Help: Mad Max 1:18 Autoart Conversion Kit

[DS Operative]

I have a couple of the diecast 1:18 ROAD WARRIOR V-8 Interceptors V-8 Interceptors and I'd like to convert one of them to the 'new' version seen in MAD MAX.

A few years ago, there was a conversion kit sold on Monsters In Motion, but it hasn't been available and not even on their site any more.

I'm looking for help finding a conversion kit and hoping that somebody can point me in the right direction. Thanks!

 

[DS Operative]

Monday bump

 

[StuntmanMike]

Hi

The front spoiler and trunk lid can be easily done using sheet styrene. I did the same on a 1/24 Aoshima kit (not finished yet...). The parts are not curved, so it´s not that difficult to do. The rear window can be cut out of a blister package.

Greetz,
Kevin

 

[DS Operative]

Thanks for the tip, I may try that some day but right now I'm not that good at scratch-building yet. It might be worth a try though. Thanks!

Still looking for a conversion kit if anybody knows where to find one!

 

[StuntmanMike]

Are you sure that the conversion kit on monsters in motion was done for the 1/18 model? The only conversion kit that I know of is for the 1/24 Aoshima kit. It was manufactured by AFXscale or something. They are long out of business.

Maybe you can find some input for a transkit here:
www.madmaxmovies.com • Index page

If you do the parts by yourself and need help, feel free to ask for advice.

Greetz,
Kevin

 

[DS Operative]

Yes, it was for the 1/18 model. I remember seeing it a couple of years ago and thinking that I should order it, but just never did. Now I can't find it.

Before starting this thread, I tried my Google-Fu and came across another forum and a discussion that included a (now dead) link to the kit on MIM. I really thought there would be more commercially available kits for this. Here is the other link:

Mad Max / Road Warrior Interceptor Conversion Kit. - Diecast Pub Community forums

 

[StuntmanMike]

Hi

Ahh, ok. I´m not into diecast models and have never seen a conversion like that before.

In the next years there won´t be any commercially available kits of the Mad Max car. The guy who bought the original prop car owns the copyrights, too. He wants like 10 million dollars (or so) for license and no model manufacturer will ever pay that much for it. As far as I know the Aoshima kit was originally done like the Mad Max car in its first release. Then there were these license issues, so they stopped producing it and modified the molds into the Road Warrior car. A lot of details in the Aoshima kit speak for this story. It has rear wheels, interior door panels and some other stuff included, that would be correct for the Mad Max car. In the latest release they added sprues with a new Road Warrior interior, new rear rims and some other small parts.

A guy from Australia, who has a friend working at Aoshima, said there will be a new release of the Road Warrior kit in the next months (late october). This time they will add a set of photo etched parts. I have already preordered a kit from him.

Greetz,
Kevin

 

[JMChladek]

Actually, the first Aoshima Mad Max Ford Falcon kit was based on a full size replica from Japan. It was essentially the Road Warrior version of the car as it had the booby trap, the knife holder, the extra fuel tanks and a few other RW specific items. However, the interior was closer to Mad Max stock and it also included the squawk box (radio) and siren on the parts tree (as pointed out already). The kit also had Sunraysia rims on all four wheels (and the spare) like Mad Max when the car in Road Warrior had two different rear rims. So in a sense, it was kind of RW, kind of MM, but not quite one or the other. In the US, the licenses are separate, but I don't know how it is exactly in Japan.

The last release of the Aoshima kit corrected several of the Mad Max Falcon features and replaced them with more proper Road Warrior ones. So the interior looked more gutted and it had the proper rear wheels (although I think a few of the earlier style parts remained on the trees).

As for scratchbuilding bits in 1/18, it really isn't all that hard all things considered, except for perhaps the lower facia on the front nose. Besides, sheet styrene and clear plastic from bubble packs are relatively cheap commodities to get. So you can get plenty of practice in before trying them on the model.