Post by expatriate on Dec 28, 2021 12:37:27 GMT -5
This was an ordeal, truly.
My first 500 was 1968 and Bobby U. won that Indy 500. But my favorite all-time Racing driver is Jim Clark. I was super disappointed when I got back into modeling and learned that there was STILL no decent Lotus 38 kit. Indy has come and gone into influence in the csr industry and is a spec series now. But I long for the days of a monocoque aluminum chassis and cigar shaped gloried go-karts with HUGE engines. I think those cars are just SO cool.
The Testors “Those famous Fords” series Lotus 38 was probably the best KIT produced of that car and it was a crap kit. I alway wanted one and a kid until I saw the kit opened up. The molding was crap and the detail sucked. It didn’t do the Lotus ( which IMHO aid one of the most beautiful racing cars EVER )and it wasn’t worth my precious saved allowance money. I bought a Monogram B-17 G instead.
So, when I got back into the hobby for the 3rd time I was astounded no better kit had ever been produced. Indy 500 winners just don’t make money for plastic kit makers evidently. Research is part of my job and I do it voraciously. I researched the lotus 38 in 1/24 and 1/25 scale, no joy! I couldn’t find ANYTHING but e super expensive large scale die cast and handmade models like the ones from Carousel in 1/18th (Starting at $250) and Legacy Miniatures ( in 1/6 scale and a staggering $22,OOO because it’s hand made).
BUT, after exhaustive research I have found a 1/24 1965 Lotus 38 Jim Clark Indy 500 winner kit in white metal. A company called South Eastern Finecast used to produce their white metal kit in the UK. It was a small batch kit for a long time, but the coma-any is under new management and have put ALL of their kits that have good molds back in production.
Their website looks like something from 1999, and displays a phone number but AT&T could not provide advice on how to dial it correctly or any number for directory assistance in the UK. So, getting S.E.Finecast on the phone was a problem. But after exhaustive efforts I learned the process and finally got them on the phone. I purchased two 1/24 lotus 38 kits in white metal WITH decals, but I plan on using only one of the provided set of decals. The other kit will build Jim Clark’s 1966 Lotus.
their website is at www.sefinecast.co.uk
their CORRECT phone number is: +44 1243-842525. That + sign is important and DO NOT PUT A “0” in front of the 1243 as on the website, that is for UK callers, not international callers.
Sorry for the rant, but this was a real PITA one I didn’t want anyone else to go through. Cheers, Mates!
Expat
My first 500 was 1968 and Bobby U. won that Indy 500. But my favorite all-time Racing driver is Jim Clark. I was super disappointed when I got back into modeling and learned that there was STILL no decent Lotus 38 kit. Indy has come and gone into influence in the csr industry and is a spec series now. But I long for the days of a monocoque aluminum chassis and cigar shaped gloried go-karts with HUGE engines. I think those cars are just SO cool.
The Testors “Those famous Fords” series Lotus 38 was probably the best KIT produced of that car and it was a crap kit. I alway wanted one and a kid until I saw the kit opened up. The molding was crap and the detail sucked. It didn’t do the Lotus ( which IMHO aid one of the most beautiful racing cars EVER )and it wasn’t worth my precious saved allowance money. I bought a Monogram B-17 G instead.
So, when I got back into the hobby for the 3rd time I was astounded no better kit had ever been produced. Indy 500 winners just don’t make money for plastic kit makers evidently. Research is part of my job and I do it voraciously. I researched the lotus 38 in 1/24 and 1/25 scale, no joy! I couldn’t find ANYTHING but e super expensive large scale die cast and handmade models like the ones from Carousel in 1/18th (Starting at $250) and Legacy Miniatures ( in 1/6 scale and a staggering $22,OOO because it’s hand made).
BUT, after exhaustive research I have found a 1/24 1965 Lotus 38 Jim Clark Indy 500 winner kit in white metal. A company called South Eastern Finecast used to produce their white metal kit in the UK. It was a small batch kit for a long time, but the coma-any is under new management and have put ALL of their kits that have good molds back in production.
Their website looks like something from 1999, and displays a phone number but AT&T could not provide advice on how to dial it correctly or any number for directory assistance in the UK. So, getting S.E.Finecast on the phone was a problem. But after exhaustive efforts I learned the process and finally got them on the phone. I purchased two 1/24 lotus 38 kits in white metal WITH decals, but I plan on using only one of the provided set of decals. The other kit will build Jim Clark’s 1966 Lotus.
their website is at www.sefinecast.co.uk
their CORRECT phone number is: +44 1243-842525. That + sign is important and DO NOT PUT A “0” in front of the 1243 as on the website, that is for UK callers, not international callers.
Sorry for the rant, but this was a real PITA one I didn’t want anyone else to go through. Cheers, Mates!
Expat
