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Tamiya BMW M635CSi reshell project


Spottedlaurel

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I didn't bother with a WIP thread on this one, it was just a reshell of an OOB build I first did back in the mid '90s.

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It'd sat in the parts box for some years after I used the wheels for another project and one or two things fell off/went missing. To complete the original build I had to buy a second kit as the bonnet on the first one was warped (unusual for Tamiya). Back in 2020 I decided to use the spare bodyshell and my (hopefully) improved painting skills to resurrect it.

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I went for Tamiya's pearl white straight from the can, probably with TS13 clear. I'm hoping some outdoor shots will show up the pearl effect.

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On my first build I used the stripes and painted the wheel centres gunmetal. This time around I went for gold wheels and no stripes.

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Black trim was done with brush-painted Revell #9 enamel. The foiled brightwork isn't my best (and there's a lot of it on this car!), and I omitted to paint the black trim that should surround the window chrome (repeating my laziness of the 1990s). but I did give it some wash in the panel lines this time around.

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It rides a little higher than I'd want it to nowadays, but that's how it sat OOB and I didn't want to redo my original suspension or running gear.

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I didn't touch anything under the bonnet. I wouldn't be able to do it much/any better now, besides which I struggle to find paints that give the effect I got back then. Perhaps they don't have the same (probably unpleasant) chemicals in them? Anyway, I sold the engine to another builder a few years ago.

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Likewise I kept all this as it was, only repainting the exhaust system. Maybe it's correct, but the instructions called for it to be painted semi-gloss black and that didn't seem right, the flat silver I chose at least brightems up the underside a little.

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Not much else to say really, it's good to get another WIP off the bench and see this one on the shelf again.

The leftover road car parts will be donated to @Mattilackenfor use on his CBR2022 build.

Thanks for looking.

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7 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Not much else to say really, it's good to get another WIP off the bench and see this one on the shelf again.

Build looks great! That engine is good looking, did not know it was an other engine in that version but I guess that’s the m engine! Mine has the sohc engine. But they are good under bost, a friend of mine had around 700hp without opening the engine. 

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6 hours ago, Exotics_Builder said:

Very nice.  Are those wheels from Scale Production? Or just the wheels in the kit?

Thank you Gerry. The wheels came in the kit, complete with Michelin TRX tyres. They are rather nice and I previously used a set of them on a Nissan Silvia.

45 minutes ago, Mattilacken said:

Build looks great! That engine is good looking, did not know it was an other engine in that version but I guess that’s the m engine! Mine has the sohc engine. But they are good under bost, a friend of mine had around 700hp without opening the engine. 

Thanks Anton. Likewise, I didn't realise the race version had a different engine.

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Wonderful M-635-CSi  !  White is classy on these coupes ; yours is a fine example of this. 

I like that it's European-spec (thin bumpers , no catalytic converter) vs. the U.S.-spec models I'm used to seeing.  There was one exemplary 635 CSi Alpina ("Black Market") around some 20 years ago which impressed me mightily. It was white-on-white (pale tan dash , carpeting, etc.) with aluminium centre 16" BBS wheels.  10,000 miles , smelled brand new inside ! Its owner was a friendly older (in his mid-40's -- I was in me late 20's) chap who'd invited me to sit inside of his pristine example. 

Too bad that I couldn't get a photo or 7 of it.

But , I digress... 

Is this kit still available? I'd love to get me a copy of it.

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1 hour ago, grodudulle77 said:

Awesome look !! 👍😀

Thanks Philppe!

5 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Wonderful M-635-CSi  !  White is classy on these coupes ; yours is a fine example of this. 

I like that it's European-spec (thin bumpers , no catalytic converter) vs. the U.S.-spec models I'm used to seeing.  There was one exemplary 635 CSi Alpina ("Black Market") around some 20 years ago which impressed me mightily. It was white-on-white (pale tan dash , carpeting, etc.) with aluminium centre 16" BBS wheels.  10,000 miles , smelled brand new inside ! Its owner was a friendly older (in his mid-40's -- I was in me late 20's) chap who'd invited me to sit inside of his pristine example. 

Too bad that I couldn't get a photo or 7 of it.

But , I digress... 

Is this kit still available? I'd love to get me a copy of it.

Thank you John, great to hear your memories of a real example. I remember seeing them but don't have any first-hand experience.

I don't think the 1970s and '80s BMW bodystyles suited the US bumpers very well.

I don't believe Tamiya have reissued it in recent years. I don't recall how much the original one cost me, maybe £10 or so, but I remember finding the second one for £6 at an autojumble in the 1990s, even then it seemed like a good price!

4 minutes ago, happy grumpy said:

Really nice BMW. This particular model always gets my attention. The wheels look awesome.

Thanks Mario. Most times I end up modifying my kits, even if it's just a set of wheels and a bit of lowering, but this is one of the few that was a straightforward OOB. I wish those wheels were available as an aftermarket set!

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5 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Thanks Philppe!

Thank you John, great to hear your memories of a real example. I remember seeing them but don't have any first-hand experience.

I don't think the 1970s and '80s BMW bodystyles suited the US bumpers very well.

I don't believe Tamiya have reissued it in recent years. I don't recall how much the original one cost me, maybe £10 or so, but I remember finding the second one for £6 at an autojumble in the 1990s, even then it seemed like a good price!

Thanks Mario. Most times I end up modifying my kits, even if it's just a set of wheels and a bit of lowering, but this is one of the few that was a straightforward OOB. I wish those wheels were available as an aftermarket set!

The Tamiya one may not have been reissued but the Fujimi version has.

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