What Model Disappointed You The Most Once You Opened The Box?

[Skip]

There have been several over the years for me, nearly anything Pyro (fitting name, torched more than a few), many of the Lindberg Line, lots of off brand stuff.

I would have to say that my biggest disappointment had to be Revell's '53 Chevy Panel and I'd also toss in the '53 Chevy Bel Air as they were nearly the same kit in many ways. Bought the panel to build a model of a friend's panel. I was able to get the job done using another engine and front suspension from an AMT '57 Chev.

Pretty sure that 409 is one of the not so great engines Revell ever made. There were other things about the kit which made my disappointing list as well like lots of blob like parts. The tools were sort of cool, nice crisp molding in fact some of the best in the whole kit. For some reason the '53 Chev and panel seemed just a tad bigger than 1/25th scale, (eyeball measurement that is).

So what was your biggest disappointment once you got the plastic wrap off and got an eyeful of the fresh styrene within? (Keep it clean and nice please.)

Edited July 23, 2014 by Skip

[sjordan2]

Revell's 1/12 Ferrari 275 GTB. Awesomely inaccurate junk in every way (originally Renwal).

[tubbs]

the first issued AAR cuda........

[wayne swayze]

Yesterday, just picked up the Galaxie '48 Chev sedan delivery. Never had a Galaxie kit before. And while the kit itself was nicely done, for the Canadian price I paid, sooner would have bought 2 other kits. Maybe I need more time getting comfortable with it sitting there.

[clovis]

The Minicrapft 1931 Model A truck would surely take first place in this contest.

When I opened the box, I was a amazed by some of the detail on the kit.

When we started putting it together, I wanted to punch some people in the nose...at least those responsible for sending us the most warped parts in the world.

[Bob Ellis]

The Revell '57 Nomad with opening doors. Looked out of proportion, fit together pooly and the chrome spears over the rear quarter panels didn't even match. never finished it.

The Mod Squad Woody was maybe worse, I did throw that in the trash (a long time ago, because today, I would have sent it to eBay).

[Jon Haigwood]

I don't get disappointed easily . It's not that I have low standards it just that I turn it into a opportunity.

I just picked up a Lindberg 29 Ford Custom Rod for $9. Now when I got it home I realized it was not on the top ten list of great kits, more like the bottom ten. But I just looked at as a box of kit bash parts for only $9.. Sometimes model building is more of a challenge than you think.

[Zarana-X]

I think I was probably around 9 years old. I got the AMT Matchbox Snap Fit Camaro:

It was my introduction to curbside, before I even knew that was a thing, It had dry rub transfers, which were a spectacular failure. It was so horrible, I cried. I got my dad to take it back to the grocery store and I got the Revell IMSA Formula Sunbird:

Which was a pretty awesome kit, except for the engine. It looked like a reverse engineered snap-together engine.

[Lunajammer]

I'm rarely disappointed any more because I'm much more informed than I used to be about the age and expectations of most kits. One that comes to mind was the MPC '67 GTO. Dated stuff, like small engine, wire axles, reworked screw bottom, chrome headlights, ghostly trim. Still looks nice as a shelf model though.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Lunajammer

[unclescott58]

Every Palmer kit I ever got as a gift from someone as a kid. Those were bad kits. Note, I stated, "I ever got as a gift". I got several Palmer kits as gifts. After you open one up. And all it took was one. You would never spent your own hard earned money on a Palmer kit. Had a chance to see and buy two recently. One was a '71 Mustang, mint kit in an open box. Thought about buying it for nostalgia sake. Then I opened the box! Even at the reasonable price the guy was asking, I still could not part with my money to buy it or the '73 Charger still sealed in plastic. The kit looked that bad when you opened up the box! And like I say, it was in mint condition!

Hands down. Palmer kits were and are the most disappointing kits once you open the box,

Scott

[Daddyfink]

The Snake and Mongoose Front Engine Hot Wheels Dragsters. Such lack of detail and poor execution of assembly layout.

For years, these where on my Holy Grail list, and to finally get them and really look at them was rather dissapointing. Too bad.

[jbwelda]

that barnabas Collins hearse van kind of thing. I had visions of making a kool street rod out of it. that was dashed upon opening the kit. total piece of garbage, warpy pieces and just junk. you would have though tom Daniels might have designed it. didn't go into the trash but onto the shelf next to it so it will only need a soft nudge to end in its rightful place.

jb

[Luc Janssens]

The Hasegawa '66 American series

[Brizio]

Probably the model that disappointed me most, is still the Postal Jeep. It is a full resin kit in 1/24, the chassis is kind of rubbish, you can wist it easily. The roof it is chopped although the kit represent a stock postal Jeep, there are also some errors on the doors. Also the decals are not good, there are decals for build it in two options, but the stripes are short, and not enough for the side of the Jeep, plus is missing the stripe for the back. All this for $70.

[DynoMight]

The Hot Rod Magazine '56 Ford F100. Flashing every where, poor fitment, the doors.. are trash, wheels are trash, the whole kit is trash.

The AMT/ERTL Corvette Gasser. Not the green one, the other one, the one molded in some weird tan color. Again, flashing, poor fitment.. even the engine is trash. No clear way to glue the rear bumper on, the 2-piece slicks are trash... Gives me shivers thinking about re-building that one.

Those two kits were thrown in the trash, although i did take the engines and tires from both kits.

Edited July 23, 2014 by DynoMight

[John Goschke]

Yeah, Palmer kits as gifts when I was a kid. Oy. "Uh. Gee. Uh. Thanks, Gramma..."

But in recent years the biggest disappointment was this nightmare, AMT's ridiculous '58 Plymouth. Was really excited when it was announced. When I picked one up I bought it in spite of the box "art" photo, hoping maybe it showed camera distortion. Fortunately the photo did, in part, prepare me to clench my sphincter for the disappointment to come on opening the box and realizing the distortion was in the eye of the pattern maker, who may have never actually looked at a real '58 Plymouth. "Uh. Gee. Uh. Thanks, AMT..."

Second worst disappointment was Trumpeter's absurd '60 Pontiac Bonneville hardtop. Again a case where the patternmaker may never have actually looked at a real car and seemingly mislaid all their photo reference.

Third was undoubtedly Revell's chopped '49 Merc, where the main reference for the roof chop was apparently the goofy Merc from Sly Stallone's equally goofy movie, "Cobra." Note how the B pillar "props up" and appears to interrupt the flow of the roofline just like on the kit!

[Eshaver]

That dubious honor is still the 1960 Bonneville hard Top by Trumpiteer. I bought this kit on a members magazine revue . Yeah, he revued the Convertible with it's "Aftermarket " interior . Needless to say , should I ever meet him, I'm going to demand a FULL explanation of how he could have written such blatant lies in the competing model magazine of it's time . In the words of the music group, the Who , "Won't get fooled again ! "

[Bob Ellis]

unclescott58, boy, you hit the nail on the head. I forgot all about Palmer. Isn't it funny how Palmer is spelled with a micrometer as the "P"?

The '71 Palmer Mustang is really a '69 with a '71 nose. I have one, and it really bites. The wheels are useable.

Which is a good deal, this Palmer '65 Impala for 98 cents or the original AMT version for $2 ?

[Brett Barrow]

AMT 1/16 65 Mustang. The version I built in the early 90's only had showroom stock parts, which disappointed me more than anything upon opening the box*. Was just an all-around funky looking kit even to a teenager with limited photo references in the pre-internet age.

That might just be how I remember it. I know I built it showroom stock, and that wasn't my style at the time. If it had hot rod parts, I'm pretty sure I would have used them.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Brett Barrow

[MustangGuy23]

The Galaxie 36' trailer. The bottom is covered in injection marks. Both walls are warped horribly. Just overall not clean molding.

[Tom Geiger]

The Revell '57 Nomad with opening doors. Looked out of proportion, fit together pooly and the chrome spears over the rear quarter panels didn't even match. never finished it.

Bingo! My nemesis as a kid! I was in love with the beach scene box art (still am!) so I'd buy that kit every year figuring I was a year older and surely up to building it this year. No such luck!

Yeah, Palmer kits as gifts when I was a kid. Oy. "Uh. Gee. Uh. Thanks, Gramma..."

Every time the guys on this board are screaming a bloody streak over a new release that would have totally amazed us back in the 1960s I think of these! Imagine if Palmer and Premier were still at it today?

In my memory Palmers were sold in smaller places like corner candy stores and pharmacies, where you'd go to a hobby shop or big box store for your AMT / Revell etc kits. My grandmother would drag me to Bingo and would give me money to buy something to keep myself occupied from the little luncheonette on the corner. I was 10 years old and I KNEW! But heck it was her dollar and it kept me quiet for an hour. Note that they were never mentioned or reviewed in the model car magazines, so they were pretty much a toy joke back then.

Today I actually buy Palmers, Pyros, Premiers and other odd brands, just to collect the box art for my shelf. Oh that box art held such great promise!

Edited July 23, 2014 by Tom Geiger

[W-409]

The Hot Rod Magazine '56 Ford F100. Flashing every where, poor fitment, the doors.. are trash, wheels are trash, the whole kit is trash.

Those two kits were thrown in the trash, although i did take the engines and tires from both kits.

Wow, really? I have the same kit and so far I haven't found any big fit issues. I've finished the frame and engine is also almost completed. The doors fit a bit badly, and there is lots of flash, but otherwise I think it's a good kit. It has nice Custom parts as well.

My biggest disappointment was AMT's version of MPC's old Twister Vega. I remember it was more expensive than other kits, but as it was a GM H-Body I had to get that one. I didn't know what was in the box or how good (Or bad) the kit actually was as I was younger then and I hadn't heard of Model Cars Magazine or anything like that. When I opened up the kit, I saw that the engine is way too small and the chassis has everything molded as one piece. The kit was easy to build, everything went really well together, but it didn't made me feel much better anyway, because the kit was so simple. Though I remember building that one was a lot of fun and for sure I'll build another one in the future.

Otherwise I think I haven't had any major disappointments. Nowadays it's much easier, when I know more things about different kits and I know roughly what's inside the box.

[Deathgoblin]

The Lindberg 71 Challenger kit. That was a Palmer, right? Yeah, it was real ugly when I opened that box. The MPC 67 GTO is pretty bad, but it was a gift. I've got one of the Trumpeter Bonneville's. It's not great, but it beats the stuffing out of the other two I've mentioned. One of their worse ones is the 1978 Monte Carlo. The engraving for the badges is off scale and thin, so they'd disappear as soon as you painted it. The engine is an unrecognizeable lump. I ended up adapting the engine out of the Revellogram Monte Carlo SS. The tires are WAAAYY off scale. They're nice tires, but they worked better for my 240Z than a Monte Carlo.

[JTalmage]

Pretty much any old AMT kit, like the '69 Mach1, and The General Lee, '68 Barracuda... anything molded like that. I've always fairly happy with Revell-monogram stuff, for as far back as I can recall... although I havent been building forever either. Although I do like the more detailed AMT/Ertl kits like their '71 Charger, and '71 Duster.

[DynoMight]

Wow, really? I have the same kit and so far I haven't found any big fit issues. I've finished the frame and engine is also almost completed. The doors fit a bit badly, and there is lots of flash, but otherwise I think it's a good kit. It has nice Custom parts as well.

It just really disappointed me for some reason. You're talking about the one molded in some weird metallic purple color? Revell re-issued it, as (i think) Ed Roth's 56 ford. White truck with red flames on the box-art. I got it for my birthday but I traded it with my dad for the Badman re-issue. I think it has updated molds, not sure. I only open the bags and looked at the parts.