“Glue bomb” vs. Nice Restorable vs. Old/New kit?

[keyser]

Since discussion in real photos of “glue bombs” thread turned into philosophy class, let’s talk which you like. Not why each choice better than another. 
I hate the term “gluebomb”. Really only applies to hooptie all accessories from kit glued on or glass putting divots in roof. Or trim sanded off, etc. Think parts car at best

Restorables are assembled kits with poor build quality, but all there. Like an ok barn find not a filthy rust heap. Fairly complete, may need pillar or vent window, but glass/chrome/trim ok, or at least saveable. 
 

Old/new kit speaks for itself. But older kits don’t mean common stuff for purpose of this discussion. 
Post pics in glue bomb thread mostly? Have fun. 

[stitchdup]

I prefer unassembled or slightly started kits but if theres something I'm after and can only get a built up I go for that. I got a nicely built cord kit for dirt cheap as the axles were rusted and splitting the wheel mounts but everything I need was in decent shape and I'm sure I can save the wheels as all that damage is on the backs. Since a lot of what I like to build is customized, a lot of the time it doesn't really matter what I start with either but if I am starting with an unbuilt kit I save the parts I dont need because someone else here might need those parts. I know I've helped a few folk with my old or rare parts I've had left over or will have left over and folk have helped me out too. I think theres more satisfaction when you start with something rough rather than new but that might just be me. For the most part as long as the body parts, dash, front n rear glass and chassis are there I can raid the boxes for the rest.

[Snake45]

Thanks for the new thread! 

I got into glue bombs/restorables because the old kits I wanted to build just weren't available in my price range--GBs were all I could afford. 

I'm a little better off $-wise these days, but discovered along the way that I actually like turning a wretched or unloved old pile of styrene into something fit to sit on my shelf. For a long time I wouldn't buy a "restorable" of anything that was still in production or commonly available, but I've broken that rule a few times in the last year or two. I still won't bother with a common kit that requires extensive work, but if it's something that has "good bones"--it's complete and I think I can work with or fix the paint job--and I think I can get it on my shelf in 6-10 hours (as opposed to 40+ for a new kit full build), and it's a subject I'm at least marginally interested in (but maybe not interested enough to put 40 hours into), and it's only a few bucks, heck, I'm in. 

Yesterday I finished my 58th glue bomb "rescue" of a model someone else built (there are a couple full-effort complete rebuilds in that total, but most are just "rescues"), and I've also done another 11 of my teenage builds. 

And now, the often-forgotten factor of having FUN. Way too many of us (including me) can get just WAY too far into this modeling thing and forget why we started doing it in the first place, which was to have FUN. When I start on a new kit I've just spent $30+ on, I have a tendency to feel like I have to build it PERFECT, because I know I'm capable of it. When something goes wrong or gets difficult somewhere along the line--and it almost always does, don'tcha know--I have the bad habit of throwing it all back in the box, chucking it on the Shelf of Doom, and looking for another shiny squirrel upon which to lavish my ADD attentions. That way lies misery. (I envy those of you who can start and work on one project until it's finished. I just don't have that gene.) With one of my glue bomb "rescue" projects, I can lighten up and have FUN, because I know going in that it's not gonna be perfect.  Perfection isn't the goal, improvement is, or "good enough," and with rapid, apparent progress. It's like being a kid again, when I could get a model together in one session, or a weekend, or (for a major project) a week. I've often said that if I can get one of my "rescues" to look as good as something I built in 1968 (my third year of car modeling), I'm happy; if I can get it to look like something I built in 1969 (my fourth year, when I was actually getting pretty good), I'm ecstatic. 

Here's one of my latest rescues, a common Monogram '70 Challenger, Before and After. Perfect? No. Good enough? Kinda. Fun? Oh hail yes! 

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by Snake45

[StevenGuthmiller]

This thread is more my speed.

While like most of us, I would rather start with a pristine kit, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find vintage un-started  kits for anything less than what most of us "builders" would consider ridiculous prices.

So the next best thing is a good restorable kit.

While still more difficult to find and more expensive than a typical "glue bomb", they're a heck of a lot easier to mold into a nice finished model.

In many cases, a restorable model can be almost as easy to return to glory as an unbuilt kit, as even the unbuilt ones will often need new chrome, etc, so if you can find the right restorable model that basically needs little more than a paint stripping, you're way ahead of the game.

I've been lucky enough over the years to be able to acquire some pretty rare kits that may have looked like a booger on the surface, but were true gems underneath, and for a very small fraction of the cost of a mint one.

 

This 1958 Ford was acquired on Ebay for a fair price, and was in exceptional condition, requiring very little work to restore.

I added a few Modelhaus parts, but other than that, it was built using basically what was sent to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

[Mark]

In most cases I'll start with an unbuilt, or in Fred Sterns' terminology, "slightly started" one.  Often one can be found with only the engine assembled, and maybe the body painted.  A poor paint job often stalls the effort and it goes back in the box.  Often any damaged engine or chassis parts can be replaced with identical ones from a later year or reissue kit.

The damaged or glue bomb kits are useful when you want to cut the thing up, or build an out-of-box custom or drag version which most people wouldn't do with an older kit.  

Example: the AMT '63 Mercury kit had a lot of neat custom parts, enough for two radical custom versions.  I found two started ones that were messed up to the point where they couldn't be assembled stock any more.  Everyone else passed on them because of that, but I wanted the custom versions.  Bonuses include being able to find replacement custom parts (few people used them), and for this particular car a lot of other replacement parts can be found in the (relatively) easy to find reissue '64 hardtop.  No easily restorable kits get hacked into customs, leaving those for the guys who want a stock one.  Win-win.

[Can-Con]

I like to build Customs so I'm always on the lookout for pre-built kits. 

IF I get a kit that still has intact emblems and scripts, I'll tend do leave it alone and stick to nice paint with lowering and a wheel/tire swap.

But if I have multiples or the scripts are already removed or damaged, then I go as far as I like. 

[mchook]

I love old buildups, glue bombs or whatever you want to call them. I end up making them look like junk but it's fun. Here's a few before & after pics.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Glue-bombs, throwaways, trash...it's all just source material.

Personally, I enjoy making something out of what some chimp has destroyed or given up on.

Case in point:

Still a WIP, but she's coming along nicely...(and I most likely wouldn't have built a radical custom from a pristine kit).

 

[Khils]

17 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Case in point

 I've never been big into customs Bill, but knowing what it originally is suppose to look like...I really like the direction you went with this one!!

...to quote  a very good friend on here.... Adapt, Improvise & Overcome! 

[Scott8950]

I enjoy rebuilding my only problem is I try to save them all ?

[NOBLNG]

The only one that I have restored is this ‘vette. All it needed was paint, foil, and a very tiny amount of detailing. Interior, engine and chassis were all quite nice. It is now one of the better models on my shelf.?

Edited October 1, 2021 by NOBLNG

[Tom Geiger]

As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to not take the hobby too serious. I won a bunch of trophies and plaques back in the day, and the thrill has long worn off.  In those days I was completing one or two a year.

Now a days I build for myself. I still put out an interesting model, I wire engines, pin everything together, make and add little detail bits. All that after market stuff I bought for “someday”, well it’s someday!

And quite frankly I just have to  please me! That gives me license to try things, take risks and just have fun. 

And I play with glue bombs because it’s pretty much like restoring old cars. I’ll have an old junker and it will speak to me. So I do something with it. 

Exhibit A - I bought this 53 Ford in a bag of junk to get another car. I dumped it in my big tub of 53-6 Ford pickup parts. Note I probably have a dozen of this kit. 

One day I was searching for something in that tub and I moved it out of the way, it wound up sitting on top of my TV.  I kept looking at it and thought it might be FUN to play with it a bit. After all I couldn’t hurt it!

And this is where we landed. I kept the essence of the old build but improved it greatly. I built another Desoto engine, wired and detailed it. And in the end it doesn’t look half bad. And I had fun.