Jo-Han question

[Venom]

Hi guys. Until I joined this forum I’d never even heard of Jo-Han, but they made some cool kits and so I’ve been keeping my eye out for something for a future build. (nothing specific) ...So I’m just wondering from those of you who have built at least several, how is their buildup quality? Do they often have fit problems, etc? Thanks!

[Ctmodeler]

Don't know much about johan, except that they are more expensive and collectible that others. Revell kits build up nicely 

[stitchdup]

They're comparable to older tool amt kits. The interiors are usually shallow but you cant really see that when they are built. They do kits nobody else does would seem to be their biggest appeal to me moreso than how they build. Dont expect tamiya and you'll be happy

[StevenGuthmiller]

Most Johan kits are pretty simple.

They are all toolings produced before the 80s and are therefore generally pretty basic, as most kits from that era were.

They usually consist of a slab chassis with all of the chassis components molded in, and depending on how old the kit is, the interiors are often 3 part affairs, (tub, dash and steering wheel) with some later kits having separate seats, console, etc, but with the exception of the '63 Turbine car kit, you won't find any highly detailed Johan kits.

They will generally go together very easily as you would expect any simplified kit from that era if you're using all of the original parts, but being as Johan bodies were so beautifully crafted, they're a prime candidates for kit bashing in my opinion.

A modern kit chassis and engine will transform a Johan kit into something that can rival the newest modern kit from any of the other manufacturers.

As Les stated above, the huge appeal for these kits for me is the fantastic subject matter produced exclusively by Johan.

You will find little else available if you're interested in 60s Caddy's, Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, Dodges and Chryslers, and most of the AMC cars available are almost entirely exclusive to Johan.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited August 1, 2021 by StevenGuthmiller

[thatz4u]

44 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Most Johan kits are pretty simple.

They are all toolings produced before the 80s and are therefore generally pretty basic, as most kits from that era were.

They usually consist of a slab chassis with all of the chassis components molded in, and depending on how old the kit is, the interiors are often 3 part affairs, (tub, dash and steering wheel) with some later kits having separate seats, console, etc, but with the exception of the '63 Turbine car kit, you won't find any highly detailed Johan kits.

They will generally go together very easily as you would expect any simplified kit from that era if you're using all f the original parts, but being as Johan bodies were so beautifully crafted, they're a prime candidates for kit bashing in my opinion.

A modern kit chassis and engine will transform a Johan kit into something that can rival the newest modern kit from any of the other manufacturers.

As Les stated above, the huge appeal for these kits for me is the fantastic subject matter produced exclusively by Johan.

You will find little else available if you're interested in 60s Caddy's, Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, Dodges and Chryslers, and most of the AMC cars available are almost entirely exclusive to Johan.

 

 

 

 

Steve

or if you like 71 Comet or Mavericks...

[Richard Bartrop]

Like any other kitmaker, they vary.  The early ones are pretty rudimentary, though all the right shapes are there.  The Rambler and Toronado kits have nice engines.  At the other extreme are their Classic car kits, and the Chrysler Turbine car, which are still some of the nicest car kits ever made.

[Venom]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Most Johan kits are pretty simple.

They are all toolings produced before the 80s and are therefore generally pretty basic, as most kits from that era were.

They usually consist of a slab chassis with all of the chassis components molded in, and depending on how old the kit is, the interiors are often 3 part affairs, (tub, dash and steering wheel) with some later kits having separate seats, console, etc, but with the exception of the '63 Turbine car kit, you won't find any highly detailed Johan kits.

They will generally go together very easily as you would expect any simplified kit from that era if you're using all f the original parts, but being as Johan bodies were so beautifully crafted, they're a prime candidates for kit bashing in my opinion.

A modern kit chassis and engine will transform a Johan kit into something that can rival the newest modern kit from any of the other manufacturers.

As Les stated above, the huge appeal for these kits for me is the fantastic subject matter produced exclusively by Johan.

You will find little else available if you're interested in 60s Caddy's, Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, Dodges and Chryslers, and most of the AMC cars available are almost entirely exclusive to Johan.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Thanks for the response guys ... Steve you answered everything I could’ve asked, thank you! Yes, in thoughts of some future builds I’d likely be interested in, it seems Jo-Han has some of the more interesting body styles available. I’m aware they are out of business and most modelers probably horde them like crazy... I would! .... I do some searches on eBay and see most of them are high price now. It’s truely a bummer that there really isn’t anyone putting out the variety of classics that they did🙁 ......Thanks again

 

 

[Mark]

Speaking of Classic car kits, Jo-Han did a few of them, too: V16 Cadillacs and mid-Thirties Mercedes-Benz.  Theirs are among the best ever made in 1/24-1/25 scale (theirs are 1/25) and are the most affordable Jo-Han kits right now.  

[Oldcarfan27]

It's funny, when they were in business, their product lineup was pretty much ignored as being too boring, too odd and just not popular. 

Looking back, I wish I  would have bought more of them. In the 80s they were available for five dollars each. I bought the muscle cars and Cadillacs, but the early 60's Mopars were just too ugly for me to take seriously. Now I'd want to collect them all for the unique subjects that they are!

Like Steve said, the bodies were the strength of Johan. Once built, they looked exactly like the prototype from the outside. Fine engraving and lots of detail.

Ahh, if we could only go back in time.

[Bills72sj]

I am in agreement. The odd subjects make them very desirable after you have already obtained all the reissued mainstream kits. I just obtained an early 70's Mercury Comet. The body detail is quite nice. I have very few Jo-Han kits but want more. One of my holy grails is the Haulin' Hearse. It was one of the last models I built before I joined the Navy.

[1972coronet]

Back in the 90's , some of the Jo-Han kits were released under the Testors banner ; those kits were :

- 1969 AMX Pro Stock

- 1969 Rambler 'Pro Street'  

- 1971 Comet Pro Stock

- 1971 Barracuda Pro Stock

Keep your eyes open for those as well . Sometimes you'll find a seller whom doesn't know the kits' values under the Testors name , and you can find a deal compared to a Jo-Han release .

[Casey]

 

 

 

 

 

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi!

Having built my share of Johan kits in the 60's and in the last 5 years (nostalgia?), their bodies are so faithfull to the prototypes that it's sometimes hard to believe they were tooled in the 60's. Interior and platforms (chassis) were average, if not a bit less. Except their race cars and 30's classics, that were above average IMHO. 

I recently built 6 (68 Chrysler 300C, 70 Challenger Funny car, 72 Torino, 70 Eldorado. 64 Caddy convertible and a 68 Javelin), and for me it is either a simple curbside, or an ultra-detailed chassis/interior scratchbuilt to go along with the body shell. I'm happy in both circumstances. I never built them "box stock"!

CT 

[Straightliner59]

You might also consider their promo models, instead of actual kits, if you're interested in something like the AMX or Maverick. That's what I did. Like Claude, above, I figure to use them for either a curbside, slammer, or fully detailed, those provide a good starting point.

[iBorg]

Most Jo-Hans look have great bodies and engines. Under hood detail is like 1960's kits. Interior has nice touches but overall detail like door panels is lacking. Wheels and tires are nice for the time period. DON"T flip it over and look at the chassis. They're terrible. The classic cars like their Mercedes are exceptional.

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

I never built them "box stock"!

CT 

I built this '69 Road Runner box stock (with the possible exception of rear wheels/tires, I don't remember) back in 1969. It's a bit dirty/dusty today and looks like a real "barn find," but it's one of my favorite models from "back in the day." Might be about time to restore it to all its former glory. 

[Straightliner59]

9 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I built this '69 Road Runner box stock (with the possible exception of rear wheels/tires, I don't remember) back in 1969. It's a bit dirty/dusty today and looks like a real "barn find," but it's one of my favorite models from "back in the day." Might be about time to restore it to all its former glory. 

That looks cool, Snake! I built one back in the early '80s. I wish I still had it. I had taken it apart to redo it, and it disappeared,  somewhere over umpteen moves.

[Venom]

17 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Back in the 90's , some of the Jo-Han kits were released under the Testors banner ; those kits were :

- 1969 AMX Pro Stock

- 1969 Rambler 'Pro Street'  

- 1971 Comet Pro Stock

- 1971 Barracuda Pro Stock

Keep your eyes open for those as well . Sometimes you'll find a seller whom doesn't know the kits' values under the Testors name , and you can find a deal compared to a Jo-Han release .

Great tip John... Thanks!

 

14 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I built this '69 Road Runner box stock (with the possible exception of rear wheels/tires, I don't remember) back in 1969. It's a bit dirty/dusty today and looks like a real "barn find," but it's one of my favorite models from "back in the day." Might be about time to restore it to all its former glory. 

I like that Roadrunner, especially the mossy green... looks great with those rear rims and tires!👍

[Claude Thibodeau]

18 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I built this '69 Road Runner box stock (with the possible exception of rear wheels/tires, I don't remember) back in 1969. It's a bit dirty/dusty today and looks like a real "barn find," but it's one of my favorite models from "back in the day." Might be about time to restore it to all its former glory. 

Hi Snake!

Nice. It looks like a "day 2" muscle car, as we used to say about the usual "immediate" mods performed upon returning from the dealership. Memories...

CT

[Brutalform]

23 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I built this '69 Road Runner box stock (with the possible exception of rear wheels/tires, I don't remember) back in 1969. It's a bit dirty/dusty today and looks like a real "barn find," but it's one of my favorite models from "back in the day." Might be about time to restore it to all its former glory. 

This is just plain bad looking!! Sits right on all corners. Looks like a Plymouth factory color too. Nice model. 

[pack rat]

On 8/1/2021 at 10:20 PM, Snake45 said:

I built this '69 Road Runner box stock (with the possible exception of rear wheels/tires, I don't remember) back in 1969. It's a bit dirty/dusty today and looks like a real "barn find," but it's one of my favorite models from "back in the day." Might be about time to restore it to all its former glory. 

Love that RR Snake, a perfect period piece.

That paint has got to be AMT Surf Green lacquer, or a perfect match.  It was one of my favorite colors back in the day; AMT's version of Pontiac Verdoro Green.  I sooo miss those AMT lacquers!  

[Snake45]

On 8/2/2021 at 7:54 AM, Straightliner59 said:

That looks cool, Snake! I built one back in the early '80s. I wish I still had it. I had taken it apart to redo it, and it disappeared,  somewhere over umpteen moves.

 

20 hours ago, Venom said:

I like that Roadrunner, especially the mossy green... looks great with those rear rims and tires!👍

 

16 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

Hi Snake!

Nice. It looks like a "day 2" muscle car, as we used to say about the usual "immediate" mods performed upon returning from the dealership. Memories...

CT

 

11 hours ago, Brutalform said:

This is just plain bad looking!! Sits right on all corners. Looks like a Plymouth factory color too. Nice model. 

 

11 minutes ago, pack rat said:

Love that RR Snake, a perfect period piece.

That paint has got to be AMT Surf Green lacquer, or a perfect match.  It was one of my favorite colors back in the day; AMT's version of Pontiac Verdoro Green.  I sooo miss those AMT lacquers!  

Thanks for all the kind words, everyone! One of these days I hope to get around to building a new version of this model. I even have an original glue bomb '69 RR with the correct interior to use. 

Yes, the paint is AMT Surf Green, which as you say is a good match for Pontiac Verdoro Green. Seemed to be a reasonable match for Mopar F5 green, I believe it was called. I also painted my MPC '68 Firebird with that paint and I still have that one, too. 

My plan, someday, is to build a '69 Barracuda, another '69 Road Runner, and a '69 GTX all painted with MCW F5 paint. That should make a nice lineup! 

[Brutalform]

I have a Johan 62 Dart that I started a while back, but it’s just been sitting. I hope to get back on it soon. 
Here is a Johan 63 Plymouth with the Lindberg 64 Dodge suspension. Not perfect, but just to demonstrate how you can greatly improve the Johans undercarriage. 

[Venom]

2 hours ago, Brutalform said:

I have a Johan 62 Dart that I started a while back, but it’s just been sitting. I hope to get back on it soon. 
Here is a Johan 63 Plymouth with the Lindberg 64 Dodge suspension. Not perfect, but just to demonstrate how you can greatly improve the Johans undercarriage. 

Wow, that’s awesome!

[StevenGuthmiller]

I did the same with my '65 Fury.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve