What are you wanting to make?
What about the 'huge drain holes' I read about?
I picked mine up today (undec), and gave it a quick look-over and test
> run at the store. More later, but here's first impressions:
>
> 1) It runs like a Proto 1000 F unit. Jackrabbit. Smooth enough, but
> no match for anything.
>
> 2) Like most P2K, it has a monster weight molded to fill every cavity.
> Nice an heavy, and a major pain to make any changes under the hood. >
> 3) I like the fuel tank.
>
> 4) I don't like the trucks.
>
> 5) The fans look ok, but the goofy recess mount on the radiator holes
> just make it more hassle to Cannonize.
>
> 6) The inertial hatch is a separate part. There is a hole in the
> shell underneath it, offset to the right, with a corresponding gap in
> the monster weight. I have no clue what this could be for.
>
> 7) In comparing to the Kato shell, it's about 50-50. The P2K
> definitely has the better rendering of the long hood brakewheel. The
> Kato radiators have more depth, but the diamond mesh is oversize. P2K
> closer to scale, finer, but not as deep - either one would look fine
> properly painted and weathered. The P2K radiator panels are three
> separate pieces on each side, which allows for easy modification, and
> future versions with the rectangular mesh or even Farr grilles. Let's
> hope the future versions fit better - the diamond mesh panels all
> leave a visible gap around them. Should mostly vanish when painted a
> darker color, but still kind of annoying.
>
> 8) P2K has low pilots. I was hoping they'd have a high-water version.
> So I'm back to working with the Kato SD40 walkway to get the high
> pilots. Still haven't decided the best way to go there.
>
> 9) The Kato long hood is noticably shorter than P2K! I'd say 4 to 6
> inches! This seems to be not in one specific place, but kind of a
> general, slight compression of everything from the exhaust stack on
> back. I really don't know which is correct, but it will be
> interesting to see where the RPP shell falls in here. Oddly enough
> the pilot-to-pilot length is identical between the two, which means
> the Kato has an oversize back porch or the P2K has an undersize back
> porch. Very strange. This one will take some detective work to
> determine which is correct, and exactly where the other one is off...
> although I don't think it's off any one place.
>
> 10) P2K really did a nice job on the blower duct seam, with the long
> horizontal line an the vertical joint welds and everything. This is
> probably the most glaring omission on the Kato shell, the blower and
> walkway joint being completely smooth with no line down the middle at > all.
>
> I knew this would create an interesting dilemma... since apparently
> Life-Like isn't going to sell the shells, if I decide to use the P2K
> shell as my starting point on future projects, I may end up offering
> an unusual combination of P2K drive and Kato shell on ebay.
>
> Andy
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> run at the store. More later, but here's first impressions:
>
> 1) It runs like a Proto 1000 F unit. Jackrabbit. Smooth enough, but
> no match for anything.
>
> 2) Like most P2K, it has a monster weight molded to fill every cavity.
> Nice an heavy, and a major pain to make any changes under the hood. >
> 3) I like the fuel tank.
>
> 4) I don't like the trucks.
>
> 5) The fans look ok, but the goofy recess mount on the radiator holes
> just make it more hassle to Cannonize.
>
> 6) The inertial hatch is a separate part. There is a hole in the
> shell underneath it, offset to the right, with a corresponding gap in
> the monster weight. I have no clue what this could be for.
>
> 7) In comparing to the Kato shell, it's about 50-50. The P2K
> definitely has the better rendering of the long hood brakewheel. The
> Kato radiators have more depth, but the diamond mesh is oversize. P2K
> closer to scale, finer, but not as deep - either one would look fine
> properly painted and weathered. The P2K radiator panels are three
> separate pieces on each side, which allows for easy modification, and
> future versions with the rectangular mesh or even Farr grilles. Let's
> hope the future versions fit better - the diamond mesh panels all
> leave a visible gap around them. Should mostly vanish when painted a
> darker color, but still kind of annoying.
>
> 8) P2K has low pilots. I was hoping they'd have a high-water version.
> So I'm back to working with the Kato SD40 walkway to get the high
> pilots. Still haven't decided the best way to go there.
>
> 9) The Kato long hood is noticably shorter than P2K! I'd say 4 to 6
> inches! This seems to be not in one specific place, but kind of a
> general, slight compression of everything from the exhaust stack on
> back. I really don't know which is correct, but it will be
> interesting to see where the RPP shell falls in here. Oddly enough
> the pilot-to-pilot length is identical between the two, which means
> the Kato has an oversize back porch or the P2K has an undersize back
> porch. Very strange. This one will take some detective work to
> determine which is correct, and exactly where the other one is off...
> although I don't think it's off any one place.
>
> 10) P2K really did a nice job on the blower duct seam, with the long
> horizontal line an the vertical joint welds and everything. This is
> probably the most glaring omission on the Kato shell, the blower and
> walkway joint being completely smooth with no line down the middle at > all.
>
> I knew this would create an interesting dilemma... since apparently
> Life-Like isn't going to sell the shells, if I decide to use the P2K
> shell as my starting point on future projects, I may end up offering
> an unusual combination of P2K drive and Kato shell on ebay.
>
> Andy
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
formatting link
- Pre-Interstate Urban Archaeology> -----------------------------------------------------------