Rich Chernosky

This one has got to be the most delicate, fussy and time consuming project ever. I was so glad to get it done and in the case. Complicating the build process was the finish...AK Super Chrome. It sprayed and looked nice but after much handling it started to rub off. Had to respray several areas and then clear coat with Tamiya X-22 clear (which takes about a month to cure) Decals and finicky parts completed the process. I will say the body fit nicely and the overall look when finished was pleasing. More details in the picture captions. Thanks for looking and comment welcome. Thgis project sat until thwe rtight finish showed up...that was AK Super Chrome. Got a few wrinkles under the side pod but they are barely noticable. Kit included decals to be able to spray the flourescent red but with the delicate nature of the finish I opted for the full decal. Rear wing was kinda fussy to assemble but attached to the chassis OK. Suspension fit OK but I still ended up with a little bit of a three wheeler. This is a common problem with larger scale F-1 kits and you are often just lucky to get it right. Front wing was the biggest pain and consisted of 21 very delicate pieces. It took several days of letting the glue dry before it was all assembled. And I still knocked a few pieces off any way. That decal on the nose went down OK but was no walk in the park by any means.

This is usually what greets me. Although often there will be at least ONE project on the bench and on very rare occasions two. Since I have a space for every tool and paint i use I always put them away. (I hate looking for tools, most modelers do so 30% of thier hobby time) I like a nice large workspace (can't stand working in clutter) and a clean workbench is just an open invitation to put something there and work on it. Which happens quite quickly. Not poking any criticism at people who work differently from me. Your hobby is to enjoy any way you see fit. It just works for me and I get things done that way.

This model looks great and you have some very cool photography. I have this kit in the stash and most of the parts are sprayed and waiting for final assembly. I will take into consideration your problems and maybe have other ways to fix them. Or...I can just build another Tamiya kit. <G>

Dave....not to step on your post...but this can be done. I did this one on 6/25/2018. It is a Jorgensen resin and the decals are from Indycals, You are doing a great job and it will be a spectacular model when finished. I have lots of detailed photos and can assist you if so desired. Keep up the good work.

When I first saw this kit in the WIP section, I knew I wanted one. This outstanding build makes me want it even more. Very nice work Thomas, congratulations on an excellent build.

Seriously nice rally car. Very well done and photographed.

keep em coming Paul. Like the color on this one. I have found visiting a kit a second or even third time always yields better results.

Another stunning build Mario. What did you use for the wheels, they really caught my eye and look very good with this color.

This is very nice Gary, great photography too. Thanks for posting

Helmut....attention to detail everywhere....its a winner alright. Great job.

Wow.....what a nice graphics package....very nice decal work. Great job Bruce.

Have you ever had one of those projects that just seems to drag on and on. Well this was one of them. I spent a lot of time drilling out holes, filing things to fit, adding pins and waiting over night for glue to dry. This was an early Italeri kit and the engineering was...well...not as good as their current kits. And being 1/16 scale meant that everything important had to fit. Big scale kits are like that. But it is done now (sigh!!) and for the most part I am pleased with the results. Color on this one is Splash SP-059 Rosso Scuderia. Clear is 2K. Model particulars are in the captions. Thanks for looking. Engine on this kit was fairly well detailed and fit. Rear suspension...not so much. I added some wiring and hoses. All done and ready to race. The overall stance and look of the model came out well. The rear deck on this kit gave me the most problems. It fit but tended to spring apart. Locater tabs and pins were required. There are two small handmade latches for the fenders and two more pins on the rear. Another u-shaped clip on the other side was needed as well. The glass fit well but that was about it. Drivers side view. That tiny clip is just behind the rear tires. Wheel centers were sprayed flat metallic grey. Doors open and close quite nicely thanks to some magnets. One can be seen on the lower door sill. just push them closed and they fit with a satisfying "snick" Interesting feature of this kit is the wheels steer through the steering wheel. Interior is kinda sparse so I added seatbelts and some wires and hoses. Front cover opens and there is some nice detail here. Getting that hinge glued in place and working was a real challenge. Front cover rests oon two square pins in the bodywork just in front of the door. The plastic in this kit was brittle and a lot of the delicate body pieces broke and had to be re-inforced. That included those square pins which were replaced with square styrene rod and with metal centers. Thanks for looking. Comments welcome.

Bruce...that's a great little kit and you did it justice.

That's a real beauty Mario. Lambo's have always had my attention. Really like your photography and the diorama is very cool. Well done.

Anders, that may be a horrid kit (I know as I have done a few early Italeri) but it has a "knock yer socks off" paint job on it. Really nice job.

A very nice post Helmut. Well described and photographed. Your innovative modeling skills are right up there too. I have quite a few diecast in my extensive collection but it has never occured to me to modify them. Hmmmmm...might start .

Gary...that looks good. Your Lemans collection must be very cool.

Very nice job Rex, Some works of art just take a long time.

That's a sweet looking Jag. I like that kit and yours turned out great. Glad you were able to overcome those body fit problems.

Nice Job Mario...your perserverance paid off,

Pierre...really nice looking model. I will echo Helmuts comments that there are more Tamiya kits in your future. I have done many of them in four different scales and never been disappointed. If you want a fine piece of sculpture...you have to start with fine piece of marble.