iHobby Expo (Chicago) show update (Lots of pics - 56K beware)

Of the major platic manufacturers, RC2 (AMT/ERTL) was not there. They were at a mass marketing show in New York. According to conversations I had, so were Tamiya as well as Fujimi and Aoshima importers. So, there is no real information on these other than the RC2 list posted previously from Hobby Heaven.

REVELL(USA)

The big time news here. You've already seen the list posted from Hobby Heaven. Let me fill in some blanks.

Dodge Magnum. About 5 weeks out from release. Is an SRT8 with 6.1 Liter Hemi and a full detailed model.

49 Mercury. With multiple options, including wheels and bumpers.

Uptown series. Plastic conversions of the LARGE diecast series. Apparently, per Revell representative, zinc costs have risen dramatically, hence the switch to full plastic. Lambo-type scissors doors do work in plastic, but you could just glue shut if you want a more stock appearance. Bad news for detailists, these have engine inserts. In regards to the Cadillac STS-V, it may be a moot point as the engine is shrouded and there’s not much to see in the engine bay. Here’s a couple of shots I got off the web of the STS-V Engine Bay:

https://www.dreammail.jp/hobby/images_uniq/bb/20060710-hobby-bb-cadillac-stsv-subtitle-002.jpg

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedan/112_0601_10z_blownaway_2006_cadillac_sts_v_engine. jpg

The Super America, as stated earlier, is from Revell-Germany. Revell indicated that they are looking into bringing in the 599 GTB and, possibly, the 430 Spyder.

And, there will be added announcements in February at the Toy Show. But, no hints I can pass along.

Here are pictures from Revell’s booth:

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/6905/p1001065xu1.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/6821/p1001066xr8.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/2318/p1001067ib0.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/6417/p1001070nr4.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/1176/p1001071zc3.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8540/p1001073zb2.jpg

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/813/p1001074iu9.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/9471/p1001075sq6.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/8150/p1001076pv3.jpg

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/7830/p1001077jp3.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/4343/p1001078dt0.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/9219/p1001079xe0.jpg


http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8260/p1001080xm5.jpg

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/1292/p1001081xl3.jpg

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/8384/p1001082ta7.jpg

TESTORS

The big news here is that Testors' Charger is supposedly 5 weeks away from release (according to a representative). He indicated that the Charger and Charger RT will release first. The Police car will be later than the other 2. The engine is a 5.7 liter hemi and appears reasonably molded from the example at the booth.

The models will be molded in white. The yellow body was only a mold sample. I also got a photo of two built ups:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/356/p1001092qh2.jpg

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/3318/p1001093ec1.jpg

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/2654/p1001094er8.jpg

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/7481/p1001095im4.jpg

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/641/p1001097ys3.jpg

LINDBERG/HAWK

Lindberg looks to be releasing a lot of old tools as Tom previously mentioned. The Hawk kits appear to be metal assembled similar to Testor’s Lincoln Mint stuff. An interesting prototype was a 1/6 SRT 6.1 Liter Hemi. No details on when available from anybody I talked to. Here’s some pictures from their booth:

http://img415.imageshack.us/img415/5532/p1001055ml8.jpg

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/576/p1001056ux8.jpg

http://img332.imageshack.us/img332/103/p1001057zi5.jpg

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/971/p1001058jp3.jpg

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/1870/p1001059ik5.jpg

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/3567/p1001060sx5.jpg

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/6452/p1001061gt3.jpg

http://img415.imageshack.us/img415/7447/p1001062ic8.jpg

http://img415.imageshack.us/img415/4871/p1001064rp4.jpg

HOUSE OF KOLOR (HOK) PAINTS

HOK is into the hobby market now. Both jar and spray paint available. They’re going through Steven’s International distributors. They indicated to me that these are specifically formulated for the plastic modeler, not like other offerings that are just decanted from regular car paint. They also have offerings in supplies, including masking material and a line of graphic masks that are reusable. Here’s shots from their booth:

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/4760/p1001083ml1.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/6862/p1001085wq7.jpg

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/3279/p1001086uo7.jpg

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/4944/p1001087pg1.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/1094/p1001088rf0.jpg

O...wow:-) Who was doing the old IMC dodge cabover? http://img332.imageshack.us/img332/103/p1001057zi5.jpg

I spy with my little eye a Gremlin. Any word on that? And what's with that enormous monster truck chassis?

Beautiful. Im lovin the new models from Revell. The RM Choppers were cool but the new ones dont look to be that different. Unfortunetly no new Ford Fusion NASCAR models either. I cant wait for the chargers and caddys and that 55 pro sportsman looks sweet. Another thing, under that scale 1/6 hemi motor is that a giant monster truck chassis? that looks sweet too

To answer the questions:

The IMC Dodge Cabover is being done by Lindberg/Hawk.
The Gremlin is a reissue in 1/20 scale (I believe). I’ll double check that one when I get home.
The gal at the booth didn’t have any particulars on the Monster Truck chassis and there was no one around to follow up. It is not in the catalog update I got, so no help there.
There likely won’t be a Ford Fusion Nascar as I was told they’re waiting for a finalized Car of the Future (COF) so they can tool for that one. Right now, there is no “lock” on the COF, so tooling plans are stalled.
The Revell 55 Pro Sportsman is a reissue, but a fine kit.

Thanks for the pics. Seems some confusion over at Hobby Heaven about the various Chargers, I think a couple of those guys think that Lindberg is crazy by doing "the exact same" Charger kit as Testors, without realizing that a Charger Daytona (Testors) and Charger Superbee (Lindberg) are quite different cars in reality. The Daytona runs the tame 345 hp 5.7 Hemi while the Superbee is the fire-breathing 425 hp 6.2 liter SRT-8 with a tape and graphics job. Lindberg for the kill :naughty: Especially if they resist the ridiculous $30 retail price that Testors is going for.

Very disappointed in the "Uptown" kits, I really wanted an accurate 300C SRT-8 to play with. But all in all, lots of kits coming out next year so there's something for everyone.

so i spy a nova on the first picture?:iceslolan
and is that a gto i spy but i guess its what a 69

so i spy a nova on the first picture?:iceslolan
and is that a gto i spy but i guess its what a 69

Not sure what you mean by Nova. If it’s the first Revell pic, you may be confusing a white '64 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt as a Nova. You can see it better a few pics down. And, yes, a 69 GTO is being reissued.

Gerry

Thanks for the pics. Seems some confusion over at Hobby Heaven about the various Chargers, I think a couple of those guys think that Lindberg is crazy by doing "the exact same" Charger kit as Testors, without realizing that a Charger Daytona (Testors) and Charger Superbee (Lindberg) are quite different cars in reality. The Daytona runs the tame 345 hp 5.7 Hemi while the Superbee is the fire-breathing 425 hp 6.2 liter SRT-8 with a tape and graphics job. Lindberg for the kill :naughty: Especially if they resist the ridiculous $30 retail price that Testors is going for.

Very disappointed in the "Uptown" kits, I really wanted an accurate 300C SRT-8 to play with. But all in all, lots of kits coming out next year so there's something for everyone.

Bob,

It seems that sometimes the conversations at HH can go that way. You've seen it happen before. Right now the Dodge Magnum from Revell is to have the SRT/8 6.1 Liter Hemi. As I stated, the Testors' Dodges are the 5.7 Liter Hemi. I confirmed the Testors by seeing the parts on the tree. I couldn't see the parts of the Revell.

I agree with you on the "Uptown" kits. Looking at the "Uptown" Charger, though, I think it is possible to adapt the Dodge Magnum. However, that means two kits to get one detailed.:banghead:

Gerry

I spy with my little eye a Gremlin. Any word on that? And what's with that enormous monster truck chassis?

I think the Gremlin is 1/20 scale. Don't have anything on it or the Monster Truck chassis either. The gal working the booth didn't have much knowledge on these.

Sorry I can't give you more info.

Gerry

yeh i guess i got it confused with a fairlane!
and the gto i just wish they would make a 68 cause i want one so bad
but all i see are 64,65,66,67,69,70... no 68's:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Bob,

It seems that sometimes the conversations at HH can go that way. You've seen it happen before. Right now the Dodge Magnum from Revell is to have the SRT/8 6.1 Liter Hemi. As I stated, the Testors' Dodges are the 5.7 Liter Hemi. I confirmed the Testors by seeing the parts on the tree. I couldn't see the parts of the Revell.

I agree with you on the "Uptown" kits. Looking at the "Uptown" Charger, though, I think it is possible to adapt the Dodge Magnum. However, that means two kits to get one detailed.:banghead:

Gerry

Gerry, did you take a look at the Lindberg Superbee (it's in your picture to the right of the big-scale SRT-8 engine mockup)? Is it that bad that it's not a viable single kit to make a Charger SRT-8? The Superbee is an SRT-8 (it's not a Daytona), and I'd hope Lindberg is making theirs full-detail, that would hopefully allow us to make a good Charger SRT-8 w/o combining the Revell Magnum and Uptown Charger. The picture of the Lindberg Superbee test shot that Lownslow posted looked like it could be acceptable. Maybe people saw both yellow Chargers (Testors and Lindberg) and didn't notice the difference between the two? That tidbit did finally get noticed/addressed by Mark Taylor at HH, he knows his Mopars. But nobody seems to have gotten any good info. on the Lindberg model compare w/the others.

I was hoping that I could adapt the Uptown 300C SRT-8 w/the Magnum for a proper Euro-spec SRT-8 Touring. Looks like it's not going to be easy. The AMT 300C leaves a lot to be desired IMHO, and it's also not an SRT-8.

Another thing, under that scale 1/6 hemi motor is that a giant monster truck chassis? that looks sweet too

It's probably the mockup patterns (that will get scaled down in tooling) for the 1/24 Dodge Dakota Sport Pickup “Raminator” Monster Truck, the only monster truck on their list of models coming out.

Gerry, did you take a look at the Lindberg Superbee (it's in your picture to the right of the big-scale SRT-8 engine mockup)? Is it that bad that it's not a viable single kit to make a Charger SRT-8?
I was hoping that I could adapt the Uptown 300C SRT-8 w/the Magnum for a proper Euro-spec SRT-8 Touring. Looks like it's not going to be easy. The AMT 300C leaves a lot to be desired IMHO, and it's also not an SRT-8.

Bob,

Didn't mean to mislead. It should. But, I couldn't get a good feel on engine quality from the gal covering the booth. She was not very knowledgeable and I also didn't get a good vibe as to when they'll be out.

As you said, the Superbee is an SRT-8. In my previous post, I was looking strictly at what you could do in the Revell line. To get a real "comfort zone", I like to see the parts tree to make my own assessment as to quality. I have no idea on quality of the Lindberg 6.1 Liter Hemi engine and was speculating on the SRT-8 Engine Revell will ship with the Magnum.

The Testor chargers are 5.7 liter versions and I have to admit, not to my interest. It’s sad they didn’t do an SRT-8 version as well. But look at how long it’s taken to come out. The 5.7 is probably fine for the Police Car, but that is coming out at a later date.

I’ll see if I have any more information on the Lindberg Dodge when I get home tonight.

Gerry

If lindberg is producing a correct Superbee then it should be an SRT-8, my only worry is that we havent seen the pricing for the Lindberg kits, when they where originally issued most where 9$-12$ range, with inflation they should hopefully come in around $15, half what the Testors kit will cost.

http://www.dodgeboy.net/news/charger_superbee/images/dodgeIMG_2390.jpg

I don't understand why Revell is producing a Camaro Concept car, since the AMT is only a few weeks off, and was announced a while ago, hopefully Revell will wait and produce the production vehicle

Revell's likely going to make ready-made Camaro concept promos, they already make Corvette promos from the snap kits. Based on comparison w/most AMT kits I have no doubt that the Revell kit will look better, and being a concept car where we saw no engine it really isn't bad to see it as a curbside. I'm sure there will be production Challengers and Camaros when they come out. As a fan of the Camaro I'm happy that Revell is doing the car. I wasn't too impressed w/AMT's latest full-detail kits like the Chrysler 300, I'd rather build a nice simple Revell curbside Camaro than a half-baked full-detail AMT version of the same car.

It's the usual proliferation of Corvette/Mustang/Camaro over more enticing and offbeat subjects. Model car finance guys and Wal Mart purchasers aren't exactly creative people :shakehead On that note, I'm a bit surprised we haven't seen Revell do any other Mustang variations, like a convertible, Shelby GT, or GT500.

The GT-500, a no brainer if you ask me.
I'd still like to know what happened with that licensing. Of all the kits announced, that was the one I wanted.

Chris

To the above comments:

I checked last night. The Lindberg/Hawk catalog and info I got had no further detail on the Super Bee. As I said previously, the gal covering the booth couldn't answer my questions. As I am somewhat skeptical on these things, if I don't see it, I'm dubious. As Bob mentioned with AMT Chrysler 300, the 300 engine is abysmal. It is quite inaccurate. The only salvation is the shroud covers the goofs when in the engine bay.

I didn’t see the Revell Magnum’s engine as I couldn’t get the rep to open the case for a closer look. There were a lot of people milling around, and I could understand why. Revell’s past work with engines gives me hope of a good quality SRT-8 Hemi useful in a lot of circumstances.

I did see the Testors’ 5.7 engine on the tree and it looked quite good. But, if I recollect correctly, besides different intake, the heads or valve cover is not the same as well between the 5.7 and 6.1.

Revell’s Camro Concept is a snap kit and of the Concept Car, at this point. You can see a built up of AMT’s Concept Camaro in the House of Kolor paint pictures above. I don’t know about the engine; however, as the rep told me they, in essence, did a curbside just to show off the paint. So, we’ll have to wait and see.

I’ll report any additional news I may find out.

Gerry

The GT-500, a no brainer if you ask me.
I'd still like to know what happened with that licensing. Of all the kits announced, that was the one I wanted.

Chris

I wanted it too, but it was also slated as a curbside, which made absolutely no sense at all. Full detail GT and a curbside GT500? I'm surprised they haven't yet announced a full-detail Shelby GT500, as it always takes Revell a significant amount of time to get a kit out once announced. Maybe Carroll Shelby is being a bit too greedy for Revell to spend the licensing $$ on a revised kit? Do Cobra 427's and '60's Shelby Mustangs sell that much better, or are they hedging tooling $$ vs. paying license fees on models that the tooling was paid for years ago??

Perhaps all this is a bit premature, Revell usually has some goodies lined up for announcement around the February toy fair. There are plenty of models coming in the next 6 months to keep me from ever seeing the light of day anyway, so the lack of any particular model might be annoying, but certainly won't make a real difference :wink:

you hear anything on a 2006 gt350H cause revell has a 66' but i want an 06 or whatetc....

you hear anything on a 2006 gt350H cause revell has a 66' but i want an 06 or what etc....

I was hoping that I could adapt the Uptown 300C SRT-8 w/the Magnum for a proper Euro-spec SRT-8 Touring. Looks like it's not going to be easy. The AMT 300C leaves a lot to be desired IMHO, and it's also not an SRT-8.

Isn't someone coming out with a SRT-8 300C?

Isn't someone coming out with a SRT-8 300C?

Not in stock form. Revell's doing a blingmobile 300C SRT-8 w/scissor doors, based on their simplistic diecast model of the same car. Not exactly the 300C SRT-8 that I want.

I can't wait for the Slant Nose Porsche and the "Red Baron" kit.