for only $40 USD :)

[Honoturtle]

$40 USD??? Isn't that quite pricy for the Fujimi kit? I paid around $20-25 USD for mine, but I mainly got it for the rims to put on my GT-500 Eleanor conversion. And can you post the comparison kits?

[themodelkid]

Here is my cobra, the detail looks pretty good, its the baldwin motion drag version from germany. I paid 18.20 for it.

[appleseed]

yip... i got hosed on the fujimi kit but i was pretty excited at the time i found this kit so i went for it. anyway, when i was prepping it for sale on ebay, my brother got a glimpse of it and decided that he wanted me to build it for him. to make a long story short, i'm going to be building both of them.

here are some comparison shots:











i haven't taken a look at the engines but both look very similar. the monogram kit does not come with a hood scoop nor a roll bar. the profiles are a bit different however. the monogram kit is a bit tapered and slightly more rounded than the fujimi kit. the monogram kit is more reminiscent of a classic roadster while the fujimi kit appears a bit more agressive due to its wider front track. the rims on the monogram kit are very good imo. included are the wider wheels for the rear which the fujimi kit lacks. comparison of the two wheels reveal that it is only the front wheels that are smaller in the monogram kit as both kits share the same size diameter wheels and wheel width.

i plan on opening the trunk on the monogram kit as well as it is a simple design. i do not forsee any problems in doing so.

i have already primed and laid a coat of gunze super black on the fujimi kit already. i'll probably open a thread on it soon...

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[appleseed]

modelkid, is that a hood scoop that i see there? i'd like to see a bit more of the car body if its no trouble. thanks in advance!

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[appleseed]

you know what guys? i'm beginning to think that the fujimi kit has a much better engine than we all give it credit for. there are quite a few options for the engine. provided are two different manifolds... a dual manifold as well as one that accomidates velocity stacks... and the velocity stacks are provided as chrome pieces. also, for the dual manifold, you have an option in carburetors. you get both the dual carburetors as well as the single carburetor option. both of these are chrome plated.

when you folks say that the engine is incorrect, i can't really see any inconsistencies between the two besides the radiator fans.

i've also done some research on the internet looking up 427 engines for the cobra. the immediate difference i see is the singel vs the dual carbs. other than that, i can't pick anything out. given that i am not a well versed 'engine guy', would someone be able to point out the inconsistancies before i go ahead with the build? thanks in advance!

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[bigfrit]

I sadly can't help you with your question, but I will be following these cars with great interest!

I love the way you're getting them compared and how you're gettting into detail (I.e. the booth from the fujimi kit)

Please keep us (and me ) updated!

and another question; if you had to choose, which one would you buy, to have that classic cobra model ?
Also, I don't know if this true, but I ve heard somewhere Fujimi molded it after a recent cobra model, not the true 427 ?

Well, anyways I am eager to see more from you, as always!

Keep it up, master!

Olivier

[themodelkid]

yup apple seed its a hood scoop, i'll take some more pictures later, but i have to go to work now.

[appleseed]

bigfrit, the plans are to have the fujimi kit in black with silver stripes. the new owner wants it that way so there it is. but as far as having a classic cobra... there are others which are the 289? that share the same body stlye. i'm not much of an engine guy but that's probably the only difference. i've found lots of ref. pics on the net for the 427 cobra as well. some of the valve covers actually have 427 cobra on them while others have only cobra on them. i'll reference the 427 ones and that would be that.

i would say that i would prefer the monogram kit only because it is cheaper. as far at the styling is concerned, you can see from the pics that there is not much difference. only a tapered front end which gives it a more classic roadster look. however, the fujimi one does look a bit more agressive but at 2-4x the cost though. just keep in mind that there are many engine options included in the fujimi kit and some may find that as a big plus. the only thing that you may want to do for the monogram one is to add the studs on the rear deck as it does not come with a roll bar. i've seen pics where the ones with the roll bar does not include the studs for the top. which makes sense. i don't see how you would put a top on with the fujimi roll bar in place anyhow.

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[appleseed]

okay guys, i think i figured out the mystery of the inaccurate engine. with a bit of research on the net, i've found out that fujimi has included parts for not only the 427 engine, but that of the 289 engine as well. from what i've gathered, the 427 engine has dual carbs while the 289 engine has a single carb. the 289 *i think* also may be outfitted with a different manifold cover which may accomodate velocity stacks. this give the modeler much flexibility in engine design. the 427 and the 289 share a very similar, if not, the same body.

i may be wrong on this but the engine is very much accurate wrt the reference material i have found on the web. take a look at www.cobraclub.com. they have an extensive member gallery with dozens of member photos of the engine and chassis. i believe that fujimi has done an excellent job recreating the engine and with the engine options available, is an excellent buy. this does not overshadow the accuracy the monogram has also put into their kit as well. with their low price point, monogram has even created a part for the dual carbs and air filters separately. i believe monogram also has a 289 kit as well. in the instructions, monogram has mistakenly placed the single carb in place of the dual carbs in many of the 247 building diagrams. so this leads me to believe that monogram has two different cobra engines floating around for this cobra.

i hope i haven't been too long winded about these kits but i thought that i'd share with you all the information that i've found and try to change a damaging popular opinion towards fujimi's cobra engine.

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[daggerlee]

Both of these kits sound likes one I need to pick up.

[hawk_196]

Maybe I'm going crazy, but I don't remember the roll bar being that high up. Maybe I'm just tired

[appleseed]

i'm not sure about the roll bar height but as it turns out, the top has a cutout for the back support for the roll bar. i guess i was wrong about the top wasn't i?

here's a really cool pic of a 427 cobra that i found. it was described as a pic of a cobra 427 goodwod 2002 winner. i've tried to look for more pics of this car but couldn't find any more. can anyone help? i think this is going to be the plan for the monogram kit



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[appleseed]

here's another pic of a similar hardtop. this time with a view from the rear.

the more i look at it, the more excited i get about the monogram kit!

i'm too lazy to scratchbuild one for the fujimi kit. i think i'll concentrate more on the finish and engine for that one. but once i'm done with that one, i'm thinking red with white stripes like the one pictured below. now how do i get a hood scoop other than having to scratchbuild one... hmm....



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ps let me know when my incessant rambling begins to bore you guys