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Old 05-12-2006, 11:28 AM   #31
ZoomZoomMX-5
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Re: F430 : Revell USA VS Fujimi?

Quote:
Originally Posted by drunken monkey
if the kits were both the same priced, which one would you get?
Fujimi! The body proportions of both kits are good, but Revell's has the problems outlined above-more cleanup work and some filling. I noticed on one buildup that a character line on the front bumper of the Revell was pretty soft. There's enough engine detail in the Fujimi to satisfy that need-everything visible through the engine cover opening is well represented; and because of aero panels underneath you don't see the bottom of the engine.

Not to mention Fujimi's standard wheels are better, the optional rims look nice but I think they're one scale inch too small in diameter, if you want the best stock wheels/tires you need to snag a Maisto kit-they are the best looking, and the tires are so much better than Fujimi's and Revell's.

The only thing Revell has going is full engine detail for those who must have it, and lower price. If they're the same price it's no contest for me.
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Old 05-12-2006, 11:32 AM   #32
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Re: F430 : Revell USA VS Fujimi?

Ooh, that's tricky.

The easy cop-out would be for me to say both, so I could get the Revell engine into the Fujimi chassis and maybe raid a few of the Revell decals. But I gather you mean to ask what I'd do if I had to commit to one or the other.

My preference is for kits with engines, and that weighs heavily in Revell's favor.

There are some who find their own opinions on this so absolute that they insist the lack of a complete engine is a design fault. In REALITY, that's a highly individual preference that really has very little to do with a kit's overall merit.

And that's why I'm not one of these guys with such a chauvinism against curbsides that I'll take a 90-piece kit with an engine over a 130-piece curbside with clearly superior engineering and processing. That's why the 2002 ranking in Scale Auto went the way it did, and that's why I'm about to give you a similar answer on this choice.

Truthfully, the Fujimi kit comes across as the cleaner and less problematic of the two. Despite its curbside status, it has around 20 more parts, most going to sharper external details. And each of these parts seems a bit cleaner and better executed than its Revell counterpart.

So, price-independent, gun to my head for one choice alone, Fujimi gets the nod.

But outside that vacuum and back in the real world, the Revell kit has more going for it than previous efforts would have led you to expect, and I think it's clearly the better value of the two - import boxing and hlj notwithstanding.
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Old 05-12-2006, 11:51 AM   #33
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Re: F430 : Revell USA VS Fujimi?

I would (and did) choose the Fujimi kit. Like has been said before, it's a better put together kit. Also like has been said before, the engine detail isn't bad, it's just not full. What is there looks really good, especially since Fujimi's moldings are much crisper than Revell's. And this goes double for the body. Not only does the body look crisper, but it looks more correct to me. Now, I know I know it's more of the proportion debate. And, in fact, the Fujimi kit might be incorrectly proportioned, and the Revell a better scaling of the car. However, I've the same gripe with it as I have with most Revell kits - their cars look too skinny and too tall. The Revell Civic is the perfect example of the phenomenon that is affecting the F430 in my opinion: looking at the model is just like looking at the car out of a second story window. But I don't usually look at cars through second story windows, I look at them from ground level, and the eyes play a trick on you making them seem shorter and fatter than they really are. This is something Japan has been doing forever, Fujimi and Tamiya and Aoshima have all been doing, and American manufacturers have not. That comes down to preference, just like engine detail. If you can't make a decision, make a list of pros and cons.

Pros:
Fujimi: Better looking body (maybe?), aftermarket support, better wheels.
Revell: Full engine detail, inexpensive, more molded in detail.
Cons:
Fujimi: Expensive!, curbside.
Revell: Soft modlings, bad wheels (but maybe you'll replace these anyway?)

Etc.

In my personal experience and opinion, I find it doesn't matter how well detailed a kit or model is if when you stand back a step or two, it just doesn't feel right. 99% of the time, I look at my models from across the room, so for me it's just as important that the models capture the essence of the car as it is they are well detailed. And, it's easier for me to add detail than make a body look right.
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