Harry P.

Yeah, I understand all of that. I'm familiar with the process of designing and manufacturing. I get it. But that doesn't explain stupid boneheaded mistakes like "magic floating alternators" or backwards gas tanks and the like. Cutting the tooling with the gas tank backwards costs the same as cutting the tooling with the gas tank in the correct orientation. It's not about time and/or money, it's about people either not paying attention to their job, or the "who cares, it's good enough" attitude.

Ditto. Nobody is demanding a "perfect" model. Let's stay on topic.

The kits are manufactured in China, not designed and engineered there. Or am I wrong?

Very nice! But I don't think the running boards were painted body color.

I'm not an industry insider, so just a guess on my part... but I'd say a combination of trying to keep manufacturing costs as low as possible in these days of far fewer kit sales (fewer parts equals simpler tooling that costs less to make) coupled with the "good enough" mentality that is so pervasive in the business. It was so nice to see Moebius asking for consumer input and listening to consumer input and actually revising a new model based on that input before putting the kit on the shelves.

Agreed. But what does that have to do with the topic at hand?

I'm not upset. I'm not distraught. Or scarred for life, or traumatized, or anything. And yes, Andy, I still enjoy life. And yes, Tom, it is "just a hobby," and I guarantee you that I won't be losing sleep over this issue tonight. Or ever. I just made a simple observation regarding the stupid mistakes that get past the "professionals" who manufacture these things. I didn't expect all the unsolicited psychoanalysis.

Easy, big guy...

So why did you buy it in the first place? Just to resell it? Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm just wondering...

Yeah, Team USA didn't exactly bring home the gold. Or the silver. Or the bronze. Did they at least get a participation ribbon?

So... what are you going to do with it? Just leave it as is? Or tear it down and rebuild it?

Not so. Basic accuracy and getting details right doesn't rely on technology, it relies on people making correct decisions. Yes, in the past there were inaccurate model kits. But back then the target market was 12 year olds. There wasn't a whole lot of call for accuracy from the customer base. As long as there was a lot of chrome in the box, mag wheels and slicks, and cool decals, things were ok. But at the same time that Palmer was creating junk, Monogram was releasing models of the classics that were light years better, and still hold up well today in terms of accuracy and attention to detail. Same with the JoHan "Gold Cup" series. Tthose kits were designed and engineered without today's technology. And when you factor in all the new technology the manufacturers do have today, I find it ridiculous to see so many basic, dumb mistakes in newly tooled kits. Again, I am not talking about slight body angles or hairsplitting minutiae... I'm talking about "magic floating alternators" and things like that. Basic, obvious mistakes that someone in the process should have caught.

You mean the "MAGIC floating alternator"... held in midair by unseen forces, yet still able to put tension on the belt!

Back in the days when a car's trunk was literally a trunk!

It's not a Pocher or any other big bucks kit. It's an old kit of as brass-era car made by a company that doesn't even exist anymore... it's not a kit most of the members here would have any interest in or ever even come across. It was tooled in the '70s. But the problems with the kit, like I said, have nothing to do with technical limitations... they have to do with brain freeze and a "good enough" attitude by the manufacturer. For example: just one of many things... the body is made of several separate panels–sides, front and rear panel, and a couple of interior bulkheads. Each panel is basically flat, with some fine raised detail (moldings and very delicate "pinstripes" engraved on them). And each panel has two ejector pin marks on the front of the panel. Because of where they fall, removing them means destroying the molded-in raised details on the body. And that means–if I want the body to look right–removing the pin marks, sanding the panels flat (because parts of the raised detail will be destroyed when I fix the pin marks), and then going back and trying to recreate the moldings with styrene strips. A lot of extra work. I see no reason why the body panels couldn't have been "flipped" on the tree, so that the ejector pins left their marks on the backs of the body panels instead of the front. Does this mean my world is crashing down around me? No. Does it mean I don't "enjoy life?" No, Andy... life is fine. It just means I enjoy my hobby a little less. If that's ok.

Like I said, it's not any one kit. It's many kits from many manufacturers. I don't want to call out any one specific kit or manufacturer. It's an across-the-board, industry-wide problem. Yes, one particular kit I'm working on now is what set me off... but the problem is widespread and definitely not limited to that one specific kit/manufacturer.

Come on, you guys. Let's keep the conversation at a level above 12 years olds, huh? The reason I didn't mention the specific kit is that there are many kits by many manufacturers that have the same problems. It's not any one specific kit or any one specific manufacturer. It's a pervasive "good enough" attitude that seems to be common across the board when it comes to model car kits. Not always. But often enough that it bugs me. You don't see this "good enough" attitude nearly as much with military models. I know that for years, "good enough" was good enough with model cars, because the majority of kit builders were kids who didn't know any better, or more likely, couldn't care less. But the hobby has shifted to a consumer base comprised mostly of adults now. That "good enough" mentality, however, seems to linger on. And to the guys who insist it's all irrelevant and we're just playing with plastic toys... hey, if that's your take on it, fine. Everyone puts their own level of importance on things. For the "plastic toy" guys, plastic toys it is. I realize that an inaccurate model kit isn't at the same level of importance in your life as other things. But my point is, if the real car has a square widget, and the model is supposed to represent the real car in scale, it's just as easy to tool up a square widget as it is a round one. No extra cost or effort required to get the basics more or less correct. Not perfect. Nobody expects perfection. Perfection is impossible. But I do expect that people who are paid to design and engineer model kits to get the basics correct. Again, I'm not talking about whether the slope of the fender is a quarter of a millimeter off... I'm not talking about a seat that has maybe an incorrect upholstery pattern engraved into it... I'm talking about obvious, basic, very visible mistakes that are caused by carelessness. A kit with an automatic trans and a clutch pedal. A kit with an engine that the real car never came with. A kit with no battery. Stuff like that. I didn't mean to cause a problem... I guess I just wanted to vent. I pay real money for the kits I buy, not Monopoly money or beads. I expect the product to be reasonably accurate. I can accept minor things. I understand flash and ejector pin marks and mold seams. I don't accept obvious mistakes due to carelessness or a "good enough" attitude. I don't like to have to re-engineer most of a kit and correct the mistakes made by people who were paid to create the kit. Like I said... it's just as easy to tool up a round widget as it is a square one. So why not just do it right??? I'm not expecting an answer, because none of us really know the answer. Or if there even is an answer.

That's not what I mean. I'm not talking about issues connected to the physical process of injection molding, like sink marks and mold seams. I'm talking about decisions made by the people who tool up the kits. For example... if the real car has a square widget, why is the widget on the model kit round? That sort of mistake. Mistakes made in design/production, not things inherent in the manufacturing process.

Too late. I've already started reworking things. That's why I started to wonder why it is that I am now doing the work that the kit designers were paid to do... but didn't.

I just started building a new kit today, and as I always do, before I start building I gather up all sorts of reference photos so that my model's details will be accurate. The kit I'm working on, I discovered from the reference photos I found, has all sorts of mistakes... not anything due to any limitations of the injection-molding process, nothing to do with any technical issues or engineering constraints... just plain old, flat out mistakes. Things that could have been accurate if only the kit designers had done even the slightest bit of homework before tooling up the kit. So now I'm spending time re-engineering the kit and fixing all of the obvious mistakes the kit designers made. My question is this: Why are there so many obvious mistakes? Again, nothing to do with the limitations or requirements of injection molding, just stupid, basic, obvious mistakes. I am not a model kit designer, yet I found these mistakes easily. Why did the people who designed the kit let so many mistakes make it through to production? I know, "there will never be a perfect kit," blah blah blah... but I'm not talking about splitting hairs here. The amount of basic, obvious and completely avoidable mistakes in this kit makes me wonder...

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/02/21/oldest-known-batmobile-restored-and-ready-to-roll/?intcmp=features

Yeah, but think about it. If any country should win the gold in hockey, shouldn't it be Canada? It's their national sport. And besides, it's not like it was a blowout or anything, Wasn't the final score 1-0?

Ok, that's also a good one.

Not dumping on them. I actually have one of their albums. I kind of like them. Ok... one or two of their songs. "Must Have Got Lost" is good. "Give It to Me" is ok. But then they do goofy stuff like "Centerfold" and I have to wonder. Just my opinion, of course.