Pete75 Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 Welcome to my first WIP thread, where I’ll be building Tamiya’s (2001) 1:24 Porsche 911 (996.1) GT3. This project is actually at a quite well advanced stage and I’ve been keeping a log on another forum, but I thought I’d condense it slightly and bring it to MCM, where - as a car specific site - I suspect I’ll be basing my build logs from now on. I’m fairly new to modelling and this is only my third (non RC) kit, although my fourth is also underway & will soon have a thread. Any comments, advice and questions are very welcome. I think I can fit the story so far into two bumper posts, so here goes... First up, the bodywork. Like many components in this kit, the shell is shared with Tamiya’s 911 Carrera (1998), although the GT3 is differentiated by some extra body kit: an altered nose section, side skirts, and a rear spoiler: The moulding of the kit seems good to me, but there were a few lines to be sanded out: I like the marker pen technique I picked up from Scalemodler on YouTube, where raised areas are highlighted to make them more visible/less forgettable before being removed with sanding sticks. Besides the lines on the rear corners, there is a row of what look like (but aren’t) parking sensors to be dealt with, plus lines down the front wings and another along the bottom edge of the boot/tailgate/bonnet/hood thing. (A back to front car and two versions of the English language going on here!) Once tidied and glued, everything was given a thorough key with 600 grit paper & it was ready for paint. With no fancy airbrushes or ventilated spray booths available, it’s a case of old school rattle cans in a garden shed! Tamiya grey primer went on the body nicely and looked good after two coats, although inspection under a bright light revealed a couple of flecks of dust that needed light wet sanding with 800 grit. After wiping & drying I gave it a couple of touch up sprays & left it for an hour before the colour coat, where I’m aiming for Porsche’s Aztec Silver: I settled on Tamiya TS-17 Gloss Aluminium, which turns out to be really nice: I was happy the finish, so I decided to quit whilst I was ahead and leave the clear coat for another day. Meanwhile, my focus turned to the wheels. The kit comes with appropriate 18” BBS split alloy wheels, which are fine, but I could feel myself getting caught in the tractor beam of the custom shop… I hunted for a set of aftermarket BBS alloys (possibly E88’s?) that I’d previously seen on a 930 flat nose project, but with no luck. The nearest thing I could find were the above, which brought me more joy than four chunks of grey resin probably should! However, my lack of experience in such matters would soon be exposed… Wheel fitting lesson #1 was that rim diameter is not the only measurement to be considered, especially on a car that turns out to have a big width difference between front and rear wheels! I already had a razor saw and some files, so, after getting some reassurance on another forum, I masked off the correct lines and took the plunge: The tools did the job really easily, and in no-time I had a set of modified alloys. Next, I was curious to learn about making them compatible with the Tamiya hubs. Although they don't have the required "male" Tamiya parts installed (like the stock wheels - left of photo), I found them supplied separately. I wasn't sure how to safely remove the raised tab on the back of the new wheels, but I discovered it was easiest to pop them out from the front using a sharp point, then tidy up with a rounded file. Before the wheels could be painted, I found a fair bit of moulding excess on both the rims and spokes that needed removing. This, it transpires, is a time-consuming process at the best of times; in my case, however, it turned into a minor drama... Lesson #3 was that resin is extremely brittle! I tried and nearly succeeded to stick the broken part back couple of times, but found I needed stronger adhesive, and by the time super glue was involved I ended up melting the fragment and lost half of it! Having since seen the wonders of scratch fabrication performed by MCM members, I’m ashamed to say I nearly gave up here, but I persevered using household materials and some improvisation. First, I stuck back what remained of spoke and then created a bridge across the remaining gap using fast setting epoxy resin. Next, I filled any remaining low points with Vallejo plastic putty and let it dry overnight. Finally, I shaped/tidied things with a scalpel & sandpaper, before quickly covering with paint & chalking it up as a save! After white primer, I went with three coats of TS-38 Gunmetal. I had originally intended to do the body in this colour (with silver wheels) but I had a last-minute change of heart after becoming concerned that it had too much flake in it. Indeed, the wheels are more “disco” than I would’ve chosen in a perfect world (rattle can choices are somewhat limited) but, after a quick mock up, I was happy enough with them. The wheel centre caps are also supplied separately. After doing some research on the different styles of finish for these, I elected to go for something conservative. (These wheels are popular with Japanese boy racers, it seems, but this isn’t really the effect I had in mind!) I primed them in black, then brush highlighted with some TS-38 on the lock rings, before dropping black paint and then gloss varnish into the middle recesses. The caps were then cut from their tree, leaving small tabs on the back of each to locate them in the hub holes; holding them in position with a finger, I dropped in some Tamiya cement from the back to secure them. The rims were then finished off with TS-79 Semi-Gloss Clear, as I didn’t want full gloss to make them any “louder” than they are; the effect is subtle, but they do have more depth/look more “finished” in the flesh. The final step was to secure the adaptors with super glue. Phew… This is taking a while to write. Well done if you’ve made it this far! Tune in soon for the next (and last) catch-up episode when things get a bit… ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 I like the wheel upgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitchdup Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Cool, your wheel save is some good work mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete75 Posted December 21, 2019 Author Share Posted December 21, 2019 On 12/19/2019 at 12:19 AM, afx said: I like the wheel upgrade. On 12/19/2019 at 4:50 AM, stitchdup said: Cool, your wheel save is some good work mate Thanks guys! ? Part 2/2 of the build catch-up. My posts won't all be this long, I promise! On to the chassis. The sheet calls for XF-16 Flat Aluminium across the tail section and for the engine, but this would be indistinguishable from the base colour, so I mixed in XF-56 Metallic Grey (1:1) to get some contrast. Lowlights & highlights were added to the engine before some black wash went on all underside lines & recesses. Started on the small bits. I might add painting shock springs to the “Pet peeves on builds” thread: it’s a lot of time given to something hardly seen! I’ve been looking forward to finally having some drilled brake discs to get my black wash on! The mechanical assembly proved mercifully uneventful, even if the sheet doesn’t – and, in fairness, probably can’t – always show the best order to do things. My reformed, more disciplined, approach to test fitting certainly helps avoid glue mishaps. Although only two pieces, the exhaust system felt like a game of Twister to get in place, and it most definitely required test fitting! I raised an eyebrow when the sheet suggested a 1:1 mix of X-11 Silver and X-26 Clear Orange for the colour, but I mixed some up (using Revell Aqua Silver) and it perfectly matched the reference photo I found online. One last check that everything was right before the skid plates went on: And she’s up & running. Next to the interior. When it came to interior colours, GT3 mk1 customers were presented with a pretty limited menu. Leather came as standard, or the race spec featured fire-retardant upholstery, but there was one common factor… ? The most exciting option/upgrade I could find was to have the odd bit of coloured plastic, so opted for this: I’m not bothering with racing belts as the kit doesn’t include the roll cage to attach them to & they would be a nuisance driving down to the 1:24 shops! As a road-going racer, the GT3’s weight was reduced by the absence of rear seats. Instead, the rear of the cabin is merely carpet, which is supplied with the kit. It’s an interesting feature, and is fitted in four pieces that have to be cut out using templates. The self-adhesive backing sticks it down better than I had imagined, although I should’ve used my sharpest scissors to cut it to get cleaner edges. I was also relieved at how well the tiny GT3 metal transfer stuck. The seats were sprayed TS-29 for a polished leather look, and I found the silver brushwork pretty painless using Revell Aqua 90. For the carpet in the front of the cabin, I tried to break up things slightly using Aqua 108 (matt black) mixed with 109 (matt anthracite). On this project I’m using Citadel Chaos black primer for the first time. It gives a nice matt finish and I found that’s not dissimilar to auto interior trim, which this is exactly what I’m going to use it for from now on! This kit doesn’t have many decals, but those that it does have are small and tricky. The 5 separate dashboard dials were a battle to get sitting correctly, and I failed altogether with the badge on the steering wheel. For the other little details (that you guys will probably only ever see!) I picked out bits with black gloss and varnish. I was going to recount the grisly details of what happened to the body, but I’ll spare us all as I’m keen to consign it to history! The short version is that a foreign body landed in the TS-13 lacquer midway through the first coat and my subsequent attempts to repair it failed. (I think the two lessons I’ll take away are to be more careful in the first place and to make sure the whole body is thoroughly smooth before restarting the clear coat.) I was ultimately left with no option but to completely strip & begin again. After checking for suggestions, I tried using oven cleaner in a zip bag; it may’ve worked, eventually, but I got impatient after 24hrs and got some brake fluid. (The gentle aroma is still with me now I think!) I submerged the body in a plastic pot and - wearing rubber gloves - scrubbed it twice a day with a toothbrush. It could’ve been done quicker if I’d used more abrasion, but I found it took about five days to get everything off. Meanwhile I finished up everything else. I find glasswork tricky & seem to spend a lot of time with cotton buds & thinner tidying up mistakes. This time went better than my previous attempt, but things weren't helped by the absence of window masks - I'm guessing they were accidentally thrown out - which meant more masking tape practise! A gripe I have with clear parts is that, no matter how careful I am removing them from the sprue, something always seems to get damaged: in this instance a front lens must've had a tiny crack in it so when I lined the edges with black marker, some ink bled into the middle of the plastic. (Perhaps I could’ve protected first it with clear vanish?) With the bodyshell bare again, I thought I’d do a quick mock-up to see what my hard-wrought wheels would look like in the wheel arches… No photos. Too upset to document it! Wheel fitting lesson #4 is that there is such a thing as “offset” to be considered. I now know that the standard Porsche wheels have a shallow offset, while Rays G27’s have a deep offset (is that the right way around?) and protrude about 2mm further from the body, making the car look like a dune buggy! I reckon I could halve the problem by grinding back the brake hubs & adjusting the axle pins, but that wouldn’t be enough, and is it all really worth it when the perfectly fitting original wheels are sat here? I concede defeat. With a silver body, my heart remains set on darker wheels. BBS split alloys are seldom painted dark, it seems, and if they are, they tend to have chrome outer rims – which I wouldn’t know how to do. I did find one guy who had his 1:1 set finished in totally gloss black and, as I wasn’t entirely sold on the TS-38 glitterball effect, black it is. They’ll be ok. I’ll chalk it up to experience, alongside the body which, I’m pleased to say, has been successfully re-painted, flatted and clear coated. I’ll give it a few days to cure before sanding it & getting the window rubbers painted. And we’re finally up-to-date! Happy Christmas to you all ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dann Tier Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 Nice saves!!...it really IS looking BEAUTIFUL, bud!!...excellent details....great photos also!! -i do the same thing to my wheels -HATE that lip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete75 Posted December 22, 2019 Author Share Posted December 22, 2019 Thanks Dann - you're very kind! Glad you agree on the wheels ? I've now found (& impulse bought!) the BBS wheels I'd originally wanted; they're Aoshima so I'm going to save them for later - possibly a Fujimi BMW M5 I have stashed. I WILL have those wheels! ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete75 Posted January 6, 2020 Author Share Posted January 6, 2020 It’s wrap time! ? For the body paintjob (mark 2) I flatted back the colour coat as well as the clear coat, which is something I haven’t done before. I don’t know how soon you can sand the colour coat, but I left it for the same five days that Scalemodler recommends before flatting the lacquer. My process is to wet sand with 1200 then 2000 grit, followed by the Tamiya polishing compounds. Next, I sprayed the window rubbers with TS-29 semi-gloss black, before brushing on the black trim under the rear spoiler – I masked it with AIZU Micron 1mm masking tape, which I found to be awesome! The light recesses were coloured with Molotow chrome markers, something which definitely gives the finished article more realism. Then it was on to sticking everything together. I’m still learning which glues are best for each task, but I’m of the view that (with much care) the rapid grabbing quality of super glue works best for windows and mirrors. I also picked up the tip of using clear varnish to fix light lenses in place by holding them in position and brushing around the edges - it’s safe & easy to clean up with a cotton bud and some water or thinners. A small custom feature I added was some mesh inside the radiator inlets. I got a sample of #50 mesh from themeshcompany.com (0.32 aperture 0.19 diameter) which is perfect and will last for many models. I sprayed it black with the Chaos primer and discovered it’s necessary to spray very lightly in several coats or else the holes become saturated. The panel lines were accented with Vallejo dark grey wash. I’ll wait for the decals to dry then I’ll do a vanity gallery for her after she gets a last polish & some wax. And that’s another one in the garage! Thanks for looking ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkychiken Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 fantastic build, thanks for sharing your pain on this journey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete75 Posted January 6, 2020 Author Share Posted January 6, 2020 1 hour ago, Funkychiken said: fantastic build, thanks for sharing your pain on this journey! Thanks Atin - it's good to get it all out! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattilacken Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Looks really good in silver with black wheels! Good work on the paint job! Great save on the broken wheel as well, sad that it didn’t work out with them though! Looks sharp never the less!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete75 Posted January 6, 2020 Author Share Posted January 6, 2020 46 minutes ago, Mattilacken said: Looks really good in silver with black wheels! Good work on the paint job! Great save on the broken wheel as well, sad that it didn’t work out with them though! Looks sharp never the less!! Thanks Anton ? Yeah, those wheels were hard work with not much reward... other than "experience"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattilacken Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Exactly! Experience is always great! And you will also have the wheels for an other build further on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeRS Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Nice job Pete. I think the silver (second time round) looks fantastic. The fleck in the silver looks just right for a 1:24 scale model. What paint did you use for that? Reading your thread gave me deja vu. I painted my Tamiya GT3 and messed up the paint too. At the time, this was a cheap kit on ebay, so I was able to start over without the hassle of paint stripping. Shame you could not use those wheels, but the kit supplied ones look great in black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modlbldr Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Pete, Fantastic looking build, even given the problems you experienced. Your silver paint job is perfect! The scale flake looks dead on. Nice work persevering. I currently have the same issue with a set of aftermarket wheels on a 58 Vette. Forgot to check the offset. I have to fix mine somehow because they make the build. I included a pic of my Vette build. Got to get the rears inset just a bit more. Later- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete75 Posted January 7, 2020 Author Share Posted January 7, 2020 5 hours ago, beeRS said: Nice job Pete. I think the silver (second time round) looks fantastic. The fleck in the silver looks just right for a 1:24 scale model. What paint did you use for that? Reading your thread gave me deja vu. I painted my Tamiya GT3 and messed up the paint too. At the time, this was a cheap kit on ebay, so I was able to start over without the hassle of paint stripping. Shame you could not use those wheels, but the kit supplied ones look great in black. Cheers Sonny - appreciate it ? Glad you noticed the paint. It's Tamiya TS-17 Gloss Aluminium. Doesn't sound glamorous but it really does look convincing at this scale - useful stuff for lots of things. 29 minutes ago, Modlbldr said: Pete, Fantastic looking build, even given the problems you experienced. Your silver paint job is perfect! The scale flake looks dead on. Nice work persevering. I currently have the same issue with a set of aftermarket wheels on a 58 Vette. Forgot to check the offset. I have to fix mine somehow because they make the build. I included a pic of my Vette build. Got to get the rears inset just a bit more. Later- Thanks Tom! That's one sweet Corvette - love the colours & those wheels! Doesn't look like the rears are far off, then she'll be perfect ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dann Tier Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Absolutely BEAUTIFUL, Bud!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete75 Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 13 minutes ago, Dann Tier said: Absolutely BEAUTIFUL, Bud!!!! Appreciate it Dann - especially coming from the Porsche guru!! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dann Tier Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 24 minutes ago, Pete75 said: Appreciate it Dann - especially coming from the Porsche guru!! ? I thought i was the Lamborgini guru.....AFX is the Porsche guru, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete75 Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 22 minutes ago, Dann Tier said: I thought i was the Lamborgini guru.....AFX is the Porsche guru, lol Apologies - but gurus both, nevertheless!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dann Tier Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 1 hour ago, Pete75 said: Apologies - but gurus both, nevertheless!! Its all good, LOL....it was a nice, funny thing to say, as well as being appreciated!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOBLNG Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 Beautiful job on this Pete! Hope you don't mind, but I am going to copy your interior treatment, and maybe the mesh too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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