junkyardjeff Posted January 22 Posted January 22 There is something about the 34 Ford coupe/convertible kit I can not get enough of,over the years I got one complete unbuilt kit and a bunch of partial built and parts kits and I got another. I have two partial builds going that need parts so I found what looked to be a very incomplete kit on eBay and got it cheap,it arrived yesterday and was surprised that it was only missing a few parts that I might use one that I started for the parts I need for this one. Part of the reason I grab all the opened kits is to get a few sets of those wire wheels which is hard,this kit looks to have all the outers and missing two inners but has all the hubcaps still on the tree. 1
iamsuperdan Posted January 22 Posted January 22 I'm the same way with the old ESCI Ford Transit kit. And I can't even explain why. I mean, it's a crappy kit of a mid-80s Ford van. But I love them. I have a pile of them now, and am always looking for more. And the nice thing, now that Italeri has reissued it, the pricing on the originals doesn't get as ridiculous. Can find them for pretty reasonable prices now. 1
junkyardjeff Posted January 22 Author Posted January 22 The other old Monogram kits I like is the 40 Ford pickup,I want to get all of those stock rims and hubcaps I can get,I wish those parts would have came in the. 70s and newer versions. 2
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 22 Posted January 22 I agree with you about those old Monogram kits. Their first-gen '34, before the de-contenting and top-chopping etc., is absolutely THE best '34 Ford ever done in scale, by a wide margin. 3
junkyardjeff Posted January 23 Author Posted January 23 I am eyeing another partial kit that I can use for parts this time. 1
Carmak Posted January 24 Posted January 24 The Monogram 34 Ford kits are works of art. Just as good as it gets! 6
Old Buckaroo Posted January 24 Posted January 24 Ive been on a mission lately buying older Monogram kits as well as the others that were made in USA. This new chi'na plastic reminds me of trying to model a five gallon bucket crossed with a rubbermaid trashcan. I wonder how this new plastic will hold up in 50 years like the real plastic models have. 1
Dave Van Posted January 24 Posted January 24 I get it. I love all those 1/24 kits Monogram did in early 60's. A 6 in 1 kit!! What's not to love!!!! My dream is somehow someone clones these kits!!! 5
Chris V Posted January 25 Posted January 25 On 1/23/2025 at 12:27 AM, Ace-Garageguy said: I agree with you about those old Monogram kits. Their first-gen '34, before the de-contenting and top-chopping etc., is absolutely THE best '34 Ford ever done in scale, by a wide margin. My only grief with the original and “Early Iron Series” issues is that you have to narrow the lower body and correct the passenger side body stamping (or replace the lower body and main fender assembly with parts from a ZZ Top Eliminator or subsequent reissue).
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 25 Posted January 25 9 hours ago, Dave Van said: I get it. I love all those 1/24 kits Monogram did in early 60's. A 6 in 1 kit!! What's not to love!!!! My dream is somehow someone clones these kits!!! Well, here's the thing. A competent 3D-scanner operator could easily digitize all the parts, trees, or whatever. Zero design work required. Then 3D print injection-molding dies. METAL that can withstand well in excess of the temperatures required to injection-mold kit styrene can be printed today. I've already posted (years ago) how short or medium-run injection molding can be done for a fraction of the cost whined about by mass producers who want to "offshore" everything and make thousands of units in matched metal dies. If we (the USA) could make this stuff "affordably" in the 1960s, the only reason it's not done today (with vastly advanced tech) is a lack of WANTING to, not because we "can't". 7
Dave Van Posted January 25 Posted January 25 Things are changing for sure. There is a new video on YT about Tichy Train Group, maker of plastic model train parts. Owner is also the tool maker. He uses aluminum blocks to cut tools and they are a few hundred each. And if he sits down and works at it a new tool takes him a few days. Most of his tools are two part simple tools with no slide action etc.....but shows what can be done today. The factory tour is interesting if you like that stuff. Thanks 1 1
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 25 Posted January 25 2 hours ago, Dave Van said: Things are changing for sure. There is a new video on YT about Tichy Train Group, maker of plastic model train parts. Owner is also the tool maker. He uses aluminum blocks to cut tools and they are a few hundred each. And if he sits down and works at it a new tool takes him a few days. Most of his tools are two part simple tools with no slide action etc.....but shows what can be done today. The factory tour is interesting if you like that stuff. Thanks Thank you, sir. I'll have to find that. Tichy kits and parts have been leaders in HO-scale quality for decades now. Anyone who's never seen their work is really missing something. This kit is, in a word, spectacular. 2
oldcarfan Posted January 26 Posted January 26 I do have an obsession with Monogram's Exotics line of the late 70s-early 80s. I still have 6 of their Porsche 911 curbside kit sitting on the shelf and the same of their 924. I did like their 1930 Model A kit as well, a very nice kit.
larman Posted January 26 Posted January 26 Pretty much all of my purchases for the last few years have been vintage Monogram kits. They look the part and are generally easy to build. The first issues have such cool custom parts and all the stock stuff too (well mostly). As I get older, I just want to have a nice building experience and a reasonably nice model when I am done. My biggest issues are there are not as many wheel and tire options as you have with the vintage AMT Trophy Series models and I find the vintage Monogram parts are harder to come by because they weren't reissued as many times as the AMT ones were.
Reegs Posted January 26 Posted January 26 On 1/24/2025 at 12:40 PM, Dave Van said: I get it. I love all those 1/24 kits Monogram did in early 60's. A 6 in 1 kit!! What's not to love!!!! My dream is somehow someone clones these kits!!! Got both of those kits as a present when I was a kid. Too dumb to appreciate them (they were the "wrong scale"). Threw them together, probably blew them up later. Sheesh what a dope. 1
37 caddy Posted January 27 Posted January 27 When i was younger i really loved the monogram kita as they wre molded in color,it was easier for a 8 year old to make a pretty good looking car.Painting the body was always hard to get just right,in color they always looked pretty good..I really liked the early iron series,that is what ignited my passion for hot rods to this day. 2
junkyardjeff Posted January 30 Author Posted January 30 They came molded in colors that really did not need to be painted. 1
Carmak Posted January 31 Posted January 31 Jeff, I just saw this pic posted on the "Scale Survivors" group on Facebook. Monogram 34 Ford molded in the uncommon color teal (similar to the Monogram 40 Ford truck) and built with the custom wheels. 3
junkyardjeff Posted January 31 Author Posted January 31 Never seen that color on the 34 and will have to look for one.
dino246gt Posted February 3 Posted February 3 I have this gorgeous stock only '34 and the matching stock only '36 (can't find pictures right now) both mint everything still on sprues. 4
gtx6970 Posted February 6 Posted February 6 On 1/24/2025 at 8:20 PM, Ace-Garageguy said: If we (the USA) could make this stuff "affordably" in the 1960s, the only reason it's not done today (with vastly advanced tech) is a lack of WANTING to, not because we "can't". I'm sure the reasons it's made offshore has far more to do with costs than anything else. I seriously doubt " Can't or Don't Want To " have anything to do with it.
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