Heller Classic GB Chat

[markrob]

Hello. Have just found this GB thread after looking at a WIP on another post. Is it too late to join? Have several older Heller kits that I could build.

[Wez]

29 minutes ago, markrob said:

Hello. Have just found this GB thread after looking at a WIP on another post. Is it too late to join? Have several older Heller kits that I could build.

No, it's only too late to join any GB the day after it closes so welcome along to this one.

 

You'll see that it doesn't actually start until the 3rd of October so you've got plenty of time to retrieve the kits from the stash, remember only subjects originally moulded before 1st Jan 1986 are eligible for this GB, if you have any doubt just list your candidates and I'll let you know whether they're eligible (although if it's in the classic black box it will be).  Also, as with any GB, started kits are allowed providing they are less than 25% complete - just ask the hosts for a deliberation.

 

Thanks for signing up to this GB, hope you have fun.

[JOCKNEY]

Hi Wez

 

Are you still looking for co-hosts ?

 

I've got a bit of previous in that department 😉

 

Happy to oblige with some unique coaching 

 

cheers Pat 

[Wez]

4 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Hi Wez

 

Are you still looking for co-hosts ?

 

I've got a bit of previous in that department 😉

 

Happy to oblige with some unique coaching 

 

cheers Pat 

Thanks Pat,

 

Your experience in this area will be very welcome, thank you for volunteering.

 

Hopefully, with five of us it won't be too onerous.

 

So that's it sorted, your genial hosts for this GB are me, Rabbit Leader, Heather Kay, JeroenS and now Jockney thanks to all for volunteering.

[Rabbit Leader]

So it’s the Frivolous Five then... good call @Wez, I can vouch for @JOCKNEY, a little at times, but has plenty of GB form and will keep us all .Should be a good one. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Wez]

3 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

So it’s the Frivolous Five then...

I like that!

 

Hopefully that will give us plenty of time for modelling fun amongst the cat wrangling

 

A little bird tells me that you may know someone who is a dab hand with spreadsheets...   ...any chance?

 

There's plenty of room for more in this GB, I mean, we're not being greedy but we've only got 80 signed up.

 

[Rabbit Leader]

2 hours ago, Wez said:

A little bird tells me that you may know someone who is a dab hand with spreadsheets...   ...any chance?

That little bird is kinda right, I propose to put together a build list which will have links to everyone’s individual Heller builds.  Not sure how I’ll sort it, however it’ll make sense once I get my head around the size of this GB. It’s a bit of work, but quite fun when it gets going. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Wez]

12 minutes ago, Rabbit Leader said:

That little bird is kinda right, I propose to put together a build list which will have links to everyone’s individual Heller builds.  Not sure how I’ll sort it, however it’ll make sense once I get my head around the size of this GB. It’s a bit of work, but quite fun when it gets going. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

Dave,

 

We may have a cunning plan on this.

 

I'll get back to you later.

[Rabbit Leader]

22 minutes ago, Wez said:

We may have a cunning plan on this.

Sounds interesting! 

[Pete F]

8 hours ago, Wez said:

There's plenty of room for more in this GB, I mean, we're not being greedy but we've only got 80 signed up.

 

I asked a while back but my name isn't on the list - if it helps make numbers up.

 

I have my He 112, a tube of poly and a single tin of 1970s grey Airfix enamel at the ready...

[Wez]

1 hour ago, Pete F said:

I asked a while back but my name isn't on the list - if it helps make numbers up.

 

I have my He 112, a tube of poly and a single tin of 1970s grey Airfix enamel at the ready...

Nice one Pete!

 

Sorry I missed your previous attempt to join us, I can only put it down to abject ineptitude on my behalf! Welcome and thanks for signing up.

 

Anyone else interested in joining us?

[Pete F]

Thanks - I'm looking forward to it. My first group build.

[Wez]

1 hour ago, Pete F said:

Thanks - I'm looking forward to it. My first group build.

All the better, they're very compelling.

 

Once into GBs though you'll find out that "you can check out but you can never leave"

[cherry268]

Is the reissue of the Massey Ferguson 2680 eligible?

[Wez]

4 hours ago, cherry268 said:

Is the reissue of the Massey Ferguson 2680 eligible?

As it was originally issued by Heller in 1983 under the Bobcat label, yes it is.

 

You wanna join?  It would be great to have a tractor in the GB!  Got any like minded mates who want to join us?

 

For anyone else wondering what's eligible, the cut off point is that the kit must be from an original Heller mould that was originally released by Heller before 1st Jan 1986, Heller kits appeared in boxes by the following manufacturers (to name but a few):

 

Airfix

Aroura

AZ

Blue Ribbon

Bobcat

B.U.M

Buzco

Crovetto

Encore

Frog

Gunz

Hasegawa

Humbrol

Imai

Inplast

Italeri

Kikoler

KP

Lodela

Lyra

Meccano-Triang

MPM

Nagano

Ogoniek

Revell

Roskopf

SMER

Tasman

Testors

Tsukuda

Union

 

Plus numerous specials hither-thither, providing they were released by Heller before the cut off date, they're eligible.

 

What's not eligible are other manufacturer's kits in Heller boxes.

 

So go and search those stashes, you're bound to have something that's eligible!

 

[TonyOD]

12 minutes ago, Wez said:

As it was originally issued by Heller in 1983 under the Bobcat label, yes it is.

 

You wanna join?  It would be great to have a tractor in the GB!  Got any like minded mates who want to join us?

I used to be into tractors. But I'm not now.

 

I'm an ex-tractor fan.

[Wez]

24 minutes ago, TonyOD said:

I used to be into tractors. But I'm not now.

 

I'm an ex-tractor fan.

Boom-tish!

[klr]

3 hours ago, Wez said:

As it was originally issued by Heller in 1983 under the Bobcat label, yes it is.

 

You wanna join?  It would be great to have a tractor in the GB!  Got any like minded mates who want to join us?

 

For anyone else wondering what's eligible, the cut off point is that the kit must be from an original Heller mould that was originally released by Heller before 1st Jan 1986, Heller kits appeared in boxes by the following manufacturers (to name but a few):

 

Airfix

Aroura

AZ

Blue Ribbon

B.U.M

Buzco

Crovetto

Encore

Frog

Gunz

Hasegawa

Humbrol

Imai

Inplast

Italeri

Kikoler

KP

Lodela

Lyra

Meccano-Triang

MPM

Nagano

Ogoniek

Revell

Roskopf

SMER

Tasman

Testors

Tsukuda

Union

 

Plus numerous specials hither-thither, providing they were released by Heller before the cut off date, they're eligible.

 

What's not eligible are other manufacturer's kits in Heller boxes.

 

So go and search those stashes, you're bound to have something that's eligible!

 

"to name but a few"? Quite. As ridiculously long as that list is, it doesn't include Mistercraft 😛

[TonyOD]

11 minutes ago, klr said:

"to name but a few"? Quite. As ridiculously long as that list is, it doesn't include Mistercraft 😛

Is there a definitive list of "ex Heller" kits, I wonder?

[Wez]

1 minute ago, TonyOD said:

Is there a definitive list of "ex Heller" kits, I wonder?

Probably not, the Carbonel book on Heller is quite comprehensive but only goes up to 2005 which means there's another 15 years worth of releases unaccounted for!

 

The book is however suitable to allow us to asses a subject's eligibility (e.g. before 1986).

[Wez]

1 hour ago, klr said:

"to name but a few"? Quite. As ridiculously long as that list is, it doesn't include Mistercraft

I suspect the Mistercraft ones were post 2005, I didn't even begin to list the one-offs that were moulded as promotional gifts or special editions.

[rob Lyttle]

Just managed to get my hands on this, 

Heller original tooling in 1979, according to Scalemates. 

I've been fiddling around with the old Merit kit as reproduced by Mistercraft.... 1950s??? 

This heller kit is simple enough but a BIG improvement on the old one. 

So, while not a tractor, it's got 4 wheels and one seat! 

I may just postpone the build until October now...... 😎

[cherry268]

"You wanna join?  It would be great to have a tractor in the GB!  Got any like minded mates who want to join us?"

 

Go on then I'll give it a go, for my first GB

[Wez]

5 minutes ago, cherry268 said:

"You wanna join?  It would be great to have a tractor in the GB!  Got any like minded mates who want to join us?"

 

Go on then I'll give it a go, for my first GB

Excellent!  Thanks for signing up, we hope you'll enjoy it.

 

33 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said:

Just managed to get my hands on this, 

 

Heller original tooling in 1979, according to Scalemates. 

1981 according to Carbonel, either way it's eligible, nice choice!

 

This is just the sort of thing I'm hoping to see, there's a wide variety of Heller kits out there, the more we see the better!

[rob Lyttle]

Heller kits, and the car kits in particular, can be quite hard to find in the UK. Seems there's only one small importer servicing the lot of us, and let's face it Heller don't seem to be trying to take over the World and crush all opposition, do they!! 

 

So if anyone is searching for a source and drawing a blank , I'd suggest "Dave Coley's Emporium" for a search. He seems to have a nice little stack of stuff that others fear to stock. 👍.