Matt Bacon Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 It's the only way to get one, so I'm treating this as a white-metal kit, rather than a "detailed die-cast"! It's the Mondo Motors model. The one I received shows every sign of corner-cutting and cost reduction compared to the reviews of the model on the web. There was nothing like the level of detail painting you can find online -- just one overall red body, a few black grilles, and nothing else... So, I stripped all the paint, and primed all the black interior plastic for a new colour scheme... ...and a couple of days later, here we are... The moulded detail on the dash and the engine bay is actually pretty crisp -- at least the equivalent of a current Revell Ferrari. The colour is the same Rosso Brunello as the 3500 GTi -- I want them as a pair/compare and contrast... The dash isn't glued in place... The main problem is access around the seats, but as you can see, there's a good level of detail to paint. Black carpets, and dark wood trim with this leather, all picked from the configurator... bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjordan2 Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 (edited) This will be a beautiful companion to your stunning GTi. Edited May 14, 2013 by sjordan2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted May 17, 2013 Author Share Posted May 17, 2013 Lots of detail painting. There are only four parts in this picture (five if you manage to separate the steering wheel...), and that's after me prising out the gear shift because the assembler had put it in backwards. All this interior was black raw plastic in the model I bought. It just goes to show... there's lot's of crisp detail to paint if you want to! And yes, there's a wash and some dry brushing on the seats to give them a bit more relief. It may look a bit caricature in bright light, but inside the car it just makes the "modelling" a lot more convincing. This is all detail painting of the kit part, with the exception of the instruments, which are printed out from a Car and Driver review... This is a single moulded piece, which should be a wake-up call for "curb side" manufacturers. I'll probably add a few more bits of wiring/tubing, but with careful painting it's pretty convincing, IMHO. The headlight buckets are not body coloured, as the diecast would have you believe. A bit more final detail, but these are pretty much finished now... Coming together nicely, I reckon. There's some detailing to do, but the mainstream plastic kit vendors could learn a lot from these diecast guys. There are only 20 or so parts in this "kit", but the fit is irreproachable, and the end result really benefits from some detail painting on the crisp components. Great online picture reference is invaluable, of course.... bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjordan2 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Dang, that's gorgeous. Superb detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tompidom Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Thats really cool man! To bad their are only diecasts or really expensive resin kits of the coolest cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 Thanks, chaps! I agree, Tom... but this one was half the price of a Revell 599 or California, say. If it's the only game in town AND it's cheaper... Our friends at Mondo decided to make the tails lights all in red. After looking closely, I figured out that it was paint, not coloured styrene. Caustic soda wouldn't shift it after a couple of days, so, I tried putting it in Surgical Spirit and running it for a while in my ultrasonic cleaner. That turned it first into pink jelly and then took it off completely. Hooray! Once they were properly clear, I painted them in the right places with Tamiya Clear Red. Headlights finished with lenses in place. I outlined the glass with a Sharpie, and put some black paint on the inside ends of the locating pins to prevent a rather weird "light pipe" effect. The grille got a chrome surround courtesy of a brilliant paint marker. Last good look at the inside before it's all closed up. I hate DOING BMF, but I like the results when it's finished. These are just raised lumps in body colour on the die-cast. They shouldn't be... Door handles BMF'd and shaded with Citadel dark wash for red to give a bit of relief. ...and now we have a kit of parts to put back together! bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Bacon Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 Now we see the advantages of a "kit" with only 20 parts that press or screw together. I did say the fit was impeccable, didn't I? This'll be the last "in progress" update. I need to figure out how to make some "chrome" logos and badges as decals, but then it really will be done, and proper photos in proper light will be on their way... bestest, M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino246gt Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I love those cars, too bad there's no styrene kit, but you've done the best I've seen yet for one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Sweet...don't think I've heard of Mondo Motors. Wouldn't mind having one of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjordan2 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Let's see it next to your 3500 GTi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mauricio Meyer Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 very very nice work!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelbuilder Mark Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Thanks for sharing that. I was unaware of that kit completely. I have been a fan of the Trident badge since the early 70s "My Maserati does 185..." At any rate, where did you pick up this "kit" again? And what did you use to strip the paint without damage to the metal? Purple pond? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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