Spottedlaurel

Agreed, like it has some red neons under there. Look forward to seeing it progress, some useful pointers here for when I build my GMC El Diablo version.

The yellow racing version doesn't have them either: I looked at the guards on my version of the AMT 280ZX kit. The shape is similar, but they're moulded into the unplated part of the bumper and by the time they are removed there wouldn't be much left of them, and they don't look too complicated to whittle down from a solid lump of styrene.

Super clean, the sharp BMF work sets off the shiny black paint very nicely. I'd be inclined to stick with all chrome wheels.

Very nice, I'd be more than happy than that after a few weeks/months of effort, let alone 24 hours.......

After lots of painting on the engine, transmission and suspension I had the pleasure of getting the basics assembled this weekend: 1:24 Nissan Leopard/Skyline kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Nissan Leopard/Skyline kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr First trial-fit with the actual floorpan I'll be using, with a little bit trimmed off the front end to get it sitting about right. There's even a tab on the chassis which should fit into the remnants of the notch inside the bodyshell. 1:24 Nissan Leopard/Skyline kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Nissan Leopard/Skyline kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Nissan Leopard/Skyline kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr I've shaved a little bit off the top of the inner wings, to give me some flexibility in getting the right ride height. I need to fit a closing piece between the bulkhead and scuttle panel, but otherwise everything has worked out pretty well under here. The body is in primer with an unintentional bit of gunmetal topcoat (I got confused and picked up the wrong bodyshell when I was painting the other weekend!). The front suspension has been adapted to suit the female fitment wheels - they sit out a touch further than I want, but there's scope for a bit of trimming. Haven't yet mocked-up the rear end, but it shouldn't present any great problem. The big front brakes with their Brembo calipers just fit inside my chosen wheels. I might add a little bit of depth to the front spoiler, otherwise the bodywork will remain standard and be finished in an appropriately early '80s colour, probably gold or bronze.

Coming together very nicely Peter! Always satisfying to get to the stage of having a series of painted and assembled components to attach.

Thanks all! It may well be. Even then the glass was too short..... Thank you Alan, you've nicely summed-up what it was about for me.

Great concept and a sharp-looking result.

Interesting to see some others. This AMT '93 was my most recent completion, built curbside after I used the engine for another project and fitted with a combination of Aoshima, Fujimi and Tamiya wheels, tyres and brakes: 1:25 AMT 1993 Corvette ZR-1 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:25 AMT 1993 Corvette ZR-1 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr I've got a Monogram ZR-1 to do similar with after another LT5 engine donation, plus an MPC which is currently still intact.

Roger, that's very, very nice - a really clean and attractive build, something I'd be be very happy to see at 1:1.

You certainly overcame those issues, it looks fantastic!

Faultless work Steve, the overall look of it is so 'right'.

Another great build Chang.

Had it in the stash for a while, along with a few other Skyline kits that came from someone thinning out his collection maybe 10 or more years ago. Even rare now I've started it, and it won't be built as the Castrol racer...... Decals and a few other specific parts may be available once I've finished.

Attempt number one on the suspension: 1:24 Hasegawa Toyota Celica 1600GT kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Too high, and the wheel mounts I initially used turned out to be for the race car with arches so they stuck out too far. 1:24 Hasegawa Toyota Celica 1600GT kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr A quick look at the struts showed that there was an easy option to lower it, I wonder if that was what they'd intended? The original hole was near the bottom of the strut, it was filled here with the remnant of the original mounts. I drilled new holes higher up and found a couple of plastic pins on the sprue that appeared to be for the non-arched road car. The hole is around 2mm, so I must have lowered it by 3-4mm, near enough to 3-4". 1:24 Hasegawa Toyota Celica 1600GT kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Try again...... 1:24 Hasegawa Toyota Celica 1600GT kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr That seems to work, even managed to retain some ability to turn the wheels. I might have to shave a bit of the spring to get the wheels tucked-in a little bit at the top but I don't want to go excessive with the negative camber. 1:24 Hasegawa Toyota Celica 1600GT kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Hasegawa Toyota Celica 1600GT kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Haven't yet sorted out the rear end, the fat tyres just squeeze in there but I'm going to do a bit of surgery to get them in properly.

Thanks Dave, they look right for an older Jpanese car. Thank you Steve, would love to see your take on one of these. The lights aren't something I'll add to this one, but they'd be an easy addition to the Aoshima kit as it appears to have recesses for the bulbs, and I think I have a lighting set in an old Fujimi kit. Hopefully you'll appreciate my results on the ride height see below...... I remember you finishing that one when I joined here Kurt. They're great-looking cars with a lot of potential - you'll just have to use your imagination as to what mine might have under the bonnet!

I'm still plodding through this series of builds, now trying to get the last one across the line. The Skyline coupe was last seen painted in Silver Leaf, but after I'd clearcoated it I struggled with the BMF work and detailing and I wasn't really fully on board with the pale, almost flat quality of the silver. Decided to sand it down and go for TS42 Light Gunmetal instead: 1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr I'm happy with that, applying it over paintwork that had already been polished meant I had a smooth base. I thought I'd gone a bit heavy with the TS13 clear, but I just about got away with it. The chips that it picked up after I dropped it on the floor partway through the process aren't too visible now. The colour looks good, it reminds me of this 1:1 I used to see at shows, seen here alongside the previous-gen Skyline I owned at the time: 1983 Nissan Skyline RS Turbo (R30) + 1979 240K GT (C210) in 2001(?) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr I'm using the floorpan and most of the interior from the original, sun-damaged build so this really shouldn't be as difficult as I'm making it, but that's way some of them go isn't it?.........

Weather wasn't great on Sunday for anything else and it was too cold to spend the day in the shed, so I moved the modelbuilding basics inside. Model progress by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr The lighting was terrible so I was limited in what detail work I could do, but I thought I'd try and make a bit of progress on all of my current six projects. In the end I didn't even open the box on the Courier, but I managed to do something meaningful on the other five. I like to get to the point where I have something to ponder on them in idle moments during the week, planning out the next stages, and I certainly achieved that.

Coming together very nicely. Any thoughts on colour yet?

Great to see these completed shots, I enjoyed seeing it come together. Lots of clever touches. It's a far more thorough job than what I'm doing for the same build.....

After staking my claim in this round with the Cadillac I thought I'd better do something with it. Before: After a bit of soap and water then some resin polish: It's never going to be gleaming, but without sacrificing all that BMF it never will be, so let's say it's a timeworn survivor. Main thing I've got to sort is the rear platform. Found a bit of thin plywood which I'll varnish up - if it was on display in the open I don't think the scale would be very realistic. I'll transfer the shape over from the carboard template. I bought these brass fittings and wire years ago. I'll make up some rails for the platform and I've just ordered another set so I can make up a rack for the roof.

Great to see another completion and more progress on others. The relevant Skyline and Leopard parts got primered last weekend and I can now start getting some of it assembled. I need to get the suspension on and wheels and tyres sorted, that'll dictate how the bodyshell sits on the Skyline's floorpan and I can then work out the interior and underbonnet detailing.

Looks good to me Rusty. You need to get more finished of this standard, look forward to seeing what else you unearth.

Interesting concept, it has the look of a Dodge Deora. A shame to hear about the original bodyshell issue. I've kept some in it for days or even weeks and not had a problem.

They certainly were, and still are. Lots of late '60s muscle car touches in one nicely-balanced package. After the 240Z they were certainly one of the first Japanese cars to get attention here - there were always a few nice examples at the shows I went to back in the '90s. I'm pondering building the other one I have as an early '80s street machine..... Sadly I've never properly* owned any example of Celica yet, I would have liked one of the next-gen late 1970s/early '80s models in the early days of my driving life but even in the late '80s they were getting rare here (and rusty), then I got into Datsuns as my favoured old Japanese cars. My positive experience with '90s Camrys means I'd happily give one of the later FWD models like your old '95 a go. *I did buy this one for £60, but it was just for parts to trade with other people: 1980 Toyota Celica 1600ST c.1994/95 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr