1964 Jaguar E Type Low Drag Coupe (#17 LeMans 1964)

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I'll break this into three posts to keep the photo count manageable. This was my LeMans Palooza build; several ACME members have now spent two years in a row building LeMans models during the running of the race. I built the Profil24 Jaguar E Type Low Drag Coupe that raced in 1964. We are allowed to have the car in primer before the start, and to have parts cleaned/ready for paint. I took about 3 1/2 hours to prep the car prior to Saturday.

At the 9:00 am start:

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Continuing:

First color coats (Tamiya TS British Green, airbrushed):

First color w/clear, sub assemblies painted. Car was reshot in green (sans airbrush) and recleared by 1:45 pm (wetsanding found problems in the previous paint). It cooked until about 6 pm when it was buffed out w/3600 Micromesh and coarse/fine/finish Tamiya compounds.

After a long day, this is where it was at the point when one member had his Porsche 917 done. It's now closing in on 10:00 pm

Final assembly, the small photoetch parts were a bear. I invented new cuss words when attempting to glue them in place and I was tired and cranky. This was done enough for me around 1:00 am. It was the middle of the night in Ringgold, GA but the sun was already up at LeMans.

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Here are the beauty shots taken this afternoon after watching the F1 race. I didn't like the appearance of the windshield seam; there's no molding over the edge (not in '64, though the restored car has it) and there was no way to hide the glue holding it. So I removed the front/rear glass and did the Sharpie-along-the-edge trick, and reglued them. Much cleaner looking, totally inaccurate, but hey...I had fun ! Total time of build: 18 hours. It's a fairly simple curbside kit, low parts count and of very nice quality.

[Italianhorses]

Wow, flawless finish! Gread job Bob!

[MrObsessive]

Beautiful job Bob!! One of my favorite vintage racing Jags!!

That Tamiya British Racing Green is perfect!

[MonoPed]

That is beautiful!!

[Modelmartin]

8) 8) 8)

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Thanks for the replies 8)

One thing I didn't mention was how much I love the design of the car; that's why I got the model and I wouldn't have thought about building it in 24 hours if I didn't think I could do the kit justice in that amount of time. It's a fantastic kit; high-quality and very simple construction. I could quibble about the fact that a few P/E parts like door/hood handles and the inner rear view mirror that should have been 3D pieces of resin or white metal instead, but the basic engineering and casting were superb, and I'm quite happy w/the final finish of the car. I'll go back and make some more proper handles when I have more time.

If it weren't for Tamiya/Testors lacquers, I don't think any of us crazies would even think about building models in a day or weekend. I agree w/Bill; Tamiya British Racing Green is as perfect a paint as one could ask for.

[Yad']

Excellent build thread Bob'.

I really enjoyed seeing that one come together, plus the subject was a real treat too.

I've come to rely on you to post outside of the usual suspects when it comes to subject matter, and you didn't disappoint.

Great build ......... Wonderful subject......... Superb finish.

Yad'.

[cruz]

One word for this thing, SEXY!!!!!!!!!!! You did a great job on the paint man, very cool 8) 8) 8)

[Peter Lombardo]

Bob, Beautiful build, it may have been simple, but we all know there are countless ways something can go wrong. Very smooth. I will forever marvel at how some manufacturers get it, Jaguar, Ferrari, Porsche, even Honda (new Civic) seem to understand how to move a man's soul through a sexy design. It doesn't cost any more to make it beautiful. Jaguar always seemed to understand sexy and beautiful better then anyone else.

[Matt T.]

Bob, you did such a nice job on that for the short amount of build time. That's beautiful! What a sleek looking Jag!

(I can't keep up with you guys. I've resorted to competing with house builders for my build times - 3 or 4 months.)

[carro]

Beautifull car ! and also great photography!

[CEKPETHO BCE]

Oh man that is beautiful

[Danno]

Sweeeeeet!!

[funhouse1]

What a beautiful car, not sure if E type design has ever been topped. Beautifully built as well.

[Plasticfanatic]

Superb and beautiful build of a great looking race car...the other famous and similar car, "CUT7 Low-Drag" is another beauty in this line of low drag Jaguars but I don't think that body has been made in 1/25 or 1/24, the other one is the one that crashed and killed the pilot(Scale Kraft from S.A. did this in resin) and that now after decades the original mangled body/frame has been fully restored/refrabricated.

There a new book in the market which concentrate in the history of these racing Jaguars E-Type low drags and "lightweight" editions, is a superb book with great period photos and new studio ones of the car in actuality, is a expensie book but in my personal opinion worth it.

http://www.porterpress.co.uk/ultimate_e.htm

[David@MinidreamsInc.]

Thats a mean lookin Jag !