BMW Alpina V8 -- Dubai

[Matt Bacon]

Inspired by another build on a Bond car theme, I remembered I had the  "Alpina" version of the BMW Z8 in the stash. I didn't much like the OOB colour scheme, but this one took my eye doing some research:

https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/df24/lots/r0030-2003-bmw-alpina-roadster-v8

Much more fun than sophisticated dark blue, say I...

Tamiya TS-8 Italian Red  looks close enough to BMW Hellrot, which sounds painful...

It's not a Blitzbau, but it's a nice curbside kit that builds pretty quickly...

Without an engine to worry about, and with very well-molded interior details coupled with very comprehensive decals, I'm expecting this one to come together pretty quickly.

We shall see...

best,
M.

[meechum68]

Nice!!

 

[espo]

I agree with the great parts fit on this kit. 

[Matt Bacon]

I thought this one would progress reasonably quickly...

Nice detail parts. The decals for the dash had to be trimmed of carrier film to get them to settle into the dials, and a coat of Citadel 'ardcoat provided a glass effect as well has pulling them down snugly. I had to print a few Alpina badges since the decals were really crude, but they look OK on the wheels and steering boss. The BMW roundels on the fender grilles are from a brilliantly printed metal "emblem set" which I have had for donkey's years. They are supposed to be self adhesive, but after a couple of failed attempts to peel them off the backing, I just soaked them like decals, except for longer, until they came free, and glued them in place with a dab of Formula 560 transparent white glue. The grilles were all stripped of chrome, painted black, and then rechromed with an AK pen.

A couple more BMW badges looking very sharp. I've used Citadel dark red wash in the panel lines to emphasise them without too stark a contrast.

Windshield painted and the underside making progress. The "heat shielding" is textured foil paper from a cigarette packet, which has been waiting to "come in handy" for a long time. But this is the perfect application.

The seat logo decals were the wrong colour, and fell apart, so I've had to hand paint the little red "checks", but they add a little more interest to the black backpads.

Cabin ready for final assembly.

And this is the state of play. Not shown... some suspension parts and the windscreen wipers which are painted black and drying, and the wing mirrors and lights, which are waiting to be attached.

best,

M.

 

[Matt Bacon]

That's most of the body details done. Things like the mirrors and lights will come at the end: there's some wrestling to do to get the interior and chassis inside the very "tucked-under" body work, and I want as little to break off as possible!!

Everything is painted, but the exhaust and rear suspension are only dry fitted. I'll remove them while I fit the chassis into the body to keep them safe from some wiggling and firm pressing, which I'm sure will be necessary.

Cabin fully assembled. If I was doing another one, I'd leave the seats out and the roll hoops off until after I'd fitted the cabin inside the body, because it would be easier to slide it up and in at a shallower angle. They'll go in perfectly well from above once the tub is in place.

Revell's instructions would have you build the entire rolling chassis with suspension and wheels in place and the cabin attached, and then stretch the body over the whole thing to to enclose it. I think I'm going to take a leaf out of an online reviewer's build and change the sequence. My plan is to fix the cabin into the body, then add the chassis trapping the front suspension and steering rack and closing the bottom of the body, and finally add the rear suspension and exhaust and then the wheels. I'm just waiting for the glue on the lights to cure for 24 hours before final assembly can begin -- I don't want the headlight clusters coming loose and falling irretrievably into the  body when I start flexing everything to get it together.

Wish me luck!

best,

M.