I got to ask.

[Kyle.]

What is "Resin"? i have no clue.

I'm Very curious.

[Aaronw]

It is a plastic like material created through a chemical reaction. If you have ever used 2 part epoxy, resin works like that, two liquids that when mixed become a solid. If used in a mold it can be make model parts.

It is a popular method of making small run model parts because it can be done relatively cheaply with minimal specialized equipment.

[LDO]

To expand on what Aaron said, resin parts/kits are limited production pieces that would not be economically feasible for production by one of the big model companies. The molds are typically made of 2-part silicone and have a fairly limited life span.

You get just parts like Optima car batteries, wheels, tires, valve covers, complete engines,...the sky is the limit. There are also conversion kits, like a chop-top body for a kit that already exists. It saves you the trouble of chopping the top yourself. This is a Jimmy Flintstone '49 Ford with chopped top. About ten bucks and you supply the AMT '49 Ford kit.

There are complete curbside kits of all types. This is a Jimmy Flintstone kit of the Summers brothers "Goldenrod" land speed racer. IIRC, it's around 40 bucks.

Beyond conversion kits and curbside cars, you have complete kits like a Model Factory Hiro 1958 Ferrari Testa Rossa. It has an interior and engine, but other non-visible details are typically not present in model like this. This particular model is over 200 dollars. It's expensive, but for many kits like this, it's the only one available, or it's a lot better than a mass-produced kit. Hasegawa recently issued their own plastic '58 Testa Rossa, for about 170 bucks less.

Hmmm. I said at the beginning that the subjects are typically not feasible for mass-production by a big model company, then I mentioned that the '58TR is now available in styrene. To be fair, it did take 50 years for a kit, and it costs 57 bucks.

Oh yeah- I showed a couple of different Jimmy Flintstone offerings. They make a LOT of different bodies for rods and customs. Most of them go for about 10 bucks. If you want to give resin a try, it's a good way to get your feet wet. The quality is not the best , but I'd say they're about an 8.5 or 9 out of 10. If you have your heart set on some cool resin kit but you wonder about the quality, by all means ask in here before buying it. About 15 years ago I bought my first resin kit, a Can-Am car. That thing looked like it was made by a crack-smoking monkey.

Edited February 5, 2009 by LDO