Pierre Rivard

Fantastic, it looks identical to the real beast!

Very nicely done AC Matt. I've seen the transformation following your w.i.p. and you have definitely pulled it off. Body modifications are so difficult because every change has consequence and in the end it needs to look harmonious from every angle. Not easy. You'll need a nice OOB after this one!

I was aware of the 1/20 scale Celica, but not of a 1/24 one. Thanks for posting that info Dan and Nigel. Anything else out there we should add to the kit list for Group 5 / IMSA GTX ?

Thank you Tommy, your input is much appreciated. I tried to replicate fuel that had spilled out during refueling stops...perhaps I overdid it.

How nice to see you back on a project. Thank you for sharing your technique using aluminium flashing for interior panels, it looks great. I love the fabricated rear springs, so much better than the usual undefined one piece casting found in these old kits.

Thanks Helmut. Looks like the Ferrari Entex kit is a much better option. As for the BMW CSL it appears the Maruii is very good so I have to keep my eyes open if one not outrageously priced pops up on eBay. Other options would be more challenging projects for sure....

Looks like a great modern kit of the ultimate 935

Thanks Steve, that one is a full detail kit with a turbo 4 right? Good kit?

Thanks Gary, can you share more about which kits you built these from and your specific recommendations? Of particular interest for me are the BMW CSL and Ferrari 365.

The Aoshima and Fujimi appear to be motorized kits (i.e. no interior compartment), the ESCI...Italeri pretty easy to find as Pro Car M1, so not sure what would need to change to represent a group 5 racer.

Wow Charlie, your engine is fabulous. I love the picture showing all the components spread out on the bench, it shows that each component is a model by itself. I can't wait to see you take on a NOVI engine!

Currently starting work on a 935/77, the current Italeri release but the tooling is 45 years old as it got passed around from Nitto, AMT/ERTL, Entex and Italeri. It is a simple curbside kit but the shape of the body looks to be pretty accurate and it rekindles a love affair with the outrageously wild and beautiful group 5 race cars. Group 5 rules were created by the FIA for the 1976 championship for makes (from 76 to 80), then the world endurance championship (81-82) but were also adopted by DTM (77-81) and IMSA for the GTX category. Porsche was the biggest player with so many variants of the 935 but many other manufacturers got in the mix creating wonderful cars. BMW, Ford, Ferrari, Lancia, Chevrolet, Nissan, Toyota etc. Many of kits have been made but most have origins in the late seventies / early eighties. I've compiled a list of some the kits I could trace as potential future builds as my interest in the category is growing fast. I've re-grouped brand releases under one picture when my research shows the tooling was the same. I am sharing my initial research with the group and asking input from all about your experience with these kits to help discussions around which of these may be the better ones to consider. All of these are 1/24 scale.

Thanks Dave. I wanted a different look for this one than the usual Moss/Jenkinson plus I'm a huge Fangio fan and I have a habit of complicating things for myself...so still no OOB project for me. Thank you Alex, that's what I was trying to do with this, grimy smelly end of race look. Thank you Donato. Blood, sweat and tears on this one. I need a more straightforward project for my next build.

Looks awesome Pat. I love that race car, particularly with the this first release body work and blue/white paint scheme.

That is...rad!

Great attention to detail and paying close attention to setting a proper ride height. Ride height is on the list of must do right for me as it is so visible.

Tamiya cement for anything that can be pre-assembled before paint, 2-part epoxy, CA or 560 Canopy glue for painted parts (depends on the specific need). I never scrape paint off.

Thank you Gary. Your passion for the historic grand races and creativity in creating good replica from humble kits have encouraged me to follow a similar path. merci Edgar for following and providing support. Thank you Gunnar Thanks Garry Indeed, the era was rich with so many wonderful Italian race cars, and a few German one as well. Thank you Steve. Weathering is a mix of washes, Tamiya weathering masters and dry pigments. I was a bit scared to try it but it worked out pretty good. Thank you Mike Yes, lots of work on getting the right details incorporated. A lot of these older simpler kits can be turned into good replicas. Thanks Phil. I could not pass up on a replica of this famous race and happy I chose the easily forgotten second place finisher... who happens to be one of my all time favorite driver.

Great build with excellent paint and crisp body detailing. Well done.

The content you are adding is absolutely lovely Ken. This is a great build to follow and definitely a learning experience for me. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for stopping by, comments much appreciated Thanks my friend, it was a long journey but worth it. Now I need something a bit more relaxing. Looking into the Tamiya stash...? Absolutely right Rich, one of these that looked more toy than model and the whole assembly sequence made no sense. Re-engineered it definitely was. Indeed an very interesting subject matter with such an historic race and Mercedes pulling out at end of season after the Le Mans tragedy. This car had to be part of my "stable" but man dit it push my limits. At least 3 times I seriously considered pulling the plug. Thank you Jim Thank you Ed. The kit has some issues but it can be built into a reasonably good replica. Thanks John. The weathering was the scary part for me but since I was not super pleased with the paint job I decided to have a go at it. Thank you Roger Thank you Bill

Wonderful, the cheering crowd is now treated to a second A6GCS build! Please keep posting updates Dave, btw who is the maker of this kit?

Often called the greatest race ever, the 1955 Mille Miglia was famously won by Sir Stirling Moss (and navigator Dennis Jenkinson) with a record time of 10h07m and unbelievable average speed of 99mph. The main competition came from the powerful Ferraris of Castoletti and Taruffi (both retired) as well as Hermann's 300SLR (crash) which helped Fangio land second place with a time of 10h39. So it looks like Fangio took a beating from Moss (his young protégé) but the story has more nuance. Moss had the help of a navigator and MB's strategy was to send Moss out as the rabbit to force Ferraris to chase and break down (which they did). Fangio was to take a more reasonable pace and ensure a finish. On top of that, Fangio did not have help of a navigator and a broken fuel feed forced him to run on 7 cylinders for about half of the distance. That to me represents a performance as worthy as the Moss win. I started with the Revell/Monogram kit (not an easy one...) and modified it represent the 658 entry (one occupant configuration and wrap around wind screen). Some detailing was added to the chassis and engine and weathering was done to represent the car at the end or the race (lots of oil, soot and dust). All finishes and weathering were done with brushes. Decals from Indycal and the formidable wire wheels were printed special order by Jason Hupin (JackModeling).

The kit tires (Dunlop Racing) are very nice but a bit too big in my opinion. Saving them for another project and used Firestones with lettering rubbed off just as you said. Coming shortly! Thanks Donato. Not quite but this old brush painter is happy with the results. Thanks Gary! Thank you Daniel. I cannot take credit for the wheels other than providing lots of pictures and sketches to Jason who designed and printed them for me. They make a huge difference and add so much realism.