Faust

I hear you about the decals. They weren't in register on my kit, either, but I decided just to say "F'it" and get what I could out of them. As I mentioned in the article linked with the photo, they did want to break up on me, though! MPC decals are a scary thing in this day and age! Glad you guys liked it! How would you have handled the shingle alignment issue?

Thanks Jesse! I love the classics. I just got my hands on one of the 1/20 Laser Vette kits. SOOOOO lame it's awesome! I'll have to do an out of box on it someday, too! Glad that you enjoyed it! The old ones just have a charm the new ones can't match!

You know that old saying that “Nothing worthwhile comes easily”? Well, I guess it’s true, because I consider MPC kits to be a fun and worthwhile use of time, but man, the sure can be a pain in the posterior. The particular kit I’m referring to in this case is the Gold Rush Show Van! Yes, I finally got it done, but it didn’t come easy. That having been said, it certainly looks like the wild vannin’ creations I remember seeing around in my younger days, and having one on display is pretty darn exciting, especially if you love vans or MPC’s crazy over-the-top customs! Check out this fat-wheeled shingle-and-Naugahyde-sporting monster at the link below. Let me know what you think and if anyone else has built this thing, let me know how yours went together! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/mpc-125-gold-rush-custom-showstreet-van/

Thanks, Scott. You're right, people likely see the one photo and don't go to the link. it's one of the reasons I'm not always sure I like to post photos on forums. You're definitely correct that the one photo doesn't tell the whole story, so I hope that others will follow your advice. That was a very awesome gift though, eh?

The Hardgraph kits are really cool. Probably the hardest-core Gundam stuff ever made. It's more for armour modellers than it is for Gundam fans! Of course, if you happen to be both... The 1/144 Gundam Ground War and Zaku Ground War sets are cool. They come with an MS, and lots of extras. One set has a pair of hover trucks and some guys, another has some Zeon recon units and the Feddie Tanks, I think. A great mix of armour and MS building all in one box!

While they may not be up to the fine detail standards of current armour models, I am personally a big fan of the old British Dinky Military toys. They are solid, moderately detailed and definitely neat period pieces. I’m mostly familiar with models from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, since that’s when my Uncle was young and thus had the catalogs for them. I just recently had a milestone birthday, and my brother decided to help me “over the hill” with a large, custom-made Dinky Gift Set that contained a good number of models I’d never even seen before! If you want to see how to apply modelling skill to packaging, and be blown away by some cool old armour toys, then check out the “Dinky 40Y” set below. Just remember: There’s only one in the world, and it’s mine! J https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/dinky-toys-geezer-set-40y/

Thanks man! No, I don't think they do. Takara and Tomy have merged, but to my knowledge, neither one is in the plastic kit market any more. You're likely right about not sublicensing to Bandai! Maybe Kotobukiya could take up the torch? Their kits are pretty good. Not Bandai good, but almost!

As a great fan of robots and mecha of all kinds, I really wish that there were good kits of Transformers as they appeared in robot mode. Not just little kits of the toys (which there were), but stylized replicas that didn’t transform and just looked cool standing there. Unfortunately, that’s not something that seems to be out there. However, the next best thing, of course, is making your own! Sometimes, I’ll come across a Gundam (or other) kit that is surprisingly similar to a Transformer, or some other robot, and I can have a blast re-purposing it and customizing it. That’s what happened when I came across the Gundam Tryon 3 from Build Fighters Try. I was not impressed with this goofy quasi-super robot. However, after some thought, I realized it would make a dandy model of G1 Predaking, and a great way to combine his toy and animation models! So, I set to work modifying the kit and created something completely one-of-a-kind. Check out my take on a model of G1 Predaking at the link below! There are lots more pictures there. Any and all feedback is appreciated! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/mecha-robots/-bandai-1144-predaking-from-gundam-tryon-3/

Thanks for the link to the brochure! I also have the '80 Pinto brochure, but it doesn't really say if you can get all the colours with the stripes or not. It shows a non-striped Cruising Wagon in Bright Caramel (why not just call it orange?), but no where does it call out if there are limits on the colours you can get with the stripes. Does anyone know for sure?

Amen to that! I actually think three would be great. 1.) Conventional Wagon 2.) Cruising Package 3.) Rallye Package. Did anyone ever figure out which colours were legit for the Cruising Package? I think we really need authoritative documentation on that!

Since I'm going to go stock with it, I never noticed the pipe issue. Easiest way to deal with it. Cut off the joiners, drill out the ends, paint 'em white, and instant dumps!

I love that 77 woodie! I'm hoping that the aftermarket will indeed jump all over this and get us the different front clips we need to make a veritable fleet of these things from all their years! It's funny; at the time, Pintos sold well but were hated by so many. However, what you guys said is what I've found true too; some of the "losers" were actually decent, tough little cars. All it took was some care. LIke Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree! Maybe, in Hindsight, things weren't so bad after all? Maybe it was all relative? Hmmm.... Naw...

Wow! I knew Pony Express would be popular, but man, it blew up! It really is just like the real thing, only smaller! Those wheels seem legit (didn't count the bolts though); they look like the Rallye package wheels, and those, according to the brochure I have, could also be had in white. Man, I wish someone would do Rallye graphics decals for this thing. Now THAT would be awesome! They even blacked out the roof rack it was so tough! Does anyone know if you could get these stripey beasts in any colour? I've only seen yellow, silver, white and red. I think it would look amazing in Bittersweet or the weird "Bright Caramel". It would, of course, be boffo in metalic brown, er... "dark chamois" too. I guess I better get a couple of these, eh? The tires are nice, and do really make the kit a cut above what we have come to expect from Round 2, or any other American maker. Glad that you found out about the Bear Bait kit, Harry. When I found it at a toy show, I was shocked and awed, just like you! To make life easier, I linked both it and the Wild Breed Mustang reviews in the Pony Express one. I meant to last night, but I was tired and messed it up. Lots of great Pinto stories. That starter solenoid thing is pure Ford. Both my Dad's '89 Escort and my mom's '85 Grand Marquis could be started doing the same thing. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of built Pintos in the coming months!

There are dreams, and then there are pipe dreams. For a person who, like me, loves to build loser cars and their overwrought “performance” versions (like Citation X11s and sporty Cavliers), there’s always been a desire to own a kit of a Pinto. Unfortunatley, stock Pinto kits are rare and expensive beasts. When it comes to pipe dreams, Ford’s attempts to create a sporty, “Vannin’” Pinto with the Cruising Wagon is perhaps one of the ultimate insults to legitimate performance cars ever created. Sadly, kits of this wild (and cynical) attempt at automotive excitement are among the rarest of all. Only MPC made one, and the wild custom “Pony Express” has long disappeared from any affordable price range. Imagine my excitement when I heard Round 2 was bringing it back! Imagine my greater excitement when I found one at a local shop last weekend! For all those who love the ridiculous and bizarre, this is definitely a kit for you! Check out my out of box review for the newly resurrected Pony Express, and get ready to relive just how bad motoring got! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/round-2-mpc-125-1980-pinto-cruising-wagon-pony-express-oob/

Oh, I see! I read "Promod" as "promo". You see what you expect to see, I guess. Nice work!

Oh man, that j2000 is amazing! I didn't know there was a J2000 promo. BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH... something to keep an eye out for! Your combination of the two looks great! The Cavalier was a kit I'd had as a kid, so I hear you, Gary, on the nostalgia trip!

Darn. That is more like what I expected, to be honest! It's funny; when you get a lemon, it's a LEMON. A lady I know has an Equinox, and it's gone through 2 motors already! It's a 2010. So, the more things change... Growing up, our neighbour across the street had a J2000. It didn't last more than a couple years either; he replaced it with a Pulsar.

Nice! I think that you'll enjoy it. They're, at first glance, not like building cars at all. However, if you're a customizer, then you know the fun of just letting your imagination go crazy with a kit. Gundams really lend themselves well to that. After all, they're sci-fi, so no one can say they're wrong! I hope you enjoy the experience, and let me know what you think! If you've got any questions, I'm happy to try and help out!

If there’s one thing that I seem to have a real weakness for (other than obscure planes and loser cars) its robots. I love robots, and grew up with them. Thus, whenever I get a chance to take a look at some shiny new plastic that builds into some kind of awesome giant robot, I normally take it. Of course, Gundam is the best source for new robot kits in the greatest variety and quantity. When the new series, Iron Blooded Orphans was announced, I have to admit I wasn’t too turned on by the looks of some of the mecha. However, that didn’t stop me from scooping up a couple at the local anime store when I saw a couple that did turn my crank! One of the first ones I got was the oddly-named “Gushion Rebake”. I didn’t know anything about it at the time, but it had a different colour scheme from a conventional Gundam, and it had both a big gun and a pretty mean-looking overall countenance. Having seen the show now, I am very glad I got it, because it’s even cooler there than in kit form! Check out my out of box review on this kit. However, just be warned that unlike a lot of new Gundam kits, this one is really tailored more to true modellers than those who just want to assemble the pieces. Don’t forget to vote in the poll at the end of the review, too! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/bandai-1144-gusion-rebake-oob/

Yeah, there's something about these vans that just can't be equalled in terms of overall awesomeness, eh? That's would be cool, Mark, to have a model of the van you owned. I think MPC made a kit of those, didn't they?

We’ve all been taught that it’s what’s inside that counts. Well, that may sound like a platitude for the social engineering of grade school but it certainly is true when it comes to making a knock-out Street or Show Van! Thankfully, the old MPC Dodge Van kit, including the amazingly outrageous Gold Rush, listened to what they were taught, and gave us a really good interior to grace their wacky custom vans! Complete with “shag” carpet, Naugahyde couches and shingles (Yes! You read that right!), the inside of Gold Rush is every bit as crazy and over-the-top as its outside! Check out my take on this Vannin’ luxury love nest at the link below. The good news; you can have just as much fun with the newly released Bad Company! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/gold-rush-update-2-no-guts-no-staffroom/

Thanks guys! I figured the Taiwanese insignia would get people thinking one thing, and then I'd surprise 'em! I do like kits of oddball indigenous aircraft or very local conversions, but they're hard to find. This is a cute plane that needs more love, though, including a kit of the 1-seater!

Hey, glad I could bring back the good times! I always find it interesting when people wax nostalgic about an old car they had. I'm the same with '89 Escorts; that was what I learned to drive on. We had trouble after trouble with it, and even though that was the case, I still look back fondly. I know a lot of people who cursed Cavaliers too, and I poke fun at them, but you know, stories like yours prove they were tough and ready to do what was needed. Thanks for the compliments, too!

I’ve always been a fan of two-seaters, whether they’re purpose-built trainers or two-seater versions of frontline combat machines. There’s something about the longer canopy and change in overall proportion that I think just makes most planes look better. That’s why so many of my models (both built and in the “stash”) are two-holers. Of course, it goes without saying, that the more obscure the plane is the better I like it, and if it’s a two-seater than you can pretty much bet I’m going to pick it up. That was exactly the case when I came across the LO Models kit of the Taiwanese AT-3 Tsu-Chang. This is a pretty unknown aircraft, purpose-designed for training, but like so many of its ilk, it has a secondary combat capability. I am really quite pleased with how this little bird turned out, but let me warn you; this is not an easy kit to build. It’s simple, sure, but that simplicity masks some serious issues. Still, there’s not likely to be an Tamigawa or Trupet-boss kits of it soon (although, who knows…), so what you sees is what you gets, as they say! Check it out and let me know what you think! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/planes/lo-models-172-aidc-at-3-tsu-chang/

Thanks guys! I think this is going to be one of those "lots of work, but well worth it" kind of kits. Here's hoping the rest goes smoothly!