Matt Bacon

Thanks very much for all the positive feedback, gentlemen... it's much appreciated. I think I'd have the old one - I saw a gorgeous 330 GTO up close over the weekend, and, like, WOW! bestest, M.

Thanks, guys... Now it's all together, I guess I understand why they provide you with a separate stand to mount the engine on to display outside the car! The trouble is it's quite a hard car to build "kerbside" - you can see the engine and especially the transmission and exhaust system pretty clearly through the holes in the back end and below the body, so they'd also need to provide duplicates, and also something to mount them on... Plates are on their way - I'm just trying to decide between M4TTB, M4TTS and M477 GTO! (I always like to do them with legal UK numbers, no matter what they "read" as) bestest, M.

A very challenging kit, with more teeny-tiny parts than I've ever seen in plastic before. It does all fit together very well, but I think it would have been easier if I hadn't been working from a slightly started (and slightly broken) bargain kit. However, I've got no complaints about the way it turned out: The view we're most likely to see - the "overtaking" shot" A couple from a more "realistic" perspective: Everything open: And finally, with its older brother. Only one more GTO to go, once Fujimi or Revell get their act together! All out of the box, painted with Tamiya Italian Red, polished with Novus #2. Crazy Modeller prancing horses and KA bonnet badge... bestest, M.

Thanks for the support and tips, Bill! I'm calling this Work in Progress done! When the decals have set, I'll give it a good clean, and then proper photos tomorrow, in decent light. It's been a challenge all the way through, but it's certainly one of the most satisfying kits I've built as a result... bestest, M.

Ready to put the inside, err... inside: The windscreen is quite thick but very clear; however, on my example the side windows had a very visible "internal seam" where plastic flowing from the two ends had met, and were also quite "wavy". I cut them off and have replaced them with thin acetate sheet for a better view of the inside. The fit of the quarter light vents was very impressive, though. And finally, together: It goes in surprisingly well, with some springing of the sides. The back end has to go in first, and if you had a new kit, you might even get the chassis stays into the holes in the body. Since they were parts that had broken off and been refitted on my "slightly-used" kit, they didn't fit, and promptly broke off again. Fortunately the chassis clicks into place even without hem, and stays where it's meant to! The wheels are tricky to align and screw in place, and one of mine has had to resort to epoxy glue! Finally, I think we're on the home stretch! bestest, M.

Been a while since I posted an update. This thing is a real slow and steady build, with LOTS to do at every stage in the instructions. The cabin is now complete: This is pretty much from the box, except the instruments. The holes in the dashboard for the main cluster are woefully undersized, and there was no way the decals would fit. And the decals are completely wrong as well... the GTO's dials are famously orange on black, not silver as Fujimi gives you. Fortunately, I found a great head-on shot online, which I managed to Photoshop into replacements that fitted into the remodelled binnacle. The seat belts are lead foil and medical tape, and they are fixed at floor level - the "latch" doesn't float around loose at the end of a belt as shown in the instructions! There's also an aftermarket badge for the wheel and if you look closely, a Crazy Modeller prancing horse on the centre console. That was LOT easier to use than I expected... The chassis is also fully assembled: Getting to this point has been quite the challenge, but that's most of the parts assembled. I'm a bit nervous about getting something this complex and fragile inside the body shell, but we'll see how we get on ;-P ...I'm sure it'll fit! I've been using Novus polish on the Tamiya paint, and I'm very impressed with how well it has come out. There's still work to do on that demarcation line, and it's time to start on the glass... bestest, M.

OK... to prove that there's life in the big cat, too: It's actually quite nice RnR from the intensity of the GTO... you don't mind the slightly soft and simplified detailing, because it's so much easier to make progress! And here's the GTO front axle. The brakes and hubs are exquisite, though I'm not looking forward to screwing the wheels into them. I'm pleased with the srpings... I painted them black, then lightly sanded it off the raised coils, which would then accept red acrylic paint really easily. Sadly, they'll be hidden behind the wheels, just as those lovely brakes will be barely visible inside the wheel rims... bestest, M.

Got myself some HD wheels "for Tamiya DBS" because they are the style used on the "Black Carbon" edition I plan to finish mine as. Trouble is, the Tamiya tyres don't fit... they are too big, by enough to make them unfixable to the rims. Do HD do their own tyres that do fit? Surely if you're making parts advertised as being for a specific kit, you should make sure that they fit? So, what do I do? I guess I can either wrap the rims with plastic card, to bulk them out, or take a slice out of the tyre to reduce the diameter slightly and try to hide it at the contact point. The irritating thing is that the rims are already painted, so bulking them out will require reworking... Anyone else had this trouble? Any clever fixes that will just make it go away? I have to say, I've found this with several resin accessory and conversion kits on aircraft in the past - the makers just don't allow enough for shrinkage of the resin as it cures... Grrrr... bestest, M.

Starting to take shape, now: The engine is fitted into the chassis, but the rest is just sitting unglued. This is where I've suffered from buying a kit that had been started.... actually some of things that had been glued together so that they could be painted in one piece would have been better assembled in the proper sequence, so in order to get the engine in I had to cut apart and reassemble the back end. It's also not at all clear whether the intercoolers will sit in their proper places on the side rails, but that's a minor issue! The tub was assembled, but not painted. I sprayed the carpet areas with Plastikote Velvet before priming the rest and painting it black. The inset panels in the doors also had some tape over them to give them texture. The real thing is black on black, but there's a variety of surface textures, and although these may not be strictly accurate, it's that alternative to monotonous black that I'm aiming for. The front suspension just doesn't fit into the floorpan. That's not the previous owner's fault, it's the kit's. I had to grind away the edges of the raised central plinth in the floorpan, and cut away some of the sides of the I beam at the top of the suspension unit so that they'd fit around the buttresses at the rear of the weel-well tunnel, before the thing slots into place. Bad Fujimi... Now it's time to make some progress with the Jag... bestest, M.

That's a great job of work, John, and I'm full of admiration for your "cut n shut" skills... ....but (and I'm sure I'm in the minority here)... why would you do that to such a great-looking car? If I had a couple of 1/20 E-Types, I'd make them as 1/20 E-types... Each to their own, I guess..! bestest, M.

Not much done on the XKSS while I work on this beastie: I have two very sound pieces of advice for anyone building this kit: 1) read the instructions, and then read them again 2) do not stick the exhausts into the block the wrong way round and the wrong way up, and especially not with superglue 3) and did I mention? read the instructions carefully That little disaster solved, it didn't fit together too badly, though the lack of really solid locating points and pins does make getting the complex web of pipework together a chore that needs you to have four very small hands... Metalwork is mostly Mr Colour "Super Iron" airbrushed, and coloured here and there with Citadel Sepia and Blue washes... I do hope it's not all going to be this hard! bestest, M.

An interesting "compare and contrast" both in terms of the original cars, and the kits! One the one hand, the Revell XKSS, and early 90s vintage kit of an early 60s era car. The moulding is a bit "soft", but there's plenty of detail there if you look. I'm making mine a bit harder by going for the Steve McQueen car, which means messing with the interior - but I have great reference photos in "McQueen's Machines". And on the other hand, the Fujimi "Expert Series" Ferrari 288 GTO. This too is a 90s kit, I believe, but it couldn't be further away from the Revell in approach. There are hundreds of tiny, perfectly to scale parts... but many of them will be a swine to get off the sprues intact. This one will be a challenge to my "plastic assembling" skills more than anything else! There are no compromises in the engineering, at all, but the fit may not be ideal. I acquired this cheaply as a part-started kit from a builder who may have lost the will to live, so there's a somewhat assembled chassis (though he missed a few bits out even to this stage!) I shall be paying close attention to the instructions, and ticking off each part as it is found and placed. Anyway without further ado: The body is painted with Tamiya "Italian Red" in a rattle can, and is now going to set for a week or two before I have at it with the polish. You can see the basics of the Jag and GTO engines in the background. And here the engines as they are this afternoon. What's surprising is that the Jag engine is of very similar size to the GTO, despite being a straight six vs a V-8. The Jag rocker covers are chromed with BMF, and the carburettors are just press fitted at the moment. You often hear people saying "The engine is a kit in itself", and I normally write it off as hyperbole. But in this case... there are 47 parts in what you can see above, including 8 separate cylinders, and 74 in the whole engine assembly when it's finished. Blimey! This one may take a while... bestest, M.

Thanks, guys @Pete... I posted a thread in the general section about body proportions. I think models often look narrower and taller than the real thing - the R8s and F430s in my home town look way wider and flatter than the models on my shelf. However, in the end, I think that has more to do with cameras vs eyes and viewpoints vs perspective. The SLS is an extraordinary difficult beast to photograph in real or model form. None of my photos of the real thing convey the balance and poise of the design. In photos it always looks out of proportion, with a long nose or big rear depending on where you photograph it from. It looks much more "planted" in real life, I think. The crease is there: It's not quite as sharp as on your pictures, but that's probably not helped by it being where the mould seam lines are, so I've probably softened it while I was cleaning them up! Bottom line is I doubt you'll ever get a better SLS - why would Aoshima or Tamiya do an expensive one when the Revell is £15 and pretty darn good? I don't think that the proportions are off, actually. Height = 52.5mm = 1260 mm (vs 1262 real) Width = 80.5mm = 1932 mm (vs 1939) Length = 192.5mm = 4620 mm (vs 4638) Which is pretty good; close enough for the accuracy of my measuring, anyway! bestest, M.

It's a superb kit... highly recommended, and great value for money (£16 including postage on eBay at the moment). I'm happy with the way the paint came out for the Alubeam Silver finish, but boy is it fragile (it's Tamiya Silver Leaf polished with silver "bronzing powder" from the art shop) The doors do open, and I've just noticed I didn't "click" the driver's door fully home before I took the pics - and there's a drop of water on the front nearside wing! (fender?) bestest, M.

Thanks, Randy... I'll demo the CF properly when I next have some to do (Just need to find out which bits of a 288 GTO are bare carbon!) I think it's pretty much built now. Just the last decals to do (WHY do they want you to put a decal over the chromed Mercedes star on the boot????), and the if the weather is OK, a proper photo session in the morning. Note the scale accurate bonnet prop ;-P bestest, M.

This might be useful: You can find the whole article here: http://www.vsrnonline.com/Mags/MC/MC_Plans_1.htm Scroll to near the bottom, in August 1966 And it’s worth exploring from here (the home page) http://www.vsrnonline.com/VSRN_Main.html They have a lot of Chaparral material... I haven’t found much more on the 2D (C, E and F, yes...), but I haven’t really looked exhaustively. bestest, M.

I've just seen an F430 in my high street, and it looked a LOT lower, wider and generally "flatter" than the Fujimi model on my shelf. I've noticed before that the same is true of my Revell R8 - we have a couple of the real things in town, and they look a lot lower than the Revell kit. So, are the kit body-shells off proportion, or are they accurate, and the "flattened" look of the real thing is the product of the difference in perspective between looking at a model from three feet away and the real thing twenty feet away? You could certainly see why a model company might deliberately make the bodies slightly distorted to try and get that "at a glance" impression seeming more "correct" Anyone know what's responsible? bestest, M.

That's the inside, well... inside. I trimmed off the extended bit of the location tabs on the dash so that I could get it to join the transmission tunnel, when the tub is in place. My driver's door opens fully, whereas the passenger's won't go up so high and click into place. The bonnet shuts with a nice positive snick, as do the doors, and they stay shut. I'm not sure how one is supposed to open the doors when the windows are in position! On the home straight now, I reckon... bestest, M.

Thanks, Chris... those were a great help. Here's the inside of mine, in a prototypical, if garish, colour choice: It's mostly painted with Citadel Chaos Black, and Vallejo Red, German Grey and Basalt Grey. The "parcel shelf" is pre-sprayed with a Plastikote "Velvet" to give it a "carpet-like" texture, and to get some contrast with the textures in the rest of the cabin. The bright silver elements are painted with the ink from a Pentel silver marker, which if applied wet flows to a beautifully smooth chrome-like finish. bestest, M.

and because I couldn't resist: bestest, M.

Thanks, guys. Yes, this is the Revell of Germany kit, coming to a Revell US box near you soon, though, I believe. It's great value over here, though - I think I paid £16.99 for mine, and I think it's a pretty much state of the art car kit. Pete - thanks for the pictures.. they'll be very helpful when I get to assembling the doors. I don't suppose you got any of the interior roof, so I can see what goes on in the headliner around the top of the doors? Or indeed what happens behind the seats - where do the carpets stop and the headlining material start? The chassis is pretty much together, with some mountings for the wheels now, as well! That's a pretty beefy rear diff, and the torque tube isn't bad either (though it will be pretty much invisible when the interior is in place...) There are a LOT of decals to add around the engine before I can call this done, though. I'm not overdoing it with the carbon fibre, but a few parts add a nice accent, I reckon. These are done with my usual technique of painting a base colour then overspraying the contrast "weave" through a piece of decorative metallic mesh ribbon. The console is black with graphite overspray, the seatbacks the other way round. It's not accurate or true-scale, but it looks the part at a glance amongst all the other materials on view in the cabin, and it's a LOT easier and cheaper than decal! I think you can see where I'm going with the interior colours for this one! Eventually, this will sit next to an original-vintage 300SL (the Heller kit) in silver with a red interior, and I want the "compare and contrast" to be as complete as possible. Of course, I'll have to BUILD that Heller kit first! bestest, M.

This is a superb Revell kit - well up to the standards of their Ferrari California and 458. It's a big, brutal-looking lump of a car, but I think that's its charm! This is my attempt at what they call "Alubeam Silver", a VERY expensive paint option which is supposed to look "as though liquid metal has flowed over the car". It's DOESN'T look like chrome plate, though the right Alclad might be one way of achieving it. I think it has a slightly "softer" look, but you certainly shouldn't be able to see any metallic "flake" in it, which rules out most silvers. This is Tamiya Mica silver, polished with bronze "craft powder". It'll certainly need doing again to touch up once the whole thing is together to remove any marks from assembly, but it's the effect I wanted. The wheels are not prototypical - though I'm sure you could spec something like these if you could afford an SLS in the first place. They are graphite grey from Zero paints, with red brake callipers and "carbon" brake disks. Again, I don't know if you can really get them in that combination, but red, grey and silver is the colour theme running throughout my build of this car. Work begins on the chassis, with the nice, but simple, engine in place. bestest, M.

Thanks for the kind words, guys! It’s been a bit of a battle at times, but I just wanted one of these on the shelf very badly! It is a pretty steep price, but my lovely wife bought it for me for my birthday last year - I’d never spend that much on a kit for myself! I was pleasantly surprised by the contents of the box - surprisingly little clean up was necessary. There was light flash in a couple of places, and a couple of grainy areas on the surface which needed a skim of Milliput, but that was about it. I polished the main castings with wire wool to get them prepped for auto primer, and then sanded that as normal. Everything is held together with screws, epoxy (for the big bits) and superglue, with Formula 560 Canopy glue to attach the glazing. The build basically was much the same as you would for a plastic kit -engine, interior, sandwich in between chassis and body. Fortunately, the real thing has a darn great seam line between the wheels below the doors, so I could fit the lower nose and tail parts to the upper body and blend them seamlessly before painting, and then attach the painted bodywork to the painted and completed chassis right at the end. There are a couple of gotchas in the kit - the worst is that the “turrets†moulded onto the body and chassis to screw them together at the back are too tall to allow the seam to close, so they need filing back until it fits flush. The other is more a matter of opinion, but I think that the rear wheels sit too far out in the arches, and they are fixed that far apart by the the cast rear “suspensionâ€. If I did another I’d file that back by a millimeter or so on each side to get the wheels a little further inboard. I’d also consider cutting the separate elements out of the one-piece vacform glazing and fixing the windscreen right inside the frame. The engine cover is also a very tight fit over the velocity stacks, and would benefit from sitting slightly higher. Thanks for the pictures, Bob... they would have been very useful to me, and I hope someone else does put them to good use. One thing to bear in mind - the kit depicts the car before the post-crash rebuild, so there are no “eybrows†over the wheel arches. This means that really, it should be built in 1966 trim, not as it is today, unless you want to add the eyebrows (and maybe some other changes) I think that it’s without doubt a stunning looking car - as soon as I saw the pictures in “British Auto Legends†I knew I had to have one! Whether it would have been a Le Mans winner is a point we could debate for ever. It still needed a lot of development work before it was ready for primetime - there’s a list of the “snags†found in a single test drive on the XK13 web site (http://www.xj13.eu/xj13/default.aspx) and you can see that there are plenty of them. But if it had appeared when it was originally planned, it would have been racing against lightweight E-Types and GTOs, and I think it would have had a very good chance. As time went on, though, even if the rules hadn’t changed to exclude it, it would have been facing GT40s and Ferrari 330s, which would have been a whole different ball game... @george53: It’s not technically driven from the centre - the main seat is toward the right, but the “passenger seat†is tiny and never used, so the driver sits much more centrally than in a regular two-seater. @jbwelda: K&R do make a D-type in white metal in their range (which I think may have had another name before K&R) so there’s a good chance yours is one of theirs as well. Personally, I’d really like one of their C-types! Overall, it’s an iconic Jaguar, whose engine echoes down the years in all kinds of V12 saloons, and whose design influence continues through the XK180 to the C-X75... bestest, M.

...'cos they only built one, which crashed and was rebuilt and is now at the Jaguar Heritage Centre. It was originally intended as a Le Mans challenger, and had the car been ready when the engine was, in 1962, then it would have been a pretty strong challenger at that. However, the car was delayed by a couple of years, by which time the rules had changed, and it could no longer be entered. Derivatives of the engine went on to power Jaguar's 12-cylinder saloons for years, but the XJ-13 never raced in anger. Even if it could have, by 1965, it would have been outclassed by opposition. The kit is a K&R Replicas white metal casting in 1/24. The only additions were to wire the engine with little-cars wires, and some seat belts made from lead foil covered in surgical tape for texture and sprayed with Tamiya Brilliant Blue acrylic. ...and my best effort to reproduce the picture in the inspirational Mike Zumbrunn "British Auto Classics" book: ...my first white metal kit, so a learning curve all the way, but it's the only way to get this beautiful car into your scale garage. Now I've got the pictures, I can see that there's some more polishing to do here and there, and the "indicator" orange needs touching up when my Humbrol Clear Orange arrives at my local hobby shop... bestest, M.

Looks to me very close to classic French racing blue: This is Zero Paints ZP-1095 French Blue: http://www.hiroboy.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=48_77&products_id=2510 bestest, M.