Just don't let TOMY get ahold of it!
RED ALERT Lost 3 ft TOS Enterprise found????
- Thread starter CessnaDriver
- Start date
I guess we’ll see what happens. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if Rod had it restored just so it could sit on HIS desk. Full circle, and all that jazz.
Millenniumf
Sr Member
It at least needs to be carefully washed to get rid of the dirt, IMO.
There are fancy ways to clean a surface, they did it on the 11 footer top saucer. Meticulous and slow, do no harm is key.
They need to take this opportunity to modernize that poor broken down thing.
Put some chrome on that hull—the rear bumper of the hanger deck would be a good place to start.
Install some multi-colored blinking lights along every surface.
While we’re at it, that gray / green color is so drab. A bright blue or sunshine yellow hull color would be welcome.
Finally, put a lift kit on those nacelles and put a custom speaker box in the secondary hull to thump some bass.
Put some chrome on that hull—the rear bumper of the hanger deck would be a good place to start.
Install some multi-colored blinking lights along every surface.
While we’re at it, that gray / green color is so drab. A bright blue or sunshine yellow hull color would be welcome.
Finally, put a lift kit on those nacelles and put a custom speaker box in the secondary hull to thump some bass.
and if a way could be found to create multiple lens flares that one sees with the naked eye from any angle...
Now your talking!
Mark2000
Active Member
Because one was poorly restored twice and needed an overhaul to undo the damage of being extremely inaccurate. It was useless as is. The other is all original and can stay that way and be interesting.
Actually the TOMY saucer support stand might just be apropos here... about the same size and all.
Put a shim under it...books to hold the nacelles straight...do an MRI.
Adam Savage is no doubt on a road trip about now
Ronpur
New Member
I grabbed my copy of this book last night to re-read the history of the model. I had forgotten that every measurement of the 3 ft model is in it. The quote "My father always felt it was still floating around out there somewhere in this galaxy" felt very appropriate now. I wish Richard Datin was still alive to see its return.
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joberg
Legendary Member
Don't forget that the model pivots on the base.
greatwazoo42
Master Member
I woke up this morning hoping for new details but all has been quiet so far.
Well to be fair this one is much smaller. It's intact. Much of the original paint is there. So matching would be easy. As I said before after cleanup and fixing the nacelles and neck and putting the sensor dome back on....I think touching up the parts where the wood is now exposed and fixing the loose or missing decals would not be a big deal. The condition it's in now just serves to remind us that the thing was not returned to Roddenberry and it was not well taken care of....
Gary Kerr: “This is either the real McCoy, of the best fake I’ve ever seen”.
Interestingly, that’s what Greg Jein said about the forged auction phaser, back in 2021.
That being said, I also noticed the difference in the secondary hull windows. But far too many other tells and unique details line up with the real model:
* The shape of the linear accelerator/bolt cover on the rear saucer.
* The pilot hull color peeking out where the registry decals have peeled off.
* The placement and spacing of the saucer registry decals (with that very narrow gap between “U.S.S.” and “Enterprise”).
* The overall hull color, which matches vintage photos of the 11-footer.
* The size, placement, and red pinstripe thickness of the markings on the upper saucer,,as well as the circles inside the yellow rectangles on either side of the bolt cover.
* The damage on the copper rings behind the sensor dish on the secondary hull.
* The specific shape of the saucer, which is flatter on both top and bottom than the 11-footer.
* The size, shape, and placement of the window decals (alside from the aforementioned discrepancies on the lower saucer).
* The missing hangar doors.
* The colors of the impulse engines, nacelle pylon vents, and nacelle endcaps, which are different than the 11-footer.
* The size, shape, wood grain, and flexible mounting pole of the display base.
Very few people would be able to replicate the model so accurately and in so much detail, I think. David Shaw is the only person I know of who actually tried (several times) to build replicas (initially by modifying the 22-inch AMT kit, and later by scratchbuilding a 1:1 replica) and also make accurate blueprints.
If someone wanted to put together a forgery to sell at auction, I suspect they wouldn’t have gone to this much trouble and detail. More likely they’d just replicate the 1/350 Polar Lights model (which is based on the 11-footer, of course) in wood.
And, as noted, if this was a scam, it surely wouldn’t have popped up on eBay for a mere $1,000. It would have gone through Studio Auctions with the rest of the fakes, or if someone at Heritage had taken another bribe.
Someone didn’t know what they had, and threw it up on eBay. I’m just glad people were paying attention.
Interestingly, that’s what Greg Jein said about the forged auction phaser, back in 2021.
That being said, I also noticed the difference in the secondary hull windows. But far too many other tells and unique details line up with the real model:
* The shape of the linear accelerator/bolt cover on the rear saucer.
* The pilot hull color peeking out where the registry decals have peeled off.
* The placement and spacing of the saucer registry decals (with that very narrow gap between “U.S.S.” and “Enterprise”).
* The overall hull color, which matches vintage photos of the 11-footer.
* The size, placement, and red pinstripe thickness of the markings on the upper saucer,,as well as the circles inside the yellow rectangles on either side of the bolt cover.
* The damage on the copper rings behind the sensor dish on the secondary hull.
* The specific shape of the saucer, which is flatter on both top and bottom than the 11-footer.
* The size, shape, and placement of the window decals (alside from the aforementioned discrepancies on the lower saucer).
* The missing hangar doors.
* The colors of the impulse engines, nacelle pylon vents, and nacelle endcaps, which are different than the 11-footer.
* The size, shape, wood grain, and flexible mounting pole of the display base.
Very few people would be able to replicate the model so accurately and in so much detail, I think. David Shaw is the only person I know of who actually tried (several times) to build replicas (initially by modifying the 22-inch AMT kit, and later by scratchbuilding a 1:1 replica) and also make accurate blueprints.
If someone wanted to put together a forgery to sell at auction, I suspect they wouldn’t have gone to this much trouble and detail. More likely they’d just replicate the 1/350 Polar Lights model (which is based on the 11-footer, of course) in wood.
And, as noted, if this was a scam, it surely wouldn’t have popped up on eBay for a mere $1,000. It would have gone through Studio Auctions with the rest of the fakes, or if someone at Heritage had taken another bribe.
Someone didn’t know what they had, and threw it up on eBay. I’m just glad people were paying attention.
I mostly agree. The only thing is I do think this person knew kinda knew what they had. The reason???
This video from Trek World A mere two months ago. The thing was missing for 44 years and then it turns up two months after a video detailing it's history comes out?? . I think the guy who had it, found out about the video and promptly put it up with worry that it was stolen ...lol..... It will be interesting to hear more about the storage unit and when it was purchased.
