Sidney Schwartz Posted January 24, 2023 Posted January 24, 2023 I'd never heard of Atlantis kits until just now. I'd appreciate any comments on quality before spending my quatloos on one.
Classicgas Posted January 24, 2023 Posted January 24, 2023 Atlantis is largely repopping old kits from other manufacturers.
Raoul Ross Posted January 24, 2023 Posted January 24, 2023 44 minutes ago, Sidney Schwartz said: ...spending my quatloos on one. +1 for use of the word Quatloos 1 2
StevenGuthmiller Posted January 24, 2023 Posted January 24, 2023 I believe that they’re re-popping mostly really old Revell kits. A lot of oddball stuff of various scales. Unless the subject matter is something that you just can’t live without, you’re likely to be disappointed. Steve
bobthehobbyguy Posted January 24, 2023 Posted January 24, 2023 What type of kits have you built in the past? That will also determine if the Atlantis kits are Match for you.
Dpate Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 Last kit i purchased of there's at full price was buyers remorse. They instantly went into the MPC category as in will never buy ANY model with those names on it.
Dave Van Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 Atlantis has been around many years. They found and bought old tooling for plastic kits. Most recently they bought SOME of the tooling in storage from the Revell Monogram bankruptcy. Some tooling is very old, 1950's, and not up to todays standards. Other kits are very well done but you may not like the subject matter. I pretty much know what I am getting. Almost everything Atlantis has put out has been reviewed on Youtube so you can see what it is like. This old B-36 kit is a little crude on detail, went together fine and for the $12 I paid....just fine. 4
Sidney Schwartz Posted January 25, 2023 Author Posted January 25, 2023 OK...thanks for the info. Think I'll pass.
Joe Nunes Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 I have a number of the Atlantis kits and most likely will purchase more. While likely not up to today's "standards" that's not why I bought the kits. I love the box art and the opportunity to build some of the very models from my youth that got me excited about building plastic models in the first place. If I wanted a more "perfect" model to build I could be better served with another choice. Perfect wasn't a top concern back during the '50's and '60's when the original kits were purchased by me...having fun during the journey at the model building desk was what mattered most to me. Today, when I buy an Atlantis kit, especially at the Hobby Lobby 40% off price, I get the chance to enjoy the "let's just have fun putting the model together" feeling and all of the good memories that go with the present day build journey. A lot of bang for the buck and I can end up with a model project that means a lot to me. ? Joe 8
bobthehobbyguy Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 6 minutes ago, Joe Nunes said: I have a number of the Atlantis kits and most likely will purchase more. While likely not up to today's "standards" that's not why I bought the kits. I love the box art and the opportunity to build some of the very models from my youth that got me excited about building plastic models in the first place. If I wanted a more "perfect" model to build I could be better served with another choice. Perfect wasn't a top concern back during the '50's and '60's when the original kits were purchased by me...having fun during the journey at the model building desk was what mattered most to me. Today, when I buy an Atlantis kit, especially at the Hobby Lobby 40% off price, I get the chance to enjoy the "let's just have fun putting the model together" feeling and all of the good memories that go with the present day build journey. A lot of bang for the buck and I can end up with a model project that means a lot to me. ? Joe I agree. It all depends on what you are expecting in your building experience. It's fun to apply my skills today to older kits. There is not just one way to enjoy the hobby. 6
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 Atlantis currently repops some subject matter, in these cases old Revell kits, simply not available anywhere else. I have these, and they're good kits for a competent modeler. The Martin P6M Seamaster means a lot to me, as my father worked on the program. I still have two of HIS models of it from the period, and an Atlantis repop to build for myself. The Allison gas turbine kit also means a lot to me, as it was part of my introduction to non-piston aircraft engines. Far as car models go, Atlantis is repopping some truly classic Revell "parts-pack" sprues, and putting them together into kits almost identical to what I built in the 1960s, and learned a great deal from. Original double kit: Repop from original tooling: 3
Sidney Schwartz Posted January 25, 2023 Author Posted January 25, 2023 In my case I was looking at the '57 Eldorado specifically. Based on a description of the Atlantis version, it's probably a reissue of the Revell kit, which I'm just finishing up. If I decide to buy another one I'll probably stick with the Revell...doesn't look like they're hard to find. It's not a great kit, but it is fun.
stavanzer Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 Most of the Atlantis 1/25 Automotive kits are ex-Revell tooling. All of it is old. None of it is up to modern standards or tastes. That said, the Parts Pack kits are a great deal for plastic that was almost impossible to find with paying high collector prices. It is fabulous to have them available again in fresh plastic. That Caddy kit has been a difficult to assemble, mis-shapen turkey since day one. If you can get a good result from it, you are doing exceptionally well.
OldNYJim Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 (edited) 11 minutes ago, stavanzer said: That said, the Parts Pack kits are a great deal for plastic that was almost impossible to find with paying high collector prices. It is fabulous to have them available again in fresh plastic. Absolutely agree. But for all the talk of these old Revell tools not being to 'today's standards', a lot of the parts in these older kits FAR exceed the level of detail in modern kits. For example, compare the detail on the Small Block Chevy that you can find in the Atlantis Mooneyes kit to the Small Block in the latest Revell Model A kits and it makes the new parts look blocky and toy-like by comparison. And the reissued suspension and frame parts kits are a goldmine of beautifully-tooled vintage hot rod parts. That Caddy tho, yeah, it's the old Revell kit with the multi-piece body...I've got one here to build and I'm excited to tackle it but it was never a high-detail kit or well proportioned Edited January 25, 2023 by CabDriver typo 3 1
Sidney Schwartz Posted January 25, 2023 Author Posted January 25, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, stavanzer said: That Caddy kit has been a difficult to assemble, mis-shapen turkey since day one. If you can get a good result from it, you are doing exceptionally well. How am I doing so far? ? I've already decided to get another one of these. Now that I'm familiar with it I can do a better job of fixing the inherent problems. And it's impossible not to like the car itself. Edited January 25, 2023 by Sidney Schwartz 1
stavanzer Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 6 minutes ago, Sidney Schwartz said: How am I doing so far? ? I've already decided to get another one of these. Now that I'm familiar with it I can do a better job of fixing the inherent problems. And it's impossible not to like the car itself. It looks very Sharp. I like the colour you chose.
Bainford Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 Looking good. I've not built one of these, but yours is as nice as any I've seen.
Dave Van Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 31 minutes ago, Sidney Schwartz said: How am I doing so far? ? I've already decided to get another one of these. Now that I'm familiar with it I can do a better job of fixing the inherent problems. And it's impossible not to like the car itself. Modeler vs assembler ........... 1
Sidney Schwartz Posted January 25, 2023 Author Posted January 25, 2023 30 minutes ago, Bainford said: Looking good. I've not built one of these, but yours is as nice as any I've seen. Thanks! ?
Tcoat Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 I am going to buck the trend here and say that you have a better than 50/50 chance of getting a nice kit out of Atlantis. Their kits do seem to consist of the cast off molds from Revell, Monogram, MPC,Lindberg and even Aurora that nobody else wanted. Some of these molds saw heavy use and the modern day castings from them show it. On the other hand some of the more oddball things were sold once and the molds were packed away never to see styrene again for decades. These ones can be as nice and crisp with detail that rivels many modern kit in the same price range. The trick is to find reviews on the exact kit you may be interested in and remove the element of doubt.
StevenGuthmiller Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 2 hours ago, Sidney Schwartz said: How am I doing so far? ? I've already decided to get another one of these. Now that I'm familiar with it I can do a better job of fixing the inherent problems. And it's impossible not to like the car itself. Looks pretty nice so far. If nothing else, you could say that this kit is a good "caricature" of a '57 Eldorado Brougham. One of the very first things that I would attempt, if I ever decided to build one of these kits, is to try to straighten out that "curve" at the rear of the tail fin, and add the missing molding on the top of the fin. (a couple of the items that always drove me nuts about this kit) Just one of the many modifications that could only help with the finished appearance of this model. Some aftermarket door handles set lower on the doors would be a big improvement as well. Of course, the wheel well openings could use a bunch of work too. Oh boy, here we go down this rabbit hole! Steve
Sidney Schwartz Posted January 25, 2023 Author Posted January 25, 2023 2 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said: One of the very first things that I would attempt, if I ever decided to build one of these kits, is to try to straighten out that "curve" at the rear of the tail fin, and add the missing molding on the top of the fin. (a couple of the items that always drove me nuts about this kit) Yes, there's a bunch of stuff that can be improved. About all I did on this one was to putty and sand where the top and bottom body halves go together. Oh, and the dash isn't even close to being accurate. Still, there's something about the kit that makes me smile. ?
StevenGuthmiller Posted January 25, 2023 Posted January 25, 2023 13 minutes ago, Sidney Schwartz said: Yes, there's a bunch of stuff that can be improved. About all I did on this one was to putty and sand where the top and bottom body halves go together. Oh, and the dash isn't even close to being accurate. Still, there's something about the kit that makes me smile. ? It is a very cool car! I just wish that Johan would have done it rather than Revell. Then we would have had a nice starting point! Johan's '58 Fleetwood is a spectacular gem compared to this kit! I keep telling myself I'm going to re-build this one. Maybe it's about time. Steve 1
Joe Nunes Posted January 26, 2023 Posted January 26, 2023 I don’t know, Steve, that model sure has a lot of character and appeal just as it is now. ? Joe
Sidney Schwartz Posted January 26, 2023 Author Posted January 26, 2023 2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said: It is a very cool car! I just wish that Johan would have done it rather than Revell. Then we would have had a nice starting point! Johan's '58 Fleetwood is a spectacular gem compared to this kit! I keep telling myself I'm going to re-build this one. Maybe it's about time. Steve Wow, that is sweet! That kit would probably cost a fortune even if I could find one.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now