Lindberg 1/12 Fiat Dragster / Cabriolet

[Johnt671]

I found this kit at Ollie's a few days ago. I posted it in the What Did You Get Today section and a couple of members wanted to see open box pictures, so this is for disabled modeler and unclescott58 and anyone else of course.

A quick look at the kit looked pretty good. Not a highly detailed model but the parts look good. It has decals for the gauges, a wired distributor, and black and clear tubing for hoses and different lines. It looks like a fun kit.

[Ace-Garageguy]

If your desire is to build anything even remotely realistic (resembling something that has a hope in Hades of being technically correct)...well, this kit misses the mark by several miles.

The frame is a joke, reflecting the tool designer's utter ignorance of basic engineering principles. The toylike suspension, though it's "working", isn't much better.

If you want to build a GOOD REPRESENTATION OF A REAL CAR, and you're an accomplished scratch-builder with a LOT of experience in and knowledge of chassis and suspension design, this kit is a jumping-off point...barely.

I had high hopes for it, but after seeing the contents in MY OWN kit, I was supremely disappointed.

The body, engine, wheels, tires, and a few miscellaneous bits have some value. The rest just doesn't have any...other than as stuff to make other stuff out of.

Edited June 3, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[iBorg]

I'm curious if Ollies has any otehr 1/8 kits.

 

[unclescott58]

Bill might be right on everything he has to say above. But, still I like what I'm seeing. It looks pretty cool from both the pictures you posted John, and the box art photos. I know little to nothing about real drag cars. But again, I like the looks of this. 

Thanks John for sharing this with us. And I'm hoping to maybe hear more about it when you get to building it. I like reviews like this. Whether the kit is a piece of BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH. Or totally inaccurate as this kit maybe. Not everybody sees things in the exact same way. As they say, "One man's junk is another man's treasure." And how am I going to know if it's junk or treasure to me, without seeing it? So, again thanks John. 

[Phirewriter]

The chassis started life in this, although I never understood where Lindberg's designers conceived the idea to put a Fiat body on it. 

It was last reissued as the Diamond Duster some years ago.

[Johnt671]

I will do a build thread on it when I start. I am no where near as skilled a builder as as most of you are in the forum, but I am slowly becoming a better builder. I don't work in this scale so I don't have any spare parts to add detail to this one so it will be a box stock job.

Thanks for the info on the history of the kit and the heads up as to what I can expect from it. It should prove to be fun to see what I can do with it.

[Mr. Metallic]

15 hours ago, iBorg said:

I'm curious if Ollies has any otehr 1/8 kits.

 

It's not 1/8. I believe it's 1/16, but could be 1/12, I can't remember

[Johnt671]

15 hours ago, iBorg said:

I'm curious if Ollies has any otehr 1/8 kits.

 

This one is 1/12, and I didn't see any other large scale kits at my Ollies, but others may have different kits on hand. They had a small restock since I was last there, and it wasn't in the circular this week. I live close enough that I drop in and check once a week or so.

[Mark]

A guy I know buys and sells a lot of model kits...when he gets a built one of these, he'll save/bag the body, wheels and tires, and (if cleanly assembled) the engine.  There's not a lot of 1/12 scale drag racing stuff out there, and the Fiat body is the only game in town in 1/12 scale.