Erik Smith

Hei Osku I love the sleeper look - especially when it's all dark and mean looking. Good looking paint job and great details in the engine bay.

Yes, but I don't have to pay or take time to advertise on eBay. I don't know the exact numbers and online research is a little...spotty...but eBay probably has, what, 100 million users? Obviously with targeted marketing you could still reach a portion of your intended audience on your own, but you would not be selling in a marketplace with near that number of WILLING customers - and it would cost you to advertise. You could add up the "fees" of running your own website, credit card transaction costs, advertising, etc and compare to the fees that eBay and Paypal charge (which is about 10-13%, correct?) and see if that offsets selling to a smaller market - and smaller markets generally sell items for a lower price (and I realize there are a hundred anecdotal stories available to the contrary, but I am talking big picture). I don't love eBay and I don't work for them or own stock in them - and I have had good and bad transactions - but looking at the numbers, I don't think anything else compares - I am open to different thoughts on this though.

eBay. Yes, there are fees, but try setting up and running your own website and see how many kits you sell.

It's Rat ROASTER, not rod, so it's not a throw together "rat" (or high end build made to look ratty). As far as interest, it looks to have wheels and some equipment we haven't seen often in kit form and should be a welcome kit for building and bashing.

Nice looking Galaxie! Crisp, clean build.

If you can afford, or even think of purchasing, a car for $600,000 dollars, you are not on a model car forum. To you, money is not a factor I. Your purchasing decisions. I know a person that could afford this car. He owns two Bentleys just because, well, he can. Of he decided he wanted this car, he would buy it. I cannot comprehend spending this amount of money on a car and I don't think many on this forum can either. There is a huge gap between people on this world that can buy this, an those that can't fathom it. A HUGE gap. Now, the car is a hand built custom with very capable performance. I bet it would be a great 240 pound women to take I bed.

Looks like some pretty promising stuff going on with this build. I like the stance and portions of the paint not affected by your glue mishap look good. While this Revell kit is a great kit, it does pose a couple not-so-easy assembly issues. I have had trouble with the front grill, the chrome trim piece on the hood, and interior tub/chassis fit, so it's not an easy build for a first model. I like the routing of the exhaust under the rear bumper, but you omitted the other side's exhaust system - you could run a single tailpipe but you have a dual exhaust set up with one side an open header and the other side routed through a muffler and tailpipe. I like the light weathering on the chassis too. Thanks for posting and keep building - you can only get better.

Really beautiful build. One of my favorite cars. I love the lines of the original and you did justice with your modifications. I have a few 2000gt kits in my stash and plan to build a stock version and one with modifications to the few parts of the car I don't care for - the front end and the skinny tires. This is a great build and it's nice to see, and look, at something different and built well.

Classy ride man. Great looking build.

That is a good looking car. Over 1000hp too, not bad. Yes, $980,000 is ludicrous, but to me, so is a $60,000 truck that drives to the grocery store to buy milk. The electric technology will be there - and there will not be a collapse of the system. It's too easy to short the human capacity for innovation and scream the sky is falling, when in fact, we have managed extremely well as species.

I love mine too. It doesn't return the affection though. I find myself airbrushing most, if not all, of my parts now. I just like the clean look of airbrushed paint and LOVE the metal finishes you just can't get with brush painting.

I only use about a 3 inch by 3 inch spot on my 12 by 8 mat. The rest is covered with parts and tools.

There are cars designed for people who don't care of you can tell what kind of car it is. Think Camry or Accord. People buy them because they are comfortable, reliable and fit their needs. It has been the same since cars were invented - or even horse saddles, or wagons.... Other cars are designed for people who value the visual appearance of their car. Those are the cars that we remember - the iconic cars - and every era has them. I can find examples of cars from all era that I like, I love, and I loath. I, for instance, really dislike 1966 Ford Fairlanes and 1967 Chevelles - two cars that a lot of people rave about. I also like the new Fiat and the Hyundai Elantra - retro and new design, but to my eye, attractive, none the less. If you want to find cars you like, don't look at the ones you don't like, because that's what you'll see.

Yes. I believe you can see the parts in the pic above - the sprue with the frame - the bed is the part below it...I'll see if I can get a shot posted

Dekotora It would be cool to build a model of a lighted Dekotora truck! What is also interesting to me is how many of the Japanese molds get used by a few different companies: Perhaps a subject for a different thread all together. I know I have a few kits with the same spread of company labels. I like that 1/20 Entex Celica 1600GT too...

Christian - thanks for that spread - is that from Model Cars, the Japanese magazine? I like the TN360. I have seen a couple of those kits filter through eBay (USA), but not many. Some of the 1/20 scale kits are great kits, in addition to being collectible - opening panels and full engine detail. I have to get by on the more common ones and ones apparently nobody else wants... eBay, $11 Now, back to look through those pages of 1/20 scale kits...

If I had any of those Honda kits, I would love to build them. Unfortunately, those are hard to come by and exist only in my dreams, and obviously, in Japan.

ThIs thread has taken a few turns! Think of this: If all the kit manufacturers went out of business today, how many generations would still have models to build just using all the kits in our stashes that we will probably never build anyway?

I wonder if that machine made the model of itself. That is cool.

A few more Hondas:

Spending some time looking at Japanese auctions sites yielded these kits (for Honda fans, like myself): This kit is listed at 70,000 yen - do the conversion for fun! With Airbrush? I've seen and have some of the Entex larger scale Civics, haven't seen this one in 1/24 (I think this was 45,000 yen) No airbrush? Another one I have seen in 1/32, not in 1/24:

I wonder of that's the same mold as this Gunze kit (I am viewing this on a phone screen so I can't get a real good look at the Datsun body above) : This one had some sports equipment included. Different decals:

Nice color and build. My grandpa had a 1960 Cadillac though.

I have tried as well to navigate the Japanese auction sites and trying to work through a proxy type bidding system but with very little success - mainly because searching is too difficult for a one language person - English language. It doesn't seem the Japanese have as much interest selling to the global market as US eBay. I am planning on a trip to Japan sometime in the next two years, so that may help!

That's a pretty cool model. It looks like the resin hood has a little warpage - the "Special Release" 1964 Fairlane has that hood as well. Great job on the conversion to four doors.