So, What Models Are You MOST Impressed With?

[Ace-Garageguy]

Besides many of the kits already mentioned, I'm also impressed with:

1: Revell's and AMT's parts packs because of their staying power, quality for the time they were tooled (early 1960s) and relevance to today's hot-rod builders.

2) The old Mickey Thompson Challenger and Attempt, and Ivo's Showboat. Very complex, well-detailed kits, especially for when they were tooled, and impressively rendered subject matter.

3) Revell's model A Ford series, all of them. Still a great parts source, and still relevant to today's hot-rod scene.

4) Accurate Miniatures Corvettes. Beautifully tooled and detailed.

5) Accurate Miniatures McLarens too. Same reasons.

6) AMT's original AlaKart / '29 Ford roadster double kit. Lotsa parts, good accuracy, and again, still relevant.

7) Revell / Monogram 1/8 scale '32 Ford. It's just outstanding, and can make a show-stopping model.

8) Fujimi's Porsche 356 and 911 Enthusiast kits. Much much detail, possible to build the really landmark and important cars from this manufacturer.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[AC Norton]

old johan, old mpc, old amt,,,,,,,,,,,,,old style fun can't be beat in my opinion. a.c............

[Harry P.]

Also the 1/8 scale Monogram Jaguar XKE. Super accurate (aside from the missing underbonnet bulkhead structure and cooling fan), very nice level of detail, and it goes together flawlessly. A very well engineered and designed model kit that still holds up today despite having been tooled over a half century ago. Add some detailing to this kit and you have yourself a museum quality model.

[Scale-Master]

Tom touched on something I was thinking as I read through these lists. How many of these favored kits impress you by just looking at the pieces or at models built by others compared to having actually built them?

I can say I see a few listed that look impressive in the box, but don’t build into the wonderful model one might expect from those parts.

[disabled modeler]

old johan, old mpc, old amt,,,,,,,,,,,,,old style fun can't be beat in my opinion. a.c............

Same here.

[jaymcminn]

Revell' s Ferrari 458 and 599GTO. Excellent kits with great detail that nearly build themselves. Hasegawa's excellent Ferrari 250TR. Fujimi's Enthusiast Porsche 911s. Tamiya's Enzo. I'm psyching myself up to build the 1/12 scale Tamiya Lotus 72 JPS F1 car right now... that's a really impressive model when you open the box!

Edited August 5, 2014 by jaymcminn

[Art Anderson]

Tom touched on something I was thinking as I read through these lists. How many of these favored kits impress you by just looking at the pieces or at models built by others compared to having actually built them?

I can say I see a few listed that look impressive in the box, but don’t build into the wonderful model one might expect from those parts.

I'm currently in the middle of building the ICM '38 Opel Admiral. Not only are the trees of parts impressive, but it also is building up very nicely!

Art

[rmvw guy]

Except, MPC's '27 & '28 Lincoln kits were never produced by Monogram. Rather, they fell under the AMT/Ertl brand, after Ertl bought MPC in the late 1960's.

Art

Whoops, forgot about that Art, thanks for the correction.

[Frank]

Me too Airfix 1/12 Bentley

Edited August 5, 2014 by Frank

[Kit Basher]

I have very limited experience to choose from, but of the ones I have built, I think the Revell '69 Charger, Revell SRT 10 Viper, and the LIndberg '53 Ford Victoria were the best for fit and detail.

[Dave Van]

Tamiya 1/24 DTM Alfa Romeo 1st gen version.......falls together

Moebius 1/25 Hudson Hornet.....same...falls together....

[unclescott58]

Another great kit, Revell's Volkswagon T1 "Samba Bus". They claim it's a skill level 5 kit! All I know is it's amazing.

Scott

[J Morrison]

Except, MPC's '27 & '28 Lincoln kits were never produced by Monogram. Rather, they fell under the AMT/Ertl brand, after Ertl bought MPC in the late 1960's.

Art

Whoops, forgot about that Art, thanks for the correction.

Actually a correction to the correction...Ertl didn't buy MPC until the 80's. Here's a quick timeline copied from a post from a different board.

OK, not so much as a history lesson, but perhaps geneology?

AMT:

AMT Corporation goes back to 1946, as Aluminum Model Toys, their first model car product being a cast aluminum '47 Ford Tudor Sedan promotional toy for Ford Motor Company. AMT Corporation quickly branched out into the realm of plastic for promotional model cars, beginning in 1949. In the mid-50's, there developed the SMP (for Scale Model Products) brand, ostensibly because some GM divisions didn't want the same brand names on promo's of their cars as was being used on Ford promo's. SMP appeared on promo's of '57 Pontiacs, '58-'61 Chevies, and curiously, '58-61 Imperials. SMP's address, and their logo style were that of AMT however.

In 1978, times got extremely tough for AMT Corporation, leading all the way up to bankruptcy, which was staved off by the entry of Lesney Corporation, the Matchbox Toy people, who bought the company, renaming it Lesney-AMT. Lesney management continued through March 1982, when absolutely abysmal business conditions throughout the toy and plastic model kit industry (even the hobby industry itself) forced Lesney themselves into Chapter 7 (bankruptcy liquidation). Ertl Toys came forward, and bought up all AMT Tooling, along with all licenses and rights. In 1999, Ertl themselves were bought out by Racing Champions, an agressive Chicago area diecast toy maker, and themselves became RC2 Brands a couple of years later.

MPC (Model Products Corporation) was started by a small group of AMT execs and designers in 1963, issuing their first model kit in 1964, a '64 Stingray with full working suspension and posable steering. MPC was pretty aggressive in their early years, producing lots of neat kits, and wrested a lot of promotional model business away from AMT and JoHan, even getting into the slot car game for a few years. In 1967, General Mills, the breakfast cereal company, seeking to broaden their base in those years of increasingly conglomerate corporations, bought MPC, along with such as Kenner Toys, putting them into a new division called "Fundimensions". Fundimensions continued as a General Mills unit until the late 1970's, along the way acquiring Skil-Craft Chemistry Sets, Craftmaster Paint-by Number, and Lionel Trains; and then was spun off as a separate, independent company. Fundimensions began splitting up about 1985, MPC being bought up by AMT/Ertl in 1987.

Ertl began as a farm toy maker in 1946, founded by Joseph Ertl in his garage in the Dubuque Iowa area. By the early 1970's, Ertl had become the driving force in the field of diecast metal farm toys, a position they still hold today. The Ertl family sold the company to Walter Kidde Company, the chemical and industrial gasses conglomerate in the early 1970's, who in turn were bought up by Victor Comptometer, an old line office equipment maker seeking to diversify as old-fashioned analog calculators and typewriters were being replaced by electronics and the early computers. Ertl, as holder of extensive licensing for International Harvester, brought out their IH Transtar semi-tractor kits in 1974, and the IH Scout in 1976. In 1977, Ertl purchased the Mack Truck line of model kits from MPC as well.

Lotsa stuff, huh??

Edited August 5, 2014 by J Morrison

[jbwelda]

I remember being the most impressed I have ever been (with a model) when I first opened a Fujimi Porsche 356 Enthusiasts Model. I could not believe the sheer volume of the parts inside, the incredible level of detail obvious even without opening the inner cellophane bags. the beautifully molded wheels with lug nut holes and beautiful tires. everything about it was incredible.

that new Trabant Universal is excellent too, very nice fine engraving. look forward to butchering it.

jb

[unclescott58]

OK, the history is interesting. But, what does it have to with the subject at hand? By the way, the MPC '28 Lincoln kits are terrible. Tough kits to built. Unlike Mongram's classics or JoHan's Gold Cup Mercedes 500K kit mentioned by Skip. And I still love the looks of that roaster limousine.

Scott

[jbwelda]

>4) Accurate Miniatures Corvettes. Beautifully tooled and detailed.

>5) Accurate Miniatures McLarens too. Same reasons.

See, there's "impressed" and then there's just plain intimidated. I fall firmly into the second category on these kits, both of which I have multiples of! I was actually thinking about using one of the engines in something else because I doubt I will ever rise to the challenge of these. And I say "challenge" advisedly knowing for example the chassis situation on the 'vettes & the "fitting it all together" aspect of the McLaren...

jb

[mnwildpunk]

Another great kit, Revell's Volkswagon T1 "Samba Bus". They claim it's a skill level 5 kit! All I know is it's amazing.

Scott

is this the one with the multi-piece body?

[Bennyg]

That I've built and or seen in person:

Moebius prostar and lonestar

Tamiya porsche carrera gt

Amt ertl mack dm600 and dm800

Ben

[dartman]

old johan, old mpc, old amt,,,,,,,,,,,,,old style fun can't be beat in my opinion. a.c............

I agree.Sometimes simpler is better.

[slusher]

I have really been impressed with Revells 49 Merc kit. I also have enjoyed building the 37 Ford Pick up special edition, 68 Bullitt Mustang, 71 Challenger and many other of their kits..

I have always liked AMT 62 Chevy Belair, 49 Ford, 71 Duster, Chevy SS 454, and 62 Pontiac Catalina.

[sjordan2]

Also the 1/8 scale Monogram Jaguar XKE. Super accurate (aside from the missing underbonnet bulkhead structure and cooling fan), very nice level of detail, and it goes together flawlessly. A very well engineered and designed model kit that still holds up today despite having been tooled over a half century ago. Add some detailing to this kit and you have yourself a museum quality model.

Except for the notorious seam between the upper and lower body parts, which requires some special skill and reference to fix. It's a big deal. Otherwise, there's only a small bit of "accurizing" to do, such as thinning out the surrounds of the plexi headlight covers and upgrading the interior. If you want to open the hatch or the rear swing-out windows, that's up to you. Harry did an awesome job on the windows.

[unclescott58]

is this the one with the multi-piece body?

Yes. But, it goes together very nicely. Not like the old Revell kit from the 1960's of the same subject.

Scott

Edited August 5, 2014 by unclescott58

[Tom Geiger]

I remember being the most impressed I have ever been (with a model) when I first opened a Fujimi Porsche 356 Enthusiasts Model.

I'd say the same thing about the first time I saw a Tamiya kit probably in 1987! I had been building as an adult maybe a year when I went on a business trip to Denver. I had been buying American kits and thought that the underwhelming quality at the time was all that existed. I ventured into a hobby shop and bought a Tamiya Ford Sierra. My bro-in-law was a shade tree mechanic and one of his customers had a Merkur XR4Ti. In the cold weather I'd let him work out of my two car garage, so I fell in love with this car. So I bought the kit.

I got it back to my hotel room and opened it. I was immediately amazed by the organized sectioned box. The body sat in it's own area, and I remember the chrome tree and tires being in their own compartment as well. The rest of the trees were in a larger center area. Each tree and group of parts was packaged in their own clear plastic bags. The parts were all neat and clean and there wasn't any flash or even mold seams to speak of. I had found a whole new dimension! I was impressed. I even wrote a model club newsletter bit about it, saying it would be cool if every kit was done like this someday. And it's pretty much happened!

Edited August 6, 2014 by Tom Geiger

[Greg Myers]

I like this one

[Mike Kucaba]

I'm impressed by the models (any models) that get started and finished.