Tamiya Eunos Roadster (Mazda MX-5/Miata)

[Spottedlaurel]

Completed this one at the weekend, WIP here:

My intention was to build it as a quick, simple summer holiday project, to make the most of another year when we couldn't go away. However, due to moving house it didn't work out that way and it sat in a box for 2-3 months until I got some modelbuilding space set up at the new place. Here's the finished result:

Standard bodywork and interior. Tamiya TS-9 British Green rattle can paint over Halfords automotive primer. I try not to use clear over solid colours, but it kept getting a texture on it that wouldn't polish out so I gave it some clearcoat in the end (can't recall if it was TS-13 or Halfords).

Wheels are Aoshima Racing Hart 14" with the inside of the rims trimmed back to match the tyre width. They are female fitment but the kit was set up to take male-fit wheels - my method of overcoming this and getting it to sit lower was rather crude and involved a healthy amount of CA glue.....

I went for the tan interior to match a 1:1 car I remember from some years ago.

 

 

Exhast tailpipe is from a Fujimi accessory set.

With no engine I treated it as a curbside build, it'll only ever be displayed in my cabinet. There is scope for the underside to be nicely detailed however, and it certainly gave me a good understanding of how they work even if I just painted it all black.

It's made for a nice addition to the shelf, and I think it's the first Mazda I've ever built.

[asfastasu]

Nice build. I like the green/tan combination. Nothing deflates a build for me like a paint issue, glad to see you worked through it. I gotta get a Miata kit soon, would like to get a Revell issue as it has an engine, but I'd still welcome a Tamiya! 

[slusher]

Great looking model..

[jaymcminn]

I like a BRG Miata. Yours turned out really well!

[NOBLNG]

Nicely done Nigel! ? I have a 1:1 2013 PRHT. And my Buddy had a ‘92. They are fun little cars to drive.

[classic]

Nice result Nigel, you certainly got over the paint woes nicely. A classic colour combo for an early MX (Miata) Real ones are starting to pick up in value in the UK now.

Looks great on those deep dish wheels too. I laughed when I read your comment about the CA glue, reminded me of a BMW Mini Cooper I built a few years ago. Ended up gluing the wheels to the wheel arch tops with 2 part epoxy ?

Atb, Steve.

[nyguy]

Those wheels really give it an aggressive look. Well Done. 

[Zippi]

Nice looking little Roadster.  The green and tan go together well.  Nice job.

[Spottedlaurel]

Thanks all for the comments!

If I'm sufficiently patient I can generally get the rest of a build to go OK, but painting of the main body colour is still a black art to me and one of those things where I feel I'm only one step away from disaster. That rarely happens nowadays, I'm basing it on things that went wrong 30-35 years ago, but all the same I never take it for granted.

The British Green isn't a colour I'd rush to use, but having seen 1:1s ith the tan interior I knew it was a combo that would work well here.

On 12/9/2021 at 10:21 PM, classic said:

Looks great on those deep dish wheels too. I laughed when I read your comment about the CA glue, reminded me of a BMW Mini Cooper I built a few years ago. Ended up gluing the wheels to the wheel arch tops with 2 part epoxy ?

I didn't quite resort to that,but I wasn't far off ?

On 12/8/2021 at 3:51 AM, asfastasu said:

I gotta get a Miata kit soon, would like to get a Revell issue as it has an engine, but I'd still welcome a Tamiya! 

Perhaps the ideal combination would be the Tamiya kit with the bonnet opened-up and fitted with the Revell engine?

[asfastasu]

Yeah, I think a Miata mashup will be in order one day. But I've too many projects on the go, that's why I nominate you to do it.lol

[Dominik]

like it! a good idea with the wheels. i think to pick that up for my old built Miata.