Bugatti Fan

Wire wheels have always been the Achilles Heel in the majority of plastic kits where the subject has them. 3D printing has changed the goal posts as more people are offering very acceptable scale wire wheels wheels in this medium, especially for much smaller scale kits than the Bentley. Gone are the limitations of the injection moulded process as spoke configurations can now be made correctly and successfully by 3D printing. The wheel set that Francois is having made will certainly be a vast improvement over the kit items, and will take his model to a different level along with all the other improvements he is making to it. Nick Edwards at Unobtainium has taken a different approach using 3D printed rims and hubs and the wheels being built using real wire for the spokes. He is developing these to be supplied as kits for those wishing to upgrade their big Airfix Bentleys.

Nice conversion Scott. Been following your build on the International Scale Modelled Forum. The kit was originally made by Matchbox when they made plastic kits back in the seventies and eighties. Scott said one of the tyres split due to getting brittle that he had to repair. If anyone is about to build one of these kits or has one in their stash, there is a UK company named Motobitz who I believe makes resin cast tyres to replace the kit items. Looks like others must have had this problem to prompt resin ones being made?

Whilst I respect others points of view about collecting, my views will remain the same. Each to their own. I reckon Bill has summed it up in his last line.

Kit Collectors? What is the purpose? What is the point in hoarding loads of kits never to be built? I suppose some people like looking at box ends on their shelves. Whatever turns you on I suppose! They will probably be lost forever when the collector passes on and the family either dumps the lot or sells cheaply to a trader not knowing their perceived worth. As for someone asking 1000 bucks for an old MPC kit on EBay plus shipping. Are they having a laugh or something? Always someone gullible enough I guess! I am of the kits should be built not hoarded train of thought.

Sorry that I got the wrong impression David. You never really get over the loss of a parent as I also know. As this particular model will have special personal memories, I would be inclined to go the individual display case route to protect it long term within the family.

Nice model. Brings back memories of when I owned one back in the Seventies. Should buy a kit and model my old car.

That frame looks good fitted to the chassis. So good you could alternatively build a skeletal model of the car showing how coach builders used Ashwood frames for the bodywork.

If the logos stick out quite a bit you could try the dry brushing technique. If doing this mask off as close to the logos as possible so as not to get any paint on surrounding areas. Use a good quality masking tape like Tamiya's or Washi thin paper masking tape. In the UK, Wikos sold Washi tape. It was red in colour. I think they sell the same thing but now call it paper masking tape and the colour is now buff. I use it a lot on my models. It is both good and inexpensive. When dry brushing make sure there is next to nothing on the brush hairs and drag almost horizontally across the very top of the lettering. He patient and build up very, very gradually until you obtain the desired effect. As another thought, as you are making this for your dad, a nice finishing touch would be to buy a dedicated acrylic display case and mount the model in the case. It will protect the model both from dust and unnecessary handling to keep it in pristine condition. After all you have invested a lot o time and trouble to make it for him!

Came across this trolling old posts. Beautiful model of a beautiful British sports car.

Chris, it looks like Squires are trading the kits using the South Eastern Finecast brand name as it is well known. if you look up Squires I think that it will be the same address as on the info you posted. Forgot to.mention in my last post that all the South Eastern Finecast kits are in white metal for those reading this thread and are unfamiliar with the Finecast and Auto Kits brands.

Hi Frank In answer to your question Auto Kits was founded in the early sixties and I think had a shop in Holborn in London. The shop closed and the moulds were acquired by Wills Finecast and supplemented their Finecast car kits range. The Finecast ones had engine details whereas the Auto Kits were mainly kerb side models. Wills Finecaxt company was acquired in the 70's and became South Eastern Finecast operating from the same premises in Forest Row, Sussex here in the UK. The company' s main line of products was for 00 Gauge model railways, and they also did a nice range of 1/32nd scale traction engines. Fast forward and all the ranges were acquired by Squires at Bognor Regis, Sussex here in the UK a company that supplies a huge range of tools for model makers. As far as I know they are marketing the kits, but not sure of the availability of any of them as it depends on what they got as full kits and what they may have to produce to fill any gaps. I have an Auto Kits MG TD to build and a Finecast Bugatti Type 59. The fidelity of detail on the Finecast kit is the better of the two, but the MG TD will make up into a nice model also. I will be looking to replace the wheels on the Bugatti with a set of Le Mans Miniatures photo etched wheels from Grand Prix Models that will really set the model off well.

Agreed!

That would be a very nice classic car to own.

Very nice imaginative model utilising parts box items. Did you literally throw away the multi part body? I could actually do with those for part of a UK restoration workshop diorama I have in mind. Did they came from that old Pyro kit?

Superb exercise in creativity! Out of curiosity, where did the Allison engine originate from?

Nice model. Quite an unusually futuristic styled car for the era.

Thanks for putting up the information about the VW Type Numbers Hanjo. Those links made interesting reading. The Type 34 is what I thought quite wrongly to be a Mk 2 version. I can remember driving one way back in the 70's when delivering it from one garage to another. A type 34 would make an interesting companion kit to the one you built , but it probably will never happen as the car is a less familiar VW model.

I wonder if Revell will ever bring out the Mk2 Karmann Ghia V W to go along with this one? I don't think as many of those were made Hanjo, but remember it being a nice looking car.

Nice model build. Coincidentally, I saw one for real on the road recently.

Chassis in last photo looking good Francois.

Cabdriver. I was looking through Where's Waldo and simply came across the name without checking the date it was posted when looking. Andy Martin's very old post before mine mentioned that he may have been scared off the forum that prompted my response. So, was he scared off, and why?

I believe that Mark is a lawyer by profession, so I would imagine his spare time can probably be a bit limited.

Looking good so far. Retro street really suits this type of vehicle where the original bodywork remains intact as Ford intended, but otherwise customised underneath. The use of a plain colour rather than a metallic is a good choice here.

The Avanti was quite a futuristic looking car back when produced. Studebaker's understated styling by American standards of the day appeared to have more European styling influence as was also evident in their earlier Skylark. Looking forward to following the rest this model build!

LOST CAUSE Trying to convince mice that black cats are lucky!