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It's coming out beautiful James, and don't sweat the little imperfections you are talking about. They only show up on the hi-res photos we post to one another, and cannot even be seen with the naked eye! BTW; I love the color. Here in Las Vegas, I see Porsches by the hundred, and it's awesome how diverse the paintjobs are. If I understand correctly, Porsche will even paint a car any color you want from the factory.

Thank you Doyle. May I confess to you though that I meant to make it like the box art, and failed miserably? I bought a Testors color shifting purple that looked very similar to the box, and never read the directions that said it needed to be shot over black primer. When I shot it over white primer though, it looked so pearlescent that I decided to stick with it. The pictures don't do the paint justice - it really shimmers and reflects all kinds of hues of purple, pink, and green. So this one, for me, was a happy mistake!

Totally love it! Thank you for posting. Now you just need to figure out what is going to be pulling it

If the engine detail is any indication, you're going to build a beauty. I'll be watching with interest!

Thank you Bill, I'm glad you're enjoying them

Thank you much. The color came out nothing like I envisioned, but looked great so I left it.

Thank you Keith

My flight of fancy right now is doing the six MPC Trick Trikes in between car builds. I've finished three and just started the fourth today

Thank you David

Well, here's the third one I just finished in the series of six. Still fun, but the Trick Trikes with the V8 engines are perhaps just a tad trickier to assemble than their Honda inline four counterparts. The toughest part of this one was working out the slight warpage on the front part of the body. The paint is Testors Color Shift Purple Sunrise shot over white primer. The interior is Model Master Plum Crazy I had lying around. I tried shooting the photos in different kinds of light, but to see the color shifting effect, direct sunlight seemed to be the best bet. Hope you enjoy!

Thank you SIr

Thank you, and I thoroughly enjoy your builds - so kick away!

Thank you Chris.

Thank you Jeremy. It was a relatively basic build, and my son was about eight at the time when he helped with it.

Why thank you Walter, both for the compliment and the smile it put on my face! Perhaps in the future, I'll do something sacrilegious such as dropping a Chrysler hemi in another Merak, and then I can dub it "Merak-ulous"

Thank you Hanjo.

Looking stunning, and I'm liking the "over-restored" thing.

Am I the only one that does this "stream of consciousness" thing where one build gets me thinking about the next associated build, and so on? Recently it's been a Maserati kick. First was the Boomerang that had been calling to me, then the Bora I had buried in a box that needed a little refurbishing, but then came this Merak. My son and I built it probably 15 years ago, but it had definitely seen better days. Dusty, dirty, and more than a little haggard with its worn racing decals. But I had so much sentimental attachment to it, I couldn't bring myself to strip it and start anew. So I learned the art of cleaning models with a gentle touch, rubbing alcohol, and lots of quality q-tips. I decided to leave the decals as is, going for the "as raced" look, and finally finished it off with some Tamiya clear. Now it will sit proudly next to the other Maseratis, all of which are now in cases away from dust and grime Before pics: And after pics: BTW; for those who are interested in building a Merak, this Testors version has a nice body. What you are seeing is actually the unpainted and unretouched body. The tires are Goodyears on one side, and Michelins on the other, the glass is a nice fitting one piece affair, and the interior is a fairly good representation. However, because it is a model meant for an electric motor, it is rather basic underneath, and has a battery compartment where the back seats would be. Also, this version has no engine or opening compartment (I believe there are one or two other Merak models out there that do have engines and even opening parts). Overall though, considering these can be had for reasonable prices, I would recommend this model for a quick and fun build.

Absolutely beautiful Tom. If it's of any interest to you, the two Testors Maserati Merak's I've done both had very good bodies and none of the problems you ran into. One easy way to tell them apart is the front fenders have holes for forward mounted sideview mirrors on the Testors models. Also, due to a battery compartment built into the floorboard, the Testors models only have two front seats. I recently finished refurbishing one I did with my son, and all we did was clearcoat the bare plastic. In case you want to see a Merak without any bodywork done to it, check mine out.

I would totally own love to own that vehicle - - - either 1:1 or 1:25!

Well, color me interested! What is this based on, and what scale is it?

Came out very cool Chris! It's always neat to see such a unique build.

Greg, I always love it when you say "I'm building it OOB". Beautiful work as always. Just the door cards alone look like little works of art!

Thanks Jim. Lotsa fun

They are! I bought them after Christmas in the clearance aisle of my Walmart for $11 each. Most fun for the buck I've had in a long time