Alan McNeilly provides an In-Box review of the 3-inch Mortar Carrier Conversion Set, a new release by Resicast for the 1/35 Tamiya Universal Carrier.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Hey Al,
Another interesting review !!
It would be nice to see someone produce a state of the art UC to replace the old Tamiya kit.
Cheers

jjumbo

Hi John,

The challenge for any plastic manufacturer will be the level of detal and accuracy afforded by the Resicast Conversion sets.

Agreed a new Universal Carrier is long over due, but I wouldn't want to see one that has naff tracks and inaccuracies and that just costs more becaue it's new.

If a plastic manufacturer takes up the challenge and produces a good accurate plastic Universal Carrier with decent tracks and crew, then that would be great and like the Churchill a large number of varients are possible.

I'd rather see a Loyd though as it is something that have never been done in plastic as far as I am aware and was equally numerous in useage.

Rumour control and the large output of new British/Commonwealth kits would suggest that one is on the cards though, sooner or later.

Al

Some pictures for reference





















Plus a couple of build shots from the Resicast site.





Al

Hmmmm

A couple of on the job pics so to speak:



I think this one would make a great dio.



Al

Hey Al,
Thanks for the PM but I guess I'd already seen this review.
It's nice to see that they included the Canadian modifications.
Cheers

jjumbo

Hi John,

it was the vehicle pics I thought might be of interest.

Cheers
Al

Hey Al,
That they are !!!
Did you find them on a site or in the IWM archive.
Cheers

jjumbo

Hi John,

Can't remember where I picked up the pics of the actual carrier, on one of many searches lol, lol. The two reference ones are from IWM but were also features in Vol 2 of the Universal Carrier. There are some cracking pics of carriers being floated over rivers, lots of food for thought for the future .

Cheers

Al

I purchased what appears to be an older version of this kit last year from one of Resicast's US vendors, and am HUGELY disappointed with it. I would make sure I was getting the newer version when purchasing.

Without comparing kit numbers, one way to tell the newer Resicast kits is the tracks come with a resin "frame" around them, while in the older version they are simply attached to a pour plug (and often misshapen).

Another clue is the instructions: the current version has ample photos showing part placements, while the older version reprints about 1/2 of the Tamiya instructions with some part numbers scratched out.

Be very careful if you pick this one up from another modeler or at a show.

Buyer beware.

Erm, how on earth is it Resicast's fault if one was to purchase the old kit at a show? I really don't get why you are winging about this Bill. Aside from being the same subject, the new product has a totally different product number. Should I contact DML and tell them i'm annoyed because I bought one of their ancient Panthers expecting one of the new ones.

I think its totally unfair to start slating Resicast for something which so clearly isn't their fault and for something which they can do absolutely nothing about.

Furthermore you stated on another thread that you thought the kit was 'sweet', yet you say here underneath the product review that you are "HUGELY DISAPPOINTED", I find it odd you have those conflicting views. It seems to me that another agenda is at work here and you have an unfair axe to grind against this company.

Rob, I'm not sure where you got the notion I purchased this kit at a show. I bought it from one of Resicast's vendors (R& J Enterprises, listed on the Resicast website). I assumed incorrectly that both Resicast and the vendor would not sell me a set that is apparently over 10 years old (at least according to Al).

I post the warning here because these kits will turn up at shows or from personal sales, etc. I think it's important for consumers to know the difference.

The kit has some very nice details, but a thoroughly horrible instruction booklet that essentially breaks off in the middle of the build and leaves you on your own. I'm relatively confident I can salvage it, but it's not the kit I thought I was buying. Not close.



I don't agree. Resicast could make good on the problem in any number of ways, and should have at minimum a conversation with their vendor about OOP kits.

If I'd bought this from a private seller or on eBay, I would consider it my fault for not researching the differences between one kit and the other, but I purchased it from one of Resicast's vendors and did not think there was a danger I was buying an antique! When I called the vendor the other day to order some resin tracks for another UC, they said this is not the first time they've gotten complaints about Resicast instructions.

Perhaps in the States we have a different ethos about corporate responsibility, but I'm surprised that both you and Al want to shift the blame on this to the consumer. If that's "whinging," then I will freely admit to it (I know whinging is considered bad form in the UK, but I'm in New Jersey). I think others should be aware of the big difference in current and previous Resicast kit quality. If Resicast is truly that much better now, I'm doing them a favor to point that out, rather than sweep it under the rug.

That seems to rub some folks the wrong way. I stand by my position.

Bill I can understand your upset at obtaining a kit that is from what has been typed in another thread an Out of production model when you were not aware there was a difference between that and a newer release, that said I would not expect a company to withdraw any model when a newer option is released unless it had the same URN Number. If you released a new product and there were a unknown number of units of an older product release with a different URN code in the hands of retailers why would it be the fault of (In this case) Resicast that you were sold an older release of a model that is in essence a different model product.

Exactly my point.

I really don't think its Resicasts responsibility to contact every single one of its stockist and tell them to withdraw the old product. In any case as Darren pointed out, the one you bought has a different product number thus is a different item (albeit of the same subject).

I don't see what the big problem is here. Bill started out noting the differences between an older kit and a 'new, improved' kit. Just like any review, you can get good or bad. Would you also object to negative criticism of DML's first SAS Jeep? Now that was a real mess and should have been recalled!