Roth Mysterion

[Bluzboy66]

Finally, after many months, I have finished a few of my long-standing builds! First up, the Roth Mysterion. Finish is custom-mixed Mysterion Yellow. I used Testors clear enamel, and created the yellow with tinting pigment gels. The clear topcoat is 2-part urethane. Rear wheels are from the Barris T Buggy, and rear tires are from Modelhaus. Interior is flocked, and the seat is Tamiya Aluminum Silver. Control levers are straight pins. I modified the headlights by recessing the small one and backing it with Bare Metal Foil, and adding a lens to the large one (the kit doesn't come with a lens(!!??). I used a straight pin head in the center of each lens to replicate Lucas style lenses. I also used Citadel acrylic black wash on the engine and suspension parts, to tone some of the chrome down, and add depth. The Roth cars are some of my all-time favorites, and I'm already working on a follow-up, the Road Agent.

Thanks for looking!,

Mike

Edited December 12, 2011 by Bluzboy66

['08SEAL]

C.O.O.L.

[Greg Pugh]

WOW!! That thing is beautiful!! Good Lord......

Nice work!!

[Ira]

Nice Build!!!

[Bluzboy66]

Thanks guys!

[John Teresi]

Mike...... GREAT build .......you did beautiful job.

[Bluzboy66]

Here's a couple of shots that show the interior a little better......that's Citadel acrylic 'Chainmail' metallic silver color on the steering wheel......

Mike

Edited December 12, 2011 by Bluzboy66

[weasel]

ummm, pics are gone...

did ya put them in an album??

[Bluzboy66]

oops. Pics fixed!

[Greg Pugh]

I seriously can't get over how much I love this thing..... I keep coming back.

[Bluzboy66]

Thanks Greg! It's one of my favorite builds. I have a Road Agent in the works that's going to look great parked next to the Mysterion. Pics soon!

Mike

[Art Laski]

Very cool!!!!!

[ChrisR]

Nice model.

[Howard Cohen]

I have seen the 1:1 car, and the clone, and I think yours is as good as any 1:1 car!!!!! Excellent build and fantastic paint!!!!! Thanks for sharing your build...

[DumpyDan]

Wow this is cool, look like you have gone over the top. NICE!

[crazyjim]

Ed Roth was sure a weird guy. Excellent job on this one. SHINY :) RULES!

[Peter Lombardo]

Great job......I built that kit back in the 60's and remember it as a real "bear"....maybe it was my skills that were the issue then, but either way, you did a great job on it. Like others have said................shiny!

[Darin Bastedo]

Really nice build of a tough kit. That is one of my favorite Roth cars!

[weasel]

ahhhh, much better....

as everybody has said, nice job!!! paint is da bomb...

[Dr. Cranky]

Wonderful replica and that paint job is very nice.

[Draggon]

Beautiful job on a really tough kit!

[peekay]

This one was too tough for me when I was 14 so it's great to see it done sooooo nicely!

[bbowser]

Never a 'big daddy' fan but awesome job!

[sobpinstriping]

I love Roth cars and you did a great job!

[Bluzboy66]

A few of you mentioned how difficult it is to build the Mysterion. 'Difficult' might be an overstatement, and 'finicky' is probably a better word....

1. The chassis and suspension require some patience to get aligned properly, and I found myself walking away from the table a few times. BUT, the parts DO fit together fairly well, and build up nice. Scraping all of that chrome is a chore, but it pays off in the end. ALTHOUGH, If I had it to do over, I'd probably strip all of the chrome from the suspension parts, assemble them, and then Alclad them as sub-assemblies. That would give me a chance to assemble the rear axle halves, smooth the seams, and trim all of the sprue barbs from the various teeny tiny chassis pieces prior to assembly and Alclad. A side note - The only parts I'd leave chromed are the main frame side beams....they look awesome fully chromed!

2. I found it strange that the interior bucket wouldn't fit up into the body without some trimming around the back, between the bubble hinges, at the 'control panel' that sits in the body behind the bubble......that's definitely an engineering flaw. My kit is a recent reissue. Could the interior's poor fitment be a byproduct of a hasty retool of the mold somewhere along the line?? Regardless, it only took a few minutes to rectify. Just be sure to address it BEFORE paint or flocking. Also, on the topic of flocking - the real car had silver/gray FUR!....long, flowing, wavy fur. I thought of gluing miniature fur into the bucket, but decided to go with standard gray flocking instead. Mostly because it was easier, but I also didn't want any bubble fitment issues after the fact.

3. Installing the two engines might have been a challenge had I installed them one at a time. Based on my experience with the kit, I recommend getting the engine and chassis mounts scraped and ready for glue, and then installing them TOGETHER to insure proper alignment. Then prop the chassis square, and let everything cure evenly.

4. The body had its share of minor issues. I wanted the paint to be ultra slick, so I spent extra time smoothing and blending the seams prior to primer. I also filled and smoothed the afore mentioned 'control panel' seams.....to the rear of the bubble, on the rear deck of the body. The little door is a separate piece, and I guess some builders would want it to be removable, hinged, or propped open.......not me. I wanted it gone, so I filled it. I like the look. SMOOTH. Although, hinged would be pretty trick!

5. The bubble, its hinges and actuator rods require just a little finesse to make work and close smoothly, and the hinge perches are VERY delicate, but, I was surprised to find that it all went together and worked perfectly without much issue at all. I fully expected a fight here, and that just wasn't the case. Thankfully! One recommendation - remove enough plastic around the edge of the bubble's body-colored ring surround (prior to paint, obviously) to prevent binding when the bubble is in the closed position. Primer, color, and clearcoat will add thickness here, and that gap can close up tight as the finish process progresses. You won't want to have to 'pry' on the bubble every time you decide to display it open.......you'll surely snap the delicate hinges in the process. Spend time on this little detail, and you'll be rewarded everytime someone asks, "does the bubble open??".

6. Wheels, tires - the kit's front wheels and tires are perfectly fine, but the rear tires just looked too large in my opinion. That, and I wanted nice, clean whitewalls. Modelhaus to the rescue. I always have a stash of those pie crust whitewalls on hand, and this was a perfect application. I'll use the kit's plain black slicks on some drag car build down the road. I also used Modelhaus' chrome 5-spokes on the rear.

In fewer words, building the Mysterion was a labor of love. I really enjoyed seeing the car come together, as each step had me imagining what was going through Roth's mind as he created this beauty. The man was an extreme visionary in a time when custom fiberglass fabrication and hand-blowing acrylic bubbles were brand new concepts. The cyclops "eye" headlight, dual engines......?? The man was ahead of his time, and there's never been anyone else like him.

Now, how about you guys post some pics of YOUR Roth cars?!,

Mike