expensive than I was able to pay at the time. Thank goodness for shows and a nice supply of cheap Luft-46iness! This is the first of the Dragon Luft ’46 kits I’ve built. I know some people say there are fit issues, but this little guy wasn’t too bad at all! Check it out and let me know what you think. I should have bought the nachtjeager version of this thing when I had the chance! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/dragon-172-messerschmitt-p-1101

I have that Glidden one; but without the box. I'd never seen the box. Apparently, the 1:1 was taken to races to promote the Glidden/Ford team, and to be raffled away at the end of the season. I've looked, but can find nothing to corroborate this anywhere. I do like the wheels; my copy has the same lame 4-dot "mags" (i.e. Porsche 929 knockoffs) as the normal EXP and LN7. Has anyone else ever seen anything on this real "civilian" Glidden EXP? I wouldn't mind an EXP. They're certainly unique, and despite being gutless little tin cans, I'm sure they'd be an interesting driver. Hell, I learned to drive on an '89 Escort, so it can't be much different! I haven't seen one in at least 20 years, though... they largely did melt away here in the Ontario "heavy salt" winters!

I remember those kits! I had forgotten there was an LN7 dragster to rival the Blue Max EXP!

I don't mind the early EXPs, but I really think the grilles on the LN7 were overdone. Still, as a kid, I had a poster of an LN7 in my room, so I can't say much! I wish I still had that poster... drat. There's a lot of similarity in the EXP and Omni-024 in both styling and overall role/genesis. It's funny how the O24 evolved into the Charger/Daytona, but the EXP just ended up a kind of useless Escort it's whole life! Glad you guys enjoyed it!

It’s one thing for a car’s styling to be weird or polarizing (or both – ask AMC), but it’s another to be both of those things and STILL be forgotten! If you think about the Ford EXP (which I do, more than I should), it was pretty odd and polarizing too. Weird bug-eye headlights and odd two-seaterness certainly made it a car that most people recognized, even if they didn’t want to. Now imagine being even weirder looking than that, and then being almost totally forgotten! That’s what it’s like to be the EXP’s upscale brother. That’s right, the EXP had a twin: the Mercury LN7! Most of the time, Mercuries don’t get kitted for some reason. However, back in the early ‘80s, Monogram came to the rescue and re-tooled their EXP mould to produce the bubble-backed Mercury version. It may be a small kit, but it certainly captures all the increased awkwardness of the real thing! Check out the 1/32 Mongram LN7 at the link below. Remember, sometimes we forget things as a favour to ourselves; you’ll see what I mean! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/monogram-132-mercury-ln-7-sport-coupe-oob/

Hmm... the 70's ones aren't my strong suit, but it sounds cool! I think a weathered one would look pretty bad-arsed, actually!

While I don’t get as many of them built and posted as I’d like to, one of my favourite types of kit is a mech kit. I grew up in the ‘80s loving Tranformers and Robotech, and have, since then, been a big ‘robot junkie’. Normally, the robots I build are Gundams, but I have a few others from different series as well. One series I was both thrilled to find that I could still get kits from was the planned successor to the Gundam franchise – Metal Armor Dragonar. I got what amounts to the whole set a while ago, and I thought it would be fun to take a look inside one and see what an old-skool mech was like. The Dragonar kits are surprisingly nice for their age, and are much better than Gundam kits of the same era, actually! Check out the first of my Dragonars; the half-plane, half-humanoid (but not a Gerwalk/Guardian) Schwalg! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/bandai-1144-flug-armor-ffa-02-schwalg-oob/

Beautiful work, Tom! They both look great! What colour did you use for the grey bumpers? It's perfect! I love the scale ladder on "your" van, too!

Oh man, that's awesome! I asked my Brother and he has one! Man, I wish they were more common! I'm surprised MPC didn't do a first generation Voyager/Magic Wagon; the lame '80s customs almost write themselves!

Thanks, guys! I was amazed when I built it. I found myself really liking the subject matter; I always disliked the last Volare/Aspens, but now, I think they're kinda cool. They're not so terrible looking in today's context and when tricked out nicely, they really make a cool boulevard cruiser. Nothing much from this time period was a major road-scorcher anyway, but with some good colour combos, the car isn't at all bad looking!

Well, I finally got it done! After a lot of fighting with the bumpers and a few other fit issues, my take on the MPC “Fuzz Duster” Volare is finished. Since I like to try and immortalize the “losers” in as stock a form as I can (usually), I chose to do the model as a straight-up 1980 Road Runner. These are not common today, and weren’t even very common back in the day, actually! With it’s very square looks and very staid motor, the last Road Runners weren’t much to get excited about. However, the Fuzz Duster kit has everything you need to build one of these now largely forgotten “muscle” cars, and it’s a nice opportunity to build something that you just don’t see anymore. Check it out and let me know what you think! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/cars/mpc-round-2-125-1980-volare-road-runner/

NICE! There are so many things you can do with them. You can customize them to try and make them cool (I did that once already... I have to post that still), you can meticulously research them (like me) to make is as good a replica of whatever trim is appropriate, or you can weather them and beater the crud out of them so they represent their last, sad, highschool/college-driver days! Don't forget some trash in the back seats and cigarette ash on the carpet, too, for that choice! I am, to use a seemingly odd phrase, "tickled pink" that so many people are getting out there and digging up these old oddball and loser car kits. It's time to make people remember there's more than just tri-Chevies and muscle cars out there! If we forget how sad driving got, we'll go back there for sure. Have fun with the kits, Gary!

My brother has the Cavalier promo. I wish I'd had one; I could have ripped the wheels off of it and been away to the races! I always thought the EXPs were loveably ugly. That's why I've got two on my site and another 3 waiting to be built! Oh God... that is soooo sad. I feel bad for the Japanese, and yet, the Corolla-Novas were no great shakes either. What goes around comes around, I guess!

Nice! We can create a "loser car" revolution! UP with the LOSER MACHINE!! As for Cavaliers, the MPC is a really nice kit, except for the wheels. They're only good for when you put the flares on. Otherwise, they're too wide and they stick out too far. I actually lost 1st place at a local show because of that. No fault of mine, but that's how the cookie crumbles. If you want to see a built Cavalier, go here: https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/cars/125-mpc-1982-cavalier/

Oh man, that's a great idea, Scott. If the boys at Round 2 could find the Omni mould and clone it to a Rampage/Scamp that would be fantastic! A great counter-point to the MPC El Camino I have, too! I saw a Rampage at a cruise night a year or so ago. I couldn't believe how small it was. It looked so thin and frail and small compared to today's "compact" cars, even like a Yaris!

It's amazing how I could have gone through life not knowing about this one for a while. Many thanks to F-J for the hookup on this one. I believe the Omnis were direct ports of the Talbot Horizon in France, among other things. the TC3 body looks a lot better than the boxy one, I think. Oh man, you have a D-50 too? I love that kit! I wish it had the right decals, because it is one of the D-50 Sport editions (or whatever they were called) as far as I can tell. Still, I agree, it's a nice little kit! I see what you're saying, for sure. However, when you compare them to the all-out performance machines that came before them, and the nice roomy cars as well, they seemed pretty cheap, tinny and gutless. Now, that having been said, we all know muscle cars don't handle well (or stop well, for that matter), so in a lot of ways these light little nimble cars would be superior. However, I can't not call them losers. Really? A two-figure HP number? God... I always find it interesting to compare cars of this era to my personal benchmark, which is my Turbo T/A. While the 301T might be reviled, it's pretty good overall, at least on paper. Whereas this "sporty coupe" was bringing 75 hp and 90 lbf torque, My T/A brought 210hp and 345 lbf. Uh... even though my car weighs almost double, it's got like, 3x hp and 4x the torque. You can't really be sporty if you're that weak. That's loser territory. I have an O24 that I did as a "Super Bee" custom a while ago. I've not yet posted it, but I should some day. With tinted windows and nice wheels/flares, the 024 looks good. Seriously!

I'm sorry if it posted three times. I only see it once, but if someone edited it for me, thank you! Chuck: I know how you feel. I was so excited when I found out about this one that I was in 7th Heaven to get my hands on one! Yeah, I'm not surprised they needed a lot of work, That was kinda standard for Chryslers of the era, and Fords, and Chevys and...

I think I'll have to do a comparison sometime of the MPC and the AMT, just to see what's what. You're right, that AMT didn't have the IMSA madness as bad, but the Sirocco and Capri II both have a pretty horrible "custom" version! They're nice kits too. I think the cars are lame, in the context of their day. They definitely had, and still have, their merits. They're much cooler now than when they were made; the rose-coloured glasses work wonders on cars, eh? Man, if there was a K, or even a normal L kit, I would be ALL OVER that. Fresh Cherries did make a die cast L hatchback (2 door, I think) in a couple of scales, including a big one, maybe 1/24? My brother has one. Wish I had one to gut and kit!

Loser cars. If there’s one thing I love to get kits of, it’s loser cars. Most people like muscle cars, Ferraris and other exotics or classic cruisers. Not me. If you’ve seen anything else I’ve built or reviewed, you know I love to hate to love my loser cars. What’s more amazing that having a great selection of these things as kits? Finding out there’s a model of a loser car I didn’t even know about! Recently, it was brought to my attention that there was a kit of a Plymouth Horizon TC3. AWESOME! I knew about, and have several, of the Omni 024, it’s Dodge stablemate, but I was amazed and intrigued to learn of the Horizon. I hoped to find one, one day. Then, thanks to the power of the internet, I was contacted by someone with one, and I was able to swiftly acquire one of these gems! It’s rare to have such a short turn around between discovery and purchase, at least for me, since I try to always avoid ebay! I was very excited to get it, so I had to review it quickly. So here, then, is an out of box review for a long-forgotten leader among the losers, the almost kinda cool, but still intrinsically lame, Horizon TC3. Many thanks to F-J for his help and passing this one on to me. You rock, man! Check it out to see how bad things got; don’t forget, there were MULTIPLE companies kitting this thing! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/amt-125-plymouth-horizon-tc3-oob/

Loser cars. If there’s one thing I love to get kits of, it’s loser cars. Most people like muscle cars, Ferraris and other exotics or classic cruisers. Not me. If you’ve seen anything else I’ve built or reviewed, you know I love to hate to love my loser cars. What’s more amazing that having a great selection of these things as kits? Finding out there’s a model of a loser car I didn’t even know about! Recently, it was brought to my attention that there was a kit of a Plymouth Horizon TC3. AWESOME! I knew about, and have several, of the Omni 024, it’s Dodge stablemate, but I was amazed and intrigued to learn of the Horizon. I hoped to find one, one day. Then, thanks to the power of the internet, I was contacted by someone with one, and I was able to swiftly acquire one of these gems! It’s rare to have such a short turn around between discovery and purchase, at least for me, since I try to always avoid ebay! I was very excited to get it, so I had to review it quickly. So here, then, is an out of box review for a long-forgotten leader among the losers, the almost kinda cool, but still intrinsically lame, Horizon TC3. Many thanks to F-J for his help and passing this one on to me. You rock, man! Check it out to see how bad things got; don’t forget, there were MULTIPLE companies kitting this thing! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/amt-125-plymouth-horizon-tc3-oob/

Loser cars. If there’s one thing I love to get kits of, it’s loser cars. Most people like muscle cars, Ferraris and other exotics or classic cruisers. Not me. If you’ve seen anything else I’ve built or reviewed, you know I love to hate to love my loser cars. What’s more amazing that having a great selection of these things as kits? Finding out there’s a model of a loser car I didn’t even know about! Recently, it was brought to my attention that there was a kit of a Plymouth Horizon TC3. AWESOME! I knew about, and have several, of the Omni 024, it’s Dodge stablemate, but I was amazed and intrigued to learn of the Horizon. I hoped to find one, one day. Then, thanks to the power of the internet, I was contacted by someone with one, and I was able to swiftly acquire one of these gems! It’s rare to have such a short turn around between discovery and purchase, at least for me, since I try to always avoid ebay! I was very excited to get it, so I had to review it quickly. So here, then, is an out of box review for a long-forgotten leader among the losers, the almost kinda cool, but still intrinsically lame, Horizon TC3. Many thanks to F-J for his help and passing this one on to me. You rock, man! Check it out to see how bad things got; don’t forget, there were MULTIPLE companies kitting this thing! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/amt-125-plymouth-horizon-tc3-oob/

One of the things I like most about aircraft, well any vehicle actually, is the ways in which the various models of it can vary. I am a huge fan of variants, and there’s little I like more than the two-seater of a one-seater aircraft. This is almost a universal thing for me, and it’s not a surprise that if there’s a trainer version of a given plane I have gone out of my way to get my hands on it. I’ll often turn down the one-seater until I have gotten the two-seater! A perfect example of this is the mighty Su-17/20/22 “Fitter” family of swing wings. I particularly like this one, since it’s a massively re-eingineered swing-wing variant of the fixed wing Su-7. Of course, that’s only the start. Given that there’s also a two-seater of this plane, you can imagine how eager I was to find a kit of one of THOSE. Now, there is a nice Bilek out there, but there’s also the old Hobbycraft. Not as many people know about that one, and it’s not as sought after. Of course, that’s the one I was able to find! Check out this oddly Canadian kit, made in China, of a Russian export-model airplane below. P.S. Bring your aftermarket decals! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/hobbycraft-su-22u-oob