Spottedlaurel

I was going to suggest Tamiya's road version of the BMW M635, but it looks like the nuts are hidden by a centre cap. They are very nice wheels, I've used them I'm looking to use the Monogram Camaro mesh wheels that Brian posted on a 1:25 project that has similar requirements, although mine isn't a replica of anything at 1:1 so I have a bit more scope to utilise whatever I find. I can vaguely recall another American kit I have in my stash that has mesh wheels as some sort of Street Machine option. I'll try and remember to have a dig around.....

Excellent Brian Blessed reference! I'm not sure how well that would be understood outside the UK, but I get it....... I think they will get used again in some way, but for now I don't want to commit myself to another project in building a diorama. I have been making progress on all five kits: 1:24 Tamiya kits by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Tamiya kits by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr All of them now have colour. The champagne Silvia and silver Skyline only got their first colour coats yesterday so they're a couple of steps behind the other three which have all been clearcoated and polished. I decided on a colour change for the Toyota, but for the others I liked the original look enough that I used the same this time around. I also decided to build the Suzuki Gemma scooter that came with the Skyline 4-door. I have a few of the mopeds and scooters that have been included with various Tamiya kits, it was only this year that I finally got around to building one of them - I should do some more. More on the Skyline, this is what it used to look like: 1:24 Tamiya Skyline (R30) Complete at last! by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Tamiya Skyline (R30) Complete at last! by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr And this is how it ended up: 1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline R30 4dr kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline R30 4dr kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline R30 4dr kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr I'm trying to use some components from the original build in each of them, but this time it appears to be limited to the grille and rear axle (and I'll probably remove a bit of camber from that). I'll have to find some different wheels, as the originals went under another Nissan. I have a set in mind that I was pondering last time I put this thing together: Skyline + unknown wheels #2 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr But I reserve the right to vary this choice.....

Great to see such an obscure kit being built with some thought and attention to detail. The modifications look like they'll work well. Good luck with it!

These are photos I took back in 2017, but I saw this on the move yesterday: 1949 Chevrolet by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1949 Chevrolet by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1989 BMW 325i SE by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Also this tidy E30. 1993 Alfa Romeo 33 1.3 Sport Wagon by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr And a bit of an oddity here - had a chat with the owner, apparently it was an import from Spain. We did get these 33 Wagons here, but not with such a small engine.

Looks good to me! I'd be at the point of thinking no more polishing, for fear of burning through......

Looks good. I think the yellow will look brighter once you get other parts fitted, the trim detailed etc.

That looks like a fun little thing, almost cartoon-like!

Funky colour! Looks really good, excellent work on the dashboard.

Nice one Gareth, it came together very well. Good call on using the custom wheels, I think it would have looked somewhat plain with the stock wheel covers.

A very clean and attractive build, looks really good. The tape used for gaskets has worked well.

That looks great, what a charming little vehicle. We see the odd example here in the UK, can't imagine there are many in Arizona though?........

Looks like your relearning is going well, that looks excellent.

Looks really good, very clean and smooth.

Thanks all for the interest and kind words!

Very nice indeed. I like the relatively subtle look of it, retaining bumpers and without arch flares. Probably a pointless question, but does it go as well as it looks? Some good inspiration for those of us with a Z kit or two in our stash? Would be very interested to see any WIP photos from that stage when it was running in primer for shakedown purposes. Sounds very much like the backstory I came up with when I built a Monogram 280Z in the summer:

I think I have a 1:24 version of the Motocompo in one of my Tamiya Honda City kits (from the days when many of their cars had a moped or scooter included).

Nice one Tim.

Very clean, looks great!

Looks like it's coming on well. Will the lacquer dullness polish out? I must admit with colder weather approaching I'm looking to get a few prepped and sprayed bodyshells done so I can fiddle away at the details in the winter.

Thank you David. Getting the 'right' combination of colour, suspension and wheels and tyres can make most cars look better and is what I spend a lot of time pondering on a build. Since the earlier photos I got the front suspension installed, complete with kit-supplied spacers to lower it around 4-5". The bonnet needs some tabs so it sits correctly, and the front grille will make more sense when it's fully assembled and detailed - there are a couple of horizontal inserts not present above. It will also have whacking great bumpers front and rear. I also need to see if I'm feeling brave enough to cut open the side windows - the glazing is a single-piece unit, but I think having the sides open will accentuate the pillarless shape.

Thanks, and yes all that moulded chrome trim is my next battle....... Thank you Spence - not often anyone describes these things as beautiful, but the 4-door hardtop in particular is a handsome old thing even if it was very dated when new. I have slowly been making progress on it one since my last update. As reported elsewhere, the roof picked up a scratch that wouldn't polish out so I ended up adding more colour and clearcoat. Windscreen has also got marked, I don't know how. For an easy life I shall probably pinch one from my other issue of this kit, then worry about that problem in the future...... 1:24 Aoshima Nissan Cedric 330 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Aoshima Nissan Cedric 330 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Rear wheels are fitted to the axle, I lowered the back end a bit by cutting out some little plastic nibs (I think they were provided for this purpose). Front is just mocked-up for now. 1:24 Aoshima Nissan Cedric 330 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Aoshima Nissan Cedric 330 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Much of this rear panel will end up with a combination of silver paint and foil. There's a lot of foilwork to do, so far I've just done the door handles so I can say I've made a start..... 1:24 Aoshima Nissan Cedric 330 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Wheel centres all now painted, now have to go back and detail the nuts. Door trims finished, some fiddly BMF work there. 1:24 Aoshima Nissan Cedric 330 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Aoshima Nissan Cedric 330 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Interior has good detail in some parts, but is also a bit crude in other areas. There's a battery box to go under the bonnet which would power the motor and lights. I shall be fitting neither. 1:24 Aoshima Nissan Cedric 330 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Rear suspension! Although there is a moulded-in solid axle, separate leaf springs etc, the wheels are fitted to a metal rod axle which is secured by this sprung plate inside the floorpan. The front struts also have real springs. Hoping to get more done on it today.

Turned out rather nice didn't it? Looks very good.

A 710 estate sounds pretty exotic to me! We didn't get that one here, just the 4-door and coupe.

Thanks Stephen. I have a handful of projects that I started in the late'80s/early '90s that were maybe a touch ambitious, or stalled for whatever reason. I didn't build anything for a few years, and when I got back into it in the '00s I started afresh on some simpler kits. I know I have one or two fiddly things to contend with here, but I'll keep it fun and not get too hung up on the detail so I don't get bogged down. I recorded the film from the Alex Cox "Moviedrome" series (broadcast 1989, apparently) and he gave a really good introduction to it.

My entry for the latest round of Snake's "Bring Out Your Dead" topic: 1:24 Monogram 1955 Chevy kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr First started nearly 30 years ago, before the internet so any references came from watching and pausing my recorded VHS copy, hence the notes: 1:24 Monogram 1955 Chevy kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Monogram 1955 Chevy kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr I'd done a lot more on the bodywork than I remembered, not just creating the flip front and opening-up the rear arches but shaving the side trim and shortening the front trims. 1:24 Monogram 1955 Chevy kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1:24 Monogram 1955 Chevy kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Crude centre pillar was added, which seems to have come adrift on the other side as well as the rear pillar getting broken at some point. 1:24 Monogram 1955 Chevy kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr My take on the suspension was that it wasn't much different to standard ride height, so I ditched the Gasser parts and I think parts off a Monogram '57 Chevy have been used instead. Wheels and front tyres also came from the '57, rear slicks are from a Monogram NASCAR kit. I'm not going to do much detail work underneath, I need to stand some chance of seeing it finished. Need to repair/replace the pillars, add a flare to the rear arches, cut a slot in the hood bulge, work out how to attach the flip front, do something about the firewall, tidy up the interior, find a 3-pedal set-up and manual shifter, and generally finish putting it together. It won't be an accurate replica, but hopefully it'll make for a decent display piece and it will be great to see it finished after so many years.