Harry P.

I assume you mean direct sunlight? As in sun shining directly on it vs. general interior daylight?

John... with all the extensive body work you did on this (and on other models of yours), do you ever see any evidence of the seams on the finished models after a while? Do you ever get any kind of shrinking or seam lines showing up after several months? Do you use 2-part putty? What about glue? How do you glue up all the various bits and pieces? How long do you let everything dry after finishing the body mods but before paint? I bet a lot of guys would love to know your secrets. I'd be afraid to do that much body work... with my luck things would start to show under the paint after a while.

But remember, 99% of them never post. We only have a few hundred regular posters, if that many. Hundreds and hundreds of people sign up as members and never do anything more. So the 10,000 number is very misleading. I know, that was off topic.

What does that car have to do with "American Graffiti?"

If a scale model is an accurate representation of the real thing, it will look like the real thing, only smaller. The ride height will look the same, the wheel diameter will look the same. If a model looks different from the car it represents, that means that there have been mistakes made in the model. A scale model is a scale model. There is no need to "finesse" the sizes or shapes. It's either an accurate copy of the real thing (only smaller) or it's not. If you took a real car and magically shrank it down until it was only 1/25 it's original size, it would still look exactly like the full-size one... without any need for reworking body contours or shapes, or changing wheel sizes or ride height. All dimensions would have been shrunk down to 1/25 their actual size, everything is 25 times smaller. That's the "ideal" scenario for a model. Of course, in engineering a plastic model kit, certain compromises have to be made... certain details on the full size car would almost disappear if they were scaled down 25 times so they are slightly exaggerated on the kit (like wipers, dash details, the thickness of upholstery seams or welting, etc). The thickness of the kit's body can't be correct in scale thickness, etc... but the dimensions, curves, angles and contours should be no different from the 1:1 other than the fact that everything is smaller. If the real car's wheels are 17" in diameter, the model's wheels (assuming 1/25 scale) should be .68" in diameter. Not "sort of" .68", not .75" because it "looks cool." If the space between the street and the sills is 8" on the real car, that space on the model should be .32". Not 1/4" becaue it "looks cooler" if the car sits lower. Like Bill said... make the model dimensionally accurate and leave any changes or alterations to the modeler.

Some people just don't want to hear that, Bill.

But that's your opinion (not that there's anything wrong with it). A model car should be an accurate miniature representation of the real thing. It should be accurate and look like the real thing, not like someone's opinion of how it should look.

That excuse doesn't cut it. First of all, there is always someone speaking a common language, without that it would be impossible to communicate at all! Secondly.. Everything is made in China these days, while the R&D is done here. You don't see I Pods with the covers installed upside down or toasters with the slots on the bottom.

I don't know what you guys are doing differently, but when I typed Trumpeter GT40 into the Search box I got this...

Trumpeter GT40.

Here's the thread, but you must have deleted or moved all the photos from where they were originally: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=34339&hl=%2Btrumpeter+%2Bford+%2Bgt (BTW... I found it by using the "Search" function).

Auto ID isn't going away.

And there is one of the greatest mysteries of the model car world.

The weather?

That is really well done! And such attention to detail... like the dirt around the door knob and the broken headlight. Little stuff like that takes it beyond the typical "diorama."

The bottom line is this: In order for the manufacturer's kits to meet the price point that they know model car buyers will accept, compromises have to be made. Whether that compromise is less time ($$$) spent on basic tooling issues like fidelity, accuracy, correct forms and contours, or fewer parts (like wipers, door handles and scripts and emblems molded as part of the body), or "one size fits all" generic tires that are not accurate for the kit they are included in, or "curbside" kits with no engines, or "magic floating alternators," or whatever the compromises are... compromises are being made to meet a price point above which most car modelers refuse to buy. And that built in "handicap" of having to make kits cheap ties the manufacturer's hands to an extent. It's something that isn't as much of an issue with military model kits, because most military modelers are willing to pay the price for better kits. Plain and simple. It's not that the manufacturers can't make better kits... of course they could. But then they couldn't sell them for $25-30, which seems to be roughly the limit as far as what the majority of buyers are willing to spend on any one kit. In other words, it's the buyers who are dictating the quality level of model car kits, not the manufacturers.

That's exactly what I've been saying! They know that car modelers won't pay for a $50-75 full-detail, PE-included, military-level car model, so they keep the cost down by making compromises... they do "just enough" because they know a $25 model car will sell, but a $75 model car will not. They know that model car buyers are not as demanding as military kit buyers, so model cars are not made to the same level as military kits. There's no reason for the model car manufacturers to do more than their customer base demands. And as long as mediocre kits continue to sell, mediocre kits is what we'll get.

Hard to say how much interest there is in military modeling among younger people. There will always be war, there will always be new military vehicles... so the actual subject matter will always be with us, but I think that younger people would rather play a military video game than build a military model kit. My guess would be that the number of up-and-coming military modelers isn't enough to replace the older builders as they die off... so a long, slow decline in military modeling would seem to be what will happen. I think that young or old, a person who is into military modeling would have to have some level of interest in history. But I don't think an interest in history per se is the driving force behind military modeling. I think the challenge of creating an exact, accurate replica of an existing subject is the "draw"... it takes a certain personality to enjoy modeling in that way vs. the way many car modelers approach it (more as an outlet for their "creativity" than the goal of an accurate replica). The mindset of military modelers is basically different than that of car modelers. Again, not in all cases. Obviously there are people who build cars and military stuff. But in general, they are two different hobbies at a very basic level.

This is only my theory... can't prove it, but seems to make sense: 1. The percentage of military modelers who are adults is higher than the percentage of car modelers who are adults. Adults have more disposable income than kids do. Highly detailed kits cost more to make, more to sell. Military modelers are more willing to pay the price for better kits. Car modelers, in general, look more at price as the deciding factor when buying a kit than they do accuracy or detail. 2. The whole point of military modeling is to create as accurate a replica of the original as possible. There are no "donk" tanks or "street rod" Jeeps or chopped tops or custom paint jobs or tuck 'n' roll interiors in military modeling. Therefore, the raw material (the kit) is expected to be highly accurate and detailed. 3. In car modeling, there is more of a "creative" mindset... think about how many modelers brag about how they "never follow instructions" or "never build a model out of the box." A large part of model car building is customizing... kitbashing... wild paint schemes, giant wheels, etc. There is less of an expectation for absolute accuracy as far as the kits go. Relatively few car modelers are "factory stock" type builders, the way almost all military modelers are.

No, they don't say "hey, let's make a so-so model of a XXXX." But the fact is, they know that "good enough" really is good enough for most of their customers... and so the level of refinement and accuracy and detail is generally lower than the typical military kit, whose buyers do demand accuracy and intricate detail. And are willing to pay for it! Sure, you can cite any number of specific "good" car kits over the years, but overall, the level of refinement in model cars as a whole isn't at the same standard as that for military/armor models, basically because it doesn't have to be... because the customer doesn't demand it. I'm not saying that the car kit manufacturers intentionally make so-so kits because they're some sort of evil cabal of Snidely Whiplash types who are looking to screw their customers. I'm saying they make so-so kits because they don't have to do any better... their customers are willing to settle for less. And they know it. It's not their fault. It's our fault! And to your point about so-so models that sell out of some sense of nostalgia... I get that. If you readily buy a bad kit because it let's you relive your youth or whatever, that's fine. Your money, your choice. But what I'm saying is that the manufacturers don't care why a particular kit sells so long as it sells. Period. Your personal reasons for buying a kit are irrelevant. The bottom line is, old re-releases continue to sell, for whatever reason... and as long as we keep buying them, we'll keep getting them. If a manufacturer can keep reissuing an old kit in a new box, they will do it forever. As long as it sells, and makes them $$$, they'll keep on reissuing and reissuing and reissuing...

There's your explanation right there why so many car kits are lousy. Because the customer doesn't care! And if the customer is willing to buy lousy kits, the manufacturers are all too happy to cut corners, save money, and supply them! The phrase "But we're modelers... we can fix those mistakes" is the way of thinking that the car kit manufacturers are banking on. Literally.

And to specifically answer the original question of why all model car kits aren't awesome... because they don't have to be! Model car builders are willing to accept mediocre kits in exchange for low price. In fact, to many car modelers, price is more important than accuracy. If you don't believe that, read through some of the comments in the "what's the most you've ever paid" thread. "I never spend more than $20 on a kit" seems to be a very common attitude among many car modelers. And the manufacturers know that! And they know that they can cut corners, and we'll accept it. Why bother with tooling up highly accurate, highly detailed kits when a reissued kit that was designed and engineered a half century ago still sells? And all the people who are quick to chime in with the old "But we're modelers... we can fix those mistakes" or "Just be glad we have a kit of XXXXX at all!" are actually making things worse. They are the people that are making sure the mediocre kits keep on coming! The more the model car manufacturers hear that, the less likely they are to get their act together and ramp up accuracy and quality. Why bother, when their customers are all too happy to accept mediocre kits? There is no technical reason why a car model can't be accurate and highly detailed. None. The reason that there are so many inaccurate kits is because we are willing to accept them! When it comes to car model accuracy and "awesomeness," we are our own worst enemy.

I know, I read the reviews. But the point is this: Most military kits are so detailed and accurate that they have to literally count rivets in order to find a "mistake." They find the tiniest little things (like the specific shape of the front of the wheel spats... ) and argue over the accuracy of the tiniest detail or insignificant issue... because that's all there is that's "wrong." With model cars (many of them), the mistakes are much more obvious. Bodies having the wrong proportions, incorrect components, missing components (you've seen the "magic floating alternator" and invisible radiator hoses many times), etc. In other words, it's a matter of degree. Military kits are generally done to a much higher standard than model car kits. Not true in every single case, but I'm talking in general.

The body looks a little "blocky" to me...