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Archive for the ‘Round2 Models’ Category
Lindberg Model kits: 1:32 Customizable Show Rods! A Brief History
We have a 2-pack of 1:32 Customizable Show Rods that will be coming out soon under the Lindberg model kit line. The pack includes a 1930s roadster and a 1920s rear-engine bucket that include a slew of interchangeable parts, so you can customize to your heart’s content. These fun little kits were originally released separately in 1965 as part of a series of 4 kits. The Roadster was released as the Super Custom Deuce, a 3-in-1 kit including Street Roadster and B Altered variations, and as the Blown Buggie. The Bucket was released as the Kookie Contender, a 3-in-1 including Scoopster and Rear Mill Bucket variations, and as the Tuned Tinker. Over the next 11 years Lindberg put out 6 more versions of each kit. Notable releases include the hard to find Glo-Karts in ’72, Rainbow Rods in ’73, and the blue jean themed Jumpin’ Jeans in ’75. Because who doesn’t want their hot rod covered in denim?
Now for the FIRST TIME EVER the new release will include chrome parts! The rest of the parts come injected in bright, bold colors. The kits will each include 2-3 options for grilles, headers, carburetors, front suspension, and hubcaps. Additional parts include a soft top, scoops, blowers, tires, front & rear fenders, rear bumper, tail lights, and roll bars. The large decal sheet is all new featuring funky show rod patterns and multiple options for customizing. Given all the options for these kits I am excited to see what modellers will do with them.
Roadster…
Bucket…
1970s…
Round 2 Models: Wonderfest 2016
We had a great weekend displaying our product and meeting the modelers that attended Wonderfest 2016. As promised, we were able to show the first test shots of the smooth 1:350 TOS Enterprise saucer, and more than one person took advantage to rub them like a genie’s bottle wishing they would come sooner than the scheduled September release date. Many folks were also complimentary of the U.S.S. Excelsior buildup on display showing the new improvements we have made over the old AMT kit. It is great to be recognized for “bringing the kit back and giving it the Round 2 treatment” as described by one fan. A small display board advertised a notable new tool we have in the works targeting the end of the year. The product will be a Star Trek 50th anniversary commemorative boxed collection of our 1:2500 scale snap Enterprises, which will include a NEW NX-01 kit. To make the product appealing to the widest possible audience, we will include pressure sensitive decals (high quality, thin stickers) in this release. We received praise for bringing back the U.S.S. Enterprise-D in clear plastic. This version will come in ABS rather than styrene which tends to be brittle. The main reason for that switch is to allow us to include our standard dome base this time around. Aztec decals will not be included in the kit, but will be offered separately. Many remarked about the re-issue of the classic 5 Space Ships of the Future from Lindberg. The kit will use the highly collectible vintage box art for the release. of course people were still in awe of our 22″ Eagle kit. many remarked about how great they found the kit to be. Several folks stopped by with kit in hand to take a look at our display piece. From what I understand it seemed like the big Eagle was the “kit of the show” with many being offered and sold at the event.
Admittedly, this year’s show may have seemed “light” on news as far as new and upcoming releases goes. We DO have things in the works, but it is too early to discuss them with 100% certainty. In some cases, two plans for a license are being evaluated for 2017. Sure, expect more re-issues, but I can guaranty more NEW stuff IS in the works.
For those that weren’t able to attend, here is a look at this year’s display. Feel free to ask questions int he comments section and we’ll answer as best we can.
It was a special treat to meet Nick Tate in person at this year’s show. Nick played Alan Carter in the classic sci-fi show, Space:1999, in the mid-70’s. His storied career led to numerous roles on stage and on screen in shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lost and The X-Files as well as voice over work. As you recall, we offered signature cards in our early releases of our 12″ MPC Eagle kits that featured Nick’s autograph. Nick was happy to share tales from his career with anyone willing to lend an ear. It was an incredible opportunity to get to know him. Thanks to friend of Round 2, Peter Greenwood, for arranging his appearance and thanks also to Steve Iverson of CultTVMan.com for sponsoring his appearance at the show.
As always, one of the highlights of the show is the modeling competition that offers all kinds of sci-fi and horror subjects from big to small (and sometimes small is more impressive than big in cases like this). We always sponsor two awards for the best use of a kit from our brands. We give awards in the junior/teen and adult categories. The junior/teen award-winner walks away with a prize pack of kits while we award a $100 credit to our own autoworldstore.com site. The level of quality in the competition is always impressive which makes our decision tough. here are is a selection of a few models that caught our eye followed by this year’s winners.
These next two were co-runners-up for our adult award.
This impressive kit bash was award to the junior/teen winner. Congratulations Alex tabor for your USS Castor Federation Depot Ship build!
…and this year’s adult award-winner is… Dave Olszewski for his Vulcan Shuttle tribute to Leonard Nimoy. David’s impeccable handling of our admittedly faulty decals that got mixed into that kit cemented his position as winner.
Please keep our awards in mind for next year and future shows. We want to see as many of our kits on the table as possible. The show organizers sent out the challenge at the end of the awards ceremony to blow away their previous record and attain 800 entries in next years competition. (if I can find a way, I may even make the time to build and enter something…)
We have posted higher res images of all of these buildups, our boot and every other model identified as one of our kits on our facebook page. Let’s continue the fun. Go to our facebook page and “Like” the model you think looks most impressive and we’ll tabulate the results on June 30th and send the winner an award. (this year’s contest winners will not be eligible for a second award)
Click here to go directly to the Wonderfest 2016 photo album.
Coming off the Shelf – Bringing Back the SD
It’s time for a sneak peek at a true classic from AMT, the White-Freightliner SD Truck Tractor. With over 230 parts, including 3 chrome trees, six hollow tires, and air hose tubing, this kit is sure to please any big rig builder out there. Additional features include: Alcoa disc wheels, tilting non-sleeper cab, plated dual stacks, Holland sliding fifth wheel, Cummins NHC-250 six-cylinder diesel engine and a super-detailed interior with custom upholstery. As an added bonus, the KATS here at AMT have also included a few fancy upgrades, such as: an ADDED 3rd CHROME TREE, a collectible mini box and an ALL NEW/FULLY EXPANDED DECAL SHEET featuring cab stripes, door signage, permit stickers & numbers, tons of plates and White-Freightliner cab emblems! Making this classic kit worth a second look.
So, for all the big rig fans out there that have been patiently waiting for the Single Drive, ever since AMT re-released the Dual Drive… your ships about to come in. Or should I say, rig?
Coming soon, to your local hobby stores.
Hope you enjoy it, and I’ll see ya soon!
MISSING STEEL • AMT’s 1970s Funny Car Series, Part 1
We get asked daily, “do you have the tooling for such and such kit?” Whether it’s a hardcore veteran modeler yearning for a long lost model from their past, or a consumer who believes there should be a scale replica of the 1979 Lada 1500 they once drove, there’s always lots of interest in what we’re “hiding.”
It’s generally not a good idea from a business standpoint to divulge what we do, or do not have the tooling for, with respect to kits that did once exist from the vintage brands we represent. But for this blog entry I am going to break the rules and share a little tidbit of info regarding AMT’s series of funny cars from the mid 1970s.
As many of you have seen from Ken’s recent post, we’re working on a reissue of the Larry Fullerton Trojan Horse Mustang II F/C. Prior to our upcoming, improved release, the most recent kit available from this tooling was the Chi-Town Hustler Dodge Charger 2+2. In the 1980s, a new body and a few other parts were created by Ertl to produce this, er… well there’s just no other way to say it: rather ugly, odd and bloated-looking rendition of the real car.
With regard to this particular series, my immediate thought was “which of the original kits could we do again?” The Mustang II proved a little surprising as the front and rear body cap inserts had gone AWOL at some point in the previous few decades. We’ve remedied that and think the Trojan Horse reissue will be more accurate for it.
That said, there were several other funnies all with different bodies in this series, but based on the same engine/chassis/wheel tooling. While I was researching the body slides and insert tooling for each one’s unique parts, along with the respective window molds, “one” of them was conspicuous by its absence. We have been unable to locate it! While it’s one of my personal favorites from the series, I’m not sure that it’d be worthwhile to try and retool its body. It’s really cool looking though, very unique and quite desirable. Can you guess which one it is? I will reveal the answer…
…in PART 2! See you in a few weeks!
Lindberg Model kits: New Instruction Sheets
One of the great features in the new Lindberg and Hawk releases are the improved instruction sheets. We want modellers to have fun with our kits and the instructions are a large part of that experience.
Many of the previous iterations included excessive amounts of text, steps that jumped around the page, and sometimes in sequences that made little sense. See the old and new version of the HL429 USS Hazard Navy Minesweeper. Or in some cases, such as the HL439 Tabletop Navy 2-Pack: HMS King George V & HMS Dorsetshire, the vintage instructions contain errors that have been overlooked for year. The parts in the kit were different than what was pictured in the original instructions. I have found several instances where tools were modified but the instruction sheet stayed the same.
In our new releases you will see instructions with clean line art, steps ordered in a more clear and thoughtful manner, an extended layout allowing for more detailed paint and decal diagrams, and an overall better look. Let us know what you think of the improvements.
Coming off the Shelf – A “SUPER” Addition
It’s time for a quick peek at one of our most highly anticipated big rigs of the year. A kit that has not been available in over 35 years! Tyrone Malone’s Super Boss Kenworth Drag Truck. This 1/25 Scale, skill level 3 kit wowed builders back in the 70’s, and it’s back now, in all of it’s red, white and blue glory. And of course, the KATS here at AMT have added a few extra tasty upgrades to make it well worth your while.
To kick it off, the Super Boss features all of its original, super-detailed Kenworth drag truck tooling, like the Detroit Diesel V-12 engine, tilting hood/fender assembly and spoiler wings. In addition, builders will find 6 – ALL NEW – pad printed racing slicks, retooled from the ground up, to help give your build that extra “something”. The MASSIVE 8″ x 12″ decal sheet far outpaces the original sheet, which now includes improved graphic details with more accurate striping colors – and allows for optional Thermo King or Bandag deco styling on your build. We’ve also thrown in a bonus 3D mini display box, as well as an EXCLUSIVE photo print that can be framed and proudly displayed on the wall. And all that goodness comes wrapped up in authentic box art to boot!
So to all you Super Boss fans out there, keep your eyes peeled for one of the greatest diesel trucks to ever hit the strip! Coming to your local hobby stores soon.
Hope you enjoy it, and I’ll see ya soon!
Coming off the Shelf – Twice the Slam!
It’s time for a sneak peek comparison of 2 kits that share a common thread. And that would be the 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix, Grand Slam kit. Round 2 is proud to offer this kit in two tasty versions: one being a Retro Deluxe (RD) version, which is very similar to the kits original release with a few extra goodies. The other, an Original Art Series (OAS) release, features even more goodies such as an expanded decal sheet, Goodyear Blue Streak Drag Slicks, and a 12″ x 9″ frameable print you can proudly display on your wall.
A few key differences to note for all you builders out there:
• The OAS release has drag slicks, where the RD version does not • The RD decals are very similar to the original release, while the OAS kit has an expanded decal sheet • The OAS is shot in white, the RD is shot in Aqua Pearl • The OAS includes a frameable print, while the RD includes a mini box.
There are other differences as well, but I’m going leave a little something out there for you to discover! The photos shown are from production samples we received at our office, which means, the kits are already “on the water”, and will be available in the not-so-distant future. So keep a lookout for these 2 beauties at your local hobby stores.
Hope you enjoy them, and I’ll see ya next month!
AMT Model kits: 1964 Belvedere Lawman NEW PARTS!
The long-rumored and anxiously awaited 1964 Belvedere 426 Super Stock Lawman will soon be here! With the release comes a few parts from new tooling. The shining features of the new tooling are the 2 all new sets of rims: a stock steel rim with an optional chrome hubcap and a Torq Thrust rim. New front spindles, rear blocks, and shocks will be included that enable the suspension to be raised or lowered, to achieve the proper wheel stance of the drag racer. The new parts will also include: racing headers, dual chrome air horns, intake manifold, chrome tachometer with oil gauge, and 2 different hood scoop options.
Accompany the new parts, the Lawman will have highly accurate decal sheet, updated instructions, chrome parts and vinyl drag slicks. The packaging will feature a full color tray and a new painting from Brad Leisure.
New Don Greer Art For AMT’s Reissue of the Sunbeam Tiger
As many of you may have noticed, we’ve recently been fortunate enough to once again work with one of the original Kats from AMT – Don Greer. Don’s art graced many of the original AMT releases and we had him help us with the new release of the Sunbeam Tiger. With two new beautiful paintings, one stock and one in racing form, along with illustrations of the kits features (along wth all new decals), this new version will be one hot import!
Star Trek models: My Enterprising Journey Pt. 2
Here we are with Michael Scarola’s second part of his build process of our classic AMT U.S.S. Enterprise kit.
My Enterprising Journey: Building the Classis AMT 18” Enterprise – Part 2
The work continues…
Now that the saucer’s details and shape were worked out it was time to move onto the secondary hull. I started by lengthening the hull. The 3 main parts were glued together and the rear section, in front of the pylons, was cut off and the hull was stretched approximately 1/16”.
I used one of the AMT kit’s nacelle domes to make new landing bay doors by simply cutting it in half and scribing in some vertical lines.
Sheet styrene was added to the curve of the hull next to the hanger bar doors to achieve the proper shape. The front of the hull was built up with putty and the ribbed details on the deflector forks were added using pieces of .5 mm styrene rod placed side by side as well as some half round styrene rods above and below.
I combined the rear of the kit’s deflector housing with the front of a resin housing from JT-Graphics. The outer housing itself was puttied and re-shaped.
The nacelle pylons were narrowed and shortened to match the blueprints. They were attached at an angle slightly less then 90 degrees using a template I made from the blueprints. I strengthened the pylons with sheet styrene and 1/8” brass rods.
The kit’s nacelles were used and also modified. I cut off the grooves behind the bussard domes since I was using resin bussard domes from JT Graphics, which already these details. To create the taper of the studio model’s nacelles I drew a line with a pencil from the front corner of each half that goes to 2.5 mm at the rear.
The above image illustrates where the cuts were made. Unfortunately I didn’t take a picture of the actual kit parts so I used nacelle halves from an older kit for figure 12’s illustration. It’s basically long skinny triangles that needed to be cut away. In order to make sure the inner trenches stayed centered on each nacelle the cut on both parts has to be made on the same side, as indicated in the picture. The 2 halves were heated with a hair dryer and rolled on a flat surface to create the taper towards the rear. When I glued the halves together I sanded, for what felt like days, to get them round and even.
I used a set of correctly sized end caps from Federation Models that come with their Surya resin kit. The bussard domes from JT-Graphics have inserts to simulate the fan blades but have other details that weren’t actually on the studio model. Instead I used a set of clear domes I had on hand and added the fan blades with some 1 mm masking tape, painted silver.
I used a set of JT-Graphics Intercoolers and Federation Models Control Reactors and rear vents to round out the nacelle’s details.
The above image shows the model almost completed sitting atop a Round 2 Dome Base, attached with a brass rod. I reinforced the dome base with 1 mm styrene sheet on the bottom. This keeps the Enterprise from swaying.
Having worked through all these modifications I was now ready to take a breath. The next round of fun would involve the hull color. With the Enterprise’s hull color being a big topic of debate over the years I knew it would take more then simply opening up a bottle of paint.
In my next and final installment I’ll cover the painting, weathering and the decals…
Michael Scarola
