General Model Kit Building Thread

[Pete05]

It's the 1/24 scale Fujimi kit. I believe the Revell is a rebox of the Fujimi so should be the same as mine. The Meng is a newer mold.
It's a pretty good kit though beware if you attach the front bottom lamps without thinning them out first, the clear plastic cover will not fit. I sanded the back side of the lamp housing first. Also the rear wheels are a little wobbly which isn't a problem for a static model, but they'll move around if you try and roll it.

I just had a quick look on Scalemates, and you're correct. Revell was the Fujimi.

Thanks for the advice about the lamps & rear wheels. It's very good to know what to look out for.

 

[huff]

@huff I dig those 32's and how you've re-chopped that Merc. Your work looks familiar-are you on any of the model car forums?

TRAK, occasionally. I used to frequent Modelcarsmag and Scaleauto as well.

 

[Draggon]

Ah yes, TRaK used to be my number one site until my son got me back into Gran Turismo. Great place for traditional builds!

 

[Apok]

It's been a little bit, but I'm happy to unveil a long term project that's finally done. 1/24 scale Ferrari 330 P4. 1967 Le Mans.

It isn't perfect and I somewhat rushed the finish to get it ready for the Moson model show this weekend. It's the Fujimi kit with some pretty extensive work done to get it as close to the real thing as possible.

 

[Pete05]

It's been a little bit, but I'm happy to unveil a long term project that's finally done. 1/24 scale Ferrari 330 P4. 1967 Le Mans.

View attachment 1249337View attachment 1249341View attachment 1249340View attachment 1249339View attachment 1249338View attachment 1249344

It isn't perfect and I somewhat rushed the finish to get it ready for the Moson model show this weekend. It's the Fujimi kit with some pretty extensive work done to get it as close to the real thing as possible.

Great job, looks really nice from what I can see.

I've got this kit in my stash so I'm interested to know what were the difficult, or hardest parts of the build?

 

[Apok]

Great job, looks really nice from what I can see.

I've got this kit in my stash so I'm interested to know what were the difficult, or hardest parts of the build?

Depends on what you want to do with it. If you just build it as is, you'll run into issues with the mirror cowlings which are entirely the wrong shape and don't really fit the body well at all. These simply have to be fixed somehow for a good looking result. My way was by making new ones out of styrene and milliput.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is the windscreen. Mine was too wide, so I had to bend it inwards on the sides in some hot water. Though I ended up not using the windshield and making a new one out of acetate, I did successfully bend the original to nicely fit the opening, so it's possible. The other option I see is to glue it in with cyanoacrylate before painting the body, but there's several reasons why you probably don't want to do that.
If you successfully fix those two issues, the model builds up nicely out of the box. There are no massive fit issues or anything like that.


But if you want to go the extra mile...

The shape of the (hinge cowlings?) is wrong. Too square. I fixed it by cutting the body in half and reshaping them. As a bonus fact, the vast majority of miniature reproductions of this car (kit or die cast) get this detail wrong for some reason, even though there are plenty of photos showing that these should be smooth in shape.

The rear end is wrong. The real car had what seems to be just a piece of sheet metal covering the mesh. The sheet metal piece basically doesn't exist as the kit is molded, so I redid the rear while adding some proper mesh and bolt detail.

There is no engine. Which is fair enough, but it does leave an empty area where it should be, which is visible if you peek around the rear wheels or from below. I scratchbuilt a really basic engine shape and designed + 3D printed an exhaust manifold.

It's admittedly not the prettiest work, but this area is barely visible when finished anyway.

The lower right side of the car is missing an air intake (This style of intake is specific to the #21 1967 LeMans car. Others had a different shape or no intake at all).

This little scoop is also a really weird shape, so I made a new one.

The dashboard is a mish-mash of 3D printed, original part and sheet styrene. The biggest inaccuracy is the instrument cluster, which in the kit only has one dial instead of the tri-part one.

I also spent a stupid amount of time redoing all the riveting. I punched the new ones out of foil from a yoghurt cup.

I made the windscreen wiper out of wire, tubes and styrene.

Plus many more small fixes and complications. You don't need to do all of that of course, but it shows what's possible.

 

[Pete05]

Depends on what you want to do with it. If you just build it as is, you'll run into issues with the mirror cowlings which are entirely the wrong shape and don't really fit the body well at all. These simply have to be fixed somehow for a good looking result. My way was by making new ones out of styrene and milliput.
View attachment 1249502
Another issue that needs to be addressed is the windscreen. Mine was too wide, so I had to bend it inwards on the sides in some hot water. Though I ended up not using the windshield and making a new one out of acetate, I did successfully bend the original to nicely fit the opening, so it's possible. The other option I see is to glue it in with cyanoacrylate before painting the body, but there's several reasons why you probably don't want to do that.
If you successfully fix those two issues, the model builds up nicely out of the box. There are no massive fit issues or anything like that.


But if you want to go the extra mile...

View attachment 1249504View attachment 1249506

The shape of the (hinge cowlings?) is wrong. Too square. I fixed it by cutting the body in half and reshaping them. As a bonus fact, the vast majority of miniature reproductions of this car (kit or die cast) get this detail wrong for some reason, even though there are plenty of photos showing that these should be smooth in shape.
View attachment 1249507


The rear end is wrong. The real car had what seems to be just a piece of sheet metal covering the mesh. The sheet metal piece basically doesn't exist as the kit is molded, so I redid the rear while adding some proper mesh and bolt detail.


View attachment 1249508View attachment 1249509View attachment 1249510


There is no engine. Which is fair enough, but it does leave an empty area where it should be, which is visible if you peek around the rear wheels or from below. I scratchbuilt a really basic engine shape and designed + 3D printed an exhaust manifold.


View attachment 1249511
It's admittedly not the prettiest work, but this area is barely visible when finished anyway.

The lower right side of the car is missing an air intake (This style of intake is specific to the #21 1967 LeMans car. Others had a different shape or no intake at all).

View attachment 1249513View attachment 1249514View attachment 1249515

This little scoop is also a really weird shape, so I made a new one.

View attachment 1249516 View attachment 1249517


The dashboard is a mish-mash of 3D printed, original part and sheet styrene. The biggest inaccuracy is the instrument cluster, which in the kit only has one dial instead of the tri-part one.

View attachment 1249518


I also spent a stupid amount of time redoing all the riveting. I punched the new ones out of foil from a yoghurt cup.


View attachment 1249519View attachment 1249520

I made the windscreen wiper out of wire, tubes and styrene.

View attachment 1249521
Plus many more small fixes and complications. You don't need to do all of that of course, but it shows what's possible.

So only a few minor issues then.

Seriously, thanks so much for the heads up and for sharing how you worked around each issue.

 

[Apok]

So only a few minor issues then.

Seriously, thanks so much for the heads up and for sharing how you worked around each issue.

It's not the best kit out there, but the bodywork is the correct shape, so it can be built up really nicely with some effort.
Hope yours is an enjoyable build.

 

[Apok]

It's a bit of a shame this thread has been so dead lately, but I do have some new material to post. Both Gran Turismo darlings in their own right.

This Aoshima Honda Beat was a very quick build. It only took around a month and a half and still nabbed me 2nd place at a local model building competition. A competition where I entered both this and the Ferrari 330 P4 with ludicrous scratch building from my last update. Funny how that works.
I saw the adorable little luggage rack was a thing that exists and had to scratchbuild one. That and a 3D printed travel case I hastily modeled and hey presto, isn't it adorable?

And then a Honda NSX-R. An older Tamiya kit.

This one is completely out of box apart from the PE brake discs. I made a bunch of mistakes but learned a lot. I've started using 2K urethane clear coat for one. It's great stuff but has a bit of a learning curve. I also used automotive paint on this one, PB73P, or deep purple pearl metallic mixed at my local paint shop. It's a really crazy colour that seems to change depending on lighting, even to the naked eye. It looks almost black sometimes, but then a gorgeous deep purple at a different angle. Nice.

Now to finish my other 5 cars in progress and start work on the 40 or so unstarted ones.

 

[Pete05]

N

It's a bit of a shame this thread has been so dead lately, but I do have some new material to post. Both Gran Turismo darlings in their own right.

View attachment 1285018View attachment 1285019View attachment 1285020


This Aoshima Honda Beat was a very quick build. It only took around a month and a half and still nabbed me 2nd place at a local model building competition. A competition where I entered both this and the Ferrari 330 P4 with ludicrous scratch building from my last update. Funny how that works.
I saw the adorable little luggage rack was a thing that exists and had to scratchbuild one. That and a 3D printed travel case I hastily modeled and hey presto, isn't it adorable?

And then a Honda NSX-R. An older Tamiya kit.

View attachment 1285022View attachment 1285023View attachment 1285024View attachment 1285025

This one is completely out of box apart from the PE brake discs. I made a bunch of mistakes but learned a lot. I've started using 2K urethane clear coat for one. It's great stuff but has a bit of a learning curve. I also used automotive paint on this one, PB73P, or deep purple pearl metallic mixed at my local paint shop. It's a really crazy colour that seems to change depending on lighting, even to the naked eye. It looks almost black sometimes, but then a gorgeous deep purple at a different angle. Nice.

Now to finish my other 5 cars in progress and start work on the 40 or so unstarted

Nice job on the Beat & the scratch built luggage rack. Makes me wonder if Honda ever offered it as an option, considering the small space for everything up the front.

Well done on picking up a prize too.

The Tamiya NSX Type R, is incredibly rare & priced so. I absolutely love the paint job, but I would've been too nervous using anything other than model paint.
I do not fully understand myself, but others in forums have mentioned the heat of the paint may be too hot for models.
With such a rare kit, I would've played on the safe side.
The risk worked out for you & now you have the rare model with an awesome paint job.

Well done 👏

 

[AerodyManiac]

I've started using 2K urethane clear coat for one. It's great stuff but has a bit of a learning curve. I also used automotive paint on this one, PB73P, or deep purple pearl metallic mixed at my local paint shop. It's a really crazy colour that seems to change depending on lighting, even to the naked eye. It looks almost black sometimes, but then a gorgeous deep purple at a different angle. Nice.

Good to know that it’s turning out well! I thought about switching to 2K clear at some point, but the potential for the paint job to go awry and horrendous, and how messy it would be to strip the body once that happens scare me, so I’ve decided to stick with Tamiya TS-13 for now. Achieving a silk-smooth paint job is difficult enough with a rattle can already, and the need to buy a new airbrush and quickly clean it up after use just doesn’t bode well with my laziness.

It's a bit of a shame this thread has been so dead lately

I feel the same way, but at the same time I think that model making is a very tedious process, especially if one wants to achieve a reasonably good standard. And I’m not intending to disparage the efforts builders of other kits go through, but IMHO model car kits, which seem to be the type of kit preferred by many of us here, are one of the more difficult types to build well, especially with the smoothness of paint. So I kind of understand why it usually takes such a long time before this thread gets updated.

Anyway, all this ado, just for me to preface my own contribution. Sounds a bit overkill.

Some test fit that I cannot resist. Note the lack of taillights, and an entire interior, which I’m working on.

This should be how the front end will finally look like, barring the license plate, which is an optional item to me. Of particular pleasure is the three-pointed star on the grille, which I’ve decided to drill and file to bore out the chromed plastic instead of just painting the insides matte black. A bit tedious, but definitely well worth the effort, which is a must-do to me, if you’re going to replace the solid grille molded into the bumper with a photo-etched mesh from Aoshima or other aftermarket maker. Just be careful not to scrape away the chrome at other places like I do.

 

[Pete05]

Good to know that it’s turning out well! I thought about switching to 2K clear at some point, but the potential for the paint job to go awry and horrendous, and how messy it would be to strip the body once that happens scare me, so I’ve decided to stick with Tamiya TS-13 for now. Achieving a silk-smooth paint job is difficult enough with a rattle can already, and the need to buy a new airbrush and quickly clean it up after use just doesn’t bode well with my laziness.

I feel the same way, but at the same time I think that model making is a very tedious process, especially if one wants to achieve a reasonably good standard. And I’m not intending to disparage the efforts builders of other kits go through, but IMHO model car kits, which seem to be the type of kit preferred by many of us here, are one of the more difficult types to build well, especially with the smoothness of paint. So I kind of understand why it usually takes such a long time before this thread gets updated.

Anyway, all this ado, just for me to preface my own contribution. Sounds a bit overkill.

View attachment 1285107

Some test fit that I cannot resist. Note the lack of taillights, and an entire interior, which I’m working on.

View attachment 1285106

This should be how the front end will finally look like, barring the license plate, which is an optional item to me. Of particular pleasure is the three-pointed star on the grille, which I’ve decided to drill and file to bore out the chromed plastic instead of just painting the insides matte black. A bit tedious, but definitely well worth the effort, which is a must-do to me, if you’re going to replace the solid grille molded into the bumper with a photo-etched mesh from Aoshima or other aftermarket maker. Just be careful not to scrape away the chrome at other places like I do.

Great work on the front end.

What kit is it?

 

[AerodyManiac]

Great work on the front end.

What kit is it?

That’ll be an Aoshima 1/24. It’s my first time building something non-Tamiya, so understandably I was a bit intimidated by what I had to do to make it look the quality of a Tamiya. So far the fit is excellent, although the bonnet wouldn’t just drop nicely into the slot, but it could just be a case of me having too thick of a layer of paint + clear.

Thanks!

 

[Pete05]

That’ll be an Aoshima 1/24. It’s my first time building something non-Tamiya, so understandably I was a bit intimidated by what I had to do to make it look the quality of a Tamiya. So far the fit is excellent, although the bonnet wouldn’t just drop nicely into the slot, but it could just be a case of me having too thick of a layer of paint + clear.

Thanks!

Actually, it sounds like one of the better Aoshima kit experiences I have heard of.

I keep hearing about certain kits in their range with horrible fitment issues.

None worse than the Pagani Huyarawara thing.
One of the Lamborghini kits gets a bad wrap too.

Hopefully, the bonnet is the only issue you have with the rest of your build & I look forward to seeing the finished example.

 

[Apok]

The Tamiya NSX Type R, is incredibly rare & priced so. I absolutely love the paint job, but I would've been too nervous using anything other than model paint.
I do not fully understand myself, but others in forums have mentioned the heat of the paint may be too hot for models.
With such a rare kit, I would've played on the safe side.
The risk worked out for you & now you have the rare model with an awesome paint job.

Well done 👏

It is a rare kit, though mine was bought as a set of 4 used kits from japan and ridiculously cheap. Though admittedly the box was a bit moldy . Luckily the standard NSX kit is very cheap.
I've not had issues with this particular brand of automotive paint yet (BASF Glasurit), seems to work like a charm.

Good to know that it’s turning out well! I thought about switching to 2K clear at some point, but the potential for the paint job to go awry and horrendous, and how messy it would be to strip the body once that happens scare me, so I’ve decided to stick with Tamiya TS-13 for now. Achieving a silk-smooth paint job is difficult enough with a rattle can already, and the need to buy a new airbrush and quickly clean it up after use just doesn’t bode well with my laziness.

Honestly, 2K has been really nice to work with. Its self leveling properties are amazing, often resulting in a perfect surface that doesn't even need polishing at all. I've not had it ruin any brand of paint, model or otherwise, either. It also cures and is ready for polishing much faster than model building clear coat. Great stuff other than the high toxicity that necessitates use of a proper mask.

Actually, it sounds like one of the better Aoshima kit experiences I have heard of.

I keep hearing about certain kits in their range with horrible fitment issues.

None worse than the Pagani Huyarawara thing.
One of the Lamborghini kits gets a bad wrap too.

Hopefully, the bonnet is the only issue you have with the rest of your build & I look forward to seeing the finished example.

The Honda Beat is an Aoshima kit and it went together great. I also have the Huayra and yeah, that one is pretty infamous... though with how ambitious it is I can't really fault it. You don't really see Tamiya make a kit with opening everything. It's a kit that offers you many opportunities, you'll just need to work a bit harder to make it look proper. Or at least that's what I tell myself.

 

[Apok]

Excuse the double post, but I just finished another one. Two models finished within three days. Crazy!

This is a very exciting kit. It's the first model kit from portuguese DModelkits and it's excellent. Great fitment, high part count with good details. The instruction sheet is nice and you get some PE details and cloth belts. The price is quite high, but in my eyes it's worth it.

 

[Pete05]

Excuse the double post, but I just finished another one. Two models finished within three days. Crazy!

View attachment 1285418View attachment 1285419View attachment 1285420View attachment 1285421

This is a very exciting kit. It's the first model kit from portuguese DModelkits and it's excellent. Great fitment, high part count with good details. The instruction sheet is nice and you get some PE details and cloth belts. The price is quite high, but in my eyes it's worth it.

I think your review has just got me over the line enough, to pre-order the Monte Carlo Castrol Celica.

I already have the Tamiya Celica & TOM'S Castrol Supra, so they should look lovely as a trio displayed together.

 

[AerodyManiac]

Honestly, 2K has been really nice to work with. Its self leveling properties are amazing, often resulting in a perfect surface that doesn't even need polishing at all. I've not had it ruin any brand of paint, model or otherwise, either. It also cures and is ready for polishing much faster than model building clear coat. Great stuff other than the high toxicity that necessitates use of a proper mask.

Yeah, I’ve heard that 2K can go over decals too, which makes it all the better if you’re building a race car kit. But what got me particularly inclined to use 2K for the Merc at first is the depth of paint that you can see on your NSX. I haven’t seen that achieved on cars painted with normal 1K model kit-designated clears. I got spooked by hearing people’s experiences of having cracks develop throughout the car body that was sprayed with 2K, or at least having dimples or larger pits formed, though, so I decided to bail out of the idea, and reserve it for planned projects further down the order, if I eventually get around to working on them.

How many layers of 2K did you spray?

Actually, it sounds like one of the better Aoshima kit experiences I have heard of.

I keep hearing about certain kits in their range with horrible fitment issues.

None worse than the Pagani Huyarawara thing.
One of the Lamborghini kits gets a bad wrap too.

Hopefully, the bonnet is the only issue you have with the rest of your build & I look forward to seeing the finished example.

The Honda Beat is an Aoshima kit and it went together great. I also have the Huayra and yeah, that one is pretty infamous... though with how ambitious it is I can't really fault it. You don't really see Tamiya make a kit with opening everything. It's a kit that offers you many opportunities, you'll just need to work a bit harder to make it look proper. Or at least that's what I tell myself.

I forgot to mention that I had some issues with the fitment of the front suspension piece that connects the pegs on the two front wheel assemblies and makes them stay in place (caused by the gearbox getting in the way I think), and getting the rear window to sit flush on the hard-top roof, perhaps due to me polishing the roof so hard that it bent the supports, but yeah, Aoshima’s ambition is something I can feel when building the Merc also.

For instance, Aoshima actually allows you to depict the speaker outlets on the insides of the doors with perforated photo-etched parts bought separately (something that I have decided to incorporate into the build after some pondering), whereas Tamiya most probably would have just used decals for it and then called it a day. It’s just that these ‘extra miles’ adopted by Aoshima make it a lot less user-friendly (or beginner-friendly) in some manner because of the additional measuring and thinking that would have to go into place in order to ‘do it justice’. Another example would be the lettering on the brake calipers. Tamiya would go down the decal route (which actually resembles real cars more anyways), but Aoshima decides to use photo-etched parts with surface lettering again!

While the only reason I can imagine them to have picked this method for is the possibility to have the lettering in whatever colour you want, it does create some PITA for the modeller, since the PE parts are a bit too large for the surface they stick to, and once you stick it in the wrong place with superglue (all too easy with their delicate size), you’ll have to pry it off and sand down the dried superglue, which could sand away other details on the caliper.

The Huayra would probably be a lot worse, since IIRC the kit actually allows you to adjust the opening angle of the aerodynamic flaps in addition to having openable front and rear cowling. The best Tamiya has produced in terms of features at this scale is the LFA with its open/close spoiler.

 

[Pete05]

Yeah, I’ve heard that 2K can go over decals too, which makes it all the better if you’re building a race car kit. But what got me particularly inclined to use 2K for the Merc at first is the depth of paint that you can see on your NSX. I haven’t seen that achieved on cars painted with normal 1K model kit-designated clears. I got spooked by hearing people’s experiences of having cracks develop throughout the car body that was sprayed with 2K, or at least having dimples or larger pits formed, though, so I decided to bail out of the idea, and reserve it for planned projects further down the order, if I eventually get around to working on them.

How many layers of 2K did you spray?



I forgot to mention that I had some issues with the fitment of the front suspension piece that connects the pegs on the two front wheel assemblies and makes them stay in place (caused by the gearbox getting in the way I think), and getting the rear window to sit flush on the hard-top roof, perhaps due to me polishing the roof so hard that it bent the supports, but yeah, Aoshima’s ambition is something I can feel when building the Merc also.

For instance, Aoshima actually allows you to depict the speaker outlets on the insides of the doors with perforated photo-etched parts bought separately (something that I have decided to incorporate into the build after some pondering), whereas Tamiya most probably would have just used decals for it and then called it a day. It’s just that these ‘extra miles’ adopted by Aoshima make it a lot less user-friendly (or beginner-friendly) in some manner because of the additional measuring and thinking that would have to go into place in order to ‘do it justice’. Another example would be the lettering on the brake calipers. Tamiya would go down the decal route (which actually resembles real cars more anyways), but Aoshima decides to use photo-etched parts with surface lettering again!

View attachment 1285548

While the only reason I can imagine them to have picked this method for is the possibility to have the lettering in whatever colour you want, it does create some PITA for the modeller, since the PE parts are a bit too large for the surface they stick to, and once you stick it in the wrong place with superglue (all too easy with their delicate size), you’ll have to pry it off and sand down the dried superglue, which could sand away other details on the caliper.

The Huayra would probably be a lot worse, since IIRC the kit actually allows you to adjust the opening angle of the aerodynamic flaps in addition to having openable front and rear cowling. The best Tamiya has produced in terms of features at this scale is the LFA with its open/close spoiler.

This reminds me of Fujimi's 1/20 scale Ferrari 248 F1.

If my grey matter serves me correctly, the model, for the most part, goes together quite well.

Where the trouble starts, is if you buy the optional Fujimi photo etch detail set, and fit it all correctly, the engine cover will then NOT fit as the cover fouls the photo etch.

Now, I think I'm safe in saying, that if you went out & bought a P.E detail set from an aftermarket seller such as Studio27, Scale Motorsport or Hobby Design, and THEN had fitment issues, you could reasonably suggest that Mr Aftermarket hasn't done their homework.

For whatever reason in this example, Fujimi just shoots itself in the foot.

 

[AerodyManiac]

This reminds me of Fujimi's 1/20 scale Ferrari 248 F1.

If my grey matter serves me correctly, the model, for the most part, goes together quite well.

Where the trouble starts, is if you buy the optional Fujimi photo etch detail set, and fit it all correctly, the engine cover will then NOT fit as the cover fouls the photo etch.

Now, I think I'm safe in saying, that if you went out & bought a P.E detail set from an aftermarket seller such as Studio27, Scale Motorsport or Hobby Design, and THEN had fitment issues, you could reasonably suggest that Mr Aftermarket hasn't done their homework.

For whatever reason in this example, Fujimi just shoots itself in the foot.

Yeah, it’d be normal for the buyer to assume that the original maker’s PE parts will go on to the model the maker intended them for without much hassle, which is why I like building Tamiyas more.

From my very limited experience (the Merc SL 63 is only my 6th model kit ever, including repurchases), Tamiya model kits just fit together seamlessly, from the metal-plated parts to the PE ones that come with the kit. While so far I haven’t encountered any serious issues with Aoshima’s own PE parts for the Merc, there are some parts which I feel could well be beyond my abilities but don’t add much to the realism, like the grilles on the side of the front bumper where the foglights are (you’d have to saw off the foglights on the original plastic piece, stick them to the PE, and bend the grilles in the right curvature so they wouldn’t pop off after superglue application), and the seatbelt buckles (a small flat piece of metal that requires folding).

 

[Apok]

Yeah, I’ve heard that 2K can go over decals too, which makes it all the better if you’re building a race car kit. But what got me particularly inclined to use 2K for the Merc at first is the depth of paint that you can see on your NSX. I haven’t seen that achieved on cars painted with normal 1K model kit-designated clears. I got spooked by hearing people’s experiences of having cracks develop throughout the car body that was sprayed with 2K, or at least having dimples or larger pits formed, though, so I decided to bail out of the idea, and reserve it for planned projects further down the order, if I eventually get around to working on them.

How many layers of 2K did you spray?

Like, 3? I don't know, I resprayed some bits when I burned through the clear when polishing. 3 sounds about right though. No cracks yet, I've had dimples form though. I think that's more of an issue with the surface being contaminated than anything else.

This reminds me of Fujimi's 1/20 scale Ferrari 248 F1.

If my grey matter serves me correctly, the model, for the most part, goes together quite well.

Where the trouble starts, is if you buy the optional Fujimi photo etch detail set, and fit it all correctly, the engine cover will then NOT fit as the cover fouls the photo etch.

Now, I think I'm safe in saying, that if you went out & bought a P.E detail set from an aftermarket seller such as Studio27, Scale Motorsport or Hobby Design, and THEN had fitment issues, you could reasonably suggest that Mr Aftermarket hasn't done their homework.

For whatever reason in this example, Fujimi just shoots itself in the foot.

Yeah, it’d be normal for the buyer to assume that the original maker’s PE parts will go on to the model the maker intended them for without much hassle, which is why I like building Tamiyas more.

From my very limited experience (the Merc SL 63 is only my 6th model kit ever, including repurchases), Tamiya model kits just fit together seamlessly, from the metal-plated parts to the PE ones that come with the kit. While so far I haven’t encountered any serious issues with Aoshima’s own PE parts for the Merc, there are some parts which I feel could well be beyond my abilities but don’t add much to the realism, like the grilles on the side of the front bumper where the foglights are (you’d have to saw off the foglights on the original plastic piece, stick them to the PE, and bend the grilles in the right curvature so they wouldn’t pop off after superglue application), and the seatbelt buckles (a small flat piece of metal that requires folding).

I suppose this is where different experiences come into play, but I usually just assume things won't fit. Throughout most of this hobby's existence they didn't. And especially if you build smaller scale aircraft or armor, you still routinely run into cheap old kits all the time. Or you know, just build any car kit that isn't japanese (The DModelkits sierra not included). The era of things just fitting perfectly is a relatively new one in the hobby, helped massively with advancements in CAD and casting technology. Badly designed PE parts are often a result of companies reboxing older kits and adding the PE as an extra to keep things interesting. It's either no PE or adjusting/remaking the tooling which isn't cheap. As a rule of thumb, I always treat PE with caution. It might help the final result, but it also might make it worse. If it's in the box, it doesn't mean you have to use it. This holds especially true with aftermarket sets which tend to include a bunch of stuff just for the sake of having more stuff to sell for a higher price.
And as much as things fitting is nice, it takes a lot of the interesting techinques and experiences out of the picture. I wouldn't enjoy exclusively building Tamiya models, they're frankly some of the less memorable builds to me. It's like advanced lego. On the other hand, something like the Ferrari 330 by fujimi I can always look at, see the numerous things I had to change on it and be proud. But of course, I have my own experiences and preferences and maybe a younger me would disagree with that and prefer the advanced lego.

 

[Pete05]

Yeah, it’d be normal for the buyer to assume that the original maker’s PE parts will go on to the model the maker intended them for without much hassle, which is why I like building Tamiyas more.

From my very limited experience (the Merc SL 63 is only my 6th model kit ever, including repurchases), Tamiya model kits just fit together seamlessly, from the metal-plated parts to the PE ones that come with the kit. While so far I haven’t encountered any serious issues with Aoshima’s own PE parts for the Merc, there are some parts which I feel could well be beyond my abilities but don’t add much to the realism, like the grilles on the side of the front bumper where the foglights are (you’d have to saw off the foglights on the original plastic piece, stick them to the PE, and bend the grilles in the right curvature so they wouldn’t pop off after superglue application), and the seatbelt buckles (a small flat piece of metal that requires folding).

My first time modelling was 30+ years ago in the late 1980s, and back then Tamiya set the standard by a huge margin.
As I remember it, the main opposition were Fujimi & Hasegawa from Japan, and the Americans such as Monogram & Revell.
I know there were others around back then, but none that I recall seeing at the time.

I mostly bought Tamiya, but I also ventured into Fujimi land for specific kits, mainly Group A touring cars & they were terrible.
Kerbside kits that you could punch out over a weekend, race cars with road car ride height, wheels that were too small in diameter & width...
But, they were the only option if you wanted that make & model of car.

I got bitten by the NASCAR bug & built about 4, maybe 6 kits from Monogram.
Absolute production line standard where there was no difference between a Buick, Ford, Chev, Pontiac or Dodge besides the body.
If you built one, you built them all.

Photoetch if it's going to be done right, needs to be done with the right tools.
Bending Pliers & and investing in a large Bending Tool/Vise is essential.
I would also add, even for those with 20:20 vision, a magnifying light so you can see those really small details well enough.

Like, 3? I don't know, I resprayed some bits when I burned through the clear when polishing. 3 sounds about right though. No cracks yet, I've had dimples form though. I think that's more of an issue with the surface being contaminated than anything else.


I suppose this is where different experiences come into play, but I usually just assume things won't fit. Throughout most of this hobby's existence they didn't. And especially if you build smaller scale aircraft or armor, you still routinely run into cheap old kits all the time. Or you know, just build any car kit that isn't japanese (The DModelkits sierra not included). The era of things just fitting perfectly is a relatively new one in the hobby, helped massively with advancements in CAD and casting technology. Badly designed PE parts are often a result of companies reboxing older kits and adding the PE as an extra to keep things interesting. It's either no PE or adjusting/remaking the tooling which isn't cheap. As a rule of thumb, I always treat PE with caution. It might help the final result, but it also might make it worse. If it's in the box, it doesn't mean you have to use it. This holds especially true with aftermarket sets which tend to include a bunch of stuff just for the sake of having more stuff to sell for a higher price.
And as much as things fitting is nice, it takes a lot of the interesting techinques and experiences out of the picture. I wouldn't enjoy exclusively building Tamiya models, they're frankly some of the less memorable builds to me. It's like advanced lego. On the other hand, something like the Ferrari 330 by fujimi I can always look at, see the numerous things I had to change on it and be proud. But of course, I have my own experiences and preferences and maybe a younger me would disagree with that and prefer the advanced lego.

You did a superb job on the 330P4 & you taught me that there were inaccuracies in the kit, otherwise I would not have known.
Being a kerbside kit, I wouldn't have felt the need to study the engine bay & would've just built it as per instructions. Bingo! One 330P4 just like ot says on the box.

In regards to challenging one's self.
Have a look on YouTube for a channel called
A4 Garage.
This guy is a friggin genius & turns out the best models I have seen & think I will ever see.
His attention to detail is stunning.
I'm convinced he must be a Brain Surgeon or a Watchmaker. Something that requires incredible dexterity & vision in every way.

 

[barryf1fan]

Finally got back to the Jager Alfa after a long hiatus... between other interests and life stuff just haven't been interested in doing the stuff, but got the mojo back and got a couple of other things sorted and been back at it.

Here's a couple of shots with the decals going on... shot the clear tonight and hope to get the effects in to do the belts in the next few days.

Hoping to get this one wrapped soon'ish... got a Scooby WRC to do for a buddy that I've put off for a couple of years now.

 

[Pete05]

Finally got back to the Jager Alfa after a long hiatus... between other interests and life stuff just haven't been interested in doing the stuff, but got the mojo back and got a couple of other things sorted and been back at it.

Here's a couple of shots with the decals going on... shot the clear tonight and hope to get the effects in to do the belts in the next few days.

Hoping to get this one wrapped soon'ish... got a Scooby WRC to do for a buddy that I've put off for a couple of years now.

That's coming along nicely.

I have the '93 Championship & Martini 155 kits in my stash to build when I get enough time.
How are you finding the build with this kit?
Going together nicely, I hope?
Anything to look out for that could possibly catch someone by surprise?

 

[barryf1fan]

That's coming along nicely.

I have the '93 Championship & Martini 155 kits in my stash to build when I get enough time.
How are you finding the build with this kit?
Going together nicely, I hope?
Anything to look out for that could possibly catch someone by surprise?

Only issue I've had was the front chassis pieces. Build it up per the instructions - in that order in other words. I built part ahead of time and then added other bits later and it was wonky. Frustrating to glue it together. But, live and learn - I've got the Martini and Alfa (the red one) sponsored one as well... will prob be awhile before I get to'em.

Good luck with it - oh, and the decals are pretty good (regular Tamiya quality) but for some reason the seat decals were really thin, ie., the 'belts' and the 'carbon fiber' back decal. Don't know why, but the belts I tore straightaway, so gonna do fabric belts with PE pieces and just stuck the CF decal on the back...

 

[barryf1fan]

Have done a little more work on the Alfa. Tried my hand actual belts instead of just decals - came out okay and learned a lot for next time. Also did some wiring, same result, turned out 'meh', but learned a lot for next go... Here's a couple of pics.

Still got a ton of stuff to do, lot of little stuff that takes time... but getting there.
Thanks for looking in.

 

[Pete05]

Only issue I've had was the front chassis pieces. Build it up per the instructions - in that order in other words. I built part ahead of time and then added other bits later and it was wonky. Frustrating to glue it together. But, live and learn - I've got the Martini and Alfa (the red one) sponsored one as well... will prob be awhile before I get to'em.

Good luck with it - oh, and the decals are pretty good (regular Tamiya quality) but for some reason the seat decals were really thin, ie., the 'belts' and the 'carbon fiber' back decal. Don't know why, but the belts I tore straightaway, so gonna do fabric belts with PE pieces and just stuck the CF decal on the back...

I bought the '93 factory car secondhand off ebay & unfortunately, the decals have all disintegrated over time.
Lucky for me, and others in the same situation, there are a few options for replacements.
I plan to use small ribbons for the seat belts. I've seen it done on YouTube & looks super impressive.
Many thanks for sharing your experience and advice.

Have done a little more work on the Alfa. Tried my hand actual belts instead of just decals - came out okay and learned a lot for next time. Also did some wiring, same result, turned out 'meh', but learned a lot for next go... Here's a couple of pics.

Still got a ton of stuff to do, lot of little stuff that takes time... but getting there.
Thanks for looking in.

Nice job on the wiring.
Looks like you got the diameter of the cable spot on.

Also, ribbon belts in 3D leave decals in the no comparison bin. Looks great 👍

 

[barryf1fan]

Kicked this one over the finish line... not the best pics but took a few for the heck of it.

Thanks for looking! On to a Subaru WRC for a buddy of mine...

 

[Apok]

Great job barry, looks nice!

 

[Pete05]

Kicked this one over the finish line... not the best pics but took a few for the heck of it.

Thanks for looking! On to a Subaru WRC for a buddy of mine...

Nice job. Looks great 👍