Fiberfab Avenger GT-12 [FINISHED]

fox

Member since
January 2007
From: Narvon, Pa.

Posted by fox on Sunday, February 4, 2024 2:51 PM

VERY nice work. At the start, I wasn't sure I'd like the color but the finished model looks great with that color. Toast Toast Toast

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

Main WIP:

On the Bench: Artesania Latina (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

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PatW

Member since
December 2008
From: UK

Posted by PatW on Sunday, February 4, 2024 11:16 AM

Very good indeed, from a VW Air Cooled specialist!

Remember , common sense is not common.

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Sunday, February 4, 2024 11:08 AM

All done. The last parts were the Fiberfab badges on the sides.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Saturday, February 3, 2024 10:01 AM

The wipers, mirrors and door handles are installed. (The door handles came in the kit.)

The Fiberfab badges that go behind the door windows still need to be painted and attached. There is supposed to be one for the hood, but it's a short shot in my kit and I like the cleaner look without it.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Friday, February 2, 2024 6:37 PM

Thanks Jim!

I cut vinyl for the flat black accents on the hood, quarter windows and side scoops.

I machined an aluminum latch handle and made a license plate and decal for it.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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fox

Member since
January 2007
From: Narvon, Pa.

Posted by fox on Friday, February 2, 2024 10:21 AM

Really coming along nicely! Love your chrome trim work. Yes Yes

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

Main WIP:

On the Bench: Artesania Latina (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

Reply

Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Friday, February 2, 2024 9:36 AM

I'm sure some people called it that. It's not a color that looks good on a lot of cars.

The windows have been installed. I decided to sand out the center support strap on the inside of the rear window.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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keavdog

Member since
April 2003
From: USA

Posted by keavdog on Thursday, February 1, 2024 7:37 PM

Did they call that color pea soup lol

Thanks,

John

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Thursday, February 1, 2024 7:25 PM

The taillight lenses have been installed and I made a bright silver panel for the interior so you can't see the engine when looking through them.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Thursday, February 1, 2024 11:15 AM

I let the body dry for the better part of two weeks in direct sunlight. The window frames have been foiled and the headlight buckets painted black. The headlights have been installed and the decal I made for the gas door has been applied. It looks like "that tire" had a light snack on one of the clear headlight covers too so I repaired the damage using the same process as I used on the windshield.

The headlight covers fit OK, again especially considering the age of the kit.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Saturday, January 27, 2024 11:24 AM

I reworked the mounting pylons on the side mirrors from the same '70 Mustang that provided the steering wheel to fit the Avenger body. The chrome mirror faces were not with them so I made new ones out of Mylar. I used Mylar for the interior VW mirror that came in the kit.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Thursday, January 25, 2024 1:50 PM

I found an equally vintage bottle of never opened Testors enamel paint (1121 Green) that looks pretty close to Fiberfab Green. It had been sitting for decades and was clearly separated (green/white/carrier) so to really shake it up I put it in my sock for my morning run each day and mixed it for 30 miles. These older Testors paints still work very well. I used the same techniques on this as I used back in the '70s when I was building box art for the model companies with it; reduced with lacquer thinner (I don't claim to have "invented" that) and was pleased to see/smell/feel how well it dried in the first 24 hours. Now to let it cure for a while…

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 12:16 PM

The rear window was missing from my kit so I made a new one from a leftover Monte Carlo stock car back window. (The real car used a '66 Mustang window, but I didn't want to sacrifice one from another kit even if it would fit.)

Here's how I did it:

https://finescale.com/how-to/articles/2024/01/fabricate-a-contoured-flush-fitting-car-window

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 12:15 PM

Thanks Lurch!

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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lurch

Member since
August 2021

Posted by lurch on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 10:22 AM

As usual you are doing a fantastic job.Your attention to detail is great.

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 10:27 AM

The headlights are supposed to be cemented to the body, but that makes them stand too proud and the outer ones would have to be moved more inward to compensate for the thickness of the headlight covers. I drilled out buckets/openings and tried to make the angled stagger the real cars have as much as possible to capture one aspect of the personality of the car.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Sunday, January 21, 2024 10:40 AM

I'm not adding seat belts, keeping it pretty simple.

The green seems like a period appropriate choice.

The suspension sits very high if built as it fits together. I lowered the front end almost ¼ of an inch and lowered the rear about 1/8 of an inch. I think I got the camber right on the rear.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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DRUMS01

Member since
June 2018
From: Ohio (USA)

Posted by DRUMS01 on Friday, January 19, 2024 10:05 AM

Looking great. The dash does look authentic. My car had round defroster ports on the top of the dash. The seats in the kit differ from my car too as mine had lay down seats similar to those in a GT40, Lola, or Manta. Are you planning on adding PE seat belts?

Also curious, what color will the body be painted?

I like what your doing, keep it up!

"Everyones the normal until you get to know them" (Unknown)

LAST COMPLETED:

1/35 Churchill Mk IV AVRE with bridge - DONE

NEXT PROJECT:

1/35 CH-54A Tarhe Helicopter

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Friday, January 19, 2024 9:42 AM

Thank you Drums01!

The interior is actually pretty nice in this kit especially considering its age. The seats are well done as is the engraving on the door panels and the floor. But the steering wheels included are on the weak side. One is a stock 60's VW wheel and the other is a cheesy "dragster" wheel. Since the real cars use a little bit of Mustang, I swapped in a 1970 Mach I wheel. I made an adaptor to fit it to the stock steering shaft.

I added aluminum tips to the exhaust, but left the engine as it builds.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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DRUMS01

Member since
June 2018
From: Ohio (USA)

Posted by DRUMS01 on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 9:58 PM

Looking real good so far. Your resourcefulness and modeling skills are bringing this old kit up to a very nice standard. I have no doubt that this will be even better than the manufacturer dreamed of...

"Everyones the normal until you get to know them" (Unknown)

LAST COMPLETED:

1/35 Churchill Mk IV AVRE with bridge - DONE

NEXT PROJECT:

1/35 CH-54A Tarhe Helicopter

Reply

Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 9:38 AM

While I was making the decals for the dash I also made Cragar S/S decals for the center caps too.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 9:40 AM

Turns out the taillights were not molded in clear red but factory painted by IMC and the paint was coming off. This is actually a good thing. A little 91% alcohol did a nice job of removing the paint (from both sides).

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Monday, January 15, 2024 10:48 AM

After I built up the engine I realized there really was no reason to make the rear hatch operational.

But now I can finish the forming the rear panel. I added material to the bottom of the rear end while I blended the brass taillight bezels into the rear panel. I thought it would look better if the lenses were set in deeper so I cut out the openings.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Sunday, January 14, 2024 12:20 PM

It turned out the spotty chrome on the wheels was deeper than just the plating after I stripped them. I made a mold and cast new copies of the best one after I machined it to work with the 7075 aluminum outer rims I milled to fit the tires.

These are the new wheels and tires.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Saturday, January 13, 2024 1:17 PM

I found a set of Pirelli tires in my stash from some Tamiya kit that looked like a good fit and upgrade. The mags from the kit fit OK in them too. But the plating on the wheels was spotty and splotchy.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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DRUMS01

Member since
June 2018
From: Ohio (USA)

Posted by DRUMS01 on Friday, January 12, 2024 2:52 PM

Funny in that I had a Corvair spider before the Avenger. I can tell you that the slope of the front window was severe on the Avenger compared to the Corvair. The low roof height was the main factor for the narrow vision out the front and mostly non-existent vision out the back (very little). That also contributed to the near lay down seats.

"Everyones the normal until you get to know them" (Unknown)

LAST COMPLETED:

1/35 Churchill Mk IV AVRE with bridge - DONE

NEXT PROJECT:

1/35 CH-54A Tarhe Helicopter

Reply

Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Friday, January 12, 2024 9:30 AM

I found a pair of wipers in the Tamiya Renault Re5 Turbo that looked about right. (Being a VW based car I checked the Tamiya Beetle wipers, but they are way too small. The windshields on the real cars were sourced from Corvairs but the wipers are molded into the body on the AMT kit I have so they weren't an option either.) I made resin copies and dyed them black when I cast them.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 9:27 AM

The wipers are nicely molded, but I don't like the look of molded in wipers… I'll probably either machine some posts and leave the wipers off or maybe source a set from the leftovers bin.

The window frames were scribed in too.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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Scale-Master

Member since
October 2020

Posted by Scale-Master on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 3:52 PM

Thanks, but no need to sacrifice another kit. I'll just fabricate what I need.

Build what you want and build it for yourself, the rest will follow... Mark D. Jones

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