Team Blue Groove

[LTO_Dave]

I can see both sides to the argument here.

I think if the company would have started off with better quality lexan and not copying a copy of a copy, things would be much different.

I don't like the idea that someone else's hard work was simply ripped off. But at the same time, this company offers bodies that aren't available anywhere else.

The only good thing is that now people don't have to cut and paint their original bodies for a runner, and can simply buy a reproduction to get trashed.

I'll admit that I offered them a few bodies to reproduce, but all were turned down. They recently came out with a new one that I'll probably end up buying.

Now we just need to scale things down to an RC11.

[Lowgear]

Well technically they've made a business out of copying other peoples hard work since all they do is make reproductions. Isn't the legality of people producing reproductions of R/C parts for profit still up in the air as well? If so than the whole thing can be considered iffy. I remember when Tamiya put their foot down on the reproduction decals. Now don't get me wrong, I'm the last guy to care about laws and am glad these reproducers are making these items available. I'm just saying is all...

[jwscab]

yeah, I see both sides as well.

I'm sure there isn't enough profit for any companies to spin up rereleased bodies in the 'small' qty the vintage market needs. So I appreciate the fact tbg offers the service. And if big companies poo-poo the idea of a reproduction but don't provide an alternative, I say go pound sand. If you have deemed our request of negligible worth, your 'right' to your ancient product falls to about the same worth to me.

besides, a true 'original' in many cases will trade hands at a higher cost. But who cares? The company received it's profit from that body years ago, and probably at a loss to the poor reseller.

these are just toy cars, after all.

[mustang dave]

where is mr lexan i need some decals and bodies has he disappeared

[GoMachV]

Sadly I only see him on eBay anymore. I got a few cool originals from him but I have a whole list when he starts popping bodies again (I hope)

[terry.sc]

I'm sure there isn't enough profit for any companies to spin up rereleased bodies in the 'small' qty the vintage market needs. So I appreciate the fact tbg offers the service. And if big companies poo-poo the idea of a reproduction but don't provide an alternative, I say go pound sand.

That's the point. While everyone is happy to see TBG reproducing bodies that have long been out of production, it's when he starts making copies of current shells. For example TBG have a copy of the Traxxas Ken Block Fiesta, yet Traxxas provides an alternative by it being a currently available shell. The Schumacher CAT XLS body has been available for years from Kamtec, yet now he is being undercut by the TBG body.

Mrlexan went to the trouble of buying the original moulds from Bolink for his original vintage shells, only to then be undercut in price by TBG. Alternatives were being provided as Jay selling the bodies was how TBG got hold of them in the first place, so why should Jay go to the expense of creating patterns or getting a run of bodies pulled when there's a chance that TBG could start reproducing them and Jay has no chance of getting the money back he has invested in them.

[jwscab]

I don't disagree with that. The currently available thing is puzzling.

[klavy69]

MrLexan(Jay) might've been undercut in price...by $5 I think but he also provided a top notch product that also included window masks. To me I know who would get my business if 2 (or more) separate partys popped the same bodies. This isn't because I know Jay either. I know him thru this board and ebay like most here do but I've had both his and his repopped repops sitting side by side and am not afraid to spend a few more bucks for quality and window masks...I hate making my own window masks

The availability issues are the big thing here for me. When I need one I need it.

Its back to how you want to support the kind of person you think that person is. To everyone their own.

Personally if there wasn't ever gonna be a profit for an investment on Jay's part I'd like to see him invest into his 1:1 collectible. He could enjoy that much more in the long run

Todd

[GoMachV]

I think most of us would support him if he were still here. I know i would. I just have to go with who is here now because I wasn't around for the BS that got us where we are.

TBG has always been great to me and the issues I have had were swiftly taken care of. Ignoring things that happened before I was here, not knowing Jay, I have been very happy

[TheSpeedway]

I have purchased 4 bodies in recent history from TBG. I am happy they are being repopped and will continue to buy from the guy.

Prior to buying the “vintage Bolink Vac Copy of the injection molded Tamiya Sand Scorcher” that My Lexan has the original mold for I tried to buy one from him. He said he isn’t making bodies currently. The reason why I would pay more is for the quality and the fact that its off an original mold. All the details will be crisper on a body like this and I have heard great things about his quality on the board here. When I got the news from him that he wasn’t making bodies any longer I bought same unit from TBG on the back pour Repo mold. It looks good. If Mr Lexan wanted to produce them again I and a few friends of mine would buy this body up. Until then I am very happy with the TBG unit. When I say this..I know me..I am picky.

BTW: Someone needs to send the guy a Parma Chenoweth to reproduce. We need some of those bad. Heck.. send me one or many!

[romulus22]

Maybe someone can help me understand the process of reproducing bodies and why they are smaller than the originals. I have purchased a few and have noticed this but cant see why.

To my understanding they fill the original body with some sort of resin, then vac form lexan over that new mold? Wouldn't that be the same size as the original if they are stretching lexan over something the same size as the inside of the original. Where does the smaller size come from?

[GoMachV]

From what I understand the mold shrinks after it dries.

[Charlie don't surf]

From what I understand the mold shrinks after it dries.

Not the mold shrinking, its the method his molds are made-

[Coelacanth]

I'll confirm the issue of items being slightly smaller than normal. Even a gearbox cover I bought for the Optima Mid was a bit too small. It certainly would not fit as easily as the original one did, and I had to do some modifications to make it fit--and that's with it being tight as a drum. It's workable but something you have to be aware of before buying.

[Bormac]

Maybe someone can help me understand the process of reproducing bodies and why they are smaller than the originals. I have purchased a few and have noticed this but cant see why.

Hi Rom.
From my understanding all original molds are scaled up from the finished molded lexan product that we end up with. When lexan is heated and pulled over a form it expands with the heat, after it's released from the form and cools it shrinks to some degree.

The issue with reproduction lexan shells is that a form (or buck) is taken from an original factory shell so the new form (or buck) is destined to be smaller than the factory buck. I know a few folks who do vac forming and I've discussed this at length with them and this is what they have explained to me.

Essentially MrLexan has some original factory bucks. You quite simply cannot do better than this no matter how good your ability to pull a form. When you have the original factory buck you'll end up with the right sized form and not a shrunken reproduction.