70 Sting

That’s some beautiful paint. ?

Excellent! ?

Needed something easier after the challenging/frustrating Chevy Fleetside Build. Next up in the stash was this diminutive convertible from Tamiya. It wasn't one of their typical 'perfect fit' kits, but pretty darn close. Body colour is Tamiya LP-39 Racing White with a darkened Tamiya LP-21 Italian Red interior. Build Notes Made tire valves for the first time. Just cut some black insulated wire and painted the tips with some semi gloss black. Added a couple hoses and a few aluminum tape straps to the engine bay. Drilled out the tiny exhaust tips. There are no seat backs in the kit so I filled them in with styrene and putty as they can be seen from the rear. The front grill needed a little bending to fit flush with the body - no heating required This kit is known for having a very tight body to chassis fit. I didn't really have a major issue here. Best method is to fit the rear in place first, then pry the body open working your way to the front. I did have a problem with the hood touching the engine. I ended up cutting off the font mounting bracket from the frame so the frame could drop a little lower... it didn't completely solve the issue, but made it less noticeable. Over all a nice little kit to build. :^) Oh, did I mention how small this car is? Below is a size comparison with the smallish Lancia Stratos and Toyota Supra. 8^o

Despite whatever issues you encountered during this build, it looks pretty darn nice to my eyes! :^)

?what espo said. Very nicely done. ?

Nice job on the mods… no seams. ??

Awesome job! Nice chrome work, too. Just one minor detail… I think the spoiler is mounted backwards.

I’ve also read where people had very few to no issues with the kit. Your mileage may vary. Three things to check in order of severity/importance: warped chassis, warped interior tub (I believe they all may be a tight fit), roof not fitting 100% flush. Good luck with your build. :^)

Thanks Dood. This method of photography is very forgiving to minor errors… particularly on paint finishes.

Beauty. And great job with the BMF. ?

Beautiful paint job. Awesome interior. Car looks 1:1 in your photos. Well done sir.

Amazing what a little duct tape and bubble gum can do.

Wow, they look awesome side by side! ?

A lot of work but it paid off in the end. ?

Engine is certainly the star of this build! ?

Cool build. You build some unusual and creative vehicles.

You deserve a pat on the back for the aggravation alone. Regardless, you made a sweet looking car. Black and red are a nice combo, interior detail is great as are the subtle touches on the engine.

Great engine bay!

I built the go cart version.

Thanks Chuck. This is one kit in which I would never show the undercarriage. ?

Very cool! I haven’t seen a kit like this before.

Thanks @carrucha You would be the third person I know of who has had a warped frame. You’re showing great patience using the hot water method. I used a heat gun because the area with the greatest twist was also the thickest part of the frame… and still took a fair bit of pressure to straighten. Be sure to check your interior tub as well, mine had a double warp. Good luck. :^)

Appreciate the kind words. :^) Regarding your ‘build notes resource’: Nothing like this exists as far as I know. It would be cool if it was something like Scalemates… could be a huge undertaking, though. Perhaps a more feasible approach would be to create a Wiki page where builders could upload their notes. Considerations would have to be made regarding skill level and errors caused by the builders themselves. My $0.02

? what espo said.

Very sharp. Paint, engine and rear end are nice.