Refurbish of Merit Lotus XI, 1/24

[Matt Bacon]

Thanks to a kind member on another site, I have a Classic British Kit to polish up a bit: a Merit Lotus XI, built some years ago, now a barn find and in need of some TLC.

This is how it arrived, ready for restoration.

And work begins. Note the wheels.

My original plan to use white metal "wobbly web" wheels fell apart when it became clear I couldn't get the hubs into the slots in the chassis. These are some not great wires from a Heller E-Type (which in turn are being replaced by Tamiya Jag Mk 2 wheels). Chrome stripped. and a lot of grinding out of the tyre centres to get the discs to fit.

And this is how they look after painting, washing and drybrushing.

So, this Lotus will need a driver. And who better than this chap? Fujimi figure, representing one of Britain's finest wheelmen (the Suixtil shirt and identity bracelet should be a dead giveaway...)

Original dashboard with a plastic card panel, holes punched for different dials, painted white, black over the top and then scratched with a pin for the markings and needles.

Trial fit.

Not much will be seen in the end, but I'll know it's there.

best,

M.

 

 

[Matt Bacon]

I gave up on the transverse "axles" and decided just to fit the wheel carriers to the moulded bulkheads. The rear wheel arches were reshaped to better match the real thing, and give enough room for the wire wheels with knockoffs.

Which got us to here. The panels and shutlines have all been rescribed. The front and rear clams are one piece shells, and will be filled, but the central part remains divided top and bottom.

And here's Stirling in situ for a test drive.

Permanently fixed in place, and with a gear shift lever made from a pin. The interior is now complete.

Since I need to fill the seams on the clamshells before painting, I think it has to be closed up, and Stirling won't slip in through the cockpit opening after assembly. Same for the wheels, which only fit from above. So there'll be some masking to be done, to say the least.

The white half-round strip represents the hinges which allow the doors to flap down on each side. The large panel on the driver's left can be removed IRL to allow the car to function as a two-seater, and the aerodynamic fairing is also a removable "bolt-on".

Apologies for the long posts, but for various real life reasons, I've been taking pictures for a couple of weeks, but not got round to posting them

best,

M.

 

[Vietnam Vet67]

Loved the styling of this car............reminds me of the D-Type Jaguar that was around in the 1950's. Nice build.

[absmiami]

one of my favorite kits

I'm planning to build another one next year or so ....

like how you finished the seat covering, is it brushed on oil based paint or something else  ??

shame it will be hard to see once this is finished ...

will the body be British racing green - or what ?

by the way - how dare you let "life reasons" interfere with your posts ...

 

 

[Rider]

Really great work on scribing the panel lines. Good decision to not spend time fixing the broken rims, seeing as they can be hidden up in the wheel wells. 

[NOBLNG]

Great job on those wheels!

[Matt Bacon]

Thanks, guys...

Lights stolen from a Jaguar Mk2 parts car, with gap filling panels cut at an angle from some styrene tube.

Some fine sanding with a nail buffer, polish with Novus no.2 and a dip in Mr Gauzy left the windscreen a lot clearer (and less yellow, amazingly). The actual size of the perspex is a lot smaller than the clear piece in the kit, hence the masking tape.

And this is where we are this afternoon (real time updates have resumed).

I just like the way this one turned out  ;-P

best,

M.

 

[Gramps46]

An iconic car, an iconic driver, and an iconic model kit.  It does not get much better than that and you are doing it justice.