1/12 Scale GT500 Replica Build

[Vande]

Hi everyone! I got confirmation the 2010 Mustang kit will be delivered today, so I am going to start a build thread as I am going to begin working on this as quickly as I can. I posted another thread asking questions, but I am going to try and keep everything here. I am taking a 2010 kit and turning it into a 2012 replica of my mom's car. As a little backstory, I decided to build the kit as a thank you for the help she has given me over the years. I am going to ask a lot of questions, as it is important to me to get this one right. She bought the car a couple years ago. She wanted a mustang since she was little, and she never had the chance to buy one until her second husband passed away. She has only made 2 modifications I am aware of, which are the side louvres, and a memorial sticker on the rear window.

Below are a couple of the reference photos I am working from, I am hoping to get a little help on a few of them. A couple things I am looking for help with are:

- Matching the rim colors

- Interior color?

- Finding someone who can make the decal for the rear window

- Are there any kits that will help with detailing?

- For those who have built the kit, compared to the reference photos, how close is the box stock ride height?

 

Here are the initial photos:

 

I don't have access to the car, as it is in GA, and I am in CA. Thanks for looking, I will add more once I get into the kit.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Vande
Corrected scale

[sjordan2]

Your photo of the window decal is nice and sharp, but it looks like it's shot at an angle; If you can get a straight-on shot of the decal with no perspective (shoot from a slightly higher angle), you can print it out to scale on white decal paper.

[Vande]

I believe I have a straight on shot, I don't have the capability to print right now, and from what I have read, I am worried I will mess it up. This is the first time I am working on a kit with the intention of matching an existing vehicle, so not sure how hard this kit will end up testing me. Where do you get white decal paper from?

 

[Vande]

Kit arrived, this thing is HUGE. Looking over the kit, it is amazingly detailed. will start working on it soon, First Ford anything for me!!!

[Vande]

Already making progress, already making mistakes. A couple pictures of the first day work, found a pretty solid paint for the block, got it sprayed, and discovered I put the heads on backwards, and got that fixed. In the pictures they are still backwards :/

In case anyone is interested, I put the paint can in the background. I think once I hit the block with a wash and a matte clearcoat, it should look good. Thoughts?

[Jordan White]

Should be a fun build! I love builds that follow 1:1 vehicles. The paint is also a good choice, it's what I use all the time.

[Vande]

I gave it a second wet coat last night, it went on very smooth. I looked through my reference photos and decided the difference between the block and blower was not enough to find a different color, so I shot the whole thing with the aluminum. I sprayed the belts with a flat black primer, and then accented the bolt heads, until I can get to town I can't paint the valve covers as I don't have the right blue for them. I did a little research and found a company that can send me an 11oz can of race red aerosol, just not sure I am ready to drop 25.00 plus shipping yet. I am amazed at how easy the parts go together, and there is minimal areas for sanding. Will get some pictures this evening once I am done working on it today, there really isn't a lot to see, I am noticing in larger scale, it takes a lot longer for noticeable work to happen!

[Vande]

Hopefully running in to town in a bit to get some more paint, so for now, not a huge amount of progress, but a little bit is better than none!

[Vande]

Made it to town, thankfully got the paint before my truck decided to be a late bloomer with a known GM engine issue...my luck never goes good. Got the paint for the valve covers, body, rims, and the dash. Still need to find a comparable color for the interior. Got the chrome stripped off the rims and cleaned up, need to paint them today. Hoping to get a little more done on the engine today, discovered there was no easy way to tape the valve covers to spray both the blue and aluminum, so I have to hand paint the covers to match the 1:1.

 

As a Chevy guy, I felt dirty buying Ford paint last night....*shudder*

 

[Vande]

Couple progress photos. Trying to decide if I want to darken the blower up just a little bit to give it a different look.

[Hawk312]

Nice work so far! 

To answer a couple of your questions, you can see the stock ride height on my GT 500 below. No adjustments were made to the ride height. To my eyes, the kit appears to be maybe an inch to high. But that is just my eyes. For the wheels, I used Testors Gunmetal Metallizer, which was a bit darker than your pics, which is what I was going for. I would think maybe Stainless Steel would be closer?

 

Edited July 25, 2016 by Hawk312

[Vande]

I think I nailed the color, a couple photos of the little bit I got done today:

In case anyone wants it, the color is Duplicolor BFM0225, Medium Charcoal Metallic.

[Vande]

I need some help here. I am so on the fence on ordering the detail kit from scale motorsports, but it is 3 times what I paid for the kit itself. If I order it, I will have a set of rims and rings I will need to get rid of, as the set with the kit does not match the 1:1, would anybody be interested in them?

[Vande]

Making slow and steady progress, engine is almost buttoned up. I do need some help, are there any ideas on how to make the louvres for the side windows? I have never tried scratch building, and I have to figure out how to make those, otherwise this kit will not match the 1:1.....

 

[Vande]

Couple photos from yesterdays work:

And several hours of work today that does not look like much...

 

[cobraman]

Your making good progress. I built one awhile back, nice kit.

[Vande]

I was reviewing the reference photos and realized I missed something on the engine. For some reason the 2012 model does not have the fluid tank in front of the valve cover, not sure if it was moved, or no longer needed. Trying to decide if I want to remove it from the model to be as close as possible. I think I will have to take a little artistic freedom on the rear of the undercarriage, all the reference photos I have from both the actual car and the ones I found online have completely different colors on everything in the rear section.

Overall, it has been fun so far to build in larger scale, the fact I can tape off and spray different colors is so much nicer than the smaller kits.

[Vande]

I am nearing the finish line on this project, Thomas from Speedway hooked me up, the decal I need should be on the way to finish it up, got a few odds and ends to finish up, and some cleanup since everything has been sitting for a while, will try and get some photos today.

 

 

[Vande]

I finally finished the kit, and I am currently in GA and gave the kit to my mom, I could not resist getting the photos with the full size big sister of the kit.

 

Thanks for looking, and I owe a huge thank you to Thomas Logan at Speedway Decals, he did the work on the rear window sticker decal, and when I reached out to ask how much it was going to be as I had just lost my job, he sent me 2 of them at no cost to allow me to complete the model, and they were amazing quality, I will definitely be using them again in the future.

[Jordan White]

That turned out very nice! It looks like the real thing! Amazing how it still looks tiny next to the real car!

[da_ashman]

Thats so cool! Great Work!

[Ron Hamilton]

You did a wonderful job for your Mom with that nicely done model of her car! Thanks for sharing this with us!!!

[Belugawrx]

Very cool

Welcome back... Cheers

[Deuces]

Nice!..... ?