Tom Geiger Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Art... an educated guess from you? Why? The romance has always been a convertible. People don't buy them in 1:1 because they're usually more expensive and not as utile as a closed car. But people build models of their ideal ride. Do you think that we consider the roof line an important part of the character of the car, so much that we want it on our models?
Custom Mike Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 I wish Moebius would tool up a '71-'74 Javelin kit, I can promise I would buy as many as I could get my hands on before the wife killed me!
slantasaurus Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 I think part of the reason so many old convertible kit survived and hardtops didn't has to do with explosives. How many times have you heard about kids back then blowing up models with firecrackers ? Convertibles don't have a roof to contain the explosion so they didn't (to quote John Candy on SCTV) "blow up real good". It was more fun to blow the roof off the car. "Yep, she blowed up real good"
GaryR Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 I vote 50's Packard! Never been done, it would be cool to have Packard v-8's to work with .
mike 51 Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 (edited) Why not hardtop kits with convertible options?which version would you be willing to accept as inaccurate? (even if Moebius didn't care)most hardtop bodies (if not all) were different than convertibles..different shapes to the top, backwindows and top well...many had extra crossmembers on the frame.i'm guessing most modelers would have little interest in cutting off the roof as well. Edited July 25, 2015 by mike 51
Sledsel Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Just give me the boot and uptop... if separate side panels, give me both (and rear seat) The well........ well well well...... the conv well with a cover for the HT.Minor modifications gave Lindbergh a 53 Ford Conv after the Victoria.
Art Anderson Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Why not hardtop kits with convertible options?which version would you be willing to accept as inaccurate? (even if Moebius didn't care)most hardtop bodies (if not all) were different than convertibles..different shapes to the top, backwindows and top well...many had extra crossmembers on the frame.i'm guessing most modelers would have little interest in cutting off the roof as well.From their inception at GM in 1950, and out to the middle 1960's, hardtops were little more than convertible bodies with a steel top welded in place--look at any 50's hardtop that's had the interior stripped out of it, and you will see the locating points for the convertible top mechanism, and even the mounting points for the locking handles for the top in the windshield header.Art
mike 51 Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Well Why not hardtop kits with convertible options? which version would you be willing to accept as inaccurate? (even if Moebius didn't care) most hardtop bodies (if not all) were different than convertibles..different shapes to the top, backwindows and top well...many had extra crossmembers on the frame. i'm guessing most modelers would have little interest in cutting off the roof as well. From their inception at GM in 1950, and out to the middle 1960's, hardtops were little more than convertible bodies with a steel top welded in place--look at any 50's hardtop that's had the interior stripped out of it, and you will see the locating points for the convertible top mechanism, and even the mounting points for the locking handles for the top in the windshield header. Art Well yes Art...with those exceptions of course. I was thinking of the later models when I wrote that..but I was still wrong-ish.
Art Anderson Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Well Why not hardtop kits with convertible options? which version would you be willing to accept as inaccurate? (even if Moebius didn't care) most hardtop bodies (if not all) were different than convertibles..different shapes to the top, backwindows and top well...many had extra crossmembers on the frame. i'm guessing most modelers would have little interest in cutting off the roof as well. From their inception at GM in 1950, and out to the middle 1960's, hardtops were little more than convertible bodies with a steel top welded in place--look at any 50's hardtop that's had the interior stripped out of it, and you will see the locating points for the convertible top mechanism, and even the mounting points for the locking handles for the top in the windshield header. Art Well yes Art...with those exceptions of course. I was thinking of the later models when I wrote that..but I was still wrong-ish. Yes, by the middle 1960's, there were considerable differences, particularly with GM, whose convertibles even had a markedly different windshield frame.
Jeff Johnston Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 I'd love to see Mobius do a 67 Galaxie. Coupe, then convertible, then wagon ? I know, they'd never do a Wagon. Or...53 Buick Skylark... That would be right in line with the Hudson's which I have to believe were very successful.
peter31a Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Keep in mind, no matter what we wish for, Moebius has chosen topics that they can get more mileage from. They picked the Hudson's as they could also be done as stock car racers. I'm sure that's the thoughts with the 65 Plymouths, the 61 Pontiacs and the upcoming Comets. All can have a spin off/Model King release as some type of race car. Hopefully they will also choose subjects that can be spun off as wagons etc as Revell has done with the 57 Ford.
Dave Van Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 I wish Moebius would tool up a '71-'74 Javelin kit, I can promise I would buy as many as I could get my hands on before the wife killed me! If they do I promise full access to a 1/1.......... Let Moebius know what you want!!!
Exotics_Builder Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 (edited) Why not hardtop kits with convertible options?Are you forgetting AMT's 65 GTO with a convertible interior but hardtop also provided? Nice thought but too many compromises or extra parts (including bodies in some cases) to likely be practical or that many of would willingly pay for. The nice thing about a convertible kit is that it really gives you a chance to detail out the interior. Edited July 25, 2015 by Exotics_Builder
jbwelda Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Javelin? That would be another pure loser from my perspective. Another car best forgotten jb
Dave Van Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Javelin? That would be another pure loser from my perspective. Another car best forgotten jb Lets all hope for another Camaro kit!!!!!! NOTI vote we finish off the pony car line up.....
Tom Geiger Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 I've always mentally sub-titled this kind of thread "How To Kill A Model Company". Some of the posters understand the MO of Moebius, and what it takes for a model tooling to be be commercially successful. Others just make a quick list of cars they'd like to see as models without much thought. And then there's those who will argue to their death that the world needs a full detail kit of a 1978 Ford LTD station wagon.Luc Janssen did a contest on these boards asking for a new tooling proposal for the model companies. He had rules and criteria, so you had to put some thought into it. One year I submitted the 1965 Barracuda, the next year I did the VW split window which has never been done in 1/24 or 1/25. The criteria included demographics of audience, number of versions possible and other things I forget now. Sooooo...Here we are suggesting / predicting what Moebius will do in the future. What is their MO (method of operation)? First, in today's market no company can make money off a tool that only has one possible version. Back in the heyday, when we were kids, ANY subject could recoop the tooling costs just on what they could send out as the initial offering! And even then, the companies tried to make more money off "spent" tooling. That's why the Beverly Hillbilly car became that silly pirate custom. There's dozens more examples. And the sad fact is that even those vehicles sold more copies then than our best efforts will in today's shrunken market.So what do we know about Moebius? They seem to choose auto subjects that have never been done before (for the most part) and ones that will afford them the most opportunities for different versions. For instance the Hudsons started out with a sedan and then a convertible, followed by a bunch of race cars in different team livery. I counted once and found eight different versions and I think that was before the 1954s! So Moebius has a plan, and really knows how to work a tool! And notice that they haven't strayed into 4 door sedans and station wagons. Those would surely be money pits best handled by the resin aftermarket. I'm sure others can pipe in with more criteria, please do! My kit suggestion would be my winner from Luc's contest of many years ago... a first generation Barracuda. There are three years, a 1964.5, 1965 and 1966. There's not enough differences between the first two, only a Valiant emblem on the back panel, different heater controls and a push button automatic on the dash of the 1964 car. That leaves two versions, a 1965 and 1966, which are the same car but very different in appearances. Options in these kits could include the base 273 V8 car and a Formula S version. Automatic and 4 speed transmissions. If we're in a gambling mood, add in a slant six engine. A well done chassis and engine compartment will earn many sales as donors to all those old Valiant kits we have. Then we get into racing versions. Depending on licensing, the first hit would be a 43Jr Petty car that would sell like hotcakes (I never did understand why hotcakes sold well?). There's a Don McEwen version, two years worth of an accurate Hemi Under Glass and a bunch of other drag cars. There was even a 1966 Monte Carlo racer. Then lets expand on that chassis. It's unique to the 1963-66 Mopars, but I wouldn't suggest 1963-5 Valiants as I don't know if they'd carry their own weight as issues. The 1966 Valiant was never kitted, only briefly appeared as a very rare promotional model. So the world MAY embrace a '66 Valiant and the race variations of that car. This leaves us open for a car that's never been kitted... 1963-66 Dodge Dart. This may be a winner since it's never been done and there are also a slew of race variations.So, what do y'all think?
Allen Wrench Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 (edited) I wish Moebius would tool up a '71-'74 Javelin kit, I can promise I would buy as many as I could get my hands on before the wife killed me!I personally think a Javelin/AMX kit would be right in Moebius' wheelhouse.Slightly, but not too far, off the beaten path? Check.Racing heritage? Check.Appeal to older modelers? Check.Wide range of building possibilities? You betcha. How about a 2-in-1 kit with the option to build an Alabama State Police car?Yeah, it has been done, but, the Jo-Han Javelin kits haven't been available for years and are impossible to find for anything approaching a reasonable price.Rather than a '71-'74, how about a first-gen Javelin tool that could also be used as the basis for an AMX kit? There has never been a good stock AMX kit in1/25 scale. Edited July 25, 2015 by Allen Wrench
Guest Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Javelin? That would be another pure loser from my perspective. Another car best forgotten jb You have got to be kidding. There have been many mentions on this forum for this car, or its twin the AMX.
MrObsessive Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 (edited) Gotta say a good, detailed Javelin/AMX would be a big seller IMO. Just look at what prices are going for on the 'Bay for original promos, and in the case of the AMX-----unmolested original kits. Not that eBay's always a good indicator of future sales, but then who da thunk that a Hudson of all cars would have been such a hot seller for Moebius??I agree with Tom also about the '64-'66 Barracudas. There's a potential goldmine there in that car as sooooo many variants can be spun off of that! Edited July 25, 2015 by MrObsessive Grammatical errors
High octane Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Speed City Resins already does a '66 Dodge Dart.
jbwelda Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 oh a javelin would certainly be better than nothing, or another (cough) Hudson or that Kaiser. I think those things defined "can't get out of its own way" and they certainly are stodgy to the max in appearance. that Packard has potential though. and for theme purposes those Indy pace cars seem doable, at least if they cherry picked the more popular models to, well, model.But I think the reality is they should continue on the Chrysler path from the upcoming Fury into other models from around the same period, mid 60s, maybe a little sooner maybe a little later. a Barracuda seems like a great place to start (or continue to) and/or of course the racing version of what is a street car in its coming incarnation. I think those would sell outside of the small circle of people really interested in a Javelin and it would allow at least some reuse of their existing tools.or heck if they are going to do something like a Javelin, why not do a Studebaker Hawk of some generation, or as often mentioned, a flippin TUCKER if you want name recognition.all that American Motors stuff just never really did much of anything for me. always seemed to be trying too hard to be "in" but had some really hacked designs during that period.jb
Ramfins59 Posted July 25, 2015 Posted July 25, 2015 Since Moebius has had such success with first the '53 Hudson, then the '52, now the '54...... Is there a chance they might even go further and make a '51...?? I know that the Hudsons don't appeal to everyone, and they might be "stodgy" looking to some modelers.IMHO, anything new from the early to mid 1950's would be cool...... Buicks, Cadillacs, DeSotos, Dodges, Lincolns, Mercurys. Nashs, Oldsmobiles, Packards, Plymouths, Pontiacs, Studebakers. We certainly have enough Chevys although a '50, '52 & '54 would be nice, along with a '51, '52, '54 & '55 Ford.We can all dream can't we?
Mr mopar Posted July 26, 2015 Posted July 26, 2015 Maybe a 1970 AMC rebel machine ! we will never see that one from Johan anytime soon.
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