Rich Chernosky

Monty..you will get a pearl white finish. Fine surface primer is quite white so it will be fairly brilliant. If you want a higher shine you will need to clear coat it with TS-13. The pearl additive in TS-65 gives the clear a very slight texture which kills the hi shine. As a general rule I don't use the primer under Tamiya on plastic bodies. Adhesion is not the problem for Tamiya. The higher shine and smoother the base makes Tamiya gloss up quicker. I have achieved better pearl whites with the pearl additive in the white gloss. Fine surface primer is one of the best but it still has a very slight texture which will kill any high gloss and requires more coats of clear. I have sprayed a LOT of Tamiya. Hope this answers your question in the manner you requested.

Nice conversion on a classic Ferrari. Real car photos were great too.

Looks good to me....way to go Tony.

Thank you Bruce.. this kit was a long time on my bucket list to aquire...and even longer to build. Just glad its done now.

Great job on this one Bruce

That's a beauty. The paint work, decals and masking are spot on. Hard to believe its 1/32.

John...this one is really shaping up good . Your paint job and interior are fantastic. Two suggestions since I have sprayed a lot of nail polish. Spray over a darker base , especially for irredescent and pearl nail polish. In your case a med dark gray would have got you the color quicker. For the black trim switch to X-18. Looks the same but mistakes clean up a lot easier and quicker with polishing compound. I think overlooking kit inconsistencies and just looking for a nice shelf model is the way to go. A lot less anxiety and more building pleasure. Look forward to seeing the finished car.

Nice pair of Stangs you got there Paul. Shows some great creativity. Really like your messy garage...that's cool too.

Very nice build Mathias. Really like what you did with the interior. I have this kit and you are right ..its very nice. Mine is just waiting for clear coat. You will enjoy their GT40 (I'm on my second one) Lots of decal options out there for it.

Looks great Dan, engine and interior are awesome. Thanks for posting.

As a fellow PA resident I welcome you. If you are just getting back and assembling tools and paint....the first thing you will need is a dedicated work space with good lighting and a comfy chair.

Dave...that really turned out spectacular. I am always amazed that you turn out such beautiful models from such humble beginnings. Fangio would luv this.

Mark...thanks for putting that information out there on the TS-36 and TS-13 clear. Something that I was not aware of but have probably just gotten lucky with it in the past. This will come in handy when I start mine. I just picked up the Meng 1/12 MP4/4 so I guess I am just a glutton for punishment when it comes to 1/12 F-1. Good job on saving that body piece. I do know that Tamiya strips really hard when cured.

Welcome Martin. You will be in good company here as there are several of us who build 1/12. I have a similar history as yours but don't always go for the hi-detail sets. I get them when they are available and affordable. Besides I have a lot of kits to do. Look forward to seeing your work.

Looks like a real one...and I've seen one of those too. Awesome job Chris...five months well spent.

I have tried X-22 with retarder but with mixed results. The LP clear is done is four stages. 1 first coat thinned just a little at high pressure. This leaves the surface a little pebbley with almost no shine. 2 second coat at the same pressure but open the nozzle more. Shine starts to show. 3 Third coat is thinned some more and the nozzle left where it was at but lower pressure. This really starts to shine but will dull a little as it dries. 4 Last coat is over thinned at low pressure. It should form a nice mist and goes on very wet. Usually spray this coat a little farther back to avoid runs. First three coats can be put on at 5min intervals. Last one you should probably give it an hour or so. Takes some practise but the results are worth it. This also works for Mr Color clear too. I did a Lancia Stratos with a bottle of Testors ( Italian red but looked more like dark orange) I had as a kid...the early 60's. One of my best airbrush jobs. The paint had to be 40yrs old at the time. Still got a few bottles.

Harry...I am fortunate to have my local hobby shop owner as my best friend. He took on the entire line of LP (80 colors) and gave me (as in free) 1 of each. I have used about half of them. I use a Paasche H in both heavy and med tip so the pressure is a little higher and I have to thin...not much BTW as the LP line was designed for airbrush. I use Mr Color leveling thinner. The clear is one of the best I have seen as you spray and keep thinning. The last wet coat goes on shiny and stays that way. Might agree with you on the semi black as I have gone through 2 jars. But my "go to" is still TS-29 decanted. Don't mix the LP line with decanted TS BTW as you will get colored cottage cheese ...instantly. I have been spraying more and more of the AK Metalizers for certain applications. Its great. Although the Testors buffing metalizers are still my favorite. Nothing really like them on the market. When I heard they were being dropped I hoarded them. I might have a 10yr supply at the rate I am building now. Thanks for the reply...been a great exchange.

Thank you very much Mario....now if I had one of your backgrounds.....??

Well Thomas...you didn't exactly pick the easiest paint job to do your first F-1 car...but you really pulled it off beautifully. Congrats on a job well done.

Harry...that's really sharp...luv the color and the wheels just look right. How do you like the Tamiya LP line. I have all the colors and use them quite heavily. Whose kit is this BTW..??

Mark...you are really struggling with the paint on this one. I have used a lot of TS26 and TS36 in my day and never experienced what you are. I rarely use primer under these. Most of my TS26 goes over white plastic and the TS36 over red plastic. On mine I will put down some orange first and then the TS36. I have tested it. Tamiya Flourescent red is an amazing finish. I know of no other flourescent that shines the way this does. Have you considered asking Tamiya for some new body pieces and starting over.

Found it...paint is a combination of Tamiya clear yellow and red over gold with clear top coat. Black is Tamiya x-18 with some silver added.

This kit , and your build...which is great by the way...always brings back one of my fondest memories of all my years modeling. Found this kit as a "glue bomb" at one of my local hobby shops. Salvaged it and put a nice paint job on it similar to yours. (got a pic somewhere) When finished I put it on display at another hobby shop. Another modeler was admiring my build and commented he had the kit as a kid but traded it off and wished he had it back. Well....after some investigating it turns out that it actually was his kit he built as a 13yr old. We still have a good laugh about it 20yrs later.