Finding certain scale model..please help

[Craigxx19xx]

Hi everyone I’m new to the scale model world, I have one scale car a 131 fiat my mother gifted me. As the car had a very detailed engine(opening doors,opening good, etc) now looking for my next model to build, but they all look like a mold that just goes over the chassis when you’re done. No high detail engine work or anything. Can someone link me to a place where I can find model cars that also have a nice detailed engine ? I can’t find any! Thanks

[Richard Bartrop]

Revell seems to be pretty good in general for making detailed engines.  Depending on your tastes.  Tamiya's Formula 1 kits have  some crazy levels of engine detail, especially in the larger scales.

For recently available kits with lots of engine and chassis detail, that I have some experience with:

Revell

1930 Bentley (former Heller/Airfix kit. lots of really delicate parts, so exercise caution)

1940 Ford Standard Coupe

1948 Ford Coupe

AMT:

1966 Buick Riviera

1957 Chrysler 300C

1958 Edsel

Moebius:

1955 Chrysler 300

1956 Chrysler 300B

Heller

1950 Talbot-Lago GP

 

 

 

[El Roberto]

Or...……..if price is no object you might like Pocher kits.  pocher.com/uk-en

[vamach1]

Not to disparage the US companies but it takes a lot of work and scratchbuild or resin parts to make a lot of the US made kits realistic looking as many of the molds have been around for decades.  As Richard mentioned, Tamiya has great kits if you are interested in their subject matter.  If you are open to building just about anything, look for kits with the most realism.  If you narrow down what you want to build based upon era or car brand etc., then start searching on Ebay where you can find almost every model ever made in the last 50 years and then try to find kit reviews of what looks interesting to you.  You mentioned one particular car but it's hard to make recommendations without being more specific.  Also, do not eqate cost with quaility, especially older kits that cost a lot due to people willing to pay a lot because of the rareity and subject matter.  A $200 fifty year old kit may be no better than what just popped out of the molds last month for $25.

[Richard Bartrop]

I'm not going to argue that the old ones aren't pretty simple, and yes some of the mould have been abused, which is why most of my recommendations date from the 90s or early 2000s, though the Heller kits date back tot he early 80s.  Also it's stuff that hopefully still can be found on the shelves.   If you're going to just the wilds of eBay, the Jo-Han Cadillac V-16 and Mercedes-Benz 500k, date back to the '60s, and are still some of the nicest kits ever made.  They's all kits I've bought over the years, so of course they reflect my tastes.  Maybe some of the builders of more modern iron can share their insights.

[peteski]

Craig, I'm curious about that Fiat 131 kit.

Is is plastic, or simply an unassembled die-cast (metal-body) model?  Not many plastic model kits are made with opening doors, hoods, and trunks without also having a full engine and detailed interior. Actually not many plastic kits period, come with opening doors/hood/trunk.  What is the manufacturer of that hit? What scale it it?

[Matt Bacon]

Look for the Fujimi “Enthusiasts Model” series:

Some are still available new, in standard or “anime” boxes, others you’ll have to trawl the ‘Bay for. If you look on the HobbySearch site (www.1999.co.jp) you can usually see the instructions to discover whether the kit you’re interested in has got the engine detail. Alternatively, if the kit has 250 parts rather than 50, chances are good that it’s originally an EM series model...

best,

M.

[robdebie]

  On 11/8/2018 at 5:00 AM, peteski said:

Craig, I'm curious about that Fiat 131 kit.

Is is plastic, or simply an unassembled die-cast (metal-body) model?  Not many plastic model kits are made with opening doors, hoods, and trunks without also having a full engine and detailed interior. Actually not many plastic kits period, come with opening doors/hood/trunk.  What is the manufacturer of that hit? What scale it it?

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Tamiya had a Fiat 131 in rallye version, that would fit the desciption. Although the doors did not open. I built the white and blue version when I was young.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/122774-tamiya-20015-fiat-131-abarth-rally

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/122772-tamiya-20013-fiat-131-abarth-rally

Rob

Edited November 8, 2018 by robdebie

[peteski]

  On 11/8/2018 at 11:33 AM, robdebie said:

Tamiya had a Fiat 131 in rallye version, that would fit the desciption. Although the doors did not open. I built the white and blue version when I was young.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/122774-tamiya-20015-fiat-131-abarth-rally

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/122772-tamiya-20013-fiat-131-abarth-rally

Rob

Expand  

Wow!  Those are some really early 1:20 scale Tamiya kits!  I have never seen those in person (and I don't recall anybody mentioning these to me before you just did).  Nice!  But as you said, these do not have any opening doors or trunk (bonnet for the "true" English speakers).   I'm still curious what kit Craig has.

[niteowl7710]

The only Fiat 131 with an engine I know of is the old ESCI rally kit. Italeri is about to reissue it.

From everything I've ever heard and read about it that kit is pretty horrid and a royal pain to assemble.

 

[robdebie]

  On 11/12/2018 at 2:37 AM, peteski said:

Wow!  Those are some really early 1:20 scale Tamiya kits!  I have never seen those in person (and I don't recall anybody mentioning these to me before you just did).  Nice!  But as you said, these do not have any opening doors or trunk (bonnet for the "true" English speakers).   I'm still curious what kit Craig has.

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Small correction: the hood/bonnet and trunk/boot do open on the Tamiya kits, the doors don't. The engine bay is fully detailed, the trunk/boot too, with a fuel cell. The underside is also completely detailed. Very nice kits!

Rob

[peteski]

  On 11/12/2018 at 6:22 PM, robdebie said:

Small correction: the hood/bonnet and trunk/boot do open on the Tamiya kits, the doors don't. The engine bay is fully detailed, the trunk/boot too, with a fuel cell. The underside is also completely detailed. Very nice kits!

Rob

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I didn't know - thanks Rob!  Like I said, I have never seen these models before you just mentioned them recently.  Looks like I messed my Brititish nomenclature too.  Eh, these are models of Italian cars anyway! 

[robdebie]

  On 11/13/2018 at 3:47 AM, peteski said:

I didn't know - thanks Rob!  Like I said, I have never seen these models before you just mentioned them recently.  Looks like I messed my Brititish nomenclature too.  Eh, these are models of Italian cars anyway! 

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I just found the old model in the attic, and I will shoot a few photos of it, warts and all :-)

Rob

 

[robdebie]

  On 11/13/2018 at 12:08 PM, robdebie said:

I just found the old model in the attic, and I will shoot a few photos of it, warts and all :-)

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As promised:

 

 

I went a little overboard with the 'liquid mud' but you're allowed to do that when you're 15-16 :-)

Rob

 

 

[peteski]

That is a nice model, and not bad at all for a 15-year-old kid.

[stitchdup]

What type of cars interest you? If it's rally cars from a similar age to the fiat, belkits do a few, and while they dont have engines they are very nicely detailed