Lee Kits

[LacrosseBoss]

I was in my local model store the other week and they were selling CC Lee kits for 99 cents. I've just started getting back into the hobby with some older kits from the 90s I found at my parents' house (I cleaned out my stuff from when I lived there. When I got married four years ago, I never "moved out" I pretty much just "left").

I picked up the Ferrari F50 Barchetta and the Mercedes-Benz 600 SEL kits. I figure, if they turn out to be junk, I spent 99 cents. I can practice techniques on them, I can use them for parts etc.

The biggest question I have is, why would these be 99 cents? When I asked the clerk sort of chuckled and said they're not overly great and they had a surplus but I'm slightly suspicious. Anyone built a CC Lee car kit they liked (namely one of these)? Did I just wait 1.98? Should I go buy out their stock?

Thanks

[LDO]

I can only comment on the Cadillacs. They're junk. They are copies of the IMEX/ARAI Cadillacs and the detail is soft on them. Also- the bodies have an orange peel texture. There's a reason they're so cheap.

[niteowl7710]

Lee is a Chinese company that has seen itself fit to make cheap copies of other people's kits without permission. Or you'd think it would be without permission seeing as the quality is never up to par with the originals. The M-B is a "Tamiya" kit. I don't know who they ripped off for the F-50 as there were kits of that from Fujimi, Hasegawa, Tamiya & Revell AG.

[Deathgoblin]

Haven't ever seen one of these. I'd be interested in seeing some pictures.

[LacrosseBoss]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm working on a few other things at the moment (aren't we all ....) but perhaps when I dig into these I'll post in the WIP thread. I got an airbrush/compressor for Christmas I haven't tried out yet. One or both of these cars will probably be my guinea pigs. So, jokes all around!

[Edsel-Dan]

I have the 58 Cadillac in a Heller box.

Like you said, Detail is Soft on the body.

Worse, the chassis is set up for battery & motor. The rear axle is cast to the chassis,

but the lower suspension arms are separate, and like the Imex/Imai kit has Real metal coil springs!!!

At least it has detailing decals for under the tail lights/backup lights.

[bigphoto]

Their military kits also bite the big boewanna!

[LacrosseBoss]

Daniel, I noticed that with one of these kits (I think it's the Ferrari). It's built to hold a motor. I was anxious to see how that would work out but I figured it would probably be trash so I'm now considering trying to find an actual motor for it.

[Paul H]

I picked up the Ferrari F50 Barchetta and the Mercedes-Benz 600 SEL kits. I figure, if they turn out to be junk, I spent 99 cents. I can practice techniques on them, I can use them for parts etc.

I bought the Merc 600SEL a while back thinking it was a reboxed Tamiya (fortunately it was cheap...), but it's a very obvious, poor quality reverse-engineered copy. Perhaps ok if you wanted to use that V12 or perhaps the wheels & tyres for something else, but the fit & finish of the body, dash & glass mouldings is nowhere near quality of the original Tamiya kit, when compared side by side.

[ZTony8]

I have the F50.It's a cheapish copy of the Revell kit-some of the parts trees compare as far as where the parts are positioned on them.I think that the body mold may have been polished because the body is smooth and VERY shiny-almost like it already has a coat of clear lacquer on it.The rest of the parts DO look like they've been clear coated.

[Greg Wann]

Maybe they are LEE kits because they are HOME LEE and UG LEE. LOL

[Snakebitemodels]

to see a Lee kit. Its the F50

http://www.murotoys.com/webstore/Lee-Model-Kit-1-24-Scale-FERRARI-F50-BARCHETTA-Red-with-Motor

[uncle potts]

Lee is a Chinese company that has seen itself fit to make cheap copies of other people's kits without permission. Or you'd think it would be without permission seeing as the quality is never up to par with the originals. The M-B is a "Tamiya" kit. I don't know who they ripped off for the F-50 as there were kits of that from Fujimi, Hasegawa, Tamiya & Revell AG.

If these are knockoffs, why would anyone want to buy them? Regardless of how cheap they are!

[cobra]

Does a fish realize that he lives in water?

Maybe only when he useta live in water?

[ZTony8]

I bought the Ferrari because I was willing to risk the seven bucks to discover the quality of the kit.Yeah,I'll build it but if it starts to go together with difficulty I'm not out much and I'm sure I can use the parts on something else.

[Ace-Garageguy]

A while back at a swap meet, I bought a Lee 1/24 '58 Caddy Eldo Seville, intending to cut it up into a custom, rather than hacking the considerably more expensive Arii version. I had kinda hoped it would be re-boxed, but it also appears to be a reverse-engineered knockoff with a goofy electric-motor modified chassis. Still a good value for what I want to do with it.

It appears the Lee Eldo may also be marketed under the Heller brand.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Edsel-Dan]

It is, That is the one I have, it definitely is NOT the Arii/Imex kit!!!!