[Closed] Why are no resin models offered with opening bodywork?

Much of it has to do with how the mold releases the resin but there's a cost factor as well

The rubber molds make it easier to take the molded part out without damaging it or marring it. The rubber molds are also easier to shape, providing more accurate detail while the heavy metal diecast molds take a tremendous amount of labor to get the shapes and creases accurate.

IN the long run, it will get down to preference and motivation for collecting. The resin models tend to be more high end and offer an exclusivity of ownership diecast can't being to approach. Diecast offers affordability.

HOLY CRA$....that AM177 in Magma Red is DDG!!!!!!!

That line is pretty blurry John............

take two cars that I own and got from my friends here at Legacy Motors.

The Spark MKI Ford GT40 Le Mans winner sealed resin - $190.00

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The AUTOart Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale full opening diecast - $189.95

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I don't think many people will say that the lines of the resin model are any sharper or cleaner than the diecast. If you compare 'equal dollars' diecast will win most of the time.

Resin has its place in that manufacturers of 1:18 resin cars tend to pick subjects that will have a loyal but limited following - like racing cars. They are worth the money to race car collectors because they look good on the shelf and they are likely to be the only show in town - better sealed than nothing.

You do get exclusivity with a lot of the resin cars - low production runs - but you have to balance that with the reality that fewer collectors want that model in the first place.

If say AUTOart came out tomorrow with that same Ford GT40 at the quality level of the Alfa and priced it at $290.00 I'd still buy it in a heartbeat and so would most of the guys who've bought the Spark resin cars. The Spark models, limited edition and all, would likely be on the secondary market selling for peanuts, because that's likely all they would be worth.

Bruce, resin can only be run in soft tooling. Does Not work in steel tooling, and....

John is completely right about cost factor of steel tooling. The entire production process and variables for all materials are involved, not simple, and have been discussed at length here and on the BB 1:24 Forum.

Wow, so many experts weighing in............

I'm not an expert on model building, but I know what I like.

I recently received an AUTOart 1:18 Alfa Romeo 33 TT 12. When I opened the foam cocoon, I stopped breathing for awhile. It is just magnificent ! Shut lines and hinges that are close to scale, beautiful paint and graphics, working detail everywhere, it doesn't, IMHO, get much better than this.

It qualifies as a diecast because 19 of its 655 parts are diecast, but it has 228 other metal parts, 229 plastic parts and 116 parts made of other materials.

Everything is functional. Of course the wheels roll and steer, but the doors open, there are microscopic latches holding them closed, the hinges will go through many cycles as I show friends what an excellent piece this is. Ditto the other functional features. If someone had a basket-case real car, I could lend him this model to show him how to wire and plumb it when he got to that point in his restoration. The wheels come off so I can see how the suspension works. I hope you get the point. This car has hours of what my friend Joe Kelly calls "finger fun".

The resin (not that there will ever be one) version of this or a similar car has wheels and tires that barely roll and don't steer and, of course, neither does the steering wheel turn. The nose and engine cover don't lift off or open and neither do the doors.

I have resin models and I like them, but, like FLM, I'd trade my #1075 GT40 by Spark for an AUTOart Signature version at twice the price without a second thought.

Crisper detail ? Sure, the resin guys probably can beat an Ertl or H-61 for crispness of detail. But I don't think they can do much better than my little Alfa.

So it comes down to practicality. Resin is cheap to tool and expensive to finish. The opposite is true for diecast given an apples to apples situation. It only makes sense to make a diecast where you can make enough models to reasonably amortize the tooling.

Marshall Buck is making a 1:12 Reventlow Scarab in resin because he guesses that he can't get 20,000 of you guys to pony-up for a diecast. I only hope I can afford it and hope I don't roll over and break it when I take it to bed with me. LOL

With me being a dedicated fan of "finger fun", you can probably guess where my heart is. Now if Marshall could just get that Scarab done.

I posted on another forum asking how the models are constructed with opening parts, but it was summarily ignored.

I'd like to know how these models work structurally, cause it seems to me that opening doors, hoods and trunks would be particularly fragile if constructed of 100% resin.

I'm open to any kind of materials as long as we have mechanical detail and features, but reasonable durability.

I think a particularly interesting model would be one constructed of metal frame and parts with a resin "skin". Much like a race car is a tubular frame with a thin metal skin. Don't see why a model couldn't be constructed similarly. I would think Corvettes would be perfect examples to build this way.

I feel exactly the same way.

There have been models before that have been built where the parts on the real car that were metal were metal on the model, and parts that were fiberglass, carbon fiber, etc. were made of resin or plastic.

It's been done, most recently, with AutoWorld's "Legends of the Quarter Mile" Funny Cars. The problem is that not every model car mfr. does both resin and diecast and, even if they do, aren't necessarily ready to integrate them.

AUTOart does this now and could easily do it, but they'd have to want to. Some of the mfr's I know are already talking about this, they just haven't done it yet.

(PICS) Many of 'em. Resin models in assorted scales......

Most of these were hand built limited edition pieces, made in the USA.....Not China. The Ltd.editions are noted as such, and they were very low volume, high end collector pieces for a niche market. Editions ranged in quantity from as few as 25 pieces to approximately 125 pieces.

ANY resin model can be made with opening parts. The pictures here show models that were all comprised mostly of resin. Some of them, such as the 1:14 Ferrari Barchetta's and the 1:24 Ferrari 250 SWB even had resin hinges! Others as some will see have combination of resin & metal. The three(3) 1:12 scale scratch builts, two of which have opening panels have resin bodies & body panels.

1:24 Ferrari 250 SWB "Moss" Ltd. edition of 50 "Moss", and approx 50 Road cars in various colors.
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1:14 Ferrari 166 Barchetta. There were three different versions. Total combined Ltd. edition production of approximately 125 pieces.
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1:14 Ferrari 166 rolling chassis. Ltd. edition.
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1:20 McLaren M8D. Ltd. edition of two different cars, total of 100 pieces produced.
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Three pics of the scratch built 1:12 scale Ferrari 375 MM "Rossellini" model
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1:12 scratch built Talbot-Lago T150-C Roadster
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and finally.... the current project delaying my Scarab's that Bill has mentioned....1:12 scratch built Ferrari 250 SWB
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(PIC) And..... let's not forget about these resin Rolls Royce models.....

Choice of fully closed car, or cabriolet shown here. Numerous color choices all with opening panels, ALL resin, made in China, big quantities, and priced as low as $195.

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