New AMT and Revell kit announcements.

[chrismcgee]

i think that the people who get to the market first with a "decent" tuner series would start to lay foundations that would give them loya followers and that others would try and catch up to. Look at the way tamiya has people so desperately scrabbling to see what kit is coming out next.

A company that was loyal now to its customers would have them still as customers 20 yrs from now. where as 20 yrs from now all the people who are probably making the 57' chevvys etc will probably not be able to keep their hands still enough to make the models.

Market reasearch is all good and well but if a company wants to survive it has to forsee the future, tuners are here to stay, not a silly fad. so start catering for us because we are the old farts of tomorrow, so make us your customers today or i wont be buyign your stuff!

[larrygre]

Originally Posted by Okiemodelbuilder

All of the AMT announcements posted on the HHMB are reissues only. No info has been posted regarding new tooling. I have a hunch that we'll see more F&F cars including an RX-7. I have seen the diecast RX-7 and RC2 will be sharing stuff between diecast and plastic in the future.

They already are. Compare the F&F kits to their 1/18 and 1/24 diecast counterparts. They share the same engineering, including the same engineering errors. The Eclipse, in all scales, is a disaster. Ditto for the Dodge Charger - I just got the kit and it's a mess. The RX-7 diecasts are not bad, but much about them is wrong - fortunately, when the plastic kit does show up (in 2004, as I understand it), if they repeat the same errors at least they are somewhat correctable.

It seems that RCErtl, RC2, or whatever they want to call themselves, seem to be of the belief that if it looks "kind of like" what it's supposed to look like, its OK.

WRONG.

[larrygre]

Originally Posted by slk320

You are right of course, but at some point the youth market (those under 30), who did not grow up around the A-La kart George Barris creations can't share the passion of older vehicle that was not their first car, their first drag experience and their fond memories in the back seat of the 1966 Nova..

I am simply saying that it would be nice to see subjects that I can personaly relate to... (I think even domestic manufacturers recongise the need for that, hence their introduction of the tuner series and movie cars)

I have built a fare amount of hot rods, the 32 fords, the 69 Camaros and the likes, but I see the chnage in the hobby and I hope they do too...

Back in the 60's and 70's AMt and Revell used to issue "parts packs" to customize their cars with new webber carbs, lake pipes and headers, etc. Its time for them to do the same with the current crop of street tuners.

The same kid the waxed his first 59 Caddy and cruised the boulevard with his friends is the same kid today who is waxing his import. polished his Dragger exhaust and puts on the tuner decals. Trends are trends and even in the smallest town USA the kids are driving imports. Hondas, Acuras, VW, Toyotas and NIssans are our first cars and our fondest memories and the reality we live today. I love old cars, but they are not MY memories, nor are they from MY youth...

Just my

I know everyone has an opinion, and I respect all of yours.

Thanks for listening.

There has to be room in this model car hobby for all interests and styles - factory stock, classics, lowriders, customs, street rods, racing cars of all types, tuners, trucks, etc. Intolerance of other modelers preferences, both by our fellow modelers and by the model manufacturers and aftermarket, is guaranteed to drive people OUT of the hobby. And, as I have said many times in my magazine columns, anything that hurts the hobby winds up hurting all of us, because the hobby just is not as big as it used to be.

We have to have room for everybody's .

Best regards,

[larrygre]

Originally Posted by Veyron

http://www.modelcarkits.com/cgi-bin/...gi?read=335893

I for one am glad they are bringing back the '65 Riviera. IMHO, that is one of the most beautiful American cars of all time.

The original annual kit (back in '65) had all the parts to do the Barris Kustom "Villa Riviera". Hopefully those will still be on the trees when this puppy sees production.

[fairladyz_gt-r]

Originally Posted by slk320

You are right of course, but at some point the youth market (those under 30), who did not grow up around the A-La kart George Barris creations can't share the passion of older vehicle that was not their first car, their first drag experience and their fond memories in the back seat of the 1966 Nova..

I am simply saying that it would be nice to see subjects that I can personaly relate to... (I think even domestic manufacturers recongise the need for that, hence their introduction of the tuner series and movie cars)

I have built a fare amount of hot rods, the 32 fords, the 69 Camaros and the likes, but I see the chnage in the hobby and I hope they do too...

Back in the 60's and 70's AMt and Revell used to issue "parts packs" to customize their cars with new webber carbs, lake pipes and headers, etc. Its time for them to do the same with the current crop of street tuners.

The same kid the waxed his first 59 Caddy and cruised the boulevard with his friends is the same kid today who is waxing his import. polished his Dragger exhaust and puts on the tuner decals. Trends are trends and even in the smallest town USA the kids are driving imports. Hondas, Acuras, VW, Toyotas and NIssans are our first cars and our fondest memories and the reality we live today. I love old cars, but they are not MY memories, nor are they from MY youth...

Just my

I know everyone has an opinion, and I respect all of yours.

Thanks for listening.

I agree........i bet my first car will be infinity I35. it won't be a 60' car! i know those car are beutiful. but i will like to build what i grown up with then something my dad grown up with!

[blueboost]

There are strong rumors that Fujimi and Aoshima have a new US distributor. That's great news. Maybe greater visibility for these kits? Let's hope so.

I see the trend steadily growing and I agree that import tuning is here to stay. My first car was a nissan, my memories are with import cars. I will not suddenly change to 69 camaro's when I get old (even though I like that stuff too, I just love cars period) . I will love what I have always loved that won't change.

I remember modifying Tamiya JGTC cars into street tuners years ago, now I can buy street versions in my model shop.

Last time I went into my model shop, nothing but tamiya as far as import selection. I asked the manager and she said they don't stock fujimi aoshima etc.. suppliers can't get em either. Yesterday I stopped in (this is about a month later) and they were loaded up with fujimi street models tuner 7's and GTR's and JUN Preludes etc etc etc..

[larrygre]

Originally Posted by blueboost

I see the trend steadily growing and I agree that import tuning is here to stay. My first car was a nissan, my memories are with import cars. I will not suddenly change to 69 camaro's when I get old (even though I like that stuff too, I just love cars period) . I will love what I have always loved that won't change.

You hit it right on the head. We love cars, period.

[gasman03]

it cost alot of $$$$$$$ to make new model car tool, even to modify a tool can be very expensive, this is an extremely good list from AMT, the 69 Galaxie and Hilbilly truck have been reaching well over $100 on ebay, expect some new import car announments from Revell and AMT after the first of the year