Greg Myers Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 As much as I would love to see them, they didn't sell then and they would not sell now. Really not what this thread is about, just an example, but that shows yer thinkin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Barrow Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) Deja Vu? http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/?showtopic=49082 http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=72988 Like I said the last time, and will say again the next time - the only automotive subject I know of that was produced by reverse engineering a mint kit is the new tool Rommel's Rod. Most of the early Polar Lights monster kits were reverse engineered as well. (8 of kits were produced by Monogram from original Aurora tooling they owned) Given my experience in the business, the Aurora Racing Scenes would not be a good choice to put back into the market as it stands today, at least on the AMT/Revell/Moebuis injected plastic level. Maybe there's a market for a few hundred resin repops or a TDR/Shapeways 3D print-on-demand. 1/16th scale is not popular enough and parts packs in general are not strong sellers. Combine them into two full kits (each with one of the engines and one of the bodies) and maybe you've got something that can sell a bit. Scale them down to 25th and sell them as full kits and that would be better, but I don't really see that doing that well today either given the sales of recent vintage drag stuff (like Revell's Hawaiian and Chi-Town Hustler). Not something I'd invest money in cutting new molds for. Edited June 2, 2015 by Brett Barrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Moderators must be asleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 If someone wanted to do this, JoHan tooling MIGHT be a good place to start. Would be interesting to know what if any tooling still exists, which of those might be good sellers, and what would be necessary to complete them. I'd think, just for a couple examples, that the '69 Road Runner and '69 AMX might justify some investment/expediture in new tooling, if they have 50% or more of the molds to start with. Hmmmmm..... As much as we look back fondly on Johan kits, they had many issues... a lot of scale issues as they were sliced and diced to fit in the promo box, as well as those super shallow interiors. The Johan tooling that probably exists today: AMX / Comet... last seen in Testors boxes in the Seville era.. were these safely out at a company that produced the last kits when the sky fell in? 1930s Cadillac and Mercedes... Okey included 'rat' versions of these in his first Johan brochure. Reasonable to think he had the tools. 1959 Rambo Wagon, 1959 Dodge and Chrysler Turbine... we know they exist and where they are today. I don't believe Okey had the Fury Police Car. Rumor was that he just assembled those kits he sold from a parts hoard. Any additions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Back engineered? Would Monogram's recent 1/25 scale Slingster count? Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Back engineered? Would Monogram's recent 1/25 scale Slingster count? Scott Yeah, I think it just might. Good call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 The polar lights undertaker molds were recreated from the old aurora kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Barrow Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Back engineered? Would Monogram's recent 1/25 scale Slingster count? Scott Yeah, I think it just might. Good call. It definitely is, but they didn't market it as such, where they did with the Rommel's Rod. Total brain-fart I didn't think of it in my first response, good call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatz4u Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 with 3-D printers coming, this thread may be moot already. Maybe with them you can reverse engineer your own kit from your stash... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) It definitely is, but they didn't market it as such, where they did with the Rommel's Rod. Total brain-fart I didn't think of it in my first response, good call. Don't forget that they did the Tijuana Taxi too! Neither was an exact copy. There were a few design changes, parts that were separate on the original being molded in on the new copy Edited June 2, 2015 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantrix Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Well I've heard that a lot of the custom parts that have been lost to time, that Round2 is now including in the repops, (ala '53 ford pickup) were reverse engineered. I've very happy to see if happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeBee Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Wasn't the Lindberg '40 Ford Coupe a "reversed engineered" AMT '40? And, I believe there's an Asian firm (I think it's Chinese) that markets reverse engineered Tamiya kits. PB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 And, I believe there's an Asian firm (I think it's Chinese) that markets reverse engineered Tamiya kits. PB. Well, let's see, IDEA (I believe of Korea) has copied/ripped off the Fujimi 1/50 P-51D and the Monogram 1/48 Stuka G and F4U-4 Corsair. The 1/48 P-51D of ICM (of Russia) is supposedly a direct copy of Tamiya's. I've never seen the ICM kit so I can't say. I HAVE seen the first three I mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) Edited June 2, 2015 by Greg Myers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 I love the idea of reverse engineering some of the JoHan kits, but I wonder if any patent or copyright laws would prohibit it. I'm basing that on all the "intellectual property" issues I see going on lately. Could Oakey claim he "owns" the designs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robberbaron Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 The Johan tooling that probably exists today: AMX, Comet, 1930s Cadillac and Mercedes, 1959 Rambo Wagon, 1959 Dodge, Chrysler Turbine... Any additions? Don't forget the 1975 Cutlass, it was even announced as a release for the stillborn "Illinois Model Company", complete with box art describing supposed updates like rally wheels and white letter tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisBcritter Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Weren't the Doyusha (later Hasegawa) '65/'66 American cars copies of American promo bodies with generic chassis/wheels/interiors? Then there's the Korris Kars, which were krude kopies of 1/25 Jo-Han, AMT and PMC promos (Anyone know if there was a connection between Korris and PMC?). One of those was a '64 Ford which actually copied the AMT custom parts for the front and rear ends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzTom Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Yat Ming RE several 1/25 model kit into 1/18 diecast. The Revell 41 Willys, Lindberg 34 Ford pickup and AMT 57 Corvette Gasser to name a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 I guess I just wonder why we don't see more of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I guess I just wonder why we don't see more of it? We have in the diecast arena... there are Chinese diecast 1/24-5 scale cars that are dead ringers for Danbury Mint vehicles... 1941 Plymouth Pickup, 1953 Chevy tow truck, 1941 Chevy convertible to name a few. Pretty darn near exact copies but cheaped down a bit and sold in the $10-20 price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Wasn't the Lindberg '40 Ford Coupe a "reversed engineered" AMT '40? And, I believe there's an Asian firm (I think it's Chinese) that markets reverse engineered Tamiya kits. PB. Originally that was a Palmer (or was it Pyro?) kit. I don't know if it was actually reverse engineered from the AMT kit, but I do know that more than a few parts interchange between the the Lindberg reissue and the AMT kits.Makes you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 I'm talking something significant, bring back something from the dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggon Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) Speaking of crude Korris Kars copies, look at this take off of Mongram's slingshot dragster. I wonder if they just drew up a copy or used a pantograph. Edited June 4, 2015 by Draggon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Was the P-51 Mustang in this case reverse engineered, or repackaged? Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Barrow Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 (edited) Was the P-51 Mustang in this case reverse engineered, or repackaged? Scott The Hasegawa was clearly* inspired by Monogram's Phantom Mustang but it was not directly copied or pantographed down from it. It's half the size and pretty horrid. The Monogram's not half bad. *see what I did there? Edited June 5, 2015 by Brett Barrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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