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Anyone building the re-issued Monogram armor kits?

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  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Anyone building the re-issued Monogram armor kits?
Posted by the Baron on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 11:46 AM

The question occurred to me, because there's an active thread in the Aircraft forum, where folks are showing their Monogram builds.  Many of those models, and many of Monogram's and Revell's car models, have been in production more or less continuously, since most of us were kids.  When I got back into scale modeling some 11 or 12 years ago, I found that I'm a nostalgia builder, I like building the kits that I built as a kid, but applying lessons I've learned since then.  But I haven't tracked down the old armor kits like I have the aircraft kits.

Not because I don't like armor, because I've built some newer kits.  But I didn't look for them and bid on eBay, like I did with some of the aircraft kits.  Now, I remember them fondly from my youth, and of course, one of the best things about them was Shep Paine's "Tips on Building Dioramas".  I remember that they were easy to build, had some decent figures, and as I got older and learned more, each next kit that I built looked better than the ones before.

But I also discovered Tamiya armor, just before I left the hobby, and remember thinking that their kits were better detailed, or more intricate, would be better.

Now that Revell-Monogram has re-issued the classic armor kits, have any of you bought them and built them, just for the fun of it?

I've thought that if I had any kids, and wanted to encourage them to take up the hobby, I'd give them these kits, too.

Anyway, let's hear your responses, and please let's see you work, if you've picked any up and built them again!

Best regards,

Brad

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 2:04 PM

In the 1990s, Revell-Monogram reissued the M4A1 Screamin' Mimi and M48 Patton. I bought a couple of those and also picked up the Revell of Germany reboxing of the Monogram M34 deuce and a half that came with the Willys Jeep (that used to come with a 37mm anti-tank gun) in the early 2000s. I grabbed the M29 Amphibious Weasel, but I'm not sure if it was reissued in the late 90s or early 2000s.

The Patton tank was easily one of their best tanks of the time. It was a fun build and I've been tempted to bash it with the Tamiya kit to make a fairly decent M48A2, but have not done so yet.

Today's reissues are just too expensive compared to buying a more current, but just not the best, version of those vehicles. For instance, the M4 Hedgehog is going for about the same money as one of the fairly new Dragon M4s. Why buy an outdated 40+ yr old kit when one less than 5 yrs old can be had for next to nothing?

Edit: I've posted this link before; it contains scans of the Shep Paine dio inserts. Neat stuff.
http://www.itzproductions.com/

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 2:07 PM

...no...

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Ft. Sill, OK
Posted by beav on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 3:02 PM

All I've got, and all I plan to do at the moment is the Corporal Missile; don't know how accurate it is at the moment, but I've got one mounted on a stick just a few miles from my home, so...might be kind of fun to scribe in the (raised ATM) panel lines etc.

"First to Fire!"

Steven

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA
Posted by tigerman on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 3:23 PM

I agree about the nostalgia of building them. My first armor build was the Panzer IV. Stayed up all night to build it. It didn't even matter that I painted it much later down the road. It got me hooked on armor ever since. What started it? Seeing my friends panzer IV painted in a gaudy two-tone of red and black with a broken barrel. LOL

With all the great kits I've got, it would be hard to go back to the molded tools and subpar detailing. Does bring back memories of a "better" time.

   http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/wing_nut_5o/PANZERJAGERGB.jpg

 Eric 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 3:34 PM

Yes, I bought and built the Kfz 232 a few years back when it was re issued. I have the M20 armored car as a slow project for upgrade as well. I have had my eye on the M3 Lee, but am really hoping that they re pop the M3 Grant. And the JagdpanzerIV and Sturmpanzer IV. Like someone said above, the Panzer IV was my first large scale armor build back in the day. Of course if that one comes back out I will grab it. I like doing a nostalgia buildhere and ther these days...Stick out tongue

Here is the 232. I modified it a bit and added  a later style antenna pot rather than the huge frame antenna.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 9:00 PM

I gotta admit that even though I started with the classic Monogram armor,  I let them and went with Tamiya after I discovered them in the early 80s (and they were still mostly affordable at 15-25.00 with 3.00 figure sets.)... Now that Tamiya has jumped on the 45.00 to 90.00-per kit and 15.00 figure sets bandwagon and adding nothing but a couple pieces of metal, I'm going back to building Revellogram armor... 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: st petersburg, fl
Posted by bob36281 on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 11:44 PM

Yup, been grabbing everything they release, most recently the Sherman with snadbagged sides, I still love these kits, even tho they may not be very accurate.

  • Member since
    March 2006
Posted by TD4438 on Thursday, February 3, 2011 3:52 AM

I grabbed a few.Along with the 1/35 M48,I picked up the Hope,Buckley and Helena.

I'll be cracking open the M48 for the Hollywood GB.It's going to get an Afrika Korps scheme and markings to replicate those in the movie 'Patton'.

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Thursday, February 3, 2011 6:53 AM

bob36281

Yup, been grabbing everything they release, most recently the Sherman with snadbagged sides, I still love these kits, even tho they may not be very accurate.

They weren't inaccurate per se, they are just not as detailed as we've been accustomed to in the past 20 years. My M48 ruled the sandbox. I remember my dad using some sort of gray glue to keep road wheel arms on after I had broken them off. I loved that kit; it was my first "real serious" model kit.

  • Member since
    March 2006
Posted by TD4438 on Thursday, February 3, 2011 8:24 AM

The first time I built the M48 many moons ago,I used just a bit too much glue attaching the barrel.

I came back to the bench after dinner,and it was drooping from the mantlet!

Way bogus!

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Thursday, February 3, 2011 11:30 AM

Interesting comments, thanks, guys!  I'm thinking I will probably start picking up these kits again, too, in time, whether old boxings for cheap on eBay and at flea markets, or new at retail.

My first was the Patton, the odd ball at 1/35.  I think I was 7.  And my eyes were opened wide looking at the diorama pamphlet.  I had never seen anything like it, up that time.  Cut the suspension and reposition the arms and wheels to fit the ground work?  I was astounded.  That's where I learned what a stove bolt was, too Big Smile

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

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