Matt Bacon

....and this is the Matchbox: And the Matchbox 1/32s from this project: And, finally, a collection of 1930s supercars: best, M.

Finally got these done. Apologies for fewer in progress shots than intended -- life and a rapidly approaching deadline got in the way... Anyway, here they are: This is the Tomy... love those etched wheels. best, M.

Looks like they’ve recruited Marek Reichmann... best, M.

I’ve just been much enjoying Brock Yates’ “Sunday Driver”, and it got me wondering whether anyone makes a TransAm version of a 70 or 71 Camaro? Or the aftermarket parts and a street version? best, M

I bought this Leo diecast for not much on eBay, because I really wanted a Montreal on my shelf, and I figured I could do some detailing on it and have a nice model. And it is indeed a very nice model. The only problem (and I knew it when I bought it, hence the low price and no issue there) is that the windows have gone cloudy and white. Obviously, in photos I couldn't see how it had happened, so I had high hopes to before it arrived of being able to polish them like you would a cloudy headlight cover on a real car. But now it's here, it looks as though the clear plastic itself has gone somewhat white throughout. Anyone had any experience of this phenomenon? And more importantly, anyone have any ideas on a cure? My fallback position is to use the existing windows to crash/plunge mould some new windows, but if, say, gentle application of heat to the original windows will bring them back to clear, then I'd rather try that first... All thoughts very much welcomed! best, M.

A design whose heart’s in the right place, but the execution is more Bizarre than Bizzarini... best, M.

Is that really where the spare went? I know people jumped through some pretty weird hoops to meet sports car regs in different formulas, but that M1A takes the biscuit... best, M.

Not helped, of course, by Tamiya describing their TS sprays as acrylics... They are “hot”, and will certainly craze or eat away anything underneath except primer or another TS spray. The other way around, you can paint any Tamiya acrylic that comes in a pot and thins with water or X-20A over the top. It can be tricky to get the acrylic to “wet” the shiny surface of the cured spray paintjob, so I tend to mask and airbrush the acrylics using very light mist coats to start with to build up a “key”... best, M

Thanks, Bill.. at first glance from those photos, it looks as though the radius of the lip going into the intake is much tighter on the S2, so maybe from a "look" point of view, you could just sand the oval out to a larger size at the top, and do the same with slightly squared lower corners at the bottom... best, M.

Bill... since you've been up close and personal with one recently... For the larger "mouth", does the whole nose of the bonnet flare a bit to form it, or is it just a larger hole in the same shaped nose? It also looks as though the lower lip drops more, with squarer corners, and the upper curve is closer to the S1 shape. Just wondering whether, if you wanted to do the conversion, you'd need to Milliput around the nose and build up a whole new interior and exterior contour, or is just a matter of expanding the hole and blending in the new edges? I somehow seem to have acquired a couple of scrap e-type coupe bodies, so the cut and shut for extra length is feasible... best, M.

Wow... I never knew such a thing existed! Great build up here: https://culttvman.com/main/michael-danz-chitty-chitty-bang-bang/ Of course, you could also build the original illustrated book version: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/gallery/2015/feb/22/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-50th-anniversary-ian-fleming-john-burningham which would involve cutting up several Bentleys in your scale of choice: 1.32, 1/24 or 1/12. Or even the actual Zborowski Chitty Chitty Bang Bang racing cars: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitty_Bang_Bang Just need a big Mercedes chassis and a WW1 vintage aero engine... It would be nice to see the movie car back, though... best, M.

I thought I'd WiP this one, since some of your may be interested in comparing and contrasting the Matchbox and Tomy kits and the end results. Plus I'm going to use the Tomy kit as inspiration for some scratch details on the Matchbox... In case you hadn't guessed, Tomy in white, Matchbox in red! You can see the slight differences in interpretation of the shapes: the Tomy tends towards flatter plane surfaces radiused and blended into each other, while the Matchbox has compound complex curves -- see especially the front wings and the shape of the bonnet/hood. The difference in engineering is also visible. The Tomy has its interior "pod" moulded with the main floor and wings, and a separate outer body with firewall and fuel tank which drops over it, while the Matchbox body is built up and then an interior tub is sandwiched between body and chassis. No contest in terms of detail and refinement in the chassis and engines -- Tomy wins hands down. The metal parts are really, really good. There's also sensible choice of materials -- the springs are a stiff but flexible plastic that the axles just clip into. The "Matchbox" may also be suffering by comparison because it's a later Chinese edition of the kit, which is slightly softer in detail than the UK Matchboxes I've built, and moulded using slightly weird hard, shiny plastic. First trial fit. I wonder whether the Tomy was also available as a prebuilt model, because you can almost fit it together without any kind of glue, with press fit parts and neatly moulded clips in strategic places (eg the metal axles clip into the plastic springs). I don't think the Matchbox kit will disgrace itself, especially with the Tomy alongside to provide 3D 1:1 reference for extra bits! Best, M.

This is the Fujimi: You can buy here for about $28: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10182381 It's curbside and not super complex, so it could easily originate with Marui. The lights don't pop up, though, so if the Marui kit actually does what it shows on the box, it isn't the same one. It doesn't have any compromises to fit in a battery and motor either, that I can see. best, M.

The one that Fujimi is currently selling in regular and GTS flavours has no flares or wing, as far as I can see. Was thinking of getting one last weekend... best, M.

If you're interested in this thread, you might like this: This month's subscriber cover shot with adaptation for iPhone from the very excellent Octane magazine ... best, M.

It’s a brilliant kit... just go for the cheapest box you can find. The trickiest area is the back end, where you’re building a scale thickness frame around the engine, locating the turbos and exhausts and constructing the suspension, all from many separate high-fidelity parts, and you only know you’ve got it exactly right when all four wheels sit squarely on the ground at the end. It’s probably the most difficult bit of “kit sssembly” I’ve ever done (any more difficult “builds” I’ve done have been self inflicted attempts to make things up as I went along) You won’t regret it if you buy one... best, M.

Beautiful, for sure, but at €200, I think I’ll use the pictures as detailing inspiration for my from-the-stash Revell XKSS/Lindberg D-Type cross-kit... Best, M.

You mean this one? ..or the 2005 GT? I only ask because I know there is a 1/25 2005 Ford GT out there with big pimped wheels (edit... and can-Con found it, above), which I had to avoid while I was chasing down a Johnny Lightning kit of the same to do this: For either, I think the kit wheels are OK... best, M.

One of Airfix's excellent 1970s new tool 1/32 cars (not to be confused with the Highway Pioneers style brass-era oldies, or the slot-car derived 60s racers)... Left to right: the Airfix M K3 Magnette, another one of those mid-70s vintage sportsters (along with a Bugatti 35 and Vauxhall Prince Henry); the Alfa; and Matchbox's Aston Martin Ulster. Now, on with a Jaguar SS100 and MG TD from Matchbox... best, M.

Thanks, all! The scale isn't so odd when you consider that the only direct pocket money competitors were Airfix's 1/32 offerings, which included a number of kits first offered as slot racing models. 1/32 has always been the dominant slot scale in the U.K. best, M.

It looks rather like one of the less successful coach builder's efforts at a Ferrari America... lots of nice individual details, but for me they don't quite "gel"... and there are too many of them in one car! For an alternative example, Google "Maserati 5000GT." Mostly hideous, especially the Frua. And then compare with the Touring 3500GT coupe. "Less is more" applies in car design, too... On the whole, it seems to me you should never let the client get too involved in coachbuilding. best, M

Another of Matchbox's excellent 1/32 car kits -- 30s sports cars are a big theme in their line-up. I did a bit of plumbing and detailing under the bonnet -- particularly adding the steering column, without which it looks very odd under there. The only flaws I can see with the kit are that the engine should really be a bit longer and closer up to the radiator, which would give more room for the ancillaries around it, and it doesn't quite capture the low, wide stance of the real thing. I think if I was doing another one not out of the box, I'd try and taper the bonnet down to a slightly shortened radiator... best, M.

This one of the earlier ones painted up: It's true that the kit parts don't always quite match the illustrations, but they scrub up pretty well all the same... best, M.

The whole album (70 or so pictures) is here: https://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/frame/slideshow?key=XqF6PS&autoStart=1&captions=0&navigation=0&playButton=0&randomize=0&speed=3&transition=fade&transitionSpeed=2&clickable=1 Enjoy! best, M.

Details, details... best, M.