Brett Barrow

I guess it's just what you've been influenced by over there. Maybe they're cool cars if that's what your concept of what an American car is. Sorta like how the Japanese think of Roger Moore as the iconic James Bond because those were the first ones they got... But something like a 73 Monaco to an American is just a forgettable 70's car, and it always will be, even if your parents had one or you learned to drive with one or whatever. I wouldn't recommend that a resin caster invest a couple hundred dollars to make one, and I certainly wouldn't recommend that a plastic company invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to make one.

But these subjects have sustainability and cross over appeal, in addition to being timeless, iconic designs. Hudsons dominated the early days of NASCAR before the big factories got involved in the mid-late 50's. They made popular kustoms as well. Early 50's Olds were very popular in the early days of Stock drag racing classes. That's also the first mass-produced and affordable OHV V-8 as well, they were some of the earliest hot-rods. As iconic as the 57 Chevy is, Ford outsold Chevy in 57 for the first time since WWII. The Ford Y-block of that era was also a popular early hot rod engine as well. Sorry, but to us, the cars you mentioned are just forgettable 70's cars. As the country that invented the hot rod and the muscle car, we're really rather ashamed of them.

Anybody remember American Satco? That's exactly what they did, they sold JDM kits with resin LHD dashboards, and they gave up on it right in the middle of the boom days of the 90's.

But next year they'll be into something else. And then something else after that. Making a new-tool model is an almost 2-year process, even with all the modern technology. Look, the model companies made stuff like this back in the 90's. And they couldn't sustain it. They're not going to make that mistake again. Revell made the Bugatti EB110. They made the Dodge Sidewinder. As I said in an earlier post, they were probably able to recoup the cost of that tooling in one big run for the big chain stores. They can't do that anymore, they have to pick subjects that have some potential of selling down the road.

Then perhaps it would be a wise move for the model companies to get into table-top gaming then? Look, the model car industry is what it is. The big box store era is over. The industry couldn't sustain the type of numbers it took to stay in those stores. Kids will be into whatever they're going to be into. If they get into car modeling down the road, great. But you're far more likely right now to attract a recently-retired baby boomer to the hobby than you are a teenager. You have to dance with who brung you, as the saying goes. Sure the model companies would like to attract kids to the hobby again but it just ain't gonna happen. They had em and they couldn't keep em. Modeling will never do those kinds of numbers again, sorry. But you can do smaller numbers and focus on a smaller market and still make money and have a successful business. You just have to be smart about it, and doing late-model pickup trucks is just not a smart business move.

Exactly. The 48 Ford has been out for one month and it's already the best-selling car model kit of this calendar year, at least for my company (I don't know if it's Revell's top seller, but it is for us). If that's milking the last drop, then keep it up (remember I sell these things for a living). Last year's top car kit was the Hemi Dart, even with all it's faults and flaws. The companies are not going to do a subject that they can't get multiple kits out of anymore. That's been the genius of kits like the 32 Ford, there is a last drop to milk even years down the line.

Like a dog. This is the kind of stuff they did when they were in the big box stores, because that's what the big box stores wanted them to do. And those kits have zero sustainability, but one massive run for the big box stores would be enough to pay for the tooling costs, so it wasn't much of a risk. That ship has sailed, those days are over. At that time the sales of that type of stuff subsidized the development of the more esoteric stuff that was a personal favorite of the designer or company executive. Lots of those great 90's AMT and Revellogram kits ('59 Caddys and Chevys, 60 Starliner, 62 Catalina, 48 and 40 Fords etc... are a few that pop into my mind) came about that way, just because one person wanted to do them and the companies were flush with money from the mass merchants. Market research was non-existant. They just did what the chain stores told them to do and then used the money to fund their personal projects. We got some great kits out of that time, but we got some steaming piles of _____ as well...

Different version - AMT's is a top-of the-line Fairlane, Revell's will be a base-model Custom.

I said it when it happened - the big box stores getting rid of model cars would be the best thing that could have happened to the hobby. It's forced the model companies to listen and cater to the enthusiast market. So what if there are tons of reissues, they're the kits we want, a lot of times restored to the way the remember them (or better), not just some moldy oldie with 20"+ wheels trying to appeal to some kid in a Kmart...

It's called "Katch the Kat". One Manx kit per case will have a red body. In addition, Manx kits bought from Round2's online store will be purple. They will also be doing this with the Drag-u-la, only with a gold body. They're the only two kits announced as part of this promotion so far.

Would it be too much to ask for a 2 'n 1 version or a follow-up boxing with some period-correct stuff like a quick change rear end, drum brakes, and a 4-71 blower and maybe a bit more conventional interior? That would be sweet...

I would have expected Moebius' 55 Chrysler to make an appearance. Especially since they had a rapid-prototype 3D printed one there last year.

I think that was only ever a dream... Now that Ed Sexton's back at Revell, maybe it'll happen there. He was at MRC, Academy's importer, when the kit was announced. I think Bob Johnson was tapped to design this kit - he was also supposed to do the ill-fated Accurate Miniatures 289 Cobras - but he's now retired, so if it happens, somebody else will have to pick up the development, or start all over. I think Academy did a slot-car Cobra Daytona way back in their infancy (I have a catalog with one in it, but I've never actually seen one), so maybe that was the impetus of this project?

You and me both. The rears are OK, but those fronts are way too deep and wide. Here's what Gasser front wheels and tires should look like... I've got some Modelhaus 5-spokes and skinny tires to use on a current Willys project, but some shallow slotted mags would be nice, too...

The show's moving to Cleveland next year , of course that'll be the one I get to go to...

The RoG boxing of the R8 Spyder should be in the States in the next week or two, if you're one of the "gotta have it now" crowd...

I work for one of the major hobby distributors (my participation on the board is purely as a modeler, I'm not here to represent the company). Lets just say that I know people who know people... And those people are probably having dinner and a few drinks in Chicago right now...

The KS Pittman Willys' box art is clearly a photo of a real car, but I hope they do new wheels and tires and make it a 2 seater like the photo shows.

Word is this will be a new tool. They know what the Deuce kits need. I know they know what the Deuce kits need...

A picture of a plastic spoon painted with your chosen body color will suffice as an acceptable substitute...

I've known the Stacy David car was in the works for a while, but I'm still not sure how much will be newly tooled. I hope they get it right,I don't really care for the 1:1, but that kit would have serious donor potential if they do up all the stuff it would take to make it correct. Revell has been aggressive with new tooling since Hobbico took over, I like the direction they've been heading in, I hope they get this one right.

The 50 Olds and 57 Ford are new-tool and they're for real. The 57 Ford is close to being ready from what I've been told, there's a slim chance it could make it out before the end of the year. I'm 99.9% sure the Grand Sport is AccMin's. I'm not sure what the 62 Vette will be based on, everybody's out at iHobby right now, so this is hot off the presses stuff... I've got a call in to our contingent a the show, hope to have more info soon.

Flip-flop paint on a flopper? That's pretty cool.

Did you find the source of the leak? I had a similar leak on my Buick. GM used a plastic fitting to connect the heater hoses to the water pump. That fitting cracked right where it went into the water pump, the replacement part was steel (made in China, of course, but it felt like something off a tank) fixed it right up for about $5. I thought the same thing when mine went, that it was the water pump.