Kit of the decade

[Janne Herajärvi]

AMT new Challengers maybe? Or some Heller?

My votes goes for Revell `49 Mercury, `07 Shelby GT500 and `69 Nova etc.

About those Tamiya kits... I dont care buying them because they dont have engines, well some of them have but not all. Engine is best part of building progress so i want that my model kits have engine! Quality in Tamiya kits are maybe best, but without engines they are mostly junk for me.

[wgflatliner]

AMT new Challengers maybe? Or some Heller?

My votes goes for Revell `49 Mercury, `07 Shelby GT500 and `69 Nova etc.

About those Tamiya kits... I dont care buying them because they dont have engines, well some of them have but not all. Engine is best part of building progress so i want that my model kits have engine! Quality in Tamiya kits are maybe best, but without engines they are mostly junk for me.

actually most of the tamiya kits do include the motor, a select few platforms don't.

but yeah i agree - the engine is the life of the car, so why not include it in all kits? maybe it's due to copyrighting issues or something from the manufacturers?

[LoneWolf15]

Hokay !,

My two cents , for what it is worth ! Revells ' 41 Willys . It just seemed to me that once they released this kit , everything just fell into place . The kits that followed the Willys were all done well and were enjoyable to build . Yes , there were some issues with this or that with the purists , but , then again , are'nt there always ? I cannot say much along the lines of the foreign kits as they are not my cup of tea .

I was thrilled to see AMT release all of the vintage kits that they did . I was able to build kits that I had wanted to from way back when . Ya'll can argue the fine points all you want , I'm just happy that we still have kits being offered , whether new releases or repops , it just does'nt matter. My inner child is at peace with itself..... For the moment !

The Old Man

[Harold]

And the nominees are.... (envelope, please)

Revell 2006 Mustang

Revell '49 Merc

Revell '58 Chevy (now if they'd just do a '58 Bonneville )

AMT '57 Chrysler 300C (it came out in '00)

And I know I'm gonna hear some fack from this, but I think the Trumpeter Monte Carlo, for all its flaws (mainly the 'engine') should be in the running for Imported KOTD. The parts breakdown is mind- blowing, and the car builds up rather well. Except for the fact that the wheel openings are too large (which then requires a bit of surgery to get the wheelwells where they belong), it represents its subject nicely. Besides, how many manufacturers have tooled up a late- '70's car this ambitiously?

Edited November 25, 2009 by Harold

[Zoom Zoom]

AMT new Challengers maybe? Or some Heller?

My votes goes for Revell `49 Mercury, `07 Shelby GT500 and `69 Nova etc.

About those Tamiya kits... I dont care buying them because they dont have engines, well some of them have but not all. Engine is best part of building progress so i want that my model kits have engine! Quality in Tamiya kits are maybe best, but without engines they are mostly junk for me.

You contradict yourself...AMT Challengers have no engines; they're unassembled promos (nice models, but absolutely not KOTD material). The Tamiya Enzo & FXX have full engine detail. That's why I chose them; full detail, and very distinct detail & quality, engineered much like the 1:1, and no excuses.

[E St. Kruiser50]

You contradict yourself...AMT Challengers have no engines; they're unassembled promos (nice models, but absolutely not KOTD material). The Tamiya Enzo & FXX have full engine detail. That's why I chose them; full detail, and very distinct detail & quality, engineered much like the 1:1, and no excuses.

HUMOR CHALLANGED

HE WAS ONLY KIDDING - YOU MISSED THE HAPPY FACE BOB

(Too much expert and attitude, not enough fun )

[Brian Fishburn]

Problem is, the Revell '32 Ford started in the last decade ('96, IIRC)-- the last century, actually. And they have done 5 kits so far.

Rob, thanks for pointing out my inaccuracy.

In light of this, I withdraw my nomination, though it WAS a hack of a great play on Revell's part.

I'd have to throw equal votes to Tamiya's Enzo and Revell's 49 Merc. The Enzo is much better engineered, but the Merc is much better subject matter. My opinion- your mileage may vary.

[Rob Hall]

Rob, thanks for pointing out my inaccuracy.

In light of this, I withdraw my nomination, though it WAS a hack of a great play on Revell's part.

I'd have to throw equal votes to Tamiya's Enzo and Revell's 49 Merc. The Enzo is much better engineered, but the Merc is much better subject matter. My opinion- your mileage may vary.

No prob....IIRC, SA(E) named the '32 Ford Kit of the Decade for the '90s.

[Jeff Sauber]

I have to agree about the Enzo and Merc kits..They are both very well engineered.

I have copies here of both cars and have done a dry mockup of the mercury, and the car practically builds itself.

The Revell Nova is also superb and is another "box shaker"...The kit has almost no buildup problems to speak of at all. The accuracy is a little off at the rear panel, but it's not enough to cause me to really complain.

Edited November 26, 2009 by J. Sauber

[Janne Herajärvi]

Bob, i was kidding about Challengers

And i have couple Tamiya kits with engine and couple without. They are all great kits when you look quality and accuracy. But what is point of make beautiful model kit without engine, witch is most important part in cars? I dont know about Enzo or FXX kit because i am not interested to buy them, they are maybe better engineered when compared to Revell Mercury or Nova, but ill still like those Revell kits better because for me its more important that i like that subject! And i am not "professional" model builder who always look first what is wrong in model kits and then whine about that everywhere. I am just happy amateur who enjoys building even when model kit its not perfect accuraty.

Now those were just my opinions with my bad english, so nobody must not take them personal. Cheers...

[Zoom Zoom]

Bob, i was kidding about Challengers

And i have couple Tamiya kits with engine and couple without. They are all great kits when you look quality and accuracy. But what is point of make beautiful model kit without engine, witch is most important part in cars? I dont know about Enzo or FXX kit because i am not interested to buy them, they are maybe better engineered when compared to Revell Mercury or Nova, but ill still like those Revell kits better because for me its more important that i like that subject! And i am not "professional" model builder who always look first what is wrong in model kits and then whine about that everywhere. I am just happy amateur who enjoys building even when model kit its not perfect accuraty.

Now those were just my opinions with my bad english, so nobody must not take them personal. Cheers...

Sorry, I did wonder when I replied (thought you might have meant "Revell"), but not sure...and I haven't built any of my Heller kits yet so that's a whole new thing to "look forward to"

I build curbsides quite frequently since, to me, the exterior design of the car is by far the most important to me...I wouldn't mind if every kit came as a curbside. Hundreds of tiny detail parts is not the reason I build model cars for me. The engine is generally the last thing I worry about. The chassis is often just there to hold the wheels/tires in place. Everyone builds/enjoys models for different reasons. If I am building full-detail, I do want it as right as possible. I wouldn't expect anyone to put a curbside on the pedestal of "KOTD"

[Modelmartin]

I haven't built any of my Heller kits yet so that's a whole new thing to "look forward to"

Bob, You have not lived yet!

Seriously though, they are extremely variable. The Bugatti T50 goes together pretty well but has crappy wheels. The 540K is a conceptual nightmare. The Porsche 917 and 330 P4 are really dodgey. I built the Renault Gordini rally car and it was quite easily built but mechanically it was inaccurate. It looked nice when it was done. The kit designer for those older Hellers just made stuff up where he didn't have the info he needed. The Renault rear suspension is just halfshafts and springs! No suspension arms or links at all! The 917 and P4 engines are the correct configuration(flat 12, V12) but that is all that is correct on them. The mid 70s and newer kits are much more accurate but some can't be built like the 540 and some are not too much trouble like the BMW Dixi or the many Citroens. I even built the 1/16th DS at one point and it wasn't easy but it went together OK. The problem with that one was that 10 years later the door skins warped off the frames and the fenders popped off because they were so thin and the paint finally dried and straightened out the curves! It was lacquer, too!

Despite all of the "issues", I still like my Heller kits! By the way, I am building the 540K just to prove a point. I don't know what that point is. I am thinking of offering a resin conversion kit for it so that it can just be built!

[spkgibson]

where do we start?as far as plastic,I'd have to say revell's 69 Nova and 70 Torino's,think about it guys,they are still missing the boat on so many subjects ,True story,I sent the guys at Round2 an email saying I'd loan them my mint 71 Demon to scan and reissue the car,I would have also sent them EVERY year Duster also to do the same,well to make along story short they turned it down,so really I don't think they really care what they put out,I know 1 thing,if I see anymore 69 camaros issued I'm going to scream,they just keep doing the same things over and over,why not do something that has NEVER been done,wheres our 70 Chrysler 300 H?or 70 Charger R/T?In my oppinion I maybe off subject quite abit,but my kits of the decade goes to the resin casters,the rest make great donor kit's!Feel free to rib me,I can take it,lol

Edited November 28, 2009 by spkgibson