FujimiLover

Um................what? This car get's 55-60 MPG city, 70-80 highway! WHAT YOU MEAN +4MPG? And what's 3" section less frontal area mean also? Confused by your statement.

Well, here's mine freshley finished and looking pretty!

Well sadly I can't post this under the workbench thread anymore since it's well, FINISHED! YEAH! Turned out pretty sweet! The front sit's a little higher than I like, but I didnt' want to spend the efforts on lowering this one, so it is as is.

Please share with us your 1/43 scale model's that you've either collected and/or built. I'll start with my favorite one. This is a 1/43 scale die-cast model of my 2001 Honda Insight from the company Ebbro. Ebbro made these in very few colors such as pea-green, blue, and red. Since I own a silver one, I decided to take it apart and repaint it. I used a Testors Light Gun-Metal gray color which I think for scale, really resembles the real car well. I of coarse added a few "tuner" features to the model with custom wheels and 1/43 scale carbon-fiber decal on the hood and fenders. I also added a pair of racing seats on the inside from another model. I now wish I could put the stock wheels back on it, but those are long gone and I'd need to get another model for it. First picture is my real car. Next couple of pic's is the 1/43 scale model.

I also have a dremel tool and it is handy. My Dad has a really nice one that you hold in your hand almost like a pen. Much more precision control than the older clumpy one I've got.

Desperately trying to find a 1/32-24ish scale toy car of my Honda Insight. The toy car is from the Japanese tv show Ultraman. This is a small Hot-Wheels version of it which I already have. Looking for it's bigger brother.

Thank's guy's! These day's the word "tuner" usually does refer to most Japanese import cars and some domestic cars. However, when I say tuner's, it is for ALL cars. ANY car that is modified from a major "tuning" facility is in my opinion a "tuner-car". AMG is a "tuner" for Mercedes I think, Alpine is one for BMW, et'c, et'c. Veilside is another great one, I mean there are just ton's and ton's of tuners out there.

When I was studying graphic design and learning how to create 3D models on the computer, we had a similar test. There was alot of amazing 3D CG-models that were so convincing you swore up and down left and right that they were real when in fact it was all computer-generated. Even trickier when the lighting effects was so realistic.

What is your favorite tool and why? Also, how do you organize your workbench, paint's, tools, and what not? I just have a basic plain old bench to work on. Not bad, but not as neat and organized as I'd like. Plus the white shelfe makes it hard to see alot of parts. One of the best tools I've seen, and I had one at one point but lost it a while ago, was a small pen shaped peice with a micro suction cup which was designed to hold those clear lenses while glueing theme onto the body. It's so hard to work on those without getting your fingerprints on the inside of the lenses! If you have any way cool tool's, or a really neat workbench, please post pic's here! This is about as neat and organized as mine get's.

LOL! Wow George, well. I think those other numbers refer to the model kit as there are several versions of the same car. I dont' think they refer to the car itselfe. Unfortunetly, I just tried sending payment for the three kit's but I guess the price-tag for all three was higher than what my credit card could handle. However, I think I have enough credit for at least the green MR2, so I'll aim for that one next, I also think it's more rare of a kit than the Veilside models. Still the question I have, is what green do they use on the MR2 and what would be the best green to use for painting it? I dont' want to use British Racing green as it's not a British car. But I probably will go for a two-tone military green colors for the interior! Yes, I like two-tone interiros as if you haven't figured out from the RX7 yet! LOL! RX7 is nearly completed. Windows and lenses are in place. Waiting for the inside mirror's paint to dry then stick it on. Should be able to put the body on the chassis tonight. Actually, I just noticed my selfe that BOTH MR2 kit's have that SW20 on it. So nevermind my reply! That is a good question, probably chassis designation like on the Toyota Trueno being an AE86? Who knows..............................

Thank's guys! Like those models! I'll post my RX7 here when I'm finished with it, probably by late tomarrow evening. I've already attached the rear window, but still basically waiting for the clear coat to dry completely before finish assembling it. Anybody done any Koenig Specials or Gemballa type models? I like that Honda Accord model! How about some V.I.P. cars/vans?

I took a shot, after all, the croud isn't ALWAYS right! Just got lucky this time................................

I like MiniChamps and Ebbro for 1/43, AutoArt and Kyosho for 1/18 scale. Right now I'm itching to collect Kyosho's new 1/43 scale RC car the Dnano. But it's very expensive, around 200 for just chassis and body, then another 130 or so for what they call the starter kit which includes transmitter, tiny lipo battery, and charger. Their thinking is, you buy just one starter kit, and you can bind the transmitter to all your cars as they use the popular new 2.4 technology. Anyway, a pricey but very fun little car and very awesome to drive a highly detailed small scale RC car around the kitchen counter with precision driving. It is far, far, far from being a toy other than it's puny size. Very well built and lot's of fun to race on a proper track. Anyway, I like MiniChamps, Ebbro, AutoArt and Kyosho. I also love BBR as they make some of my favorite exotic cars, but their very expensive. Funny how something so small like 1/43 scale can cost so much money.

Clear coated Tail lights painted Now I just need to wait for the clear coat to dry and I should be able to start assembling the body.

I hadn't thought about that. Thank you. I just finished clear-coating the body before realizing I forgot to paint the orange on the turn signals on the side! Oops! Anyway, the clear coat really works wonders, just takes a good 24 hours to dry before handling.

Updates. I've added the factory badges "decals" and painted in some of the turn-signals and the tail light peice. This model has two different tail light peices as options. One is the rounded style, and the other is the square style. I wanted to use the rounded type, but found it too difficult to paint around those details. So, I opted for the squared one which was alot easier. The Mazda logo practically disapears against the dark metallic gray. Wish they had optional white emblems. Mazda's infinity symbol. Lenses. Tail lights. Silver areas for the turn signals background. Not sure why I bothered with the Mazda logo's when you can't hardly see it anyway!

Well geeeee. I guess I should've gone with the croud on this one! Oh well!

Thank's, I'd just hate to spend so much money on a kit and have it turn junk. It's only worth it if I can get a high-quality die-cast like finish. I guess most of that depends on how much time and patients I spend on it. Seems like the bigger ones would be easier than the smaller ones as the parts are bigger! I've built several of Fujimi's 1/24 scale Koenig Specials models and loved'em. Their engine bay is a bit tricky though with all the downpipes going to the exaust tips, but each one I've built I learned a new trick. I just need to get my paint really nice and smooooooooooooooth!

The best place I've found for collecting AutoScales is Hobby Japan on ebay. They usually care 120 different bodies in stock including two rare ones I never knew existed.

As this is a model car forum, let's keep it to model's please! Nice Skylines there!

Thank's! In keeping it to 1/24-25 scale, you'll probably love Kyosho's 1/28 scale AutoScale models which are highly detailed plastic bodies designed for their RC car's known as Mini-Z's. Here is a picture of one I just recently got of a very classic Nissan Skyline racer from some Japanese show. They have many bodies from Japanese show's. These bodies range from 25 dollars on up to around 200 for the rarest ones. They also have alot of nice exotic Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, and several movie cars including both KITT and KARR from Knight Rider, the Batmobile, the Mad Max Road Warrior, The Mach 5, and yes, even the flying Delorean from Back to The Future. The details are just as amazing as good quality die-cast's. Many of us like to just collect the bodies alone!

Anybody done any of the big 1/16 scale Koenig Specials model kits from Fujimi? I'm tempted to do one but dont' think my skills are good enough to get a high-quality finish that would make it worthy to have in the first place! I would love to be able to purchase one and have it come out as nice as some of the die-cast models. If you've done any, could you please post pics in your reply?

How many of you collect model cars? Not just the plastic model kit's we see you building here in this fourm, but I"m talking about collecting die-cast cars? What's your favorite scale, brand, theme, type of cars you collect? What's the most you've paid for your favorite car? There's a company out there called BBR that makes 1/43 scale Resin and die-cast model's of my all time favorite Koenig Specials, but their very pricey. My favorite scale is 1/43 simply cause you can fit so many in such a small space as apposed to 1/18 scale. 1/18 is just as nice, but does take alot of room. Also, the range of cars seems to be much wider in 1/43 scale than any other scale I've encountered! Even my beloved 2001 Honda Insight is in 1/43 scale thank's to Ebbro!

Hello. I'm a big fan of tuner car's. I'm not just talking about your Rice-Aronie big-winged Jap cars and what not. I mean ALL types of tuners. Especially, the exotic and luxury tuners like Koenig-Specials, Gemballa, Fields, VIP-type, Veilside, et'c. I'd love to see photo's of your "tuner" cars. Anything from Honda's up to exoticly-tuned Ferrari's! Won't you please share with me your pic's?