MGB GT From C1 Models

[GeeBee]

18 hours ago, Mike999 said:

I read somewhere that the Airfix MGB kit also has 2 dashboards, for right or left hand drive.  Can anybody confirm that?

Just checked mine, and it's only got the RHD dashboard in the kit, however it does include the rubber bumpers.

[64Comet404]

IIRC, the LHD dashboard was supposed to be part of the American SATCO issues, cast in resin. I never managed to find one of those kits, so I don’t know if they were ever included.

[Mike999]

1 hour ago, 64Comet404 said:

IIRC, the LHD dashboard was supposed to be part of the American SATCO issues, cast in resin. I never managed to find one of those kits, so I don’t know if they were ever included.

Aha!  Thanks.  The American SATCO MGB must be the one I heard about.  I've never seen that kit either. 

I do have an Aoshima Range Rover with an American SATCO resin left-hand dashboard.  Since SATCO was already doing LHD dashboards for other Aoshima kits, it makes sense they would do one for the MGB. 

GeeBee, thanks for checking.  Now I don't have to chase a non-existent Airfix kit with an extra dashboard.

 

[niteowl7710]

Geoff is correct, there is no LHD dash as part of the tooling itself.  There are two versions of the kit, and the rubber bumper one is the one to get if you're not sure which version you want to build as it includes all the parts for both versions.  The "new" wheels must have an interesting story behind them as the kit itself was tooled by Aoshima in 1993, and the new wheels were tooled in 1994.  It's like someone realized the wheels were wrong for a 1974, made the correction - and then either due to lack of sales, or perhaps the licensing expired they were never included.  The Euro Sports Club Series only had 4 kits that I'm aware of the two "civilian" MGs and then a road racing, and rally racing versions that have what look like a set of Minilites that have never been reissued.  The two "civilian" MGs got released in the equally short fated "Lightweight Sports" Series in 1998 that also included things like the Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino, and a Mazda Miata MX-5 that until it was reissued last year was (and still is) the only LHD 2nd Gen MX-5 kit. They tool shared the RevellAG Mercedes E Series Wagon as a Euro Sports Club RV(I suspect that's when RevellAG got a run of the MG kit for their sales) and the Range Rover was done (and also tool shared with RevellAG) and *poof* European experiment over. ?  

Edited June 27, 2020 by niteowl7710

[peteski]

I have the original Aoshima MGB (urethane bumper) kit which was distributed by American SATCO.  It has both the steel bumper and  urethane bumper parts. It has wire wheels (on the same chrome parts tree where the bumpers and grille are), and photoetched emblems.  It also includes a resin-cast LHD dash, but it is rather a poor quality casting.

But at the time this kit was sold, RMCoM (replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland) also produced a LHD dash casting for this model.  That casting (like all RMCoM products) is vastly superior to the American SATCO resin dashboard.  I also have this dash.  It was cast from a pattern by Dave Toups, part # RM-95 and its price was $4.95.  I don't know if RMC0M still sells that part, or if they still have the molds and would be willing to make another batch.

Edited June 28, 2020 by peteski

[dbostream]

12 hours ago, niteowl7710 said:

Geoff is correct, there is no LHD dash as part of the tooling itself.  There are two versions of the kit, and the rubber bumper one is the one to get if you're not sure which version you want to build as it includes all the parts for both versions.  The "new" wheels must have an interesting story behind them as the kit itself was tooled by Aoshima in 1993, and the new wheels were tooled in 1994.  It's like someone realized the wheels were wrong for a 1974, made the correction - and then either due to lack of sales, or perhaps the licensing expired they were never included.  The Euro Sports Club Series only had 4 kits that I'm aware of the two "civilian" MGs and then a road racing, and rally racing versions that have what look like a set of Minilites that have never been reissued.  The two "civilian" MGs got released in the equally short fated "Lightweight Sports" Series in 1998 that also included things like the Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino, and a Mazda Miata MX-5 that until it was reissued last year was (and still is) the only LHD 2nd Gen MX-5 kit. They tool shared the RevellAG Mercedes E Series Wagon as a Euro Sports Club RV(I suspect that's when RevellAG got a run of the MG kit for their sales) and the Range Rover was done (and also tool shared with RevellAG) and *poof* European experiment over. ?  

Interesting story. I wish I had known the rubber bumper version contained all parts for both versions before I bought both kits. On the other hand now I don't have to choose I can build both.

[niteowl7710]

And in the "never say never files" that Road Rally MG-B I said had never been reissued was announced this morning for an October release. 

Edited June 29, 2020 by niteowl7710

[Mike999]

On 6/28/2020 at 2:43 AM, peteski said:

I have the original Aoshima MGB...It also includes a resin-cast LHD dash, but it is rather a poor quality casting.

Ditto for the SATCO left-hand dash in the Aoshima Range Rovers.  The casting is very "blobby," for lack of a better word, with soft detail.  But the Range Rover has a roof, unlike the MG, so it might be passable.  

For the curious...recently on eBay, I sold an older Aoshima Range Rover with the SATCO resin dash.  It went for $59.99 + shipping, Buy It Now. 

I've seen eBay sellers, usually from Japan, asking more than $100 for that older kit plus very expensive shipping.  Like the MGB, it's good to see the kit reissued, which should make it more affordable to modelers who want one.

And I just did a quick eBay check.  Tokyo-Hobby sells the new Range Rover kit for $30.10 + $24 shipping.  The American online vendor Hobbylinc has it for $44.79.  Another Japanese seller is offering it for $75.45 + $19 shipping, and it's marked "Used" even though it's the new re-issue.  Go figure...   

[niteowl7710]

Yeah shipping out of Japan (and most of Asia) is pretty miserable right now. Japan Post will not accept any mail bound for the U.S., Hong Kong Post just started allowing EMS shipments to the U.S. & U.K. - which along with a few other European Countries are the only places you can get things sent airmail. Everything else has to go by boat and shipping times on that seem to be trending right around the 60 day mark. So the only thing available in many cases is UPS/FedEx/DHL, which are of course very quick, and a bit pricey to put it mildly.

[Justin Porter]

Between the wheels and the hardtop alone, it's going to be great to see this one back out. Great. Now I have to mark myself down for TWO more Aoshima MGB's instead of just one.

[Dave Van]

My mom drove a MG Midget the last few years of her life.....and my mother in law had a MGB GT so I'll need one! 

[Bugatti Fan]

Leslie in Scotland......Check out South Eastern Finecast….. They may be able to supply a set of Rostyle wheels in 1/24th scale.

[dbostream]

Any info on the progress of this one?

[GeeBee]

6 hours ago, dbostream said:

Any info on the progress of this one?

Nothing more at the moment,  I checked on it a few days ago. 

[dbostream]

10 hours ago, GeeBee said:

Nothing more at the moment,  I checked on it a few days ago. 

Thanks. It would be a nice Christmas present for myself hopefully it is available by then.

[GeeBee]

On 9/23/2020 at 9:24 AM, dbostream said:

Thanks. It would be a nice Christmas present for myself hopefully it is available by then.

I spoke to Chris from C1 models yesterday, work is commencing on the MGB, and it should be finished soon, he's got the photoetched parts sorted, so you should see them available very soon. 

[dbostream]

23 minutes ago, GeeBee said:

I spoke to Chris from C1 models yesterday, work is commencing on the MGB, and it should be finished soon, he's got the photoetched parts sorted, so you should see them available very soon. 

Great news thanks!

[tooltime-fan]

That's some great news. I also might get one of the reissued Kits to donor it.

Anyone else with Problems regarding the Website of sefinecast.Co.Uk?

[GeeBee]

31 minutes ago, tooltime-fan said:

That's some great news. I also might get one of the reissued Kits to donor it.

Anyone else with Problems regarding the Website of sefinecast.Co.Uk?

Yes, there's a lot of links that just don't work, I'm not sure when the website was last updated, it's looked like that since the Internet was invented. 

[tooltime-fan]

7 hours ago, GeeBee said:

Yes, there's a lot of links that just don't work, I'm not sure when the website was last updated, it's looked like that since the Internet was invented. 

It's more that I can't really load the site....connection kind of brakes down 

[peteski]

9 hours ago, tooltime-fan said:

It's more that I can't really load the site....connection kind of brakes down 

I have no problem accessing http://www.sefinecast.co.uk/Contents.htm  or other parts of that site. It is really ancient. As for ordering or contact, it states:

We are pleased to accept orders by post, telephone, fax or personally at shows in the UK.  

Payment Methods

          Cheque, Postal Order, Visa/Master Card (Please state card number, expiry date and last 3 digits of security code)

           Overseas Customers please pay by Visa/Master Card or cheques in �Sterling drawn on a UK Bank.

No email address is given, so I guess one has to call, fax or snail-mail them the orders, or ask questions.  That is so 20th Century.

[Dave Toups]

Replicas and Miniatures Co. of MD. makes a left-hand drive dash for the Aoshima MG kits. Part number RM-95.

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by Dave Toups

[Bugatti Fan]

It would be nice if C1 models sold that little PE fret with the MG badges as a separate item as well as included in their transkit.

South Eastern (exWills) Finecast in the UK have made fully detailed white metal kits of the MGB. Am a bit surprised that no one else apart from Aoshima tooled up this car as a kit in plastic. The moulds have been peddled around a bit between various manufacturers.

Edited October 2, 2020 by Bugatti Fan

[peteski]

10 hours ago, Dave Toups said:

Replicas and Miniatures Co. of MD. makes a left-hand drive dash for the Aoshima MG kits. Part number RM-95.

 

I have one of those and I highly recommend it.  It is 1000% nicer than the resin dash that came with the MGB that was sold by American SATCO (which I also have).

Edited October 3, 2020 by peteski

[fumi]

On 9/29/2020 at 12:03 PM, peteski said:

No email address is given, so I guess one has to call, fax or snail-mail them the orders, or ask questions.  That is so 20th Century.

There is actually an info@sefinecast.co.uk e-mail address in the front page and a sales@sefinecast.co.uk e-mail address in their PDF catalog.  Why they don't put it on their sales page is beyond me.