Who's going to be first with a Death Race inspired build?...

[jcf]

http://jalopnik.com/394718/the-cars-of-death-race

http://jalopnik.com/399589/new-death-race-stills-flame-throwing-jag-destroying-and-overacting-galore

Greg, you up for it? 

Jon

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Who's going to be first with a Death Race inspired build?...

You could always nominate this as an additional category for the LSR GB or the Faster and Furiouser GB...

[Jschmus]

I saw this at the Nats.  I meant to go back and get closer-up detail shots, but I forgot.



It was labeled "Post Apocalyptic Truck Attack Team", or somesuch.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I saw this at the Nats.  I meant to go back and get closer-up detail shots, but I forgot.
...
It was labeled "Post Apocalyptic Truck Attack Team", or somesuch.

Jason,

What scale were the truck models?  Difficult to determine from the mix up of different scale model kit parts. 

I sure would like to see a resurgence of 1/32nd or 1/35th scale civilian vehicle kits.  While many of the original kits were snap-together kits there was enough detail to make it interesting and now with all of the after market doo dads, it would be a great way to keep younger modelers interested in the hobby. 

I remember seeing a 1/32nd scale Monogram Tractor rig with a tank trailer in 1/32nd scale sitting on a shelf in a hobby shop many moons ago, I was a poor student and did not have the funds to satisfy my material needs.  The kit would have been perfect for a kit bash with the Italeri five ton truck kit to make a tractor truck hauling a tank trailer.  When I did scrounge up the money to cover the purchase it was gone.  I can only hope the person that bought the kit had the same idea for the kit as myself. 

[Radish]

Oooooh

[Jschmus]

Jeffry,

The trucks appeared to be 1/25.  I'm not sure about the rest.

I remember seeing some Maisto 1/36 diecast vehicles in Walmart a few years ago, including a Hummer, a PT Cruiser and some others.  I thought that 1/36 was close enough to 1/35 to try some kitbashing.  Alas, I never got around to picking up any of them, and now the diecast stuff is in weird scales: 1/43, 1/87, etc.

[cthulhu77]

I think that the gb is an inspired idea !   I'd be up for it.

[jcf]

I remember seeing some Maisto 1/36 diecast vehicles in Walmart a few years ago, including a Hummer, a PT Cruiser and some others.  I thought that 1/36 was close enough to 1/35 to try some kitbashing.  Alas, I never got around to picking up any of them, and now the diecast stuff is in weird scales: 1/43, 1/87, etc.

1/43 has been the "serious collectors" scale for decades, some amazing (and amazingly expensive) kits are available.
Go to Grand Prix Models or EWA Cars and you'll see that 1/43d scale offerings dominate the listings.

1/87 scale is HO and again has been a very common miniature vehicle scale for decades, they fit in train layouts ya see.

Both scales were popular long before the modern diecast era got going around twenty years ago, and so ya see they aren't weird scales rather they were for a long time the standard scales.

The RiteAid stores in my area have a rack by the front door with a selection of 3.99 diecasts in various scales, most I've
looked at are 1/32, 1/34, and 1/36. I picked up a 1/36 Ford GT that is actually quite nice, it was one of my preliminary
(and then discarded) notions for the 1-Week GB to turn it into an armed vehicle ala Why Johnny Can't Speed by Alan Dean Foster.

Jon

[jcf]

I sure would like to see a resurgence of 1/32nd or 1/35th scale civilian vehicle kits.  While many of the original kits were snap-together kits there was enough detail to make it interesting and now with all of the after market doo dads, it would be a great way to keep younger modelers interested in the hobby. 

I remember seeing a 1/32nd scale Monogram Tractor rig with a tank trailer in 1/32nd scale sitting on a shelf in a hobby shop many moons ago, I was a poor student and did not have the funds to satisfy my material needs.  The kit would have been perfect for a kit bash with the Italeri five ton truck kit to make a tractor truck hauling a tank trailer.  When I did scrounge up the money to cover the purchase it was gone.  I can only hope the person that bought the kit had the same idea for the kit as myself. 

Hi Jeff,
Galaxy Hobbies in Lynnwood has carried both the ARII "Owners Club" line, all Japanese vehicles many of them the classic micros of the 50s and 60s including the three wheel trucks, and the Hornby 1/32 scale snap-kits. The Hornby kits are basically the static versions of their slot-cars.

Gunze Sangyo did a series of US cars in 1/32 that are quite nice, I have the 59 Eldorado and the 63 T-bird.

The Monogram 1/32nd scale trucks and firetrucks have been re-released at various times and they crop up every now and then.
Revell-Monogram currently have several of their 1/32nd scale snap-tite cars available and of course their is the Monogram branded line of beautiful 1/32nd scale built-up slotcars, but they a little pricey for whiffery.

Look around the 1/32 stuff is out there.

Jon

[philp]

A "Car Wars" or "Death Race" GB would be fun.  I have wanted to do one for a while but could never decide whether to do a street car with add on weapons, armor, etc or a conversion to a car built for that kind of environment.

Jason, looks like the trucks at Nats are 24th with 35th weapons/turret attached.  There was another car at the Nats that had the body off showing the chassis that was armed and armored.

Besides the 32nd scale autos already mentioned, Heller did some 43rd scale autos that you could arm with 48th scale weapons and there are weapons out there in 1/24th scale, just a little harder to find.  Hasagawa has a Jeep in that scale with a nice .50 cal.  There was a Hogans Heroes Jeep that also had a fifty.  And if nothing else, a tube looks like a gun when it is mounted in turret.

[jcf]

Further to the use of 1/32nd scale vehicles for this build, due to the ease of using 1/32 or 1/35 weapons, I have the following 1/32nd kits in custody (as Jeffry sez).

Road Cars:
Tomy Porsche 356A Speedster
Gunze Sangyo '59 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
Gunze Sangyo '63 Ford Thunderbird (in Revell/ceji packaging)
Arii Daihatsu Midget (3-wheeler)
Monogram '65 Mustang 350 GT
Monogram '64 Pontiac GTO
Testors Cord 812 (diecast and plastic kit)
Aurora Mercedes Lightning(standard M-B 190 sports car repackaged with "customizing" parts)
The majority are open-top vehicles so that adds another element to the mix, how to armor up the cabin.

Racing:
Airfix Porsche 917
Airfix Ford 3-litre GT
Airfix Ferrari 250LM
Hornby Subaru Impreza WRC
Revell Auto Union D-Type (ex-Matchbox)
Pyro Blower Bentley


I'm thinkin' that the GTO will probably get the nod for this build. 

Jon

[Jeffry Fontaine]

... ... ... ... I have the following 1/32nd kits in custody (as Jeffry sez).

"Protective Custody" is what I call it.  Or my way of keeping the kit from falling into the "wrong hands."  A difficult and thankless task at times.  Especially trying when you don't have the necessary funds to support the Model Kit Protecitve Custody Program (aka MKPCP)

... ... ... ... Testors Cord 812 (diecast and plastic kit) ... ... ... ... ...

Still one of my favorite automobiles.  Classy and ahead of its time.