Best kits for Kit bashing and constructing buildings and scenes

Personally, I like the Ameri-Towne kits or individual items for kitbashing.   They are economical and well built and are great for the beginner as well as advanced modeler.

-Greg

GREG HOUSER Thanks for the reply I will check them out Would you send some pictures of some of your building? I would love to see them

martyb

Either the Ameritowne kits or the DPM modular walls. Both are uniform size so they can be building blocked together pretty easily. The ameritowne walls are a little easier to mess with, but the DPM walls have the seam hiding pieces if you start building multiple fronts wide. 

Ameritown custom models.   Side panels are available, these cut in two pieces.  A base was also added. 

martyb posted:

What are the Best kits to use in Kit bashing for constructing buildings and scenes?

"Best" is a very relative term.  Really depends ultimately on what it is you are trying to do, when that is, where that is, etc.  Your objectives define "best".  Your economics is another factor.

Korber Models build well.  Can be altered. 

Here is my take on options for kitbashing:

Ameri-towne: Retail, Commercial, and Industrial kits and walls.  Pros:  Large variety of retail/commercial building fronts, the most cost effective brand.  Cons: requires some time and skill to paint the windows and trim.

Here is my custom build of the Ameri-Towne Palace Theater.  White was painted with a rattle can, then masked and airbrushed the blue colors.  Gold was brush painted.  Building to the left is Ameri-towne Granato's Grocery.  Brick was spray painted, windows and trim were brush painted:

Korber: Industrial and Railroad buildings.  Pros: some industrial walls have separate windows, so painting is much easier.  Reasonably priced. Cons: some of the older kits and walls are less sharply detailed

DPM:  2 Retail buildings, Commercial/Industrial modular walls.  Pros: Includes brick columns to hide seams. Cons:  Modular walls are expensive ($10 for two 3"x4" walls), requires some skill to paint the windows and trim

Here is a John Deere dealer that I created with DPM wall sections and a piece of Masonite.  Signs were from the web.

Another option for industrial buildings is the Lionel Electrical Substation and Lionel Municipal building kits.  Norm Charbonneau did some great kitbashes of those kits. 

Bob Glorioso

Korber and Lionel kits are my favorite. I used  the Lionel sub station building for many different things. Since the korber buildings are urethane plastic, they are sometimes difficult to cut and modify.

Thanks for the great information nice looking buildings 

I have seen a lot of fantastic kitbashes from Ameritown, Korber, and Lionel kits both here on this forum as well as for sale on daBay! I have created files and saved a bunch of pictures of the creative structures made from components of these kits. ( At least the ones I can tell!)

As stated in many of the "k" books is you have to develop the mindset that the kits you plan to modify are just materials/parts and not to be assembled as instructed in the kit. (This makes one think "outside the kit box!")

Some Lionel kitbashes:

Some Korber Kitbashes:

Alan Graziano posted:

Korber and Lionel kits are my favorite. I used  the Lionel sub station building for many different things. Since the korber buildings are urethane plastic, they are sometimes difficult to cut and modify.

Alan, I would love to see what you have done with the Lionel Municipal Building and substation kits. I have acquired a few of those kits and would like to see a unique structure like these:

Max Foods

Blacksheep Mills [Rear]

A Factory

Machefsky Filter

My favorites as far as kits are concerned are OGR and DPM. As far as assembled kits I like MTH because it is easy to dismantle them for customizing. Korber's modular series is another choice.