Belkits Opel Manta 400. Test Shots

[martinfan5]

Belkits posted some test shots of the Opel Manta 400, no release date was given, so with that

Edited June 6, 2017 by martinfan5

[935k3]

I would like to see this one kitted complete with foxtail.

 

[Don Sikora II]

I would like to see this one kitted complete with foxtail.

 

I'll second this one. 

[Classicgas]

Would like to see it stock.

[waynehulsey]

Wonder how kits like this one are selling worldwide? Figure in the US most people have never heard of an Opel Manta, a lot probably don't even know Opel. I have a couple of the Belkits models and they look really good. Maybe I'll actually finish one some day.

[Rob Hall]

Well, it's a European kit company making kits of European race cars, so the target market is European builders, not US builders... I have their Escort kit, will probably get the Opel and others in the future.

Edited June 13, 2017 by Rob Hall

[stavanzer]

IDK, I think it would look sharp with a Blue Gumball and some Polezi decals.

[waynehulsey]

Their Escort kit is one that I have. Just wondering how they're selling in Europe and Asia since there seems to be the attitude from some American companies that only items that will be big selling mainstream items here in the US are the only kits financially worth doing. Although Moebius seems to be putting a knife into that somewhat. Roundabout I guess what I'm asking is if there is something that may be a bit of a marginal seller in the US if it would be successful in Europe or Asia or both would it be financially viable. Or don't they have enough of a sales network to place a kit overseas.

[57peppershaker]

Thats cool. I had a stock Manta GTE 25 years ago.

[niteowl7710]

Their Escort kit is one that I have. Just wondering how they're selling in Europe and Asia since there seems to be the attitude from some American companies that only items that will be big selling mainstream items here in the US are the only kits financially worth doing. Although Moebius seems to be putting a knife into that somewhat. Roundabout I guess what I'm asking is if there is something that may be a bit of a marginal seller in the US if it would be successful in Europe or Asia or both would it be financially viable. Or don't they have enough of a sales network to place a kit overseas.

The kits are niche market lower volume items. They're priced at north of $50 because on a per unit basis that's the required "pay the freight" fee as it were. Several of the earlier kits - the modern Fords and the Skoda sold out of their initial production runs do to heavy aftermarket support. 

You can find all of the kits in the U.S., after they made a deal with Aoshima to distribute them outside of Europe. But as for niche market kits in the U.S.? Well look at all the crybaby belly aching over the price of the Galaxie Limited '47 Chevy Coupe,  and the near riot that occurred when Round2 put their MSRP on some kits up near $35. Foreign markets have by and large accepted the price of kits being higher, perhaps because they don't have the "When I was a kid models were a quarter and paint was a nickel" history. Plus racecar modelers tend to be more free wheeling with their capital anyway with all of the various A.M. detail parts and alternative liveries to purchase. 

[waynehulsey]

Not a big time race car modelers, but guess I could be consider a niche market modeler. Long time 57 Ford fan so did get a couple of the Revell 57s. The only other "mainstream" models is a couple of Mobeius Hudsons. Everything else over the last few years has been Heller, Belkits, ICM, Similar, Ebbro and a few miscellaneous Revell of Germany and Tamiya kits which I guess are semi-mainstream for American modelers. Was just wondering since American antique and classics seem to still be popular in Japan and Europe if enough sales could be done there to make it worthwhile for something like Revellogram just doing a couple of body variations on their classic kits. For example, a 41 or 42 sedan on their 41 Lincoln, or a different body on the Packard. Know it will probably never happen, but still keep faint hope for a stock 32 Ford from Revell like maybe with a B-400 body.

[Luc Janssens]

Their Escort kit is one that I have. Just wondering how they're selling in Europe and Asia since there seems to be the attitude from some American companies that only items that will be big selling mainstream items here in the US are the only kits financially worth doing. Although Moebius seems to be putting a knife into that somewhat. Roundabout I guess what I'm asking is if there is something that may be a bit of a marginal seller in the US if it would be successful in Europe or Asia or both would it be financially viable. Or don't they have enough of a sales network to place a kit overseas.

IMHO an American car which would/could fly in Europe, besides the classic Mustang, I think would be a '60s (think Boss Hog) up to '80s Cadillac Deville and maybe a mid '70s Eldo. convert too...

Revell has the best hand of cards to find out...since they are present both in NA and the EU

[waynehulsey]

"IMHO an American car which would/could fly in Europe, besides the classic Mustang, I think would be a '60s (think Boss Hog) up to '80s Cadillac Deville and maybe a mid '70s Eldo. convert too...

Revell has the best hand of cards to find out...since they are present both in NA and the EU"

Yuck! Sorry to hear that, those would be on my list of don't want to see. Not sure what you mean by Boss Hog. Maybe some variations of the V16 Cadillac would be nice and would like to see a early brass Cadillac, but not anything much after 1939. And I'm just tired of Mustangs.

 

[Rob Hall]

Not sure what you mean by Boss Hog.

 

In the '70s-80s American TV show 'Dukes of Hazzard', the character 'Boss Hogg' had a white '69/70 Cadillac de Ville convertible.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2017 by Rob Hall

[waynehulsey]

Never saw an episode of that show: think that was the time period I was going to college and working nights or working 2 jobs trying to catch up from college. Of course from the ads and few clips I've seen, wouldn't have watched it anyway.

[martinfan5]

And we now are getting our first look at it

[Luc Janssens]

On FB they said that the test shot was approved and were getting ready, to get the decals approved as well....

Edited September 29, 2017 by Luc Janssens

[martinfan5]

On FB they said that the test shot was approved and were getting ready, to get the decals approved as well....

Yes, its getting close

[Don Sikora II]

Is there a good source for Belkits in the States? 

[T-bone]

Is there a good source for Belkits in the States? 

M&S hobbies. http://www.mshobbies.com   reasonable prices and shipping is cheaper than from overseas. Mark caries all the Belkits models.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2017 by T-bone
added content

[Jhedir6]

M&S hobbies. http://www.mshobbies.com   reasonable prices and shipping is cheaper than from overseas. Mark caries all the Belkits models.

 

 

Mark is a great guy to deal with. His prices are competitive and often even better because he offers package deals. I got my Belkits VW Polo rally car kit along with the HD detail set for the Polo as a package from Mark. Total savings was about $20 US over buying them separately from any online vendor I could find. Even compared to Ebay he still came out cheaper. 

[niteowl7710]

Mark is a great guy to deal with. His prices are competitive and often even better because he offers package deals. I got my Belkits VW Polo rally car kit along with the HD detail set for the Polo as a package from Mark. Total savings was about $20 US over buying them separately from any online vendor I could find. Even compared to Ebay he still came out cheaper. 

He's got the new Polo kits for about $5 less than anyone in Europe has them priced for as well.

EDIT - I posted M&S as the solution before John did, and yet my post doesn't exist.  Guess the forum isn't quite as fixed as first thought.

Edited September 30, 2017 by niteowl7710

[Don Sikora II]

Thanks, guys.

[Luc Janssens]

He's got the new Polo kits for about $5 less than anyone in Europe has them priced for as well.

EDIT - I posted M&S as the solution before John did, and yet my post doesn't exist.  Guess the forum isn't quite as fixed as first thought.

That put's it in the twilight zone....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVSRm80WzZk

 

[waynehulsey]

M&S hobbies. http://www.mshobbies.com   reasonable prices and shipping is cheaper than from overseas. Mark caries all the Belkits models.

 

 

Have know Mark for years, great guy to do business with. Luckily here in the Phoenix area we get to deal direct at a lot of the shows, which is really bad for my credit card.