Scale-Master

Mostly aluminum. A couple-few dozen parts and some wires and custom decals. Even has the shock absorbing mounts... And a couple of secondary fuel filters. One for the normal fuel injection, one for the boost when nitrous is engaged... Aluminum and soldered brass for the bracket...

Built for the Driver/Owner of the real car as a surprise gift from his family. This is a replica of the car that John Marconi used to trounce the competition in the 1993 season of the Ferrari 348 Challenge. I started with a 1/43rd BBR 348 kit. It was converted to the race car and I created and generated all the graphics and sponsorship artwork. Much of the personality is in the cockpit, (granted the exterior has quite a presence and is the real eye catcher). Since the kit builds a carpeted street version, the carpet was “removedâ€, and the metal corrugated floor was made and weathered to show use. Pedals, virtually invisible once assembled, are there, as well as the gauges including the uniquely positioned tachometer. Other scratch built appointments and added details include the halon extinguisher, roll cage, seats, electrical shut offs, and a lead weight bolted to floor. (Seems John was a bit too fast for the competition and was handicapped for it, not that it kept him from winning.) The steering wheel has a "suede" grip and the stems were added to the column. The bolster on the driver’s seat shows scuff wear as it is a high traffic area for entering and exiting the car. The roll cage is bent to replicate the unique style of the real car, (info provided by one of the mechanics). An overall shading and light weathering rounds out the look of the interior. Approximately 50 additional parts were made for the interior. The body is painted in custom mixed lacquers and coupled with the sponsorship configuration, makes this an early-mid season version of the car. It was also upgraded to a 348 Especial version by reworking the tail light/rear panel. Some added exterior details include the electrical shut off, (windshield base) and tow hooks fore and aft. Been sitting on this until it was presented to him...

And now it is in the car, for me this is a milestone. So much effort, and now it looks like something identifiable. Still, much work to do...

Mounted in the "trunk". Once the rear bodywork is put on this view will be obscured. Lot's of aluminum. SMS Hi Def C/F decals.

As complete as it can be before installation into the frame. I don't know exactly how many pieces are in/on it without going through my notes, but there are hundreds and hundreds... Some of the parts were made two years ago and have been waiting. What a fun project! More to come...

Yes, they are to positively locate the parts. But this is the secondary fuel and nitrous delivery system, one side gets the Weber side draft throttle bodies, (not air cleaners), the other mounts to the head...

I saw either the same one, or one just like it back in the '80s too! (It may have been the late '70s.) I remember thinking you don't see many Ferrari's in light metallic blue. I've lived in Southern California all my life. I saw it in Newport Beach. I wonder if it is the same car...?

For the Super Seven. Approximately 80 individual pieces. The intake runners are the only kit parts, (but modified), the rest is all scratchbuilt/machined, mostly aluminum. The electrical wiring will be done after installation...

You are very kind Ismael. And thanks for the encouragement... - Mark

Officially a WIP. After over two years of building, it's not just a shelf of parts and sub-assemblies. I got a lot done on it yesterday, at least assembly wise, it finally looks like a potential car. The suspension is bolted on for alignment so I can take measurements and make some more parts, but I am now in the process of replacing the phillips heads with hex heads. I need to make about 50 just to change over what I have assembled here...

Thanks everyone. I bought a stick of Delrin years ago and a friend gave me some remnants too, (I just found the stuff I bought). I got it at my regular metal supply shop. A little lasts me a long time... It has some neat properties, but is not a required material for much modeling. I got a lot done on the car yesterday, at least assembly wise, it finally looks like a potential car after over two years of building, not just a shelf of parts and sub-assemblies, more pictures soon... And yep, you caught me...

Usually I use telephone, or bell wire to wind my 1/12 scale springs. But these actually are from the kit, (one of the dozen or so parts I'm actually keeping from it). Just wind it around the appropriate diameter of brass tubing, paintbrush handle, knife handle, etc...

For my current Super Seven build... All scratchbuilt. The shocks are mostly brass (soldered together) with some aluminum and delrin. The driveshaft is mostly aluminum with some brass and steel pins for the pivot points. SMS Hi-Def C/F decal for the shaft. Sad part is these items are hard to see even if the car is turned over... like that ever mattered before on this project...

Where was that yellow & black one photographed Wildrice? I know I have seen it, (even down to the color keyed fuzzy dice), but can't recall for sure where... - Mark

You may want to still build it Bob. If you have the finished one handy it can be an aid when it comes to decalling. This is the second one of these Zs I did. Having the first one on hand sped up the decal time almost two fold, even though it was year between the builds. Also the kit parts fit like a dream. I can understand the redundancy factor, but the kit also comes with the PitWork version decals too so you can have a variant, granted it is very similar. Just the building of it, assembling the pieces, was enjoyable to me. I too have one more mostly done with a completely different paint scheme and personality. I know you will enjoy the parts regardless of the livery you choose... - Mark

Thanks guys. Yes, it is a curbside and with a die-cast chassis pan too. At first I wasn't sure about that, but since it is a curbside, it doesn't matter as long as you aren't modifying it. And it won't be warped as a plastic one could be prone to. The fit of all the parts of this kit is incredible. Even the clear parts are engineered to take the risk of glue damage almost to zero... - Mark

I have a Xanavi Skyline almost done, at least the body. The Z is a little easier to paint and decal. I highly recommend these kits. The fit and engineering are awesome... - Mark

I used this as one of my subjects in the decal application demos I did at the last TamiyaCon. Been working on it finishing in my free time ever since. Great fitting kit. Decals fit really well too and match the Tamiya lacquers dead on...

A replica of a good friend's car for his collection. Modena yellow. Looks more like fly yellow in the pics, but it's not in person. Pretty quick build, only a week and a day, start to finish. Had to change a couple minor light details to Americanize it. I was out driving it yesterday, you know for reference... yeah, to build the model, that's it... What a blast, that sucker screams! - Mark

Usually gold will give you a richer warmer color, but possibly a little darker than silver. It's best to match the color of the metallic flakes in the paint to the base coat. Silver flakes, silver base; gold flakes, gold base... You can also use metallic grays as base colors to tweak the final shade. Many silvers and golds are very dense, test first, you may not need to put white down first, save yourself a layer of paint...

Welcome Mr. Corvette...

Hi Mike. I do believe I saw 3 of those 4 at the GSL... - Mark

That looks GREAT! You took a wonderful kit and really brought it to life, and kicked it up a few notches. Very Well Done... - Mark

Listening Gregg? Hmmmm.... Sounds familiar... - Mark

Yeah, after a month of work, and when I thought it was finished, I didn't like the way it looked on the mocked up chassis/body. Nothing really noticeable to probably anyone but me. I knew it would haunt me if I didn't re-do it. Still have the "old" one, just not right for this project. I was able to reuse the uprights and the wiper assemblies, but I had to refinish the uprights. Negligible difference, but worth the effort to me...