Dave Van Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 The full-detail Chrysler Turbine is definitely worth getting. There aren't many kits that even today have that level of detail. Opening doors,hood and trunk, full engine and suspension (with springs). Jo-Han really outdid themselves. It's not an easy kit, but it builds up nice. Don't forget the front seat fold forward to get into the back!!!! And there is a tire rack built into the trees!! Cool kit. The classic car kits are works of art too....
Snake45 Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 My favorite JoHans are the '68-'70 Javelins/AMXs, Olds 4-4-2s, and Plymouth GTX/Road Runners. The '66 Rambler Marlin and American are pretty cool, too. The bodies of these kits were as good as anything being made today. Chassis/engines/interiors, not quite so much.
ChrisBcritter Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Big fat pile of trivia coming: In a few cases they even outdid AMT - for example, the roof and quarter windows on the '62 Jo-Han Olds F-85 are more accurately shaped than on the AMT '62 Pontiac Tempest (both 1/1 cars used the same roof). Ditto the roof on the Jo-Han '61 F-85 wagon vs. the AMT '61/'62 Buick Special wagons. Jo-Han's most consistent problem was their inability to mold wheelcovers correctly; anything convex seems to have been impossible for them so most of the ones they made look strangely flat or concave. This is a tough thing to fix if you're building a stocker; if you have the following kits here's where you can find accurate substitutes: '62 Chrysler 300H - Revell '62 Chrysler Newport '62 or '63 Dodge - Revell '62 Dodge '64 Dodge - AMT '65 Dodge Coronet or AMT Display Case Trailer '64 Plymouth - Lindberg '64 Plymouth Belvedere (see below if you're building a Sport Fury) Speaking of the '64 Dodge and Plymouth, they were molded as promos in Polara and Fury trim respectively, and the promos have correct bench seat interiors. The kits kept the body trim but the interiors were upgraded to Polara 500 and Sport Fury style with buckets and aren't correct for the Polara and Fury exteriors. You can get the Plymouth promo interior from Modelhaus, but not the Dodge. To make an accurate Polara 500 you'll need different wheelcovers, probably scratchbuilt. For an accurate Sport Fury you'll need lettering for the quarter panels and "Sport" script for the trunk lid, and add tri-bar spinners to the Lindberg wheelcovers. Anyone want to chime in on engines? Edited July 1, 2015 by ChrisBcritter
1972coronet Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Anyone want to chime in on [Johan's] engines? I have three Johan kits in my stash : Two 1968 Fury I Police Pursuit ( 1 "U.S.A. Oldies" , 1 c.2000 reissue ) The 383 engine is decent (has the correct "ribbed" air cleaner !) . The only weak point is the transmission : it's a manual ! Surely a manual trans could be had with the 383 , but for police / pursuit models , it would be a "3-on-the-tree" manual . More often than not , it was the 225 Six and the 318 LA that had manuals ; the 383 typically (99% , let's say) had column-shift Torqueflites . 1962 Chrysler 300 Nice 413 eight barrel , backed by a decent Torqueflite . I had the Heavenly Hearse some 30 years ago . I'm not overly familiar with Cadillac engines of that era , but it looked nice . Pretty sure it was backed with a Hydra-Matic .
slusher Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Take a look at the 500K that's currently hot in "Under Glass". It's built about 98% box stock and you would have a hard time finding a better detailed kit today. Other then the rear spare tires what is the differance in the Johan 540k and Monogram 540k???
StevenGuthmiller Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 My advice is if you see ANY Johan stuff for a "reasonable" price (that's subjective from person to person), GRAB IT!! The Chryslers and other Mopar stuff especially can go for some crazy money as I've sold a few on eBay. What I have now I'm hanging on to probably forever, and will look to get more if I can find them! As far as accuracy, you can't get much better than the Johan bodies, but as someone mentioned, a few might be scaled a bit out of whack, but the body lines are IMO dead on accurate. No, we'll never see the likes of a 1961 Chrysler New Yorker kitted again (that's one of the BIG $$$$ ones!), that's the reason prices can only go up steadily over time, until those of us that remember these cars as kids and young adults are no longer walking the earth. Those born in the '00's on up won't have any idea what a 1965 Chrysler 300 was or even care. You can still do pretty well if your vigilant. I found this '61 New Yorker on ebay for about $70.00. Still not cheap, but when you consider the cost of a new kit at around $30.00........ Steve
b-body fan Posted July 2, 2015 Author Posted July 2, 2015 Oddly the turbine car is heralded here but relatively inexpensive on the bay.
Dave Van Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Oddly the turbine car is heralded here but relatively inexpensive on the bay. GREAT engineered kit.......but replica stock builders don't care.......again subject matter....
StevenGuthmiller Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Oddly the turbine car is heralded here but relatively inexpensive on the bay. They made a million of 'em. Steve
ChrisBcritter Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 You can still do pretty well if your vigilant. I found this '61 New Yorker on ebay for about $70.00. Still not cheap, but when you consider the cost of a new kit at around $30.00........ Steve And I got my '60 New Yorker (scruffy but savable, now becoming a mild custom Windsor) along with a '61 Continental convertible for a little over $30 thanks to a badly worded eBay listing. Now if I could only find a ruined '64 Dodge promo for its interior...
charlie8575 Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Personally, I love Jo-Han kits and promos, and when I can get one at a reasonable price, I buy it. I just picked up a '63 Olds Starfire Near MIB for Under $50 shipped. I need a steering wheel for it. Not a big deal. I like the subjects and yes, most of the bodies are really good. Interiors and chassis are typical for the period, which doesn't bother me. I'd love to see a lot of these come back; it will almost have to be all-new tooling, but if we can get some unique subjects with even higher fidelity, well, that makes me even happier. Perhaps someday, it can happen. Charlie Larkin
Art Anderson Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 It may already have been said, but JoHan was definitely the minor player in the age of dealer promotional model cars, and the 3in1 kits that spun off of them. While it's fairly easy, I think, to understand the low popularity of virtually anything AMC back in the 1960's among the kids whom many of us were--they just weren't cool. The same can also be said of those Cadillacs, even Oldsmobiles (yeah, even Cutlass 442's were truly "Your father's--or even your Grandfather's cars--seemingly so back 45-50 years ago. While many younger heads may be under scratching therapy, Dodges & Plymouths as model car kits were perhaps a bit more popular than their Chrysler or Imperial stable-mates--those kits really didn't set the cash registered in hobby shops on fire exactly. For this reason, JoHan kits never saw the massive production numbers of almost every model car kit that AMT produced back then (the same could also have been said about much of MPC's product line as well back then!). The relatively small production figures from JoHan meant fewer "Survivor Kits" today, while there is at least a serious demand for most of the old JoHan stuff today--even though not likely enough to warrant anyone tooling up new kits of most all of them. That's my take, based on more than 50 years, in and around the hobby industry, at many levels, including behind the counters in a pair of hobby shops. Art
BIGTRUCK Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Many of the older build up Johans I ever bought were never painted, but the young builder glued on every custom part in the box.
disabled modeler Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 I love Johan kits...glue,promos,and snaps or promo like kits...have a few still myself. They have their issues from time to time and over age but I really dig them always have...always looking for more due to their kit subjects cars no one else offered...was very sad to see them stop making them.
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 As already noted, in many cases the body lines and proportions of old Johan kits are the best in the business...but the engines and chassis work leave something to be desired if you want full-detail. Not to worry. Many GM and Mopar chassis and engines from other kit manufacturers adapt quite easily into Johan bodies.
Dave Van Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 As already noted, in many cases the body lines and proportions of old Johan kits are the best in the business...but the engines and chassis work leave something to be desired if you want full-detail. Not to worry. Many GM and Mopar chassis and engines from other kit manufacturers adapt quite easily into Johan bodies. Detail under the body did vary wildly. JoHan could compete with the big boys easy.....when they wanted to. Check any of the classic Caddy kits. And the engine and chassis on the 1972 Gran Torino is mechanically great even though it lacks some engraving......almost like they spent so much time on some details they stopped short. The promo based kits can be simple but I'd buy EVERY old simple JoHan kit made if offered again. (and hopefully yje 59 Rambler will soon)
b-body fan Posted July 2, 2015 Author Posted July 2, 2015 I just got the 31 Caddy body by Fleetwood kit yesterday. It is one of the most beautiful kits I've ever seen. Wow. They're priced pretty reasonable too.
sjordan2 Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Other then the rear spare tires what is the differance in the Johan 540k and Monogram 540k??? The Johan is a 500k -- actually there are two of them, a coupe and a roadster -- and the Monogram is a later 540k, based on a Cabriolet A (it also has a very inaccurate coupe version). The Johan kits are superb...very accurate and crisply detailed, made with direct access to a 1:1 source. The best plastic wire wheels I've ever seen at 1/25. The 1/24 Monogram can be a very nice model, though not as detailed and accurate.
mr moto Posted July 2, 2015 Posted July 2, 2015 Speaking of JoHan's with incorrect interiors... The USA Oldies series contains many incorrect interiors that were correct when the kits were first released as annuals in the 60's. By the timethat USA Oldies were released a lot of tooling was lost/damaged/worn out. I have a '62 Plymouth annual with correct interior and two USA Oldies versions with incorrect interiors. In fact, one of them came with a '63 Dodge dashboard and the other had a '63 Plymouth dash! The rest of the interior is wrong too but I'm not sure of the source. They used whatever they could still produce. The '62 Chrysler USA Oldie has a similar problem but Modelhaus has the solution. On the '64 Plymouth, JoHan may have upgraded the Fury interior to Sport Fury specs but I'll never figure out why Lindberg put the Sport Fury buckets in their Belvedere kit! Seems like every model company has some skeletons in their closets.
Greg Myers Posted July 3, 2015 Posted July 3, 2015 ...but the engines and chassis work leave something to be desired if you want full-detail. Have to disagree here Bill , chassis aside, the "flat box" kits were hard to beat.
Greg Myers Posted July 3, 2015 Posted July 3, 2015 (edited) Another look, check out the engine. Another look, check out the engine. But , alas, the chassis Edited July 3, 2015 by Greg Myers
Greg Myers Posted July 3, 2015 Posted July 3, 2015 (edited) The Bodys were great Edited July 3, 2015 by Greg Myers
Greg Myers Posted July 3, 2015 Posted July 3, 2015 (edited) Hard press to beat these engines , headers alone, worth the price of admission. Edited July 3, 2015 by Greg Myers
Greg Myers Posted July 3, 2015 Posted July 3, 2015 Goofy ! But none the less, Two BIG HEMI's with lots of detail
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