GeeBee Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 This is the Tamiya Morris Mini Cooper kit with a few modifications to take it from the post 1966 to an earlier Cooper S, one thing that needed changing was the door handles and safety boss fitted to the later Mini's, I needed to do this as I want to paint it in Surf Blue, a colour that was replaced by island Blue on the later cars, paint was standard cellulose paint, as used on the real thing. Interior and seats were painted using artist acrylic paint, they grey is tamiya XF-19 Engine was painted using Vauxhall leaf green acrylis and detail parts were done using Tamiya acrylics Mini Coopers had 9 hole wheels, the wheels supplied just have an indent where the holes are supposed to be, the instructions tell you to use flat black to make them stand out, i prefered to drill them out just like the real thing The bodyshell was painting in Surf blue cellulose, left to dry then machine polished with a minicraft drill and some woll mops, using Poorboys SSR2 polishing compound, then hand polished using meguires NXT tech wax.
Doughnut Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 Beautiful job so far. I built that kit a few years back in racing trim and loved it. This makes me want to build another one as stock.
Foxer Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 This looks fantastic! Tamiya can sure make an engine when they want to and you did a great job detailing it! I just got a Mini Cooper rental while some pickup damage is fixed on my car and this is a blast to drive. It's HUGE compared to the original Mini's, though.
jbwelda Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 sweet job and nice to see these cars kitted and built! i was amazed how many i saw driving around london still. the local (and by that i mean 6 miles away, population about 200) town here has a european garage that works on a lot of exotics and the other weekend there were about 20 mini austins and morris's sitting out front. not one bmw "mini" in the bunch! i didnt have my camera with me or i would have taken some shots and posted them here. that motor looks great too, by the way. when i built one i wired the distributor and then found i couldnt fit the front end in place because the wiring fouled it! so i took out the distributor and put the car into a garage diorama like it was getting fixed. gotta be flexible you know!
Cato Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 Geoff, I don't know what 'woll mops' are (wool?) but you did a great job to not burn through the paint with a machine polisher. Fantastic touches like the green engine/drivetrain-really looks the part. Superb job. Will you build a 'Mr. Bean" version soon?
GeeBee Posted October 6, 2010 Author Posted October 6, 2010 Geoff, I don't know what 'woll mops' are (wool?)Will you build a 'Mr. Bean" version soon? Yes, sorry bit of a typo' there, yes they are small wool mops that fit in the minicraft drill, it's easy to burn through if your too heavy with it, Mr bean Mini is already being planned,
Terry Sumner Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 Doesn't look a WHOLE lot different from today's minis does it? 45 years old and still the same!
Cato Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 Yes, sorry bit of a typo' there, yes they are small wool mops that fit in the minicraft drill, it's easy to burn through if your too heavy with it, Mr bean Mini is already being planned, Excellent! Be sure to post. I have Tamiya's 1/12 about 40% complete and stashed. I will use yours as better reference as I'm sure it will be first rate. Son (age 32) and I are huge Bean fans...(and Blackadder and Inspector Raymond Fowler fans...)
oldscool Posted October 7, 2010 Posted October 7, 2010 Oh yeah! This is looking good:). When I was a teenager looking to buy my first car, my boss tried to get me to buy a Mini Cooper but all I wanted was an American muscle car. I love muscle cars but I wished I had bought that Mini Cooper:(.oldscool
Railfreak78 Posted October 7, 2010 Posted October 7, 2010 Looks great so far! My first encounter with one of these was when I was 17. I was driving my 1977 Lincoln Towncar and made a fast left turn through a light. It was dark and I stomped on that 460 and noticed a dot. By the time I realised it was a car I had to swerve into another lane really fast to not run it over! I'll always think this is a cool classic as the new ones are BMW I think and Smart does not have the classic look. Very nice work on this one.
GeeBee Posted October 7, 2010 Author Posted October 7, 2010 (edited) Excellent! Be sure to post. I have Tamiya's 1/12 about 40% complete and stashed. I will use yours as better reference as I'm sure it will be first rate. Son (age 32) and I are huge Bean fans...(and Blackadder and Inspector Raymond Fowler fans...) There 1/12th Mini actually represents a 1992 Rover Mini Cooper 1.3i, which is a totally different animal to the 60's Mini's, but if you need any help with reference, etc, give me a shout. Edited October 7, 2010 by GeeBee
Cato Posted October 7, 2010 Posted October 7, 2010 There 1/12th Mini actually represents a 1992 Rover Mini Cooper 1.3i, which is a totally different animal to the 60's Mini's, but if you need any help with reference, etc, give me a shout. Thank you will do!
GeeBee Posted February 6, 2011 Author Posted February 6, 2011 Getting more finished, should be under glass soon, dashboard finished, this is the first Mini I have built that I have been able to paint the grey surround that goes by the switches, I did this using the new USB microscope I got for christmas Wheels glued on a set up to dry Interior finished Door panel finished, chrome parts was done using BMF, in previous builds of the Mini's I never noticed the top trim on the real thing is also chrome, I suspect that this is a one piece trim that goes to the outside and acts as a channel for the windows to slide in, this was done using chrome BMF, but was a littlmore thricky than the lower chrome parts, other details were picked out using acrylic paints. Chrome added to wheel arches and sill, again this was done using chrome BMF
GTMust Posted February 6, 2011 Posted February 6, 2011 A very nice build and great attention to detail. Love the paint color and the engine details.... oh, why quibble..... I like all of it! Don't mean to be a "buttinski" but thought this may interest at least a couple of readers.... Back in 1969 through 1971, I raced a (very low budget) 970cc Mini Cooper 'S' at Mosport race track in Ontario, Canada. I've always wanted to make a model of my old race car, and recently ordered the Tamiya racing Mini from Ebay. Here's a couple of pics of my race car (that's me in the white fireproof suit, smoking a cigarette... I gave it up 25 years ago!) Ah!... the good old days!
GeeBee Posted May 31, 2011 Author Posted May 31, 2011 Windows were fitted using 4 minute epoxy,over the years I have tried many different glues to fixing the clear parts, but I always come back to fast setting epoxy,if care is taken, you shouldn't get any glue residue on the clear parts and the bond is very strong,if you do make a mistake and get some of the glue onto the clear parts, it can be cleaned off using methalated spirits on a cotton bud, Rear light were done slightly different to the other Mini's I have built, previously I just brush painted them using Tamiya clear acrylic's, this time I tried airbrushing them, the orange was done first, left to dry then masked up using 3mm masking tape and then airbrushing the clear red, the chome was done using chrome BMF,The front indicators were done the same way as the rear, although they didn't need masking off, the chrome was even harder to do because of the small size.
TheCat Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 Beautiful Build. I love the details you've done to it. Great Job!!
robertw Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 Beautiful build and a great colour choice. I've built a couple of the BMW Mini's and have wanted to do one of the originals, I think you've inspired me to get the kit out of the stash and get to work. Thanks. rob
Jim Gibbons Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Very nice; what color or brand paint did you use for the engine assembly? It looks like the 1:1. I built a couple of versions of this kit and mixed colors to come close. Edit: I just saw it was Vauxhall leaf green acrylic. Edited May 31, 2011 by Jim Gibbons
Eric Stone Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 I like the orange peel and no orange peel before and after photos. Great job polishing up the paint! Engine and interior look nice so far too. Thanks to whoever mentioned the plug wire to hood clearance issues. I have a couple of the Tamiya Minis, and plan to wire them, so it's good to know to look out for that.
Romell R Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 Marvelous! I always like Minis Keep up the outstanding work!
Darren B Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 This is a really nice clean build , gives me inspiration to finish my two minis. Doing an awesome job.
GeeBee Posted May 31, 2011 Author Posted May 31, 2011 Very nice; what color or brand paint did you use for the engine assembly? It looks like the 1:1. I built a couple of versions of this kit and mixed colors to come close. Edit: I just saw it was Vauxhall leaf green acrylic. There was a colour code for the BMC engine green, but each factory mixed there own and it's very usual to see different Mini's, ie Morris and Austin with a totally different looking engine green colour, but Vauxhall (GM) leaf green comes very close to the reference photo's I have.
Tony T Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 Nice build...I've got a Tamiya Mini kit in the stash...they are so small compared to the new MINIs! I did see one in a butterscotch colour last week...real neat little cars...makes my '67 Beetle look huge!
northendmetalallstar Posted June 1, 2011 Posted June 1, 2011 Wow fantastic job! It gives me inspiration for the mini i'm building.
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