quick poll, who has the 1/12 F40 monogram kit?

[JeremyJon]

Quick question for you guys, please let me know if you have this kit, poll attached


I have this kit also, because it was cheap but disappointed in the poor quality problems, and so I've been working on it, to fix all the poor parts & scratch building new front+rear end, wheels+tires, and other detailing bits to make it look nice & right!

Why? I'm considering making into an affordable trans-kit

LMK
Thanks!

[leafs004]

I'd recommend getting the protar. Not perfect but a lot better than the monogram.

[JeremyJon]

which it should be for a $200+ kit, but which kits are better isn't the basis of the poll, thx

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-PROT...item2a2cdeb7a1

[white97ex]

I haven't looked at it extensively to identify the issues and whar must be done to produce a presentable piece. Though it will get done at some point in time. The modifications don't scare me, I just haven't brought this one to the bench yet.

[JeremyJon]

Hey Russell,

It's mostly what you see on the box photo, badly shaped bodywork, specifically the front end & rear end, and the wheels & tires are not great, especially the tires
The engine is basic but not bad, the interior is okay, but the seats are not right
The chassis and suspension is also basic, but passable

Like others I'm sure, the purchase price is cheap - mine was only $25 - and I bought it years ago, because it's a larger scale Ferrari F40 kit, for only fraction of the price of a comparable Protar, Kyosho or Pocher kit, in the same scale

It's easy to say but one of those, but isn't my point here

So for my own build I've been scratch building and replacing with better components, in my case I'm making it to F40-LM specification, with a new nose, a new tail, better tires and wheels, seats and other detailing items

So I'm asking just to get a feel for if that is worthwhile to make into an upgrade package, for others too - making all the RTV molds isn't cheap or easy!

[lezdep]

I have this kit. Mine is actually destined for future conversion into GTE/LM racer as well. I would be very interested in trans-kit,
if it is for GTE/LM spec race car. I'm undecided about road version at present, but even such trans-kit would be of interest to me,
because it'll give me better starting base for conversion I want to do. I believe there were also number of changes to the engine
and turbo system in race cars. Would love to have those included. I don't have much modeling time available, so the closer the
trans-kit is to my goal, the better for me. In worst case, even if you won't make it into commercial mass product, please remember
my interest, I will take one off copy of your parts gladly.

[JeremyJon]

Thanks LD,
That's exactly what I'm trying to learn, because it does take some doing to make molds, etc. and if going to then it has to be worthwhile interest
I'm leaning toward making it a full GTE Evo II version!

[white97ex]

Molds are not cheap! You are definitely correct there! It was costly to have a mold made of my mustang fox body coupe master.

[F1Tommy]

The roof on the Monogram 1/12th scale F40 is wrong among other things. The Protar is also not very good. The only kit with an accurate body of an F40 in 1/12th scale is the Fujimi metal kit. Better yet, buy the Kyosho F40 diecast and pull it apart. I already did the LM wheels and a new nose for mine. I see Kyosho are now going to do the LM version also as a fully assembled diecast but it looks to have some errors as they used to many of their street F40 parts on it. Kyosho's F40 has the best body and chassis by far overall.

Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2014-Chicago March 2014

[MerlinPro]

I actually have 2 kits of 2804-both bought back when new. One black box art as you show and one with white background.
Was disappointed when I bought the first one and bought the second in hopes of making one accurate one out of two by cutting and hacking.
They got put aside for disappointment and other projects came along.
The key to your production plan is the term 'affordable'...

[leafs004]

Originally Posted by F1Tommy

The roof on the Monogram 1/12th scale F40 is wrong among other things. The Protar is also not very good. The only kit with an accurate body of an F40 in 1/12th scale is the Fujimi metal kit. Better yet, buy the Kyosho F40 diecast and pull it apart. I already did the LM wheels and a new nose for mine. I see Kyosho are now going to do the LM version also as a fully assembled diecast but it looks to have some errors as they used to many of their street F40 parts on it. Kyosho's F40 has the best body and chassis by far overall.

Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2014-Chicago March 2014

Good to know as I just may sell my Protar for $200+ and put that towards a Kyosho.

[JeremyJon]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

I actually have 2 kits of 2804-both bought back when new. One black box art as you show and one with white background.
Was disappointed when I bought the first one and bought the second in hopes of making one accurate one out of two by cutting and hacking.
They got put aside for disappointment and other projects came along.
The key to your production plan is the term 'affordable'...

True Merlin,
It's not an expensive kit to begin with, so making a $150-200 transkit for it would not make any sense at all!
As Russell correctly pointed out, making RTV molds & producing parts is not as easy, quick nor cheap as many think, so it needs to make sense before I try to do so
True Tommy, there are many issues, and all are better kits, in this case my idea isn't going to make every single error correct, otherwise I'd be simply making an entire kit from scratch, which isn't going to happen but with some properly crafted components, and skill level of the builder being advanced level, then for under $100 a highly detailed, proper looking 1:12 kit would be the result!

[MerlinPro]

Originally Posted by JeremyJon

True Merlin,
It's not an expensive kit to begin with, so making a $150-200 transkit for it would not make any sense at all!
...but with some properly crafted components, and skill level of the builder being advanced level, then for under $100 a highly detailed, proper looking 1:12 kit would be the result!

That's a reasonable plan of action if you can accomplish it. Having been around a 1:1 F-40 and loving it, I would surely have interest at that price level.

[JeremyJon]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

That's a reasonable plan of action if you can accomplish it. Having been around a 1:1 F-40 and loving it, I would surely have interest at that price level.

The F40 is one of my mostest favoritest cars in the whole wide world ever!

[MerlinPro]

Originally Posted by JeremyJon

The F40 is one of my mostest favoritest cars in the whole wide world ever!

Not if you had to do an engine-out for belt and cam work...