my very first armour model, purchased for me by my Uncle Bob, a WW2 vet, and my hero. But to my everlasting shame, I botched it, terribly, felt guilty ever since, it's always the one's you fail that stick with you. So, many years down the line, I managed to find one on line with the idea of making amends and building it the way my dear uncle would have approved, but can I bring myself to start it? I'm a kit builder, not a collector, but there must be a kit in all of us we can't build. I have two of them, my first two armour models. Lets take a close look at them

the lid off moment, not quite I'm saving the instructions for later.

the hull looks good considering it's late 60's early 70's, but I wouldn't like to do a size scale comparison, might be disappointing.



now this is good, something modern kit makers could learn, an interior. OK, not a full interior by any standards, but it's a start. if the kit was made OOB, you could peer inside and not be dissapointed to see an empty shell.

from the above image of a full sprue frame of parts, it would appear that accuracy back then was a issue.



no laughing please, try to remember, this kit is nearly as old as me.

with the unusual hobby of making model tanks, a lot of scratch builders were out there doing their own thing back then, and not unlike My Uncle Bob, may have had first hand knowledge of WW2 vehicles from experience during war service.


the instruction sheet was basic but clear and understandable, far more so than earlier kits just showing written lists of assembly sequence.

In my view there are four types of kits:
1. Those that I will not buy (wrong scale, too inaccurate, simply doesn't interest me or no intention to build, not ever).

2. Kits that I will buy or have already bought with the intention of building them.

3. Kits that I have bought and later realised that I will never build (see list of reasons above) and can be sold to someone so I sell them. One so far, old Tamiya T-10 tank.


3. Kits bought, will not be built (see above), too horrible to sell (nobody stupid enough to buy them) -> use as source for styrene bits and pieces for other kits or scratchbuilds alternatively -> the trash chute just outside my apartment door One so far, Nitto/Blue Tank


There will never ever be a kit sitting in my stash which I do not intend to build

/ Robin

Robin, there is no room in your very positive attitude to the hobby for Nostalgia, I'm talking about kits that have a special place in your memory and your heart. (and Robin, 4 comes after 3)

Back to the Bandai kit Panzer 4 ausf.D



just in case you were unsure where the driver figure goes...


oH Now come on please, stop that laughter at the back, try and remember these kits mean a lot to me.

this page at the back of the instructions says it all about the early stages of the hobby, how to make a diorama, terrible ideas I know, but lets face it, they were aimed at little kids back then.

So, Ladies and Gents, I mentioned earlier that there were two kits in my never to be made list. Well here's number two, and if you've been paying attention, Wicks, you at the back boy! Leave her hair alone or you'll get detention.
I botched the Panzer, made a right mess and had screaming ab dabs until my parents got me this...

just a glimpse for now, My wife has asked me to deal with the compost bin. I'll be back later with a detailed look at this rare and old kit.

Really puts things into perspective doesn't it? As a 90's kid, modelling was certainly taking off in a big way though I wasn't old enough to know much nor show much interest in WWII subjects.

I too have a similar story of my uncle buying me a tamiya Focke Wulf kit (can't remember which one) which ended turning into a sticky mess of something heinous.... suffice to say, I stuck with Lego and other snap kits and only started modelling military subjects recently as I became interested in WWII through films and video games.

In about 30 years, I figure I'd end up becoming the old fart (no offense!) reminiscing about the modelling days of yore. Who knows what the hobby will be like in the future anyway.

This may be of interest; some Bandai kits

There are way too many kits that I have abandoned, neglected, betrayed, or destroyed to count. I love the idea of a "revisit"- a way to make ammends and make things right.

I got one of these to do as part of my 1/40 scale 1950-60s to show but I cant get into it after the Corporal and Hawk missile set they were great

David, I haven't seen the Revell kits in 1/40th scale in years. When I was a kid I must have built most of them. I wish they were available now.
Andy

Ooh that Revell M4 brings back memories! My own "kit of shame" is a Heller Leopard tank that is frankly frightful. I bought it to harvest two pieces - the rest may well get mercy-killed.

I've been doing that, either with repainting/decaling old kits, or acquiring and building childhood models with my skills of today.

I love the 1/48 Bandai series. I'm building one now: Wespe

In fact, here is a list of Bandai models reviewed here at KMN:
Bandai Reviews

Byrden, thanks for your link!

thanks guys some interesting and inspirational comments there, it's amazing the depth of feeling we have for this enigma of a hobby, well you try explaining it to non modellers and see how far you get, we're all mad don't you know. Anyway, back to something that may interest you, and in a moment I'll shock you.

the three boxings I could find of the Revell M4 "Black Magic" kit.




and the third boxing from 1970 that I have, is going for £114.55 on ebay at the moment. jeezzze, I got mine for £17 only a year back.

the tank commander figure reminded me of Audie Murphy when I was a kid, looking at him now I can see why.

the kit itself is very retro, must not compare them to today's kits, it's just not fair. the rear surface of a roadwheel.


if that's not bad enough, the kits biggest low point, the sprockets.

for these alone It is not a kit I'm tempted to build, keep, own, yes but build no.

having said that, I'm treating this as a bit of kit history.

the rear lower hull fit looks quite good, the belly plate is slightly warped, but not to where I can't see it being made to fit.

some more detailed views of a very old, iconic part of our hobby's history.

and some details of the instruction sheet, just to give you the flavour of kit making 1970 style.






so come on, what's yours?

First, I would like to say that although I built most of my models as a kid in the 1970s, I much prefer the model boxes from the 1960s than from the 1970s. Seriously, how many kids would prefer the 1970s "Black Magic" box over the 1960s versions?

My that I have "never made" was my Italeri Crusader III in this box:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/185580-revell-italerei-h-2119-britische-crusader-iii

I bought the kit during a trip to Germany (the price tag in Deutsche Marks is still on the box), right about the time I stopped building models for almost 40 years. When I recently found this kit in storage, I was pleasantly surprised to also find in the box an Italeri Leopard 1A4, which I must have unboxed and put in the Crusader box so the models would fit in my suitcase.

Back in the 1970s, it was rare to see anything as "exotic" as a Crusader III or a Leopard in my local hobby stores.

I'm hoping to have built both kits by sometime next year.