1970 "'72" Honda Z Coupe

[FujimiLover]

Hello there. Back when I was 14 years old. My Dad bought for me my very first real car. A 1972 Honda Z Coupe. Back then, I was a pretty small lad and my Dad felt this car would've helped me feel big and helped me learn how to drive. It was a four speed with a strange reverse. I'm very glad I learned how to drive a stick! You can pretty much drive anything if you can drive a stick!

First pic, is a picture of my real car back in the day's. We restored it, and gave it a custom "Domino's Pizza" racer look. No, nobody in the family worked for Domino's, just the paint scheme happened to look like theirs. Hey, it suited the car really well!

We had the interior upholstered to match, and gave it duel exhaust. Yes, duel exhaust on a 2 cylinder car. LOL! The car was a lot of fun to drive around and I sometimes regret trading it in for the Insight. But at the same time, it was kind of scary driving this tiny little machine right next to those big freaking HUMMERS! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

Anyway, here's the real car:

And here's the project:

The goal is to paint up the body to match the real car, and mount it onto this RC chassis. I'll need to make a longer H-plate for mounting the motor further back, and I'll need an HM "High-Mount" type motor for the motor to fit inside the body better.

I'll also need to figure out how to mount the body in the front, and sides.

Planning on using the Porsche's chassis since it's width matches the Coupe's.

Question for you pro's. Whats the best way to accomplish this paint scheme with the best professional results? Remember, I don't have an airbrush!

Edited October 17, 2009 by FujimiLover

[FujimiLover]

Motor mount off and pretending custom H-plate in place. And removed the front body clip as it's too long for this bod. This gives you a better look at how it will come together.

Rear view. You can see why this'll need HM type.

The rear wheels only look like their sticking out because of the way it's sitting on the RM motor mount. But trust me, it's a perfect width for this model!

[FujimiLover]

37 views and 0 comments? Do I actually have to start building this to get a response?

That's okay, no hard feelings. sniff, sniff.

Anyway, was thinking of building this up as how I had hoped my real one would've been if I kept working on it. I've long dreamed of having a body kit made for the car to make it look more racy. I said RACY not RICEY!

Same paint scheme, but with a nice mild body kit and some rally-style lights mounted up front.

The real car did have a custom duel exhaust so I'll incorporate that into the rear valance when I make it.

I plan on using very thin plastic as backing, and Milliput. I just hope my putty hasn't dried out since I opened it a few months back. I think I sealed it closed again! No biggy, I know where to get more.

[B_rad88]

that looks sweet marc, are you going to do a partical interior? or are you going to black out the windows? anyway its done, i like it! and i haven't seen a body kit for that little honda, do you have any ref pics of one? and it doesn't look top heavy to me, lol! it looks sweet so far, keep up the good work! i can't wait to see more!

[FujimiLover]

I don't think there were any body kit's for this car at all. This would've been my own design and would've been specially built if I had the funds for it.

I think the Honda Civic's that came after this car were raced more often and those had body kit's for them.

I don't think interior or partial interior would work on this, and that would add weight. I think I'll black out the windows and make ones for the drivers/passanger side as the model had those open.

[jbwelda]

that looks pretty cool but certainly out of the ordinary! maybe you could tub the rear end and get the body to sit over the rear tires more?

[FujimiLover]

I'm not sure I follow you. But the reason it's sitting that way is cause the RM type motor mount is in the way. When I get the HM motor mount, it'll fit inside the body much better. And the width is perfect, so no need to widen anything.

[jbwelda]

oh hey sorry, i had forgotten it was a RC car and i was thinking it was a full detail car! its that good! post a youtube vid of it in action when you get it done!

[beefheart22]

Fuji, how well do you know your old Z's history? You never know, some other teenager could have delivered many pizzas with it before it was painted it in your 'Dominos' scheme (looked cool BTW). It does resemble that cliche pizza delivery car from the movies.

I'm in your boat: no air brush using rattle cans. When I do NASCARs, I just mask and spray for one color at a time, starting with the lightest, let it gas out over a few days, and then mask off and start the next one... etc. I wish I had advice for super clean making lines as I never had a 100% crisp line, but I came close by making sure the tape edge was taped down as hard as possible.

A rally package would work well!

[FujimiLover]

I like using the blue masking tape that painters seem to use. It works well for me and I've had no run's from it.

I plan on making the chassis the right length first, make sure the body will fit. Make the body mounts, get the body mounted, fitted and running. Then, do some body work, primer, paint, detail, decals, clear coat. Windows will be blacked out and drivers side/passengers side windows made and blacked out.

This should be a pretty fun little project and I hope to have it done in a few short week's.

First step is to get the HM motor mount for it and begin chassis work, and body mounts.

Anybody know of any rally-style headlights, driving lights, etc', in 1/32 scale I can use? Perhaps some slot-car bit's?

Edited October 25, 2009 by FujimiLover

[carchub]

Wow this model is really unique! I hope it's going well =D

[FujimiLover]

Thank you, but it hasn't even started yet. Only thing I've done so far was glue in the nose piece for test-fitting it onto the chassis.

[Foxer]

I joined after this thread was going and this is my first see of it. That's an unusual car.. and pretty cool looking. I'm amazed you found a body for it ... at ANY scale!

It seems like it's not a bad masking job to get that paint scheme. I'd say just use the blue tape if you're getting good results. IMO, Tamiya is the best masking tape, but it IS expensive stuff!

This will be unique for sure when done.

[FujimiLover]

Thank's foxer. Since it'll be a while before I get the HM mount, I'll start working on the body. I'll start with the nose and air dam to get it to fit the nose clip on the chassis. Then, the side screws for going into the holes on the chassis, and covering those up with some sort of side-skirts. Then a rear wing, and rear valance with duel exhaust.

Edited October 25, 2009 by FujimiLover

[FujimiLover]

Body work has begun. I used a styrene plastic sheet for front and rear bumper's. I will use this as a background for building the body kit using Milliput. I'll also use the Milliput for molding in the side skirts.

[FujimiLover]

Some Milliput put in place.

Waiting for it to dry, and then some sanding to give it some shape!

[FujimiLover]

Some progress!

Duel exhaust tips!

The tips will be recessed in further and will be glued in when model is complete.

Edited November 2, 2009 by FujimiLover

[B_rad88]

that looks sweet fuj!!!!! i can't wait to see more! and oh, i found some pics of wild and wicked modified Z-act! its all carbon fiber body and has a motor cycle engine in the passenger seat area! and it looks sweet! if you want i can post pics up of it, or i can send the via email or pm! thats up to you! it looks sweet! keep up the good work!

[FujimiLover]

More updates and a revision. I spread out the distance between the exhaust pipes more like my real one and gave the rear bumper a "slot".

Also started slot and fog-lamp areas for the front bumper.

This is all done with eye-balling so it probably isn't perfectly symmetrical yet! I'm finding out just how tough this Milliput stuff really is! Which for this application is a good thing!

Yea, it looks ugly. But then again, aren't all projects?

Edited November 2, 2009 by FujimiLover