Cato

Immaculate build Thomas.

That would be me. I didn't think I was breaking your balls with all the explicit praise I heaped on your work...but I'm flattered your using my 'insect/transformer' analogy. It was really just a request to see the car closed -as several there and here have agreed. It wasn't a negative criticism. You forgot to mention that one guy over there said so much carbon gave him a headache to look at... At least I didn't say that or break your balls about the dust-left that to others to do...

Really well done-you nailed it.

Everything I wrote in post #10.

You're new to building and you've put emulsion tubes in the Weber intakes in 1/24th???? You sure know how to rub it in. I can't look at my stuff after this.....

Same danged axle hop Jimmy gets at Bristol...

Among the few most beautiful shapes ever. Great job on the model too.

Thank you-I sure did. A. Rich guys in Der Fadderlant wear funny hats. B. Benz used to build drop-dead gorgeous cars. C. It's great to have your own private road. D. I never want to unfold the hood of a multi-million $$ car. Drop the 'sjordan2' handle-Your new ID here is DOCTOR RESEARCH!

The horrible part for all these Cobra models (small block/big block) is the thickness of the windshield frames. The fit to the cowl can be easily fixed but clunky, cheesy chrome frames require complete scratchbuilding and thin acetate glass to get close to 1:1 appearance. Other horrors are the fender contours, roll bar, hood scoop, sidepipes, dashboards, engines and hinges. Tires are generally too thick or thin and wire wheels are a joke. Virtually all of these are toy-like OOB and require major modifying for accuracy. Many die-casts are better up to the 1/12 Kyosho 427 which has most all the shapes right. The BEST kit ever for a Cobra in any scale is the '80's Climax 427SC. A resin, PE and white metal curbside with perfect scale thicknesses and w'shield frames like fine flat wire and jewel-like Halibrands. Mine is still un-built.

Skip did not say he was trying to make people explain why they are replying to a old thread. (sic). He merely asked that they note in their reply that they are. Not an unreasonable or grumpy request.

Stump-glad you're good. You promised me 1 1/2 years ago you'd do the Trump GT-40 when I did mine. Well-I'm still patiently waiting.

You can avoid thinning the w'shield if you fab a simple little comp screen like on #96.

So tell us about the model-not the paint. How'd you make those perfect front wires??

Every new supercar thing dreamed-up these days looks like Tim Burton designed it for yet another ad-nauseum, dark Batman flick. Know how we got from the exquiste Miura to this cut-slash, overwrought darth vader ?-The Germans bought them.

OK-I;m encouraged. You're talking about what you would do and what you'd use. Those things are cake compared to what you've done already to build the dang'd thing. Harry's right-the plastic bag tonneau is great-just make a new fresh one and use hot (heated) glue or rubber cement or-- experiment. We've got a world of new glues from 40 years ago. My Cobra's tonneau was made of heavy, black vinyl which has a similar sheen. Pics if you want. Go for it! Screens? There's tons of 'em. The supermarket has a jillion tiny food strainers, coffee filters, cake sifters-all for pennies. Thin those surfaces-you know how. Get a .005" thick pie tin and make new real metal, scale thickness parts-like the fenders. Make new fender braces out of paper clip or music wire. C'mon-you don't need me to tell you-you've seen it all before. It'll be very rewarding to bring this Bulldog back...

So what about refurbishing with replacement parts or scratch-built?? It's too nice to just leave as a dust collector and you're already 95% of the way to a museum model. What say??

Skip-just beautiful and very advanced for the day. Tons of Brit character you captured. Why not contact Airfix and try to replace the missing parts? Or better, you're certainly sufficiently skilled to scratch them yourself and rejuvenate the ol Brit. And one of my glass cases shouldn't be beyond your skill level-why not try one? Will defend it against cleaning ladies (I hope she cried!) and add that 'museum' quality it deserves. I'm tempted to dig mine out of mothballs and try to reattach those feeble fenders, etc. BTW Skip-I used to subscribe to Classic & Sportscars for about a decade and a great feature was the classifieds. The premier Brit (or was it Welsh?) Bentley restorer was Stanley Mann and he ran glorious 4 page ads for all manner of these vintage behemoths-in perfect color. Great reference.

Hey-I'm late to this party due to intergalactic travel even though I was named as instigator. Very nice build-even though mine is just as old (first edition kit) you beat the carp out of mine. My claim to fame was covering the tonneau with tee shirt cotton for that cloth texture and painting it flat dark green. Now I'm off to your new thread!!

Very true. Even lowly Cobra replicas require back-up lights, defrosters and 'dash padding' for many state inspections-which are ripped-off the minute the inspection is complete. Just don't build a model of one with that carp on it...

OK but when the rain stops... The danger of reference is that much of it comes from restored cars. They are seldom precisely as the cars left the builder. The kit manufacturers will measure a restored car and these become inaccurate models for the purist.

^ ^ ^You're stalling...

Only if he shows us his work!

Yeah, yeah-been there; have seen Teresi's and Harry's. Now wanna see yours! Not the 1972 build-this new Airfix jobbie. C'mon, you're the Maven of research on here and you're passionate about classics-show us your work!!!

C'MON SKIP-PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES! Yes-I'm yelling.

'Cmon Matt!---buy her 1/12 scale kits so she doesn't need glasses!!! Beautiful and meticulouss job Kate-look forward to anything you build!