SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

ASTON MARTIN DBR9 Le Mans (Airfix 1/32nd)

12076 views
22 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Dublin Rep Of Ireland
ASTON MARTIN DBR9 Le Mans (Airfix 1/32nd)
Posted by terry35 on Monday, December 26, 2011 6:16 PM

ConfusedWell I'm really kinda out of my depth over here. Now the story goes like this. I was working on a couple of armour pieces and involved in a GB happily pottering along, now I'm burnt out. I don't know when I will get back to armour.

A couple of months back I seen this subject in a magazine but it was the Hiro Boy kit or some other resin kit that usually cost a living fortune. I love weathering and when I was in the local model shop getting paint for my tank I seen theh box art of this Airfix kit and said "COOL" I asked the guy could I see the kit parts as I do remember the old Airfix kits in 1/32 and that quality was not what I was after.

The box art is super cool, well I think so.

I was out with a friend having a few beers and mentioned that I had committed a mortal sin and purchased a car kit. When I told him which one he reckoned that the kit may have tooling in common with scalextric slot cars as Airfix and Scalextric are both owned by Hornby. Well theh main body of the kit is superb with the minimum of clean up.

The kit overall only has 3 sprues including glazing in total and the body separate.

The kit built up easily over an evening.

The lower chassis went together easily enough, and detail is not too bad.

The Roll cage builds up from 4 parts and looks O.K.

This is just clipped together here it will all be broken down for painting.

The wheels are made up from an outer single piece and theh inner is fitted with a backing piece for the tires.

The rim left from the bad fit is easily removed and its on the back so its not a problem.

These are just shots of the test fitting.

 

 

I painted the body with a Revell paint through the airbrush and followed with a gloss coat. The decals are workable but I did use copious amounts of micro sol to get them to sit down. After the Decalling I sprayed another gloss coat as this car would be displayed after finishing 24 hours of Le Mans where it was photographed in a scruffy and sorry but victorious state.

This is just another mock up prior to weathering.

The first coat of weathering was achieved with a very dilute Vallejo black mixed with a dust/buff colour.

As the paint dried a pencil eraser was used to remove the paint in parts to show the very distinctive patterns of clean paint from handling etc.

The tissue in the cockpit is just to stop overspray into the inside.

Dirty little Aston Martin.......

 

Thanks for dropping into look at my first car kit in about fourteen years. In the next post I will just run through the finished car.

All comments welcome.

Forgot to mention the kit cost €12.99

Terry.

 

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Dublin Rep Of Ireland
Posted by terry35 on Monday, December 26, 2011 6:23 PM

The images of the real car are for discussion only as I do not own any copyright on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks again for looking and all comments welcome and appreciated.

Terry.

  • Member since
    August 2009
  • From: Borlando Fla home of the rat
Posted by TREYZX10R on Monday, December 26, 2011 7:35 PM

Sweet looki'n build,looking forward to seeing more pics!

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Nashville, TN area
Posted by bobbaily on Tuesday, December 27, 2011 6:09 AM

Nice build Terry.....I especially like the weathering....well done!

Bob

 

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: United Kingdom
Posted by macmac650 on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 12:40 PM

WOW

You have done an amazing build. If I didn't know it was the airfix 1/32 scale. I  could have swore you had built a resin kit of a bigger scale. I had not even looked at the Airfix cars for years ( apart from the 1/12 Bentley) , but now I will buying myself a few. many thanks  for your build.

Enjoy life. You don't know how long you have. Be polite. Smile - it costs nothing. If all else fails ---walk away. Enjoy life.

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: fort mill SC
Posted by Robert92562 on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 7:44 PM

Very well done. The weathering looks great.

  • Member since
    January 2011
Posted by Bugatti Fan on Thursday, December 29, 2011 6:56 AM

Lovely model Terry!  You did very nice job on this beautiful little kit.

I just wish Airfix would ditch 1/32nd scale and go for 1/24th scale instead. It would make their kits more compatable with the most popular mainstream scale.

  • Member since
    June 2010
  • From: Australia
Posted by OctaneOrange on Friday, December 30, 2011 2:34 AM

interesting subject and well executed. at first i thought you went overboard with the weathering, then i saw the real car, and realised you under-done it!  i don't normally look at 1/32 or airfix, but it looks like a  nice kit.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Friday, December 30, 2011 8:40 AM

Bugatti Fan

I just wish Airfix would ditch 1/32nd scale and go for 1/24th scale instead. It would make their kits more compatable with the most popular mainstream scale.

I quite agree. But Airfix is historically heavily commited to the Scalextric 1/32 slot car system, which is enjoying a resurgence in popularity as I understand it. It's a pity, because a 1/24 or 1/25 DBR9 is at the very top of my automotive lust list, modeling-wise.

Superb job on the 1/32 offering, Terry!

Greg

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Saturday, December 31, 2011 7:21 PM

Terry, that's a tremendous looking model!

A great job of painting and weathering--not an easy thing to accomplish on a car!

Quite the cool looking vehicle--you did it a great justice in reproducing it in that state!

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Spring Branch, TX
Posted by satch_ip on Saturday, December 31, 2011 7:36 PM

Man, the car guys are going to go ballistic that you dirtied it up like that!  Big Smile

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Dublin Rep Of Ireland
Posted by terry35 on Sunday, January 1, 2012 7:22 PM

Thanks for all the great replies. As I mentioned this was my first car in donkeys years. I just looked back at the photos and I must say that one thing that Made me fall in love with the scheme is the gulf colours, Steve McQueen's movie Le Mans is one of my favourite movies the time capsule atmosphere of the era is so well captured and the noise of the cars making the movie basically a silent movie is brilliant, and let's not forget the Gulf Porsche 917's.

The Aston for me holds a kind of muscle car appearance from certain angles with a typical European sculpted finesse, I'm certainly not saying that American classics are not beautiful, they sure are. It was finding out that after winning its class at Le Mans that Aston Racing did not clean the car.......great.

TreyZx10r, thanks for the comments, Bob thanks hope to catch up with you again some time on another GB.

Mac thanks for the comments, go get yourself one of these, they are amazing for the few quid they cost, there's only two to my knowledge, this and a Jag.

Rob, Yes thanks for the comments.

Greg and Bugattifan thanks, I must say that even at 1/32nd it's nota overly small, fits nice on the bench but I don't intend building a car collection but 1/24th would be beautiful, I was checking out evil bay and $100 + seems to be the price for a resin one, not for me.

Octaneorange, thanks for the comments, I must admit that I find it very hard to decide exactly how much weathering is enough and go overboard all the time, I have never weathered a car. Thanks again.

karl, thanks for the comments, very welcome, haven't seen you over in armor ina while, hope your keeping well.

 

Satchel, what can I say, the nice car guys might be disappointed to see a dirty car but it's just too small and late for the car wash.

Thanks to every body for the comments, doing this car is the most experience I've had in this hobby in quite a while.

Regards, and a happy New Year to everybody.

 

Terry.

 

 

 

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: beacon falls , Ct.
Posted by treadwell on Saturday, January 14, 2012 10:19 PM

Hi TerrySmile ....so sorry for the late post I just found out it was here.

As I told you on FB this is on EXCELLENT build ...and now finding out it is one of the smaller car scales 

makes the job look that much better  I thought it would be 1/25 or 1/24 !

great job my friend, you are always full of surprises!

talk to you tomorrow on FB

yer pal,

bill

   

 

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: UK
Posted by PatW on Sunday, January 15, 2012 9:57 AM

Well terry what a great looking build. Having been to Le Mans a couple of times I know how grubby the cars end up. Other than keeping the numbers,screen and lights clean the rest of the cars look prety bad. It's nice to have seen a few at shows afterwards still with their grease and grime on them. You've done this kit proud with the 'weathering', super job and thanks for sharing.

Remember , common sense is not common.

  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Sunday, January 15, 2012 10:31 AM

I came back for a second look---it still looks amazing.

Hey, can I ask you; what kind of gloss coat did you use over the decals? I've been afraid to clearcoat my models for fear of eating the decals with lacquer.

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Dublin Rep Of Ireland
Posted by terry35 on Saturday, January 21, 2012 6:15 PM

Hey Bill thanks for dropping in! great to hear from you.

Pat thanks for the comments I don't think that people realise that cars can get so grubby especially after a 24 hour run. I tried to keep places clean where crews would be changing tyres and rubbing up against the car.

Karl, I remember over in the armour forum that a debate opened up about gloss coats prior to decal application. It went into the johnsons klear and not johnsons klear camps. Well on this occasion after the blue was airbrushed on I was left with a kinda satin finish and I knew that the decals would not sit. I applied a thin coat of johnsons klear and let it dry for a few days before applying the decals. the final gloss coat was applied over the body shell, quite simply humbrol gloss varnish from a rattle can. I don't know about availability in the United States but it's easy enough to get here. I did notice that they humbrol varnish actually tightens the decals Donna bit and ties everything together beautifully .

Sory for taking so long to reply its been a horrible week.

Terry.

 

  • Member since
    July 2009
  • From: North Carolina
Posted by Back to the bench on Sunday, January 29, 2012 10:15 AM

Awesome job, especially in the smaller scale. It is great to see a racing machine that looks like it has won a hard fought war and the Gulf scheme has always been one of my fovorites. I have an old Fujimi GT40 and plan on getting on of the 917Ks, but I am sure they won't end up looking as realistic as yours. Thanks for the pics.

Gil

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Edmonton, Alberta
Posted by Griffin on Sunday, April 15, 2012 1:12 PM

Awesome work Terry! Yes

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Lakewood, CO
Posted by kenjitak on Sunday, April 15, 2012 11:43 PM

Looks great! I didn't realize those 1/32 kits looked that good. In modeling there's a place for everything, even weathering on cars!

 

Ken

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Dublin Rep Of Ireland
Posted by terry35 on Thursday, January 10, 2013 3:33 PM
I just wondered back to this after such a long time, great memories of a most enjoyable time for me, i.e I was a actually building and not contemplating building. I might come out of retirement yet and enjoy this great forum for all the great reasons that I joined for in the first place.

Terry

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: UK
Posted by PatW on Thursday, January 10, 2013 4:18 PM

Yes Terry hurry back. I think Airfix made a Jaguar Le Mans car in the same scale that needs building.

Remember , common sense is not common.

  • Member since
    June 2009
Posted by Guney on Thursday, January 10, 2013 4:30 PM

Great Work...:)

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: beacon falls , Ct.
Posted by treadwell on Thursday, January 10, 2013 4:50 PM

Hurry back bro' Smile  I really miss you man and all your work ...armour , cars and busts HURRY BACK Stick out tongue

yer ole pal ,

bill

   

 

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.