Rich Chernosky

Sometimes the obvious eludes us. It often takes an outside perspective to see what we don't. You were wise to ask for help and I was just as happy to provide it.

I would think that a piece of styrene rod the right diameter would do. Cut off the right width with a sharp razor blade and glue it in with craft glue. Paint silver and decal it.

That's a museum piece, very, very nice

Tony....welcome to the forum. I have re-painted many a diecast and if you don't strip the paint off you don't need primer. If it has tampo printing on it that can be removed with nail polish remover and that won't or shouldn't hurt the paint underneath. Most diecast are dipped in their basecoat and it is pretty resilient. Scrub it down with a toothbrush and scouring powder, dry it good and you are ready to go. Tamiya lays out smooth the best over a shiny surface and has great adhesion. If the paint on your diecast is not so good then that is a different story. Then you will have to strip it. That is all up to you to decide. Most of the diecast I have seen has pretty decent paint on it. Hope all this helps.

Scott....I built the Testarossa (mine is a spyder) and the F-40 many years ago. If I remember correctly the fit on the front cover was way off and I had to grind down the attachment points quite a bit. Mine are displayed with pieces of styrofoam under the car. It is just the right height so the wheels and tires sit flat but don't support any of the weight. You have to look hard to spot the styrofoam and I have had no suspension failure. Your interior leather work is spot on by the way. Wish I had done this to mine but they were built over 15yrs ago. Where did you find the leather. I can still take it apart and do it. Eventually both these cars will come out of my Ferrari case (they take up an enormous amount of room) and have their own separate display cases.

Looks real good Phil....a nice tribute.

Amazing attention to detail, a superb model of a great car.

Kurt...this is very cool. Figures add a lot of interest to a finished project. I do a lot of minatures painting for my business but I also incorporate some of the techniques into my model car hobby. Its a different kind of painting. You are off to a great start BTW and I will be interested in your finished piece. Here are a couple minis (there are three of them) I did for my Stroker Ace diorama.

Very nice job, like the colour. Really can't tell from the photos if you have glue on the window. have you tried Novus 2 to try and polish it out. Windows are a pain any way you look at it.

Nice save, colour looks good

Awesome job on the decals Tim. Nice to know extras are available from Indycals. I can only imagine what a terror they were over those louvers.

This kit is on my "want bad" list. I will be following your build.

Mark..have been following this post from the beginning. And I have seen a few of your other completed models. Thank you so much for explaining in detail what you are doing. Now I know the method to your madness and appreciate your other models even more. Can't wait to see it finished..it should be world class. How long have you been 3D printing BTW. Did you do some of this on your other models??

Been lusting after this diecast for a very long time and finally got it at a price I can afford. I have noticed the price dropping on these as more and more collections become available. Good for us collectors. This is Exotos Chaparral 2F and the level of detail is unbelievable. Many working features including, doors, front and rear bonnet removable, steering, working suspension, opening panels for the gas caps, front storage under the headlights, spare tire access. Interior is well detailed including the correct seatbelts , steering wheel and interior tub of fibreglas. I have a vast collection of diecast (including about 30 Exoto) and built models but nothing compares to this. A welcome addition to the Chaparral collection. Full veiw, panel fir is excellent, amazing how the front and rear attach and stay put. Don't know why the Firestone logo is missing from the decal. It is on both sides so it was apparently deliberate. Rear 3/4 view, correct Texas licence plate and real screen over the engine Side veiw, wing is plastic but fits well and the correct angle. Kit was packed well and came from a collector who appreciated fine models. I felt like a kid at Christmas opening it up and assembling it. It is flawless. Business end without the bonnet. Everything is correct including the colour of the exhaust. Much of the detail is not visible in this shot. Front end without the bonnet. Level of detail here is incredible Difficult to get a good shot of the interior. Note the working door support. There isn't one of the passenger door which is correct. I am told these are often missing on this model. My entire collection of Chaparral 2F's. 1/24 is a Fisher Model and Pattern kit I built about 10yrs ago, 1/43 is a really horrible Solido diecast, and the 1/64 is an Aurora Thunderjet slot car with a clear body that was done a long time ago when I could actually see to do these things. The clear acetate the body it is made of yellowed a long time ago...circa 1974. Engine still works though.

Brilliant solution Kurt. Looks better and functions better. Mine broke off more than once so I don't open the hood much. Besides, my engine isn't anywhere near as nice as yours.

Another masterpiece.

Good job, thanks for posting.

I have this kit and looking at yours I may have to build it. The colour suits it and you did a great job. Well done.

Absolutley stunning model, John. I happen to know from personal experience what a challenge those decals are, especially around the hood vents. You have executed that brilliantly . Congradulations on a fine build.

Outstanding build....I have one of these in my stash with the super detail kit also. Yours is an inspiration. Thanks for posting. That helmet is killer BTW

Kurt..luv the detail work on the engine. I know some of that is a "pain" but that is where the word patience comes in. You got this....keep at it. Liked the paint too, glad you are happy with it. I have used a few bottles of Novus myself over the years.

Always thought this was a cool car, you did it justice with the paint.

Interesting take on a cool racecar.

Pretty slick, a nice clean build in my favorite colour...red.

The paint and decals are really looking good. This should be a stunning build.