The 2014 Automotive Group Build

Thanks for the kind words guys, it's much appreciated. Eric, I like that green - is it the Testors one coat lacquer?

Hey, Steve,

It is Testors lime green metallic enamel that comes in the 1/4 oz. bottle. It's a little darker than what the pic shows because of the flash. I hope tomorrow I can spray the 1st coat of clear so I can get the decals on before the weekend.

Seabe, I remember building a F1 car when I was about 6 or 7 and I painted it the color of glue hehehe.

L8TR,

Eric

Hi all,

Had some rain this afternoon but did get to sneak out to the shop for a little bit.

I started bending the header tubes and have them roughed in. Once I get the plates on, I'll be able to line them up better.

L8TR,

Eric

Nice color on the Gremlin!  Nice work on the headers too!  What did you use for the piping?  Looks like you matched the scale very well.

nice idea on the headers, i may try that one day myself .

I'm amazed at how well and innovated everyone goes to make their models realistic. I hope to reach that level one day.

Love the color on the Gremlin.

Thanks guys. For some reason Gremlins scream lime green hehehehe.

Cody,

I used .062 solder. That works out to about 1 1/2" tubes which is an average size for header tubes. The next hurdle is the collectors LOL.

L8TR,

Eric

Good job on the headers Eric!  The more you make, the easier they are to do.  Seems like I have seen this somewhere before.  LOL!     You guys are making me really want to gloo something but time just will not let me.  By the way Eric, try some heat shrink tubing for the collectors.  Try a couple experiments and you will get the idea.  good work, keep glooin'!

Eric - I have to agree with you on the Gremlin, they do scream lime green. I really like the color. Those headers are coming along nicely. When I made headers for the Mustang on the other GB I cut the collectors off the kit headers and used them.

I was just thinking, my Aunt & Uncle had a Gremlin back in the day, it was some sort of sport addition with a blue denim interior. I haven't thought about that car in 20 years I'll bet!

Thanks Rommelkiste. I'm going to pick some up today and play around with it. I was wondering how I was going to get the collectors to form around the pipes and I think the heat shrink will work perfectly. I think you did tell me that before but I forgot.

Dale, Gremlin are one of those cars that makes you wonder what they were thinking when they designed it. I guess that's what gives them their appeal hehehehe.

L8TR

The Lotus 25 is done. Will take some pics later... With the aftermarket parts, the engine cover does not fit properly - looks better with it off anyways!

Still not decided what to follow it up with. At this stage it's between OTB builds of Rossi's 09 Yamaha and a Williams FW11. Not having seen another bike here (yet) I am leaning that way. Also have the figure, so that will be a first for me...

Jordan rear wing is almost done. Just the mini winglets at the front of the endplates to be added. Not entirely happy, but it will have to do. But it was... "interesting" as I expected! Heck, thusfar 6 elements have been added to the endplates, so interesting is an understatement. And yes, maybe I am over critical and in expecting all of those to be perfectly aligned, but that's what we all strive for.

For somebody wanting to build it - note that the numbering is not correct on the instruction sheet. Fortunately I recognised this, unlike the previous time it happened to me. They numbered the rear elements 43-45 from the wrong "side" and 43 should be 45 and vice versa.

My other stuff-up was entirely of my own doing. Glanced the instructions and got depressed when I saw it's these folding PE wings back on itself entirely to make one element. I never get that right to my liking, but this time I was determined. So I did them both. Spend an age to get both as flushly folder back as I could. Only to see.... one should not have been folder entirely back on itself, only folded to almost 90 degrees. To open that out was a mission, to get it "straight enough" even a bigger mission. And since this is a very visible element, this may be what is making the rest look a bit skew.

The promised pics - only noticed in the pics that there is much strands left-over after polishing... 

Lotus done:

Lotus dash:

And then some more of the Brawn.

Button 43rd cars:

And putting the new base to work with the Brawn:

Sorry, forgot to add the state of the Jordan J197 wing. As you can see, that top element will never be straight, I tried my best with the tools I have... think it took close to an hour to open it up and then try to straighten it. The marks you see are from light sanding, but because it is brass it is very soft, so I did not want to sand too much. And that is also why it deformed so badly when I opened it up.

Nice work Seabe!!!  The Lotus is my favorite you have built so far!  Is that a Jim Clark car?  I also have a question for you.  I have only done a couple 1/43's.  I like indy and f1 but have a hard time finding any kits.  Even on ebay!  Do you have a source where some of those kits are easy to find?

Here are the two Indy/F1 car I was able to find and make...

Mighty fine work there, fellas!!

Thanks Cody. Pictures looks a bit crappy due to the residue the cloth left, but it was nice to build something completely different from my usual. Yes, it's a Jim Clarke's British winner from his "Vettel" season... I think Senna was first to surpass the records he set in 63.

As for 43rd kits, it depends on era. But Tameo obviously have a wide range. If you're looking at older stuff, this includes older Ferrari's, Matras, Lotusses/Lotii(?), you name it. This Way up has some nice and unusual subjects, check them out. I have some Indycars (modernish) - one built and one to be built from Formula Models. Then there's also SRC and Provence (the latter tends to do a lot more rally, touring cars, etc). Oh yes, how could I forget - Model Factory Hiro is also now into 43rd. I do not have one of their kits yet, bit pricey, but the also look like works of art. Not tooo much yet to choose from, but they seem to be expanding that scale range rapidly.

As for "where" - it depends which side of which pond you're on. If you're in the states, I can highly recommend Mac's Modelling. TWU you can order directly from them, I think. (Well, I do because they're local for me!) But as for other guys with stock - GrandPrixModels stock most of the above, and I think they're about the only shop I could get the Formula Models/Marsh Models from. I recently had my first experience with SpotModel and that was a very pleasant experience.

I REALLY like that Lotus, I really like the cars from that era, and you did a great job on that one.

CODYJ those are a couple sweet builds.

Thanks Dale and Thanks Seabe for the Information.  I really like some of the old GP cars, and unfortunately those are usually John Day's that are not made anymore.  I was able to find an Auto Union Type C recently though.  Some guy on ebay also sells some 1/43 resin cars.  He is from France.  Not bad quality either but he mostly does 1/32 for slot cars.  Anyhow thanks again guys! :)

Good flippin grief... this J197's rear wing is a tale not to be retold. After this I'll be ready for several of these type rear wings - and I have a fair number in stock! Could not believe that the winglets at the front... hold your breath... has to be built up of a folded-back-on-itself element AND another PE part for the rear/upward element. Added to a mini end-plate, all to be added to the front end of the main end-plate. Each side. In 43rd. It is still to be added to the main end-plate, I built it up individually beforehand. Are there therapy groups for 43rd modelers?! ;)

And on the other hand, from out the blue, not even one of the options I thought about... I just started on a Tamiya 20th Brabham BT50. Will go for the SA version without the front wing... much like the Lotus - I just love those noses without the front wings of that era! It will be straight OTB, nothing fancy.

Well everything has had a few coats of tamiya white surface primer, mainly because it suitable for both the metal and plastic parts, and the red needs a white undercoat too. The white is too boring for pics but the red, now thats different. It is Zero paints ferrari red and i love the stuff. it goes on like silk. it will get a buff with a cloth to remove any dusting and then plenty of zero paints clearcoat. the colour is more red than the slightly orange the photo shows.

Those zero paints are awesome! They really do pop when the clear coat goes over...

Looks good Misty.

Tony could you add the Monogram California Street Vette to my build list.

Thanks.

debated whether to do this and risk borking the red paintjob...its ok. the paint will not be polished, the red is too thin and easy to burn through, the clearcoat will though.

the metal parts were painted with alclad steel and various aluminiums.

and then given a bit of a wash to fill in some detail.

Misty, do not do any polishing on the zero base paints - even though they do look matt. The clear will bring them to life and will smooth everything out. It's looking really good - and I really like the detail painting. Nothing like a good wash to add some depth.

Not too much to report on my side. The Brabham's BMW engine is still in very initial phases. Quite a bit of paintwork to be done before the wash, which is what I just did, to be followed by some highlights, nuts, etc.

The Jordan just got an initial coat of white primer late yesterday over the body, front wing, fully assembled rear wing (will hand-paint black sections and CF decals to be added) and barge boards.

no worries seabe, the first clearcoat is hardening now, then its a panel wash, decals and another coat (or two)

cute little wheels and awful tyres. couldnt find a proper replacement set   :-(

wheels were stripped of the chrome and painted as in 1963 chrome or ally wheels were not allowed

gt10 by omgpainful, on Flickr

i must admit i am enjoying just building this OOB. its not the most refined of kits, but its pretty enough and has its own charm.

the inside looked  a bit rough so i tried flocking for the first time

then went on to do the rear...

and front susspension

Looking very good Misty.  The flocking turned out well!

the kit will never rival a tamiya etc for detail, but its got that retro charm. flocking took me two tries and it looks better in the photos than it does to the eye, i used semigloss black but should have used flat black. its plenty good enough  though.