Tamiya resurrection builds

[Spottedlaurel]

Retribution might be a strong word for what I'm doing here, but if I'm taking revenge against some wrongdoing then it's my own stupidity for letting this happen:

Model car mishap by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Orginal photo just after it happened in 2013. I took them to a 1:1 car show on a hot, sunny day and left them on my dashboard. Imagine my disappointment when I got back and saw this had happened.

They were all decent examples of my 'modern era' builds, where I'd started to pick up tips online, pay attention to ride height and wheel fit within the arches and also get inspiration from 1:1s posted on forums etc.

1:24 Tamiya sun-damaged kits by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

I tucked them away at the back of the cabinet and decided it was finally time to put things right.

It took a while, but eventually I managed to source replacements for all of them:

1:24 Tamiya kits by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Two Nissan Skylines, a Silvia, Honda City and Toyota Sprinter (basically a Corolla coupe). The latter was the most difficult, I was lucky to get one at a sensible price. I've ended up with three of the Hondas, one had slightly damaged roof pillars and might end up as a speedster, don't know abother the other but it's a nice little kit that I might do another way (or maybe box stock?).

I've pulled them apart to salvage whatever I can from the original builds, as much as anything so there is some continuity from the original to the replacements.

Some wheels have ended up on other kits, and I may do one or two of them in a different colour for the sake of variety, but generally I'll follow the same formula.

I had a production line of matt black chassis painting going on last weekend, but this is the one that's advanced most so far. I'll start off with before and after shots, then move onto current progress:

Tamiya 1:24 Honda City GG by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Tamiya 1:24 Honda City GG by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

This is what I'm trying to recreate. I think it was finished as far back as 2008.

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

After a session of prepping and scribing five bodyshells last weekend, I'm starting to get them into primer:

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

At standard ride height, on the stock wheels.

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

And on the Advan A3As that it will be fitted with.

Since then I've redrilled the front axles holes and carried out some surgery on the rear inner arches which will get it sitting properly on those fatter wheels:

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Rest of the components have been primed ready for detail painting. It's quite comic how few other parts there are, and it's a snap-fix kit, yet it still builds up into a decent little model.

More on the others to come, as and when they progress.

Edited September 21, 2020 by Spottedlaurel

[Pete J.]

Yes, sun and models on a hot day just don't get along.  Retribution is probably the wrong word.  Perhaps resurrection better describes what you are doing.  Revisiting a model can be a pleasurable experience if you are in the right space for that.  I can see me looking at the models and revisiting that moment when you saw them in ruin.  Not sure I would have kept them.  Probably would have thrown the whole batch in the trash and moved on.  Good for you for searching out new kits and tackling the rebuild.  I have a lot of respect for what you are doing.  

[NOBLNG]

Get a model tow truck and start your own wrecking yard!?

[doorsovdoon]

oh no! I'd be crying. Great to see you found all the kits to replace them, nice one. This is what happened to some of my models as a teen in the 90's. They were on my bedroom windowsill and the sun destroyed them.

[cobraman]

That is what I was thinking,,,,great start for a junkyard diorama.

[THarrison351]

I felt your pain a long long time ago. I did this once when I was a kid. 1973 MPC Charger freshly built and painted. Looked very similar to your cars. 

[Spottedlaurel]

Thanks all for the comments. My commiserations to those of you who've suffered in a similar way.

It was gutting, but I'd enjoyed the process of building them first time around and I have a lot of photos so at least I had a record of them before it happened.

Eventually I'm sure they will see use in some sort of diorama. Fairly obvious, but maybe stacked out the back of a garage being reclaimed by nature?

17 hours ago, Pete J. said:

Yes, sun and models on a hot day just don't get along.  Retribution is probably the wrong word.  Perhaps resurrection better describes what you are doing.  Revisiting a model can be a pleasurable experience if you are in the right space for that.  I can see me looking at the models and revisiting that moment when you saw them in ruin.  Not sure I would have kept them.  Probably would have thrown the whole batch in the trash and moved on.  Good for you for searching out new kits and tackling the rebuild.  I have a lot of respect for what you are doing.  

Good call Pete, I've changed the thread title as retribution did sound a tad over-dramatic!

As my wife will testify, I'm not great at throwing things away so I just calmly put them to one side in the hope that one day I could do something with them.

 

I don't immediately have photos to show, but I continued to make good progress yesterday. Honda and Skyline 4dr have both been painted maroon (TS-18?). Latter looks like it needs a quick wet sand and another coat or two of colour, but it went down nicely on the Honda and I'm hoping to get some TS-13 clear onto it soon.

Toyota has been painted TS-54 Light Metallic Blue, as a change from the silver. Again it'll probably need a wet sanding session and a bit more colour before the clear goes on, but it's moving forwards.

If nothing else I want to get the bodies all painted before getting too far into autumn/winter, then I can fiddle away on the details (limited as they are here) when I revert to building inside the house. Looking to do the same on a few other projects, I'm currently formulating ideas for them and seeing builds from others on MCM is certainly helpful on that score.

Edited September 21, 2020 by Spottedlaurel

[Rockford]

You mention "calmly putting them to one side" I'd have been walking round in circles bellowing like Brian Blessed about how life is not fair! You're a better man than i and the rebuild looks great. 

[bobthehobbyguy]

Ouch that hurts. Nice to see you rebuilding them. The two red one just scream to be displayed as wrecks. It would be a waste not too and you would gets something positive from the incident.

[Spottedlaurel]

On 9/21/2020 at 3:48 PM, Rockford said:

You mention "calmly putting them to one side" I'd have been walking round in circles bellowing like Brian Blessed about how life is not fair! You're a better man than i and the rebuild looks great. 

Excellent Brian Blessed reference! I'm not sure how well that would be understood outside the UK, but I get it.......

On 9/21/2020 at 4:43 PM, bobthehobbyguy said:

Ouch that hurts. Nice to see you rebuilding them. The two red one just scream to be displayed as wrecks. It would be a waste not too and you would gets something positive from the incident.

I think they will get used again in some way, but for now I don't want to commit myself to another project in building a diorama.

I have been making progress on all five kits:

1:24 Tamiya kits by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya kits by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

All of them now have colour. The champagne Silvia and silver Skyline only got their first colour coats yesterday so they're a couple of steps behind the other three which have all been clearcoated and polished. I decided on a colour change for the Toyota, but for the others I liked the original look enough that I used the same this time around.

I also decided to build the Suzuki Gemma scooter that came with the Skyline 4-door. I have a few of the mopeds and scooters that have been included with various Tamiya kits, it was only this year that I finally got around to building one of them - I should do some more.

More on the Skyline, this is what it used to look like:

1:24 Tamiya Skyline (R30) Complete at last! by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Skyline (R30) Complete at last! by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

And this is how it ended up:

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline R30 4dr kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline R30 4dr kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline R30 4dr kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

I'm trying to use some components from the original build in each of them, but this time it appears to be limited to the grille and rear axle (and I'll probably remove a bit of camber from that).

I'll have to find some different wheels, as the originals went under another Nissan. I have a set in mind that I was pondering last time I put this thing together:

Skyline + unknown wheels #2 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

But I reserve the right to vary this choice.....

[Oldcarfan27]

On 9/20/2020 at 12:33 PM, NOBLNG said:

Get a model tow truck and start your own wrecking yard!?

I was going to suggest the same thing!

Or maybe a car crash scene diorama. 

A couple of those took some brutal hits, and the damage lends itself to being from the scene of an accident. 

Sort of like making a "sows ear out of a silk purse" or so to speak. 

[slusher]

One f the best things about our hobby is we don’t have to get angry we can always start over with another build...

[doorsovdoon]

Great stuff. Great to see all the body's lined up ready for building, nice one!

[Spottedlaurel]

Thanks for the comments!

Made more progress this weekend. The Silvia got micromeshed and resin polished, it's come out nicely and now awaiting detailing. Only the silver Skyline now needs clearcoat.

Here's another one of them, effectively a FWD coupe version of the mid '80s Corolla:

1:24 Tamiya Toyota Sprinter Trueno kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Toyota Sprinter Trueno kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Decided on a colour change:

1:24 Tamiya Toyota Sprinter Trueno kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Used black chrome BMF as masking for the window trims. Glad I wasn't using it for its intended purpose, it doesn't go down as nicely as the chrome stuff.

1:24 Tamiya Toyota and Honda kits by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Lots of grey painting this weekend.

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

The Honda City interior is now finished too.

I'm hoping to get at least a couple of them finished by the end of the month, should be on track for that.

 

[Spottedlaurel]

I've been continuing to chip away at these simple builds, only made complicated by doing five at once.

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline Coupe R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

The Skyline coupe suffered least of the five, presumably the silver paint helped reflect the worst of the sunlight. I can use the chassis and interior, hopefully even the front 'screen which is good as the replacement kit I'm using has smoked glass and it looks a bit OTT.

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline Coupe R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

I used Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf and TS-13 clear, which has now been polished out.

Given the re-use of components this one should come together pretty quickly. Main job is the various pieces of dark trim and BMF brightwork on the bodyshell.

1:24 Tamiya Toyota Sprinter Trueno kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

I wanted to open up the door windows on the Toyota, so after a careful bit of sawing this is what I ended up with. I left painting the inside window surrounds until pretty much the last job, as I don't enjoy it. No masking pieces in this kit, so I had to spend some time cutting tape before I could brush-paint it. I used to do it by hand without masking, but I'm getting older.....

1:24 Tamiya Toyota Sprinter Trueno kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Final round-up before I finish it off, possibly tonight.

[Rockford]

On 10/31/2020 at 7:47 PM, Spottedlaurel said:

. I used to do it by hand without masking, but I'm getting older.....

 

I know how you feel, what I used to do freehand without glasses I now have to use two pair of glasses, a magnifying glass, and jam my hand against the bench to keep it still. It is so frustrating! Your builds look fantastic though. Tamiya do make a good product don't they? 

[Spottedlaurel]

5 hours ago, Rockford said:

I know how you feel, what I used to do freehand without glasses I now have to use two pair of glasses, a magnifying glass, and jam my hand against the bench to keep it still. It is so frustrating! Your builds look fantastic though. Tamiya do make a good product don't they? 

Thanks, and yes they do. Some would say their range is a bit limited, but when I consider their older releases there's plenty to keep me happy.

[Spottedlaurel]

Toyota got finished last weekend, Honda completed yesterday:

1:24 Tamiya Toyota and Honda kits by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Toyota and Honda kits by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Honda City kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Gave my new varifocals a bit of a workout by handpainting the external window surrounds - as I was painting them on a darker colour I thought I could get away with it, and it seemed to work OK. Still had to mask-up for the dark surrounds inside the glass, which was tedious.

Silver Skyline took a step backwards, the window trims on that one are mix of chrome and black. I'd used some spare black BMF as a mask for the black painting, which has worked OK previously, but removing it took a little bit of the clear with it. Then my chrome BMF work didn't go well, so I've decided to take a step back from it. Looking to wet sand it , give it another coat or two of paint and try again.

[Italianhorses]

Man, that Skyline got blown up! Geez. Cool that you are restoring these. Will make for excellent conversation pieces!

[Spottedlaurel]

14 hours ago, Italianhorses said:

Man, that Skyline got blown up! Geez. Cool that you are restoring these. Will make for excellent conversation pieces!

Thanks Alex. The series of fantastic Tamiya builds that you did earlier this year often come to mind when I'm working on mine (not that I'm saying mine are anywhere near the same quality!).

Weren't yours being built for a contest? How did you get on if so?

[Mattilacken]

Nice resurrection! Looking good!

[Spottedlaurel]

6 hours ago, Mattilacken said:

Nice resurrection! Looking good!

Thanks Anton!

Been working on the third one of them today, the 4-door Skyline. Didn't start off too well though......

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Prepped the first wheel by sawing off the thick edge on the back of the rim, then removed that big drive cog off the axle which would be used if I motorized it (as an early issue my kit has the motor, I shan't be using it).

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Pushed the wheel onto the axle, and this happened as the skinny spokes snapped away from the rim. Bit of a shame, I got these wheels in a Fujimi Starion kit some years ago and I'd been looking forward to using them here. Ah well, a chance to root through the boxes and see what else might work.......

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Decided on these Fujimi Shadow Spokes, but I've changed the tyres to a set of Pirellis. Interior also in progress.

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Suspension being lowered, effectively chopping a few coils out of the front struts. At the back I've redrilled the metal axle holes.

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

As it now sits on the bench, with the wheel centres painted bronze and awaiting further detailing. The wheel plating has a good low-shine finish but unfortunately it hasn't covered very well so I've got a bit of rectification work to do there.

With all the BMF work to do around the windows it's probably optimistic to think I'll get it finished this weekend, but I shouldn't be far off.

[Spottedlaurel]

Weather was pretty rubbish today, so it was a good excuse to spend time out in the shed beavering away on the Skyline 4-door. My wife was working on a painting in the studio nextdoor and my son was rooting around through all the stuff I've accumulated (including playing around with a microfiche reader), so it ended up being a pleasant bit of family time.

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Always enjoy this moment of working out what I've got done and I have left to assemble.

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

1:24 Tamiya Nissan Skyline 4dr R30 kit by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

Main task of the day was detailing the wheels and painting the body/bumper trim. For the latter I did it freehand by brush - with the well-defined recesses that worked out OK, saving me from the tedium of masking-up. Did a few other bits of final work and painting that leave me with little more to do than BMF window trims and final assembly.

[Dominik]

took my hat off for your work! I would be crying if i found my models "sunburned"...thats incredible, how they looked.

lot respect for your work - they look really good in new condition!

[Italianhorses]

On 11/12/2020 at 7:39 AM, Spottedlaurel said:

Thanks Alex. The series of fantastic Tamiya builds that you did earlier this year often come to mind when I'm working on mine (not that I'm saying mine are anywhere near the same quality!).

Weren't yours being built for a contest? How did you get on if so?

Thanks - I didn't win anything. :) not even in top 10, I believe - but that wasn't the point really. Just wanted to build some box-stockers I guess, and that was the excuse.