Scale-Master

I have spoken with Mr. Tamiya and his son-in-law, also Mr. Tamiya, on several occassions:

Like: "Women are nuts!" Wait.... "Men are bolts!"

And there's a wuh-wuh it doesn't even need!

Find the softest brass or better yet copper wire brush you can, soft as in like a toothbrush. It will give a brushed aluminum look and get into the crevices. Use it dry. 0000 Steel wool will turn the high points into near chrome. Fine metal polish on a toothbrush can be used if you want it brighter, but you will need to scrub the black residue out with the toothbrush and detergent & water. They will tarnish over time so a thin coat of clear is an option to ward that off. Waxing them can help too, but it is not as long term of an option.

PRDA. Polish Racing Drivers of America! (Warning, shameless name dropping.) I'm lucky enough to have worked with Oscar have had him to my home, and a very close friend of mine is buddies with Tony Adamowicz. Hopefully this build will pass muster by them...

First step on this is to sort out the body and chassis. The instructions are adamant about following them carefully and in order, but I want to make sure the body fits before step 30. I just don’t trust them 100%. Recently there was a discussion along the lines of "who needs instructions". This is a kit that arguably could not be built correctly without them first time through. I will rearrange the order of some of the assemblies, but have already noticed they will be invaluable. It is in the first coat of primer; once the body work is done I’ll shoot the white for the sides…

Comb, Home... Then you have One & Won. Two & To. One looks like it should be pronounced Own like in Tone. And Two doesn't even need it's W...

Roger! My brother! Good to see you here. Shoot me an email!

Really? How'd you come to that conclusion?

In some cases it is more about lighting and angles. The flare of the light knocks out some of the details that clue you into it being a model. And a low angle can help make it look like the photo was taken from the angle a real car would be shot. Neither of these models are super detailed. But the effect becomes the focal point:

I used to think that too. But my tastes changed and I built a few, then a few more... And I found for me they are like a great steak and a nice bottle of cabernet. Not an everyday item, but surely a treat worth paying for and savoring. Expensive? Yes. Over-priced? Maybe. Fair return of value for investment? Yes!

Actually... And this is from one of the Mr. Tamiya's... Ta-me-a No emphasis on any syllable. It is Japansese, not English so the rules are a little bit different..

I used the SMS Hi-Def 1/20 scale C/F.

While they can be great reference, I have found many brochures to provide some incorrect info compared to how the cars were actually offered/produced. Many brochures come out beforehand of the production cars and some contain "interesting" info. Still, they are a great walk down memory lane and do have huge merit...

Thanks everyone. I'm not 100% sure if they are door locks, but the instructions said to paint them silver.

The engine is U.S. Navy Intermediate Blue. I have Sherline machines, Mill and Lathe. Recommend them too.

Looks great in photos Art, almost as good as it does in person... It is the best build I have ever seen of this kit.

Thanks everyone, it is over in the Under Glass section now... What a blast of a kit to build!

This was one of the most enjoyable models I have ever built. (And I have built thousands.) Fit and engineering are superb; a highly recommendable kit. I was able to build this in less than two weeks, start to finish. The rear wing can be displayed up or down. I like that option, but in the end I like the look of it in the down position. I went with the flat black wheels because the silver plating looked too toy-like with this color scheme. WIP Thread: http://www.modelcars...opic=53593&st=0 I did some light weathering and shading to break up that mass of black on the belly pans. At least some of the chassis detail shows through… A couple shots of the engine…

Thanks guys. It is almost done... It is somewhat of a shame that so much of the chassis detail is covered up by the belly pans. So one last look to see the detail parts before they go into hiding…

The screens are mostly PE (except the two main rear vents, although they have little PE parts in them) and are very well done, both in look and fit. They are very delicate too, but a light touch and you’ll have no problems. The lights also fit excellently and are engineered to make installation relatively easy. Once the decals dry, it will be waxed and have the windows installed and put onto the chassis and interior.

I don't think any contest requires an entrant to enter in Out-Of-The-Box even if they bring their instructions. It is up to the builder.

It sure does... in fact Mark Taylor (the guy that did the informative resin columns in MCM) noticed that years ago and realized we lived close enough to meet up in person. Thanks, it is a blast to drive with 470HP.

Used to drag race this one too, in fact I made the field in it for The Last Drag Race at OCIR. Yeah, I have had it a long time. Lots of passes at Carlsbad before it was closed too. Last runs I made with it were at Pomona.