PatW

Yes the top of the spray booth is a kitchen extractor unit bought from a DIY Superstore (small spray booths here are usually starting at £150) with the hose that I drop out the door when using either acrylic or enamel rattle cans.

Thanks keyser!

As only the £1million pound houses in the UK have basements we have to use our outside space, so my wife and I have built a kit log cabin in the back garden. It has electrics,bench, shelving, display cabinets and spray booth(costing £40). That's six years ago when we built it. This is now abouts, shelving, kits, spray booth and a metal Tintin sign on the wall!

Hey guys where are the Beach Boys in all this!

I certainly hope so Dann. My inspiration for this are....................... and............... And may change my upper body in line with these kits, I've worked out how to cut large diameter circles in plastic and put a trim ring in to clean up the image. I'd love to get hold of either of these kits!

Well done Ray,. That looks just great, thanks for the photo, it's the first one I've seen with the steering wheel, that seems too big. I've just fitted mine today with the bucket seats and although it will have a roof on it, I don't like the huge petrol tank! I found the chassis an ordeal with all the little parts and most of them being chrome plated. So the rolling chassis is done and now for the interior and body. Just a sly peek for your eyes only (James Bond).........................I love changing things!

My annual treat, to see something that is still a real adventure. Eurosport here on satelite in the UK runs a half hour programme at 10pm every night, reporting that day's stage. Good to see Sam Sunderland, the first Brit to win a catagory, his being the bikes! He has tried three times before, breaking various bones and not finishing until 2017! No surprise that Peugeot won with Stephane Peterhansel an already multiple winner with various manufacturers, both in cars and I think 9 or 10 times on bikes. But of course their budget is massive in any for of motor racing. Also a lad that went to school with my two sons, followed his father to South Africa, after his parents divorced, to help his business creating GT40 Replicas. He has worked for Toyota and Nissan on their desert racing teams for driver Giniel De Villiers coming 3rd in the car catagory this year.

Yes Gerald Wingrove is about the only 'Master Modeller/ Modelmaker' that I've heard of and seen his work. He's one who finds the real car/subject is allowed to break it down to make all of the measurements needed and manufactures every part, from engine internals, pistons, rods, gearbox cogs,spark plugs, wiring, brake pads, springs to hold those in place in the wheel hub, to steel chassis to leather upholstery, rubber tyres with the correct tread and sidewall lettering etc.

So far ones that I've built to a successful end about 95%. Other than a Mercedes 1930's cabrio Pocher kit bought for me by my wife in 1988, problems with upholstery are ongoing, it's vynil, it's difficult to fold around the seat bases, it detoriorates by drying out over time. The foam padding that goes underneath it also collapses over time. I also have tried thin leather patches (freebees from furniture stores) but that needs to be stitched to keep it's shape! The other problem being that I reasonably quickly built the engine, gearbox, fitted out the steel chassis, included all cabling, brakes, steering, built the spoked wheels and fitted the tyres, so a complete rolling chassis. But as I've left it on it's wheels the tyres have distorted with the weight of the complete chassis and are now flat! I've spoken to another Pocher builder who had the same problem and has filled the tyres with builders foam and put them back on the rims! I have left over electric cable in the garage that is about the same diameter as the inside of the tyres so that could be a solution.

OK the front end is having steering, engine,radiator, propshaft all in! The back axle/suspension is just awfull, I wish I'd had taken all the chrome off with the oven cleaner, it's so small and fiddly. I've taken it apart twice today, because the shocks are too long. Well I hope I get on better tomorrow or I'll just botch it up and cover it up with the body!

Thanks Ray. Thanks Ronald, superb build!

Yes I've had this problem for decades. Due to the huge decline in model shops in the UK, I frequently look at buying models either through ebay.com (USA) or from model shops in the USA. I recently bought a kit from ebay USA at the price of $9.99 (£8.24) and was charged $27.99 (£23.08) shipping which took three weeks to arrive. I was then charged a further £8 Post Office handling and £15 import duty by Customs. The total cost £46.08 for a kit worth £8.24. OR for a kit worth £8.24 shipping of £23.08. As you can tell I don't buy too many kits from the USA. My son lives in Canada, so I buy kits and resin accesories from shops/suppliers in the USA have them send them to him (2 days) $5 shipping and he sends them to me taking 7 days at the cost of $7.99 total cost $12.99 and 9 days in transit. But my major problem is seeing a rare kit and the supplier refusing to send it out of the USA although I pay by Paypal immediately to any supplier.

Thanks guys for your comments.

Thanks guys. John great to see your finished kit, did you have any particular problems? Craig, should I just run back through the pages and look for Tim's?

I'm just opening the box.............has anyone built one please. The instructions look a bit vague!

Thanks Krazy Rick.

I look forward to seeing that Dann, we had two Mini's my late brothers 1963 Mi8ni Van straight from the factory in Oxford about 20 miles away (saved the delivery fee) and my Mum's (passed her test at 64) and hers was a 1968 mini countryman with the exterior wood trim. Like this one............. Both had 850cc engines.

Thanks Dann for your comments, I'd certainly like to see your Deora get underway. Now I'm torn between building the Surf Woody, with a few mods or re-model it on the lines of the Hawk Wild Woodie, a kit that seems to be totally unavailable! Now that really looks super groovy! With just a bit of work on the top should get the same or similar results!

Thanks Donald.

Thanks guys, yes I like to generate my own decals for the finish I'm after. As I like quirky, my next build is the Surf Woody..... Those rear tyres will have to go, no good in sand!

From the WIP now built and finished with camper shell, long cushion, extra seats and home brewed decals..... Open sesame.......

Hi Dann thanks for that, here's some more pics to end the build. However my imagination is we can all make mistakes, mine is putting foil on the windscreen surround,but I left it rather than try taking it off and damaging the surround as it's a bit fragile! Anyway here's some pics................... Extended exhaust pipe.... Ending under the middle near the back axle..... I scanned the Deora logo on the box and printed some logo decals in various sizes.......... And put one on the surfboard I'd made for this build.............. Here's the awfull chrome work the grill and the drop down door with another decal..................... Fitted the body to the chassis and hung the board in it's hanger....... More pics to come of the finished article on the 'Finished' thread.

Yes Dave I hope so!

Thanks David for your comments. But you have some ideas now!

Today build and fit slant 6 engine............ Test for space around the engine with the body on......