Quick Overview: Revell Starsky & Hutch Torino

[Bob Ellis]

It's as I expected. Should upgrade a Johan Torino nicely.

[Danno]

Interesting.  One step forward, two steps backward.  

Still, worth the expense/effort.

 

Thanks, Chuck

[Brett Barrow]

I think it's a little more than S&H demand......

The fact that this car was the first NASCAR Cup ride for folks like Bill Elliott and DE Sr, raced the 24 hours Le Mans and can be the basis for other builds is driving sales. I'll be building a Big Lebowski  Torino among 6-7 others.

Agree. When the other thread got dumped, an excellent link to the LM cars disappeared, I hadn't bookmarked it yet. 

Your pics of DE BE and another I forget were cool too. 

Could you please post or PM me links if anyone has them? I've Googled but haven't found them. You can even use "Let me Google that for you" on me. 

 

There are certainly other reasons to buy this kit, but I think you're underestimating just how much interest there is in this kit in general, outside of the model car boards and model clubs and folks that are already hardcore modelers.  This is going to be one of the biggest new kit introductions of my 14 years in the business.  The only recent new tooling that has done better for us are the Moebius Ford Pickups (and there a lot fewer places out there to buy Moebius kits than Revell kits, not to mention we were taking pre-orders for them for several years!) and the only other car kit that has done better this calendar year is the General Lee and there are certainly some extenuating circumstances that go along with that this past year.   

I'd agree that this kit has very good conversion potential, it just that the folks buying it for it's straight-out-of-the-box appeal will dwarf those buying it with other intentions.   

 

[Dave Van]

I myself don't care WHY people are buying the kit......as long as it sells!!!!!

And when I say 'rumor' on the sales.......I know for a fact how well pre-orders have gone.....I just can;t say how......

I told Revell a long time ago they would be surprised how well this kit will do. 

I am more often wrong on picks for new tools.....but this one I knew would be good. Wait until some get built!!! (and not as the S&H version)

[Merkur XR4Ti]

Thanks for the pics, the kit definitely looks workable to me. I'll be picking one up ASAP.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Well, we did make it to post 30, Lee, but yeah, it's anybody's guess.

A closer look at wheels and valve covers:

And nope, the covers aren't stock.  Intake is dual-carb, and you can see those and the air cleaner housing here as well.

Angle change on wheels to try for a better look at how they're dished, see if plating affects perception any.

Shot's muddy, but tires are definitely the Streaks as seen in your most recent Revell Deuce reissue, Case.

Get your requests in if you'd like to see more, but I'll need till later tonight to get to that.  Ebayed a JoHan '72 Torino stock car for just such an experiment and dumba$$ me has lost track of where I put.  Model King stock car reissue shows a wheelbase shorter by about 2-3mm (scale inches), fwiw.

Anybody who wants to re-post photos from the closed thread is welcome, to the point of me asking "pretty please." And like most, I'm not too worried about the whys as long as Revell's coffers get fattened on this one.  Geiger's explanation sounds about on point to me.

Edited September 21, 2015 by Chuck Kourouklis

[Dave Van]

You the man Chuck........one more request????

3/4 front and rear body shot??? Want to see how hard it will be to fit a 72 rear bumper to body.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

'Round 11 or so your time tonight, Dave...

[Luc Janssens]

Oh boy, the wait is finally over, gimme gimme gimme

;^)

[mike 51]

Interesting mix of new and old Revellogram tech...

(I'm still  surprised at the interest that show recieves...S&H collectors?  amazing...)

[afx]

 

This kit is targeted to the TV and Movie Memorabilia  community, more than to the serious model car builders.  Same premise as many of the recent Round 2 licensed kits.  This is a much larger market than model car builders and many to most of them won't even break the shrink wrap. And for those who do, they'd be expecting to see a red car.

So Revell designed this kit for people that don't build models -  make sense now.

 

[mike 51]

So Revell designed this kit for people that don't build models -  make sense now.

 

Then why not just sell 'em empty boxes then?  or just a very simple snapper?  

maybe our marketing expert can explain why Revell put so much effort into a kit that "many if not most" would never build? 

 

Edited September 21, 2015 by mike 51

[JTalmage]

S&H car or not... molded in color or not.... I'll still get some of them. I love Torinos. I almost had a '73... Twice. Same color green on green... 2 different cars. Would love to make a few 70's color variations of this kit. And can't wait to see what the aftermarket holds for the chassis as well. 

[mike 51]

S&H car or not... molded in color or not.... I'll still get some of them. I love Torinos. I almost had a '73... Twice. Same color green on green... 2 different cars. Would love to make a few 70's color variations of this kit. And can't wait to see what the aftermarket holds for the chassis as well. 

I owned a 75 Ranchero in like new condition....you didn't miss much,poor performance and outragously poor gas milage.  

I DO hope you enjoy the model though,it won't cause you any of those problems

[Ace-Garageguy]

Had a black vinyl-roof, 351C powered one that was pretty quick. Sold it to a kid who totaled it in the first week. Also had a metallic-orange one with a 351W. Bought it for something like $250, just for the engine and gearbox. Had a burned valve, running on 7. Did the heads and kept it for a backup driver for years.

Never had any interest in replicating those, or the S&H car, but the LeMans runner posted in the 'gone' thread really got my interest. Might actually get fired up to do a NASCAR version too.

Patiently waiting for the remainder of the review to address the accuracy and proportions of the body.

And hopefully, whatever the verdict is there, it will be accepted as a statement of fact for the sake of information, and won't ignite another personality-bashing firestorm.

The chassis here looks fine to me. Long as the exhausts and suspension aren't molded in, and the shapes of the floor pans and frame structure are reasonably close, I'm happy. Pity it's molded in red though.

Edited September 21, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Luc Janssens]

So Revell designed this kit for people that don't build models -  make sense now.

 

Think you need to rephrase that statement to, people who normally don't build models or haven't built for some lime now.

People maybe, who by seeing this iconic TV car, can be lured into picking up this kit and because Revell lowered the threshold, can even build a nice shelf model with moderate skills,

And who knows, maybe they will like the experience and will build again....just hope Revell also put a leaflet inside the box promoting their 'entry level) kits and some background info on the company and what modeling  is all about....

 

Sure I've would've liked a more detailed kit, but understand their rationale, so two tumbs up from me.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Then why not just sell 'em empty boxes then?  or just a very simple snapper?  

maybe our marketing expert can explain why Revell put so much effort into a kit that "many if not most" would never build? 

 

I'm hardly an insider-marketing-expert, but I'll take a stab at it.

It's just like 1:1 kit planes and kit-kars. The manufacturer doesn't really give a damm if anyone builds them, so long as they buy them.

AND...TV-show memorabilia collectors aren't going to give a rat's rear if the thing is accurate or has current tooling tech in it. A low parts-count won't bother them either, especially if the parts that are there are already RED.

[Casey]

Angle change on wheels to try for a better look at how they're dished, see if plating affects perception any.

Thanks, Chuck. Angle change didn't help orient the rear wheels' lug nuts either.  Two out of four ain't half bad. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Think you need to rephrase that statement to, people who normally don't build models or haven't built for some lime now.

People maybe, who by seeing this iconic TV car, can be lured into picking up this kit and because Revell lowered the threshold, can even build a nice shelf model with moderate skills,

And who knows, maybe they will like the experience and will build again....just hope Revell also put a leaflet inside the box promoting their 'entry level) kits and some background info on the company and what modeling  is all about....

 

Sure I've would've liked a more detailed kit, but understand their rationale, so two tumbs up from me.

Luc is right about it making a good business case to target modeling's lowest-common-denominator (think snappers and low-parts-count), especially if there's an entertainment 'hook' tie-in to add sparkle to the package. Non-real modelers (whatever they are) are far more likely to buy a kit that practically self-assembles, requires little effort and almost no finishing skills (molded in COLOR !!), and the ones who actually DO build them and don't bodge the things horribly are certainly more likely to get more involved with the hobby.

Those of us who want to go farther with a particular subject get a decent starting point.

Makes pretty good sense, actually.

 

[mike 51]

I guess I've just grown weary of so many things being aimed at the lowest common denominators in society..

Sorry, I didn't mean to dampen anyone's excitement about getting this kit.

 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2015 by mike 51

[Luc Janssens]

I guess I've just grown weary of so many things being aimed at the lowest common denominators...

 

I think Revell's model A is a pretty good example of a kit, designed by enthusiasts for the enthusiasts.

 

[mike 51]

I think Revell's model A is a pretty good example of a kit, designed by enthusiasts for the enthusiasts.

 

I agree.(and several other recent kits)  

This kit strikes me as a step backwards from recent new tools, but if sells well,maybe it'll help "pay" for more enthusiast oriented kits.

Time will tell.... 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I think Revell's model A is a pretty good example of a kit, designed by enthusiasts for the enthusiasts.

No argument that it's a nice kit, but it really is aimed more at modelers of entry-to-moderate skills, as opposed to those who are highly-skilled. It's also a great starting point for going a lot farther with the subject matter presented, for which I'm particularly grateful.

The old Revell kits that are constantly bashed as being "fiddly" and "un-buildable" were targeted more towards folks who took the hobby and developing the requisite skills a little more seriously...whether it was intentional on Revell's part or not.

Again, it only makes good business sense to target a broader market if profits are your primary goal...and making things easy to put together certainly helps there.

Looking at the market objectively to analyze the skill-sets of the majority is critical to maintaining sales numbers that will keep the business viable...if that's the market you want.

Edited September 21, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[keyser]

I can't imagine the Batmobiles didn't crush this thing. Dukes has to be best selling kit period, but S&H and no Green Hornet Black Beauty? Just a pathetic 1/32?

But, if Elvis and Stooges sell kits, Simpsons and Flintstones, I guess why not. If it makes $ and pays for tool, license why not. 

Mike, lowest common denominator indeed. There are enthusiast kits, but needs to be sharper delineation. 

Wheel 56 looks a bit deeper than 54. 

 

[afx]

If the strategy really was to sell the kit to memorabilia collectors and entry level builder I would have taken a different approach.

I would have designed the kit with a one piece chassis plate with my entire engineering and marketing budget going into getting the body details correct and paying the TV licensing fees.  Release and sell this version of the kit.

Then in a year or so I would take my accurate body replace the one-piece chassis plate with a correct chassis, engine, running gear etc. and sell it as full-detail kit to enthusiast simply as a Ford Torino.

Edited September 21, 2015 by afx