Plastheniker

Tom, thanks for the interesting pictures. The photo of the rear end of the unbuilt Doyusha kit shows what I mentioned. Doyusha states on the box that it is a 1973 model. This is wrong because the body still has the small backlights of the early models. From 1973 on all Capris had the much bigger rear lights replicated on my model. The pictures of your second post seem to show the Capri Mk II that had a more roundish appearance.

Jim, I remember that I had to scratch build the complete interior. Regarding the chassis I can't remember what I actually did. Nevertheless after some pondering it seems very likely that I added necessary details (suspension, rear axle,engine, gearbox, prop shaft, exhaust sytem) to the crude "chassis" part of the kit, because the latter would fit the body without further work. This further review of the Doyusha kit gives an idea what an interested modeler could expect. The short text is in German but the nice pictures speak for themselves. http://www.wettringe...&threadID=12112 There was at least one more kit of the RS 3100 in racing trim made by Nitto in the eighties(?). Maybe it is the same kit as the Academy model. BTW the appearance of the RS 3100 in racing trim was nearly identical of the upgraded, but extremely expensive street RS 2600 I mentioned above. I had the opportunity of driving such a vehicle in 1973 for one or two hours on a not very crowded Autobahn. It was simply breathtaking.

Thanks for all comments! Cliff, you really make me blush. BTW I was amazed to read recently that Hamburg behind Berlin is the place that attracts the largest number of tourists, even more than Munich does. Indeed, Hamburg has some very nice spots. But even a Hamburg citizen who loves his hometown has to admit that Stockholm and most of all St. Peterburg are the real highlights of the Baltic area. I am sure you visited both and agree.

Hi, I was surprised to read recently that the European Ford Capri Mk I, sold in the U.S.A. as Lincoln-Mercury Capri, was the most successful import car on the U.S. Market during the early seventies. Even today there is an American Capri club with an interesting site http://www.capriclub.com/featured_grm.htm Possibly there is some interest for a model of the Capri in an American forum, too. The choice for American Capri buyers was very limited because only 3 (?) of the numberless European versions of the Capri came to America. The Ford Capri I RS 2600 was the top model of the whole Capri range. It was built in small numbers by Ford Cologne, therefore I am not sure if it was sold outside Germany. Ford England built a similar version with a different engine as RS 3100. The RS 2600 was a reworked standard 2300. Among others it featured a larger crankshaft, a hotter camshaft, fuel injection, an extensively improved suspension, wide aluminum wheels, one separate exhaust system for each cylinder bank, a different interior. The RS 2600 served as a homologation car for the extremely successful Ford works racing cars of those days. Officially rated at 150 PS (rather 180 PS as motor magazines estimated, 1 PS = appr. 1HP net) and rather light (1080 kg) it was a very fast car in the early seventies that could hardly be outperformed on German Autobahns (still no speed limit today). Though an RS 2600 cost more than twice as much as the cheapest standard Capri it was a bargain compared to other cars with similar performance. The number of options was endless. If someone was willing to spend enough money he could order larger engines with up to 230 PS in wide lightweight bodies with plastic doors and lids and even plexiglass windows. The durability of the RS 2600's drivetrain, however, was a disaster. Engines and transmissions used to explode after 5,000 to 10,000 km. I built my model probably 25 years ago from a very simple Doyusha motorized toy model kit of an early (not 1973 as stated by Doyusha) Capri 2000 GT. The body was very nice, but it was virtually the only part of the kit I could use. Because of the battery box there was a flat one-piece interior and the glass parts were tinted deeply to conceal it. All other parts of the kit did not match the RS 2600. I found making the windows and the rims a bit difficult in those days. Viewing the pictures I see some details for which I would find better solutions today. Nevertheless I hope the result looks acceptable even by today's standards.

Super clean model of the last of the true sports cars besides the Super Seven. Black really works on the model.

Beautiful model of a classic European post-war car. Your colour choice is spot-on for the European taste of those days.

Fantastic finish! Your model looks much better than the original vehicle.

Thanks for your comments! From my own experience I am convinced that the unrealistic out-of-scale appearance of metallics on so many model pictures is not a paint problem but a lighting problem. I always use Humbrol or Revell enamel metallics on my models. Therefore the reason why my metallic paintworks do not look out-of-scale is definitely not the use of sophisticated paints. Experience taught me that only lighting the model directly generates the out-of-scale effect on photos, no matter if you use natural or artificial light. Light the model indirectly and there should never be any out-of-scale appearance of metallics. If you prefer taking your pictures in daylight wait for cloudy weather or at least leave direct sunlight. I took some of my nicest pictures on clear summer days a few hours before sunset when shadows grow and light is already diffuse. I prefer, however, photographing under artificial light. I made a crude rack on my photographing table (use inexpensive plastic tubes or wooden bars from a house improvement store) and threw a white bedsheet over it to form a tent (professional photographers use something similar). Leave a small gap for you and your camera to peep into the tent. Illuminate the tent from the inside. Make sure that the model is hit only by indirect light reflected by the white cloth but not from any direct light. I use 2 or 3 energy saver bulbs (daylight). Depending on your camera contrast and colours may become faint but you can compensate this on your computer easily. Have a try! Keep in mind that this is true only for metallics. For solid paints (=non-metallics) I mostly use direct lighting.

Pavel, two very nice models of kits seen not very often. Shame on Italeri for using their generic chassis for the very good Mack kit! Otherwise sales figures would be much higher. Obviously there is a lot of work waiting for you.

Very impressive, subtle weathering! Well done!

Carl, this is a really nice rig in an unusual but attractive colour combination. The rack on top of the tractor gives your model a very special and interesting appearance.

Hi, Though not perfect Tamiya's kit can be a very rewarding project with a convincing result if built carefully. These steps need some attention: A good colour choice makes or breaks the model. Even if this is a matter of taste I saw excellently finished but rather unattractive models in BRG or burgundy. Search the web for finished models before choosing a colour. The decals for the interior wooden surfaces were rather colourful, and applying them seemed to be very time-consuming. Therefore I painted these parts as seen on the last picture. The metal transfers meant for replicating the exterior chrome trim looked partially not convincing. I replaced them on the bonnet and on the fenders by bright wire glued into a scribed groove. The wire wheels are really disppointing. They are massive and look very similar to the wheels of the still available old Aurora/Monogram kits of Aston Martin DB4 and Maserati 3500. Once again making real wire wheels is indispensable. I built my model when the kit was released, i. e. 15 or 20 years ago. It is still standing in the first row in my display cabinet.

Thanks for the comments! Jim, I agree, the rather pricey CMC models are really outstanding. The Rennwagen-Schnelltransporter is unique and spectacular in reality and as a model. BTW it is at least doubtful if it was ever used before Mercedes retired from racing in October 1955. The leading German author for Mercedes' truck history says that the vehicle was finished too late and that therefore it was only used for advertising purposes – as a real part of the Mercedes racing history it would probably not have been scrapped in 1967 (the museum vehicle is a replica). For me even more desirable is the W196 streamline car. I am afraid, however, that there will never be a 1/24 kit. Unfortunately there is obviously too little interest among modelers.

Probably the most interesting Tamiya F1 kit nicely executed.

Thanks for the further replies! David, I am sorry, I pondered what I did exactly but then forgot to answer. I am quite sure that I eliminated the kit tilt hinges. Instead I built two supports and glued the cab onto them, i. e. the cab cannot be tilted. I can't remember, however, if the kit's rear cab suppor had to be modified to make the cab sit correctly. I am also quite sure that after aligning the cab the bumper had to be repositioned to reduce the huge gap between cab and bumper. Some good pictures of the 1:1 vehicle are indispensable for achieving a realistc look. The whole line is nice and really worth the effort!

Peculiar colour combination, excellent detailing and extreme but totally convincing weathering on a worn workhorse.

One of the best truck kits ever perfectly executed. A completely convincing workhorse!

The trailer is as impressive as the tractor. Considering that working with brass is much more difficult than styrene: admirable work!

Very unusual but very attractive colour combination. Exceptionally good work on the radiator grille.

Hi, After WWII Mercedes resumed racing with the completely new designed W196 in 1954. She was the most advanced and most sophisticated front engine GP car ever (the successful era of front engine GP=F1 cars was over in 1958, but f. e. Ferrari used them even in 1960). The W196 had a lot of unique features, e. g. an intricate tubular space frame from thin tubes, a 4(!) OHC straight eight canted to the right for a lower center of gravity and a very low silhouette, desmodromic valve gear, central power take-off, direct(!) injection. Mercedes used a beautiful streamline body for high speed circuits and an open-wheeled body where cornering was more important. The W196 appeared not before the third GP of the 1954 season and then won 4 of 6 races. For the 1955 season the inboard front brakes were mounted outboard, because they tended to overheat and the long wheelbase impeded cornering. These shorter vehicles won 5 of 6 GPs. Their complete superiority shows the result of the British GP: They finished first, second, third and fourth. My model has the long wheelbase and inboard brakes, therefore it is a 1954 car. After winning the sports car championship, too, and under the impression of the Le Mans disaster Mercedes finished all racing activities at the end of the 1955 season. The W196 that was sold for almost $ 30,000,000 recently (the highest price for a vintage car ever) was a 1955 model. I can't remember when I built my model (maybe 10 or 20 years ago) but I do remember that the Protar kit was a sham because the box was nearly empty. Except a nice body the few other parts (no chassis, no engine, no firewall, no radiator) were wrong (f. e. wheels) or extremely simplified. Fortunately W196 and 300 SLR are technically very similar, so I could take a lot of parts from the RoG kit. The rest was scratch built and of course real wire wheels were indispensable. After a lot of work this is still one of my favourite models.

A unique model and perfectly executed. Harry, I call this modeling at its best!

A really unique idea and your immaculate execution made a fantastic model. I love it!

Thanks for the further comments! Kevin, don't stop seeking ... Jeremy, I am really looking forward to see them, particularly the short nose.

Ken, a very clean build!

Fantastic finish!