BIGTRUCK Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 One thing that needs to be remembered about these old Jo-Han kits, if they are open when you go to buy them, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR DECEPTION/LACK OF KNOWLEDGE by the seller. GMCMAN52 mentions above that he has decals that don't look like they belong to his kit. They don't. But where did they come into the picture? A mistake at the factory? An unknowing seller? Or worse, a seller trying to deceive buyers? I've had Jo-Han kits with different color plastic sprues in the same box. How do I know it was a factory job? Because I bought it sealed and opened it myself. Anyone with as much experience as I have with Jo-Han will know that is a possibility, and not unheard of. Someone new to these kits will think I'm making it up. I personally wouldn't do this, but some people might try to mix kits to match colors to sell for a better price. Look for flash! If it is on some parts, but not others, be wary. My '75 Olds Cutlass came in two colors light blue and dark blue. I know its correct as I bought it at Toledo NNL about 6 years ago from Okey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Decals in many post-1970 Jo-Han kits were a crapshoot. Sometimes you got decals that match the box art illustrations; more often they didn't match. As I said earlier, I have never seen a Jo-Han decal sheet that matches the Rapid Randy Comet box art. Some of the Rapid Randy kits I have seen had the gold Mr. Gasket sheet, a couple of them had the Fast Eddie Comet sheet, most however had the Comet funny car sheet with the blue side panel decals. Whatever they had at the time is what went into the box. As for the chassis, for the era they were pretty good. Some of the early MPC Pro Stock kits had chassis with the stock exhaust system detail molded in. Jo-Han's Sox & Martin '71 Barracuda notched things up a bit (because it was issued only as that; no stock version). MPC's Motown Missile 'Cuda, which came out two years later, had a stock chassis with molded-in exhaust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 My '75 Olds Cutlass came in two colors light blue and dark blue. I know its correct as I bought it at Toledo NNL about 6 years ago from Okey. Okey's Johan (no hyphen) kits, except for the '59 Rambler wagon and snap Chrysler Turbine car, were assembled from stockpiled parts that were molded prior to his acquisition of the Jo-Han assets. Jo-Han kits from the pre-Seville era did occasionally have parts molded in two colors however. I've had a few USA Oldies '62 F-85 coupe kits with most parts molded in black, and a small sprue molded in white or tan that included two plastic rod axles and the air cleaner. The air cleaner in the Oldies issue is different from the original; it originated with the '63 Starfire and was used in that and both F-85 kits ('62 coupe and '61 wagon). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 How is this chassis any worse than the old AMT chassis? The details that are present are very good. And really, the OTAKI Maverick had a much worse chassis (which is what you get when you motorize something). I had that kit once, and it wasn't worth having. Prolly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 The other boxes. I bought one of these as a glue bomb off ePay a couple years ago. Seems to be 100% complete except for missing the A-pillar and half the door/window frame on the left side...should be easy enough to repair. I'm pretty sure I have Slixx decals for this car, too. Mine doesn't have these wheels. Were these in the kit? I'll have to find some. Didn't this car originally have that scoop facing the other way (opening backward, taper toward the front)? I seem to remember the first pic I saw of it in an early 1970 Car Craft had it that way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fomocomav Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share Posted October 9, 2015 (edited) I can't speak to the scoop orientation, but the auction linked above (on the previous page) to this kit shows these wheels in this kit. I wish they had kept the front spoiler in the kits I have a project that needs one. Edited October 9, 2015 by fomocomav spelling error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 I can't speak to the scoop orientation, but the auction linked above (on the previous page) to this kit shows these wheels in this kit. I wish they had kept the front spoiler in the kits I have a project that needs one. I found a pic of the car with the scoop on the "right" way. Looks like I'll have to razor-saw it off and turn it around as part of my fixes. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ac/a6/75/aca67565c3f3c118b0fb332830e898a1.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robberbaron Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Really great comparison pictures, thank you for posting those! I've got one of the Comets, but around the time that I decided I'd like to get the Maverick too, they stopped producing it.All these years, I was under the false assumption that both kits shared the majority of parts, including interiors and mechanicals. I now see almost nothing is actually shared. Overall very similar, but I'm amazed that so many of the details are different like the cages, seat style, and even the engine parts.Noticed that the Comet oil pan has a hole for the fat "sprue-style" axle to pass through, yet it looks like the oil pan for the Maverick does not. Do the Maverick front wheels mount with pins instead of a solid pass-thru axle like the Comet? Didn't expect to see that difference.FWIW, I believe I bought and built my Comet kit in the late 80s. It's molded in the same bright blue/aqua as your review subject, and mine came with the Fast Eddie decals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fomocomav Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share Posted October 9, 2015 Robberbaron, the Maverick in the white box also has the plastic "sprue-style" axles, you just can't see the hole from the angle. Only the earliest issues have metal axles. These kits never used pins that I am aware of.As to parts sharing, if you have the Stock option kits, you will find that the stock parts are the same except for the bodies, hoods, and bumpers/grille. Basically, the same as the real cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robberbaron Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 I've had Jo-Han kits with different color plastic sprues in the same box. How do I know it was a factory job? Because I bought it sealed and opened it myself. Anyone with as much experience as I have with Jo-Han will know that is a possibility, and not unheard of. Someone new to these kits will think I'm making it up. I personally wouldn't do this, but some people might try to mix kits to match colors to sell for a better price. Look for flash! If it is on some parts, but not others, be wary. Wait, you're saying that some Johan parts were molded without flash? Just kidding - I realize when these kits were first released, Johan quality was probably equivalent to AMT and MPC. By the late 80s and especially into the 90s, QC had pretty much gone out the window at Johan. Couple of the last Johan kits I bought back in the day have some parts trees that are pretty much completely flashed over. I've also had factory sealed Johans with different colored plastic from the factory. My Javelin AMX was molded in an ivory color, but had a separate bright orange rear spoiler in the box. My brother bought one a couple months later from the same LHS, and his contents were identical to mine. Pretty common for the Johan chrome trees to be molded in a different color from the rest of the kit. In the 90s I bought a whole batch of the '75 Cutlass kits. They were each molded in tan, but the plastic for the chrome tree was black in all of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Mine doesn't have these wheels. Were these in the kit? I'll have to find some. The Jo-Han version of that wheel is the best by far, better than even the ones in the AMT '70 Impala annual. Unfortunately, Jo-Han never put that wheel into any other kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutaFocus Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 (edited) Motorwheel Spyders. They were in the kit along with the nicest 3pc rear spoiler I've seen. The Shartman car ran with the scoop in both positions. Interestingly, I had several re released Comet kits with the boxart shown in the beginning of this thread packaged with decals from a Shartman Comet kit. They were decals for the Gold(?) car with the orange and blue squares. Edited October 9, 2015 by OutaFocus Wrong Info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 The two Schartman kits are actually the same car. When he was getting help from Ford, it ran as a Mercury. When he was racing on his own dime, he switched it over to Ford Maverick trim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 (edited) Kinda close to the real car...maybe? I would guess the Rapid Randy version was exactly as Mark surmised, with the paint scheme housed from Sandy Elliot's P/S...ehem, Comet: Edited October 9, 2015 by Casey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fomocomav Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share Posted October 9, 2015 If I were into Pro Stock, Sandy Elliot's Comet has an awesome scheme! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fomocomav Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share Posted October 9, 2015 Casey, I think this is the scheme they were going for. I have no idea if your Maverick picture is the same color as this Comet picture, but I definitely like the yellow yours is showing better than the gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 (edited) For the most part these were "Decal" kits, same kit, different decals. But what kits they were, some great engines and the headers, Wow! Here's a great review http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/106533-jo-han-maverick-and-comet-pro-stock-kit-comparison/ Edited August 30, 2018 by Greg Myers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr mopar Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 (edited) These kits were cool ,I wish they would come out again ! Edited August 30, 2018 by Mr mopar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 The first one pictured has stock parts, including a straight six engine. The Pro Stock kits share a lot of parts, but the yellow Schartman Maverick is quite a bit different from the others. Different hood and wheels, and still has the early grille. There's also a 1971 "funny car only" kit. No stock parts, and the hood is molded shut. I sold one of those at NNL East earlier this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 Ive got one of these . I bought exactly as you see it several years back. its one of my favorites even though I didn't build it. But I have no plans to ever redo it unless something major happens to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 I wish we would get another one. I also would like to see the 72 Torino that Johan made as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 3 hours ago, Mr mopar said: These kits were cool ,I wish they would come out again ! The Comet kit has a realistic chance of being reissued, depending upon who owns the tooling, if it's complete, etc. The Maverick is probably never going to return, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 50 minutes ago, Casey said: The Comet kit has a realistic chance of being reissued, depending upon who owns the tooling, if it's complete, etc. The Maverick is probably never going to return, though. I bought the Maverick and Comet pro stocks at the LHS at the same time in the late '80s. Later, the Mavericks dried up and went away, while the Comets were among the very last JoHan kits available (in Testor boxes) up into the late '90s or early 2000s, whenever. I wonder what happened to the Maverick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 3 hours ago, gtx6970 said: Ive got one of these . I bought exactly as you see it several years back. its one of my favorites even though I didn't build it. But I have no plans to ever redo it unless something major happens to it I have one of those, in desperate need of restoration/rebuild, bought off eBay almost a decade ago. I have new Slixx decals for it. Biggest problem is one A-pillar is missing completely, but I can either sili-clone that from a mint Comet body, or just scratch it out of sheet styrene--it's a simple shape. I've also got pics of that car in a 1970 Car Craft with that hood scoop the other way--pointy end forward, opening in the back. I think it looks better that way. When I rebuild it, I'm gonna do it that way. Guess I need to be on the lookout for that shade of yellow paint. Model Master Chrome Yellow just won't do for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 1 hour ago, Snake45 said: I have one of those, in desperate need of restoration/rebuild, bought off eBay almost a decade ago. I have new Slixx decals for it. Biggest problem is one A-pillar is missing completely, but I can either sili-clone that from a mint Comet body, or just scratch it out of sheet styrene--it's a simple shape. I've also got pics of that car in a 1970 Car Craft with that hood scoop the other way--pointy end forward, opening in the back. I think it looks better that way. When I rebuild it, I'm gonna do it that way. Guess I need to be on the lookout for that shade of yellow paint. Model Master Chrome Yellow just won't do for that. Snake I have NO idea the paint used on this. I bought it with plans to redo it. I just cant bring myself to take it apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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