The 2014 Automotive Group Build

John - Great to see another F1 kit in progress. Your CF looks great, as does the seat and the paint job. Which driver's car are you doing, Webber or Vettel ?

I've got the kit, but I seem to be stuck in the 80s with my F1 builds at the moment. I've added your build to the build roster on page one of this GB.

Seabe, can't wait to see that little Braun. In the meantime, I've been contemplating the new Ebbro 1/20 Lotus 49 to sit beside my Lotus 25. I've added both of your buils to the build roster, let me know if I got that wrong.

Eric, nice progress on the Chev, but not so good on the airbrush.

George - that is one hell of a project, I will want to see that video, so keep it up.

I've been on business travel last week (to India), so limited progress, although I did do a little work on the engine last night.

Cheers

Tony

Hey All,

So did a little more CF decals tonight.  Here is how I do it.  I am by no means an expert as this is the first time I have attempted this.

The products I am using are from Scale Motor Sports.  Great product, great customer service.  I just found them on google, and for $5.00, they have an online tutorial as well on how to use their products specifically.

So first off, I make a template.  I have used Tamiya Tape, clear scotch tape and aluminum foil.  In this example, I used clear tape.  Sometimes I trim the tape on the part, but this time due to the complex shape and delicate ALCLAD paint, I used a mechanical pencil to trace the shape on the tape then transfer it to the back side of the decal sheet.

Scale Motorsports recommends Micro Set as the setting solution.  Per their site, Micro sol is too strong.

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those nozzles are damn expensive, Eric, cost me about £30 :-(

Thanks for the comments.  

Misty, I will definitely post up how I am handling the CF decals.

Rommelkiste, The engine looks fun. :) Still haven't received the 427 yet.

John, The paint job is slick!

Here's some of what I got done on the Chevelle today.

I finished painting the wheels. Tomorrow I will touch a couple of small spots and paint the lug nuts and center caps chrome.

Got the firing order laid out and was going to finish them up but I decided to try an experiment. I took some liquid rubber and made a boot on a test piece of wire (2nd photo). I didn't make it to neat since I just wanted to see if it will work and how it will look. More to follow but I think it's going to work out and look better than the stuff that came with the wire set.

Also got the bumpers re-chromed.

Then, while cleaning the airbrush I broke off the nozzle hehehehe. Dang fat fingers lol.

L8TR,

Eric

John, nice job indeed. I have a few cars that will need cf decaling and i would appreciate it if you could share your take on the process. What companies cf decals do you use, what solutions, how do you go about it and get the decals to form on complex parts, perhaps do a complete walkthrough of one part.

John, the seat looks super!  I have not seen this one built so I will watch with interest.  Love this F1 stuff.

Seabe, I have only done one metal kit, a Wills' Finecast 1/24 1962 BRM.  After 50 years of plastic, that was a new experience for me.  During each building session, my hands and fingers would be black!  I can only imagine what a 1/43 metal kit would be like, it might drive me to a nip or two before I finished!  I ALWAYS enjoy F1 so keep em coming---from any era!  I really want to see the Lotus!  I don't know about you, but I wish someone would make a kit of the '39 Autounion that didn't cost $200!  

That is such a cool project, Rommelkiste! Really like seeing it come together.

Back from my long weekend away. Almost ready to start on the next victims. So some pre-slaughter pics.

Firstly the Thunder Valley detail kit to be used on the Lotus 25. All still in packaging. Like the little perspex holder it came with, will come in handy esp for future 43rd builds...

Next up - the content of the Brawn kit. It is SLK070, the Brazil/Italy versions possible. In hindsight I'd have actually liked the "normal" version, but a Brazil one, last GP and all won't be that bad. (Which was the initial thought when I bought the kit.) Anyways, normal content. Scale made very visible by the ruler and (by sheer accident, only noticed it on the photo) pin lying next to it.

Unseasonally pouring with rain, we actually have a bit of a storm here... So might actually get started tonight. The Lotus starts off with a quite complex bit of painting and will still think about my approach to that... The Brawn, I can only imagine, will start off with adding a number of parts to the body before main colour painting.

Now that I have the sloppy fit solved with the rockers, its on to the valves.  The valve guides in the head out of the box is only 3/16" long.  When the valve is opened by the rocker arm, the valve moves around a great deal and will sometimes slip to the side and no longer be in contact with the rocker.  I think I have solved this problem with some 1/8" aluminum tubing.

The valves are two piece and I found the stem has a slight taper at the top.  I chucked them in a cordless drill and at a SLOW speed sanded and trued them with a flex-I-file.  It then slides easily into the 1/8" tubing.

I then drilled out the guides in the head to accept the tubing.  I determined the length of 7/8" was about right to allow the valve to close without the valve head hitting the guide.

The valve now opens and closes easily with no side to side movement.  The valve head attaches to the stem with a force fit, should I ever "Drop a Valve" during operation, the heads bolt on and I can replace it without prying glued surfaces apart.  During final assembly, I will swab some teflon lube in the guide just for insurance.

It seems like every time I solve one problem I run into another.  I now have to figure out how to take the slop out of the lifters and make some cam bearings.  I have to get back on the tractor and do some of that farm stuff so I will have some time to think about it.  I'm glad I have a project to think about besides Corn and Spinach!

Eric, I did the Revell 427 about 3 years ago and I do not remember any assembly problems.  IIRC it goes together pretty quick but looks nice on the shelf.  I have never done any of the other offerings.

By the time I get this Visible V-8 done, maybe I can figure a way to do a video so I can show the darn thing working.  Regular pics of a working model won't show you much.  If I do the video and I fail, then everyone can laff me off the forum!!  Ya gotta be a little crazy to do this project anyway.  I will admit, I have been having a good time!

rommelkiste, that is looking pretty slick. I ordered the REVELL 427 L89 kit but still waiting on it. Have you built this one yet? If so anything I should watch for?

If it turns out good I want to do the Hemi, the Ford and the fuel injected 327. :)

L8TR,

Eric

OK guys, I'm back again with more of the Visible V-8 and the ridiculous nonsense I am doing with it.  I hope I don't bore you guys to death.  This build is going together with bits and parts from about 5 junkers I collected up so don't worry that I am doing all this to a mint vintage 1960 kit.  The parts are the vintage ones as they seem to lend themselves to the modifications better than the new stuff.  The kits of today are Mfg. in China and the plastic seems to be really brittle.  The plastic from 1960 to 1977 seems to be the best to work with.  Another thing is, ALL the camshafts from the new kits are bowed.  You can straighten them out in hot water or a hair dryer but all the older ones seem to be straight.  You can pick up a built vintage junker for around 18 to 25 bucks and a mint 60's kit is around 100 or more.  Go for the junkers………if you get a spark to do one of these someday.  I now have all 8 rods finished and sized to the crank.  Next I will move on to the heads for some mods.

When you mount the rocker shaft to the head in the stock kit, there is about 1/8" of movement and the rockers fit poorly to the shaft.  I could just epoxy the assembled shaft to the mounting points on the head, but I want it removable in case a repair is needed.  The cap bearing (the little black parts in the photo) have had the pads shaved off and when installed the shaft is held with no movement but can still be removed if needed.  

I have also smoothed and trued up the shaft to fit inside piece of aluminum tubing.  The rockers were drilled to fit over the tubing and that takes care of the sloppy fit of the stock kit.  Small pieces of the tubing will be cut to fit each rocker acting as a bushing.

Next time I will work with the valves and valve guides.

Seabe - I should add that I'm no expert on MM kits either, maybe we can bounce questions off each other.

I've been busy with the Ferrari again today, but I have a weeks business travel so it will have to wait before I can finish it.

Cheers

Tony

Seabe, one day I will have modelled all the F1 Ferrari's from 1975 to the present day. By the time I finish it, it will be about 70 years worth I reckon ! They're currently building them faster than I am :)

Cheers

Tony

Dale, I did the Revell current issue V8 as a practice run, this one with the rod modifications is the electric motor version.  This is not to make a 5000 rpm model like some I have seen, its just to make it smooth and with as little friction as possible.  With some time and care, you can make one of the 1960's thru 77 issues a nice kit out of the box.  I think all my changes are just to "see if I can do it" and give me something to do.  I got kinda burned out on car kits I think.  After 50+ years of this, even the new release car kits don't excite me.  I have not played with one of these V8's since around 1967.

Didn't get a lot done today. Drilled the holes for the distributor and wires, finished the touch-ups on the body paint and sprayed the gloss black on the stuff I need to chrome. I'm going to try and finish this one over the weekend.

L8TR,

Eric

Romm, this is going to be a fun build to watch. You did say this was a practice build didn't you?

Tony the F-1(?) is looking good.

Eric, that motor is really looking good!

All the work everyone is doing is making me kind of jealous.

Tony, just for knowing - what is the era you're doing? Nice to have such a "mission". Seems I have an expert at hand if I run into troubles with the MM kits! The F186 is looking good. Coming up is part I do not like - the suspension on theses 20th MM cars are just... horrible to assemble. (Those little screws!)  And I say that having done (completed) just one! And even that was a good while ago. Enjoy the build!

Steve, AMT has a set of Goodyear polyglas GT tires out that run around 12 bucks for a set of 8. They are already white lettered. AMTPP006/24

Tony, Sorry I had my completed Cuda photo at the bottom of my last update post. 

Also here's some updates for the Chevelle. I sanded out the run  and prepped it for another coat.

The valve covers had the holes for the vacuum and breather hoses so I fabricated those.

And here's how it looks with the breather on.

I bought a MAD distributor for it and hopefully get it wired up tomorrow.

Started painting the rims. These jokers will make you go cross-eyed, so I think I'll do one a day hehehe After I get them painted, I'll chrome the lug nuts and center caps.

Also drilled the alignment holes for the exhaust manifolds. It makes putting them on so much easier and I don't have to hold them while they dry enough to stick.

Also did a lot of the interior but not much detail.

L8TR,

Eric

It's Johansson. I'm trying to cover all of the Ferrari drivers for the period I am doing. The problem with that is 1992 where Ivan Capelli  and Nicola Larini both drove for Ferrari, but didn't in any other year. I don't want to model the same car twice.

FWIW, here's the progress of completed cars so far

1990 - Prost

1989 - Berger and Mansell ( I did both Tamiya releases)

1988 - Berger

1987 - Alboreto

Cheers

Tony

Tony, is that the Alboreto or Johansson car?  I can't remember who drove # 28 in 1986

That looks good George.

I'll update the front page now Seabe.

Here is a photo of my Ferrari F186, its starting to look like it.

Cheers

Tony

Well, a little more on the visible V8.  After about 4 failures and changing up some steps I have the connecting rod process worked out.  Glad I have lots of spare parts!  All this changing and modifying don't make this kit spin faster but I hope it will be much smoother.  Since I was able to assemble the crank without the rods, it is much straighter and turns freely in the journals.  All I need to do now is re-size the big end on the rod-----and make 7 more!  It takes a little over an hour to build one rod.  I am thinking I have made this project more than I planned on.  At any rate, its kinda fun and a ton easier than the real thing.

Seabe, I also like your choice in subjects.  I have the Audi Revell kit and want to start on it, your build up was helpful.  How do your eyes feel after the Lotus?  LOL!  

Raven-Steve, If you can rob the wheels and tires from one of the other Revell Cobra racing kits, I think you would like the big n little Firestones that come with them.  they will give the look you are wanting. The Halibrand wheels are nice too.

Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words. We're our own worst enemies when it comes to critic, I just see loads of improvements to be made.

Hey Tony, never realised there was a pic to be nominated - only now saw the "completed" section! Don't know whether the Lotus counts, since it was started last year. But if it does - just take the side view of it, very first pic.  For the Audi... aaag, just take the full side view also - 2nd to last one.

Haha, Brawn it will be then! My second to least favourite colour - white! I only hate yellow more... To apply as paint, that is.

The R8 was a Le Mans Miniatures kit. Really really awesome kit. Super easy build, I can recommend them any day. I also have their Bentley Speed 8 car, the doors which can be opened. Will get to it some day.

Had a quick look at both sets of instructions for the Lotus 25 and made some notes. Does not look like brain surgery... but I have been proven wrong many a time before!

Just throwing this out there - the Cobra kit comes with plain ol' skinny tires and I would love to find aftermarket tires to make it look more like the photo below, but I haven't been able to find anything so far. If anyone has any experience with or ideas on where to find AM tires like this I'd much appreciate it.

Just on the pugs 65ss, I onc had a a Silky Terrier X that chewed up a plastic Alfa Romeo. It must have liked Italian. I wasn't too happy though.

That frame looks like it would have been a little tedious, so good job. Good luck with that window.

Cheers

Tony

You've picked another funky color Eric, that green is going to light up that Chevelle. I'm sure this will be another classic Eric build, I wish I could stay o'on subject' as well as you do.

Cheers

Tony