Testors 1/24 Ultra Detail Series T Bucket

[mustang1989]

Okee dokee folks. I'm still working on the Ta-152 and am taking my sweet time with it to make sure that it turns out just the way I want it as well as not to rush something that I've spent the last 11 months building. In order to keep the urge to rush to the finish line down, I'm going to start a side build just to actually complete something for the year. A few weeks ago another friend in a modeling community completed one of these and it inspired me to buy one and give one a go myself. This is a basic kit for the most part and could very well be built in just a matter of hours BUT......as with all open top and open engine builds....there is so much opportunity for detailing and adding things and I plan on taking some good opportunities here.

First off, I will be replacing the wheels and tires with something of my own choosing and adding a couple of things here and there to make things a little more interesting. I have a set of Tru Wire wheel/ tire assembly's that I have been chompin' at the bit to find a project car for and this one looks like the ticket. 

The kit: 

Edited December 8, 2024 by mustang1989

[lordairgtar]

Those kits can be made into something really cool. My idea would be to change out the wheels like your plan and to swap the windshield frame out as the kit one looks like it came from someone's house the frame is so thick. Mayber do a short pick up bed on the back.

 

[mustang1989]

7 minutes ago, lordairgtar said:

Those kits can be made into something really cool. My idea would be to change out the wheels like your plan and to swap the windshield frame out as the kit one looks like it came from someone's house the frame is so thick. Mayber do a short pick up bed on the back.

 

Thanks Greg. I've looked at the windshield and will give that some more thought. The idea of a truck bed on there has crossed my mind more than once. I picked up another one of these to explore that possibility with. 

[mustang1989]

4 hours ago, lordairgtar said:

Those kits can be made into something really cool. My idea would be to change out the wheels like your plan and to swap the windshield frame out as the kit one looks like it came from someone's house the frame is so thick. Mayber do a short pick up bed on the back.

 

I really appreciate you pointing that out because I got lost in the other parts of the build and didn't "see" that until you pointed it out. I'm going to use that piece but will be modifying it so as not to look like a house window frame. lol 

[mustang1989]

Alright gang. We start......

 Those of you who know me, know that I can't leave well enough alone.....even for a pre-painted kit. For starters, I had to do something with the wheel and tire arrangement on this. This is not to say that the ones that came in the kit were all that bad BUT.......I've been itchin' for an opportunity to use some wheels and tires that I've had in the parts stash for such an occasion. The wire wheels included in the kit are among the best I've seen in plastic, and I will keep them around for a future build. What's really going to help throw this build over the top is the use of these Tru Wires from Minicurtr8zing. 

  

 

A quick side by side comparison will show that the kit wheels aren't all that bad but these Tru Wires are definitely "all that". 

 

Rear wheels in the kit were a Cragar SS design but I had something more in mind. I got these from Teds Modeling Marketplace and these IMO are the best wheels anywhere in being aluminum and PE.

 

I also had a set of 1/25 tires in the parts stash that these will fit perfectly in.

[David G.]

I'm very interested to see what kind of detail you can add to an "Ultra Detail" kit. I have to say Joe, so far I'm not disappointed.

Also, I remember seeing these kits back in the day but at the time I couldn't afford to buy one. Needless to say, I'm curious as to what is in the box and why they cost about twice what "ordinary" kits were selling for at the time.

David G.

[mustang1989]

6 hours ago, David G. said:

I'm very interested to see what kind of detail you can add to an "Ultra Detail" kit. I have to say Joe, so far I'm not disappointed.

Also, I remember seeing these kits back in the day but at the time I couldn't afford to buy one. Needless to say, I'm curious as to what is in the box and why they cost about twice what "ordinary" kits were selling for at the time.

David G.

Truthfully, the only thing that's really an "extra" in the whole box is the pre-wired distributor and the blued exhaust headers Dave and it's surprising to me that these would go for that much back then. These need a little help in the "ultra detail" area. lol 

[mustang1989]

Let's get started.....shall we? I didn't like the rather predominant seam going right down the middle of the oil pan as well as the top and bottom of the transmission, so I glued the engine halves together instead of using the screw supplied in the kit to join the halves. Then I busted out with the sanding sticks and went to work removing all seams and primed everything in black.

Started here with the pre-painted long block freshly sanded with all seams and sprue joins removed. It was a shame to remove all of the pre-painted orange from the block but I think I've got just the right shade of orange to go right back on.

Then black based everything. No more seam lines! http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t469/bf109g430mm/Emotiocons/Chewy_zpsdjygjnjt.gif

And shot the engine color right back on.....

 Here's after a couple of touch ups with some Tamiya Smoke applications over the kit chrome, painting a few details on the engine and adding some eye candy like a lettering decal on the blower drive belt and an AC Delco decal on the oil filter. I also spent some time picking out some of the details on the drive belt pulleys. I've still got some things to do in the clean-up department. Believe it or not, this kit comes with a prewired distributor and blued chrome for the headers right there in the box. Pretty cool feature and I'll be adding that coming up next.
One thing I did NOT like was the blower drive belt idler just hanging out there with no kind of bracketry. Can't win 'em all. lol 

[David G.]

This looks like it's going to be a fairly quick and easy build Joe.

Hopefully you don't have to fix much more of Testors' "Ultra" Detailing.

I mean... mold lines?!

C'mon guys, really?!     

That's model building 101!

Nice work on the engine so far.

David G.

[mustang1989]

I hear ya Dave. Being a pre-painted model also meant that the engine block was all one color too. All of it. Orange starter, orange oil filter......all of that stuff. lol 

Continuing on with this one. I managed to get the front and rear axles into place and still have some work to do to the brake rotors to adapt the Tru Wires to this car. I've already cut the stubs/ axle mounting bosses off of the front hubs and drilled holes for the new axle / wheel retainers. Engine is all mounted up as well. That was a feat in itself and required grinding of the "engine mounts" to slide the engine into place as it wasn't fitting into the mounts at all. 
 

I had ordered lug nuts for the wheels so now I can start on getting the wheels together at any point. 

[slusher]

New project Joe,you’re half done.  I always enjoy you builds!

[David G.]

It would seem Joe, that you're going to show Revell the true meaning of "ultra detailed".

  

David G.

[Mattilacken]

Nice build there! 

[Chris B]

I'm watching with intent. Looks good so far

[mustang1989]

On 12/25/2024 at 7:11 AM, slusher said:

New project Joe,you’re half done.  I always enjoy you builds!

 

On 12/27/2024 at 6:40 AM, David G. said:

It would seem Joe, that you're going to show Revell the true meaning of "ultra detailed".

  

David G.

\

 

On 12/27/2024 at 9:05 AM, Mattilacken said:

Nice build there! 

 

On 12/30/2024 at 1:32 AM, Chris B said:

I'm watching with intent. Looks good so far

Thanks for the good comments fellas. Dave I don't know if I'm gonna show 'em the meaning of Ultra Detailed or not but I'll try to do better than what they've got in the box. lol

Here's with the trailing arms, front radius rods, rear shocks and front brake rotors installed. The suspension on this thing has a TON of parts and most are visible once it's all finished up. I also painted up the intake butterfly center shaft which help set that all off a bit. 

Progress continuing on with this finicky steering linkage. There are mere pins that hold the steerable linkage in place with NO backings. I had to fabricate my own out of spare styrene to keep the pins in place. I ended up having to use a slightly larger sized needle on one side to be able to pose the front wheels in any kind of alignment as the OOB pins had the wheels toed in slightly.

Radiator and headlights were a bit of a trick too but managed to get everything lined up nice n square. The one thing I did NOT like about this kit was those stoopid "dots" in the middle of the headlights with the locating pegs sticking out of the rear of the lens. I simply cannot stand that feature on auto builds as it gives such a "toy" look. I sanded the rears of the lens and while there is a small half circle in the lens now, at least there's not a visible "peg" and they have a more modern clear appearance now.

On the sprue:

With the radiator/ grill and headlight bars in place. I also mocked up the car body for kicks.

 

[NOBLNG]

Looking real nice Joe!👍😎

[slusher]

Looking ver sharp Joe!

[Zippi]

That's looking killer Joe.

[Mattilacken]

Coming along nicely! Reminds me of a bucket we had here in town, sad stories though. 

[mustang1989]

Thanks you guys!! 

I bought a hole punch from Micro-Mark a week or so ago that helped out a LOT with cutting the gauges out. Here's after gluing them on the back of the bezel. Still gotta touch up a couple of the gauges and apply a drop of Future in the holes for the glass effect but it still looks a dang sight better than what I started with. 

[slusher]

Gauge panel looks really nice,Joe!

[David G.]

Those look good Joe. 

For the gauge covers I use Tamiya X-22 Clear and build it up in layers over a few days.

David G.

[mustang1989]

1 hour ago, David G. said:

Those look good Joe. 

For the gauge covers I use Tamiya X-22 Clear and build it up in layers over a few days.

David G.

Thanks Dave. I did indeed have to put several coats on those to make it look right. 

[mustang1989]

This one is now in the Completed Section fellas. Thank you all who followed and commented.