Its sunday morning, ive cleaned out the model shed, got radio 2 on in the background and ive a nice cup of coffee that im gently sipping.
If you want to while away a few minutes reading this post....go stick the kettle on, come back, put ya slippers on and put ya feet up.
Done that, good then i shall begin.
Having seen Grahams review on a new Airfix kit, i noticed there was a fair bit of interest in reviews generally. With so many new kits being introduced each month by a vast array of kit producers, reviews are more relavant than ever.
New kits are great, and with kit producers competing for our attention the quality of kits is getting better and better, especially with the addition of photo etch and resin etc.
But....and this is a big but, im kinda from the old school of model makers. Being closer to the age 50 than 40 now (only just you cheeky so and so's) i like the "nostalgia" of this fine hobby. Dont get me wrong, im not stuck in my ways, i dont dissmiss new kits and the sundries that go with them, nor do i stop learning new techniques, (the day i do that will be the day i hang up the glue and brush for good). But one enjoyment i really relish is finding and obtaining a very old kit and turning it into a model to be proud of, to match any new and modern kit.
So with this in mind im going to do a review of a very old kit i found on the internet and purchased this week. Now some of you may be thinking "what the hell is the use of a review for a kit that is no longer produced". My answer to that would be, old kits CAN be found and they DO make for a suprisingly good time to make. Also SOME of these kits are occasionaly re-produced under a different label and re tooled.
Hope i still have your attention cause this is where the fun begins :emo5:
Ok the kit in question was produced by a company called Esci. They no longer exist as a kit producer, but some of their old moulds have been bought by company's such as Italeri and Revell.
The subject of this kit is the Zundapp KS750 Solo Motorcycle in 1/9th scale. Box art pictured below.
[ATTACH]17368.vB[/ATTACH]
Now this kit is 38 years old having been produced in 1972, and has been stored in someone's loft ever since then, this was a private buy and not from a dealer. Ive no idea as to how much this kit would have cost new (there is what i believe to be an original price sticker on it showing £5.99) but i paid £30.00 for it which included p&p.
1/9th is a huge scale and one that i have worked with before, i believe the kit has offered me very good value for money, but like all of these things, the value of any item is what it is worth to YOU.
Old models such as this are available to find far more easily these days with things like the internet, places such as ebay are a great source, but just as good are toy fairs, car boot sales, jumble sales, forums such as this etc etc. One of my real favriote ways to source old kits though is by going to model shows. There you will find private individuals selling kits they no longer want or have room for, you will also find traders who have these kits sometimes available. So as you can see these kits ARE out there somewhere!!! Just be careful and be certain you know what you are buying, make sure all the parts are in the box and dont be afraid to ask questions and make sure!!!!
Right then, what do i get when opening a kit like this inside for my £30.00, well with this kit a real beauty.
Firstly the instruction sheet, while this is a little bit worn and aged it is very useable and the whole thing is readable. Some of these old instruction sheets are complicated but so long as you take your time and dont rush they do become apparent and easy enough to follow. I have included photo's below.
[ATTACH]17369.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17371.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17370.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17372.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17374.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17373.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17376.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17375.vB[/ATTACH]
Moving on to the really good bits now, the sprues. Well there are 5 of them for the plastic components along with one for lenses and lights,and one for rubber components such as seat and straps etc. Along with these are two seperate rubber tyeres and a bag of gooodies that contain things like rubber tubing for cable work, springs for seat and working suspension etc etc.
As with most models of this age there is certainly alot of "flash" on the sprues and their individual parts but again certainly nothing that cant be easily dealt with. The individual components certainly come of the sprues with no trouble using a good pair of srue cutters. The detailing of the individual parts is stunning once cleaned up, and is more than a match to any modern kits i have come across.
Sure when i come to assemble the parts there will be some flling and work involved to get them just right, but again this is a huge part of the fun in putting these older kits together, these very modern kits often fall together very easily these days so unless youre able to remember the good ole days when kits needed some TLC (tender loving care) to put them together you wont know what i mean :-)
Also in the kit is a beautiful set of decals. Thankfully the one's in this kit have survived very very well and they will go on a treat, again though when buying kits of this age that have been stored in such a way ALWAYS check the condition of the decals. Ive included more photos of the sprues and accessories below.
[ATTACH]17380.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17381.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17379.vB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]17377.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17378.vB[/ATTACH]
Im not to sure when i will start this kit as i have another 4 models under construction at the moment that i really should finish first. One thing i do know is i will be itching to start it soon. When i do begin i hope that you will all join in and follow one of these old kits being bought to life.
I do hope ive not bored you all to death with this review, and i do hope more of us will add reviews of kits new and old along with other product reviews.
What i really hope for more than anything though out of this is that some of you may decide to try some of these older kits. I know for certain that when this kit is finished it will look the business and will match any new stuff out there, so i wish you all happy treasure hunting and hope to see some of you guys show how much pleasure it can bring sourcing and building these kits.. all the best, Martin :-)
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If you want to while away a few minutes reading this post....go stick the kettle on, come back, put ya slippers on and put ya feet up.
Done that, good then i shall begin.
Having seen Grahams review on a new Airfix kit, i noticed there was a fair bit of interest in reviews generally. With so many new kits being introduced each month by a vast array of kit producers, reviews are more relavant than ever.
New kits are great, and with kit producers competing for our attention the quality of kits is getting better and better, especially with the addition of photo etch and resin etc.
But....and this is a big but, im kinda from the old school of model makers. Being closer to the age 50 than 40 now (only just you cheeky so and so's) i like the "nostalgia" of this fine hobby. Dont get me wrong, im not stuck in my ways, i dont dissmiss new kits and the sundries that go with them, nor do i stop learning new techniques, (the day i do that will be the day i hang up the glue and brush for good). But one enjoyment i really relish is finding and obtaining a very old kit and turning it into a model to be proud of, to match any new and modern kit.
So with this in mind im going to do a review of a very old kit i found on the internet and purchased this week. Now some of you may be thinking "what the hell is the use of a review for a kit that is no longer produced". My answer to that would be, old kits CAN be found and they DO make for a suprisingly good time to make. Also SOME of these kits are occasionaly re-produced under a different label and re tooled.
Hope i still have your attention cause this is where the fun begins :emo5:
Ok the kit in question was produced by a company called Esci. They no longer exist as a kit producer, but some of their old moulds have been bought by company's such as Italeri and Revell.
The subject of this kit is the Zundapp KS750 Solo Motorcycle in 1/9th scale. Box art pictured below.
[ATTACH]17368.vB[/ATTACH]
Now this kit is 38 years old having been produced in 1972, and has been stored in someone's loft ever since then, this was a private buy and not from a dealer. Ive no idea as to how much this kit would have cost new (there is what i believe to be an original price sticker on it showing £5.99) but i paid £30.00 for it which included p&p.
1/9th is a huge scale and one that i have worked with before, i believe the kit has offered me very good value for money, but like all of these things, the value of any item is what it is worth to YOU.
Old models such as this are available to find far more easily these days with things like the internet, places such as ebay are a great source, but just as good are toy fairs, car boot sales, jumble sales, forums such as this etc etc. One of my real favriote ways to source old kits though is by going to model shows. There you will find private individuals selling kits they no longer want or have room for, you will also find traders who have these kits sometimes available. So as you can see these kits ARE out there somewhere!!! Just be careful and be certain you know what you are buying, make sure all the parts are in the box and dont be afraid to ask questions and make sure!!!!
Right then, what do i get when opening a kit like this inside for my £30.00, well with this kit a real beauty.
Firstly the instruction sheet, while this is a little bit worn and aged it is very useable and the whole thing is readable. Some of these old instruction sheets are complicated but so long as you take your time and dont rush they do become apparent and easy enough to follow. I have included photo's below.
[ATTACH]17369.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17371.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17370.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17372.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17374.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17373.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17376.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17375.vB[/ATTACH]
Moving on to the really good bits now, the sprues. Well there are 5 of them for the plastic components along with one for lenses and lights,and one for rubber components such as seat and straps etc. Along with these are two seperate rubber tyeres and a bag of gooodies that contain things like rubber tubing for cable work, springs for seat and working suspension etc etc.
As with most models of this age there is certainly alot of "flash" on the sprues and their individual parts but again certainly nothing that cant be easily dealt with. The individual components certainly come of the sprues with no trouble using a good pair of srue cutters. The detailing of the individual parts is stunning once cleaned up, and is more than a match to any modern kits i have come across.
Sure when i come to assemble the parts there will be some flling and work involved to get them just right, but again this is a huge part of the fun in putting these older kits together, these very modern kits often fall together very easily these days so unless youre able to remember the good ole days when kits needed some TLC (tender loving care) to put them together you wont know what i mean :-)
Also in the kit is a beautiful set of decals. Thankfully the one's in this kit have survived very very well and they will go on a treat, again though when buying kits of this age that have been stored in such a way ALWAYS check the condition of the decals. Ive included more photos of the sprues and accessories below.
[ATTACH]17380.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17381.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17379.vB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]17377.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17378.vB[/ATTACH]
Im not to sure when i will start this kit as i have another 4 models under construction at the moment that i really should finish first. One thing i do know is i will be itching to start it soon. When i do begin i hope that you will all join in and follow one of these old kits being bought to life.
I do hope ive not bored you all to death with this review, and i do hope more of us will add reviews of kits new and old along with other product reviews.
What i really hope for more than anything though out of this is that some of you may decide to try some of these older kits. I know for certain that when this kit is finished it will look the business and will match any new stuff out there, so i wish you all happy treasure hunting and hope to see some of you guys show how much pleasure it can bring sourcing and building these kits.. all the best, Martin :-)
[ATTACH]25294.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]25295.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]25296.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]25297.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]25298.IPB[/ATTACH]
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