Tamiya 1/12 Tyrrell P34 (six wheeler) WIP (Update Sep. 27).

It's time to work on the engine.

The kit includes black wire for the spark plug wires and clear plastic tubing for the fuel lines.

The kit's injector stacks are chrome plated plastic (right image). I rubbed the stacks with steel wool to simulate aluminum (left image). 

The inside of the stacks were painted with clear flat (left image).

Installing the fuel lines requires a third hand, so I put the engine into a small vice. The valve covers were painted with Testors' Metalizer Titanium wich was sealed with clear flat.

The fuel lines were a royal pain to install. The plastic tubing is too stiff and it easily kinks. The actual engine used large rubber bands to keep the spark plug wires and fuel lines organized. I simulated the bands by cutting the insulatiion of a mouse cable into bands.

Here is a picture of the engine after the transaxel was installed.

JohnnyK

The oil stain is easy to use. Just dip a small brush into the bottle and then dab the brush onto the model. Keep dabbing unti you get the look that you like.

 

Sounds easy enough. Thank you, Johnny!

The oil stain is easy to use. Just dip a small brush into the bottle and then dab the brush onto the model. Keep dabbing unti you get the look that you like.

JohnnyK

Vallejo has a number of really nice weathering effects products. https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/category/hobby/weathering-effects-en/page/2/

 

Thanks. I noticed my LHS has some in stock. I passed because I could never figure out how to use the old Vallejo Wash product. Based on your results, I'm going to try one or two. I'll probably goof it up but I know who to go to for help now.

Vallejo has a number of really nice weathering effects products. https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/category/hobby/weathering-effects-en/page/2/

TheMongoose

Genius, buy that man a Guinness! Never thought of that but what a great tip.

 

I agree.

The transaxle looks really good. I wasn't aware of the Vallejo oil stain wash, like the way it looks and I'm going to pick up a jar. Thank you for the two tips.

TheMongoose

Genius, buy that man a Guinness! Never thought of that but what a great tip.

 

Genius, buy that man a Guinness! Never thought of that but what a great tip.

By the way, I bought the bolts online from Scale Hardware. I had to reduce the length of the stainless steel bolts.

I put my hand into a platic bag when I cut the bolts. That prevented the bolt from flying out into space, or worse, into my eye.

I've always wanted to see one of these built! You're really doing it justice. Oil stains look real and i think your choice to do BMF was right on. Will be drafting this one 

The transaxel was painted with Testors' Metalizer Aluminum which was then sealed with Clear Flat. It gives a realistic impression of an aluminum casting. I will miss the Metalizer paints when they are gone. The plastic bolt heads were removed and replaced with stainless steel bolts.

A thin black  wash was used to highlight the ribs on the body of the transaxel. ValleJo "oil stain" was used on the plugs to simulate spilled grease. The actual color of the rotor edges is not as red as indicated in these photos.

Okay, back to building the car!!!

The engine was a dry sump system, so there was an oil tank located behind the driver.

The tank is composed of a rectangular tank (2 pieces), a round top tank with a bottom. 

The instructions recommend that the tank be painted in a chrome color. Photos of the original car seemed to indicate that the tank was made of stainless steel. The location of the tank makes it very noticable so I decided to finished it in Bare Metal Foil instead of painting it. It looks pretty good. I slopped some ValleJo "oil stain" around the filler cap. 

These are examples of mold parting lines. Some of the older molds were made in 1975. This is typical of older kits. This should not deter someone from building this kit because it is a unique subject.

Here is a photo of the actual front suspension. I read that the steering wheel was connected only to the front wheels. The front wheels were connected to the rear wheels by a bellcrank system. Take note of how the sway bar is connected to the suspension arms.

This picture gives you a good idea of how small the front wheels were. Almost looks like they belong on a Go Kart.

I was looking at some of these kits and I'm like "ooff, those are pricey". Then I remembered what I've paid for some of my armor kits and I'm like "pff, that's not bad."

Bk

JohnnyK

It has very old engineering, so it has some issues. Nothing that an experienced modeler can't deal with. There are mold lines on many parts, especially on the exhaust header pipes and the suspension rods. Sometimes a third hand would be helpful.

Ugh, good to know. I seem to be losing my patience for this sort of thing. Thanks for the heads-up.

-

Keavdog,

They toiled endlessly trying to arrive at the ideal setup.  I think the only way to get perfect tracking of all four wheels around any corner is to have independent electronic computer controlled steering.

I had heard that tire scrub was a constant problem; the car lost too much energy in turns.  The narrow front track was also not ideal.  In the 1977 season, they widened the track on their newer cars, but now the tires were no longer hiding behind the front spoiler, negating their intended aerodynamic advantages.

Oh ya!  Watching this one, but I would suggest Don Julio Anjeo tequila - just my preferance.  I was always curious about the mechanics of this car.  Particulary the ackerman steering related issues - my assumption is it was dragging tires but I don't know.  How did they set the toe, caster, camber of the four wheels?  Interesting subject.   Great looking car though and looking forward to the build.

...so does the alcohol in the whiskey kill the parting mold, or do the effects make you stop seeing lines?

I’ll sit down and shut up now.  

It has very old engineering, so it has some issues. Nothing that an experienced modeler can't deal with. There are mold lines on many parts, especially on the exhaust header pipes and the suspension rods. Sometimes a third hand would be helpful. 

This helps when dealing with the mold lines.

I've had my eyes on this kit for several years. I didn't even realize it is 1:12. I am a sucker for large scale cars, this thread of yours is likely to be bad news for me.

Thanks for doing this as a WIP, Johnny, I look forward to watching.

Those are very convincing.

BK

My wife bought me the first version of this kit in the mid 1970's. It was the first 1/12 scale kit that I ever built. I was blown away by the number  of parts. I never finished that kit and it was tossed out.

Back to the current kit;

I painted the rear wheel spindles with Testors Aluminum paint. Next I sprayed the spindles with clear flat. A rust colored wash was used to bring out the bolt details. The kit supplies PE parts to cover the plastic brake rotors. The edges of the rorors were painted with Testors' Rust.

I am also watching with keen interest, as I have that kit.

I noticed the wheel nuts are not prototypical, but the only aftermarket I have seen is obscenely expensive.

Wow, I can remember that car. This scale is big, so plenty of room for details. Go crazy, I'm watching.

BK