Best built-right-from-the-box kits?

[Jantrix]

So I dragged out a kit yesterday when I was thinking about building one right from the box. Like a slump buster build. A Monogram Street Fighter/Bad Actor Chevy. 

Before I knew it -

1. Well the engine is awful, gotta replace that.

2. The core support if totally unrealistic, so that needs some detail added.

3. Sidepipes or no side pipes?

4. If no, should I trim away those curved rockers?

5. etc, etc.

6. AND ..... back in the box.

So. This begs the question. In your experience, what are some of the best kits to build straight from the box, no need for the parts bins?

 

 

[Michael jones]

Most Tamiya kits are great. Beemax/Aoshima are not far behind.

[peteski]

Yes, I would say any Tamiya kit (many do have full engine detail).  And as Michael stated, other Japanse manufacturers (Aoshima, Fujimi, . . .) are close behind.

[Snake45]

Some of the most troublefree builds that stick in my mind include the Monogram '70 GTX (now Revell '70 Road Runner) and '70 Superbird, and Monogram '70 Boss 429 Mustang.

The Revell '69 Shelby goes together easily after you fix the front valence pan problem. 

The Revell '68 and '69 Corvette kits, and the AMT '70-'72 Vettes are also great OOB builds. In fact, I won an IPMS Regional award with the AMT '70 Vette. 

[SoDak1]

62 Catalina, 66 Riviera, 60 Chevy pickup, and 67 Impala SS build nice straight from the box.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Any of the older Monogram kits from the '80s.

('59 Caddy, '59/'60 Impala, '65/'66 Impala, '55 Belair. '56 Nomad, etc.)

 

 

 

Steve

[stavanzer]

The Revell '32 Fords. Esp the Sedan and 5 Window. Oodles of options in the box, and great fit.

[Dragonhawk1066]

2 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Some of the most troublefree builds that stick in my mind include the Monogram '70 GTX (now Revell '70 Road Runner) and '70 Superbird, and Monogram '70 Boss 429 Mustang.

 

I agree! Those old Monogram Muscle Car kits were a dream to build! I just built the '70 Boss 429 re-issue and I swear that kit could build itself. Just take the parts off the sprue, paint them and throw them in the box with an open tube of glue. Then shake the box and it will come out perfectly completed.

[Plowboy]

Hard to beat the old AMT 3n1 kits.

[gtx6970]

For me personally, I think it has the be the revell Thunderbolt kits.

No fuss or drama involved from start to finish.

[89AKurt]

Subjective opinions, really depends on what you like to build, doesn't it?  Also depends on your mood, I've busted my slumps in different ways, OOB is a safe bet, but once I kit-bashed a horrible kit with a previously built junk model, in a week.  Since you really didn't ask for brand (mine is Tamiya), pick one with fewer parts, just get it slapped together!

[NOBLNG]

16 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

Since you really didn't ask for brand (mine is Tamiya), pick one with fewer parts, just get it slapped together!

I am currently building the Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 and it goes together beautifully! No engine to build and it's molded in three colors so it doesn't really even need paint.

Edited March 6, 2020 by NOBLNG

[Roadrunner]

For me (and my limited experience), it's the Revell/Monogram '70 Challenger T/A kit.

[RichCostello]

Revell Foose Ford pickup, and 57 Ford kits even make me look like I know what I'm doing!

[Mike999]

Revell 1/25 scale '67 Chevelle SS-396.  One of Revell's first modern-tool kits from the 1980's, if I'm remembering right.  Very nice engine/chassis/interior detail. It's even molded in metallic blue and the metallic flake is in scale, not blobular. 

If you like foreign cars, the ESCI/Italeri Renault R5 Gordini Rally racers, released in many versions over the years.  The engine/FWD setup looks complex when finished, with separate half-shafts etc.  But it's easy to build.  Rally cars, so they have colorful decals and you only need to paint the body white for most of them.  Out of the box, one of these could be a (almost) weekend build.

And another pitch for the old AMT 3-in-1 Trophy Series kits.  If you don't want to build it straight out of the box, they were designed for swapping engines and other parts between kits. Every time I open one of these oldies, I remember lying in front of the TV building them, while watching "Shock Theater."  Yes, I'm a geezer, just like those kits.

  

Edited March 6, 2020 by Mike999
goof

[SfanGoch]

Was that Shock Theater on KTLA?

[Snake45]

39 minutes ago, Mike999 said:

Revell 1/25 scale '67 Chevelle SS-396.  One of Revell's first modern-tool kits from the 1980's, if I'm remembering right.  Very nice engine/chassis/interior detail. It's even molded in metallic blue and the metallic flake is in scale, not blobular. 

Agree completely. Another troublefree build that results in an accurate and beautiful model. 

[espo]

I like many of the Revell kits offered in the last decade. The last of the AMT kits were also good. I haven't built any of the Tamiya kits and the like, they're usually a subject I'm not interested in. 

[Erik Smith]

I really like the Revell Special Edition 1962 Impala. There are some building options and the detail and assembly are very good. Plus there is a lot of flat “metal” making polishing easier. 

Edited March 6, 2020 by Erik Smith

[Matt Bacon]

Tamiya Lexus LFA and new NSX, Moebius 55 Chrysler 300, Hasegawa Miura and Lancia Delta Integrale...

best,

M.

[Mike999]

5 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

Was that Shock Theater on KTLA?

No, in my case it was in rural South Carolina.  I didn't realize so many "Shock Theaters" were showing all over the country back then. That was some clever packaging and marketing by Universal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_Theater 

[Roadrunner]

Last night I was eyeballing the Tamiya Ford GT kit. While I know nothing at all about the car, any kit from Tamiya is probably killer. I'll soon be ordering one, so we'll see then.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Roadrunner

[peteski]

I'm familiar with many brands of kits, and none compare to Tamiya's engineering and fit.  Those kits are amusingly well designed.  Yes, I'm a big Tamiya fan-boy, but if you ever have a chance to build one you will see fist-hand what I mean.

[Roadrunner]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

I'm familiar with many brands of kits, and none compare to Tamiya's engineering and fit.  Those kits are amusingly well designed.  Yes, I'm a big Tamiya fan-boy, but if you ever have a chance to build one you will see fist-hand what I mean.

I've built more than my share of Tamiya aircraft and armor, but never a car. The Ford GT will be the first.

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, peteski said:

I'm familiar with many brands of kits, and none compare to Tamiya's engineering and fit.  Those kits are amusingly well designed.  Yes, I'm a big Tamiya fan-boy, but if you ever have a chance to build one you will see fist-hand what I mean.

I'll buy and build one as soon as they offer some classic American '60s-'70s muscle. And there's plenty of unkitted subject matter on the table for them.