89AKurt

LMAO Exactly why I built mine like I did. I bought it when AutoWeek reported that the Jap car was too controversial and was ditched, figured it would become a collectible, didn't know AMT popped a million of them, and the prices on eBay were about 10 cents more than I paid for it, on sale. The biggest problem was the turbo pipe that comes around the left side over the engine, in fact all those pipes were a pain to get in. Look at the engine bay.

Thank you for the encouragement. ? I knew there would be more than just sticking the engine in there. Don't know what kit they used for a development mule (that's a prototype term for when manufacturers engineer a new car, I think), must not have been this one. The exhaust pipe interferes with the cross member. The strut bar mounts, completely removed what was the top of the strut towers. But the bar arches up too much, so will have to fabricate a new one. I have about a billionth of a millimeter clearance, I know paint will fill the gap. ? Ground and sanded down the tower struts. Also opened up the engine bay along the sides, and also removed some of the radiator top and a slab behind it. The resin radiator will cover the scar below. Added steel pins so the engine/transaxle will not slop around. I better grind them down so I can get the engine in, will tape over the magnet because the sparks will get caught. I'm wearing the metallic paint off, which is annoying.

of vintage photos

Looks great! BMF is one of those products that was exciting to discover, still prefer over the Molotov pen. Only trouble is when the adhesive goes bad, it has a shelf life.

I built the Dodge Stealth Indy in two days, came out like a POS. I have the '56 VW Beetle kit, both High Tech and "normal", looks easy enough. Seems like what paint you use will dictate how fast it will go together. Good luck!

the alcohol kicks

Though I would never tackle such a subject or kit, read through every comment and picture. Looking great! Find an alternative to 5 minute epoxy?

Using a trick that Mark D. Jones does, magnets for sub assemblies, for the engine to transaxle. The Hobby Design engine is very detailed, but it's a bit rough because of early 3D printing resolution. It came with a photo-etch clutch assembly which I'm not using on this project, might have a diorama that could work. Seeing what others are going to race with, I'm hoping the weather will really suck. ?

Making progress on the engine. I'm finding out some reasons it may have been discontinued. One side, the recesses for the coil/plugs were reversed, just a couple of cuts (pointing to the incorrect recess) with the knife corrected the fit, won't see it. Getting the intake pipe, coolant hose, and intake to fit around each other needed judicious removal from the a/c pump for clearance. No positive pins or tabs for that pump, so it broke off a couple of times. Started on the photo-etch parts. One fret is thicker than the other. The intercooler has a stencil for painting the STI. Have the magnets on the transaxle. Used a wire for the little hose. Needed to drill the hole in the engine block to fit the round magnet. Since this mating plane is the kit and the engine, needed to modify the transaxle to clear the starter. Holds really well, but should add wire pins so there isn't any slop. Temporary glued the transaxle on the chassis with Tacky glue. Next step is to get the shock tower parts ground underneath so that assembly comes down, so fingers crossed there is clearance. The radiator is a big part that will need kit bashing. There are some tiny parts that were duplicated , which is a great idea.

Welcome to the forum, and this community build! That should be wicked cool. You're gonna smoke my little Subie. I have been putzing away this week, started the engine build.

hanging over thorny

Second color of painting (technically 3, aluminum, steel, polished aluminum) session. First parts to test fit, the shock towers have pins intended for the strut holes, so that located them about 0.01 mm too wide for the strut brace. Going to cut those pins off and locate closer together. Now that I'm looking at this picture, compared to the Saturday post, this is way too high, so I better grind down these tower braces. I dislike brush painting so much, that I'll mask and airbrush everything. ? Since I know nothing about Subarus, other than they are boxer 4 cylinders, researched engine mounts. Lots of pictures of cool looking aftermarket mounts, but no clear pictures of where on the engine they are, and chassis locations, so I'm still clueless. I guess it's good enough to let it hang off the transmission. Thinking of using magnets to hold the engine to transmission, a trick that Mark D. Jones (Scale-Master) uses, it would be so much easier for test fitting.

With a Trebuchet.

Does the insulation foil come with the kit? I've scavenged cigarette box foil, running out since I never smoked and stopped going to the bar (hey, can I have your cig carton? ~strange look~). Looking good so far. I need to remember the Top Studio weld lines.

I have the kit and all the aftermarket parts, so hope to learn something here.

I have another version of this kit, so am going to be watching. I understand and say the same about race decals.

You're doing a great job so far! Frustrating about the paint.

delivery method failed

Likewise sir! Thank you!

Thank you, will hunt them down.

fat, they slid

Because I own a '68 Chevy pickup, I was stoked to spot this. Didn't see the front, so it's a '67-'72. I was checking out the back-up lights converted to be turn signals, the back-up light is the long LED bar, which would be great for tailgaters. Then the huge exhaust, looks like newer differential. When he turned, saw it's a crew cab, which are really rare. I think it's a custom, made from a Suburban, the original back doors were like the front. Wish I could have followed, but had a new client to take money from. Second crew cab I've seen in my town.

Never saw a circuit board holder before, looks like a rotisserie, will keep in mind. Via eBay, came from Malta in this package. ? The only cardboard was around the sides, should have at least done the corrugation the other direction. Looks bad.? Otherwise, I'm excited to have this crappy kit! I found another forum, in Russia, a builder was correcting it, then the WIP stopped. Don't know if this is a good place to ask: Is it worth keeping it sealed, since the box is trashed like this? Yea it's 30 years old, sort of rare, can't imagine ever being re-popped again, I buy models to look at and build someday. What is your opinion?

Do you have a Dremel tool? It's one of the most used tools I use, can't do without it. That's a nice looking engine! We are lucky to have so many engines nowadays to choose from. I started today, painting my Hobby Design Subie engine.

Welcome. Be sure to reinforce BEFORE cutting off, everything will remain aligned. Tacky glue is like thick Elmers white school glue, it does stick parts together better too. It's almost like construction caulking. I've used Titebond carpenters glue too, but it dries hard, and can break pins when parts are pulled apart. Started painting tonight. I want to assemble the engine, might as well paint it. Then I will get it mated to the chassis. Need to research what the engine mounts look like, don't see such a thing on this "kit". Since many parts are normally semi-gloss black, painted everything except the intake. Some of the aluminum paints need to be over black anyway. The radiator will be the next part to fuss with.