Justin Porter

Another build wrapped up and this one is a major one for me. This is the Aoshima 1/24th scale MGB roadster converted to a GT coupe using the resin transkit by C1 Models. It's painted in Tamiya X3 Royal Blue and is meant to be a replica of how I wanted to restore the MGB GT that I owned in high school. I am really pleased with not only how it turned out, but also how easy the C1 transkit was to work with.

These made to my shelves and I must say I'm pretty pleased. The box is appropriately tiny so four kits on hand is about the same shelf space as two Moebius kits. Looking forward to seeing how they go out the door.

Definitely looks good regardless of the fight. These kits and their Mclaren and Penske sisters are full of strange engineering choices on AMT's part.

Rear end done and looking great. Just a bit of embellishment left to go. The MGB GT emblem done in PE by C1 Models really is a nice touch to have.

Glass is in, front end is mostly done. Rear details, PE, door handles, mirrors, and chrome side trim left to do. This one is on its home stretch!

Stevens International just gave us official kit numbers for the RoG boxings of a slate of new releases and opened preorders. Here are some of the ones that seem to be the big attention getters. 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351 - RVL #7699 1971 Oldsmobile 442 Coupe - RVL #7695 1/8th scale 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am - RVL #7710 1969 Camaro SS - RVL #7712 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 - RVL #7708

Agreed entirely. The New Tool '57 100% obsoleted the Trophy Series kit and the Trophy Series tooling should have remained retired. That the Trophy Series kit came available under Round 2's management tells us more that Round 2 isn't concerned about detail or accuracy minded model builders and instead are wholly focused on nostalgia collectors.

Oh I'm under no delusions that Round 2 truly cares what dinky 300 square foot Haven Hobby in just off the lake Ohio does as far as our purchasing habits compared to the Walmart contract. I am also completely aware that it's likely connected to Johnny Lightning continuing to get peg space in the toy car aisle. They are welcome to do with their business as they like. I will do what's in my business's best interest and that is to not clutter my shelves with half-baked reissues no one asked for at nosebleed prices that will be undercut by half by the big box up the street.

Oh I'm aware it's how business works but this is one of those things that truly TRULY gets under my skin. How often do we see or hear "I'd shop at the LHS but they gouge on prices" as a refrain? I price on a roughly 5% below MSRP matrix on my shelves. Net result, Tamiya's all new and fully detail Toyota GR86 kit carries a smaller price tag than this rehashed Ecto-1 but somehow I'M the gouger, not sweet innocent Round 2.

So glad to know that Round 2 is selling so cheaply to Walmart. My WHOLESALE COST per kit on the Surf Shark is $32.31 with an MSRP of $54.95 from either of my AMT distributors. So what's my choice guys? Cut my margin to the bone and still be higher than the inevitable Walmart shipper/Ollies sell off OR stop stocking Round 2 products entirely unless it is a guaranteed nuclear hot, no one will wait to buy it release like the Nova Wagon?

Fantastic build in a really suitable color for the car!

Sold out our stock of the Gassers and the SS Coupes and restocked on the coupes. Waiting on more supplies of the Gassers. Definitely a winner on my shelves. Thanks Moebius!

The joy of an older project is the number of subassemblies you had already put together so wrapping this up actually went fairly quickly. After a bit of a tussle that included choosing to ditch the forward tilting hinges of the nose, my MPC 1/25th scale Mako Shark II is all finished. Wheels and tires are from the Revell '67 Corvette roadster kit and paint is Gunze Sangyo Mr Metallic Icy Silver and Dark Blue under Tamiya TS-13 clear.

Arrived at my distributor yesterday so they should be on my shelves for the end of the week. Quite excited for this one!

This is the MPC "Custom Corvette" reissue of their 1/25th scale Mako Shark II kit. I picked it up at some point over ten years ago as a partially built kit and decided I'd try and knock something presentable out of it. I did an homage paint scheme to the original Mako Shark II without following it exactly using Gunze Mr Metallic Icy Silver and Dark Blue.

So apparently the big announcements of 2022 are a 100% new tool 2021 Dodge Charger and a full retool of the classic 1966 Mustang fastback kit in the same vein as the '64 Olds and the Nova Wagon.

It's genuinely impressive to me how much buzz a kit with proportion issues this bad is generating. According to Scalemates it has been ten years since the last time the Revell '68 Roadster was issued and I am certain that if Revell announced it was coming back out third quarter this year it would barely register.

If Aoshima can give us photoetch badges, multiple wheel options, and die-cut window masks in a sub-$40 reissue of a 30 year old kit then Round 2 can be expected to offer similarly competitive products.

Gunze Sangyo tooling also available reboxed for Airfix around the same time that Airfix was reboxing Gunze's E-Type Jag.

I'd be really curious as to just how badly Atlantis wants to deal with arranging licensing agreements with Volkswagen, Mercedes, Nissan, and Ferrari and whether or not there are other kits they potentially have the tooling for which could also justify the costs of those licenses.

1/24th scale auto isn't nearly as lucrative as 1/35th scale armor which is Meng's primary focus. That said, their GT40 has been a good seller for my shop.

Glad to see someone else enjoying this transkit! It's really a gem and it looks like yours is going together nicely.

Sword kits are a lot of fun for all of the unusual subjects they capture and with generally good detail too. Sometimes they make for fussy builds but always worth it.

The 1/12th scale Bugatti is a fantastic announcement. Granted, either 1/24th or 1/20th would have been appreciated but knowing the detail and quality of the 8C kit this will be warmly welcomed.

I'm really glad that progress is being made on this kit and I'm certainly hoping the retail is going to come in around the same as the Mooneyes dragsters because that's been a HUGE help on my shelves. I know folks weren't thrilled with the Mooneyes box art either but I am here to tell you it didn't make anyone hesitate at my register.