I have been trying to find an HO scale LIfe-Like McDonalds kit for some time:
Our layout is modeled after Southern California during the late 1950s. So the Life-Like kit is almost perfect for our era and locale.
Of course this kit is an obviously hard one to find. I missed out on two mint conditions kits that were recently listed on eBay (bidding war at the end).
But I don't really need a mint in box/sealed kit. What I'm looking for is a kit that is preferably unbuilt. If built, I need all of the pieces except the large street sign and trash cans. I also don't really need any of the decals/lettering.
Does anyone here have one of these kits, or know of a place that might have one of these?
My email address is: SouthwestChief@gmail.com
I'm aware of the currently available Vollmer kit:
However this model, when compared to the almost spot on Life-Like model, is not very close to the late 1950s buildings found in Southern California.
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
McDonald's refused to remove the trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup from their Life-Like menus so Walthers (the new owners of Life-Like) had them shut down.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
tstage McDonald's refused to remove the trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup from their Life-Like menus so Walthers (the new owners of Life-Like) had them shut down. Tom
That's why we model the 1950s. No worry about trans fats...just Russian nukes.
Set up a Saved Search on ebay and they will notify you each time one comes up for bidding. I have done this with some success. You will find at times the prices are through the roof and other times you will say why didn't I bid, because they go for next to nothing. Determine what you want to pay, be a little flexible, if it fits your needs exactly, raise your bid a little, if it will take a little more work than you wanted to put in, lower it. Put your best offer in and leave it. If there are snipers after it, it's hard to beat them, unless you pay for the service.
Good luck,
Richard
I see some similar ones on ebay right now.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I like the trans-fat and and high fructose corn syrup, the food tastes better.
Oh yah about the thread. I have no idea.
"Mess with the best, die like the rest" -U.S. Marine Corp
MINRail (Minessota Rail Transportaion Corp.) - "If they got rid of the weeds what would hold the rails down?"
And yes I am 17.
richg1998 I see some similar ones on ebay right now. Rich
Similar? You don't mean the Vollmer kit do you?
gabeusmc tstage: McDonald's refused to remove the trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup from their Life-Like menus so Walthers (the new owners of Life-Like) had them shut down. Tom I like the trans-fat and and high fructose corn syrup, the food tastes better. Oh yah about the thread. I have no idea.
tstage: McDonald's refused to remove the trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup from their Life-Like menus so Walthers (the new owners of Life-Like) had them shut down. Tom
Fries cooked in beef tallow (basically lard) and real cane sugar in the coke was even better :)
My greatest find at Timonium was a nicely built Life-Like McDonalds. It was in a box of O scale Plasticville kits on the white elepahnt table. Got the whole box was $50. Later sold the Plasticville kits for $40.
The reason you don't find them is that they never gave permission to use their logo, their received a cease and desist order.
After LifeLike pulled the McDonald's kit from production (due to licensing issues), they retooled it slightly and re-released it as "Freezee Ice Cream Drive In." It is essentially the same building, it just lacks all of the McDonald's signature icons (the name, the golden arches).
Perhaps the Freezee version might be slightly easier to find.
You could even re-convert it back into a McDonald's by making your own signage and scratchbuilding some new arches.
Markgro Perhaps the Freezee version might be slightly easier to find. You could even re-convert it back into a McDonald's by making your own signage and scratchbuilding some new arches.
Given it a lot of thought, as they (Freezee) are easier to find. But how to make the arches has always confounded me. I'm good with styrene, but not that good. And the roof is slightly different as well..no yellow round roof edges.
I figured that I might be luckier finding the McDonalds kit, but so far my luck hasn't worked. Freezee may be the way to go.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
scoutII $250.00 WOW!!!!
Supposedly Life Like brought out their version of McDonald's about the same time that McDonald's brought out its new building design (the mansard roof), which is why McD's took away their permission.
Imex makes a cast resin drive-in in HO scale that could be converted into a 50s era McD's with some paint and a pair of golden arches.
I always wanted to get one (sometime), but it never looked like any of those I frequented. So, someday I plan to scratch my own. The arches are not a problem, I'm an RC Aircraft modeler & know how to 'bend' & laminate thin wood or styrene, just pin down a pattern & go with it! You will impress yourself how easy it was to make those parts. Draw it, pin it, form it... It's just that easy!
I found one and got to work on it this weekend. I'm not using all the parts of the kit as I'm going for a mid to late 1950s appearance while the Life-Like kit is more of a 1960s style.
Here are two photos of a test on the layout. I didn't glue many of the parts yet as I actually may paint some things.
Been waiting for one of these for a long time. Now I can finally finish up this section of the layout (roads, scenery, etc...)
I have the Life-Like McDonald's on my 1960s layout; I got it at a model railroad swap meet in Pomona 20+ years ago; at the time the seller wanted $50 for it. I inquired why it cost so much, and he told me the story behind the model, so I snatched it up for $40. I need to take some better pictures of it and will post it here when I get home.
BTW Matt, it's looking good on your layout!
John
PS there's one on eBay right now: http://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-SCALE-MCDONALDS-BUILDING-GREAT-CONDITION-PERFECT-SCALE-TRAINS-/110771143721?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item19ca798429#ht_600wt_1386
Brass Hat, Gulf and Pacific Railroad HO/HOn3 (Modelled to represent mid 1960's) Big Bear Lake, CA. For pictures and videos of the layout please see below:
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/jostaiii?feature=mhee
Photobucket: http://s584.photobucket.com/albums/ss287/josta1954/
Looking forward to some pics John.
I plan to work some more on mine this weekend. Got some figures too add for the tables as well as some people behind the counter.
Here's mine in Hannah Vista on my layout:
That is great!
Looks perfect for a 60s scene.
Thanks. This is actually an "inside looking out" photo. The building is near the edge of the layout and wouldn't photograph well (due to the fascia of the layout showing) so I put the compact digital camera on the tracks facing the building, using manual focus, aperture priority, and self-timer. I also used a mirror to be able to see the screen of the camera to compose the picture, and held up a temporary "sky" background to hide the other side of the layout. Looking at it some more, I should put something on the background (hills?) to give it a bit more depth. Learning something new every day....
Got a package in the mail today...a McDonald's sign I got on eBay. It goes with a ceramic vintage McDonald's. The sign broke from the base so this one was way cheaper then others you find on eBay. It was super easy to glue it back too.
So here is what the McDonald's looks like now on the layout:
Getting closer to finished, but I still have to cut out some styrene for the parking lot. Then paint the road and parking lot. Paint the building base, add lighting, and add the building McDonald's sign.
That is looking awesome, Matt! And the ceramic sign is just the right size, too!
Few more, at "nighttime"....
Added an old Walthers fluorette for lighting. Seemed fitting to use an older lighting source with an older kit. Sorry about the image quality, the camera I used is not the best for indoor or night photography.
My McDonalds looks busier than yours. Har har.
Seriously though, yours looks really good especially with the cars parked up next to it! I'm going to have to go back and review my parking lot layout! Beautiful job, Matt!
A mini update.
Did a little more work to the MCDonald's. But still lots of detail work to complete as well as cut some plastic (and paint it) for the parking lot.
Joe Staten Island West