N scale resin vehicle kits from Rasputen

[trueblue2k2]

As others have, I must compliment you on your Scenicruiser bus, both on the raw kit part photos that look amazing and the finished display model done by you. Finding nothing else available, I kit-bashed a cheap Bachmann model of that bus five years ago into something usable by taking a 1/4" slice out of the centerline of the obviously too-wide body.  I expect to order one from in the future along with certain other kits that I like.

I'm a boomer recognizing most of these 1950's cars on site, and learned to drive in a 1953 Pontiac 4 door sedan ( Canadian version with unique rear clip).  The photos of your kits give an accurate representation of the cars as they did with your best work on the PD-4501 and 1940's cab-over trucks. The cars looked somewhat hit and miss with some good and others with varying parts out of perspective to the whole. 

Then I reconsidered your comment about the wheels not adjusted to the body, and surprisingly that accounts for nearly all of the false visual cues. It really does screw up the perceived length of fenders for one thing.  Correct alignment of wheel position is critical to the eye.

[Catt]

@ trueblue2k2, I Owned one of those Canadian Pontiacs a long time ago.Car was actually a 53 Chevy with a Pontiac front clip (shorter because the Chevy was shorter).It was a fun car to drive around in because everybody thought I had shortened a Pontiac front clip to fit the Chevy.

Thanks for mentioning the car I hadn't thought about for the last 30 years or so.

@  Rasputen, Brian refresh my memory will you? I am looking for a 52 Studebaker Starlight coupe. I can't remember if you have done one or not.

[SandyEggoJake]

@Rasputen

Any plans to make anything earlier than 1940? 

Ford made some 16 mil Tin Lizzies... still #8 on the most produced car ever.  The 1926 runabout version (sans roof) might be best for a mold... this car would make a great bones for a 50's summer diner scene to a rat racer beater right up to today... ideal to make the rumble seat a separate part so some could be modeled open and others closed.  Could also make with separate steering and window as separate parts.  A small car, would take less material.

Those who model the teens to the 50's would likely buy them by the dozen.  With the exception of Micron Art (PE Brass =>$$) and some Ford touring versions on Shapeways, there is a major lack of early autos in N scale.

[peteski]

Any plans to make anything earlier than 1940? 

Ford made some 16 mil Tin Lizzies... still #8 on the most produced car ever.  The 1926 runabout version (sans roof) might be best for a mold... this car would make a great bones for a 50's summer diner scene to a rat racer beater right up to today... ideal to make the rumble seat a separate part so some could be modeled open and others closed.  Could also make with separate steering and window as separate parts.  A small car, would take less material.

Those who model the teens to the 50's would likely buy them by the dozen.  With the exception of Micro-Arts (PE Brass =>$$) and some Ford touring versions on Shapeways, there is a major lack of early autos in N scale.

IMO, these would need to include photo-etched parts to look presentable (like the Micron-Art early 20th century vehicles).

[arbomambo]

IMO, these would need to include photo-etched parts to look presentable (like the Micron-Art early 20th century vehicles).

I agree...a vehicle such as this wouldn't fall within the parameters of acceptance as a resin casting only and would require substantial PE to achieve the same level of finish as those that in his regular 'wheelhouse'.
~Bruce

[Rasputen]

@  Rasputen, Brian refresh my memory will you? I am looking for a 52 Studebaker Starlight coupe. I can't remember if you have done one or not.

I offer a 1950 Starlight Coupe, but not a 1952 model.  So far, the only small scale models of a 1952 Studebaker I have found are very expensive.

Regarding vehicles earlier than 1940, I do have a few 36-38 models that I am working on.  As others have stated, older vehicles like the model T just do not lend themselves to resin casting alone.  I'm guessing those fenders would need to be about .008 inches thick in N scale.  Anything like that with the headlamps mounted off of the fender would never turn out very good.

@trueblue2k2, thanks for the feedback, and welcome to the Railwire!

[Rasputen]

I have a few additional vehicles available.  First, a 1938 Plymouth 4 door sedan:

[Rasputen]

Also, a 1938 Ford COE semi-tractor ($6.00 each).  These consist of eight pieces as shown:
 

Here it is shown assembled:

[Rasputen]

In addition, I have an M35 2.5 ton 6x6 Army truck ($6.00 each).  These were produced by REO and Kaiser from 1950-88 in various forms.
The brass tube and wire are for forming the muffler and exhaust stack.


Here it is shown assembled, although I did not attach the exhaust stack.

[Rasputen]

(product listing has been updated, see next page)

[thomasjmdavis]

Below is the updated product listing.

I think I may send that out to my (adult) children as Dad's Christmas wish list. 

[StarCruiser]

Kinda curious why there haven't been much in the way of mid-50's to late 50's cars in the selection so far?

These are all stunning but, too many would be old/used cars by the late 50's.

[DKS]

These are all stunning but, too many would be old/used cars by the late 50's.

Assuming most of us model the late 50s?

[Rasputen]

Kinda curious why there haven't been much in the way of mid-50's to late 50's cars in the selection so far?

These are all stunning but, too many would be old/used cars by the late 50's.

You are right, cars didn't last very long back then.  To answer your question, I don't get many requests for mid to late 50's cars.  Road Apples made some mid 50's vehicles in case you haven't seen them.

[cfritschle]

To add to what Brian has stated, I have been trying to compile some statistics for U.S. automobile registrations by year/decade.  It is still a work in progress because I am finding it difficult to obtain consistent data for the various years.  But here are some statistics I have been able to come up with so far:

In 1955 14% of the total number of registered automobiles were new.  (New cars sales in 1955 were reported as 7,466,000 with a total of 52,144,739 registered automobiles.)

By 1969, only 11% of the total number of registered automobiles were new, and the average age of the registered automobiles was 5. 1 years.   (New cars sales in 1969 were reported as 9,582,000.)

By 1983, just 7% of the total number of registered automobiles were new, and the average age of the registered automobiles was 7.2 years.  (New cars sales in 1983 were reported as 9,148,038.)

By 2014, 7,918,601 new cars were sold (which is only around 500,000 more than in 1955) but the total number of registered vehicles (cars, trucks buses, etc.) in the U.S. was 260,000,000.  Also, the average age of the registered automobiles was 11.4 years in 2014.  While I don't know what percent of the 260,000,000 registered vehicles in 2014 were automobiles, I am thinking that probably around 3.5% of the registered automobiles in 2014 were new.

So yes, cars are definitely lasting longer now than they did 60 years ago.