Justin Porter

I would refer directly to Salvinos and I'd also point that Revell is also competing with other manufacturers in the military kit space. Something like their upcoming all-new 1/48th scale SR-71 Blackbird hasn't shown much more than a confirmation of subject matter. No box art. No test shots. No CAD images. When you compare that to their competitors like HKM, Special Hobby, Eduard, Tamiya, and on down the list, it's a really antiquated approach. Yes, I agree that they're going to absolutely dunk on Round 2 between having a much better kit and likely at a lower MSRP, but Revell (and quite frankly the bulk of the domestic kit manufacturers) should do significantly better at embracing web media for promoting upcoming product.

Revell really should reconsider that policy given that their competitors have embraced CAD imagery for promoting upcoming products. Something my Dad taught me that rings true is "In the information age the worst thing you can do is let your information age." Making an announcement then going dead quiet just fuels doubt and leaves potential customers more willing to spend elsewhere.

This was a nice one to get off the shelf. It's the AMT 1966 Ford Fairlane 427 and it FOUGHT me. Originally I had painted it in Duplicolor Wimbledon White but I was never happy with the finish and it went back to the shelf for over a year and a half. In a fit of "get it done and off the shelf" I resprayed it this week with Tamiya TS7 Racing White, replaced the kit steel wheels (which I also found lacking) with Cragar S/S wheels from the Old Pro Nova, and finisher the build. The hood fit is atrocious in the kit as the pictures bear out, so the choice was made to add some detail to the engine (wiring, PE wire looms by Detail Master, fuel lines to the carbs made from fine solder) because it will almost never have the hood on it for display!

Closest thing there is to a "glitch" in the kit is that the alternator/drive pulley piece needs a little bit of sanding to sit properly in its bracket. Otherwise it's an absolute jewel to build.

I have the same car in my collection and it wasn't until a few days ago that it even occurred to me that I'd replicated it! The subconscious strikes again. lol

Another project wrapped up. This is my Tamiya 1/24th scale Lotus Europa. This particular build had a hiatus due to a massive self-inflicted paint issue with the original Model Air Arctic Blue paint job. After getting stripped down, I reshot it in Gunze Mr Metallic Dark Blue under Wet Look Clear. I'm still not 100% happy with the paint job but the car as a whole makes me glad to have on the shelf.

That is DEFINITELY a version of the 935K3 that trips my trigger. I still have to get one of the Lancia S4's.

Yeah, you've kind of missed the places in the thread where I have A: conceded that the newly tooled body was updated much more than anticipated bringing it more in line with a modern curbside kit and B: noted that the kit has been a huge volume seller at the shop I run. Thanks for the slam against modelers who are motivated by detail and accuracy though. Always good to see another builder firmly in the "I don't like the mean things you say about kits I like so you must be a killjoy rivet counter meanie pants" camp.

I don't think a single soul called it an all-new tool. It was always exactly what it is - a modified reissue that was some fresh parts and a more accurate body based upon the older '69 428 Cobra Jet tooling.

Should be quite the kit. The Fujimi kit still holds up but it is curbside and it is closing in on being 40 year old tooling.

You didn't just put lipstick on the pig, you gave it a full spa treatment. Very nicely done.

This was a fun little "refresher" build of another classic Tamiya sports car kit. The paint is Tamiya Pearl White under Testors Wet Look Clear while the interior is Vallejo Model Air 71.102 Red. The inspiration for the color scheme was a certain level of boredom with French Blue Alpines and a love of the later Alpina GTA Turbos which always seemed to be in that stark pearl white so common of 80's supercars. I'm super happy with the build because it really came to right from how I imagined it.

This is such a good build of a Cosmo. I have the exact same kit on my shop's shelf and it keeps telling me it needs to move to my personal shelf. Seeing how well you turned it out just encourages me more.

Revell's parent company - Quantum Capital Partners - also owns the Carrera slot car company. And look here at what Carrera announced in their 1/24th scale slot car range for 2021... https://www.carreraslots.com/slot-car/23911.html

At my shop, paint is our #1 item and Tamiya 23ml bottles are the far and away leader in sales with AK Real Colors and Vallejo Model Air behind them. In the four years that I stocked Testors Model Master, the only time it sold in any quantity even remotely close to my other brands was when we clearanced it after the official announcement that the line was discontinued. That rack is now repurposed for AK Washes, Gunze Mr Color and Mr Metallic Color, and a selection of Gunze, AK, and Vallejo thinners and cleaners. Best brand swap my business has made yet.

Fortunately, there has never been a better time to invest in a replacement for those hoary old Testors paints. Between Tamiya, Mr Color, AK Interactive, and Vallejo you have a humongous variety of colors, finishes, and all of which spray better and clean up neater than those obsolete Testors enamels.

That's quite a good looking Celica.

Really like the way this build turned out and the subject actually really jumps out at me with its style.

Very much like the idea and the execution.

This was a bit of a side project meant as a paint demonstrator for my shop. We just brought in the Gunze Sangy Mr Color and Mr Metallic Color lines and I wanted something in our display case to show off what the paints could do, so an AMT Corvette came off the shelf and was built box stock. The color is Mr Metallic Violet, airbrushe d over Stynelrez gray primer and topped with Testors Wet Look Clear. The whole build only took about three days because I tried to keep it uncomplicated. All the same, pretty pleased and definitely will use more of the paint!

So this has popped up among the pre-orders at one of my suppliers and I have to admit I'm pretty impressed. The previous "Liberty Walk" kits are attention getters but usually require some deft razor saw work in order to get them together. This is much more clearly aimed at novice builders who will be drawn in by the branding and style.

Last time that kit was reissued was by Testors in the late 70's-early 80's. The bulk of the IMC tooling appears to have ended up with Lindberg (like the Mustang II concept car and the "Cougar II" kit of the Bordinant Cobra) but the trail of IMC racing car kits seems to go cold at the Union Models reissues of the Lola T-70, GT40 MkII and MkIV, and the Chaparral 2E. If this tooling did somehow travel with Lindberg and is now in the hands of Round 2, it would be quite amazing if any of it could be reissued.

Revell are doing as they've done before and are reboxing Fujimi's GT40 kit which has been issued before with the flared deckling for the Gulf MkI. It's an excellent kit even as a curbside and it's nice to have it back. There are definitely some issues where it comes off more generic than car specific but these are pretty well documented and the kit has a massively robust aftermarket for correcting and detailing it to the nines.

So far they've only released NASCAR stock car subjects but they have shown the initial CAD drawings for a modern Whelen-Tour type Modified. One could also point to a company like Belkits or Ebbro as being primarily vintage racing focused but I felt Salvinos was the most direct comparison. I wouldn't expect a production run of more than a few thousand kits, and I would expect an MSRP between $30-$40, but I don't think they would be a losing proposition at those numbers. In particular I could imagine reissuing the 80's CART kits in name liveries that weren't available in period, like AMT's Lola-Chevrolet offered in Mario Andretti's Hanna/Rain-X color scheme.

I would imagine the 70's or 80's Indycar kits with Andrettis and Unsers and Rahals and Mears so forth to hang on the side of the cockpit would have better name recognition but it's also worthwhile to point out that the Watson Roadster has also been a VERY popular addition to the Forza Motorsport franchise along with other sim racing examples. Vintage racing on the whole is very big with younger audiences, and a great deal of that is through events like the Goodwood Revival and sim racing franchises. Quite frankly, Salvinos JR is doing a good job proving there's a market for quality shorter run kits of vintage racing subjects at a premium price.