What is with the 50s?

[50smania]

Does anybody know if there is going to be any 50s model cars coming out? I think I have every 50s car model they came out with in the last 20 years. Not the same models all the time. I would love to see a Tucker Torpedo or any early 50s. I also would like to see some 50s concept cars.

[Harry P.]

Does anybody know if there is going to be any 50s model cars coming out? I think I have every 50s car model they came out with in the last 20 years. Not the same models all the time. I would love to see a Tucker Torpedo or any early 50s. I also would like to see some 50s concept cars.

Tucker wasn't 50s, it was 1948, and there's a resin kit available from Modelhaus.

[george 53]

50's I THINK the main problem is that the 50's are just TOO long ago to be mainstream anymore. 32 Fords ARE the quintessential Hot Rod, thus their popularity. There are just TOO MANY 50's cars that would be popular, an the model co.s can't afford to pop what they DON'T know what would sell. I myself am a 60's Muscle Car person, cas THAT'S what I know. Some of the older guys would LOVE to see some 50's models, but WHICH ones! I did buy the 57 Chrysler, 58 Edsel, an so on, but only cas if I DON'T they just might NOT pop anything else from that era, an bein a model guy, I wanna see as many NEW kits as they can make! I just don't think a 55 Pontiac Starchief or Plymouth Savoy is on their list of good sellers. I'D buy a coupla each, but I don't make the decisions on what they pop. But I do like those cars, and they're BOTH available in resin. Oh, an could you PLEASE add your name to your sig? It makes for much friendlier conversation.

[Harry P.]

Check these guys out... tons of 50s models, but the problem (big problem) is they have no photos of the kits.

http://www.modelhaus.com/index.php?kit=1

However, they do have a solid reputation for quality products, they're generally thought of as one of the best in the (resin) business, if not the best.

[BigGary]

Check these guys out... tons of 50s models, but the problem (big problem) is they have no photos of the kits.

http://www.modelhaus.com/index.php?kit=1

You will also find many 50s cars & trucks done by resin casters. Sites like Jimmy Flintsone Studios, Resin realm (R&R), Star Models, etc. have many 50s cars. & custom variations. You have to want them real bad though, because of the prices. Jimmy Flintstone's prices are pretty good for just bodies, but kits are always expensive.

Gary

[george 53]

Check these guys out... tons of 50s models, but the problem (big problem) is they have no photos of the kits.

http://www.modelhaus.com/index.php?kit=1

However, they do have a solid reputation for quality products, they're generally thought of as one of the best in the (resin) business, if not the best.

Harry, If you haven't seen anything from Motor City Resins, or Missing Link, your in for a BIG surprise! They may not have as much variety of kits as Modelhaus(YET), but the QUALITY of their stuff'll give the Modelhaus a run for their money ANY DAY!!! I personally feel that they are among the BEST in the resin casting buisness an they are BOTH GREAT guys to deal with! Like I said, they MAY NOT have as wide a selection of kits, but they are EVERY BIT as good, if NOT BETTER than ANYONE else out there! You REALLY should check them out, their castings are FLAWLESS!!!!

Edited October 13, 2009 by george 53

[Harry P.]

Harry, If you haven't seen anything from Motor City Resins, or Missing Link, your in for a BIG surprise! They may not have as much variety of kits as Modelhaus(YET), but the QUALITY of their stuff'll give the Modelhaus a run for their money ANY DAY!!!

Neither of them have any '50s models... that's what we're looking for here.

[george 53]

I know, I can read. But to say that the Modelhaus is the BEST just ain't true anymore.

[Harry P.]

I know, I can read. But to say that the Modelhaus is the BEST just ain't true anymore.

That's not my personal opinion, that's the reputation they have. I just thought I'd mention that, because they don't have any photos on their website, so if you buy from them you're sort of buying blind. I figured that mentioning they have a great reputation would make up for the lack of photos.

If it was me, I'd add photos of every kit. I don't understand why they don't have pictures on their site.

[george 53]

I know, caz they REALLY DO have some GREAT kits! But whats the difference 'tween a 55 Pontiac anna 56? Pics would REALLY be a big help! As far as the 60's kits go, I CAN remember what they look like, but I DO get tripped up on the 50's kits, caz if a relative or my Dad didn't own one, I'm kinda in the dark 'bout what they looked like!

[Harry P.]

I'm thinking that at between $60-100 a kit, there should be a photo of what you're getting! That's a lot of money to ask a person to fork over sight unseen.

[Custom Hearse]

I'm thinking that at between $60-100 a kit, there should be a photo of what you're getting! That's a lot of money to ask a person to fork over sight unseen.

Jimmy Flintstone is getting the same way. They have pics of some of their merchandise, but it seems like anything new they come out with is not photographed...

[Eshaver]

To tell you the truth , the Motorama cars of the 1950's have never really been a big hit at least for me . I spent two and a half years just building a model of the L'Universalle Van from General Motors truck in the 1955 . I also started doing the Buick Wildcat II but I never finished it . No body ever really gave the van a second look . Palmer did the Buick Lasabre in I think 1959. I'ts in 1-25thj scale and actually pretty good considering Palmers misguided reputation as a kit manufacturer . Revell did the Lincon Futura ( TV BATMOBILE ) and the 55 pontiac Club De Mer. I M C did the Ford Cougar II , Mustang II and you can get them now from Linburg . I sure wont say people are lining up to buy them though . Experimental cars really have a niche audence .

You take the Mako Shark II that M P C did in 1969 , that kit had everything but the kitchen sink ! They wound up re- tooing it into some kind of kid custom just to he money of the tool . Sure , Id buy the kit if it were re- issued but I would buy ONE KIT , not a case as some do here .

Besides , you critisize the lack of fifties cars and Revell gives us the 56 Nomad wagon , a decent 57 Chevrolet sedan , a 56 Sedan , A M T did the Chrysler and the Edsel two times , once as a Gook wagen ! A M T has also had out the 56 Ford , not one of my favorites as I used to work on a 1-1 one . Monogram had a 55 Ford Panel delivery . Hey I easily made a model of my 53 Ford out of the Monogram 55 too .

If ya want it bad enpough , scratch build it ! Don't tell me ya can't caz I know if ya want it bad nuff, ya can ! Ed Shaver

[FloridaBoy]

I love 40's car, but I think history is against model car manufactuerers speculating on them because in my opinion, the high sellers are already taken, like the tri-five chevvies, etc, and the other factors are there are basically very few. To me the only potentially popular ones left are the 50-52 Buicks and Caddies, 56 Lincoln Continental (one of a kind), 52 Stude bullet nose, and a couple of others, but again, in my opinon would appeal to us hard core modelers, retro rodders, and restorers type, but not to the mainstream.

I would like to see a 50 Olds, plus the others listed above, but I am not waiting around. My first car ever at 15 was my dad's old 50 Pontiac flretline couple with a straight 8 and auto trans. The car was ok, but the interior stunk as I had to keep the windows up, and the mohair just seemed to collect mildew, but it was a classy looking car, but had to get rid of it before I got my drive alone license.

Remember there were fewer platforms of cars back then, fewer models, fewer selections and such. For example, it would be difficult to tell FoMoCo cars from 52 thru 54, as is GM, and the Chrysler Products were ugly tanks.

Thanks to classic car auctions like Barret Jackson, and shows like Pebble Beach, are we getting more appreciation of the "other brands" and perhaps at the start of a revitalized economy and with us guys spending more on models, maybe they will rekindle the old competition and start knocking out some of those really desired oldie goldies.

Can you see a low boy 53 Hudson with a Hemi? oh yeah........

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

[Zoom Zoom]

If it was me, I'd add photos of every kit. I don't understand why they don't have pictures on their site.

If it was you and you did that, you'd quickly realize why there is a very good reason for no photos. They run a very tight ship there, the work required to photograph every product would put them out of business in no time. They sell plenty of models to keep busy w/o photographs. Ditto Replicas & Miniatures. For small mom & pop operations, having a professional website with photos of the literally thousands of products they sell would cripple them from a financial and time standpoint. What you are asking for would make it easier to see the product, but at the same time you'd also start seeing a bunch of very annoyed customers on the 'net, mad because they didn't get their orders in a timely basis.

I know it may be annoying for those who haven't met them at shows and seen the products, but that's the way it is...they sell enough product that they have no need for a soup-to-nuts website, and there's no guarantee the extra work would generate more sales, and perhaps too many new sales to keep up with. I've seen Modelhaus products up close, they're one of few companies I can blindly rely on to have an excellent product, sight-unseen. I have bought/built many of their models through the years.

Smaller outfits with far fewer products have it easier to have photos...even a lot of them don't have much of a web presence.

Heck...Revell's website is relatively worthless for getting good photos/information for their models.

[Harry P.]

For small mom & pop operations, having a professional website with photos of the literally thousands of products they sell would cripple them from a financial and time standpoint....I've seen Modelhaus products up close, they're one of few companies I can blindly rely on to have an excellent product, sight-unseen.

First of all, they may offer thousands of products, but I'm talking specifically about model car kits. They don't offer thousands of model car kits, and at the price they go for (and I'm not saying they're not worth the price, not making a value judgement), I think a photo on the website is a perfectly reasonable expectation. So it might take them a few days to shoot each one and upload a photo... in the overall scheme of things is that really such a hardship? I don't think so. I think anyone who sells a product or products online owes it to the customer to have photos of the merchandise available on the website.

You may be one of the many people who have seen their products up close and personal, but how about all those people who never have? They're just supposed to buy, and hope for the best? I realize that Modelhaus products are among the best available, but I see no real reason why they don't have a photo of each kit. Many other aftermarket outfits do.

[Zoom Zoom]

First of all, they may offer thousands of products, but I'm talking specifically about model car kits. They don't offer thousands of model car kits, and at the price they go for (and I'm not saying they're not worth the price, not making a value judgement), I think a photo on the website is a perfectly reasonable expectation. So it might take them a few days to shoot each one and upload a photo... in the overall scheme of things is that really such a hardship? I don't think so. I think anyone who sells a product or products online owes it to the customer to have photos of the merchandise available on the website.

You may be one of the many people who have seen their products up close and personal, but how about all those people who never have? They're just supposed to buy, and hope for the best? I realize that Modelhaus products are among the best available, but I see no real reason why they don't have a photo of each kit. Many other aftermarket outfits do.

Here's an idea; give them a call and ask them why they don't have photos of their kits. They're very nice folks, they'll give you an honest answer. Maybe you could get an invite for a MCM field trip to Decatur and see the operation for yourself, and do an article. I think it would be very educational, for you and the readers

[charlie8575]

Here's an idea; give them a call and ask them why they don't have photos of their kits. They're very nice folks, they'll give you an honest answer. Maybe you could get an invite for a MCM field trip to Decatur and see the operation for yourself, and do an article. I think it would be very educational, for you and the readers

I think that would be very educational, and I'd love to see that article. It's worth a shot.

Charlie Larkin

[Zoom Zoom]

Here is a link to John Sharisky's Fotki album; he has photos/inserts for a lot of Modelhaus stuff:

John Sharisky's Fotki Album (Modelhaus)

Here is a link to another Fotki album of unbuilt resin models, specifically to show people the kits because often there are no photographs on websites for the kits.

jhawksley's Fotki Album of Resin Kits

[charlie8575]

Thanks, Bob!

Is Promolite still in business? I've heard of them off and on, and I have thing for '59 Buicks.

Charlie Larkin

[Guest Gramps-xrds]

First of all, they may offer thousands of products, but I'm talking specifically about model car kits. They don't offer thousands of model car kits, and at the price they go for (and I'm not saying they're not worth the price, not making a value judgement), I think a photo on the website is a perfectly reasonable expectation. So it might take them a few days to shoot each one and upload a photo... in the overall scheme of things is that really such a hardship? I don't think so. I think anyone who sells a product or products online owes it to the customer to have photos of the merchandise available on the website.

You may be one of the many people who have seen their products up close and personal, but how about all those people who never have? They're just supposed to buy, and hope for the best? I realize that Modelhaus products are among the best available, but I see no real reason why they don't have a photo of each kit. Many other aftermarket outfits do.

Harry I totally agree with you on this one bud. I doubt it'd take more than an hr at most to snap a pic and upload it. I for one would only buy from someone that has pix available and not have to depend on someone else's opinion. Some ppl's opinion of a kit doesn't always co-inside with mine. No pix--no money.

[Art Anderson]

First of all, they may offer thousands of products, but I'm talking specifically about model car kits. They don't offer thousands of model car kits, and at the price they go for (and I'm not saying they're not worth the price, not making a value judgement), I think a photo on the website is a perfectly reasonable expectation. So it might take them a few days to shoot each one and upload a photo... in the overall scheme of things is that really such a hardship? I don't think so. I think anyone who sells a product or products online owes it to the customer to have photos of the merchandise available on the website.

You may be one of the many people who have seen their products up close and personal, but how about all those people who never have? They're just supposed to buy, and hope for the best? I realize that Modelhaus products are among the best available, but I see no real reason why they don't have a photo of each kit. Many other aftermarket outfits do.

A bit of a hypercritical statement, IMO. Don and Carol are a small group, Mom and Pop, with I believe, some part time help for packing orders, that sort of thing.

If you think they have a lot of extra time, think again--in resin, EVERY part is hand poured, and hand demolded, any flash cleaned off by hand. EVERY part to be plated has to be mounted on trees to send off to the plater, by hand. Every windshiled or back window that is needed is a hand operation using a vacuum former, by hand. Of all the aftermarket, resin casting is not only physically demanding, but also just about the most labor intensive there is.

In addition, there are new molds to be made, constantly, RTV rubber molds have a very short life, both in production, and in the "library" (RTV deteriorates even sitting on the shelf between runs). There are masters needing repair constantly, and new masters to be prepped for making molds (even though a master might be the work of a truly great modeler, there still can be work that needs to happen before molds are made.

All that said, I can vouch, personally, that a Modelhaus resin kit is as close to a quality styrene piece as it gets--painted, trimmed and built, it is quite hard to tell the difference. Their reputation for high quality work has made them the standard of the model car aftermarket, the benchmark that every other resin caster uses (at least those who give a ###### about their product!).

While it would be nice to see Modelhaus have an illustrated website, knowning the Holthaus' as I do, when they have a lead time of 4-6 weeks in a lot of cases, they cannot see taking time away from all the production processes they go through to do that. In addition, they have always been very careful about overpromoting their vast line of products, simply because their's is a full time job (more than full time!) for the both of them, and their's is not a business where you just go out and hire any Tom, Dick or Harry to step in, start pouring resin--each piece has the potential to be a "gotta hold your mouth right" proposition. Don and Carol know that their reputation is on the line with every piece they sell, from a pair of clear red taillight lenses (which is where they started almost 30 years ago, as restoration parts for old promo's and 3in1 kits, to chrome parts (they make thousands of those monthy, and have for a couple of decades now), to full kits.

So to "insist" that they need to take a website, or their print catalog "to that next level" seriously comes across as unwarranted criticism in my book.

At the shows they attend, the crowd around their tables isn't a crowd of gawkers, it's a crowd of buyers, with cash in hand, and many of those are newbies to the hobby of building resin kits. In short, they would not be the largest in the field, nor would they have as huge a line as they have developed, nor would they have the international reputation they have, were their stuff not as great as it is.

There are times when "word of mouth" is about the only reference needed, and that the Modelhaus has earned, and earned in spades.

Art

[SSNJim]

The problem with not having pictures has nothing to do with the quality of the castings; no one will argue that it is difficult to ascertain quality from a catalog/internet photo. The problem is with customs and phantoms in particular. Everyone knows what a stock '54 Ford looks like. What does a "Custom 49 Mercury" or "Corvette Wagon" look like? The Custom 49 Mercury is like getting a grab bag; lord only knows what you'll get....

After spending all that time hand pouring and hand demolding EVERY part, cleaning off any flash by hand. mounting by hand EVERY part to be plated on trees to send off to the plater, vacuum forming every windshield or back window that is needed via a hand operation, and walking to school uphill both ways, you'd think a caster could be bothered to find 5 minutes to take one or two pictures of at least each custom product sometime during the production run. Between batches while the next batch is curing would be a perfect time. Where would Sears be if they had printed catalogs without pictures?

It is blatantly obvious from this and other topics that both model companies and the aftermarket can do no wrong. I just know that I haven't spent my usual $100/mo on models in the last year or so. I'd be surprised if I had spent $100 this past year. Money or time isn't any problem for me. What do you think is?

[Harry P.]

So to "insist" that they need to take a website, or their print catalog "to that next level" seriously comes across as unwarranted criticism in my book.

Art

What are you guys smoking???!!!

Unwarranted criticism? Huh????

I'd prefer that you not put words into my mouth or "quote" things that I never said. No one "insisted" on anything. All I said is that for the price their kits go for, a photo of the product on the site is not an unreasonable expectation. I'm not slamming Modelhaus... heck, I was the one that pointed out that they have a reputation as one of the best in the business! Apparently some of you suffer from "Selective Reading Syndrome."

I can't believe how many of you are jumping all over me for stating the obvious... a company that sells products online should have photos of the product on the website. Is that some sort of crazy, lunatic-fringe, unreasonable demand???

They're "too busy" to do it? Hire some college kid with a camera and let him do it. "Too busy" to upload the photos? The same college kid (or another one) can do it. They're "afraid" that if there are photos on the website that they'll be overwhelmed with orders??? Well, in my book more business is a good thing, but if they want to keep their business down to what they feel is a comfortable level, fine... they can always respond to any orders that overwhelm them with a simple "Thank you for your interest, but our current production schedule makes it impossible to fulfill new orders at this time." The point isn't that they are so successful that they don't need new customers, the point is customers would like to see what their $60-70-80+ is getting them.

To all of you people who know Don and Carol personally, or who know of the quality of their products because you've seen them in person or bought before, that's great... for you. But for all the people who have never bought a Modelhaus kit, is it really that crazy to think that a photo of each kit along with the written description would be a welcome addition to the site? That idea puts me in "unwarranted criticism" land???

Come on, guys, really.

[Harry P.]

In short, they would not be the largest in the field, nor would they have as huge a line as they have developed, nor would they have the international reputation they have, were their stuff not as great as it is.

Art

Sorry, I missed that part. Could you please show me where in my post I ever said anything to the contrary?