Survivors/Gluebombs ??

[Kool Kat]

So, with the survivors/gluebombs  being popular right now, I have to ask. What makes a used model car purchase a survivor/gluebomb. Going to start looking so I thought it would be nice to know.

 

Kool Kat

[Casey]

 

[Oldcarfan27]

Any kit that's been built - usually badly, is considered a glue bomb.

Some are worse than others, it is easy to find hopeless cases - ones that are too badly messed up to restore, so beware.

Watch out for excessive amounts of glue around the windows, or holding parts in place. Also, watch out for freelance butchering, where parts have been completely hacked away to fit wheels, engines, custom parts, etc.

Because of their nature, don't pay a lot for them, most people consider them junk!

I personally love rebuilding old, rare glue bombs. It's the satisfaction of saving someone else's trash and making something better out of it.

I consider it repurposing or recycling, I'm doing my part to "save the planet" and keep that vintage kit out of the landfill!

[Snake45]

Both are old, built models. "Survivor" usually implies an older build (from the '50s, '60s, '70s, or maybe even '80s); "glue bomb" just means something not built as well as you think it could be. 

To me, a "survivor" is an old build that's in good enough condition that it deserves restoration to its previous state (perhaps improved a little) as a "time capsule" of the build era. A true "glue bomb" is fair game for more modification. 

Rare glue bombs are worth fully rebuilding to your highest standards and skills. Less rare ones aren't worth the time or trouble, though if they're in fairly good shape, and cheap, they're great fun to "rescue" and improve a little. Great quick, easy, cheap, FUN slump-busting projects. I get most of mine from a local monthly toy show. I won't pay over $10 for anything still in production, or that I could easily buy a new kit of off eBay for under $30. For rare or long OOP ones, I'll pay considerably more. 

For these $10 "rescue" projects, I first look for completeness--does the thing have all its needed parts, or if not, do I have the parts on had to fix it? I don't worry too much about engines, wheels, or tires; those things are easily replaced. I do want the whole body, hood, bumpers, grille, and usually head/tail lights and glass. Then I look at the finish on it. If painted, is the paint in good enough shape that I can polish it out or live with it as-is? If I have to strip off old paint and repaint the thing, I'd rather start with a new kit. (Rare models are worth paint stripping, of course.)

I did 16 survivor restorations and glue bomb rescues last year (2018). You can seen them all here--they're a good representation of what I'm talking about.  Hope this helps. 

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Snake45

[Mike999]

The kind of Survivor/Glue (and Dirt) Bombs I like to find.  I found all 4 of these together at a flea market.  Four 1960 AMT kits, with nearly all the custom parts and decals used (naturally!): Ford pickup with trailer, T-Bird, Corvair and Corvette.

At first I thought the Ford pickup was missing the stock tail lights. But they're glued onto the trailer.  All those parts in the trailer are stuff that just fell off the models, because the glue was so old.  The Ford pickup had all the "service" parts loose in the bed: gas cans, tool box etc.  None were glued down, which is very rare.  I sold the '60 Corvette on eBay, just because I wasn't very interested in it.  It had the clear hardtop glued firmly in place.

 

[thatz4u]

46 minutes ago, Mike999 said:

The kind of Survivor/Glue (and Dirt) Bombs I like to find.  I found all 4 of these together at a flea market.  Four 1960 AMT kits, with nearly all the custom parts and decals used (naturally!): Ford pickup with trailer, T-Bird, Corvair and Corvette.

At first I thought the Ford pickup was missing the stock tail lights. But they're glued onto the trailer.  All those parts in the trailer are stuff that just fell off the models, because the glue was so old.  The Ford pickup had all the "service" parts loose in the bed: gas cans, tool box etc.  None were glued down, which is very rare.  I sold the '60 Corvette on eBay, just because I wasn't very interested in it.  It had the clear hardtop glued firmly in place.

 

nice haul

[StevenGuthmiller]

44 minutes ago, Mike999 said:

The kind of Survivor/Glue (and Dirt) Bombs I like to find.  I found all 4 of these together at a flea market.  Four 1960 AMT kits, with nearly all the custom parts and decals used (naturally!): Ford pickup with trailer, T-Bird, Corvair and Corvette.

At first I thought the Ford pickup was missing the stock tail lights. But they're glued onto the trailer.  All those parts in the trailer are stuff that just fell off the models, because the glue was so old.  The Ford pickup had all the "service" parts loose in the bed: gas cans, tool box etc.  None were glued down, which is very rare.  I sold the '60 Corvette on eBay, just because I wasn't very interested in it.  It had the clear hardtop glued firmly in place.

 

These are good examples of a glue bomb.

To me, this is what I would call a survivor.

 

Steve

 

 

 

[pack rat]

I think the gluebomb/survivor definition differs depending on who you're asking.

From my own stash....a red/white gluebomb and a black survivor.

[Oldcarfan27]

3 hours ago, Snake45 said:

 I won't pay over $10 for anything still in production, or that I could easily buy a new kit of off eBay for under $30. For rare or long OOP ones, I'll pay considerably more. 

Wow Snake, I must be cheaper than a cheapskate! I wouldn't pay more than a couple bucks for current issue glue bombs. The most I've ever paid for a decent buildup was around $35 for a rarer 60s car and that was because it was a copy of my dads real car. I turned down a built 68 Chevy pickup because it was $45. It was ok clean but not perfect, I can't get myself to let go of my money easily for plastic.

But, to each his own. 

[Tom Geiger]

4 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Both are old, built models. "Survivor" usually implies an older build (from the '50s, '60s, '70s, or maybe even '80s); "glue bomb" just means something not built as well as you think it could be. 

To me, a "survivor" is an old build that's in good enough condition that it deserves restoration to its previous state (perhaps improved a little) as a "time capsule" of the build era. A true "glue bomb" is fair game for more modification. 

Saved me some typing!  Good explanation!

Add to this, "Olde Kustoms",  which are old builds that capture the essence of that time in modeling history.  Nicely done, obviously not to contemporary standards but very cool for what they represent.  These survivors deserve to be restored or just cleaned up since they are the folk art of our youth!

 

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Tom Geiger

[Spex84]

Glue bombs are apparently solid gold, according to current Ebay prices Blows me away to see so many pieces of common junk being sold for new-kit prices. It's supply and demand, so somebody out there must be buying them!!

I'm currently cleaning up a glue-bomb AMT '28 Tudor. I got lucky and didn't pay stupid money for it.

I love those old customs, Tom. Every so often I see really good ones for sale online--lots of replicas of the "Crusader" seem to turn up. I haven't purchased any yet (I have enough projects) but if the prices was right (read: really low) then I might!

[Oldcarfan27]

41 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

Wow, that's cool! A 32 Ford with, what looks like, 36 Ford or Auburn fenders. That gives me some ideas, I like it. This design holds up.

Can you pm me more pics of this car Tom?

[Phirewriter]

If you like these and don't have an aversion to Facebook you really need to check out the Scale Survivors page. Really neat stuff posted there!

[Kool Kat]

Hey, THANKS every one. Learn something new every day here.. So as Snake said " Both are old, built models. "Survivor" usually implies an older build (from the '50s, '60s, '70s, or maybe even '80s) . then I have a whole display case of 80's survivors!!

 

Thanks again,