stavanzer

After looking at Part 3 of Tim's build, I'll call out one part that Moebius Goofed Badly, and one that is Awesome. The Blower Scoop is just Lousy. Fit is awful, at the front, (notice the gaps) and the bland ridges are just tired looking. (same for the Valve Covers) Un-inspired and boring, these are real let downs, IMHO. The Headers on the other hand! Wow! I wish Moebius had put all 6 parts on one tree. Then they could sell just the Headers in 12 packs to Gasser Builders who wanted them. P.S., The wheels look good, the tires, less so.

Here it is almost October. Are there any updates on this kit?

James Duff. You have stated my opinions better than I could have. I thank you for your clear writing. The "99% Trifecta" is a good reminder that those of us who comment on these online forums constitute about .1% of the model buying public. We should be grateful that our comments are even given a fair hearing by the PTB at the Model Companies, given the vitriol that sometimes accompanies the accusations of laziness and incompetence that are thrown about willy-nilly. The last few years on the board have been eye-opening to me. Should I ever win the lotto, and start my own company to produce kits, I can guarantee that All Phases of a new kits life cycle will be public simultaneously. In other words, the First Look, Kit Sales and On Line Sneak Peak, Behind the Scenes tidbits, will all happen in one hour on the same day. And all public comments about the accuracy (or not) of a particular kit will be met with a firm "Thank You for your input" reply. And Nothing else! I get the whole "With Modern Technology, Yada Yada Yada, vis-a-vis Accuracy" argument. But reading comments on this forum especially, makes me think that some folks will simply NEVER be satisfied with a given kits shapes, dimensions, or details. Since relative strangers to you are gambling with money you have not invested with them, in order to sell you a leisure product, a little consideration of their efforts might be appreciated. And, I'll happily include myself as a Hypocrite in this rant. I've taken Round2's so called "B Team:" to task on multiple occasions, for what I believe to be poorly executed or just plain lazy, re-issues of older kits. But, as James notes, Round2 is a business. Sometimes, "Get it out the door & on the shelf", is the only option for some kits. I moan about it, but at the end of the day, If I want to do better, I need to buy the company...... I really enjoy the expertise that is shared in these Forums. But, sometimes, the Horse is just Dead. Give it a break guys. As others have noted, by the time you see photos of the test shot, only small details are going to be changed. There is NO BUDGET for anything major, by that point. So, if you don't like it then, you aren't gonna like it now. And absolutely nothing you say will change it...... Alan

That Green "Double Trouble" is one of the best builds I have seen of that kit. You Really Nailed the Look, Scott!

Now THAT is a great idea for a Unique Build! OHC 6. That will stand out on the contest table.

Yeah, I really miss not getting this kit. I had a co-worker who owned a "Seely-Ca". I'd like to build a copy of his for him.

On this topic, how about the MPC 1983 Toyota Supra Kit. Beautiful kit, nicely engraved, at least two different boxings that could be combined for a 2'n'1 kit, and it would hit the Sweet Spot that is developing for 1980's cars. It would make a great re-release and all it should need is cleaning and new tires/Decals.

Is it me, or does the Dragster on the decals for the "Progressive Race Team" in the new '63 Wagon and Trailer kit, look almost exactly like this built up? Or just a Happy Coincidence?

I an waiting for the Dual Rear Wheels, and the Stake Bed. Sunoco Decals are nice, but won't move the needle. Very Nice Artwork, however! I wonder if they'll throw in any other "Goodies" to sweeten the deal? This kit is common enough that it will take something special to push it into the "Must Buy" column.

Thanks, for the Candid Answer Tim. I'll leave it lay for now.

Thanks, Tim. (Opens big Can of Worms).....Since you know many of the players in the Industry, any Idea who tooled the Tonka kits? Any chance the are tools still around? Could Atlantis, or Moebius, or Somebody "rescue" them? Would it even be worth the trouble to do so? Cheers, Alan

I do miss Bill's lengthy (and entertaining) back stories. I read somewhere that Bill is an English Teacher. I can believe it. I will disagree with you about one thing. You are approaching the Nash/Borgen Threshold, with great speed! Model On!

Superb! Sure you name isn't Bill Borgen. This looks Exactly something he or Gary Nash would have done.

I was gonna say, has to be Africa or the Middle East. Then I saw the Swahili. Great Job!

This Hurts. I really liked Chet. I'll have to did out the DVD's on my day off tomorrow, and watch some episodes. R.I.P. Tim!

I suspect they will go real fast from Stateside Importers. Get 'Em while you can.

What is the story on the taillights, Tim? You hinted about that in the first pic of the clear parts.

Thanks, Guys. I knew I had seen it somewhere on here. I remember Tim's article too, But I have discarded all of my old Magazines, so I cannot reference Tim's work anymore. Mods, if you want to combine this thread with the older thread, please do. Alan

I'd like to see Revell Tool Up a NAPCO or other 4x4 Drivetrain for their 64-66 Chevy Trucks and Suburbans. A 6 Cylinder engine would be nice too, but we can kitbash that. I just wonder what (if any) other surprises might be lurking in the tooling for these kits.

Steven, Those trucks were covered by the "Mints" (Danbury-Franklin) Back in the 90's and Aughts. If Diecast is not your thing, I suspect you'll be waiting a long to time to see any tooling money spent on plastic kits. I agree with you about how nice it would be to perhaps have them in plastic, but I don't see the sales justifying the tooling costs. My Wants would be Satisfied by a Dodge Powerwagon 1946-1953 or so.

I was just looking at pics of the Tonka Diorama Kits with the Model T Fords, both the touring and the Fire Truck. I know somebody posted some photos years ago of the contents of the kits, but I have had no luck Finding them. My Google searches got many hits, but none from here, and almost all pics are repeats of older pics. The same photos seem to cycle over and over in the search engines. I am just wondering, how they compare to the new(ish) ICM Brass Era Model T kits. It would be nice to be able to do some side by side parts comparisons. I remember reading that the Tonka kits were Okay, but no better than Okay. I don't even recall if the Tonka kits were Curbside or had complete engines. One Final Gripe. I wish Kit makers would look at a "modern' Restored Model T Ford, before they tooled things. Almost all "stock" T's you see being driven use a VW Distributor instead of the Ford Timer and Coil box. Cheaper, Easier, and much more reliable, just about every T in the Club I belonged to used this trick, including cars that had been restored in the 1970's. I would say that most 'stock' Model T engines today have run a VW Bug (or other style) 4 cyl distributor, longer than they every ran the old factory timing/ignition system. Another thing. Every stock T engine in every 'stock' T kit, includes the flimsy sheet metal stamping the Ford used on the mouth of the sidedraft carb, curving up to the rear of the exhaust manifold. In the real car world, only a handful of cars still have them, although you do see them some times in engine pics. That small sheet metal piece was thrown away by original T owners by the tens on thousands. Why? It blocks the carb throat when you are busy Priming, Choking, and Fiddling to get your T started. A good T will run well when you learn it, but I always had to mess with the carb a bit on every start. Those Carb Heater pieces were discarded in such numbers that find a good one was hard for many years, if you wanted a "Show Quality" T restoration. So, can we get rid of it on the kits, please? The way it is usually tooled on the AMT "T" Engine, the upper edged is blended into the exhaust manifold in such a way as to make removing it a pain. Anyway, just thoughts from a former Model T Speedster Owner.

That is a Clean, Sharp Build! It really showcases the old Monogram tool. My hat is off to whoever built it. It makes a Half-Century Old kit, look like a million bucks. Of Course, not as detailed as a modern kit, but this build showcases the charm inherent in this kit. Bravo! I hope you sell all you can get, Justin.

A Cool 'Mainstreamer', as Tim Boyd was calling them. It was a Trend I liked, and I wished it had caught on more strongly. I had always wanted to try to build a "Mainstreamer: 70 1/2 Camaro, using the 1990's AMT Kit.

I Thought that was "dairy-aire"

It is very NIce. The Red really stands out.