Opinions on 1/43 Resin Kits

[kworcester]

Hi, I'm considering tackling my first 1/43 resin kit. Any opinions on a good manufacturer to start with? Provence, Automany, DAM? Others?

Thanks,
Kevin

[CrateCruncher]

Welcome to AF Kevin. If you like F1 subjects Tameo make some quality models and their prices seem reasonable to me. http://www.tameokits.com/en/

EDIT: OK, I just realized you were asking specifically about resin based kits. Tameo's are whitemetal and photoetch.

[jaykay640]

Hi Kevin
The only brand i know of the ones you mentioned is Provence, and i'd recommend them.
The best thing would be though if you tell us what type of car or what specific car you wanna build. From there we can see who makes it and give better recommendations.
Oh, and welcome to AF :-)

[kworcester]

I'm interested in LeMans racers - 1970s through current day.

[rallymaster]

As I already built dozens of 1/43 models, and almost every brands, I can share some opinions, but they concern rally cars, because that's what I build/built except a few track tourism cars for friends or myself.

The former Provence Moulage kits are often simple to build, no PE (or almost nothing), but they often lack roll cage (or a plastic tree is supplied in the kit)

The Starter kits are very similar to PM kits.

The Mini Racing kits are probably the best ones considering a quality/price rate.
they come with white metal parts (rims, roll cage...) and offer a big choice from LeMans to rally passing by Dakar models.
Most of the kit are still available by asking them to Mr Puillet (MiniRacing owner), unfortunately he's difficult to join other that by phone.

Jemmpy kits are close to miniracing ones, they offer a similar quality of details. They are most of the time sold prepainted.

Cbcom kits are to avoid except if absolutely wanted/needed one of their car not avaiulable anywhere else) because they are very often badly casted, have incorrect and/or incomplete decals, when not simply false !

JPS kits are also supplied prepainted, they are complete and easy to build but the resin (polyesther) is weaker than the MiniRacing one (Polyurethan).

Renaissance kits are often complicated, with a lot of details and some choices of assembly are not really convincing (some kits have a chassis in several parts, to be fitted over a metal plate...?!)
They offer some rare and interesting kits in Le Mans, and some original livery in Rally.
Kits are available in two range, "simple" or "detailed" with opened doors, engines etc what make them very interesting.
The resin is good quality and the cast too (most of the time, as for every brand)
They also have one of the best after sale service ever seen.

Racing43 released some kits in resin, whereas most of their kits are white metal.
They are a good middle between details and simplicity, with parts in white metal.
Some kits are mixt, resin body over metal chassis.

Rallye Miniature kits are some of the brands upon with their own decals. Everything released in 2009 is serigraphy.

Automany and DM models are two former brands offering a very bad resin and cast quality and some fitment problems (for the ones I had in hands) but some livery are esclusive...

The new Provence Miniature Automobile probably are the best 1/43 kits on the market these days. Great details, great cars, opening version possible as prepainted ones, covering several subjects (Rally, LM, Dakar) but they also are among the most expensive and are for the moment almost impossible to find other than new (so current price)

DAM is similar to DM models and Automany if I'm not wrong.

you can also find some Firminy kits, or ceven kits, CCC which are former french brands.
the quality of the two last named is sensibly different from one kit to another, because they are "old school" ones, whereas Firminy is close to Starter and PM.

there must be a few other ones that I can remember for now... But not the main or noticeable brands.

If you like Spa Francorchamps 24 hours cars, you can also find some Francorchamps minimodels which I never built myself but seems to be excellent, close to PMA.


Hope this helps having a sight over the 1/43 resin kit market. feel free to ask if I can help more.
Happy building

[rallymaster]

OK you answered while I was writing my post, but most of the brand named upon released Le Mans kits.

[jaykay640]

Not to forget are BBR kits ( some 90's Le Mans kits can be found on ebay usually ) and many Ferraris of all ages.
Marsh Models offer many CanAm cars but also some LeMans ones.
LeMans Miniatures do a variety of Lemans cars in 43rd including some complicated open body versions.
Profil 24 has a couple of high detail 917s and 962s.

[kworcester]

Wow, thanks for all the info. Had no idea there were so many kitmakers out there! Are any of them better suited for someone approaching their first build in this scale/medium (quality of fit, instructions, etc)?

Kevin

[stu_davros]

As previously said the Provence Moulage kits are excellent, and often quite simple, so probably good for a first timer. I've built some of the PM kits and the Provence miniatures kits which are from the same company, but branded with a different name and I've never been disapointed by them. The Provence Moulage kits are discontinued but still pop up on ebay quite often. I bought a 2002 LeMans Bentley a week ago for £12.50, (Less than 20 bucks).
Cheers,
Stu

[wouter1981]

Check this site. It's a person who has lots of experience building 1/43 models and there is link page with a lot of manufacters.

http://homepage.mac.com/mfc143/index.html

[rallymaster]

Originally Posted by stu_davros

As previously said the Provence Moulage kits are excellent, and often quite simple, so probably good for a first timer. I've built some of the PM kits and the Provence miniatures kits which are from the same company, but branded with a different name and I've never been disapointed by them. The Provence Moulage kits are discontinued but still pop up on ebay quite often. I bought a 2002 LeMans Bentley a week ago for £12.50, (Less than 20 bucks).
Cheers,
Stu

No, no, that's false
Provence Moulage and the new brand PMA (provence miniature automobile) are not the same company, PMA is a new one with new molds and new cars, even if the prototypist (correct word ) of PMA is the same than the one of former original brand Provence Moulage (Patrick Cornu for those who took a look under PM kits chassis).
And in fact there were three generations of PMA kits, the first after Provence Moulage bankrupt launched by formers employees of Provence Moulage which was named Provence Miniature Automobile (the one you wanted to name with Provence Miniature I suppose but which really IS different from the Provence Moulage brand), and the "new" current one firstly bought to Provence Miniature Automobile by Heco Models (which is another 1/43 resin kits brand I forgot to mention yesterday like BBR) the brand then becoming Provence Miniature Automobile "by Heco", and bought last year to Heco by Philippe Benoit (EHL43), Heco keeping in charge with P. Cornu of the prototyping of the models, Rallye Miniature realizing the decals.
It's a bit complicated but Provence Moulage and the new PMA (no matter which generation) really are two different brands with two different quality and details approach whereas the three succeeding generation of PMA, even with three different owners, are quite similar and each in the continuation of the previous.
That's why it's important to clearly make the difference, these are two different generations of details, resin cast and quality, conception (opened parts) of the kits and the current PMA brand has nothing to deal now with 90's leader brand Provence Moulage.
A former Provence Moulage may be a good kit to start 1/43 resin kit with, but probably less an actual PMA (number of parts and details, PE etc etc) which you associated to provence moulage.
Starter or MiniRacing (my favorite one for such advice) also may be good kits to start with.

[stu_davros]

Originally Posted by rallymaster

No, no, that's false
Provence Moulage and the new brand PMA (provence miniature automobile) are not the same company, PMA is a new one with new molds and new cars, even if the prototypist (correct word ) of PMA is the same than the one of former original brand Provence Moulage (Patrick Cornu for those who took a look under PM kits chassis).
And in fact there were three generations of PMA kits, the first after Provence Moulage bankrupt launched by formers employees of Provence Moulage which was named Provence Miniature Automobile (the one you wanted to name with Provence Miniature I suppose but which really IS different from the Provence Moulage brand), and the "new" current one firstly bought to Provence Miniature Automobile by Heco Models (which is another 1/43 resin kits brand I forgot to mention yesterday) the brand then becoming Provence Miniature Automobile "by Heco", and bought last year to Heco by Philippe Benoit (EHL43), Heco keeping in charge with P. Cornu of the prototyping of the models, Rallye Miniature realizing the decals.
It's a bit complicated but Provence Moulage and the new PMA (no matter which generation) really are two different brands with two different quality and details approach whereas the three succeeding generation of PMA, even with three different owners, are quite similar and each in the continuation of the previous.
That's why it's important to clearly make the difference, these are two different generations of details, resin cast and quality, conception (opened parts) of the kits and the current PMA brand has nothing to deal now with 90's leader brand Provence Moulage.
A former Provence Moulage may be a good kit to start 1/43 resin kit with, but probably less and actual PMA (number of parts and details, PE etc etc) which you associated to provence moulage.

I stand corrected.

I had assumed that they were the same company as I have several PMA kits that were released previously by PM. The high detail Ferrari 512BB, the Ford MKII and the TVR Tuscan. They even have the Provence Moulage name on the bottom.
Whatever the history of the company, they are excellent kits, and I love them.

Cheers,
Stu

[rallymaster]

Originally Posted by stu_davros

I stand corrected.

I had assumed that they were the same company as I have several PMA kits that were released previously by PM. The high detail Ferrari 512BB, the Ford MKII and the TVR Tuscan. They even have the Provence Moulage name on the bottom.
Whatever the history of the company, they are excellent kits, and I love them.

Cheers,
Stu

To make it simple, and also make my own appologizes because you were right on a point and I forgot something, you confused the last generation of Provence Moulage kits (same boxes and brand but new standard) and the first generation of PMA (new standard, same as last PM one, but new name and then new brand) and I forgot to mention this last generation of Provence Moulage kits, which was so short in time I didn't even remember it...
and yes those kits are great. Same standard as current PMA range.

[kworcester]

Well, thanks to the input I have received I have ordered a Provence Moulage Peugeot WR LM kit of the car that sat on the pole at Le Mans in '95. I will try a start a thread to post progress (and request help!) once I get started.

Thanks to all who have added to this thread.

Kevin

[rallymaster]

You're welcome !
Happy to help when I can.