The 2013 Automotive Group Build

I'm done, I'm done, I'm finally done! Man, the Corvette has a lot of compound curves, much less having to add wheel flares! There was some bleed thru with the decals, and the tailight panel decal should've been painted instead (lots of wrinkles, along with the star/bars). She's a four-footer, but I'm glad to have finished it. If I run across it, I may pick up the "Stars and Stripes" 'Vette, since they were racing together.

Thanks Trey, very much appreciate the comments.

Cheers

Tony

Great looking Alfa Tony,love the old school racers! Very nicely done Sir!!!

Finished my Gunze 1/24 Alfa Romeo GTAm 2000, as raced at Spa in 1971. I hope you like it.

Cheers

Tony

Glenn - Your 'Vette looks great. It should be really sharp once those decals are on.

Magnum278 - The Tamiya F1 kits are my first love in car modeling. Welcome aboard. Please post some WIP photos as you go. It might even inspire me to get mine done.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour - That's an interesting tale about your Monte Carlo, I'd like to see the model. The idea of a Group Build is that you post work in progress pictures as you build a model, rather than photos of an already completed one.. Have you got something that is in progress at the moment that you could join with ? That would be great.

Cheers

Tony

taxtp - Actually I'd like to bring out an old MPC kit I've done a long time ago. I used to own a '78 Monte Carlo in my early 20s and my dream was to rebuild it into a street muscle car. With little money to make that dream come true in real life,

Instead I recreated it in a kit using the Wheeler Dealer kit with the only one addition added to it - the Landau top from another Monte Carlo kit - 1980 Monte Carlo (also by MPC).

I'll post pics as soon as I can find it in my stash tucked away from the elements. While I'm at, I'll find a couple more and post them.

Hi, y'all. Sorry I haven't been around much, the builds are looking great! After a few fits/starts with this vette (mainly issues with the bare metal foiling), I'm making some progress. The detail is really nice in the cockpit, and the motor, and it just screams for extra detail, but with the lack of progress, she'll be out of the box. I copied the decal sheet off on some white decal paper, because of the worry of the red bleeding through, but testing some of the smaller decals is making me think that the kit decals will suffice.I still have to fix the windshield frame that's warped, I'll glue it to the roof, then foil it.

Glenn

I'm in. I've just started really scouting out the different GBs and noticed this one. I am currently working on the Tamiya 1/20 scale Lotus 107B Ford F1 car. I would like to use it for this GB.

Hi Eagle,

Yep, agree with you. Must be a molding limitation, I guess. Would have bee nbetter to mold the wheels and tyres seperately. I don't like the lack of tread either. Still, I'm sure you'll make it look OK.

Cheers

Tony

Hey Tony,

Here are the pics I promised.  Like I said, pretty weird set up for tires....no treads, and a ring to inserrt on the back side of the tires.

Thanks Eagle.

Welcome aboard BlackSheepTwoOne Four. What are you planning to build ? You're very welcome here.

Cheers

Tony

Count me in. I've done a few.

taxtp

Hi Eagle,

I'd be interested to see them. The only Airfix car kits I have built were three of their early range, back in the early eighties. I think the dog chewed up one of them, not sure what happened to the others. I plan to nuild them again in the next couple of years, as they're the only cars buils missing from my collection. In fact, I didn't build any more cars until I built the ZZTop Eliminator in 1990.

Cheers

Tony

Hey Tony,

No problem.  I'll take some pics tonight and post here for you.  They are odd.  

Eagle90

Hi Eagle,

I'd be interested to see them. The only Airfix car kits I have built were three of their early range, back in the early eighties. I think the dog chewed up one of them, not sure what happened to the others. I plan to nuild them again in the next couple of years, as they're the only cars buils missing from my collection. In fact, I didn't build any more cars until I built the ZZTop Eliminator in 1990.

Cheers

Tony

Hey Tony,

I don't think the tires are meant to be racing slicks.  They are actually very different from any tire I have seen in a kit before.  The rims and tire are one piece with a "ring" that is inserted on the back side of the tire!  Very weird because it makes the tire look odd.  I will take a pic of them tonight when I get home along with the a shot of the step for the tires.  My explanation my be vague, so seeing that will help.  I am really impressed with the new Airfix aircraft kits, but this car kit of theirs is having me scratch my head.  I like the kit, it just has little quirks about it.  The again, it could be me......I haven't done a car kit, so it may just be me.  

I'll post the pics tonight for you.

Eagle90

Hi Eagle,

Thanks. Yeah the gloss paint is a separate skill in itself. I find it very very different to the military schemes that I do too. I don't like the mini tires not having tread, how do they look ?

I suppose they'd be OK if they are meant to be racing slicks.

Cheers

Tony

Hey taxtp, that Alfa is looking sweet!  I really like the seats!  That's the one thing about the Mini's...not much detail in the kit.  The tires have no tread and are hard plastic.  the seats don't have much texture to them, but over all it is a quick kit.  Well, until I got to using gloss paint!  Not used to that. 

Eagle90

Hi Eagle,

You're making quick progress, that Mini is looking good. Your photos give me a good idea of how the kit builds up. Is there anything tricky to watch out for ?

I've moved on to the Gunze Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAm. It's one of their 'hi-tech' kits. The  kit itself has a polystyrene body and chassis, and a small number of parts. A lot of the structure and seats is made from a soft, vinyl like material that is easily bendable. Then, the wheels and a few details are white metal and there is a photoetched fret too.

I'ts very different from a normal plastic kit, and I don't see it as being particularly advantageous, except for the photoetched fret. I can't help thinking it's a cheaper way to mold a plastic kit, but at least you get a chance to build the subject. It's a kerbside, too, which I don't mind at all.

The decals in mine were ruined (I bought it 2nd hand at a swap meet), so I purchased a set of Patto's decals. The color match was difficult. I wanted to match the shade of the original car, which raced at Spa, Belgium in 1970. I ended up with a long discontinued Humbrol enamel color, which unfortunately was flat rather than gloss. It's had multiple coats of airbrushed future (recommended as the safest clear for the ink in Patto's decals). I've now polished it out. The tire emblems and trim were purchased on a set of Speedline decals, but at least it looks right.

I hope you like it so far.

Cheers

Tony

Hey everyone!  Some really great builds you guys are doing!  For this being my first car model, it is going relatively smooth.  I was surprised how quickly the first 12-15 steps went.  Now I'm into the detailing of the dash and painting the body.  Not used to working with gloss paints!    Spraying gloss red had a slight learning curve for me, but it's not too bad.  Enjoy the pics!

Eagle90

Hi everyone,

Here's the final WIP photos of my Monogram Triumph TR-7. THe TR-7 was a mid seventies sports car and was the penultimate model released by Triumph before they folded. The Monogram kit dates from 1977, is a basic kerbside and probably hasn't been re-released since.

The last photos show my Triumph collection, which include a TR-2 (green), TR-3A (red) and TR-3 (blue), all from Gunze Sangyo kits.

Cheers

Tony

Thanks Ken, I utilised your advise and use some thinned matt black paint to bring the tires to a more acceptable appearance. After a long day on it, I've finished it. I'll post pictures tomorrow, as it's close to 1am here.

Cheers

Tony

Tony - When I was doing the cars and trucks alot, I'd pull out the tires of the box. They would be real nice and shiny. Well most cars and trucks do not have shiny tires. So I would paint a flat clear coat on them. So, i'm going to suggest  flat black paint on your tires. It works great for making things look like rubber ie radiator hoses, and tires too. I'm painting the tires on my aircraft with it. Beats me why model companies can't make real rubber tires for the airplanes like they do the cars and trucks.

Hi Mikey,

I've removed the Fleetline for you.

Cheers

Tony

Taxtp: Can you take off the AMT Fleetline? I was having a "bit o' trouble" and put it on the backburner and then decided to trade it off all together. So I will no longer have the Fleetline.

Hi Everyone,

I've made some progress on a couple of my build, the Triumph TR-7 and Alfa Romeo GTAm 2000. I've decided to push the Triumph through to completion now, so I've masked and sprayed some more of the black trim on the body. Not shown yet is the flocking I've added for carpet. Ine thing, I sanded the tyres to remove a prominent seam that round down the middle. It's produced this white, furry effect. I've tried sanding it with finer wet and dry, and also brushing it with a wire brush. It's shown in the first photo. Does anyone know kow to fix it ?

I've also painted the inside of the body of the Alfa.

Cheers

Tony

I know the feeling Wayne, I just worked out I've got 18 GB builds still to finish in 2013. Don't think it will happen. Awfully big stash too, and I want to build all of them. You're welcome whenever you choose to join back in.

Cheers

Tony

thank you.

i'm already in 6 GBs plus a 2nd and 3rd build for THIN BLUE LINE but some have a long lead time. i do a lot of warwheels but all 15 trucks are military. i do have an grand prix car and an F1 in the stash plus a couple of fire trucks and a '67 shelby GT-350 (closest i will get to owning one). i shall ponder this

That Fire Jeep looks seriously good Wayne. I love the apparatus and details on it. I'd added your build to the front page.

Adds some great variety to the GB too, thanks.

There is still five months until the end of this GB. What about another ? :)

Cheers

Tony

waynec

......how many folks have a PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO in their stash.

Looks nice.

finished. lots of lessons learned for future car and motorcycle and firetruck builds. how many folks have a PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO in their stash.