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Hi doorsovdoon and drodg, thanks for the nice comments. The paint job was a really challenge. After more experiment my solution is: forget the Gloss colors except the Clear one. I painted everywhere with Flat colors, more coats than sanded with 800. But forget the wet sanding only dry. That mean use open grain sandpaper and after a short use always clean the paper from paintdust by a hard brush. If necessary repeat flat coats. If OK 1 - 2 coats of Flat again and sanding with 1200. The final coats are Clear Gloss. More coat is better because you will need again sanding. If the surface rough sand with 800 than 1200. Finally polish it as fine you like it. (attached photo shows the body lower part sanded before clear coating)

This kit waited similarly long time on my shelfes like the Weinberger Cabrio. But now I have the „know how” to open what to open is. So I started with great elan. The assembly sequence had to be disarranged for the many fitting tests of the openable parts. And than came the Covid epidemy. Sitting at home and my workshop was 20 km far in the unheated summerhouse. I had to make the greatest change in this modeling work : painting by brush. The best solution seemed to use Revell Aquacolor paint. Finally I learned how to make the high-gloss paint job what nearest to the wet-candy quality. Enjoy the pictures and any comment is welcome.

New pictures in better quality. Sorry for the quality of originally posted photos – I was in a rather wrong period. Now I can send the newest photos. Enjoy tham

Hi Bob, you made a fantastic job with a half unfroze model !!! And you gave me a great lot of inspiration/encouragement to repair my Chevrolet Astrovette with half shrunk front. But first I shall end the Lamborghini Miura "schratch" built.

The Bugatti Divo 1:24 by Maisto is a very beautifull model. I specially like the carbon simulation. The semi mat dark grey with the light blue is showy. The inside is decorated with light blue too but much less as on 1:1 original. In fact there are details in plastic black – but the colors are missing. Well I know most of these would be too expensive to paint in mass production. Even some ones are impossible to make without freehand painting. That is a good chance for hobby modelers. So I dismount the Divo and the first I saw the hood is manufactured with hinges to open. (like at the Bugatti Chiron engine compartment) Only a beam is riveted inside on hood to block the function. The beam went in trash. The lightblue color was in action inside mostly: - on the steering wheel both side, in the middle and a strip on top, - on the inside of top and A-pillar at drivers side, - the gearshift with chrome on top, - ornaments on dashboard, middlekonsole and door panel at copilots side - above part of right side seat. - on the outside the top edge of vents above and the spoiler boards behind the front wheels got only lightblue. Little additions were the middle line of the seats made of 0.7 mm paper strips glued by transparent paint. Drivers side is lightblue of course, the other black. Indicator lamps in the outer rear view mirrors. Doorhandles , inside rear view mirror and pedals are chromed. Rearlights in diffusor are painted red and the exhaust with steel-metalic. The bottom of trunk is a black cardboard. Enjoy the pictures.

My first car was built box-stock from an Esci kit 1:24. After some years were the tires swollen so much that the wheels couldn`t rotate. I must cut off the soft swollen "rubber". Since that the car works well.

I`m very happy to see such a beautyfull model. Particularly as it memorate me to my modelling begening: this was my 3rd model "built" ever - it was in 1968. I found the blueprint in a modelling magazine (hungarian) and was marked as McLaren M8A. The scale is 1:75. I haven`t any idea about the really color of the original so I painted in my favourite color. I had no more references only that b/w line blueprint.

Many thanks for the nice comments. It was worth the nearly two years work.

Bugatti Royale Weinberger Cabriolet 1931 I had long ago the kit of Lindbergs Bugatti Victoria 1931 on my selves. I began to built the model after many years of meditation on the job: I want to open doors and hood but had no conception how to do it. Slowly I could develope a method how and with which construction can I realize my project. In the mean time I invented that I shall modify the model to the original form of 1931. I began to make the engine with some additional details and as I was satisfied with I found a reference that the original engine had not 4 carbs but the same one as the Napoleon Coupe and the Berline the Voyage. Additionally there are some differences on engine block too. Also the variation with the 4 carbs was remaining. When the hood and doors were hinged and worked fine I got new ideas: not only new trunk at rear but open the lid of this and modify the front seats too. (we say: „during eating growing the appetite”) And here is the result:

Hi, I`m a conceptcar fan and this is a wonderfull model. Did you prepare for the conversion a blueprint (side, front, rear, top view) of the car ? If yes please contact me I would be interested.

I modified a SIKU Bugatti Veyron 1:55 to the one-off Bugatti Veyron l`Or Blanc. Enjoy the pictures.

Hi, many thanks for nice comments. Kevin: the trim upside down on fender is one of the few differencies to serie cars.

The Chevrolet Corvette Prototype (GM intern EX-52) 1952 began its life as a scatch on a paper napkin. Shortly was introduced the First American Sport Car in the Motorama show in 1953. The car is existing still today but the engine was changed by Mr. Zora Duntov to a V8 engine. So the car to see today is the very first Corvette V8 ! I modified a Corvette 1953 Revell kit back to prototype: on outside was not very much to do. More differences were in the engine compartment. Here I got help with two photos from GM Media Archive. Enjoy the pictures and any comments are welcome.

Did you see the Bugatti Chiron 1:24 Maisto Special Edition on Internet or in a toyshop on the shelves ? Or did you hold one in hand and opened the doors ? Only the doors ! And you can see a little detail of the engine through the rear window. The lid is a separate part but don`t move ! I`m a curious man and I dismanteled the car in a moment to see which details of engine are remaining hidden. Well there are some ones alas not very many. BUT . . . the great suprise: the lid is manufactured with hinges to open ! It seemed later they changed their mind and made two little pieces of border on the lid to hinder from open it. OK . . . that`s not a great thing to remove them. BUT (again) . . . they are precise engineers at Maisto and made a border on the hinged side of lid in full width too ! That one to remove is a rather challenging work. Finally I could open the lid and tought I shall detail the engine and ready ! BUT . . . there are a lot of beautifull casted details and they are excaliming for some paint and chrome. And some little parts are missing: the foot rest, a piece of carpet before the pedals, the upholstery of the ceiling, the sunshade on it, the attractive arch with leds and the mirror of the inside mirror. The two holes on the back of the seets were missing too but they were marked on the back side so they needed to be opened only. I enjoyed very much to do all these detailings but the end result don`t show very much from them. I wish a lot of patience for everybody who want to open the lid same way. He shall need it ! I would be happy to hear any suggestions or criticism – I know what I made isn`t perfect.

Wonderfull model, highes level of engine detailing - a really gem ! I saw the original 1:1 in the Technische Museum Wien and I took some pics. Too bad I couldn`t check under the hood.

kruleword: sorry, but something went wrong at photographing. I repeated the missing shots and now they are here.

It`s a really fast kit but I modified it a little: I made the positioning lamps front and rear from clear plastic. I cut out the front and rear vents and replaced by metal mesh. I scratch built inside mirror, pedals and the 3 round instruments. At finally I opened the doors – two times ! First I set the turning point wrong – the doors couldn`t opened full. Than I found ref pics and corrected according tham the hinges. Some other pictures shall come soon

Thank you guys the nice comments.

Hey Dominic - your Diablo is a gem ! The plastic kit manufacturer seems to forget that the body and the hatch (or bonnet or doors) shall be painted inside too. That makes a difference in thickness 0.1 - 0.2 mm (if you use primer and clear coat too may be even more) both sides. If you want to close there is about a half mm difference in thickness very near to the hinges. The result: the hatch don`t close. You solved the problem perfectly.

I searched long time for this model made by Revell as a Snap Tite Kit. I found this and an other long ago searched kit, the Ford GT 90 at the same seller on Ebay and for a good price and finally I was the only bidder - the lucky one ! As I have more yellow Lamborghinis I desided to paint it burgundy red. And to open the doors was a enought great challenge to try to do it! I completed the dashboard and middle console with new gauges. My last idea was to make some more realistic lamps – some are rather good other ones are not 100%. But look the pictures and I would be glad to hear your opinion or proposals

Hi Everybody, I found this idea very good. There are a lot of fantastic pictures and models to see ! My best loved pictures are of Mako Shark II : open air shots and I enjoy the reflektion of blue sky and clouds. My best loved model is the Pontiac Banshee.

Beautifully opened doors ! Very realistic ! If they can be closed are extra super !!!

That`s an Excalibur.

Here are some detail shoots.

Ab Jenkins the known speed record hunter was offered a Dusenberg chassies for a speed record car in 1934. He built up the new car with the help of Augie Duesenberg in a garage next to the factory. After the first variant the car was two times radicaly modified and during this period it set 49 records with 12 that still hold today. Todays owner said: „In my opinion, this is the most significant American car ever built.” The model is the first built variant and scratch built with detailed enterieur. Here at least some details are visible. Oh yes - the scale is 1:75.