Danica's 2005 Indy ride

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Stop the press! Drop everything! I'm so excited I'm running out of breath!

It's finally here! My most anticipated kit in a loooooooooong time.

Danica Patrick's 2005 Indy ride.

I might be the minority, but I absolutely love the look of today's IRL cars. Low, wide, uncluttered and LOUD!

Looking at it evokes images of going flat out thru Indy's turn one! I love them.

I was blessed with the opportunity to be in the 2005 Indy 500. I saw Danica become the first woman to ever lead the Indy 500 race.

Besides, she is the best looking race car driver I've ever seen

This is a Jorgensen kit. The only game in town for this and many other Indy subjects. While it has the main components, scratchbuilding is still needed to complete it. The quality of the casting is average. Far from perfect, but still workable.

This is not for the faint of heart, but it is a great challenge and a great opportunity to do something really nice and not very common. I'll write a short review soon and of course, you'll see it's progress here so stay tuned.......

Thanks,

Edited October 23, 2008 by ismaelg

[crispy]

Ismael congrats! What scale is the kit? And where is Danica???? LOL

Chris

[Harry P.]

Are you going to add a resin figure of Danica???

[curt raitz]

Ismael congrats! What scale is the kit? And where is Danica???? LOL

Chris

ya can find Danica in the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition...

looking good!

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Hmm, I don't know what happened with my thread on this project but I can't find it

So here are the previous updates:

February update:

After initial sanding and poking to reveal surface bubbles, this really needs more work than I initially thought.

March update:

After LOTS of putty, sanding, primer, sanding, more putty, more sanding and more primer and more sanding I am now attacking the more serious pinholes.

May update:

Begining to get somewhere, but this will take a looooooooooooong time to finish.

I will need to remove the flat surfaces at the bottom behind the side pods. They are warped and it will be easier to scratchbuild them than fixing.

Thanks,

[george 53]

Iz, is that the same car you were workin on a few months back with all the pinholes? It looked like a spaceship tp me than an STILL looks like one now.If anyone can make it look like a Indy car YOU da man what can do it!!!I'll be lookin forward to seein the build-up!

[Biscuitbuilder]

Iz, is that the same car you were workin on a few months back with all the pinholes? It looked like a spaceship tp me than an STILL looks like one now.If anyone can make it look like a Indy car YOU da man what can do it!!!I'll be lookin forward to seein the build-up!

Where you gonna stow the tire iron Danica shoulda had when she went looking to take the head off that clown who took her out of the 500? Man, with the fire in her eyes (they melted her face shield away!) and that determined march down pit lane, she'd have taken his head clean off, not even scratched his helmet!

Biscuitbuilder

[Merkur XR4Ti]

I can't understand why a plastic model manufacturer hasn't jumped at the opportunity to make a kit of Danica's ride. With the new merger there's going to be an uptick in interest in that racing series, and I'm sure a Danica kit would sell like crazy.

Seems like a wasted chance.

[ismaelg]

I can't understand why a plastic model manufacturer hasn't jumped at the opportunity to make a kit of Danica's ride. With the new merger there's going to be an uptick in interest in that racing series, and I'm sure a Danica kit would sell like crazy.

Seems like a wasted chance.

They probably will... As soon as I finish scratchbuilding mine....

[Kribblig]

Looks good. I like your methodical approach to filling all the holes and filing all the resin blobs. With more than 10 years in the business you would think Jorgensen would have cleaner castings. As you said, only game in town.

[ismaelg]

Looks good. I like your methodical approach to filling all the holes and filing all the resin blobs. With more than 10 years in the business you would think Jorgensen would have cleaner castings. As you said, only game in town.

Thanks.

I have seen excellent samples of his castings. I think I simply got one that is not at the top end of the specs, but still workable.

[Nick F40]

Besides, she is the best looking race car driver I've ever seen

Hey Ismael your a little to happy but, I remember pinhead.....or hellraiser, whichever but this is coming along! and I love these cars to low, wide, and LOUD!!!

I dunno how about Ashley Force? or ANY of the rally babes?? come on!!!

Edited May 27, 2008 by Nick F40

[ismaelg]

Hi,

Remember this project?

If you look closely on the previous pictures you'll see that the bottom rear of the bodywork is warped. Resin does not bend so it is nearly impossible to fix. So I broke it loose and made a paper template for each side. Then transferred the template into thick styrene sheet measuring more than twice and cutting once.

Some super glue and VIOLA!

Once dry, a little putty and nothing happened here

and now, it is laser straight....

Thanks,

[Ariel]

Resin does not bend so it is nearly impossible to fix. So I broke it loose and made a paper template for each side. Then transferred the template into thick styrene sheet measuring more than twice and cutting once.

Some super glue and VIOLA!

Resin bends easier than plastic in warm water or even better a hair dryer

[rollover]

I could see an amateur casting, this but to pay for a casting of such poor quality is insane. Your a better man than I am to tackle this. I have had resin kits I have sent back (taking the loss myself) because of poor quality. I had been eyeing these indy kits, but this has made up my mine to avoid them. thanks for posting what you have been up against.

p.s. I really liked your Eagle!

[RodneyBad]

Like the Ugly duckling into a Swan.

Where others would've thrown in the towel.

That is coming out Dang Fine..

Excellent work..

[Ariel]

The thing is he is the only game in town for these kits. I have several of his kits.

They are not as bad as they seem.

[Art Anderson]

I can't understand why a plastic model manufacturer hasn't jumped at the opportunity to make a kit of Danica's ride. With the new merger there's going to be an uptick in interest in that racing series, and I'm sure a Danica kit would sell like crazy.

Seems like a wasted chance.

The biggest reason is, that from time immemorial, model kits of Indy cars have just never sold all that well, mostly because, I think, that by the time a model kit can be designed, mastered and put to steel tooling for a styrene kit, the subject matter is from last year's race--generally not all that much interest in the subject by then.

That's from nearly 45 years of watching and building Indy car models.

Art

[ismaelg]

While not exactly a shake the box and out it comes, it is not as bad as it may look. It is the only game in town and I want it so bad I'll step up to the challenge. There is a lot of scratchbuilding ahead. On the warping, I've never been very successful at heating and bending resin, and it had pinholes anyway so in the long run, this was probably easier.

Thanks,

[AudiS5]

Ismael, I admire your courage. I have wanted to throw this against the wall on more than one occasion. I'm slowly getting there. If you need some reference photos let me know.

[ismaelg]

Ismael, I admire your courage. I have wanted to throw this against the wall on more than one occasion. I'm slowly getting there. If you need some reference photos let me know.

Wow! That is looking GREAT! It certainly gives me hope. I hope mine comes out that good!

Reference is something you never have enough of. I'd love to get more. You can send me a private message or email me.

Thanks!

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Here are a few pictures of how it's coming along.

Before,

As of now,

Before,

As of now,

The Energizer bunny is inspiring me to keep going and going and going....

Thanks,

[ismaelg]

Hello,

You may have seen elsewhere in this forum my thread on the soft white metal suspension components of this kit.

I'm doing some experimentation. I haven't ruled out using the white metal parts, but I'll experiment some before the final decision.

I did an A-arm in styrene, but it didn't work. Then I tried thicker styrene, did not work either.

So now I'm trying this: A steel wire core for strenght, sandwiched in 2 styrene templates. Of course the most important part is the pushrod to keep it in place, but I'll do that one later.

Still needs a lot of work, but it looks promising......

Thanks,

[ismaelg]

Hello,

I know, I know. Very few care for this subject. But I'm having a lot of fun challenging the odds

Here is a spoiling story:

Once upon a time, there was an evil resin rear spoiler. It was warped, had pinholes to fill, the surface was rough, but most importantly, it was the wrong shape and size!

So the solitary Knight "borrowed" another spoiler from another build in progress, and decided to modify it to satisfy the requirements.....

He reassured the other build "For contributing to this cause, thou shall receive an even better spoiler soon"

With a swift swing of his shiny sword.... ehh sorry wrong story. With help from trusty rusty, the spoiler started its transformation.

A lot of material was added

here there and everywhere

a few gallons of putty

more primer to reveal the progress, more putty, more primer. more putty, etc. etc.

and finally, the horizontal wing of the rear spoiler emerges from the fire!

While far from over, the solitary Knight is very happy.....

The war has just begun, but rejoice in every battle won!

To be continued...

Thanks,

[3men2s]

DANICA WOULD BE PROUD OF YOUR CONSISTENCE.

Edited October 21, 2008 by 3men2s