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Posted

For the longest time I wanted to do a NA Miata, but couldn't find the time - not seems like as good of a time as ever!

49865367012_d92285ce51_b.jpg

The kit is good old Tamiya 24085  - pretty old kit as Tamiya made it right after the car release in 1989 - this will be a JDM version, so RHD.

49865366717_4192530d98_b.jpg

Curbside, but good detail.

49865056171_d804fd742f_b.jpg

Plan is to build mostly box stock, but maybe will add a few bits here and there.

49865056071_6a58d947b8_b.jpg

This will represent a BRG edition car, with saddle interior - similar to this:

49871690416_cc1d4c5e6a_b.jpg

Posted

Looking forward to seeing you build this, I've had one in the stash for years, I really need to get it built

Posted

This is a great kit! I built one last year.

You've picked my other favorite NA Miata color (along with Mariner Blue). The BRG definitely looks classier!

Ben

Posted

LOVE Miatas!  First one I ever drove was BRG with a tan interior - and I wanted one from the minute I drove it!  
 

And one of my favorite builders building one?  I’m in! ???

Posted

Great color selection. Eventually I want to build and paint both BRG this Tamiya Miata and a Fujimi Lotus Elan for what I think would be an interesting juxtaposition comparison. 

Posted
56 minutes ago, Phildaupho said:

Great color selection. Eventually I want to build and paint both BRG this Tamiya Miata and a Fujimi Lotus Elan for what I think would be an interesting juxtaposition comparison. 

I agree about the color selection.  The Miata has always been one of my most favorite cars on earth.  I will look forward to watching this  come together. 

Posted

Great to see you build this one Alex. My brother had a 1:1 of these in BRG, but with black interior IRC. What a hoot to drive! I've got this Tamiya sitting in my stash, but have not got round to it yet.

No doubt, you'll treat us to another super-clean build. I'll be watching.

Posted
18 hours ago, GeeBee said:

Looking forward to seeing you build this, I've had one in the stash for years, I really need to get it built

Yup, I was in the same situation - need to use this stay at home time to make a dent in the stash!

16 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

This is a great kit! I built one last year.

You've picked my other favorite NA Miata color (along with Mariner Blue). The BRG definitely looks classier!

Ben

Thanks Ben! Hopefully I can make it justice!

15 hours ago, CabDriver said:

LOVE Miatas!  First one I ever drove was BRG with a tan interior - and I wanted one from the minute I drove it!  
 

And one of my favorite builders building one?  I’m in! ???

Haha, thanks man.

15 hours ago, Phildaupho said:

Great color selection. Eventually I want to build and paint both BRG this Tamiya Miata and a Fujimi Lotus Elan for what I think would be an interesting juxtaposition comparison. 

That is a great idea!

14 hours ago, Eric Macleod said:

I agree about the color selection.  The Miata has always been one of my most favorite cars on earth.  I will look forward to watching this  come together. 

Thank you!

9 hours ago, beeRS said:

Great to see you build this one Alex. My brother had a 1:1 of these in BRG, but with black interior IRC. What a hoot to drive! I've got this Tamiya sitting in my stash, but have not got round to it yet.

No doubt, you'll treat us to another super-clean build. I'll be watching.

Thanks. I'll have an update on this one pretty soon - its ready for color!

Posted

I think everyone who has this kit in there stash wants to paint it BRG!,i have a couple and that's my plan as well.?

Posted
16 hours ago, kelson said:

I think everyone who has this kit in there stash wants to paint it BRG!,i have a couple and that's my plan as well.?

I have done two, one in red over black and the other Merlot Mica ('95 M-edition) with tan (both cars I have owned in 1:1). I still want to add one in black over red, '93 SE, and of course the '91 SE in BRG. I look forward to seeing how this comes out. 

Posted

I built that years ago, in fact started many years ago and it languished.  Another case of getting in over my head, because I stuffed a V8 into The Monster Miata.  Fun subject, top notch quality Tamiya.  I know you will do it justice!

Posted
On 5/9/2020 at 6:56 PM, kelson said:

I think everyone who has this kit in there stash wants to paint it BRG!,i have a couple and that's my plan as well.?

Haha, probably!

9 hours ago, Eric Macleod said:

I have done two, one in red over black and the other Merlot Mica ('95 M-edition) with tan (both cars I have owned in 1:1). I still want to add one in black over red, '93 SE, and of course the '91 SE in BRG. I look forward to seeing how this comes out. 

Thank you!

9 hours ago, 89AKurt said:

I built that years ago, in fact started many years ago and it languished.  Another case of getting in over my head, because I stuffed a V8 into The Monster Miata.  Fun subject, top notch quality Tamiya.  I know you will do it justice!

Thanks man!

I have a small update - body was cleaned up and everything primered.

49871893027_5340a38691_b.jpgIMG_1424 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

I also re-scribed all panel lines, and for such a small car there was a lot!

49871892902_940eb7fa25_b.jpgIMG_1426 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49871892842_bbb17550ba_b.jpgIMG_1427 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49871892787_2409996783_b.jpgIMG_1428 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49871581496_ece8baf5c8_b.jpgIMG_1429 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Painted with Tamiya TS-9 decanted and sprayed with an airbrush. Cleared with 2K.

49871581471_b49e806f07_b.jpgIMG_1449 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49871581401_f8e18318e3_b.jpgIMG_1450 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49871892562_c1b19945e9_b.jpgIMG_1451 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Also painted the hardtop.

49871581306_abe49d7be1_b.jpgIMG_1453 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49871581221_3fe70f35e2_b.jpgIMG_1457 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49871051963_c85fa5ddcb_b.jpgIMG_4647 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Posted

Beautiful work so far!  

I really wish Tamiya had included a pop-up headlamp option for this kit - the pop ups are one of the best things about this car!

Looks great anyway - very impressive work as always!

Posted (edited)
46 minutes ago, CabDriver said:

Beautiful work so far!  

I really wish Tamiya had included a pop-up headlamp option for this kit - the pop ups are one of the best things about this car!

Looks great anyway - very impressive work as always!

I hear you that the pop ups are neat but I have always thought the car looked a little like a frog when they were open. The same goes for a Cord 810.

Edited by Eric Macleod
Typo
Posted

I love the color and the super shiny paint!

I agree with Eric that when the headlights are up, the car looks strange. I guess froglike is a good description. They probably ruin its aerodynamics too.

My GF owned a Miata before I met her.  The M-edition, Merlot Mica paint, BBS wheels, and tan leather interior.  I promised to build a model of her car. That was about 20 years ago, and the modal is barely started.  I had good intentions.  I bought the paint, found the BBS wheels, and even eteched the emblems in nickel silver.  But then the projects stalled.  I have too many started projects, and I must have a bit of AD, becuase "oh look, a new kit - gotta start that one" syndrome.

I like the body lines on the Tamiya kit better than the Revell Miata. But the Revell kit has full engine details.  Who knows, I might do a kitbash of the Tamiya and Revell to have a full-engine Tamiya model.

Posted

Dang, paint job is awesome.  Just about every car with pop-up headlights look dumb when opened.  Many aftermarket headlights for these cars using the projector headlights.  Heck, a ton of aftermarket things, you would never finish another project if taking that road. ?

Posted
9 hours ago, CabDriver said:

Beautiful work so far!  

I really wish Tamiya had included a pop-up headlamp option for this kit - the pop ups are one of the best things about this car!

Looks great anyway - very impressive work as always!

Thank you! I'm not a big fan of pop-ups on this particular car, they do look like a lot of headlights on small cars - out of place when open - but that is the sacrifice you are willing to take for the look of the car when they are lowered. 

8 hours ago, beeRS said:

That 2k gloss is amazing.

It does shine!

8 hours ago, Eric Macleod said:

I hear you that the pop ups are neat but I have always thought the car looked a little like a frog when they were open. The same goes for a Cord 810.

In a true spirit of Elise!

6 hours ago, peteski said:

I love the color and the super shiny paint!

I agree with Eric that when the headlights are up, the car looks strange. I guess froglike is a good description. They probably ruin its aerodynamics too.

My GF owned a Miata before I met her.  The M-edition, Merlot Mica paint, BBS wheels, and tan leather interior.  I promised to build a model of her car. That was about 20 years ago, and the modal is barely started.  I had good intentions.  I bought the paint, found the BBS wheels, and even eteched the emblems in nickel silver.  But then the projects stalled.  I have too many started projects, and I must have a bit of AD, becuase "oh look, a new kit - gotta start that one" syndrome.

I like the body lines on the Tamiya kit better than the Revell Miata. But the Revell kit has full engine details.  Who knows, I might do a kitbash of the Tamiya and Revell to have a full-engine Tamiya model.

Thanks! Miata is not the car I would spend time kit-bashing or even build full detail on. As a quickie curbside build it fits the bill perfectly, though.

5 hours ago, 89AKurt said:

Dang, paint job is awesome.  Just about every car with pop-up headlights look dumb when opened.  Many aftermarket headlights for these cars using the projector headlights.  Heck, a ton of aftermarket things, you would never finish another project if taking that road. ?

True that! Thank you.

Posted

Beautiful looking paint. The first thing I noticed early on the sharp body and panel lines. For not having an engine the chassis engine detail is really well done on this. 

Posted
17 hours ago, peteski said:

I love the color and the super shiny paint!

I agree with Eric that when the headlights are up, the car looks strange. I guess froglike is a good description. They probably ruin its aerodynamics too.

My GF owned a Miata before I met her.  The M-edition, Merlot Mica paint, BBS wheels, and tan leather interior.  I promised to build a model of her car. That was about 20 years ago, and the modal is barely started.  I had good intentions.  I bought the paint, found the BBS wheels, and even eteched the emblems in nickel silver.  But then the projects stalled.  I have too many started projects, and I must have a bit of AD, becuase "oh look, a new kit - gotta start that one" syndrome.

I like the body lines on the Tamiya kit better than the Revell Miata. But the Revell kit has full engine details.  Who knows, I might do a kitbash of the Tamiya and Revell to have a full-engine Tamiya model.

My third Miata was a '95 Merlot M-Ed. I bought it used from a dealership in Ohio. It had been traded in by a single woman bought it new and who traded it in. It would be strange it was the same car.

I agree with the others; the BRG paint looks absolutely beautiful.  

Posted
3 hours ago, Eric Macleod said:

My third Miata was a '95 Merlot M-Ed. I bought it used from a dealership in Ohio. It had been traded in by a single woman bought it new and who traded it in. It would be strange it was the same car.

I agree with the others; the BRG paint looks absolutely beautiful.  

Her was in New Hampshire.  It wold have been around 1995 or 96.

Posted
23 minutes ago, peteski said:

Her was in New Hampshire.  It wold have been around 1995 or 96.

Probably not the same car. To this day my '95 M remains my favorite car ever. 

Posted
On 5/11/2020 at 8:44 AM, espo said:

Beautiful looking paint. The first thing I noticed early on the sharp body and panel lines. For not having an engine the chassis engine detail is really well done on this. 

Thank you. I agree, chassis plate is very nicely done.

15 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

Beautiful paint job!

Ben

Thanks!

14 hours ago, Eric Macleod said:

My third Miata was a '95 Merlot M-Ed. I bought it used from a dealership in Ohio. It had been traded in by a single woman bought it new and who traded it in. It would be strange it was the same car.

I agree with the others; the BRG paint looks absolutely beautiful.  

It was a good choice for color!

I have a small update - the body was masked off and moldings were painted satin black:

49884572731_d889104a05_b.jpgIMG_1540 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Since it was all masked, painted inside the shell as well:

49884047313_0da7e59030_b.jpgIMG_1542 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49884881802_af458fbf8f_b.jpgDSC_0892 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Did the panel lines, polished the paint - now it shines properly!

49884881847_fe31af1fe3_b.jpgDSC_0890 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49884573406_4c6d9f4a33_b.jpgDSC_0888 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Painted small chassis and suspension bits in their base colors:

49884881432_b3b025fc5d_b.jpgIMG_1535 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Then detail-painted and washed everything:

49884047278_46bda758a1_b.jpgIMG_1546 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Assembled front and rear suspensions:

49884573066_1335b65d49_b.jpgDSC_0897 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49884573026_b4bf80a13f_b.jpgDSC_0899 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

And the chassis is ready:

49884881722_e982e321e2_b.jpgDSC_0895 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49884572946_2a90d5e9c8_b.jpgDSC_0901 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Assembled the wheels to mock-up and check the stance:

49884048053_6a9c8a3c92_b.jpgDSC_0887 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49884882032_52b0c1d307_b.jpgDSC_0885 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49884573586_bc8c374259_b.jpgDSC_0883 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

49884048283_1f607b758e_b.jpgDSC_0880 by Italian Horses, on Flickr

Looking good!

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