An introduction and a question...

[oscarhardwick]

Hello,

I am oscar, from the sunny UK and I am new to plastic car kits. (sounds a bit like a self-help group intro )

Well... I have always been into cars, played all of the gran turismos, gone to a few car shows, I go-kart etc... etc...

Just recently though I realized... there is not one thing in my home that shows this general passion for motoring, I had

a few ideas... maybe a few die-cast bits and bobs, ebay, but, I just didnt feel that I would get anything out of it. I then

remembered about how 2 years ago i was painting warhammer and winning a few junior painting and modeling competitions, so, first thing that came to my mind was plastic kits. Me being new to it all I could only think of airfix and then later on revell and Tamiya. So, on my table meets craft-bench at the moment is an airfix 1/32 triumph TR4A in the process of being painted... I know now that i will never buy an airfix car again as it just fits together badly to be kind. That said, its coming together... albeit on its 3rd hand painted coat of a navy blue shell. But anyways... its a nice car and will hopefully end up as a nice car worthy of my window cill.

Anyway... that makes up the intro of me.

Now to that question... I have been browing this forum and everything seems to have a custom engine in... where on this planet do you find these... I have found about 2 at a scale too big for the 1:24 scale I plan on building. Also, it is my birthday next week and for it my grandparents have ordered the revell ferrari 250gto 1:24 and all of the correct paints and a good primer, is that any good and will it be suitable for an advanced beginner?

I think thats all of me waffleing on for the time being.

Thanks all.

Oscar.

[george 53]

Welcome Oscar! Glad your here! Being able to build a model kit IS a lesson in patience and a skill that must be developed!

EVERY body here was in your shoes once, some of us STILL are! Don't worry about how your 1st one turns out, just take your time,anbe neat. Most of us,if not all ,prefer to use spray paints as they go on thinner an smoother than Brush paints. TAKE YOUR TIME! Can't emphisize this enough! This is where the patience comes in! You'll get better with every build! Don't loose confidence in yourself,NONE of us built show stoppers right away! If you do look around, you'll see some of these guys really are WORLD CLASS builders,they ALL started JUST LIKE YOU! Do your best and ENJOY our hobby,caz it's young guys that are going to keep it alive! Please ask questions and DON'T get discouraged, cas it IS a learning process! Someday folks may OOOOh and AHHH over your builds too!

[oscarhardwick]

thanks for the fact response and thanks for being so welcoming, and... I dont think this will be a good car, maybe 'rustic' will be the best way to put it But thanks for the tips george53.

Oscar

[Foxer]

Welcome Oscar and as for the Airfix TR4A, I have that kit but haven't really started it yet. I had a 67 TR4A (dark blue too ). It's not typical of all the Revell, AMT, Tamiya etc 1/25 -1/24 kits you'll come across. Most bodies are molded in one piece, The muilt-piece in the TR4A lit is more like Revell in the 1950's! It's still not bar for detail for a 1'32 plastic kit and should build up decent with some care. You're Warhammer experience will do you well here detail painting cars.

Most of the engine swaps you see going on here come from other kits. We all thrive on switching parts out between kits and most have a huge stash of kits to steal from. There are also resin casters that sell complete engine kits and hop up parts.

If you search GTO in the Under Glass section, I think you'll find many examples and most likely some comments on the kit you're interested in.

[oscarhardwick]

There are also resin casters that sell complete engine kits and hop up parts.

Thank you... will search the gto now, also, would you have any links to somewhere selling these resin engines, also, what sort of glue would you use on resin and will many of these companies ship or operate in the UK? (me and my questions )

Thanks all.

Oscar.

[Foxer]

Kitchen Table Resins has a few engines. Not fully sure how to contact him, but Ken Kitchen is often on this forum. Others here should be able to supply the info.

Scale Dreams sells Ross Gibson Engines, one of the most respected aftermarket engines around.

Replicas & Miniatures Company of Maryland has a Flathead, Ferrari and a new Offenhauser engine that I know of. This link has many of owner Norm Veber's parts as they have no web site. RMCoM is one of the top aftermarket parts resin casters in the hobby. Here's a few other links to his stuff ... RMCoM2

I'm sure other's here can supply you with some additional sources and links.

Usually CA (super glue) is used with resin, but epoxy is common also.

[Guest Gramps-xrds]

Hey Oscar. It's good to see someone younger getting into model cars. I read that you were inquiring about all the engine swaps that go on here. Well let me tell you, for most of us, it's taken years of buying model kits to acquire all the extra engines I have.

I my self have been doing it for at least 55 yrs. In your case, just starting out, about the only way to get them is buy after market or go on e-bay or some place like it and buy old bulk parts. Don't get discouraged if you can't do all you want right off the bat. We all started out with very little to work with. Do what you can with what you got and have fun doing it. Your skills will improve over time as you build. And by the way welcome to the forum and the world of model cars.

PS I still have cousins in the UK that I talk to occasionally.

[LDO]

Oscar-

Swapping parts between kits is called "kitbashing". Another English poster on this site built a drag car with a Jaguar 6cyl engine, 1930s BMW body, many other kit parts, and lots of scratchbuilt components. The only limit is your imagination.

That 250 GTO you got is a nice kit. The engine looks really good in it. If you display it with the bonnet closed, you might consider keeping the engine for some street rod without a bonnet. I know of 2 full-size 1932 Ford roadsters with Ferrari V-12s, and I once saw a T-bucket with a Lamborghini V-12.

[oscarhardwick]

Wow thank you all for the advice, links and pictures, helps give me an idea of where to go, Im thinking that it is going to be worth buying tools for spraing the cars the colour that I want although I will see how the triumph goes today. Also... for the time being... I will just keep to what comes in the kits, so as I can just get my skill up a bit before I go delving into projects. But on the topic of projects, I had a good idea which I will share with you guys, about 20 years ago my dad was doing drag racing, on both bikes and cars, not at the most professional level, but still. At one point he had a austin mini drag car, which wasnt the normal, Under the old shell and body was a rover V8 with a turbo on it with a renforced chassis underneath... so my idea was to build a tribute to that car and how much fun it must've been at the time.

Anyways, thanks to all for the help.

Oscar.

[camaroman]

Welcome Oscar,

check out this website for an unusual engine swap for Mini's.....

mini tec]

Edited August 20, 2009 by camaroman

[oscarhardwick]

Well... Thank you all for your words of wisdom, all of it has helped me through a fustrating first build. I say it was fustrating, but it was'nt unexpected at all, the airfix starter kit... not that good, the paints that came with... again, not that good. So, albeit with its faults... and a hefty amount of them, my navy blue TR4A is within a spit of being finished... Buut, im returning for some further advice; the car seems to be very dusty and a bit :S now the paint is dry, I imagine it will just dust off but is there anything that I can do to stop the car from collecting dust again and to give the paint a bit of a shine?

Also... I had the idea to use a games worshop black wash on the metalic parts... is this a good idea?

Thanks all...

Will hopefilly have some pictures soon.

Oscar.