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Misha

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Everything posted by Misha

  1. Hi Jeremy, I have a similar experience having carted around my car mags with me. Although it was in the early sixties that I began. They were a huge factor in my becoming a Gearhead! Enjoy your find, Cheers Misha
  2. Hi Andrew, moving right along, looking great 👍🏾! Cheering you on, Misha
  3. Thank you for your comment Pierre, it was an enjoyable build and it’s great to hear responses on it. Having finished it in time to join you and the others on the starting grid in a few days is a rush as well! Thank you Helmut for comments and it’s great to hear that you followed along! Lately my choices have been curbsides with the result that the time spent on engine compartments is now gone into chassis detail. The exhaust pipe was actually the focus of my efforts by trying out a multi-stage airbrushing and masking for the first time. The visual differences between the race day body and the rather well worn chassis has an historical background. All three Sebring MGs were 1962 models that were originally shipped over for the California dealer. These three were the only ones to have had some corrosion damage on the voyage and were relegated to the back of the lot. Morris Garage has had a century long history of competitive activity and kept to its original slogan of MG - Safety Fast. From hill climbs to land speed records the company has provided an economical and practical sports car. In the1956 Sebring the firm entered the new MGA, a distinctly fresh and modern post war design. In its run up to the 1962 season the cars remained competitive in class and most importantly never suffered a DNF during the twelve hour event. With the introduction of the MGB late in 62 the firm undertook the prep of the racers in house to have them ready for the 63 Sebring rather than having essentially American hot rodders that we’re responsible for the MGA as before. The result was dismal as the two car team scored DNF, failing to run the course. For the next season (60 years ago) a three car team prepared by the California dealership using the three sitting in the back. The amazing factor in these entries was their stark stock appearance yet in competition with much more sophisticated cars as Porches, Ferrari, and of course the GS Vette! This was achieved with aluminum panels, reinforced wire wheels, and meticulous blue printing, polishing and assembly of the engine by Joe Huffaker in his early days before Indianapolis. Researching a competition car to build a replica reveals such interesting details in addition visual information. This was another enjoyable aspect of this build. Looking forward to seeing all the entries! Cheers Misha
  4. Thanks Gary “Gramps46” for following along on the build. Encouragement is always welcomed in our hobby/passion which tends to be a solitary activity. Thanks Randy, it’s great to get it done on time. The subject matter was a big draw, an MGB racing at Sebring against the Goliath's of the day. Having the Club Sport kit was an added inventive with the perfect parts required. Thanks Andrew, Hope the weather holds out in Florida. Bit of a drive all the way from Vancouver Island. Your build is an inspiration to all gearhead detail fanatics, you’re getting close… gonna be following along! Cheers. Thanks Phil, we’re headed out in the morning hopefully, so I’ll be in town for our meeting, along with the MG. Now it’s on to building a Deuce woodie in time for Summer 2025 Pacific Nor’West Deuce Days in Victoria BC! A plug for the upcoming 20th anniversary for the Desert Scale Classic in Phoenix this spring. Our club Scale Plastic Automotive Modellers SPAM, along with the Cactus Model Club are sponsoring the Best Deuce Class. Check it out. Thanks Dan for following along on this build and the congrats 🎉. When I do finish I usually treat myself to a new build to start, except I often end up beginning three rather than just one! My WIPs increase exponentially. Looking at finishing my 53 Ford from a previous Cannonball, and the Cheezoom Corvair F/C. Cheers! Thanks to all who peek in on this thread. Next stop is Under the Glass! Cheers Misha
  5. Been awhile since the latest update, so this is the last one as entry #48 has entered the grid! There were a number of final bits to install on the MGB to make it race ready. The green light that was used to communicate with the pit board held by a crewman needed to be built using the kit’s clear lens. Fitting a suitable diameter of plastic rod into the Dremel, I fashioned a housing for the light. The kit provides three clear lenses which feature a raised rim for the rubber seal. Mixing clear blue & yellow acrylic provided the green colour. While often used on roof tops the MG mounted the signal light on the passenger front fender, in line with the leading edge of the windshield. The companion piece is the light installed to illuminate the entry number on the same side to be visible to the pits. I was fortunate to have some white metal castings with amazing detail that I had come across a few decades ago. With the body on the chassis it was time to complete the exhaust pipe with P/E pipe clamps. The Detail Master fret offers three sizes of clamps. It really brings a lot of realism to the chassis in a subtle way. After installing the windscreen I encountered perhaps the most difficult part of the build; installing the wipers. With the aid of tweezers, magnifier, in combination with shakey hands and failing eyesight, it took some time to get it to look okay. Another gem 💎 in the Club Racing version are two very thin clear “perspex” headlight covers to reduce aerodynamic drag of the original design. I installed them with Aleene’s Tacky Glue which drys clear. Most often used to mock up assemblies as it’s dissolvable with warm water. The last panic, #4, occurred when the very delicate passenger side door handle snapped in two when I was removing from the sprue! The solution was to rob from the second, stock kit thankfully. The last item was to repair the red stripe on the hardtop with a small bit of remaining decal, leaving just a tiny sliver. Now the MGB is ready to make the grid! Next step is to post in Under Glass after some hero shots and reflections on the build. Thanks to all that have been following the community build. Also to all the builders taking part, offering their work in writing and photos. Cheers Misha
  6. Well, That’s a great video Phil! Besides being in Doug’s workshop, he offered so many hints along the build one needs to take notes. It really is the best presentation I’ve watched on “how to build” along with Doug’s easy going style, loved the part of him blowing on the parts he just glued. Well, it can be done, bravo 👏! Cheers Misha
  7. Wow, welcome to the grid participants Gary! In addition to a separate thread, I’d encourage you to post along here as there aren’t that many right now and a number have completed their builds. At this juncture I would choose the curbside kit that was originally part of their slot car series. It offers a decent body outline, although check the visual sources for your particular vehicle, an opportunity for interior detail and creative paint detailing of the chassis. The other kit was originally produced by Aurora in the line with a Chapparal, Aston Martin, Avanti, etc. Great kit for detail as front and rear compartments open. The engine if memory serves me is the four cylinder pan cake, which may not be suitable as some entires were the sixes. The rear has a complicated structure for raising the body component. The interior has decent detail for even current standards, yet it, along with all the other detail is best checked against visual sources. This can be a frustrating build, often with the result of leaving the rear opened up because of its fragility. I have lately been building curbsides, largely because of subject matter, yet I seem to enjoy putting greater effort now into paint and chassis detail, as engine compartments, while I enjoy detailing, can be a long process. Your choice of the 904 is a great addition to the grid. I’m looking forward to your progress, Cheers Misha
  8. Amazing! I agree heartily with Mark; top shelf work on an amazing replica Andrew. Cheers Misha
  9. Thank you Pierre & Mark for your comments, much appreciated, and for the suggestion of using paint to repair the red stripe, which I’m leaning towards. The clear on the top is TS 13 a lacquer, so would an acrylic red be my best choice as any goof ups could be easily dealt with. I would follow with a few dabs of Future, thankfully my bottle of it is half full which ought to last. Thanks again for the tips, Cheers Misha
  10. What an amazing replica Pierre! I heartily agree with the previous comments, this is an amazing build that I return to for the visuals and conversations. Combined with my recent read of Brock Yates’ description of the era in his Ferrari bio, has made it all exciting! Cheers Misha
  11. Congrats on your new digs Allan! It makes such a difference to have a comfortable work space. My own work bench is nearly identical and was my Dad’s office desk. I do wish to caution you on your choice of a “quick and easy build” being a Fujimi EM or Enthusiast’s Model with great detail and many sub assemblies. Your choice of building a replica Porsche is great and thanks for the link to the decals. In building this kit I would recommend a deep familiarity with the instructions and drawings, including paint details. I often write or put sticky notes all over my sheets. The other is an often heard phrase, yet it rings so true; treat each sub assembly as a model on its own. This kit requires great patience and study, especially combined with visual research of the original car. Your on a good start, looking forward to your progress and your further postings on this special 911! Cheers Misha
  12. Hoping you’ve recovered from your malady over the holidays Bill. Looking forward to your progress with the build! Cheers Misha
  13. That’s what I’m thinking, even if it sits on top of the clear it might not be too noticeable, certainly better than now. Thanks for checking, Cheers Mishs
  14. Been busy past couple of weeks working on the MGB with the last items on the work order. It hasn’t been without its moments of panic in assembling the major parts together! I’ve also settled upon my Deuce Days ‘25 entry to be a woody based upon the Fink/Taylor version. Now that the MG is nearing completion thoughts have turned to what takes its place on the bench, a new build or a WIP, of which there are many to choose from. So had a look at my 36 collection with an eye to the chopped rag top. Finished off the helmet with the exterior strap fasteners and Bell decal with an overall coat of Future. It was then onto a tricky masking job for the rubber strip along the body length. At this point in the build I was dreading that overspray could trash the project! With careful application of tape and plastic kit bag I covered the body for the LP 5, semi-gloss black paint. Once the masking was removed it revealed a very satisfactory finish, which showed one issue, first panic moment! The P/E badge on the grill was gone, after the effort of painting and glossing it to resemble an enamel badge. Regaining perspective, I searched thru the wastecan for all the masking tape, bingo, it was barely attached to a torn strip. The last item to be completed before mounting the body to the chassis were the bungee style cords for the hood/bonnet, and trunk/boot. These were made with heavy Coban sewing thread used for coats. Needed to mount the trunk release upside down, as on the original, to be used as a hook. Yet with the pressure of the cord it had to be reinforced by pinning the tiny piece with a brass rod. Once the cords were done, the major sub-assemblies could be fitted, or so I thought. A great plus to this kit is how well the parts fit. The fine tolerances had an effect upon my paint process as too many layers would affect the final fit. This along with the interior modification to remove the rear cushion caused the body to ride too high on the chassis. With my efforts to fit, I pressed too much and the steering column broke sway from the dash! Panic moment #2! This resulted in taking the three subassemblies apart plus dismantling the interior. In repairing the column & wheel I inadvertently positioned much lower, which was noticed only once it was back together. I also filed the mounting points back on the chassis and body to allow for a better fit. Now that the car was together it remained to fit the rest of the external parts. One unique item that required construction was the bug deflector on the hood, barely noticeable because of size and transparency. The local brewery cans are bare metal overall and, once emptied are a great source for scale brackets and other bits of metal. Combined with a decent P/E bending tool one is able to fashion all sorts of detail items. In this case it was a simple 45 degree bend along a small length of aluminum and a transparency from a bubble pack to make the delicate deflector. The hardtop, which only appeared in the Club Sport version, was requiring more masking and airbrushing to complete it. The first layer was LP 65 Rubber Black for the insulation around the windows and to provide a base for the aluminum coat to follow. Once sprayed rubber it was masked for the Vallejo Metal White Aluminum for the side frames. Panic moment #3 occurred while removing the masking from the roof as two small sections of red decal film lifted at the front and rear of the top! In my attempt to prevent runs of clear coat it appears that the culprit a lack of clear coat at these downward edges of the roof. At this point not sure whether to attribute it to damage suffered during the journey to Florida or to try to repair it with another layer of film. This morning the MGB sits all mocked up, awaiting the final bits ‘n’ pieces to be installed. This has been a very satisfying and rewarding build of a kit that is well thought out and executed with the only drawback perhaps it being a curbside. Even with a chassis plate, the details and crispness allowed for paint detailing. Hope to finish up in the next couple of days, and then it’ll be off to the races! Thanks for your comments Randy. I’m quite happy with this build as it nears completion. That is my weak point as I have a ton of WIPs in line, never mind the stash which serves as a parts depot. Thanks Randy for following along and all the others, Cheers Misha
  15. Hi Andrew, Been following your build! Great detail overall and well executed. Those toggle switches are amazing, need to get some. Cheers Misha
  16. Stance and interior detail is bang on Joe, Congrats! Cheers Misha
  17. 😁 Wow Andrew! Your highly detailed Cobra build is an amazing example of artistry and craft in working with a mix of material. You are way ahead of me as I chose to build a curbside, saving me the rabbit 🐇 hole of a detailed engine and underhood bay. Getting closer to the grid line! Been able to log in decent time at the work bench due to the Arctic Vortex delivering a shocking amount of snow on east Vancouver Island! After a few days of spraying the clear coats the body was safe to handle allowing me to prepare it for assembling with the interior and chassis. To mount the body to the chassis a number of body details need to be attended to such as the gas filler and bungee cords. The structure behind the grill was fitted first from behind that houses the oil cooler and driving lights. As a result of many mockups this scratch built item fit without issues. The result resembles a 67 Shelby somewhat… The added holes in the lower front panel is what holds it and the grill to the body. Using Grandt Line bolt heads the grill ones along the centre have been installed. I mocked up the assembly with the bungee cord in place for a look. Having masked the windshield before, I applied LP 5 semi-gloss black as a base coat and to provide a black interior frame. After masking the rubber seal at the bottom of the frame it was sprayed with X 13 gloss clear in preparation for the Alclad chrome. I have yet to find anything else that is better than Alclad for chrome metallic finishes. The resulting windshield turned out well with the masking tape removed and mocked up on the body. The next job was to apply the final level of weathering on the chassis. For all the weathering washes and effects I used a variety of Vallejo products. It is a treat to have prepared washes available rather than mixing your own concoctions back when I was building aircraft. The above photos show the exhaust mocked up for the shots. It still requires the exhaust hangers to be installed once the body is in place. Also completed a couple of detailing parts such as the tail lights, comp-style gas cap, and wipers. The underside showing the gas cap mounting with the positioning stick untrimmed to length. I neglected to take a photo from above showing the cap in place, it will appear in a future posting. Here are some “vintage” style shots reminiscent of the 1964 Sebring black & white photographs of the time. A big thanks to all who are following this building thread for the Sebring 12 Hour spectacle, Cheers Misha
  18. Thanks Donato for the compliment, keeping my fingers crossed for the next steps. I shot a few coats of TS-13, at first misting it on then with one wet coat. For my recent projects I switched to using the Tamiya LP & TS lacquer paint range with great results. The paint’s ability to self levelling is a real treat. Even in this case I chose to mix the Iris Blue body colour with the Tamiya acrylic paint and it performed in a similar manner. With the clear coat curing over the next few days I’ve turned to completing other components. The helmet is a Super Magnum from Bell, now a vintage item from the sixties. It comes from the AMT 63 Corvette annual which survived through a number of reissues to which I’ve added the textured P/E chin straps. Next step is painting and placement on the driveshaft tunnel, completing the interior. Finished off the front grill with the installation of the photo-etched MG badge using Future as an adhesive followed by a few drops on top to give the clear enamel polish to the badge. The grill has had a number of vertical bars removed for the twin Marchal driving lights. In addition the remaining bars have been treated to an aluminum shade, setting them off against the chrome surround. The scratch built enclosure also houses the engine oil cooler with the radiator in behind it. Tomorrow is another day! Cheers Misha
  19. Thanks Gary, Pierre and Phil for checkin’ in. Getting closer to completion, still a lot of detail items to take care of. I’ve been fortunate to have the “Club Version” of Aeoshima’s MGB as it provides a number of race specific parts such as the perspex light covers and the fibreglass hardtop. I also have the stock roadster kit that I plan on building as an open top racer which will utilize the Minilite wheels from the competition kit, as the Sebring racers ran on modified wire spokes. Cheers Misha
  20. Hi Mark, Thanks for your comment, when it comes to racing vehicles I tend to avoid the high gloss show rod finishes and rather go for a more utilitarian look. If all goes well with the clear coat I plan to wax it without any of the polishing compounds. Cheers Misha
  21. Finished with the decals! This was quite the task involving 27decals including the hardtop, all requiring close alignment. Overall it worked out well, especially in light of the difficulties. Most of which were decals breaking and needing careful repair. The red stripes were from an old sheet of Super Scale and the meatballs and numerals came from Cartograph in Italy. To begin after the red stripes had been laid down was to apply the blank white meatballs, splitting the door ones for the chrome trim. A discovery was made in realizing that the proper location of the fuel inlet needs to sit a bit lower than where I located it. As a result, the white meatball just squeezed onto the trunk lid! The numbers were each applied individually, a total of eight that required alignment with my shakey hands & so-so eyesight. Over all, it’s close yet no cigar. The numerals are rounded, not sharp edged as on the prototype. The omission of the drivers’ lettering on the front fenders is another reason for having a decal sheet custom made. Once dry I’ll clean up the decal solutions used and prep the body and top for the clear coats with TS-13. That’s the latest… thanks for looking in. Always interested in comments… Cheers Misha
  22. KK you’ve got my attention with the body sectioning to shorten your ride. Always admired this Stude as it captured my attention at age four which has led to life of gearhead! Cheers Misha
  23. You’ve done a very sweet build John of this classic Chevy. I saw your earlier posts and thought your exterior colour choice was bang on. Just caught up with your work and compliment you on the interior. Now with final assembly close by I’ll keep following. Cheers Misha
  24. Those Webers are going to look really sweet! Andrew what ratio of thinner to Molitow are you using? I haven’t been all that impressed with the markets so would like to air brush it instead. Thanks & Cheers Misha
  25. I join in with all the comments on your build Andrew! Constructing a Daytona coupe completely out of resin is a challenge that you’re succeeding in achieving a highly detailed replica of the car. I also join in the notion of the builds to reflect their state at the time, so your weathering approach on the chassis works really well. Nine weeks, Oy vey! A bit shorter for me as heading to AZ is nearing and I need to finish this one in a few weeks. I had quite a time applying the red decal stripes as they broke in two spots on the trunk and once on the hood. A couple of touch ups tomorrow when all is dry, then the meatballs. Here’s a shot of the completed interior, minus the helmet (it hides a bad spot on the drive tunnel). That’s it for tonight… Cheers Misha
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