REVIEW - MENARDS 1:48 VEHICLES

Excellent & detailed review.

Wow! Great review. Thanks for taking the time to do this. It's really nice that folks who model the modern era have some everyday vehicles they can use on their layout that are easily affordable. for the most part us steam era guys are still stuck with oversized convertibles. 

I saw these, got excited at the $2 something per model, then saw the cars and thought nahhhhh, they just look too cheap.

Here's a couple of $6 Bimmers for comparison

The E92 is a New Ray model, the E63 is an Atlas Industrial Rail model.

Both have Roundels on both ends, the correct wheels for the car, neither has opening doors, hoods etc. Atlas even put the '645Ci' badge on the trunk, a nice touch for 6 bucks.

For what its worth, the nice 1:43 models they sell at the BMW dealer go for about $40 a piece. So these arent bad for the price. Modern cars of the pedestrian variety are not too hard to find. New Ray made a bunch of ordinary cars, Cararama (sp?), and if you can find the K-line cars, they did too. I've got some Lexuses, Saabs, a Miata, etc.... 

 

 

Thank you for the information. Looks like some fit the box dimensions going on a little here but overall who's counting.. We are!!

1/48 vehicles are nearly an impossibility. The Model Company has 7mm scale roughly 1:45 and Renwal made some fairly good examples.

Truthfully it's the variety of military kits by Tamyia for example that give us true 1:48 scale vehicles.

That's not an outback - its a Subaru Impreza WRX hatchback. 

You guys need to start buying the $125.00 cars from Die Cast if you are dissecting a $2.99 car so much. I am sure your additional $122.00 gets the detail you are looking for.  :-)

 

Rick

Martin, thanks for the time you devoted to measure the models, find prototype information, and post your findings.

 

Mark the Menards train guy posted his similar measurements in a 9/5 reply in my original thread on these products.  I lack the interest in these products to compare your measurements with his; but, perhaps you do.  In the event of discrepancies between the two perhaps you should post those here and/or send him them to him.

 

As for posting in the 2RS forum, this thread could just as well have been posted in the 3RS or Hi-Rail forum since these cars were advertised as 1/48 scale--folks in both forums would benefit from your thread since there are many in both who care about such details.

Outstanding Review!  Many years ago I was heavily into HO "Scale".  I put the word SCALE in quotation marks because I was obsessed with modeling EVERYTHING exactly in 1/87, Period!  That's why I transitioned into "O" Scale high rail.  It allows me a Boat Load of flexibility which in turn allows me to actually enjoy this great hobby!  That being said, I totally understand the 2-Rail philosophy and the search for Prototypically Correct Engines, Rolling Stock and yes, Vehicles.  However, if I can purchase vehicles for less than $3.00 each shipped and they are "close to scale"  I'm gonna buy a bunch of 'em which, as I said before, provides me with the flexibility and enjoyment that was missing while I modeled in 1/87 scale.

Even though I do not model 2-rail, I still find the posts interesting and informative as I maintain my own modeling philosophy and allows me to appreciate other modelers perspective as well.

 

Chief Bob (Retired)

The Subaru is the most problematic of the six.  It is too long and skinny to be a wrx, yet the front scoop and rear spoiler indicate that it is.  If you use the Outback length and width, you will get a scale result.  The  menards guy listed 180.9 inch length for the Subaru.  According to the internet the wrx hatchback is 174" long.  That's a huge discrepancy

Rick, I understand you are kidding around.

 

Besides $125 being out of my budget for a model vehicle I (unlike most 2 railers) couldn't care less about the details on a vehicle. What I want is the correct dimensions. That's all. I basically want everyday cars from the steam era that are exactly like what is available in the affordable 1:43 scale cars except just a little smaller (especially thinner) so they look right in comparison with the trains. A little weathering and whatever details the automobile has will pop out. This is why I will never spring for a Brooklin. They are really detailed but still out of proportion with the trains.

 

If the trains are the stars of the show then autos are just extras in the background. They just have to fit the scene without taking the focus of the observer off the stars of the show.

Auto Art does many European and Japanese vehicles, most in 1:18. Several of the 1:18 vehicles have 1:43 counterparts which are well done. Price wise, they fall in the $45-$60 range for the 1:43 and $120 and up for the 1:18 depending on model and features. I got this one as a gift several years ago right after I sold my 928. It's very well done and one of these days I'll buy the 1:18 version.

 

I've always loved those Land Sharks!

This one was especially nice.. S4 .. My buddy bought and off she went. Great cars.

I keep spot-checking the various auto sales boards. The one I'd like to get is a 1990 928GT or 1991-1995 928GTS. Prices are all over the place. The plan is to get one after I relocate. I briefly considered a Boxter S, but I don't think I'd be happy with it. It isn't high enough in the food chain. As Porsches go, the 928 wasn't as reliable as the 911 (according to dealer mechanics) but mine didn't give me a lot of problems -- it was just expensive to have serviced relative to my daily driver.

 

Massive topic drift:

 

Matt, I bought a used 1971 911T about 1975. It was red and I met every CHP officer in the state and I didn't speed. One ticket on I5 in NoCal for going 2 mph over. Heck, I got pulled over at the toll booth on the Bay Bridge. Grr! I doubt Frank Poncharello would have done that to me. Unfortunately the valve covers leaked on that 911. Machining the faces was going to cost about $900. Maybe I should have bought a new 928.

 

I always wanted a yellow 914 but never pulled the trigger. Ah, youth...

 

Cool story  Bill!

It's all history and this is about cars so hey! Let the good times roll.



My boy; well he's kind of getting exposed to the whir of the flat 6 early.

Yes. Train him early, especially in the ways of adjusting for "throttle-lift oversteer" on the track or during Solo-1 events.

 

Bill:

 

I've heard that the problem with the earlier air-cooled 911's leaking oil was related to the thermal properties of the valve covers vs. the cylinders. The word is that if you drove them (or started them and let them idle) regularly the wouldn't leak, but if you let them sit for extended periods, they'd leak oil. I used to start my 928 weekly to keep the battery up (jump-starting one is "entertaining") and circulate the oil. I really miss that car.

 

Getting back on thread, the 911's and 911-based models are readily available in 1:43 from various sources and prices. That's about the only way I'll be able to afford a GT2.

Very detailed report. Thank you for posting.i like to see modern and classis cars on a layout.its what you see when driving down the road.