Pete J. Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 You want to get into an accurate presentation of a model car it is hard to beat anything with the twin stars of Tamiya on it! Probably the best of their 1:24 scale offerings are the Ferrari Enzo/FXX and the new LFA. The detail included and the construction of the model is just amazing. The chassis on both and the engine details are unmatched by any other offering I have ever seen. It would be nice if they did something by one of the big three, but after the low sales of the Mustang, it is unlikely that they will dip their toes in that market again for a while. The only issue with Tamiya is that their prices are a bit high, but then you get what you pay for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale-Master Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 It would be nice if they did something by one of the big three, but after the low sales of the Mustang, it is unlikely that they will dip their toes in that market again for a while. Wasn't part of the low sales of that Mustang due to them replicating a convertible with the hardtop up? It wasn't a true coupe. Other critiques were that the engine, while it looked good assembled, went together differently than traditional American V8 models, so it wasn't recieved well by the mainstream American car modelers. Could you imagine what the response would be if they did a NASCAR kit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I wasn't much a fan of the engine in the Tamiya Wrangler, I thought it was a bit on the 'Lego-y' side, but the rest of the kit was pretty well up to snuff. I really could have done without the molded side steps, though. I can't believe I forgot about the Revell Midgets! Yeah, probably not 100%, unflinchingly accurate, but about the closest any mainstream kit has ever come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sickfish Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I see no-one has mentioned AMT's 1971 Dodge Charger R/T?? Or Revell's 1968-69 Dart?? Admittedly I'm no tech geek but these 2 kits have alway's received great reviews...? Cheers Cliffo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Based on the somewhat passionate discussion about the pros and cons of Moebius' upcoming Hudson Hornet and the Trumpeter Falcon, it would be interesting to know your opinions on the styrene kits that really nailed it for accuracy and detail, and have the fewest problems. I can't think of any based on my experience, but what are your thoughts? What would you suggest as something that really got it right? Palmer. Definitely Palmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizardlust Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Palmer. Definitely Palmer. We cannot ignore the "contributions" made by Premier, either...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 We cannot ignore the "contributions" made by Premier, either...... And let us not forget IMC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 What about the Tamiya Jag MKII? Can't find much wrong with it apart from that hideous fan. I'm also impressed by the Polar Lights Beetle. The car seems to be tough to model, considering what atrocities have been made the past decades. PL captured the shape reasonably well in comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 The '68-'69 Dart is a beauty for sure. The one bugaboo with the '71 Charger is the inclusion of a bench seat, which virtually none of the 1:1 cars had. But you can use the bench seat in the Dart, which virtually all of the 1:1 cars had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torinobradley Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 How does the Chrysler Turbine fare accuracy wise? I was impressed that it had molded springs that were springs and spindles that looked like spindles instead of pegs with a hole for an axle. I've seen Bill's build up of it and was also very impressed. I know it takes a lot of finagling and finesse to get it together, but what about accuracy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 (edited) How does the Chrysler Turbine fare accuracy wise? I was impressed that it had molded springs that were springs and spindles that looked like spindles instead of pegs with a hole for an axle. I've seen Bill's build up of it and was also very impressed. I know it takes a lot of finagling and finesse to get it together, but what about accuracy? I was toying with idea to mention it too, but I, too, have too little knowledge (three 'too's in one sentence, beat that!) of the real car in order to judge the accuracy of the kit. In terms of car model kit technology it set new standards and I bet it would be recognized as a milestone by the Milestone Kit Society if such an organisation existed. The Jo-Han classic car kits play in the same league, IMO. Edited July 19, 2011 by Junkman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I don't think the PL Beetle can touch Tamiya's kit in terms of accuracy, either. I was only impressed by the shape of the PL Beetle. The Tamiya kit has severe proportion issues. If the body is rubbish, the kit is rubbish, no matter how accurate the underpinnings are. I'd like to kitbash them, but that's not the theme of this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 (edited) I've been impressed for year by the Enthusiast series from Fujimi, oooovbiously mainly by the Porsches. In the Porsches lineup something that I like the most is the Fuchs Wheels. Today I took my car to be serviced in a local Porsche workshop and I noticed the detail on the rear suspension in a 1980's 911 Porsche, something perfectly copied by Fujimi much better than Tamiya in my opinion. Simón P. Rivera Torres Edited July 19, 2011 by simonr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D. Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 With everyone saying accurate this and accurate that I can't believe no one has mentioned Accurate Miniatures kits . Both of thier kits remain amoung my favorites of all time . I know they don't exactly fall together but build into beautiful kits , and are on my automatic buy list when I see them for a fair price . I would love to see what this company would have produced if they were still around ! A series of Chapparals and Lola's maybe ? ....I can dream can,t I . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slantasaurus Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 The '68-'69 Dart is a beauty for sure. The one bugaboo with the '71 Charger is the inclusion of a bench seat, which virtually none of the 1:1 cars had. That isn't a bench seat in the 71 Charger R/T or Super Bee kits. What it actually represents is bucket seats with the center folding arm rest or "buddy seat". Everyone seems to think its a bench because it is molded in one piece. Anyone who has ever seen a bench seat in a 71 Charger could easily tell the difference, especialy from the back. BTW, a bench seat was unavailable in the R/T or Charger 500. The real issue with the 71 Charger is the location of the front wheels in their openings which is correctable but not exactly easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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