Fujimi Mazda Savanna RX-7 SA22C

[Spottedlaurel]

I 'needed' to start a quick, simple build and this one fitted the bill nicely.

The wheels at top left are what it came with, the others are some random sets I've had for a few years and I am contemplating using here. Or I might pick something else entirely.

Modest parts count and simple detailing, just what I need. I seem to spend too long with the wrong sort of tools and brushes in my hand, doing work on the house, so something I can get in and out over Easter would be good.

One of Fujimi's rather basic floorpans. As with many kits of this era it's intended to be motorized so any suspension detail is massively simplified. That's fine, it makes lowering very easy and I just want something that looks good on the shelf. The body is OK though, with decent proportions apart from the overly deep front spoiler.

 

 

I like the first wheels, but even on this late '70s car the tyres look too chunky. I think they'll be better on an older subject. Might keep it straightforward and go for the kit-supplied set, complete with the very wide rears - something like 17 scale inches....

I decided to tone down the front spoiler, as it looked too deep without any sort of sideskirts to balance it out. A few minutes with the razor saw and a bit of cleaning-up has given it a more sensible look.

Got everything in primer the other day and between other jobs I managed to get some colour onto it yesterday:

Decided to go for a medium/dark metallic blue, in this case Ford Java Blue from the Halfords automotive range that I picked up cheap when it was on clearance. At 1:1 it seems to be used on mid-1990s Escorts and Fiestas and it's coming out a little lighter than I'd imagined but that's fine. I think it might be a mica paint, so the 'metallic' fleck scales well to 1/24.

It hasn't had any clearcoat yet, that'll be done later today/tomorrow. For simplicity I will probably use the Halfords clear, I've had good results with it before.

Hopefully this one won't stay here for too long as a WIP, I'd like to get it finished quickly to give me a bit of motivation for other builds.

Edited April 9, 2023 by Spottedlaurel

[Funkychiken]

Looking good, nice finish with the halfords  paint! 

[Spottedlaurel]

3 hours ago, Funkychiken said:

Looking good, nice finish with the halfords  paint! 

Thanks Atin. It went down well - I was slightly nervous, as there was a bit of leaking goo from the seal on the can. Just need to get on and use it up.

The base coat looked almost good enough to polish in its own right, but I'm not sure how that would have gone so it got the clearcoat today. It's now in the boiler cupboard and it looks like it will polish up nicely.

Now to find a bit of time to work on the rest of the minimal detail....

[Spottedlaurel]

Making progress on this one. Clear coat polished, could have gone a bit further with it but that's not the point of this build:

 

Now painting up the interior, suspension and modest number of other parts. Not yet decided on wheels, will have a play around tomorrow.

[beeRS]

Looking good so far. Paint came out looking great. Love those wheels. 

[Spottedlaurel]

On 4/27/2023 at 5:42 AM, beeRS said:

Looking good so far. Paint came out looking great. Love those wheels. 

Thanks Sonny. Hope you like my alternative wheel choice!

Made a bit more progress, but also a step backwards.....

Gah! Was fixing the interior side panels in place, then realised the bodyshell was hanging off my thumb thanks to some glue sneaking in there. Fortunately it was mainly on this arch, not the middle of a large panel. If the worst happened then I could do a bit of local repainting, but luckily it came off with a bit of 600 grit then micromesh and repolishing. Phew.

 

In the end I've gone for these mesh wheels from another Fujimi kit, as I can't quite build anything completely OOB. Centres have been painted with a pale gold.

Enough of it is assembled that I can do a proper mock-up:

 

Just a bit more detail painting to do then final assembly, so I'll hopefully get this one finished over the weekend.

[cifenet]

Nice recovery on the paint problem!  This car looks great even today's standards. 

[galaxyg]

Nice recovery. I hate it when that "gluey-fingers" thing happens and it does at least every 10th build for me.

I have the Aoshima kit of this car - different mouldings to the Fujimi one - better - but less good than the much newer Hasegawa one. For what's not exactlly a super well known classic race car, three manufactuers have all had a go at making it in kit form.

[Spottedlaurel]

On 5/31/2023 at 8:28 PM, galaxyg said:

Nice recovery. I hate it when that "gluey-fingers" thing happens and it does at least every 10th build for me.

I have the Aoshima kit of this car - different mouldings to the Fujimi one - better - but less good than the much newer Hasegawa one. For what's not exactlly a super well known classic race car, three manufactuers have all had a go at making it in kit form.

Thanks Michael. Kind of embarrassing when that sort of thing happens, should know better by now!

I have the early and facelift versions of the Tamiya kit, one of their older, motorzed efforts. As well as the new Hasegawa kit there are also road and "Cafe Racer" versions by Monogram. I'd like t get the standard one, I've built several others in that range and although they're very basic they do go together nicely and have decent-looking bodies.

It's now finished and Under Glass.