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Junkman

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Everything posted by Junkman

  1. "Tool leasing" is very common in Japan. Most model companies are within walking distance of one another in Shizuoka City. The people running these companies know each other from common social activities. Some of these tool leasing deals are literally signed at a bar or a golf club.
  2. I don't think this list would be too far off what the 'general public' would buy. I say we'll see at least part of it.
  3. Yes, but they aren't American cars. All cars had trafficators in Europe before directional signals became mandatory. US imports were fitted with them to make them road legal.
  4. So effectively, you had to roll down your window to indicate? Sounds like a rather unpleasant proposition in inclement weather.
  5. Seeing that it is available from two mints, the Modelhaus, from two 1:18 scale diecasters, and several 1:43 manufacturers, I could not possibly care less. The Tucker is more catered for as a model than ever was necessary. Please invest the tooling budget into something less represented in model from.
  6. Seeing that hardly any pre-war cars had them and most post war cars do, my guess is 1945, if they became mandatory at all and not just voluntarily supplied by the auto makers. This raises another question: Seeing that pre war cars produced for the domestic market didn't have trafficators either, how did one indicate the intention to make a turn or lane change?
  7. Would any of you be willing to part with one of them? And Erik, re. the 1/20 Bandai Honda for 70,000 yen - a price tag like this is untypical even for Japan. Some of these people seem to list their items at these insane prices simply to show them off. Here is a small excert of what was available in 1/20 scale. On this last page at the bottom right, you see the tools stored in the Bandai factory. I have seen them there myself in 2008 and Scott Hards recently told me they are still there. Again, what you see here, can only be the tip of the iceberg.
  8. I think the optional parts in the '31 Mother's Cherry Pie make it a Riley Four-Port.
  9. Is it really a midget? It looks like a two seater to me?
  10. I'm not sure whether a poll in a model car related environment would be that representative. You'd miss out on hundreds of thousands potantial 'occasional' buyers.
  11. 1971 Riviera 1977 - 90 fullsize Chevrolet Fuselage Mopar 197x Ford Wagon
  12. I is seriously cutting the petrol bill... ...in style!
  13. I want a SoCal beach with loads of surf bunnies and stuff.
  14. This 'platform' at the far end could be made into a cannon base of some sort.
  15. No they wouldn't. Actually, they don't and that's the whole point. Because that backward bunch is inept to realize how well they would sell.
  16. I think you have it spot on! But what on earth is its intended purpose?
  17. I can only hope you are right, Art. I also hope, we will still be into kits when it happens, because a lot of us are drifting off to diecasts at the moment.
  18. "that there's a reason why it hasn't been released" That's exactly what I flatly dispute. Or better, yes, I agree, there is a reason. The reason is that the kit industry is inept to recognize a market even if you dumped them into it. For this very reason, they are losing out to the diecasters on a massive scale, and they are digging their own grave simply by being backward and faint hearted. Further, I am not talking about a specific make and/or model. An entire chapter in American automotive history keeps being ignored and I have no idea how much clearer I could make this point.
  19. You are very welcome. I'd recommend to try HLJ, Kallan & Partner, and Hobby Search. You should be able to round them up fairly easily. IIRC they aren't even that expensive. As far as I can see it, they do build into quite accurate models, albeit curbsides. The only real drawback I find is that there are no plated parts, so it's either Bob Shebilske, or Alclad, to the rescue.
  20. - '72 Cutlass - a surprise seller. Well, not surprising for me. - '77 Monte Carlo - seems to be doing really well, judging by the countless reissues. Especially considering it is a dismal curbside lowrider. - Gremlin - the announcement of it being reissued created such shockwaves, that I privily feared we are going to lose a few of our oldtimers. - '75 Cutlass - same as above. - '76 Caprice - keeps being reissued certainly not because it doesn't sell well. - The 70s Vans have many people stepping over each other to get them. These are just a few examples that come to mind this instant. But they are clear evidence that kits of 70s cars not selling well is utter nonsense.
  21. The Japanese private seller market is very difficult to penetrate and it makes me wonder, why there are not more entrepreneural people with the necessary language skills seizing the opportunity. Also, I don't believe that the Japanese people in general have no interest in selling abroad, they rather just face the same problem we face the other way around - they simply aren't proficient enough in reading and writing English.
  22. Yes, but the fundamental problem is that I am right and they are wrong.
  23. I completely understand where you are coming from, Jonathan. And I will not stop to say it loud and clear: 'They' keep ignoring an entire chapter of US automotive history, and coincidently, this happens to be exactly the chapter of automotive history my generation relates to. We are out here, we know who we are, and we want to see 'our' cars being made into model kits. Whether any other generation likes it, or not? We don't give a toss! Or better: The toss we give is about on the same level their's is towards us. And regarding this tiring wallet issue: We are going to put our money where our mouth is, but currently, there is nothing there for us to buy.
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