Darin Bastedo

This is true, I have several of those kits, but I wanted one in 1/25. I do have a MPC 1/16 Cobra that I'm working on that I'm correcting the body. That kit has no oil cooler scoop, which would be correct for a handful of later 427 Street Cobras, (somewhere in the 3300 serial numbers) so I'm working on adding the scoop.

The original plans for the 427 Street Cobra was to build them with wire wheels, but there was a shortage by the supplier. Thus they went with the sunburst wheel. No 427 Cobra ever left the factory with wires.

This is the one that started it all. Nearly 3 years of research went into this build so far. Back in 1989 Monogram released their 427 Street Cobra kit and while they got a lot of things right, they also got a lot wrong. For reasons I couldn't quite fathom they included wire wheels on the car when there wasn't a single 427 Cobra so equipped from the factory. But I did get the street bumpers, correct dashboard, and flat hood that I needed, and they even included an Up Top that wasn't in the 427 S/C kit. One thing that caught my eye, was the decal sheet. Like all of the early 427 Cobra kits monogram did, it had two license plates in it one that says "COBRA" and one that says "CSX 3181" So Idecided that I wanted to do a build of that actual car. Ironicly you can build either the 427 S/C kit, or the 427 Street kit, and still build an accurate model of CSX3181. CSX3181 Today; Here is how CSX3181 looked when it was new The photos of the white car is a car that was equipped just like CSX3181 except that it has the round taillamps where CSX3181 had the early style rectangular lights, The car was wrecked by it's original owner shortly after it was new so few actual photos exist from that time. When the car was repaired, it was upgraded to 427 S/C specs. But seeing how I wanted to build a street Cobra i decided to do the model the way it looked originally. Through talking with several guys over at the SAAC and looking through several referance books, I was able to determine these facts about the car when it left the factory... 1. It was equipped with the 390hp 427 with 2x4bbl carbs. 2. It was equipped with the halibrand "sunburst" wheels 3. It was built with the wide S/C fenders as opposed to the narrow ones on CSX3125 - CSX3158 4. It was equipped with the oil cooler scoop under the grill 5. it was white with a black interior this of course created a problem; There was no Halibrand Sunburst Wheel in 1/25 scale. this put the project on hold for quite a while when I tried to figure out how to scratchbuild one. After a few failed attemts I figured out how to build the wheel up in layers. using the computer I created drawings for what would make up each layer of detail. in total there are 23 individual pieces in the original. Don at Reliable Resin Cast copies for me to use in my builds. Here is the in progress shot of the master So there you have it, 3 years of research, 20 hours of Drawing on the computer, 65 hours of scratch building, and I have... A wheel!...Ok actually I have four of them, but now I can build the Cobra I always wanted to. I'm currently cleaning up the body, and filling in the sidepipe holes. Next up is making the inner fenders the monogram kit lacks.

Ok this is going to sound really anal retentive, but the very first thing I do is research. Too often the kit is inaccurate, or if the kit is ok, the box art model is detailed incorrectly. A case in point is the AMT new tool 57 Chevy. In just about every version of that kit, the air cleaner was put on backwards. If I went by the box art I would have made that mistake too. But when it comes to the first step of the build, the first thing I do is a dry build of the major assemblies (assembling everything with out glue) This helps me make adjustments for fit, before it's painted. Once I know everything fits, I make any needed modifications to the stance. I feel that whether you are doing a custom, a drag car or factory stock, getting the car to sit on it's wheels the way the 1:1 car does is most important to making the car look real. Once I get it sitting right, I tear it down and start building it. usually the next step, and the one I usually spend most time on is prepping the body. If stance is the most important thing, the bodywork & paint are a very close second.

Not to dwell on this too much seeing How ICM Models has nothing to do with the topic at hand, But I don't see why you are having trouble finding ICM models in stock anywhere. Tower Hobbies has their full line in stock ready to ship. There are literally dozens of mail order companies showing them in stock. Just last week I got six 1/72 scale ICM kits. As for AMT, you can be a gloom and doom if you want to, I don't care, but thier tools haven't been in mexico for over a decade. I'd point out everything else you gotten wrong in this thread, but I wouldn't want people to think that I'm "attempting to purport that I know something more than someone else - or implying superior knowledge" You know, I think you are a talented model builder, I especially liked your builds of the 427 Cobra, and the Porsche 911 GT2, and heck I think if it wasn't for your habit of personal attacks and talking out of your posterior, we might even get along. You and I seem to have the same taste in models, and I like the way you build. That said If you're really jonesing for some ICM kits, PM me and I'll send you a link where you can buy them.

That's what I'm saying, The Press release makes it very clear what they intend to do, and it is very good news indeed. Comparing Auto World/Retro Hobby's efforts here to Johan, accurate miniatures, and ICM (huh?) is apples and oranges. The vast majority of AMT tooling is in great shape and ready to run, they have a number of kits that could be released that would be a big hit; 1953 Ford Pick-up, 1971 Duster, 1970 Baldwin Motion Camaro, and 1957 Chevy, just to name a few. These guys are (from what I understand) well funded, knowledgable about the product, and very experienced in the industry. While nothing is ever 100% certain, I see no reason to believe they won't be successful.

Cal, Don't sniff glue.

The people running ICM models would be shocked to hear that they are defunct, and their tooling is long lost. They are still in business, and have new releases coming in 2008.

Cal, When you quote me word for word and call it ignorant, that is addressing me. As for what I contribute to the board and the hobby, that is where I'll let my record stand for itself, and let my peers judge me. You on the other hand show your true colors in the above post,from which I deleted the expletives out of respect for the board rules. As far as your accusations against Tom at Hobby Heaven goes, I think you will that most people take those with a grain of salt. Tom has an unblemished reputation in the hobby. Cheers, Darin

Cal, Let get a few things straight here; 1. If you don't care don't post. you seem to like to peek your head into posts and start stirring the pot. this is the same thing that got you banned from the Hobby Heaven / Spotlight Hobbies board. If you don't have something constructive to say, or actual information to offer, please show some restraint. 2. Dave asked a question, I answered it. that is what we do on a message board. I explained what was said in the OP the most simple way possible. He chose not to believe my explaination, and that is ok. 3. There are people who DO know more than others on certain topics. Sharing that knowledge woth others is not an "attempt to purport that someone knows something more than someone else - or implied superior knowledge" It sharing information. again It's the main reason we come here. 4. Yes the Deal Auto World struck with RC2 is more complex than "simply renting the company." But there was no need to make the explaination that complex. I chose those words because Renting instead of buying is an analogy that most americans are familiar with. Regardless of what semantics you want to toss around the OP spells it out just fine. They didn't buy AMT, it is still owned by RC2, For a fee RC2 is allowing Auto World to Use the tools, and Trademarks of AMT/MPC/Polar Lights, to Market model kits. In legal tems it's called a licenceing agreement, in effect it's renting the tools and trademarks. Seeing how that is all that is left of what we used to call AMT, that is "Renting the company" 5. I've always noticed that the truly ignorant resort to name calling when they lack the knowledge of the topic at hand. Cheers, Darin

It's not an interpretation, it's what the press release says in plain english. It spells it out clearly. But I'm not going to continuously argue this with you. If I'm wrong in my reading of the press release I'm sure someone connected with Auto World will correct me.

Where I get that Idea is; "South Bend, IN – Auto World (a division of Round 2, LLC) has signed a licensing agreement with RC2/Learning Curve Brands, Inc. of Oak Brook, Illinois. The contract will allow Auto World to produce and market plastic model kits under the well-known brands of AMT, MPC and Polar Lights. Also included are the rights to manufacture 1:18 and 1:24 scale die-cast replicas using the trademarks of American Muscle and Ertl Collectibles. In addition, Auto World will now be handling production of Custom and Premium promotional die-cast vehicles for RC2’s current C&P customer base, with sales continuing through established representatives." That is what this paragraph means. When it says that they are licensed to market kits using the AMT/MPC/Polar Lights it means that they are essentially "renting the brand name and the tools. Not only that, if they create a new tool they can market it under those trademarks also. What The Model King is doing, is ordering a special run of models from AMT, MPC and Polar Lights. He is a reseller, similar to being a distributer. The biggest difference is he has no control over the company. He could request a private run of a particular kit, and be turned down. Where as Autoworld in control of all of the tooling, and legally while the agreement is in effect is AMT, MPC and Polar Lights. they are the company. Despite what people think, the press release is very specific about what the company is doing, you just have to understand the legal terms in it. Essentially RC2 still owns the tooling, and the trademarked names, but for a fee is letting Auto World use them. Thus they are, in simpler terms "renting the company"

The point of my response to you, is you don't "start griping" at all. In the case of you kid's bus breaking down, you wouldn't start "griping" at the new head guy, but you might politely mention the situation. Your analogy points out perfectly what I was getting at; The new bus supervisor takes over for the old one (who was probably fired because he didn't make sure the busses were well maintained) he starts his job with the same mechanics, the same busses and the same tools. You call him up and mention that there was a particular problem with the bus you kid rides. He thanks you for letting him know and sets his mechanics to the task of finding the problem. But if you call him up, saying " Ihope you aren't as much of an idiot as the previous guy" he may just write you off as a malcontent. Same thing with AMT. Tom & John are the new head guys at AMT. I assure you they are quite aware of the problems that existed under RC2's control. It's not like they transfered in from Mars. Sure they have the same Tooling that RC2 had, But they are moving production to their own facility where they have more control over quality. If you have a particular concern that you think they might not know about, politely bring it to their attention, but "griping" just makes you seem like a malcontent. There are issues I have with the AMT kits that RC2 released, but giving Retro Hobbies past products particularly the trikes, I'm confident there will be a drastic improvement at AMT with them in charge. I can sum up my point in the immortal words of Patrick Swayse from the movie "Roadhouse" Be nice.

The main difference between What Dave Burkett (Model King) is doing, and what Tom & John are doing is; The model king orders a certain number of kits from existing tooling, and when he pays and the Models are delivered the deal is done. He essentially is a licenced reseller. What Tom and John are doing is essentially Renting the company instead of buying. The reason that RC2 had trouble selling AMT/ERTL is they wanted $xxx.xxx,xxx upfront cash on the barrel head. Unfortunately nobody who has that kind of cas sitting around was willing to take the risk. By "renting" the companie, RC2 technically owns it, but it Gives Retro Hobby/Auto World full power to run it as they see fit, just as if they owned it, but it requires less cash up front. This will allow them to recoupe their investment faster. Who knows down the line they may be able to make enough profit to buy it outright. For all intents and purposes, there is only a lgal difference between what they are doing, and buying the company outright. They are now incharge of product developent, production, advertising, distribution etc. RC2 just hold the paper. Hopefully I explained this well.

Ron, to answer your question "why don't manufacturers get involved in the forums?" you post is a clear example of why. You are asking the new management of AMT how their going to avoid the problems you had with the old management. The answer is simple...They aren't the old management. Most of the issues you have a problem with stemmed from the fact that when RC2 aquired AMT & Polar Lights they gutted the engineering depts and out sourced the development of new tooled to people who had no feel fotr the subject matter. The Auto World/Retro Hobbies guys are Model guys. The questions you ask are like asking the new owner of a car that hit your dog while driven by the previous owner, what he's going to do to keep the car from hitting dogs. The main reason they took over AMT is because they believe that they can do it better than before, if they didn't they wouldn't have bothered. The Problems you mention are the reasons RC2 couldn't make a go of it. It's the negativity that is prevalent on many of the forums that keeps the manufacturers from posting. A while Back I posted a sneak preview of A master I was working on for Reliable Resin. Almost immediately, a few people who had never seen the maste in person started ripping into it, even though it wasn't even finished. That lead to my decision to never again post sneak peeks of the our products. Imagine if AMT posted ahead of time what they planned to produce, not only would it tip off their competition, but every nut case would come out of the woodwork with suggestions. A good case in point is when Revell annouced their intentions to release a 1957 Chevy Black Widow. The nutcases came out and said it was a waste of tooling dollars because there are already 57 Chevy models, and thay wanted a model of 1973 Grand am or something equally obscure. But what Revell knew, that the nut cases didn't was, That there has never been a model of a 1957 chevy, in any scale by any manufacturer that didn't make money, and this was a variation that has never been kitted. During the 80's and 90's AMT listened carefully to the modelers. They took us at our word that we would buy tons of 58 edsels and gave us a really nice state of the art kit, and it flopped. Revell gave us a wonderful 1969 Dodge Dart GTS, and it flopped. there have been many more, but my point is one of the worst thing they could do is listen to us when it comes to product planning. I told someone at Revell a while back that they should run their future product plans past me, and if I respond with, "Oh wow that will be really cool!" they should run, not walk away from it. Almost every new kit that I thought was cool, turned out to be a financial failure. That fact of the matter is their most enthusiastic customers are also the most jaded. We don't want a new kit of a 57 Chevy because we have a shelf in the basement with two of every 57 chevy kit ever made. The market they need to listen to is the mass market. Let's face it, 32 fords, 57 chevies, Camaros, Corvettes, Mustangs, and muscle cars sell, and sell well. Compare these two lists and see what makes better sense; Cars I would like AMT to produce; 1. Mid 80's dodge diplomat police car. 2. 1967 Ford Country Sedan Wagon 3. a Divco Milk truck 4. 1969 - 1974 Ford Econoline van 5. early 60's studebaker lark Each of these I would buy a case of, but who else would? Cars I think the should make that would actually sell; 1. A New Tool of a 1969-70 Mustang convertible 2. A new tool of the 1962 Corvette 3. A 1935-36 chevy street rod. An untapped maket, but with the popularity of hot rods I think this would be a winner. 4. A new kit of the 1965 GTO (the old one still sells even though it has been through the ringer.) 5. a new 1968-69 Chevelle kit 6. An accurate 1970 AAR 'Cuda 7. A generic Front engine dragster with many options Now admittedly I would only buy maybe one or two of these, but that is made up for by the shear number of people who will do the same. Who can doubt that any onf these would be hot sellers? I fully inderstand that you are concerned about how the New AMT will be run, but perhaps If you phrased your concerns in the form of a suggestion rather than criticism it would have been recieved better. They had no control over how RC2 ran things, but now they are in charge and are starting with a clean sheet of paper. I have high hopes for the new AMT, and have even offered them the use of my vast collection of referance photos in hopes that the will be successful. I'm not kissing their butts, my offer was partially selfish; like you I want better model kits, and anything I can do to help them achieve that I'm willing to do.

Dude, I was just busting your chops. Little sensitive today? Geeez! But have you noticed that so far nobody has chimed in sharing your low opinion of Tom Carter? I was just saying that he has a long track record of honorable business practices, and thus far I've yet to hear anyone speak ill of him but you. Many people here count him as a friend, myself included. We all can see your intentions here.

You're right it's crystal clear. You're making good progress. Admitting you have a problem is always the first step

Do you have a point here Cal? Most business loans and/or lines of credit require immediate payment of the loans at the termination of business. When the resturant chain I worked for years ago (Tomato Rumba's Chose to close up shop, they were required to aution off the property and equipment to satisfy their financial commitments. This is a standard practice. Tom Chose to close Hobby Heaven on his own terms and like any reputable business would he sold off the remains of the business to settle his affairs. I realise you have a grudge with him, but why don't you give it a rest. I have been a Customer of Tom & Hobby Heaven for over 20 years, and not once have I had any reason to complain. If you had some valid point to make here let's hear it.

Sorry Harry, It looks like your busted on this one, but it's still Monday, feel like posting up #29?

I too may have come off a little gruff, for that I also apologize, and accept your hand shake. I see no reason why we can't put this all behind us. This post alone has improved my opinion of you. here's hoping that one day we can meet in person, talk models and perhaps have a few laughs.

Ok I'm using it, I've listed some stuff over there. let's see what happens.

While I agree with the sentiment of you post, I should point out you are a little confused... The Ford Taurus SHO engine was designed and built by Yamaha The Corvette ZR-1 (1990-95 vintage) engines were designed by lotus (who at the time were owned by GM) and built by Mercury Marine (yeah the boat engine people) But that doesn't change the fact that you are right that domestic cars stopped being domestic long ago.

then you would probably hate this; A Model T track roadster with a 300hp 8,000 RPM Engine out of a Honda S2000. An engine doesn't care what it says on the valve covers. Fast is fast.

Funny you should mention it I've already done a set for this very car. Email me Here and i'll send you the file.

With out trepidation, I say model.