Multilevel Parking Structure

[bill937ca]

This has come into stock at HS.  Lots more photos.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10144581a7/20/7

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10144581

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10144582

[Mudkip Orange]

Awesomesauce.

[clem24]

Sticker sheet looks scary!!!

Crickey, Y4,000 to ship by EMS!!!

[Webskipper]

In the directions it says:

"if miniature cars are going to be displayed in the garage, set them in place now using double sided tape"   

I guess I'll have to finance all 180 cars at 150th of the current rates! 

[rankodd]

I've already received my 1000 cars from China, in prep for filling this thing. 4000 yen for shipping is just deadly, though =(

I think I'm done with pre-orders. Too dangerous....

[clem24]

So aren't all these cars metal? And how much do they collectively weigh? Is this garage going to collapse LOL...

[cteno4]

Luckily the box is just under 2kg so it can ship sal at only 2040 yen! i emailed hs and they are shipping it sal. still ends up costing about as much as the model to ship it! looks to be nice though and a time savings over scratch building something like this.

jeff

[Webskipper]

HS has 100 packs of PVC cars for $50. Long wait list.

[KenS]

That's been covered in another thread somewhere, those are the same cars as the "Hong Kong" ones.

Also, I preordered some last fall when they were open for reservation, and the due date was "December".  I'm still waiting for them to come in.  I wouldn't bother getting on that wait list.

[cteno4]

HS has 100 packs of PVC cars for $50. Long wait list.

these appear to be the same as the chinese architectural cars you can get on ebay for like $15 or less for 100. these are perfect for a structure like this as you see little of the actual car out the side of the structure.

http://cgi.ebay.com/100-pcs-N-Scale-1-160-Model-Cars-N-gauge-/390143781427?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5ad661aa33#ht_2873wt_1013

cheers

jeff

[Webskipper]

Thanks for the tip. Price is more realistic for the product.

[cteno4]

there was a discussion on these a while back.

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,3358.0.html

as far as i know no one ever peeped about actually getting some of the ddf cars. right after the ddf cars were announced there were a few sellers from hong kong with these architectural car sets that looked very similar to the ddf (the ddf look a tad different than the regular chinese architectural cars). i bought a set but like a boob got busy when they came in and forgot to look at them closely and i think they are now in the box with the rest of the cars! bernard bought a set and thought they looked just like the ddf.

was not sure if the ddf might just be a tad higher quality casting of the same things as the chinese architectural cars. with the chinese architectural cars you get a whole range of quality of casting from nice ones that look like the ddf picture on hs to ones that have quite a bit of flashing on them. the heavily tinted windows on the chinese architectural cars are a bit much as well, but car windows at any distance (like most windows) tend to look dark in daylight. so at a couple of feet or more you just dont notice and it looks right to the mind's eye.

the ddf looks to have a porche shaped car which i have not seen in the chinese architectural cars, the sedans are slightly different, and the ddf is lacking the mini van so these may be totally different castings. these are simple shells with details painted on, clear window inserts, and then tire/chassis bottoms like the chinese cars. the ddf do have a different painted wheel hub design. you can repaint the cars easily by popping them apart and repainting the body. a little filing will also make the cars look nicer to trim some flashing here and there before painting. then you just have to use some fingernail polish or gallery glass paint to make the head and tail lamps.

anyone get any of the ddf cars? they seem to have been sold out since release, so maybe a moot point!

jeff

[rankodd]

The packs of cars that I have appear to be 100% identical to the DDF cars, right down to the Porche. In fact, the two different purchases I've made, from different suppliers, have both included the Porche model. I was quite annoyed the second time because the auction picture showed the set that included the mini van and excluded the Porche.

The only difference may be more care in trimming them from the sprue for the DDF ones. Could be that they're ordering them from the same place and cutting them themselves? The HS picture shows the same mis-alignment of the hubcap printing and occasional ill-fitting glass, though.

[cteno4]

hmmm i wonder if the moulds of the chinese architectural cars on ebay are now different and the sellers are not updating their pictures (they are very slow to do that and frequently rip off each other's pictures or just use something supplied by the manufacturer).

which seller did you buy from? i would be interested in picking up a few different ones as i have plenty of the others.

happy to trade out some of my vans or other models with you if you want.

the ddf description on hs does say the quality is variable and they may have just put the nicest ones out for the product picture...

in any case the chinese architectural cars will work great for filling the parking structure with trunks and hoods and cost you less than $30 to fill it. might mix in some nicer tomytec on the top level, but dont need to really fill that level as thats usually the very last to fill up!

jeff

[rankodd]

hmmm i wonder if the moulds of the chinese architectural cars on ebay are now different and the sellers are not updating their pictures (they are very slow to do that and frequently rip off each other's pictures or just use something supplied by the manufacturer).

which seller did you buy from? i would be interested in picking up a few different ones as i have plenty of the others.

happy to trade out some of my vans or other models with you if you want.

I'd LOVE to trade with you! :) I picked up a package of 500, so I have quite a few more Porsche than I need, and I was hoping for some vans :) I'll post some pics when I get home.

Seller was named, rather un-encouragingly, Wehonest-US.

[Hobby Dreamer]

Despite what has been said about the cars (they are N scale (small), not detailed, and very cheap);

do they seem toxic or anything?

Are there vehicles in N scale between Tomix and these "Chinese" ones? (I once found architectural models in N scale some time ago that were uni-colored but well priced, but cannot seem to find the link).

Thx
Rick

[cteno4]

well if you are worried about lead based paints, just dont suck on them, about the only way you could poison yourself if they used lead based (or other toxic) paints on them... really nothing to worry about there.

there are some fully cast architectural vehicles out there that are usually unpainted. they are basically one piece cast vehicles that you have to paint the windows black on. the detailing is probably less than the chinese architectural cars. they look like architectural car models, very stylized and dont look like tomytec cars really. the chinese architectural cars look more like tomytec IMHO. also more expensive than tomytec cars.

biggest problem is that most of the other cast architectural stuff out there are in usual architectural scales (like 1/16"=1', 1/10"=1' etc that dont match up with 1/150 very well...

http://www.howardmodels.com/supplies/onlineorderform.htm

i have not seen any options really between the chinese architectural cars and tomytec in price or quality. the ddf looked to be this, but its sounding like these are just the more recent castings of the chinese architectural cars. a bit of finishing on the chinese cars can look quite nice if you are on a budget and want to do some filing, painting, and some fine line detailing. you could probably even do clear windows with some of that clear shrinky stuff if you wanted or cast a new window insert.

really past a few feet these chinese architectural vehicles look fine, they are great for filling a parking lot, freeway in the back areas of a layout, parking structure, etc where it would cost you a fortune at the going rate of about $2.80 each for tomytec cars.

cheers

jeff

[Darklighter]

This kit is now available at MB Klein for $53.99! http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Aoshima-Bunka-Kyozai-Co-Ltd-Building-Kit-p/abk-092521.htm

[The_Ghan]

That's very competitive.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[cteno4]

cool! its a no brainer for mb kleins as this will fit in well with larger north american layouts. im sure there are a few big us model distributors that do a lot of business with aoshima so not that hard to get them to bring it over in their mongo containers, thus the good price! between the store and their website they do a pretty good volume of business. it hurt when mine came as it was $45 for the structure and $25 to ship it sal!

ok i guess we can now dream of doing the 10 story parking structure! bet quintopia already has an order in for 3!

cheers

jeff

[rpierce000]

Slightly more at BT Trains, $60.27, but fixed price shipping of $15 is slightly lower than what I was quoted from them.

Glad to see we are still in the right neighborhood.

Bob

[westfalen]

I see M.B. Klein has sold out.

[Mudkip Orange]

Lawl @ MBK already selling out.