Matt Bacon

You're jumping to some pretty damning conclusions based on my photo of my build and a web shot of the real thing that are taken from different angles... Did I take the shot you're comparing to the real thing with this lens: Or this one: best, M.

Well, I imagine it's because Revell is a European company and brand these days, having proved that they can't make money as a US model kit maker any more. Do I put that entirely down to picking the "wrong" scale? No. But making odd-scale models of cars that have no relevance or following outside of one market is not a route to staying afloat when that market is not buying enough kits. It seems kinda perverse when the rest of the world, even the metric countries, are buying 1"=12 feet, 1"=6 feet, 1"= 4 feet, 1"=2 feet scale models (the less said about 1/35 the better) to pursue a 1cm=25cm scale, especially when those very metric countries are not making everything 1:100, 1:75, and 1:50... best, M.

At the risk of dragging this thread back on topic, here are the comparison pics I promised. I'm pretty confident about the accuracy of the scale drawings... Revell Heller Heller Revell Reve Revell Heller The real deal... You can draw your own conclusions, but FWIW, these are mine. The Revell A pillars are a tad too short, and the top line of the windscreen goes straight across instead of canting up about 30 degrees to the horizontal, which exacerbates the short windscreen problem. On the other hand, the Revell kit gets right the high point of the side window glass house being in the middle of the door window, not at the A pillar. The Heller kit is better at the bottom of the side glass, which is more or less a straight line, not kinked as on the Revell body (I'm pretty confident in the drawings, which show it as a straight line). The Revell rear window is a better shape than the Heller, but both seem a bit small compared to the real thing. The Heller "glasshouse" is narrower than the Revell, so you can't just swap windscreens, sadly. I think probably the Revell is more accurate side to side, but things are further complicated by the Revell chrome trim for the windscreen being a separate part. One of my Revells is going to be built as is alongside an OOB Heller build so I can add two really beautiful cars to my shelves. The other I'm going to spend some time figuring out how to "correct." At the moment, my thinking is that if I can figure out how to raise the line of the windscreen top, which will mean modifying the chrome part as well, that will do for the Revell. For the Heller, I'll replace the moulded in wipers, and modify the top curve of the side windows, and that should do it. I'm also going to reconfigure the Heller parts to match the design of the Revell, because I think Revell have the best way to engineer an E-type to avoid seams... Wish me luck... if I put all that work in, Tamiya is SURE to release a state of the art kit next year... best, M.

I really have no idea what you think you’re seeing, but I don’t see it, and I built the the example you’re using. It’s a bit harsh dissing the accuracy of the kit based on my ability to cut BMF... I can post a pic of the body out of the box it you like and you can take a pop at that. All I can tell you is that when I built and posted this model, at least two people *who own XJ-Ss* said that it looked the part. No kit is perfect, but the Revell kit has so many other deficiencies compared to the Hasegawa that even if there WAS “something wrong with the drip rail line” I’d stick with the one I have. But there ain’t. best, M.

With the bodies in hand (photos tomorrow), there are two windscreen issues with the Revell versus the Heller. First, the Revell A pillars are a *tad* shorter than the Heller. Secondly, the Revell "cap peak" above the windscreen seems to have a) not noticed that the top of the coupe windscreen is not a straight horizontal line between the tops of the A pillars, and b) not noticed that the "peak" line is tilted up about 30 degrees above the horizontal... Also, without detailed measurements, the glasshouse of the Revell looks wider than the same section on the Heller... best, M.

Hasegawa... great kit, much opportunity to detail, easily available... best, M.

I've got two on the bench, arrived yesterday. Will post up some pics over the weekend... best, M.

I think Chris owes Geoff at least one free one for all the orders he must be getting from forum members! best, M.

That confirms what I thought, @Bennyg. I've looked all over and couldn't find any pictures with the rear clam open at all. I think the way the aero works around and through the car, you can't afford not to have the wing mounting, ducts, diffuser and vanes all in fixed positions relative to each other. Even the small hatch over the airbox needs a special tool to open it... best, M.

Pre-ordered mine. Now, if only Tamiya (or Alpha) would give us a full-detail Gordon Murray Design T50, I'd be a very happy bunny! best, M.

That’s a Low Drag Coupe as well as a Lightweight and it’s super rare. The regular lightweights have a “normal” bubble hardtop, which you can find in Heller and Gunze 1/24 kits (and maybe some boxings of the 1/25 Revell kit) best, M.

Thanks, chaps! Somehow, I think a real one of these would punch @Ace-Garageguy 's buttons: small, light, quirky, fast and a real drivers car, which an expert wrencher would have no issues with despite its essential French-ness... best, M.

One of Heller's better 1/43 car kits, with good shape and detail, especially for the scale. It's a really cool little sports car that punches well above its weight, as well... It's a pretty small car in real life, and even more so in 1/43! It's just a shame no one does a nice 1/24 scale version; the closest is an Eidei/Grip kit from the early 80s, available in an Airfix box from time to time. But it's ex-motorised and tarted up with fake rally parts, so is not very appealing, even as the "only game in town". best, M.

Built for a "Classic Heller" Group Build on another forum. This is their first 1/43 car kit, and it shows. this 1976 release is nothing like as well designed and engineered as the later kits from the 1980s. But it's a cool Citroen, and the only way to get one in any scale... Overall, I was pretty glad to get it finished! best, M.

That looks completely stunning. Fantastic build, and I'm in awe of how you managed to get all that carbon to lay down smoothly! All the best, Matt

Very nice, Jim... it looks strangely familiar! Very nice build of what I thought was a very nice kit... best, M.

Thanks, guys... much appreciated! best, M.

Good point @Mattilacken... I think being able to clean it easily is probably the key feature in an airbrush you’re going to use regularly. Poor cleaning seems to result in more problems than any other cause. I have an Iwata Eclipse BCS (siphon) and an H&S Evolution Al+. Both are easy to take apart, and most importantly have decent sized nozzles that just pull out — you’re not trying to undo something the size of a grain of rice with a spanner. After a spraying session, I run some thinner through, then unscrew the cap and remove the nozzle. I then loosen the needle and pull it out through the front, not back through the brush. I dip an old paintbrush in lacquer thinner and put it into the nozzle, until you can see the bristles coming out the top, and twirl it around. Then I put the plastic tube on a can of Liquid Reamer or Badger cleaner over the point of the nozzle (which is easy because they are big enough to get hold of) and send a couple of squirts through the nozzle backwards, which blasts out any crud that’s been loosened by the paintbrush full of lacquer thinner. Finally wipe down the needle with Liquid Reamer on a paper towel, put the nozzle and cap back in place, and reinsert the needle from the back of the brush. Takes less time to do than write or read this! So, my advice would be buy an airbrush that has a good size nozzle that doesn’t screw in! You can find exploded diagrams of most of the candidates online at spares sites to check, but I can tell you that both the two I name-checked above ARE easy to clean as described... best, M.

Very nice indeed.... looks great, and even more so knowing what you started with! best, M.

If you haven’t seen it, check out “The Man Who Would Be King”... Connery and Michael Caine at their very best. This hit me harder than I expected... I think because he was such an icon throughout my growing up years. And I agree , while he was James Bond for me, I love Professor Henry Jones more... “Junior...” best, M.

That's a great looking model, Steve. Did you manage to get the only one that doesn't have a broken windscreen frame, or did you have to fix that? I remember it was such a pain when I did mine! Wheels look great as well. Looks nice in pictures, though I found my two 275s, coupe and cabrio, were the hardest of all my Ferraris to photograph so they look as cool as they do in real life. You won't have that issue with the 250SWB or California Spider, believe me... best, M.

A really good kit of a sleek sporty GT... Other than the hinging of the doors, which is a monstrous PITA (especially if one of the little Z shaped wire hinges pings away to be eaten by the carpet monster...) this is a very enjoyable kit to build, and certainly looks the part when it's done. best, M.

Thanks, @Dann Tier, no, the chassis gives it a more positive "sit" but it ain't that heavy. The rear axle is a metal rod through the tub, and the fronts are well supported (many diecasts have plastic chassis under that metal body, after all...). Just the last few metal transfers/stickers to go on and she'll be done... Next time you see this, it'll be in Under Glass... best, M.

Door interiors: Small they may be, but the painting is pretty involved! Another great example of clever Tamiya engineering: the central red panel of each door is separate, and slides into a slot under the raised handle before clipping into place in the main door card. You just have to paint it red, and you get the area behind the handle neatly painted, and a gap behind the handle as on the real thing. I reckon most manufacturers would have moulded the whole thing as one piece with the handle integral, making for much trickier painting to make it look vaguely like the original. best, M.

On the home stretch now. The fit of the body, windows lights etc. is just stellar. Still haven't quite conquered the hood, but I'm now waiting until doors, windscreen and wipers are on before "fine tuning"... ? Now I just have to decide what number plate will suit this one! best, M.