jaymcminn Posted January 28, 2020 Posted January 28, 2020 It's been a while since I've posted up a build... about 1 1/2 years ago I took a new job that led to better money, which is good, but less free time which is less so. I've been getting back to the workbench lately, though. A sane person would get back into the hobby with a nice easy project, so I jumped back in with the Fujimi Daytona Spyder, which I didn't take a lot of WIP shots of. After that I tackled the Hasegawa Jaguar XJS TWR... both of these will be posted in Under Glass when I can get some good shots with my DSLR. Project 3 is the old Monogram Callaway Speedster. So yes, I am definitely a glutton for punishment! I originally bought the Speedster to steal the windshield unit for an idea I had involving a Tamiya Testarossa (it'll happen someday, I swear) but I wound up deciding to build it after all. This kit comes from an era in Monogram history when they were trying to produce highly detailed kits to rival Tamiya and Fujimi but they didn't really have the ability to replicate the quality... The detail is soft and I swear somewhere on this kit there's a mold line that runs through an injector pin mark that's imbedded in a sinkhole. Attachment points are often vague at best when they exist at all. But the shapes are correct and there is something to be said for a model you have to finesse as opposed to just assembling. You hardly ever see one of these built up online, which is probably due to this kit predating the widespread use of the internet as well as the incredibly fiddly nature of the model. The few I've seen tend to exhibit several traits... High stance... Not 4x4 high, but these cars were looow. Poor hood fit... This is probably due less to the actual good fit than the vague front fascia fit, which interferes with the hood if not exactly right. Poor window unit fit... This is definitely the kit's fault, and just takes some careful sanding to correct. The suspension was lowered up front by cutting the uprights and adding 1/16 blocks below the spindles. I decided to switch out the Callaway wheels for O.Z. Futuras from Fujimi. Most Speedsters seem to have had these and the Fujimi wheels came with some nice Brembo brakes. The rear was lowered less than the front by trimming a couple of tabs on the rear axle. Stance check... More to come soon!
Snake45 Posted January 28, 2020 Posted January 28, 2020 Very interesting and cool! I started one of these years ago, intending to polish up the kit's beautiful molded pearl green plastic. You are inspiring me to dig that thing out and finish it. Drive on!
Spex84 Posted January 29, 2020 Posted January 29, 2020 I have the remains of one of these kits in my parts stash, and against my better judgement I'd like to do another someday! I'd love to slam it on Rotiform wheels, do the Stance thing...just for fun and spirited community discussion, haha. Looking forward to seeing this one getting built!
Snake45 Posted January 29, 2020 Posted January 29, 2020 7 hours ago, Spex84 said: I have the remains of one of these kits in my parts stash, and against my better judgement I'd like to do another someday! I'd love to slam it on Rotiform wheels, do the Stance thing...just for fun and spirited community discussion, haha. They also did a Snapper version of this car, too, which might work better for your stance project.
Jantrix Posted January 29, 2020 Posted January 29, 2020 (edited) You have my attention. I bought one at a swap meet with the plan to use it as a parts kit, but I've kicked around the idea of doing a curbside with the leftovers. I'll befollowing. Edited January 29, 2020 by Jantrix
jaymcminn Posted January 29, 2020 Author Posted January 29, 2020 12 hours ago, Spex84 said: I have the remains of one of these kits in my parts stash, and against my better judgement I'd like to do another someday! I'd love to slam it on Rotiform wheels, do the Stance thing...just for fun and spirited community discussion, haha. Looking forward to seeing this one getting built! My original plan was to slam it on Rays te37s and give it a ZR1 motor, but getting the wheel fitment right on the rear would have required major surgery!
jaymcminn Posted January 29, 2020 Author Posted January 29, 2020 Tamiya putty is your friend... The entire body required block sanding and filling sink marks. In addition I had to fill big sink marks on the interior tub, seats, dash and some of the engine parts such as the top-mounted intercoolers. There was moderate flash and some nasty mold lines that needed cleanup as well. In addition I beefed up the attachment points for the front fascia by adding slots on the body shell for the fascia to slide into. You can see the results in the stance pics above... The front piece slides in securely and the fit can be fine-tuned during final assembly.
kelson Posted January 30, 2020 Posted January 30, 2020 Very nice so far!, I have a few in the stash but I planned to hack off the roof from the 85'vette and make a Calllaway coupe instead,have the idea from this picture I bought years ago.
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 31, 2020 Posted January 31, 2020 You have another interested observer here. I have a few of these acquired really cheap as parts sources, and one saved intact to actually build.
89AKurt Posted January 31, 2020 Posted January 31, 2020 When I read "Callaway", I think of Bill Ruger's Stutz DV32 Turbo. Was lucky to see his collection in Prescott, at his firearm factory. Sorry, had to share this, back to the regular program, of building something we never see.
David G. Posted January 31, 2020 Posted January 31, 2020 Anybody can glue parts together but it takes skill to build a model! You're off to a good start! David G.
Rich Chernosky Posted January 31, 2020 Posted January 31, 2020 Built mine a long time ago. It was a box stock, get it done project. Will be interested to see what you do with yours. Looks good so far.
robertw Posted January 31, 2020 Posted January 31, 2020 On 1/29/2020 at 7:22 AM, Snake45 said: They also did a Snapper version of this car, too, which might work better for your stance project. I believe the snapper version that you are referring to was of a different car. This is by Monogram and built the Callaway Speedster, I believe less then a dozen were built. The snap kit was by Revell and built a one off prototype called the ASC Spyder and was painted Silver with a bright Yellow interior. I believe it was one of the cars (repainted) that was destroyed in the Vette Museum cave in.
Snake45 Posted January 31, 2020 Posted January 31, 2020 24 minutes ago, robertw said: I believe the snapper version that you are referring to was of a different car. This is by Monogram and built the Callaway Speedster, I believe less then a dozen were built. The snap kit was by Revell and built a one off prototype called the ASC Spyder and was painted Silver with a bright Yellow interior. I believe it was one of the cars (repainted) that was destroyed in the Vette Museum cave in. Hmmm, I'll have to research that. I know it was molded in silver. It was also billed as 1/24, which is very rare for a Revell and led me to believe that it was developed from the Callaway.
jaymcminn Posted February 1, 2020 Author Posted February 1, 2020 6 hours ago, Snake45 said: Hmmm, I'll have to research that. I know it was molded in silver. It was also billed as 1/24, which is very rare for a Revell and led me to believe that it was developed from the Callaway. Didn't Monogram do a C4 snapper the ASG could have been based on? I seem to remember one from back in the day.
Snake45 Posted February 1, 2020 Posted February 1, 2020 5 minutes ago, jaymcminn said: Didn't Monogram do a C4 snapper the ASG could have been based on? I seem to remember one from back in the day. Dunno, but AMT did a 1/25 C4 snapper. I built one.
jaymcminn Posted February 1, 2020 Author Posted February 1, 2020 It's color time! 10(ish) Callaway Speedsters were built and the colors tended toward wild... The lime green over electric blue leather of the prototype car is pretty typical. I wanted to stick with the green theme, so I decided on Tamiya's Pearl Green over grey primer. The look is very era- appropriate and works great with the slick lines of the Speedster. The Pearl Green was sealed under my favorite Testor's Wet Look Clear and wet-sanded with 2500 grit sandpaper. Polishing was done with Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Polish. I hit the outer rims of the wheels with a Molotow chrome pen for a nice polished look. We're up to date now, so everything going forward is in real time...still milling over a few different options for interior colors. I think I'm going with teal blue over black carpet.
ismaelg Posted February 1, 2020 Posted February 1, 2020 Looking really good! That color suites the car well.
robertw Posted February 1, 2020 Posted February 1, 2020 On 1/31/2020 at 1:18 PM, Snake45 said: Hmmm, I'll have to research that. I know it was molded in silver. It was also billed as 1/24, which is very rare for a Revell and led me to believe that it was developed from the Callaway. I built the American Sunroof Car (ASC) a few years back and it was silver and it was 1/24 but it was issued by Revell as #6267 in 1992 and by Revell AG the same year as #6254.. Being a curbside it had poor inner door panels and seats which I replaced with Monogram parts with no problem. My information idicate that it has never been reissued. The real car had was a ZR-1 while the model has a very poor L-98 so I just glued the hood down. A few years later ASC created an LT-1 based Speedster in eye searing red. I recall reading that the first car came about came about because of a friendly competition between Reeves Callaway and a GM/Corvette executive and was built on the regular Vette line.. I saw the actual car at the '91 Black Hills Corvette Classic and in its silver/yellow it was a knock out. Sorry I can't provide photo proof but don't have a photo hosting account.
Snake45 Posted February 1, 2020 Posted February 1, 2020 2 hours ago, robertw said: Sorry I can't provide photo proof but don't have a photo hosting account. You don't need one here. It's easy and free to upload pics to this site.
KWT Posted April 8, 2023 Posted April 8, 2023 On 1/31/2020 at 8:05 PM, jaymcminn said: It's color time! 10(ish) Callaway Speedsters were built and the colors tended toward wild... The lime green over electric blue leather of the prototype car is pretty typical. I wanted to stick with the green theme, so I decided on Tamiya's Pearl Green over grey primer. The look is very era- appropriate and works great with the slick lines of the Speedster. The Pearl Green was sealed under my favorite Testor's Wet Look Clear and wet-sanded with 2500 grit sandpaper. Polishing was done with Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Polish. I hit the outer rims of the wheels with a Molotow chrome pen for a nice polished look. We're up to date now, so everything going forward is in real time...still milling over a few different options for interior colors. I think I'm going with teal blue over black carpet. This is pretty sweet. Color suits it well... any progress? finished up?
jaymcminn Posted April 8, 2023 Author Posted April 8, 2023 5 hours ago, KWT said: This is pretty sweet. Color suits it well... any progress? finished up? Here you go... turned out nice for something that was such a PITA to get together!
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