Dave Metzner

Regarding release date.... We are waiting for revised Body test shots now.. Hope to se them by middle of next month. If they get that right then we can start production>

We are reviewing 3D files- Tooling could start in the next week - 10 days. Dave

Never would have thought to look at Tamiya Military colors for a car.. Great looking model!

There is a very good reason why we went with the big block.

Big block wedge

Have 54 Hudson second test shots - sent comments to factory early this week - still need revisions to bodies - hope to have 3rd test shot bodies pretty quickly... Need to get busy and whack a couple cars together from the 2nd test shots for box art and instruction sheet Photos.. Maybe I can get that going next week along with the Smooth side trailer test shot! Hope to have these ready for production befor the end of August!

I have 65 Plymouth tooling mock-ups here now - they'll go back to the factory on Monday.. Tooling ought to start in the next week or two!

Old trucks could be interesting - they present their own set of problems - Modern trucks can be developend from CAD files - that is not too dificult. Old trucks will have to be done from photography . Just finding a truck to photograph and measure then getting all the photos needed can be a probelm - then we have to translate 2 dimensional photos into a 3 dimensional model. A Big truck from photos - that could be a nightmare! It's tough enough to photograph and measure a car that's about 4 ft tall, a big truck that's 10-12 ft tall really makes it tough to do! We've discussed some classic older class 8 trucks we'd like to try to do but it still comes down to licensing - then we have the issues of how to get good information to develop a kit from. We've looked at some of the old COE trucks that are around, many of those are hot rods - those are neat and might be fun subjects. Trying to do one factory stock would be a challenge, just finding an authentic truck to photgraph and measure could be tough..( you have to keep in mind that our entire staff consists of about 4 full time people, so we need to find a subject to photograph that is close to northern Indiana or close to Florida so one of us can drive to the location of the subject)

Waiting for third test shot now - as I said previously that will take a while since I only got some 3Ds for some revised parts this past week. Wish I could give a date. Believe me you can't imagine how much I wish I could give a date!

Since it seems that there is interest in new Moebius tractor kits - seems there is lots of interest in KW , Peterbilt or Freightliner. I think it's a good idea for me to speak up here. As of today, Moebius only has a license for class 8 trucks with Navistar. Would we like to do other big rigs? the answer is a qualified yes - the problem is that these are monsterous projects and require very large investments of time and capitol. We are a very small company and we have 5 major car/truck projects plus the new 53 ft trailer in the works now along with numerous other projects, not related to cars/trucks. Will we branch out to other Big truck brands? I hope that we can, but we need to get current projects, under development, on store shelves first. Once that's done, we need to determine a subject that we can do profitably, make licensing arrangements and proceed to development.. Please keep in mind that development for one of these big trucks can take18 months to two years, after licensing has been signed and a subject determined. The 53 ft smooth side trailer is in test shots now and seems to be on schedule for release this fall. I have one sitting next to my work bench now waiting for paint. Bottom line for new tractors is we'll have to wait and see what can be done - I wouldn't expect anything by way of a Kw, Peterbilt etc. very soon. New trailers you say!? That may be easier to do than a new tractor - we've been looking at several possibilities. I'd say another modern trailer could happen much sooner than an entirely different brand of tractor - simply because a trailer is much simpler than a tractor. Once again, we need to get some current projects on store shelves before we get too deep into another new item. Dave

I have a 1st test shot of the trailer on top of my tool box in the work room now - If I can get away from this computer for a while, I'll go throw some paint at it and try to build the cahssis for it.. then MAYBE, I can post some photos...

Sean's build up is a second test shot - not the finished product. We are currently waiting for a third test shot- As far as I can tell revisions have not been finished on tooling for that test shot, since I was sent electronic files of parts to be revised 2 days ago and asked to approve them. Dave

Sorry guys, I have too much to do and too little time right now, so I won't be following things here very closely for a while. I won't be ignoring you, just not following every post. I'll try to stop by from time to time, but won't be here every day.. BTW best date I can give for the Smooth side trailer is 4th quarter - it's being tooled now. Thanks for your support..

I have no way of knowing how parts of our kit will interchange with the AMT 61 Bonneville. I guess that's a "wait and see" proposition.. @ this date our kit is still in the tooling mock-up stage, hopping to start tooling in the next week or two..

If one has the engine, chassis and runnig gear then one has more than 50% of a kit - for us to do a 58 Ford we'd have to do 100% of the kit if the 57 chassis is same as 58 then Revell only needs to do a body and interior! We have a full plate right now - with the 5 projecte we've already announced, and we have several more that are under development. Thanks for the suggestions, keep in mind that we are small and that we can only do a limited number of projects at one time. Dave

Early test shots often are not right - they get slapped together without paint and basicaly get discarded - once we get the bugs out - I build and paint test shots for build-ups to be displayed - I have 8 or 9 here - Hate to say it, but Once they're not needed for display I like to keep them for myself - as they're the closest thing I get to building cars for me!

I don't want to discourage anyone from telling us what they'd like to see, Just want to let everyone know that we are a small company with limited resources. We'll do our best to listen to your suggestions, I just hope that everyone will understand that we can't begin to do everything that everyone wants. Also let me explain that one-off vehicles are not likely to happen, unless we could see huge demand, as the cost of tooling really makes it tough to get return on investment on one-offs. The ideal vehicle for us is something like step down Hudsons - they'd never been done, and they are mechanically identical from about 1949 - 1954, so it's reasonably economical for us to do 1952-1953 & 1954 versions without completely new tooling for each one I do want to thank everyone for the support that you're giving us and I hope that we can continue to provide fun and interesting kits. Dave

Let me finish some of the projecte we have in the works right now before I tell you about something new, you'll just have to be patient for a few months. Sorry, to be honest untill I finish a couple projects I simply don't have time to start another new one - and there's no point talking about something new before we have a good start on it. Right now I have a pile of Pick-up truck parts to sort out ,and I need to get a couple test shots whacked together to be sure that everything's been fixed from the first test shots. So that I can keep that project moving forward..AND a 65 Comet tooling model to review as well. Going to be really busy for the next several days, because I'm also expecting a box full of 54 Hudson test shots to show up on my doorstep any day now..

Hudson Pick-up would be neat - unfortunately that's a one-off vehicle One offs are not very good for return on investment. Studebaker Hawks also interesting orphans... Not sure that they'd be near the top of our list.. we do have a list - several projects to follow the Plymouth, I think that there are several interesting new kits to come in the next year or two..

For whatever it's worth, I just sent my list of comments on the tooling model of the Pontiac to our factory yesterday. Got the model packed and ready to send back on Monday - I don't think that any of the revisions to be done are really major.. Hopefully we can get tooling started in the next couple weeks - after revisions to the tooling model.. I have the revised tooling model for the 65 Comet sitting here as well as the first body for the 65 Plymouth - I hope to have revision notes for the Plymouth body done this evening. Then the mail man brought a box full of Ford Pick-up test shots this morning. So 65 Comet Mock-up review on Monday and probably Tuesday - then on to the Ford Pick-up test shots. Hope to be building Ford pick-up test shots by mid-week.. Like to think that I'll have notes on the Ford test shots to the factory by the 13th or 14th I should have 54 Hudson first test shots soon, as well.. Going to be really busy for the next couple weeks! Gotta go cut the box that the Mail Man brought open!

Patience, please, we already have a list that we'll be sticking with for the next few releases.. I hope we'll make some people happy.

Not likely to do Military vehicles - 1/24 - 1/25 are not really well established military vehicle scales - and there is just too much avaiilable to be done with civilian vehicles. Lots of cars to be done and plenty of civil truck subjects as well, I think that we'll leave the military vehicles for the guys who are well established - doing them in 1/35 scale.

I have the same problem - my build to buy ratio is out of sync. I've accepted the fact that I'll never live long enough to build everything in my stash, I resolved tobuy fewer kits and to sell off a big chunk of the herd three years ago - so far I've gotten the buy sell ratio to about 2 kits sold for one kit bought. At this rate It'll take about 100 years to achieve the reduction that I envisioned. Most of my stash is aircraft kits - I need to load a big pile up and get to an IPMS show and get a table to sell them off..Or better yet call one of the dealers I know and have him come haul about 1/3 of this stuff away! Truth be told I think that most of us struggle with "too many kits- not enough time"

Hi Charlie, Plan is for both stock and racing versions of the Hudsons

Ventura will have 8 lugs - Catalina - will have steel wheels and Dog Dish hubcaps