Anglia105E

Thanks for the link, and I had a look at that one...... I think the TR6 looks better in Sapphire Blue than in yellow, although I don't have a problem with yellow cars. The price comes out at around £100.00 GBP, which is roughly what I would pay for a 1:24 scale Danbury Mint diecast, but the shipping from USA would make it a bit too pricey for me, although not as expensive as shipping from Canada. The 1:43 scale TR6 looks good also, and I am always fascinated by the amount of detail they can get into such a small scale. The Minichamps models are well worth the money, and I have several in 1:43 scale, including a very nice 1956 Bentley S1 Continental. David

That is a very nice looking model indeed, Steve......... extremely accurate and realistic. My collections include 1:24 and 1:43 scale cars, so not the 1:18 scale, but that TR6 is so good, that I want one! You are lucky to own the real 1:1 version of this fine motor car, which was the last of the TR's before the TR7 was produced ( not everyone's cup of tea really ! ). Back in the mid - seventies I used to work for a Jaguar / Rover / Triumph dealership, so I was very familiar with the parts catalogues and seeing the TR5 and TR6 in the workshop on a daily basis. David

Happy New Year from England........ to you, Thomas

I am liking your build of this 1:12 Italeri Alfa Romeo very much, Thomas....... the paint colours work very well, and this model car is very realistic..... if I get around to building 1:12 scale model motor cars, this could well be the first kit that I would look at. Usually, I do like Italeri kits, which are satisfying to build in 1:24 scale. David

Told you....... I knew it ! David

That's a very dramatic sky there, John...... but it works ! David

Looks like you are having a whale of a time there, Tom....... lighting can be quite straightforward, or more challenging, depending upon which method of lighting you care to choose. I have tried aquarium lighting in my dioramas, also doll's house lighting and lastly Christmas type decorative lighting on a continuous cable. The doll's house lighting seemed to work best for 1:24 scale buildings, apart from the bulbs failing frequently. The aquarium lighting was too blue, despite having blue and white LED's, and the Christmas lights were okay for 1:43 scale buildings. Hiding the cables is the tricky bit. David

Work is progressing on the sign-writing for the Hooper factory front wall, and on a different subject, a photo taken of our Christmas Day walk in the grounds of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, late afternoon....... the photo is taken with the same Kodak camera as is used for the diorama photography. David

Liking the valve cover that you have cast, Mark...... I have been considering casting a body shell in clear resin, and I am not quite sure if it is a good idea....... it would be a 1:24 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, showing the interior and engine visible through the clear resin body. The product that I would use is this one.... Pebeo Gedeo Crystal Resin, which I believe is a French product. How did you find the clear resin to use? David

Wishing everyone on Model Cars Magazine Forum a Merry Christmas Eve........ and here is a photo of the Hooper factory front wall, with the lettering for ' HOOPER ' painted onto the centre block in Vallejo Prussian Blue acrylic, and also the Royal crest at the very top. David

The Mini Cooper car is very realistic, so nice build, Safak...... and the diorama is complete....... very good project. You must be very pleased with this. David

It is all coming together nicely now, Dan...... and we all want to know what is inside that mysterious crate...... David

Just as Pat says, John...... your excellent diorama will take on a life of it's own, then get outta control and who knows where it might go ! David

Work has been temporarily put to one side, while my daughter is home from London for the Christmas period..... she is only here for 10 days, so my self-employed computer business is on a back burner also, and scale model car building will be minimal, as will diorama construction. These following photos show the Victorian terraced houses diorama brought down onto the work bench, and you can see the Hooper factory building right at the back. The tree and the tree bench is part of the 1:24 scale Hooper diorama, while everything else is 1:43 scale. David

Welcome to MCM forums, Jonelle..... and I am sure that you will find lots of topics and friendly members on here to get you building. I think I might have replied to one of your previous posts, but it was in a different category, I seem to remember. Enjoy the MCM experience! David

You have interpreted the scenario perfectly, Tom...... your imagination seems to be on my wavelength ! David

Thanks very much, Eric..... and I think that is an early Bentley Continental S1 Fastback by Hooper, which is parked outside the Acton factory in that photograph, probably around 1956. Once the factory diorama is linked up alongside the terraced houses diorama, you will see Western Avenue running along in front of the factory forecourt, and Duke's Road running between the houses and the factory building, at right angles to the main road. The Hooper factory forecourt will have a petrol pump, an entrance gate with walls and railings, also an area of grass and a telephone kiosk at one corner. David

This project of yours is so off the wall....... that it it's going to work ! Your design skills are exceptional, and transforming your original design idea into the actual model is fascinating..... you will get there, Eric. David

I have applied a single coat of the Clotted Cream furniture paint to the front wall of the Hooper factory building, which is now ready fro the blue sign-writing. A gentleman who is one of the coachbuilders employed by Hooper's has arrived for work on his bicycle, first thing in the morning......he is about to go in through the main entrance door to clock in for his early shift. ( the main entrance door hasn't been fabricated yet, so he might struggle with that ). David

You have done a good job on your Ford Anglia 105E, Ken........ and the flat clear really helps with the realism of the model. My first thought ties in with what Dave Van is asking, do you think Jada have got the scale right? David

The pieces of cut length 1/4" x 1/4" styrene square tubing have now been super glued in place, on the rear face of the front wall. There are 21 pieces in total, and as I move on to construct the three dimensional structure of this building I shall be using the hot glue gun, instead of the super glue to join the lengths of styrene tubing. Also in the following photos, you can see a test sample on white card, which is the paint that will be applied to the front wall of the factory..... this is a water based furniture paint by ' Rust-oleum ', called Chalky Finish, and it is a smooth touch flat matt finish..... the colour is Clotted Cream. This cream shade should go well with the blue sign-writing and the Art Deco features of the building. David

The factory front wall has been cut away from the larger sheet of card, and the styrene square tubing has been measured and cut to form the support structure for the back of the front wall. Today, the 1962 Daimler 2 1/2 litre V8 in Indigo Blue was delivered, and this photographs quite well alongside the Royal Mail van and the front of the factory. Once the front wall assembly is able to stand vertically, I shall construct the styrene framework to form the whole building. David

Tire Shop is looking busy, Tom...... the Hobby Gear stuff looks great! David

Thank you, Tom and Gary........ here is the new reference photograph, which shows the Hooper & Co factory building as it was in 1935....... the 1/4" x 1/4" styrene square tubing is being delivered to the factory construction site by a 1959 Morris LD150 Royal Mail Van...... David

Excellent build, JC...... and a well deserved award for your rally Escort RS 1800 MK II...... well over 2 years work and lots of attention to every detail. Brilliant ! David