Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Jaguar XJ220 -- Tamiya, 1/24


Matt Bacon

Recommended Posts

... you know how sometimes a project just seems like the right one to do right now? Well, I've been noodling with the Murcielago SV, but I suddenly got the urge to build an XJ220. Don't ask me why...
base-coated-2-X2.jpg
The usual start with Zero Paints for the body. This is meant to be "Silverstone Green", one of the exclusive colours for the XJ220. It's NOT meant to be any kind of British Racing Green, and I found some excellent pictures of a car on sale that categorically is Silverstone Green. This is specially mixed by Steve at Hiroboy -- a "Pacific Green" originally found on a Mustang. The colour codes for the original paint are not in the 15 pages of database entries for Jaguar colours on Lechler mixing tool, so I had to get something close. One source pointed to Boyd "Chezoom Teal" which is available in a Testors can, but is not in the DB either, so this is the closest I could get after rather a lot of online research. I wanted to keep the wing painted with the body to make sure it was exactly the same colour -- I learned that lesson the hard way!
clear-coated-1-X2.jpg
clear-coated-2-X2.jpg
clear-coated-4-X2.jpg
clear-coated-3-X2.jpg
As always, the clear coat transforms the colour. I'm quite happy with this, since it matches my reference pictures pretty well. It's hard to photograph! The headlight covers raise and lower, and fit rather well -- these are taped on for effect and came slightly loose before I took the pix.
On to the rather neat engine now...
bestest,
M.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice color-it suits the car.

I have the kit only because I got it cheap.I think it's one of the dumpier looking cars I've seen.I think the XJR-15 was much nicer looking.Wish they would have kitted that instead of the XJ-220.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually love this car. But then I am a fan of british autos in general. I happen to own a real 76 mg midget that I restored a couple of years ago and the wife and I love to take out for drives on the weekends whenever we have the chance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks so much, guys... I don't know why I've suddenly developed a "soft spot" for the XJ220, but I think it IS a pretty cool car. I think the XJR-15 IS pretty good looking, but I know which one I'd rather drive 1000 (autobahn) miles in 8 hours in...

bestest,

M.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, guys. Lots of things going on in real life at the moment, so progress is slow, but it hasn't quite ground to a halt completely.
engine-with-refs-X2.jpg
The value of good references! This is one of two books on the XJ220. One costs £1750 in a limited edition of 1000, with a leather slipcase and signed by many members of the XJ220 team. It's definitive. This one, on the other hand, cost £8 from one of many Amazon marketplace sellers, and gets the job done!
engine-from-right-X2.jpg
engine-from-left-X2.jpg
engine-side-on-X3.jpg
Basic colours are Humbrol Metalcote "Polished Aluminium" and 56 Flat Aluminium. Citadel washes and detail painting in various metallics, and the Jaguar and XJ220 titles picked out in chrome silver marker pen ink.
engine-in-rear-frame-2-X2.jpg
Cats and exhausts in Humbrol Chrome Silver spray, with discoloration added using Citadel purple, blue and sepia washes.
chassis-mockup-1-X2.jpg
engine-in-body-X2.jpg
Dropped onto the chassis and test fitted to see what you can actually see through the rear window area. Quite a lot...
plumbing-1-X2.jpg
Some plumbing under way. There's no way I'm doing all the tubes and pipes that are under there, but a reasonable selection of them should busy it up nicely. That's the downsideof having excellent reference images. When do you stop detailing? ;-P
bestest,
M.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good job on that detailing. It'll look awesome under the glass in the rear. Are you going to make it stock looking? Or are you going use different rims/tires?

And here's a abandon XJ220 in Qatar, somewhere in the Middle East. It's a shame.

o94dus.jpg

Edited by DynoMight
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, Glen... it's going to be stock. Those wheels are part of the heritage of the car (and not to mention very weird dimensions so it's rather hard to find alternatives!), so I'd like to build it as "original" as possible. There seem to be some fine-spoked wheels used on racing XJ220s, but I think it'd be a fair bit of work to convert them -- you'd have to hollow out the current rims and fit new centres from other matching wheels because of the sizes. And if you're doing a racing-ish version, there's a whole new TWR front end as well....

So, I think I'll stick with stock...

bestest,

M.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, guys. Byron -- the kit was about £15 -- bit under $30. It's not state-of-the-art Tamiya, but it is pretty nice!

And now...a few more pipes going in. The big ones are electrical wire with the original flexy copper pulled out and replaced with thicker wire that holds its shape. No idea what these do, but it's starting to look crowded round there, which is definitely a characteristic of the real thing...

engine-more-pipes-2-XL.jpg

engine-more-pipes-1-X2.jpg

bestest,

M.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...