Spottedlaurel

Another great build Matt, those wheels are amazing and really enhance the good basic proportions Heller managed here. I'm doing a quick 1/43 build myself at the moment, the Alpine A310 which I think you've done previously.

I think you've done a really nice job, looks pretty good from here.

Very good. I know pretty much nothing about the 1:1 car but the look of yours gives no clue that it came from various sources, it's come together very well.

Very nicely done. The kit looks to be well detailed and you're really doing it justice (I fear that I won't when I do mine).

I'll do my best Anton! Hopefully I've got the right balance between keeping it interesting and achievable. It would helpif I made a decent start on it this time, unlike last year's attempt. My 2021 entry was a rush on the last day or two.

I had this idea several weeks ago when there was a possibility it could have been a wagon or mid-engined theme, and a quick bit of measuring and comparing today shows it to be a viable option so I'm going to make good use of the RWYB theme to declare this as my entry: It's going to be the NSX's mid-mounted V6 in the loadbay of the Accord, complete with its rear suspension and the majority of the floorpan. A bit of work is required as the Accord is unsurprisingly longer than the NSX, but the width is close. Looking to keep the bodywork as subtle as possible, with the odd discreet intake. The Aoshima kit helpfully includes tinted glass, so I'll use that to hide the rollcage and engine. Hoping it will look like a lightly modified, clean road car that shouldn't arouse suspicion. Will probably add a LHD dashboard (the NSX has one as an option). Still want to to do the Viper-engined '70 Challenger I had in mind for last year's CBR, but keeping it clean without a cage so I decided against declaring it as my RWYB entry this year.

It doesn't warrant starting a WIP thread as it's such a simple little kit and I'm hoping it will be under glass very soon: Most recent arrival and I made a start on it just before Christmas, knowing I'd have a bit of time to hopefully get something very simple on and off the bench. Status as of this evening. Sadly it appears the bodyshell got squashed at some point. I need to do a bit of strategic bending and perhaps reinforcement before the foil trim goes on.

That brought a smile to my face, nice work. Got to say though that it looks somewhat unstable.....

/\ What were we doing in the 1980s?! This week's arrivals: I think this is the original of an Airfix-boxed version that I already have, it's moulded in purple. My daughter wants one as a 1:1 so might build it with the funky colour (metallic pink,perhaps?) and chunky tyres that she's mentioned. Also discovered recently that it's possible to drop a Camry V6 in, like they do with MR2s. Going to get boring to say this every time one of these arrives, but this will probably be an engine donor. Most recent kit to arrive and I've already started to build it for a Christmas group build on another forum. Despite some roof pillar damage I think it should go together OK, would be a good to get a quick, simple build knocked-off over the festive holiday period.

Well done Anton!

Wonderful work Sonny, it looks fantastic. Excellent detailing and the colour looks right for a '70s car.

A couple of recent arrivals: Looks like a nice kit. Late '80s issue? Pleasing amount of extra parts with it.

I really like what you've done with this one, great work on the subtle upgrades and mod's. By coincidence I have one sitting in my auction site watchlist, it's a bit of an oddball from the era I really like. Having seen yours I'm tempted to give it a go.

Great to see it done this way, and your skills are clearly still there. I've had five of these as 1:1s, none of them looked like yours.....

That is fantastic, the build quality and overall look are spot-on.

Excellent, thanks Enzo (and Anthony too, of course). Currently undecided whether to go with last year's pretty-much-unstarted birth year build, or the idea I had the other day when there was a chance it might have been a wagon theme this year. I'll make use of the Christmas holiday to work something out....

That stands the test of time very nicely Tim. With a touch less rake it would still look very contemporary, like something I might see rolling into a 1:1 show. I don't think the 'vibrant' interior colouring is so far off either. Enjoyed looking through your photos, it seems to be a really nicely detailed kit and I'll certainly look out for it over here. Wheels and tyres would be an easy upgrade with a Fujimi or Aoshima accessory set. Tamiya also offered the narrow-body version: But as it's effectively the same as the Long Beach GP car (without the separate arch mouldings, lights etc) it still has no engine. None of them have functioning indicators/turn signals like this one I've had for years, patiently waiting its turn: They'll look good on the shelf one day alongside 280ZXs and RX-7s. Fujimi also offered a kit, but if it's anything like their other early-mid '80s offerings it won't be great. I traded the one I had years ago. Will be interesting to see if Hasegawa have a go at it, for them it will be how many versions they can get out of the same moulding and I don't think it was widely used in racing?

Well done to everyone who managed to get a build completed! Some great stuff here and I've placed my vote. I failed miserably with mine, I didn't get it past a mockup. But I still like the idea I came up with, and I'll get on with it regardless of whether it fits into a future CBR or is just something I build for my own satisfaction. Looking forward to seeing what we get for 2023. Already got an idea or two....

Saw a surprising amount of stuff when wandering around a nearby town yesterday. Mazda RX7, Mitsubishi FTO and Lancer Evo, VW Scirocco circa 1990 and an old Land Rover that was unusually shiny, amongst others. But this was my favourite: Had a quick word with the owner and passed on my appreciation. Turns out he's owned it for 35 years. These Mk1 Granadas ran from around 1971 to '77 and this one's from 1974. The saloons and estates were bigger than the average family car of the time here, but were common sights. The coupes were always a bit of a rarity however and it was great to see such a nice example on the street.

It's been far, far too long since I've done anything on any of my WIPs. This one was meant to be a quick, simple build but I seem to have failed miserably on the first part.... Finally got myself back into the zone over the last week or so: Firstly I had to deal with a setback that almost caused me to put it back into the box and forget about it. I'd placed a facemask on top of the painted shell and the rubber strap reacted with the paint to cause this damage. Lucking I had just about enough paint left in the can to respray this corner after a quick sanding down. Then I could move forwards..... Painted the suspension and axles plus most of the interior with semi-gloss black and quickly put it together - the joy of a snap-fit! Kit wheels used to check it sits nicely at all four corners. BMF used for the rear lights as there no separate lenses. I'll paint them with Humbrol red/amber clear. First trial-fit on my chosen wheel/tyre combo. Gundam Marker EX used for the headlights and sidelights, a bit of touching up still to do. BMF used for the door handles. Spare front bumper from an Aoshima Nissan Terrano sectioned in the middle. With some minor filling it should do the job nicely, a touch deeper and squarer than the original but better than my efforts at reconstructing the original would have been. State of play at the end of today. Window surrounds painted, panel lines and vents given a bit of wash, wheels given a brush coat of Revell enamel #9. This will probably be the final update, hopefully I'll get it finished over the next week or so then having got my motivation back I can move on with other builds. Actually had some company today, as my son had a Heller tractor kit that he was working on.

By coincidence, in the May 1980 copy of Street Machine I happened to have beside me: Apparently the wheelbase on this one was 50". Didn't seem to survive on the road beyond the end of 1983.....

Do these use the same engine as later Starlets? I had a 1981 1.2 with a 5-speed 'box and that went very nicely. I think it does go up to 1.5-litre, but they might not rev so well?

Would be very interested to know about the decals. I don't do FB so if you could send me a message through here that would be great, thanks. I'm not looking to build a replica of any particular car, just something with look of a generic yellow/blue grade midfield runner that was a typical sight when I started going to Foxhall back in the early'80s. Simple two-tone paint scheme, one or two 'big name' decals and maybe use some of the stripes that came with the Zakspeed kit.

This is fantastic, good luck with it! They were sold in the UK, but I'm not sure if any survive.

Thanks, but sadly I fear that shipping to/from the UK would not be favourable. In any case, looks like some JDM Liftbacks did have body-colour bumpers, and I'm unlikely to build mine completely stock anyway.