Matt Bacon

..and the inside's inside the outside: Sills don't quite fit onto the inner bulkheads, but fit nicely along the horizontal seam line... best, M.

Thanks, guys. @Brian, you're too kind ;-P The chassis and body are pretty much done now: The tire decals are from BVH, a German company. They do a sheet of multicoloured Firestone, Goodyear and Dunlop logos. They are regular waterslide decals, so to keep them on, I applied them onto a patch of Microscale Liquid Decal film pained onto the tire (I figured that it would still be a bit flexible once dry), and then matt artists' varnish over the top once they'd set nicely. Then I put the two together, and discovered... That you can see the raw plastic of the inner walls through the "shoulder scoops", so out the chassis came again, and some near-as-dammit-the-same-colour gloss red was applied... Meanwhile, finishing touches to the body are done: Final assembly and decals tomorrow, I reckon... best, M.

When you say "despite cleaning it..." do you mean you've taken it apart and cleaned it piece by piece, or just sprayed solvent through it? "It'll still spray paint after depressing the trigger and releasing it" sounds as if you've got two things going on: the air valve is sticky, and not closing quickly and completely when you release the trigger, AND the needle isn't closing fully so you still have some paint flow... If when you're spraying normally, you have bubbles back into the the cup as well, that's a nozzle sealing issue. You should get some "Liquid Reamer" in can and some lacquer thinner To clean the tip (3 above), I would dip a small paintbrush in the lacquer thinner, insert it into the tip until you can see bristles coming through the end, and twirl it around a few times, wipe on paper towel and repeat several times. Then stick the point of the tip into the spray tube of the liquid reamer can, holding it tight, and zap some reamer backwards through the tip. That should then be properly clean inside. Put some liquid reamer on a paper towel and wipe the needle through it a few times to make sure the tip is clean. You can try putting some lube (eg Regdab) onto the top of the air valve in the body (below the trigger (10)) and pop it up and down a few times to see if it eases. If not, you're going to have to clean the air valve assembly (21-25). You disassemble it from the bottom of the neck. Unscrew the plate (25) at the bottom (a pair of sharp tweezers inserted into the slot in the brass baseplate will do it). Be careful... there's a spring (24) in there, don't let it pop out or spring the baseplate across your desk. Take the valve apart, and make sure the piston and o-ring (23), inside of the valve body (22) and top o ring (21) are all clean and free of any paint. Put it all back together. If your tip is clean, the needle is properly seated into it, and the air valve piston moves freely, than your problem _should_ be gone away. My main piece of advice would be get comfortable taking apart your airbrush, cleaning, and reassembling it properly. they aren't magic, or even particularly complicated, but they are precision appliances, so it's worth really understanding what's going on if you want to be able to fix it! Good luck! best, M.

HRM also does the engine alone: https://www.modelbuilderswh.com/collections/engine-kits/products/ferrari-330-p4-engine-kit-1-24th-scale That's kinda my point: I don't know why anyone would buy just the engine and have to do all the rest of the stuff scratchbuilt, when for $60 instead of $45 you get everything you need. Sadly, at this stage I'm not going to stall the project, pay twice as much for resin as I did for the kit, and make life much more complicated for myself (this was supposed to be an easy "slammer" built in a couple of weeks to chill out after the complexity of the FXX-K, after all ;-P) best, M.

The guy certainly does beautiful work! I think that if you were going to go this route, the extra $15 to buy the set with all the rear suspension and accurate body parts as well as the engine would be well worth it: https://www.modelbuilderswh.com/collections/engine-kits/products/ferrari-330-p4-engine-and-detail-kit-1-24th-scale Otherwise there's a tonne of scratch building to do around that masterpiece of an engine... best, M.

It may just be intended as dust, but that built boxtop model looks like it was made by someone who doesn't know how aluminium-bodied Land Rovers weather... best, M.

Thanks, all! So, the back end... what of it there is... is built: You do wonder if somewhere out there is an "Enthusiast Model" version of the kit with full engine, body frame and suspension, because what I've got here looks a lot like the non-EM version of the Dino 246, which I also have the full detail version of. The absence of engine is kinda noticeable (but won't show when it's finished, I'm pretty sure). This what you get. The silver lumps in the red circles are the tops of the wheel carriers, which are attached to... nothing. The lower end fixes to the lower suspension arms, and that's all that's supporting the rear axle. The rear springs (in the green circles) are moulded as part of the M-shaped piece which also includes the exhaust 3:1 junctions, but they don't attach to anything at the bottom, just resting against the front end of the lower suspension arm. There's a spare wheel to mount above the transmission housing, which will hide even more... Sadly, the tyre decals haven't stood the test of time, so I have some (new) aftermarket alternatives on the way... best, M.

Thanks, guys... steady progress today: The only issue so far has been that I couldn't get the dash console to fit around the central brace between the seats, so I just cut the bottom and the last switch off. Not sure what I did wrong, but evidently something wasn't right... Time to start building the back end now, I reckon... best, M.

I'm game... (though it depends on what we mean by "the period"...) 1. Ferrari 330 P4 2. Ford GT40 3. Cooper Jaguar T38 4. Maserati 250S 5. Lola T70 Coupe 6. Alfa Romeo T33 7. Aston Martin DB3S 8. Jaguar D-Type 9. Ferrari 250TR 10. Jaguar E-type Lightweight... best, M.

Probably the best-looking sports prototype ever (though I might need to build a Gulf GT40 to sit next to it, to be fair). I was going to post up a full step by step build, but it's really not that complicated... maybe the Heller kit with the full engine would be a different story. Anyway, a few WIP shots: Black, Tamiya flat aluminium, and Tamiya Titanium gold. Interior. The previous owner of this kit had snaffled some of the seatbelt hardware, so I have some not-strictly-prototypical Eduard Sabelt harnesses on the way... Dash with decals: my very sharp new compass cutter was a godsend in trimming the HUGE carrier film so they'd sit in the bezels properly. This is why I love the Zero Paints basecoat plus 2K Diamond Clear system so much. Straight out of the paint booth... Some Humbrol 33 Matt black and Molotow Chrome for the lights. Wheels with (mostly) gold by Fujimi. Still got to do the tyre decals (the backwards kind I learned about on the FXX-K...) It's a very neat kit that goes together remarkably easily, and (did I mention...?) will look awesome when done... best, M.

One last thing... any engine that has been sitting for a while is going to be full of seals that have dried up, or gone out of shape where the thing they are sealing has rested on the same spot for a long time, or both. Expect that you're potentially going to have to replace quite a number of seals, hoses and the like to stop the thing bleeding oil and water like a stuck pig once it starts running... best, M.

How long has it been since the engine's run? It looks kinda "weathered" to me. If it's been a while, even if you could get the starter turning, it's probably not a good idea just to sling in some fuel and crank it... There's some useful general advice here: http://www.p6club.com/content/recommissioning-p6 best, M.

Just heat the metal "nozzle" tube whilst holding it horizontal or pointing slightly upward, using the gas flame on your cooker or a cigarette lighter: it'll glow red hot, and you'll get a nice little flame at the top as the glue that's set inside it melts and burns off. I do it all the time with the "hypo" applicators on Humbrol and Revell plastic cement bottles. Just don't squeeze the bottle while you're doing it, or hold it upside down... best, M.

Thanks, guys... George, #68 is a Jaguar XK120, pushing hard at a "Big Healey". The Jaguar XK straight six engine is also found in dedicated racing C-Types, D-Types, and lightweight E-Types, plus some very fast Mk 2s. I'm not sure what the regulations about "period correctness" are in this class: that XK120 might be running a fully race-developed late model XK engine under that beautifully curved hood, and be a bit of a "wolf in sheep's clothing". It was blinkin' quick along the pit straight, that's for sure, but was usually undone by having to brake earlier for the big Redgate turn at the end than the cars running disk brakes... best, M.

Great day out with the lad: exciting racing, paddock access and some beautiful cars on show! First, the racing... Some beauties... (a Cooper-Jaguar, in case you were wondering) ...and the appeal of Donington in one shot: The complete 100-shot gallery can be found here: https://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Donington-2018 Enjoy! best, M.

Ouch! Is that regular Halfords grey primer from the can? I've NEVER seen that happen with either the Grey Primer or Grey Plastic Primer in a two decades of using them... Could there be something weird with the plastic? best, M.

I dare say there’ll be an opportunity for European entrepreneurs shipping Focus RS and Fiesta ST’s to the US, just as there was the other way round before the Mustang was officially sold over here. All the UK auto mags really love the new Focus, both in regular spec and “hot” versions. Mind you, if American drivers are flocking to buy bloated, jacked-up, vaguely industrial lumps powered by high capacity, low power V8 mills, then maybe only a few cognoscenti are equipped to appreciate the Focus RS for the “peak Ford” that it is... ;-P Best, M.

For a modern radiator and electric fan? ;-P best, M.

That really is fabulous. Has there evr been a better profile than that? You can really see why it was a sensation at the 1948 Earl's Court Motor Show, can't you? Since I have one waiting in the stash, I'd love to know a bit more about what you did to the windscreen mounting. I'd need a lot to persuade me away from Appleyard's (local hero...) NUB 120, but not having to vent the bonnet would be a powerful temptation... Awesome, and truly inspirational... best, M.

Thanks very much indeed, guys... your positive feedback is much appreciated! Two questions to tackle now.... 1) How should I display it? All doors open, no doors open, or somewhere in between? 2) What next? I'm kinda liking the 330P4, 'cos it looks supercool, and somewhat like the FXX-K; or an SLS G3, 'cos it's SOOOO much simpler; or a SAAB Draken, 'cos i just acquired the sweetest Eduard kit of the beast; or a HondaJet, 'cos I can use up some more of that zingy red over gold from the decanted jars by the airbrush booth.... Choices, choices... best, M.

Thanks, guys!!! Much appreciated... @Dann Tier much as I would love to take credit for sophisticated weathering, that’s just the normally entirely invisible carrier film catching the lighting in the photo booth! It was only after I’d done the front spoiler that I realised I needed to trim every carbon piece at the edge of the black area to get it to fit successfully... Also, as I mentioned, the metal decals are brilliant up to a point, and fragile beyond it... don’t bend any too sharply as you’re cutting out other bits. And also take careful note of the decal numbers on both the carbon and metal sheets. The layout kinda mimics the car but with some “gotchas”, like the rear duct decals sitting alongside the front clam striping while the front fender panels are with the rear window outline. My hard-earned advice would be to use some of the “spare” carbon or metal decal that Tamiya thoughtfully provide to get a handle on how both behave before using them in anger, rather than for patching up afterwards! bestest, M.

A fantastic kit from Tamiya, with the as-expected stellar fit and engineering. I made it more difficult for myself with Tamiya's own etch update set and carbon decals, and lots of coloured wiring. This is one kit where you absolutely DO have to follow the instructions... all of them. Paint is Tamiya TS-86 Mica Red over metallic gold. Those silver decals are challenging. Don't use any decal solvent on them and they stay tough as well as thin and flexible. Getting them INTO the scoops on the engine cover rear is no fun at all. You can probably see I also messed up one of the rear tire decals. I think they should give you one spare for newbies to the weird method of laying them down to stuff up before doing the real thing! Still, one of the very best kits I have ever built. Now for something simpler ;-P best, M.

Thanks, all... I think i'm on the home stretch now. One thing that I have learned is that whilst on other kits, sometimes "the instructions ARE just someone else's opinion", in this case, you really have to follow them, all of them... With a bit of luck, we should see this done tomorrow... All the best, M.

That really is lovely, and having built the Uhlenhaut coupe, I know what the starting point for the underpinnings was like! Great job. best, M.

It's taken a while to make significant progress, but here we are: These seat belts were a monstrous PITA, and only do-able with the help of my crafty daughter...I have no idea how you could make them with only one pair of hands! There's a lot of carbon fibre decal settling down in the airing cupboard, and still more to do after that! best, M.