| Author | Message | ||
| Francisco J. Quinones (Frankie)
Junior Member Username: Frankie Post Number: 186 Registered: 8-2002 |
Welcome to the board Pudden. Frankie | ||
| Kevin Horner (Boz)
Junior Member Username: Boz Post Number: 69 Registered: 8-2002 |
Spongebob, You see my concerns. Welcome to the board. You can take my place. Ok, now I'm REALLY done chatting for awhile. | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 739 Registered: 5-2002 |
Welcome aboard Spongebob/Pudden. If I may explain the situation in a manner that Chris will find offensive. Sometimes, Ferrarichat is like those aliens on the planet Talos Four in the Star Trek series. Those aliens had been mulling over their own thoughts for so many generations that they sought out alien humans to use for fresh ideas for their mental musings. This board can be like Talos Four sometimes. Not enough fresh thinking to evoke much activity. So the slightest comment that rubs someone the wrong way will set everybody off. Sort of like wading through a quiet pool only to find that it is filled with crocodiles sleeping on the bottom. All of a sudden, things start happening! But even though crocodiles may snap at each other from time to time, they generally have much in common and tend to congregate together after the smoke clears. | ||
| Spongebob Squarepants (Pudden)
New member Username: Pudden Post Number: 1 Registered: 2-2003 |
This is my first posting on this message board. I'm one of the rare females that have an interest in exotic cars. I've been lurking on this board and came across this crazy battle and just had to respond. I just wanted to say that you guys need to lay off Arlie. And Chris, you should be more respectful. I also want to say that it's silly to think that a person has to be able to afford or have the real thing in order to buy a model. I view the models as a representation of a work of art. What's the difference between buying a model and buying a lithograph of a famous painting. If it's aesthetically pleasing to you then it makes you feel good and therefore worth the money spent. What in the world did all this bickering have to do with cheap models anyway? | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 738 Registered: 5-2002 |
How come when I post a "sneer" at somebody's toy car collection it evokes anger and retaliation, but if somebody does something similar on a network television show, it's called comedy. Dare I suggest, "thin skin" on the Ferrarichat board? Or should that be "stuffed shirts"? (Horsefly pulls on asbestos jumpsuit, anticipating major flameage.) | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Intermediate Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 1313 Registered: 7-2001 |
You're right Arlie, I wouldn't sneer at your vette. Nor would I sneer at your hobbies or collections, unless first provoked. I guess that's where our meeting of the minds parts ways. | ||
| Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Junior Member Username: Cmhorner17 Post Number: 88 Registered: 4-2002 |
Well, given some of the comments you've brought to the board, I'm not surprised you've gotten some attitude. It must not have bothered you too bad for you to still be here though.... My point about ANYBODY being able to look up public information on a publicly traded company still stands however. Information, case studies, and in-depth reviews on Walmart are quite prevalent - whether you shop there or not. | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 735 Registered: 5-2002 |
"I guess by using your standards since a lot of us on this board don't own Ferraris, we're not in a position to talk about them either. Yeah." For what it's worth Chris, your above comment is EXACTLY the kind of comment that I have been treated to in the past on this board. People have accused me of "not knowing enough about Ferraris to talk about them since I don't own one." Since that DOES seem to be the line of thinking from many on this board, it therefore only seemed logical to me that somebody who has NEVER shopped at Wal-Mart would have no logical basis to discuss their merchandise or its origin. | ||
| Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Junior Member Username: Cmhorner17 Post Number: 87 Registered: 4-2002 |
Just because I don't shop at Walmart doesn't mean I haven't seen or read about their business. They are one of the most talked about companies on the planet. I studied business in college. I still keep up with the business world. Coming across common knowledge information from many different sources is not very difficult. Probably wouldn't even be too difficult for you to do. There was nothing that I said that anyone couldn't look up in under 10 minutes whether they shop there or not. I guess by using your standards since a lot of us on this board don't own Ferraris, we're not in a position to talk about them either. Yeah. As for the diamond thing - Arlie please read my posts in their entirety. I was comparing the chances of finding a BIG diamond with the chances of finding the right lotto numbers. Not the smaller ones - the big ones. I was using that example because that was the one you started with. Plenty of people win small amounts in the lottery too don't forget, just like plenty of people find smaller diamonds too. The comparison is still valid. It's the motive of playing the lottery (buying a ticket with the hopes of winning big) vs the motive of visiting the park (to enjoy nature, have the experience to mine, actually doing some work) that can be debated. And I agree with your point that working to find the diamonds or just being there for the fun of it is much more worthwhile than blowing money on a piece of paper. That's why I never debated that paticular point. On the chart on the link that you posted (granted it was reported finds) I counted 46 in the past 25 years. It's unlikely that there were so many unreported finds that the results would be skewed too far. The odds are still quite small by any reasonable measure. | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 734 Registered: 5-2002 |
Hey Chris, you want facts? Check out: http://www.aristotle.net/~russjohn/crater.html How much more diamond hunting documentation do you need? Looks like a lot more people find diamonds than win lotteries. You said that you have NEVER shopped at Wal-Mart. Then obviously you are unqualified to discuss what they do, or do not, have for sale. If you've never shopped there, how do you know WHERE their merchandise is made? Give my regards to the Klingon Kowboys. And Jim, yes we are like automotive brothers, we both like cool cars. You know as well that I do that you would not sneer at my Corvettes any more than I would sneer at your Ferrari. Cool is cool no matter what the marque. | ||
| Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Junior Member Username: Cmhorner17 Post Number: 85 Registered: 4-2002 |
Once again, you have failed to really read what I wrote. I never denied that the diamond park was there or that anyone can go dig and keep what they find. I don't doubt for a second that it exists or that people can actually find diamonds. All I said was the the chances of striking it BIG (your word) are about as great as hitting the right lotto numbers. Plus, I never said or implied that a day in the park was on the same plane as buying a lotto ticket. I was comparing the CHANCES of each event using the context that you established. Nothing more, nothing less. On top of that, nowhere did I imply that buying a model car would be a better use of money than a day in the park. It's cool that your brother found a diamond there. Has he ever had it appraised? "Probably worth $300 uncut at the time. Probably worth several thousand today" In other words, you don't have a clue what it's worth, and that's fine. For the record - if it was worth $300 then, it would have to be worth over $2000 today just to beat inflation. Still not a bad return on the $2 investment though. But it doesn't answer my original question - How many people didn't come out of there with something? You'll always hear about the one in a million success stories in any subject or field that you can find to discuss. But if you broaden the scope out of the top echelon, you get a little clearer picture of reality. You are right on one point though - I have never shopped at Walmart. But it's not for the reason that you ASSUME. Once again, you have read into what is not there. I don't bash Walmart and I'm not on a one man crusade to stop other people from going there. In fact until my last post, I had never brought that fact to anyones attention before. I didn't even say they were a terrible awful company for doing it. Read the post Arlie - nowhere does it say not to shop there for that reason. The whole China issue is your hangup, not mine. The reason I don't shop at Walmart is because I have a Meijers and a Target that are much closer. I could care less about the way Walmart conducts business, as long as it's not hurting me or my family. I was only pointing out how ironic it was that you were on a Chinese product bashing spree, but at the same time bragged about Walmart and what a great company it is - the very company that is the leader in what you were condemning. And there's Star Trek again. I still find it funny that no one even thought of Star Trek until you put it into just about every post you've made on this thread. And how funny it is that those assumptions you've made on that subject have all been wrong too. A little friendly debate is always fun, but now you've bored me. It's starting to sound like a broken record. Until you stick to facts, not assumptions that aren't in the messages, not "probably" this-or-that, and actually address the right points, I'll go back to chatting about what we're all here to chat about - FERRARIS. Have a good one. | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Intermediate Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 1312 Registered: 7-2001 |
Damn, I've been away from this thread too long! Arlie has "real corvette parts" and a "real corvette". WOW. I have "real Ferrari models" and a "Real Ferrari". We're like brothers or something. | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 733 Registered: 5-2002 |
Chris said: "Apparently you don't know that of all the diamonds that are mined or found, only 3% are good enough to be used in jewelry. And their value is determined by how clear they are and how they are cut." "BTW, how much have you earned mining diamonds from there if it's so lucrative?" Chris, I'm well aware of the value of diamonds. Diamonds are NOT the rarest of gemstones, they are strictly controlled by several diamond cartels to insure that the market is never flooded with them thereby lowering their value. As for Arkansas diamonds, my cousin found a diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State park back in the 1960s. Probably worth $300 uncut at the time. Probably worth several thousand today. I suppose his $2 entry fee at the time would have been better spent on a toy car, eh? I'm sure that toy car would now be worth how much, $5, $10 today? WOW, what a return on a 35 year investment! "Do you really think someone would open a public treasure chest (read state park) if they knew that just about everyone who came in there could easily recoup their $20, much less strike it rich by "digging a little"? " YES Chris, the treasure chest is open! Various private companies approached the state government in an attempt to allow commercial diamond mining at the park, but the public protest stopped the efforts. So YES INDEED, even though you find it hard to believe, you CAN dig for diamonds all day long and keep what you find. As for comparing a state park entry fee to buying a lottery ticket, no comparison. A day in the outdoor sun is worth far more than wasting money on a lottery ticket in a pathetic attempt to get rich quick. I though America was built of the foundation of work hard and you get ahead because you earn something? I'd rather spend ten dollars to have a day at the park than throw one dollar away on a lousy lottery ticket. RE Star Trek, Chris said: "Was it traumatic to discover that it really is only a TV show? I can't help but notice an overwhelming amount of attention being paid to Star Trek in your posts." Hey Chris, when William Shatner was a guest host on Saturday Night Live, they did a really funny tongue-in-cheek skit that insulted trekies. It was hilarious. I supposed that you found it insulting to your fellow trekkie buddies, so perhaps you should send a letter to NBC demanding that they destroy all copies of that particular Saturday Night Live episode because you consider it sacreligious. Get your trekkie buddies to start a petition drive from their mommie's basement and maybe NBC will listen to them. Tell them to clear away all the toy cars and start typing some letters. Buy them a toy car and maybe they will elect you president of their chapter of the Klingon Kowboys! I should be more qualified than most folks to make a comment on Star Trek episodes. I was PAID to record and prepare EVERY episode for the TV station that I work at. And as for your Wal-Mart bashing, I supposed you have NEVER shopped there. I'm sure they are feeling the affects of your one-man boycott. | ||
| Kevin Horner (Boz)
Junior Member Username: Boz Post Number: 68 Registered: 8-2002 |
hmmm... all I need to do now is start thrashing Lamborghini owners. Setting the record straight: no fetishes implied in the thread. No trekkies to be found. No political or social commentaries implied on the Republic of China, Canada, South Africa, or the great state of Arkansas. I'm a designer that builds architectural models for a living and I have a slight attention to detail. As far as I can tell, the legitimacy of my comments ended at post number 12. I'm done chatting for awhile. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Intermediate Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 2012 Registered: 8-2002 |
Damn... did he just dig into your chest or what...?  | ||
| Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Junior Member Username: Cmhorner17 Post Number: 84 Registered: 4-2002 |
If you bothered to read all of what I wrote, I said not only whole products made in China, but also products made with PARTS from China. So yes your pickup might have been ASSEMBLED in Canada, but some of the parts still came from China. You say you avoid things with a made in China label slapped on it - do you carry that principle into items you purchase that contain some Chinese components? Even if you discover that later? Apparently not. "Anybody can enter the Crater of Diamonds State Park, pay a few dollars entry fee, and dig for diamonds all day long and keep anything that you find. Some people have found diamonds worth BIG MONEY" Some people have also won the lottery and Publishers Clearing House. What's your point? Apparently you don't know that of all the diamonds that are mined or found, only 3% are good enough to be used in jewelry. And their value is determined by how clear they are and how they are cut. So you can have a giant hunk of diamond that is worth very little because the only thing it's good for is to be used as a drill bit. And you still have to find someone to cut it into a drill bit. As with most things, the raw material isn't what determines the value. Does anyone really believe that a Modena contains anywhere near $180k worth of parts? It's how all those parts are shaped, put together, and work together that makes it worth $180k. The raw materials are probably several thousand - if that. I'm sure some people have hit it big in that field by finding just the right stone. How many others did not? Look how much the lotto winners win - but how many other people lost out? Do you really think someone would open a public treasure chest (read state park) if they knew that just about everyone who came in there could easily recoup their $20, much less strike it rich by "digging a little"? BTW, how much have you earned mining diamonds from there if it's so lucrative? Getting off topic a little - How bad did Star Trek scar you? Did the Klingon women not return your love letters? Was it traumatic to discover that it really is only a TV show? I can't help but notice an overwhelming amount of attention being paid to Star Trek in your posts. (No I'm not a Trekkie nor do I have an Enterprise model) You remind of of one of those twisted people with a secret fetish who hints around at it at every opportunity hoping against hope that someone will engage them in a discussion about their secret passion. I haven't looked, but you could probably find a website with people who would only be happy to help you overcome your barriers on that subject. At the risk of opening another can of worms and having more of your circular logic take up even more space on Rob's server, why did Walmart drop their "We Buy American" advertising slogan - and then move its worldwide purchasing headquarters to China? They are singlehandedly the largest importer of items from China. And like you said - they are a multi-billion dollar operation founded right in Arkansas. It's rather hypocritical to bash Chinese made items and then put on a pedestal the largest importer of those items. Have a nice night. | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 731 Registered: 5-2002 |
"If you look hard enough at anything on any subject in any context, you can find something wrong with anything." Perhaps true, but there is no excuse for ignoring something when it is printed right in front of your face. The words, "MADE IN CHINA" have become the downfall of the American manufacturing industry. You know as well as I do that if Ferrari were to move its automobile plant to China in order to maximize profits like a zillion other companies have done, you would hear a HOWLING on this board and throughout the automotive world that would wake the DEAD!!! If a manufactured product is made by a company that shrouds its Chinese made profits, then that's their deception; shame on them. If I MYSELF ignore the words, "MADE IN CHINA" printed in black and white on a box containing a product that I buy, then shame on me because then it becomes my fault for patronizing their communist government owned manufacturing plants. Chris, I assume that you also have a model of the U.S.S. Enterprise and that someday you will own the real thing? Perhaps it's sitting on the shelf next to your Ferrari 250GTO and just as soon as one of the 39 GTO owners decides to sell, you will be all over it for a couple of million dollars. As for avoiding Chinese made junk, I avoid it every chance that I can. As for General Motors, my GMC truck was built at a GM plant in Canada. Please enlighten me, how many human rights violations has the Canadian government been involved in lately? And as for the diamonds in bracelets and rings; you would be hard pressed to find a county that has oppressed more people than South Africa and other diamond producing countries. Of course the only really free territory in the world that produces diamonds is: the state of Arkansas, (A small patch of ground about 10 acres in size near Murfreesboro, Arkansas is the only place in North America where diamonds are found.) Anybody can enter the Crater of Diamonds State Park, pay a few dollars entry fee, and dig for diamonds all day long and keep anything that you find. Some people have found diamonds worth BIG MONEY. So you see Chris, that $20 that you paid for a toy Ferrari could have earned you a $100,000 raw diamond if you had paid the entry fee and were willing to dig a little. | ||
| Rodney Haas (Icars)
Junior Member Username: Icars Post Number: 137 Registered: 3-2002 |
My wife collects Maserati Models. Yes we have probably spent many hundreds of dollars on such. Yes we also own several real Maseratis and Ferraris. Models allow you to view the history of a marquee. You don't need to purchase cheap Asian models, purchase Italian. I have several models on my desk @ work. My rule of thumb is that I only have cars I own, have owned or plan to purchase. I don't advise purchasing models of cars that you could never hope to purchase. | ||
| Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Junior Member Username: Cmhorner17 Post Number: 83 Registered: 4-2002 |
So Arlie, would it be safe to assume then that absolutely NOTHING you own came from China? Have you successfully eradicated every single solitary item that you have that might have been made in China - or made from parts that came from China? Maybe buying those two China-made Ferrari models did buy bullets for the Chinese government. Maybe everytime I fill up my gas tank in my car I support terrorism. Maybe the diamond tennis bracelet and diamond ring I bought my wife recently had "conflict diamonds" in them that came from a country that sells diamonds to support war activities. Or perhaps not. How will I know? If you look hard enough at anything on any subject in any context, you can find something wrong with anything. For the record, what are your little hobbies or interests? I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts I could find someone somewhere that would call your hobby a waste of time too. I will do you the favor of not taking the cheap shot and remind you how much business is done in China by General Motors and that General Motors is responsible for making that Corvette you drive..... Although, you were right on one point - I added up all the money I spent on model Ferraris. I did a little number crunching, plugged it into several formulas, and figured out that had I not spent $150 on Ferrari models and put it towards a real one, I could actually be driving a real one already! Well, live and learn. Thanks for showing me the light. | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 727 Registered: 5-2002 |
No, that's a conscious admission that I'm correct on two counts: 1. The money spend on toy cars could be better spent on the real car. 2. The toy cars are actually made in China...that's CHINA, not Asia. There is a big difference between communist China, with their oppressive government, and the other countries of Asia. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Intermediate Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 1996 Registered: 8-2002 |
Nothing is difficult to understand, i'm pretty clear on everything... But you went from saying what a waste of time it is to buy these things, then i bark and you switch up and demoralize the whole thing, 'cause the cars are made in Asia- what about your original position about this being a waste of time...? By moving on to another position, is that some surreptitious admittal that you're wrong...? | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 726 Registered: 5-2002 |
DES, what position did I flip? I said it was pretty much a waste to spend your money on toy Ferraris. I then illustrated how they are actually made in China. What is so difficult to understand? | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Intermediate Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 1994 Registered: 8-2002 |
How quickly we flip our entire position on the subject... Hmmm... | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 725 Registered: 5-2002 |
And now, grim reality. If Arkansas folks are so bad, why do so many toy collectors buy their model cars from Wal-Mart or Sam's Club, an Arkansas founded multi-BILLION dollar operation??? And if the truth be known, most of those cast metal model cars are made in CHINA, an oppressor of human rights for decades. So take comfort in knowing that for each toy car purchased, you have helped the communist Chinese government buy a few more bullets to oppress a few more fellow human beings. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Intermediate Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 1985 Registered: 8-2002 |
Arlie, that's a real closed-minded statement- living in Arkansas, though, i'm not surprised (there's another closed-minded statement ) Who says the meaning of life is about driving a Corvette Stingray...? Who made you the one to decide that model car collecting is a waste of time...? Allan has a lot of model cars, but he's got a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a Lotus, etc.- do you think his model car collection is a waste of time...? Do you think the model car collections of everyone on this site who also own 1:1 exotics are a waste...? Or do you think it's just a waste for "people like me" who don't yet own an exotic...? Now i highly doubt that a 1:18 car collection is the key to life, but i like them... Not all of us can afford the 1:1 exotics that we dream of, so we buy models to admire and motivate us- & who's to say that we won't be able to one day afford those million dollar cars...? That statement right there tells me exactly why you're tooling around in a '66 Stingray and not whatever your dream car is- you limited yourself; anything is possible. Like Jim E said, excercise some restraint, respect and a little self-actualization before you go criticizing what others do, just because it's different than what you do. | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 724 Registered: 5-2002 |
Jim, better to have REAL Corvette parts in the garage along with REAL Corvettes than wasting money collecting TOY Ferraris and picturebooks of million dollar cars that one can never afford. (Or maybe even couldn't buy if you even HAD the money because they are so rare that nobody will sell the one that they have.) Why spend $20 apiece on 50 toy Ferraris when you could take that $1000 and put it toward saving for the real thing??? I will happily wave to the toy collectors at the Star Trek convention while I drive by in my '66 Sting Ray convertible. | ||
| William Huber (Solipsist)
Member Username: Solipsist Post Number: 659 Registered: 9-2001 |
Jim, That will great. I will be in town Feb 17th thru the 22nd. E mail me for info. Regards, Will | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Intermediate Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 1300 Registered: 7-2001 |
This coming from a guy that has obscure corvette parts scattered around the garage. Nice stereotyping Arlie. Not all of us can aspire to a successful life in Arkansas. Next time you want to start insulting people, you might look in the mirror first. | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 722 Registered: 5-2002 |
News Flash! Dateline: Geektown, U.S.A. John Doe, noted collector of 1:18th scale model sports cars, suffered a nervous breakdown today while on his way to the local Star Trek convention. Paramedics attributed Mr. Does mental condition to the sudden realization that he had spent years of his life concentrating on totally unimportant, irrelevant concepts such as model car collecting. "I've seen it many times", said Doctor Getagrip, local psychiatrist. "It often happens to computer geeks, Trekkies, golfers, and Pez despenser collectors. Out of the blue, one day they suddenly realize how idiotic it was for them to devote years of their lives to such insane hobbies and pastimes." "Their moment of truth is usually connected to the sudden realization of the total monetary amount spent on their rediculous hobbies OR, the sight of a beautiful girl who would never give them the time of day because they've spent all of their life's savings on absurd trinkets instead of building a real life for themselves." | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Intermediate Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 1292 Registered: 7-2001 |
William, when are you going to the toy store? Maybe I'll meet you there for a different kind of car show. | ||
| William Huber (Solipsist)
Member Username: Solipsist Post Number: 658 Registered: 9-2001 |
I forgot about SAM'S Club. I've picked up several 1/18th cars there for around $10.00. F50,550, Cobra 427, etc.. Also, you folks in north texas around Ft Worth can check out the Mattel Toy Club. I don't what they have right now but I'll be up there next week. Maybe an ENZO for $10.00? | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
Intermediate Member Username: Jay Post Number: 1096 Registered: 10-2001 |
I can't believe you guys think Bburago is so good! Come on, the engines are competely chromed out! At least the Hot Wheels engines look a bit more realistic. I have over 100 1/18 scale Ferraris and the absolute best for quality and detail are Kyosho, UT and even Chrono. I would put Bburago and Maisto at the bottom of the list. | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Intermediate Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 1288 Registered: 7-2001 |
UT's are the best Ferrari models by far. Too bad they don't make them any more. If you can find a UT 355, buy it. They actually have carpet in the interiors! The details are amazing. I just got my Enzo last week, and I had the same reaction. Cheap mass-produced crap. | ||
| Jordan Witherspoon (Jordan747_400)
Member Username: Jordan747_400 Post Number: 296 Registered: 12-2002 |
I think Burago is my favorite company...Their models seem to be of the most consistent higher quality. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Intermediate Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 1904 Registered: 8-2002 |
Just picked up a 1:18 Cadillac LMP today... Not so bad, but i have no other 1:18 racecars to compare it to... At least it's composed of more metal than my damn Enzo... | ||
| Aaron Williams (Aawil)
Junior Member Username: Aawil Post Number: 54 Registered: 8-2002 |
I just picked up the 360 spider for 12.99 at kaybee and notices that the quality wasn't to great either. Maisto's Lambo Murcielago on the other hand I was impressed with for $10.00 at sam's. I've heard auto art models are nice but a little more expensive too. | ||
| Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Junior Member Username: Cmhorner17 Post Number: 81 Registered: 4-2002 |
Yes it may not be the real cars, but compared to the other 1:18 models that were made only a few short years ago, the quality does suck. I'm sure anyone who started collecting with the Buragos and the Maistos can see and feel the quality difference. It's just a shame is all - especially when one of your passions is F-cars. Had they all sucked up to now I'm sure this wouldn't have even come up. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Intermediate Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 1888 Registered: 8-2002 |
Ryan, i understand what you mean, but one person's castle is another person's shack- my 1:18s are the best parts of my car collection... & i'm pretty sure i'd feel exactly the same way if i had a real 360 and an Enzo in the driveway... | ||
| Ryan550 (Ryanab)
Member Username: Ryanab Post Number: 269 Registered: 3-2002 |
Dude, its a 1:18 model car, geez. | ||
| Chris Horner (Cmhorner17)
Junior Member Username: Cmhorner17 Post Number: 80 Registered: 4-2002 |
Me too | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Intermediate Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 1887 Registered: 8-2002 |
i concur. | ||
| Kevin Horner (Boz)
Junior Member Username: Boz Post Number: 67 Registered: 8-2002 |
Ok, I can't hold back anymore. I thought I could, but I can't. I got my Enzo model a few weeks ago (yay!) and I picked up a black 550B while I was there. I've been leary of Hotwheels models since the 550B came out- I thought it was way inferior to my Maisto 550M. I was sorry to hear that Hotwheels alone would be mass-producing Enzo models because I was afraid the quality would be sub-par. Well, I was right. Specifically: The head lamps are white-painted dots, the turn signals are orange-painted dots. The front grilles are solid etched plastic. As I move down the body I notice the grilles by the front of the doors are stickers (STICKERS!). I open the doors (at least mine do open- the doors on my friend's Enzo do not) and I see a valiant attempt of mimicking carbon fibre on the interior. But that valor stops as soon as it starts as most of the interior is flat black plastic. The wheel and front tires have about a 5 degree turn angle. The rest of the grilles are the same solid state of the front except for the low side grilles for the brakes-- they are just a solid black cap. The engine bay cover is entirely plastic (PLASTIC!), while the rest of the body is diecast metal. As I open the bay, the whole form wobbles like a flimsy sheet of paper. The red paint noticeably adheres and colors different on plastic than metal and it looks like the builders missed part of the plastic for the second coat of paint. Also as I open the bay I notice the grilles aren't separate pieces: they are just forms stamped into (you guessed it) solid black plastic. The rear wheels are on one axle so they turn simultaneously like any $1.99 Matchbox (or Hotwheels) car should. The chassis is another attempt at carbon fibre stamping, but less successful (I can only feel the texture). They coated the whole thing with some Vaseline "stuff" that has an unholy reaction to human touch. My fingers come off greasy and the prints are forever on the body. The same stuff is on the tires and it leaves a nasty mark on the TV (where I have it displayed). Of course I can only view it from the driver side because half the engine cover is noticably unpainted. The engine is the only saving grace. It is impeccably detailed. Price: $30-40 if you can find one. Then I look at my 550B. There are only a few differences. The rear wheels do turn independent of one another. There is no attempt to create side grilles aside from stamping black metal with a what-it-might-look-like imprint. The leather texture on the seats make them look leprous. At least they settled for a no-texture beige on the rest of the interior. The headlamps this time are the same reflective material as the mirrors: much better than a painted white dot, but still... The front grilles are solid imprints though they try to make them look like holes by imprinting farther (!) into the metal so the shadow covers it over. The grille on the hood is a cheesy rectangular (solid) grid, but at least the hood itself is metal. The underbelly is poorly and unconvincingly stamped in (mostly) black plastic. The horse on the back is stamped into the metal in a way that disrupts the curve of the back. The exhaust pipes are flat gray plastic. Vaseline covers this model as well and the hand prints are markedly worse on black paint. Price: $30-40. Then I look at my Burago 360. All of the grilles are real- no solid black plastic here! The headlamps actually have lamps in them! It comes with a spare tire with a little piece of Connoly luggage in it. The brake discs are completely bored (alas, no calipers on the brakes). The interior is three colors with a much more attractive leather finish on the seats and doors. The center console has a full color control system on it (did I mention the Hotwheels is flat black plastic?), and even the floor is textured. The pedals have a classy chrome finish to them (did I mention the 550B pedals are flat black plastic? The Enzo is flat gray). The chrome horse on the back is an extra piece carefully placed so as not to disrupt the curve of the back, and the exhaust pipes are chromed. The 4-color engine is as detailed as any other 1:18. The body maintains a lustrous shine but without the Vaseline slick. Price: $32. Then I look at my Maisto models. First I have a 550M. It has all of the same quality details as the 360--including real lamps. The front grille is solid, though the print is the same as the actual car. The seats are correctly stitched and they move. It has real, separate piece seat belts (did I mention the 550B belts are solid black plastic fused to the seat? The Enzo has no belts). The underbelly is three colors and the grille at the engine is real, not stamped. The front and rear tires have different tread. The only thing lacking on this model is a quality brake system, but I dismiss that because the car has 4-wheel independant suspension. My price: $12 on clearance. Finally I look at my personal favorite model, a Maisto Porsche Carrera GT. It is black with a very cool metallic fleck in it. The black has never shown a fingerprint yet. The headlamps are again meticulously detailed. The chassis is a much-more-noticable carbon fibre cross stitch. The grilles are real and predominantly made of what looks to be a textured bronze-colored metal. The brakes are completely bored and the discs themselves are textured. The discs are black (are they really black on the car?) which looks cool, but I don't know if it's authentic. There is plenty of caliper showing too--bright yellow with "Porsche" written on all of them. I open the doors with confidence (because they work) and I notice a 2-colored brushed stainless steel running plate on each side. The interior is again meticulously and colorfully detailed. The floors have floor mats, separately painted. The seat belts are genuine rubber and the clasps are painted red. The reflective stickers for the mirrors actually reflect images, not just light. The chrome gas tank is imprinted, not some off-color circle. The thin top rear brake light has a thin red strip painted on the back so I actually can tell it's the brake light. The metal engine cover has a movable wing. The tail lights are a spot-on reflective plastic instead of a strange irridescent red. The metal tail pipes are highly detailed and the insides are painted black. The 4-color engine has real springs on it and I can make out gold paint on the exhaust pipes far below. It even has a chrome toolkit in that bay (I wonder if it's accurate metric?). Again, 4-wheel independent suspension. The only thing lacking in this model is the inside of the front cargo bay-- it's simply "less" detailed. Price: $32. Moral? However much money Mattel paid to get full rights to the Enzo should have been thrown into a quality model. The pinnacle of Ferrari engineering has become the stinkhole of the 1:18 model industry. I have to continue collecting Ferrari models, but I'm highly disappointed that I have to buy the GM Rubbermaid (or plastic) version exclusively. Yeah I could get the x-hundred-dollar one-off model, but come on... I'm a student! Anyhoo, that's my rant. If you've made it this far, congrats, and I'm sorry I wasted your time. K |