Dick Mann's Daytona Winner Honda

[r60man]

Treated myself to a new kit yesterday as a re-entry into modeling. I was very active for many years, but my eyesight was deteriorating and it made modeling difficult. This summer I had surgery to correct my "young-person's cataracts" and viola! I can see again. Dick Mann was quite a character and I got to meet him a few times as he was friends with my parents. He ran this bike as a privateer without much factory support. This kit is a bit odd as it is in 1:8 scale which I never worked with before. I am building it box stock, although I will be painting parts different colors than directed because they were not correct. 

Here is the kit, it is a reissue of a classic MPC kit. The color as shown is wrong, the bike was a sort of orange/brown color, not red. I might have a difficult time getting a color I am happy with.

Wheels and tires done. I was thinking of adding valve stems, but nope, this is a box stock build!

This bugs me a lot. Race engines are not chromed, and I know for a fact it wasn't on this bike. What to do? I think I will build it, try to make it better with some washes. If I am still not happy I will strip the chrome off and paint it the proper aluminum color.

Let me know what you think.

[TomZ]

If memory serves, Hondas had bare aluminum cylinders and crankcases and dull silver-painted side covers?

 

[DPNM]

It looks like you have a good start. If you can dull the chrome down on the engine you may be ok.

Being new you may not be aware of all the forum sections. Don't be surprised if this topic is moved to the "All the Rest" section of the forum.  It's in the Other Models section, below the truck section. Don't fret about it, I've posted in the wrong section myself.

Edited November 26, 2018 by DPNM

[Miatatom]

Oh man, what a thread! Dick Mann was one of my favorites too. The movie On Any Sunday educated me on flat rack racing and Dick Mann was one of the pro stars. Is this kit available now? I'd love to see a model of the 750 Yamaha road racer too. Jim in Pittsburgh, I love your SDR Ossa. A good buddy had a 125 Penton. I mostly raced Hondas and Yamahas.

[r60man]

10 hours ago, Miatatom said:

Oh man, what a thread! Dick Mann was one of my favorites too. The movie On Any Sunday educated me on flat rack racing and Dick Mann was one of the pro stars. Is this kit available now? I'd love to see a model of the 750 Yamaha road racer too. Jim in Pittsburgh, I love your SDR Ossa. A good buddy had a 125 Penton. I mostly raced Hondas and Yamahas.

I picked it up at my local Hobbytown (which is sadly closing) and they had another. It is a reissue, so I believe it is fairly available.

[r60man]

Got the tubing attached to the carbs and set up on the intake.

The tubing is a little undersized for the size of the nubs they want you to put them on, but after a bit I was able to get them on. 

[Miatatom]

Thanks for the info. Looking good.

[James2]

Nice kit to jump start you styrene habit. 

Let us know whether or not your dechroming this one...

[bbsbase]

Sorry, but the cylinder head is built in the wrong direction (front is back).

[r60man]

21 hours ago, bbsbase said:

Sorry, but the cylinder head is built in the wrong direction (front is back).

I believe that the head is correct now, but the valve cover is backwards. The exhaust needs four holes, and I originally had that glued on the engine cases wrong. I fixed that, but the valve cover is now wrong. (You can see that I fixed the one issue from the first picture of the engine, to the ones with the carbs. The instructions are not very clear with this kit, and that can be very frustrating. 

[Dave Toups]

Zero Paints makes the correct color for this bike. It's available from Hobbyworld USA

http://www.hobbyworld-usa.com/Store/index.php?id_product=7007&controller=product

 

[r60man]

^ Thanks for sharing that! The bike has been on hold because I have been searching for paint. Now I will be able to proceed! I will search to see if anyone around me carries ZeroPaints because I like to support local hobby shops as much as I can. Just found out that my local Hobbytown is closing, which is a real bummer.

[r60man]

Finally got some bench time and got some serious work done.

Unpainted (And the directions said black) So I needed to dress it up a bit.

This has been touched up since I took the pic.

In the swingarm.

Other side of the swingarm,

[r60man]

Unpainted needed a lot of clean up to lose the heavy lines and flash. Found a bronze color that is a very close match.

Painted and mocked up on the frame.

The frame is assembled around the engine. Here it is installed in the right side of the frame.

Exhaust nuts and oil filter cover installed.

Making good progress and happy with it so far.