Matt Bacon

Thanks for the support, guys! I've decided to plug on (geddit?) with this engine: it's just too much hassle to find and fit something else, and it's not bad, with a bit of help. Here are the carburettor parts. The instructions would have you drill the tops in the name of greater accuracy, but since I have a plentiful supply of aluminium "bootlace ferrules" in multiple sizes, I thought I'd put them to use instead. I trimmed the top of each plastic carb until all that was left was a little nubbin for fixing the ferrule to, and here we are: There really isn't room for a bigger engine in there, especially when I start plumbing it in... Our driver is making progress. He's an amalgam of some Le Mans drivers from "Sports Car Racing in Camera 1960-69" and James Garner in "Grand Prix" to give an appropriate period look. A few final details to add, but he's more or less ready to take the wheel, as you can see... I superglue the wires in at 12 and 6 then 3 and 9, and then at the halfway points between those to get my eight evenly distributed. You have to look pretty bloomin' hard to be able to see that they are all in one circular slot rather than individual holes. Now I just have to mock up where the exhaust manifold goes (the headers go upward, not down) so I can figure out where to run the spark plug wires down and around rather than over them and locate the coil somewhere near the engine (it should be visible in the cutaway picture in my Haynes manual, but I haven't found it yet! It doesn't help that the Chevy engines have the distributor at the opposite end, so the coils is somewhere different. The alternator is mounted onto the gearbox, though, so that I can construct, with its drive belt. That's it for tonight! best, M.

I don't buy many diecasts, but sometimes the only way to get a favorite car in the collection is to go the ready made route rather than wait for a kit... The Mclaren 675LT would be in my garage like a shot if I had the money, but I don't, so here's £20-worth of Welly/NEX 1/24 goodness that will have to do for now! It's pretty well detailed, fits nicely, and certainly looks like the real thing to me. Now I see the photos, I see I need to give it a good clean to remove the packaging dust and maybe put a detail wash in a few panel lines... best, M.

Also, don’t forget the moviemakers have to insure their stars and get a “completion bond” for the movie in case they can’t deliver it. Would any insurance company today take the same risks Wyer and Shelby (or Ford) did in 1966...? best, M.

Belcher Bits has a sheet which will do pretty much any Canadian Starfighter: http://www.belcherbits.com/lines/decals/bd7.htm# best, M.

Some originals have two, others have three. It depends which car your kit is meant to be a model of... They were all hand-built, so there's quite a lot of variation between individual cars, for example in the rear wheel arches... best, M.

Thanks very much guys... bench time is definitely making me feel more on the mend! The doors are definitely a sloppy "fit." I've added some plastic strip on key edges, on the basis that it's easier to sand and trim to shape from an oversize starting point: The not-at-all bad driver figure is under way. First pass at getting a better fit on the doors. The rear clam has a couple of tiny pins in it to click better into place, the front is free floating at the moment. Mocked up with the driver and steering wheel so I can set his arms in the right place. The rod in the headlights is filling some serious sink-holes and will be trimmed off shortly... best, M.

Oh, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. I just hope it’ll do justice to the real story, which is that a team of mostly engine and transmission guys with a “money’s no object” mandate from the world’s largest auto company developed a world-beating English GT design to defeat an Italian cottage industry manufacturer who sold road cars to fund his racing habit. The whole “Ford as plucky underdogs” story is rubbish... Shelby’s main job was to run a race team, but he didn’t do anything that Holman-Moody or Penske couldn’t have done... best, M.

Both Go Like Hell and Ford vs Ferrari were optioned for movies. Ridley (Blade Runner) and Tony (Top Gun) Scott had Go Like Hell (which is a great book) and then Tony died. There’s still a big budget TV series called “The Drivers” in production hell as a result. Go Like Hell is much the better book; FvF is a book of facts which now comes in a funky illustrated version: I have both... best, M.

Err... why? By all accounts, he’s very good in it, and I’ve not seen a Matt Damon film I didn’t enjoy.... best, M.

Now, this looks interesting: https://www.spotmodel.com/product_info.php?products_id=53136&language=en&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_campaign=391 From what I've seen of previous Meng kits in the armour and aircraft genre, we can expect something pretty special, and it's NOT a re-pop of the Trumpeter kit... best, M.

I ordered a couple from Jadlam with a discount code, so looking forward to their arrival: it’s not as if I have nothing to do at the moment! best, M.

One of the intriguing things about this kit is the engine. Apparently, the very earliest Mecom Lola T70 Spider was fitted with a Ford 289 V8 on delivery, but it was soon replaced by a variety of small block Chevy V8s of increasing sizes. They also became the engine of choice for most other T70s, up to and including the much more common and still raced MkIII. The engine on the left is the one that comes with the kit, which fits the chassis mounts and through the rear suspension. On the right is a Chevy V-8 from a handy 69 Camaro kit. I thought I'd see if there was any chance of getting the more prototypical engine in the car, but as you can see, there's no way it's going to fit into the chassis or under the clamshell, even if I switched the transmissions... Hmmmmm..... best, M

Well, it's good to get back to the bench. After five weeks enforced absence caused by a hospital stay to have a dodgy heart valve replaced with a stainless steel one with a 25-year warranty followed by some down-time for recovery and rehab, I've got my mojo back. Since i need to rebuild strength and fitness before going back to work in December, I should be able to get in some serious building! Triggered by the discovery of an "Owner's Workshop Manual" for the T-70, with many helpful diagrams, I pulled this kit that I found cheap at a model show back in February out of the stash. Although boxed by "Union", it's the old IMC kit with new instructions telling you how to deal with the various issues with the aging plastic... Since the vast majority of the chassis and components are bare aluminium or silver, I've decided to assemble it before painting, and then do some detail painting afterwards The suspension is pretty reasonably detailed and quite accurate. One of the less satisfying details is this pair of vents to let hot air from the rear brakes out from the wheel well. A lumpy depression on the clamshell as moulded, I think they look a lot better cut out and opened up. I've heard lots about the fit issues with the body clamshells and doors, so I thought the sooner I can get it mocked up and start fine-tuning the shape of the doors with some plastic card shims, the better. I'd really like to get the whole thing fitting properly while it's still a "body in white", before I go near it with primer and paint. That's it for now! best, M.

I've been out of action, modelling-wise, for a while, but I have been able to spend time on a well-known auction site, where I went down a bit of a small-scale rabbit hole... Very reasonable price for this... I'm not sure many people in the UK know much about them... And these four: Some British and European classics, and for sure the only way to get a mainstream injection-moulded Rover SD1 and Alfasud... The sharpness and detail of the mouldings is really pretty impressive. You can't really get a sense of size in the pictures, but they are reet petite: the Alfasud (the white one) is a little under 3.5" long... I'll be getting on with these in fairly short order. best, M.

You can count me in for one of these: .... maybe if I ask nicely he’ll do the sign as an accessory! best, M.

... just inherited one of these: is it redeemable, or should I take it to a charity shop? best, M.

Fair enough... I’ve never seen any “announcement” at the booth at SMW, though, and our CBK SIG display table has been about 3m away on the opposite side of the walkway/aisle from the Revell booth for at least the last five years, so we would have noticed a crowd gathering or a “big reveal”... The latest newsletter is dominated by Star Wars kits, ready for the Rise of Skywalker... best, M.

I'm not there this year, but Revell has never announced anything at SMW in all the years I have been previously. They tend to to keep their powder dry and announce their next year's range at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in mid-January. Telford is more about having real built-ups of their current year's Q3 and Q4 offerings that they are trying to get out before Christmas... Airfix gets the visibility of a "big shout", but even their announcement is just one "headline" item, and the rest is announced in January... best M.

I don’t think it’ll take that long... best, M.

If you’re interested in auto concept art, this looks great: https://www.daltonwatson.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=IMAGINE best, M.

Is there a Portofino yet? I think it’s significantly better looking than the Cali.... best, M.

Lovely pair! Now if they’d only do a Lamborghini Lamborghinetta to go with them... best, M.

Very cool... a great looking pair. best, M.

+1 for the slow, gentle and steady with a scriber. I’d do the windshield cut right through first, upside down with the roof taped firmly onto a tile or bench so the only stress on the A-pillars is the (slight) drag of the scriber. Then do the back, and once you’re nearly through, snap the roof up and away... best, M.

I picked up the regular Aoshima box in a charity shop for £5 a couple of years ago. Crack in the main glazing across the passenger side window, but easy to cut out and replace with a “wound down” piece of acetate.... best, M.