Your favorite manufacturer of 1/24 kits

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Greg Myers said:

Why is it so hard to read the original post and respond? 

1/24th scale. not 1/25th. 

Reading comprehension seems to be a lost skill, Greg. Sigh. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Greg Myers said:

Why is it so hard to read the original post and respond? 

1/24th scale. not 1/25th. 

Because I don't think most of us thought that the question was designed to be that specific.

If we're only talking about 1/24th scale, that eliminates quite a few manufacturers.

Let's ask the OP.

Is this discussion supposed to be limited to only 1/24th scale?

 

Steve

[mike 51]

LOL sigh indeed! 

 Tamiya by far!

[StevenGuthmiller]

If we're talking only 1/24th scale, I'm basically not interested in any of them.

 

Steve

Edited March 21, 2019 by StevenGuthmiller

[RichCostello]

27 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

If we're talking only 1/24th scale, I'm basically not interested in any of them.

 

Steve

I agree, some of us do not deal with 1/24 scale kits.

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

If we're talking only 1/24th scale, I'm basically not interested in any of them.

 

Steve

If a subject is available in both scales, I prefer the 1/25, unless the 1/24 kit is a LOT better. I'll try to think of an example. Might take me a while. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

If a subject is available in both scales, I prefer the 1/25, unless the 1/24 kit is a LOT better. I'll try to think of an example. Might take me a while. 

Right.

Unless you're interest is foreign cars, there are basically only a handful of Monogram 1/24th scale kits, most of which can be substituted with better examples in 1/25th scale.

 

Steve

[RichCostello]

3 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Right.

Unless you're interest is foreign cars, there are basically only a handful of Monogram 1/24th scale kits, most of which can be substituted with better examples in 1/25th scale.

 

Steve

The only one I've really wanted, but never found is a 69 Superbee in 1/25, so I could build the one I had back in my youth.

[StevenGuthmiller]

6 minutes ago, RichCostello said:

The only one I've really wanted, but never found is a 69 Superbee in 1/25, so I could build the one I had back in my youth.

And even in that case, MPC did a '69 Coronet R/T in 1/25th scale.

Granted, not an easy one to find, but it lends itself to many more modification possibilities than the Monogram kit.

 

Steve

[RichCostello]

2 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

And even in that case, MPC did a '69 Coronet R/T in 1/25th scale.

Granted, not an easy one to find, but it lends itself to many more modification possibilities than the Monogram kit.

 

Steve

I'd love to find one of those, but even if I did, I don't have that kind of money.

[89AKurt]

This is a loaded question, because it depends on the subject one prefers spending precious time on.  It's also subjective, some cars are not available with other brands.  But I will give a run-down, with comments:

Tamiya: Almost always perfect engineering fit, not too many parts, recent kits have nice stick-on chrome emblems, and photo-etch optional parts.  Always accurate bodies.  Sometimes a drawback is curbside with no engine or opening doors and hoods.

Fujimi: Great fit, more detail and in the case of the Enthusiast series almost too many parts.  Bodies mostly accurate.  But their curbside kits can be below average.

Italeri:  Generally average, flashing can be pronounced.

Hasegawa:  For Japanese, they are average, but depends on how old the kit is, and curbside or not.

Bel:  I have only the Audi Quattro, not built, but looks like above average quality.

Monogram: I consider most of their kits a little above average.  There are some neat cars in the 80s, but super simple curbside.

Revell: Average depending on the kit, but sometimes detail is bad.  Their 240Z glass is horrible (for example).

AMT: I generally don't like their quality.  The old kits can have a lousy fit, require more work to de-flash, too thick if the parts are supposed to be tiny.  But I have a stack of them, because the subject is interesting for me, such as the '72 Chevy pickup which I have 4 now, and the '50 Chevy pickup is their best effort (IMHO) and I have built three and have a WIP (Canopy Express).  Just because I owned a '48 5 window, a '69 long bed, and currently have a '68 robbing attention.

IMC: No wonder they went out of business! 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, 89AKurt said:

This is a loaded question, because it depends on the subject one prefers spending precious time on.  It's also subjective, some cars are not available with other brands.  But I will give a run-down, with comments:

Tamiya: Almost always perfect engineering fit, not too many parts, recent kits have nice stick-on chrome emblems, and photo-etch optional parts.  Always accurate bodies.  Sometimes a drawback is curbside with no engine or opening doors and hoods.

Fujimi: Great fit, more detail and in the case of the Enthusiast series almost too many parts.  Bodies mostly accurate.  But their curbside kits can be below average.

Italeri:  Generally average, flashing can be pronounced.

Hasegawa:  For Japanese, they are average, but depends on how old the kit is, and curbside or not.

Bel:  I have only the Audi Quattro, not built, but looks like above average quality.

Monogram: I consider most of their kits a little above average.  There are some neat cars in the 80s, but super simple curbside.

Revell: Average depending on the kit, but sometimes detail is bad.  Their 240Z glass is horrible (for example).

AMT: I generally don't like their quality.  The old kits can have a lousy fit, require more work to de-flash, too thick if the parts are supposed to be tiny.  But I have a stack of them, because the subject is interesting for me, such as the '72 Chevy pickup which I have 4 now, and the '50 Chevy pickup is their best effort (IMHO) and I have built three and have a WIP (Canopy Express).  Just because I owned a '48 5 window, a '69 long bed, and currently have a '68 robbing attention.

IMC: No wonder they went out of business! 

You forgot MPC and Johan.

Two of my favorites.

Yeah, I know, they no longer exist, and they were pretty simplified for the most part.

But they had a lot of great subject matter, and in general, at least the bodies were beautifully proportioned.

 

 

Steve

 

Edited March 21, 2019 by StevenGuthmiller

[Greg Myers]

15 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Reading comprehension seems to be a lost skill, Greg. Sigh. 

Which seems quite evident in most of the responses here.

[Ahajmano]

I don't mind hearing from people on both 1/24 or 1/25  

It just so happens I almost exclusively build Japanese, so I build 1/24 

[Matt Bacon]

45 minutes ago, Greg Myers said:

Which seems quite evident in most of the responses here.

Yeah, like most posts on this board stay _exactly_ on topic all the time... 

Come on guys... for most of us in the rest of the world 1/24 and 1/25 are pretty much interchangeable (they are not 1/43, 1/32, 1/16 or 1/8th) and we'll build one, the other or both, like I do. The difference in size between the average period US car and European or Japanese protoypes is big enough that it doesn't make much difference to me in the display cabinet. I'm highly unlikely to build both a 1/24 and 1/25 version of the exact same thing and display them side by side (except possibly an E-Type, since I already built the Revell(GB) tooled XK-E convertible, which is 1/25, and I have Heller and Gunze 1/24ths in the stash).

I seem to remember Tim Boyd's Muscle Car kits book has some very positive things to say about some of the Monogram 1/24 Detroit iron (and a Monogram tooling is the only way you're ever going to get a Aston Martin DB4 or Maserati 3500GT). I'd say in the  late 60s, 70s and early 80s, Monogram was amongst the very best kit makers in the world, across a wide range of "real" subjects. It's taken decades for some of their tooling to be surpassed, and some of it still hasn't been, even though it has to show up in Revell boxes these days...

Seems it turns out that OP wasn't trying to restrict the question, anyway...

best,

M.

[89AKurt]

12 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

You forgot MPC and Johan.

Two of my favorites.

Yeah, I know, they no longer exist, and they were pretty simplified for the most part.

But they had a lot of great subject matter, and in general, at least the bodies were beautifully proportioned.

Since I have never bought one of either, I have no opinion.

I forgot about Aoshima.  The VW Beetle I got is lousy with the interior, otherwise decent average.  The new Pagani and Lamborghinis are really nice, but I haven't built them.

Looks like someone needs to start a new topic, just for the rivet counters, 1/25 ONLY OR YOU WILL BE SHOT FOR DARING TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ANOTHER SCALE. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, Ahajmano said:

I don't mind hearing from people on both 1/24 or 1/25  

It just so happens I almost exclusively build Japanese, so I build 1/24 

The boss has spoken!

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, 89AKurt said:

Since I have never bought one of either, I have no opinion.

Fair enough.

Personally, Johan is one of my absolute favorites.

Not only for the accurate bodies, but also for the extremely unusual subject matter.

Without them, there would be almost zero full sized 50s and 60s Chryslers, Oldsmobiles, Cadillacs, Plymouths, Dodges and AMC cars.

 

Moebius is also quite innovative in the "likely to never be seen in kit form" category.

I don't think that there would have been much of a chance of seeing the Chrysler 300 or Hudson kits without them.

Not to mention the Ford truck kits.

 

 

Steve

[Matt Bacon]

30 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Moebius is also quite innovative in the "likely to never be seen in kit form" category.

What's Moebius up to on the auto front these days? Anybody got any ideas?

best,

M.

Edited March 21, 2019 by Matt Bacon

[StevenGuthmiller]

10 minutes ago, Matt Bacon said:

What's Moebius up to on the auto front these days? Anybody got any ideas?

best,

M.

Right now it looks like several 1966 Ford truck kits and '62 Novas.

Have not heard of any other new kits yet.

 

Steve

[Mike999]

4 hours ago, Matt Bacon said:

I seem to remember Tim Boyd's Muscle Car kits book has some very positive things to say about some of the Monogram 1/24 Detroit iron (and a Monogram tooling is the only way you're ever going to get a Aston Martin DB4 or Maserati 3500GT).

I'm not sure how much it really matters, unless somebody is trying to swap parts.  But the Aston and Maserati are both 1/25 scale, not 1/24.  Their tooling originated with Aurora back in the Sixties, not Monogram.

[Matt Bacon]

37 minutes ago, Mike999 said:

But the Aston and Maserati are both 1/25 scale, not 1/24.  Their tooling originated with Aurora back in the Sixties

Doh! You’re right... I knew that, if I’d just engaged my brain. They’re a bit better shape wise than the E-Type and 250GTO, though the Maserati has a weird windscreen and the grille is off. One day, I’ll take another run at the Maserati and sort out the windscreen properly, instead of just fixing the top line. It’ll need a 3D printed screen, though...

best,

M.

[89AKurt]

Only because I received another one, Gunze Sangyo is the Japanese version of AMT.  They are the only kit of the Paris Dakar 959, which is a lousy rendition.  I now have the High-Tech and not-tech of the '56 VW Beetle.

[Richard Bartrop]

19 hours ago, Mike999 said:

I'm not sure how much it really matters, unless somebody is trying to swap parts.  But the Aston and Maserati are both 1/25 scale, not 1/24.  Their tooling originated with Aurora back in the Sixties, not Monogram.

Even then, parts from the right kits will swap just fine.   In practice 1/24 and 1/25 can mean anything from 1/23 to 1/26,  so as usual, some people seem determined to argue over nothing.

[Greg Myers]

Monogram