Matt Bacon

Thanks, guys, and thanks for the reminder, @gearhedjon. So I have added the lower body blue: Some progress with painting and detailing the engine: The aluminium ferrules will become convincing "velocity stacks" I hope... Not a great picture, but it should be clear that I filled the central dial and replaced it with the four smaller gauges of the Yenko dash, and I've used liquid cement to texture the crackle-black areas around the gauges and glovebox. Next steps with both the body and interior require breaking out the chrome... best, M.

Doh! I will.... I spotted it when I was planning, and then forgot to leave it unmasked for painting! Thanks forthe reminder... best, M.

It's been a busy week, but managed to make some progress at least: Stripe's probably a bit wide (though it varies depending on which car you're basing your build on) but the benefit of using tape sizes you have on hand for masking outweighs the value of strict scale accuracy, IMHO... and this is MY Stinger, not Jay's... best, M.

A fair bit of masking to paint a few bits black! The engine is started, using Citadel Contrast Paint "Black Templar" over Tamiya Grey Primer. It's a bit hard to see here, but it does shadowing, washing and dry-brushing all in one. Lots more detail painting on the engine to be done, but it's a solid starting point. best, M.

While the 2+2 is definitely not as elegant looking as the classic coupe, I can tell you after a weekend with one it’s a lot more practical if you’re over 5’10”! Good to know the White Box issues are the same, and have an Opalescent Silver Blue option — my favourite Jaguar colour! best, M.

Thanks, guys. Moving along.... Body primed with TS-101 Base White. Quite a few rounds of filling, priming, and sanding to get to this point! Happy with how the front end has come out... Engine is under way, and is pretty well detailed. I think I need to figure out how to mount it higher in the engine bay -- not too much, but right now it looks like it's all hanging under the car. All the pictures I have of the real thing show the exhausts coming out through the rear valance either side of the moulded in grille, but as things are the headers will emerge from under the body... best, M.

Building an AMT Corvair as a Yenko Stinger at the moment. Not only is the car pretty small, but the rims/tires are tiny, just like real thing. The kit tires are a bit rubbish, so if I could find a decent set of replacements to upgrade those that would be a start. Many modern racer cars go up a size to 15” rims, but with lower profile rubber. My first thought was swapping from a Camaro kit, but the wheels from the AMT and Revell versions I have are huge by comparison, and the tire sidewalls way too deep. Have looked at 1/24 Mini parts, but they’re too small and the tire proportions are all wrong. 1/25 small Minilites would work, but the only ones I have are larger, 1/24, and would work out to 17” or more in 1/25. If anyone has any thoughts on where I might source better tires for the kit wheels, better same size racing wheels/tires, or sensible 15” alternatives that will fit the AMT Corvair, any suggestions would be appreciated! best, M.

Because they’re not necessarily flying objects but are undoubtedly aerial phenomena? Just guessing… best, M.

Been looking or one of these for a while, following an article by Jay Leno in a recent Octane and then watching the episode of his Garage featuring the beastie. This boxing of the kit includes many, if not all, of the optional parts from the various versions offered over the years. There's no mention of Yenko or the Stinger in the instructions, but the essential parts for a Monza or Stinger seem to be present and correct. The sail panels that extend the C-pillars and engine cover with spoiler and vents are two key features of the original, and there are "tuned" engine parts and extras for the cabin. Some elements are used in the build option that's described as "Rally" in the instructions, but you really just need to work from references and enjoy discovering how many of the bits you need are already in the box... One key difference between the '69 body in the box and the earlier 66 body used as the basis of the Stingers is that the later model has a lot more chrome trim. Here I've carved off the front end adornment, preparing for the much simpler, flatter nose of the earlier car. Milliput two part epoxy putty to fill the gap, because it's strong and sands really well. After first sanding and a bit of additional putty. Time to begin work on the chassis as well. best, m.

Somewhere in your menu settings, you will be able to get the mirror to lock up out of the way to have a look at the sensor. The mirror is only about seeing the image in the viewfinder, so if you have spots or hairs on your actual images, then they aren't on the mirror, they are on the sensor or in the lens. If they are blurry, like the ones you are showing, they are more likely on the lens than the sensor. A "puff duster" brush is your best friend for both. I have one that's a bit like a squeezy rocket/football shape blowing through a soft brush nozzle. Look at the front lens surface and back glass of the lens, and give it a puff clean. If that doesn't do it, lock the mirror up, turn your camera body down to face the floor, and puff dust the sensor behind the mirror so any contamination falls down and out... HTH, best, M.

Now this is a work of genius (or madness…) https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1449326 If it’s engineered as well as it’s finished, what a car for someone… In love it!!! best, M.

Looks absolutely spot on. Beautiful finish and as others have said, perfect for the believable scale “look”. Very nice detailing as well. On my grail kits list, and this has just reminded me why! best, M.

I have to say, for a 1/18, $300+ diecast, the representation of the engine set up in the pictures on the web site looks awful... best, M.

In terms of best fit to the needs I have and had at the time, hands down the Skoda Superb estate (wagon) I have now and have owned for a decade. Bought as a six month old demonstrator (so 40% off list new price) with about 3600 miles on it when the kids were 10 and 12. Huge boot for family holidays and vast load space with the seats down for taking kids to and from Uni. Biggest rear leg room in the VW-Audi group apart from the A8L, which came in handy as the older teenagers grew to 6ft or so. Built in Wolfsburg (while Golfs were built in the Skoda factory in Slovakia) so it is Audi quality throughout. Peppy 170 BHP torquey diesel and bomb-proof dual clutch robotised manual transmission for fast A-road fun and relaxed motorway cruising. As a demonstrator, fully loaded with options, most of which are useful rather than annoying with it being ten years old. And it has no less than two umbrellas embedded in the passenger door handles and air conditioned cooling directed through the glove box to stop your travel sweets melting or getting sticky… best, M.

@djmcguire mostly around the engine and to bring out the relief on the radiators, which is about the only bit you can see with the fairing on! The gold and blue/brown weld heat discolouration on the exhaust pipe are also metallic wax… best, M.

Take the blue pill, dude. You don't want to know how deep the rabbit hole goes... best, M.

BMW's extraordinary superbike. The main carbon frame weighs less than 8kg (20lbs), and the whole bike, fully fuelled and loaded with fluids only 180kg (400 lbs). It's a different sort of kit, with snap and screw construction (there's no glue in what you see here), moulded in various grades of ABS. Different paint finishes and some decals are pre-applied to the parts, including a very effective carbon weave done using the hydro-dipping technique. I've done some detail painting, and a very small amount of washing and weathering to make a few details pop, but the real things are very well looked after. Definitely as much "assembly" as modelling, it's been a blast to build, and I'll let the outcome speak for itself: best, M.

Package arrived from Indycals this morning with a set of 64/65 wide alloy wheels for the Tamiya Lotus 25, which make it look much cooler, IMHO; a set of decals for the Tamiya Alpine 442B 1978 Le Mans winner; and a set of Apple decals for the NuNu Porsche 935K3... best, M.

Fairing and final decals on: Going to pick out some detail painted bits and then it's time for beauty shots for Under Glass. best, M.

The last few parts together. The shiny BMW badges are beautifully printed metallised decals, so I'm leaving them until tomorrow to thoroughly set before attempting to fix the fairing parts to the bike. Final assembly and the last few decals tomorrow. best, M.

Not the best picture, but three parts, two decals: And then you put these bits together: And finally... Then here: So this is where we're at at the end of Day 8: All the best, M.

Just some pipework today, but it's more complicated than it might first look! The long pipe from the left lever goes to the fitting on top of the radiator, left of the filler cap in the picture above. The short pipe from the white reservoir goes to the fitting on the top front of the right lever assembly. The pipe connecting the right lever to the splitter pipe on the fork which then goes to the front brake callipers goes to a fitting underneath the right lever which points backwards. It is not easy to wiggle into place! The balancing cradle is earning its keep tonight... best, M.

Hi, David… looking good! Re the bonnet fit, I did a couple of things (both late in the build so they are probably still feasible. First I notched the corners of the base of the radiator so the lower edge could drop down a millimetre or two between the chassis rails, and secondly I filed a vertical slot in the hinge piece at the front (making the slot L shaped) and let the dash ends float in their mountings so they are only trapped when the top is on. The bonnet closes flush and stays up open, which is a win as far as I’m concerned. With the reinforcing plate I can see your interpretation… I put mine a bit (one corrugation) further forward, so the plate’s over the prop shaft universal joint and the point is over the tail end of the gearbox… best, M.

or this (the one I want to build) best, M.

Like this: best, M.