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Old School Revell/Renwal M50 Ontos


RGronovius

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I bought & built the Revell reissue of the old Renwal M50 Ontos back in 1982. I rescued it from my parents' house last decade. It was relatively intact but missing many pieces with several remaining parts broken. A friend gave me a partially built glue bomb Renwal kit that he picked up at a swap meet. The original Renwal kit is from the 1960s.

 

I was going to fully accurize it and rebuild it, but the recent release of the Academy negated my desire to accurize the old Revell/Renwal kit. I've now decided to just reassemble it using the better parts of each kit. Prior to the Academy kit, these Revell and Renwal Ontos kits could go for $25-50 depending on the boxing on eBay. Even built kits went for $20 or so depending on condition and completeness.

 

Here's a photo of what I am starting with, on the left is the Revell lower hull and the engine grill cut from that kit's upper hull. The Revell parts are OD green colored and the original Renwal issue parts are a dark green color. The Renwal upper hull is on the right with it's engine grill removed and a few items from the spare parts box added.

 

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A close up of the Renwal upper hull after some minor surgery. This kit had not been completed or painted. I was fortunate that the entire recoilless rifle assemble was untouched and unbuilt. It is interesting to note that the original issue parts had plenty of sink holes while the Revell reissue had a much better quality injection molding.

 

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Close up of the Revell lower hull after disassembly and clean up.

 

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Here is the running gear, mainly from the Revell kit due to the sink holes in the outer halves of the Renwal kit wheels. I modified those outer halves to replace the inner halves of kit that were molded solid. I had to use a pair of the solid inner road wheel halves because I dontated a pair of outer road wheel halves to a fellow modeler who was doing the same type of project. I'll probably stick them in the #3 road wheel position.

 

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It is a very interesting vehicle. I had always wanted the Renwal kit as a kid and when I saw the reissue in 1982, I grabbed it quickly for around $5 at an old Kay Bee Toy & Hobby Shop.

 

 

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Cool project Rob. Keep us updated on your progress. I too have a similar plan to build a "blast from the past" model kit; a 1/32 Revell F4U-1 Corsair. Although I'm primarily an armor modeler these days, the Corsair was the first kit I built by myself.

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Will do. This was a kit that I had always wanted when I saw a built one belonging to a friend's older brother. Back in the day, big kids got to build the Renwal kits with their high speed moving parts. Little kids got the Aurora kits, if available, or most likely the old rubber band powered Lindberg tank kits.

 

In 1982 when I first saw the reissue, it was already an ancient kit, but I was glad to have one. I remember it being like $4.99. I'm grateful for the new Academy kit, but do have a desire to see this kit reassembled once again. It's been in pieces for literally a decade plus.

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  • 2 months later...

I have that kit. [renwal] thought it was kinda cool. when i got it better yet, how i got it.

i thought of building this little beasty . but thought it better to hang on to it for a cash cow later.

i also got the Nike missle set along with it .

that kit is for sale though as i have 2 of them.

What scale is the new kit thats academy put out. or is this a repop of this same kit ?

 

Kev,

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Kev,

1/35 and definately not a repop. IPMS/USA review by Chuck Bush

 

http://www.ipmsusa2.org/reviews2/mil-veh/k...my_35_ontos.htm

 

Plus a review of one of the first accessory sets for it.

 

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/revi.../lm10037-8.html

 

 

 

Mark

Edited by Mark Aldrich
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Definitely not a re-pop; I hve both, although I am waiting to decide whether or not to try to correct errors on the Academy kit or to just live with what had been one of my favorite vehicles from my childhood.

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