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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2014 13:50:15 GMT -5
I started buying Tamiya F1 kits in the early 70s. I first bought the Lotus 72D (A real favorite of mine) When I got it home, I tore into it, naturally. When I opened the box I was quite surprised to see that the body parts had already been painted; some right on the sprue. I don't mean somebody just slopped some black on it and reboxed it. The cellophane was intact on the box, and the painted parts were wrapped in tissue. The paint was downright beautiful, with no runs and a shiny level surface with absolutely NO orange peel or uneven spots. I subsequently bought the Stewart Tyrell and the Ferrari 312B. They had been given the same treatment. Let me stress that they were all sealed in clear wrap and went for the then current regular price, though I got a discount from list price. I'm not hallucinating. This really happened. I have built the Tyrell and the 72D, but the Ferrari is still in the once opened box in perfect condition. Now for the question. Has anybody seen this on any early Tamiya 1/12th kits? Or am I the only one who has had this experience? The kits were purchased at a store called 'Highway Hobbies' in Randolph New Jersey on route 17. Anybody know where I'm talking about? Anybody know WHAT I'm talking about?
I have almost all of the first issue Tamiya 1/12th kits, and not enough years to build them along with my other stuff. I have most of the 1/20th kits as well. I may be putting some of these, and others, on the for sale page in the near future. 66 years old; 400+ kits. You do, as they say, the math! But really, has anyone seen, bought, stolen, or otherwise acquired a Tamiya kit from that long ago that was prepainted?
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Post by hurtubise56 on Dec 30, 2014 14:20:36 GMT -5
Yes, many of the early 1/12 Tamiya kits were either painted or had the colored plastic clear-coated. They also painted things like the wheels in the 72D & 312B kits. The 72D may have been the last one to get that treatment. The first Tamiya kit I had was the 312B when I was about 13, built it right out of the box, no need to paint the body, which for me was a great time and looks saver!
Brian
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2014 15:24:18 GMT -5
It's nice to know I'm not that insane after all. Insane, to be sure, just not THAT insane. I wonder how many of the kits were treated to this enhancement. I still have my built Tyrell and 72D, and I say again, the finish is terrific.I've been on Tamiya builders sites and a whole host of other places online, and nobody seemed to think this was true. I wonder what that 312B is worth now...
Thanks for your response,
Motorbill66
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Post by indycals on Dec 30, 2014 15:43:01 GMT -5
Wow... I've been building Tamiya kits for 35 years and I never knew this.
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Orso
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Post by Orso on Dec 30, 2014 18:22:52 GMT -5
I built my first in 1975 (Tyrrell) and the next was the 72D followed by almost all of the others but none of them were pre painted.
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Post by pje on Dec 30, 2014 18:26:46 GMT -5
Wow... I've been building Tamiya kits for 35 years and I never knew this. Same here!  Paul Erlendson |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2014 12:15:06 GMT -5
As stated, the finish was worlds better than I could've hoped to equal. At the time I was racing full size cars and we were moving a lot, so; no spray booth. I just plain lucked out. Wish I could've said the same about my racing career...
Motorbill
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Post by flashman on Jan 2, 2015 15:30:49 GMT -5
The first Tamiya kit I had was the 312B when I was about 13, built it right out of the box, no need to paint the body, which for me was a great time and looks saver! Brian Same for me, Brian. The 312B was also the first Tamiya 1/12th model I built back in 1971 or 72, and even built straight out of the box with little other paint applied by me, it looked stunning to my eyes! Same with the Tyrrell and the Lotus 72D kits (although I learned the hard way with the Lotus that you do not wax the body until after you apply the decals!  ). As far as I know, the only ones that had the factory clearcoat were the 312B, Tyrrell, and JPS Lotus 72D. Beginning with the two 1974 McLaren M23 kits, Tamiya no longer did the clearcoating. I don't remember if the Lola T70 Coupe kit was ever released with the clearcoat, as the unfinished remains of the one I bought sometime in the 1970s is long gone, but I don't think it had the clear. Neither the Lotus 49B I built in the early 70's or the unbuilt 49B and Honda RA273 kits I have do not have the clear. Note that Tamiya re-issued the Tyrrell kit in 1990 or 91, and it did include the clearcoat. I was just sorting thru my stash last night and looked at the unbuilt kit I bought then. The clear does not appear as good as I remember the original Ferrari and Tyrrell issues being, but it's there. I wonder if that issue were kits they had left in stock from the original issue? I also have an unbuilt 72D from a re-issue sometime in the 90's, but I didn't look close enough last night at the body parts thru the plastic bags to tell if it had the clearcoat. Cameron |
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Post by alterrenner on Jan 3, 2015 6:12:01 GMT -5
My Sister-In-Law used to work at Zayer's department store. One of her jobs was to run the machine that shrink-wrapped the returns for resale. Zayer's went out of business and sold their fixtures and tools. Each time I buy a "factory-sealed" kit at a swap meet, I wonder who bought that machine, and where is it now? Your kits were no doubt factory painted, but knowing those machines are out there may be...intriguing?
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Post by indydog on Jan 3, 2015 7:47:21 GMT -5
I have one of the clearcoated 312B's, interesting to say the least.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2015 13:57:02 GMT -5
I can confirm... I live in Italy and me too, I started to build 1/12 Tamiya kits in the mid '70s when I was 12-13 years old (now I'm 52)... of course, straight ftom the box... The Lotus 72 was clearcoated, the McLaren M23 and the Brabham BT44B weren't...
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