Tamiya vs. Revell - Let's get it on!!

[shieldwulf]

1) I don't do Revell model cars because I don't dig 1/25 scale. I am used to 1/24 with all the variety available from other makers. If I will ever be interested in a car that is only avail to Revell then I may get it in future. The only Revell USA kit that I bought was the 1/144 Space Shuttle with fuel tank and boosters. It was horrific. Its probably a repackaging from a mold from a time just after the dinosaurs became extinct.

2) Revell cars are not easily available in my country (Asia).

3) Digress....I think the Revell-Monogram (Revell USA) website is not "nice", to put it gently. If I click on any pics to "enlarge", it doesn't get much larger than the original thumbnail photo. There's even an error, try "enlarge photo" on this webpage. The tone(or hue?) of the colours used on Revell USA website is not "tasteful" - everything seems faded. However, the Revell Germany website is a totally different animal. Their website is easy to browse for items. I buy their kits because they release quite a number of 1/35 modern German military vehicles.

4) The model cars made by Revell USA are typically "Americana" vehicles. I don't like most of their designs. My impression of "Americana" cars - big-ass, powerful and stupendous-looking. I don't like modern "Americana" cars in general. I especially hate limousines, especially the long ones, in gloss black body color with dark shaded windows - they look like coffin on wheels. I always imagine Count Dracula stepping out when the door opens. But the classic ones like the Mustang, Road-runner etc. earns my respect. But opinions can change.

5) I find it funny that someone said something like "its about the builder" and not about the model kit. And something like converting "a dog-pile into a contest winner". Well, not everyone likes to dig shit. We all know shit is smelly and not tasty. So not everyone can or wants to convert dog shit into showcase champions. It takes a lot of time and resources to convert shit into a hotcake. If you can, congrats to you, and you're halfway to Nirvana. But we all know how Nirvana's lead singer ended. I don't think everything can afford or wants to do extreme conversion just to bring up a kit to a level that a similar one from another maker has built-in to its box-stock kit. Unless I am enrolled into the West Point Scale Model Institution or something. If this is strictly what is expected to do scale modelling then I think such a take is too extreme - it reminds me of Hitler. There are just too many factors to define a good kit. But I think most modellers want a good kit with sharp mold and good fitting to start with, subject to the balance of cost. And to build up a decent model with minor corrections at most.

[Jaymes]

I like revell kits because of the huge variety. I also like the cars that they choose to make. Only thing I hate about revell kits are the cheap plastic "tires" that some of them come with and some of the fitment problems. I also love how they are not that expensive and how they can be found almost anywhere.

Tamiya kits are nice because they are easy to make and there is less hassle involved.

[freakmech]

well to be honest... the majority of the kits ive been building lately are Aoshima, Hasegawa, and older German Revell. USA Revell kits are of no interest to me at all. i dont like American cars to much and thats about all they do. i bought a Porsche GT1 kit and the body was so twisted it looked like it had been in the microwave. Tamiya is great but they havent released crap lately though i did buy the 360, Enzo, Xavani, and Carrera GT. But they are going down hill with there 2 cars a year policy. Doyusha has some great 1/12s ive got a line on as well so ive been buying them up as well but they run about $150 each. ouch. Aoshima will hopefully keep releasing more engine kits like the RB26 and RB20. this will eliminate the Tamiya no engine problem.

[chacal]

"Revell established a 1/25 scale tendency by the early sixties. A bit earlier, Monogram settled on 1/24 as its standard scale. There's a certain elegance to 1/24 as it applies to the English system of measurements; a foot scales down to a nice, neat half-inch, and the early Monogram boxes remind you of this. Which makes it all the more curious that 1/25, which makes more sense as a metric conversion, would become America's scale of choice - while the more English-friendly 1/24 has worked out to be the international scale."

Who said the world was logic? I agree with you, It doesn't make any sense...

[Amazon]

I have to say that i like both Tamiya and Revell. I like that each of them have their specific "range" of subjects. To this day i have not seen a Hotrod from Tamiya,And no quality LeMans-car from Revell. I like them both, but of course there are things with both that annoys me;
Revell, look at the moldingtechnique the japanese companys use: to this day i have not seen a warped body from japan. Sadly, i`ve seen it more than once in a Revell
Tamiya,well there´s really not much to complain about more than to put engines in your kits. I don`t want a chassietray with a molded-in lower enginehalf! And how about some options? Y know,wheels/spoilers e.t.c.

Dreamkit: Revells `32 Ford coupè with AMT`s 3-in-1 options, all molded/tooled by Tamiya

[ejronin]

The thing I like most about Revell is that they do have a wider range of American cars, and the engine detail is nice - IF you're showing it off, otherwise it is a static model and sits on a shelf for people to see when they go by...

The thing I HATE about Revell is that they vacumm mold their stuff, which created flashing and mold lines out of the wazoo. You end up doing 20 times the work to get a model that looks no worse or better than any other brand.

In short - Revell is cheap becuase they are cheaply made and their instructions, while well illustrated have MUCH to be desired. Even with 2 n' 1 and 3' n 1 kits aren't very descriptive in the instructions. THey show stock parts with stock numbers leaving the builder to figure out what goes where with the custom stuff - case in point - the 1966 GTO hardtop with the optional Tri Power (which shouldn't have really been optional since of the 19K that were made most of them were the 389 Tri Power).

Visually Revells look well researched, but the 1/24 and 1/25 scales aren't exactly to scale. Some pieces are 1/24.5 and some are 1/25.7 in the same model (again pointing to the '66 GTO).

Revell does list Testors colors to use, but Testors doesn't always make authentic colors (like Fontaine Blue...which is subbed with Sivler Blue Metalliac - its close but not exact)


Now.... Tamiya kits I love. I love them because the exterior is exactly like the actual car (I've checked them against the 350Z and the Lancer EVO VI). Tamiya interiors are on point and perfect scale as well, but what caught me most with Tamiya was the injection modling and the total lack of excessive flashing and pull ines that I needed to sand off.

The plastic quality was also much better than Revell. Revell was easy to warp (and unwarp), but Tamiya kits have sturdy thick plastic that is baby butt smooth (unlike Revell kits which many times I've seen pits and pocks where and there).

The instructions for the Tamiya kits are very detailed (almost too detailed) and give the builder all kinds of information to complete the kits AND typically come with conversion parts (like Aoshima kits). Revell doesn't really help in masking windows, where Tamiya kits often times come with precut maksking (except the Hayabusa kit - that was a pain to cut the masking for that one). Cartograf decals are also top notch which Revell waterslide decals are somewhat weak (and not as visually crisp) in comparison.

In conclusion I'd have to go with Tamiya / Aoshima kits becuase while they don't cater to the engine details (always) adn they don't really have much in the way of American cars (but to be fair Revell doesn't have much in way of imports), they do have a higher quality model with better included details AND their paint works MUCH better than the Testor brand that Revell assumes you'll use. I have a much better looking / feeling model with Tamiya.

[tonioseven]

Please refrain from resurrecting old threads. Check the dates before replying. Thanks.