Ben Brown

Good news! Well, except for the tariff situation. SK posted a photo of the body a few days ago on FB, so I assume we'll be seeing some alternative decals for it, soon. Also saw where Nunu is also releasing the 991 RSR kit with the Rothmans tribute livery. Ben

My wish list is probably more like a list of the cars that are least likely to be seen in kit form, although there are rumors of the first one. Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo Honda NSX GT3 Evo22 Ferrari 488 GT3 Porsche 924 Carrera GT 1st generation Acura Integra 2nd generation Mazda MX-6 LS 1st generation Lotus Esprit Turbo Ben

Very nice collection! I’m like you in that I prefer race cars. Yours look great! Ben

How are these decals from a user standpoint? Do they use a printing process where the decals don’t react to setting solutions, like Draw Decals or Decalcas, or are they more like the ones you get from Indycals that you can treat like conventional silkscreened decals? Ben

Any comments on Slotfabrik decals? I haven’t been able to find any reviews. Are they fairly conventional to work with and respond to setting solutions like Indycals or are they more like working with thin vinyl like Decalcas? I don’t mind difficult, I’d just like to know what I might be up against. Thanks! Ben

I recently bought an Ikea Milsbo cabinet for my cars. It looks good and is well built. The only downside is the shelves aren't adjustable. There's room for another shelf, but it would be pretty difficult to install shelf supports in new positions. It would require a lot of drilling and installing riv-nuts for the shelf supports to screw into. My airplane models are in the bonus room in a 72" tall display case I built about 30 years ago. My wife calls it The Monolith. Ben

I can’t help with the repairs, but I use Washi tape and Tamiya tape for masking and have never had an issue with either leaving a residue. You should be able to find Washi tape in the scrapbooking section of your local craft store or maybe even Walmart. Ben

Cool! Just as I’m putting the finishing touches on the Tamiya kit. Ben

Yes, Fujimi’s is a very nice S1 car (normally aspirated). The Turbo was a later version (S3?) with some distinctive bodywork added in addition to the turbo. It’s a shame Fujimi never followed up with a turbo version. Even a resin conversion for the Fujimi kit would be welcome. The Monogram kit is the second generation Esprit which had redesigned body, among other changes. I haven’t been able to work up the courage to tackle my Monogram kit. I’ve heard too many horror stories about it!? Ben

That's too bad. It would be nice to have a Manthey Racing car on the shelf. Thanks for the quick reply! Ben

I’m really glad Nunu’s 911 RSR has been released. I got mine last week and can’t wait to get started on it. The 991 911 GT3 they announced at the same time (~2019?) seems to have disappeared. Anyone know if it’s been officially cancelled in favor of the M4 GT3 or is it still in the works? Ben

A car I left off of my previous post drove past me this morning: Lotus Elise. I can also add the Emira and Emira GT4, and a first generation Esprit Turbo to the list. Ben

FIAT X1/9 MGA TR7/TR8 convertible

Any word on whether or not it will include interior parts for a left hand drive car like they did for their 1st gen BRZ kit? I’d love to have a model of my car! Ben

The good folks at the Large Scale Planes forum might be able to point you in the right direction. Ben

Micro Set is what you want. Micro Sol will just melt them more onto your model. I’ve had some luck gently removing decals with Set, but it takes time, patience, and luck. I keep the decal wet and very gently use a brush as a sort of chisel, slowly working the tips of the bristles under the decal. Work your way around the perimeter of the decal until you find a corner that starts to lift and go from there. Eventually, you can get the decal floated off of the model. This doesn’t always work; sometimes the decal is too brittle or stuck down too well. Ben

I keep hoping Aoshima will release a 2nd gen BRZ so I can build my car. Their very nice 1st gen comes with both left and right hand drive. Ben

I’ve been using contact containers for several years. They’re also great for dropping a dab of glue so you can apply a tiny amount with a needle. I’ve also found that glue and most paints won’t stick to the plastic. One it dries, you can pop it out with a fingernail. Ben

No worries. If I ordered the wrong thing it would be my fault. I’m taking a “let’s see how this works” attitude with this build so it’s all good. Ben

I may end up wishing I had ordered some deep dish ones! ? If the shallow ones don’t work on my current project I’ll order some deep dish ones from you. I’ve got several other kits the shallow ones will work with. Ben

The Rays wheels and Potenza tires arrived today. They are really nice! Order with confidence! Ben

HobbySearch is my first stop when ordering from Japan. Never had a problem with them. Ben

Add another to my list: Porsche 924 Carrera GT. Profil24 has a Le Mans version but I’d love to have a street version. Ben

Another vote for Splash Paints! Just note that the solvents in the paint are pretty hot (just like Gravity Colors and Zero Paints), so you need a good primer. Their own primer, Tamiya’s, and Gravity Colors Spain’s primers all work great with these paints. I’ve been using Tamiya’s LP clear gloss lately. Ben

I mask with a combination of Tamiya and Washi tape and then paint the trim and window frames with Tamiya X-18 Semi gloss black. That way, if I do accidentally get any paint creep under the mask, I can easily remove it with some Windex, a small paint brush, and a toothpick without damaging the underlying lacquer paint or clear plastic. Ben