Tamiya 1/12 Ferrari 641/2

[cor]

Hi all. This is my first WIP I've ever shared, and as I get so much information from you guys, I thought Id share it as I know people are interested in different model kits. I've just returned to modelling after about 30 years or more . . .

So here is the first part. I was a bit slow to take pics, but have some of the engine being built. It's taken about a month, and I've added on some extra hoses and wires that the kit doesn't include. Also I used some pe nuts and bolt heads, and some Top Studio hose joints to replace the basic nuts and bolts and connecters that kit has.

I will keep photographing this build, but its going to take a while. The engine is a full kit in itself, and Im impressed with the kit so far.

[cor]

Some better photos of the engine.

[BigWall]

Wow! That's huge! Very nice detailing as well. Thanks for sharing. We're always interested it seeing what others are working on.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Very cool. Love the engine stand

[digger303]

Cool

[Kevthemodeller]

Looking good, lovely detail work

[cor]

Thanks everyone.

Here's the seat. I swapped the kits fake leather for real leather. The fake stuff was applied firs, and was ok, but looked a bit coarse, or rough. The leather is glued on with a clear glue used for clear plastic parts.

The leather is the lighter colour in the photos.

[Donkeywalloper]

Cars don't float my boat but the attention to detail and work you have put in Rocks my World.
Awesome works chap .
DW

[cor]

Thanks DW. Im just trying to make it a bit more realistic than the kit offers. It's a great kit. I've always liked these Tamiya big scale cars.

Heres the seatbelt. i put a bit of foam under the pad to give it some dimension. Overall, the kit seatbelts are not too bad.

[digger303]

Putting a lot of thought and effort into this and it's shows.

[Johnj]

Looking good, really good. Yeah, those engines could be a kit all on it's own.
I did wonder how that seat cover would look when fitted, i noticed the other two kits in that era dont have anything.
Your scratch building with the wiring and hose joints are exellent. Top job

[cor]

Thanks digger and john. Im just trying to hold my own among you guys. Im finding it very enjoyable and also very rewarding as the model comes together. I'd like to try a 1/8 car or model factory hiro kit after this, or maybe another tamiya kit. There's so many great kits out there . . .

Heres the electrical box with a smaller wire from a computer cable rather than the plug n play kit tubing that looked too bulky, and some resin connector fittings with a hole drilled through and slid onto the wire, and some heat shrink tubing. Quite an easy little mod. Its starting to look like a racing car now.

[cor]

First decals applied. I stuck these onto some aluminuim foil sticker that came with the kit, and painted a clear gloss over them, then cut and stuck onto the cockpit. Was easy to do and makes it look a bit metalllic.

[digger303]

First decals applied. I stuck these onto some aluminuim foil sticker that came with the kit, and painted a clear gloss over them, then cut and stuck onto the cockpit. Was easy to do and makes it look a bit metalllic.

Worked out spot on. I'll be using that

[Rich100]

Fantastic build so far cor, i'm loving the attention to detail mate i have this kit in my stash so will be watching with interest lovely mods you've done as well, big thumbs up.

Rich.

[cor]

Thanks Rich. It's a good model, get into it.

some more photos. just been doing some tidy up. Waiting for a can of red spray to arrive by snail mail. cant go out due to lockdown . . .

Im thinking of replacing that left hand antenna on the instrument display - its bugging me, and maybe tidy the switch to the left of that. I painted the detiails on with the tip of a knife blade - it says 'on' but the fact it says anything is just luck, i would have been happy with any decipherable letter at that scale. but overall, looking at the photos i took outside, im quite happy with how its turning out. better than i expected.

thanks to everyone for dropping by and commenting.





Cotton bud for scale ref:

[Casper]

Nice work cor Great job on the seat and belts

[cor]

Thanks Casper

I redid the switch and antenna with copper wire.

before (1st attempt). . .



2nd . . .










3rd . . .
Redid it after the switch broke off . . . turned out better. I'm calling this control panel finished.








I did the bike a month ago for practice for this car. Learned a lot and it made this build a higher quality because of it. The mechanics are from a Lotus 49 build I was considering before I found this kit as a bargain online. They will be redone as Ferrari SEFAC guys in yellow. And after seeing the quality of the figures on this site, I will strip them back to plastic and have another go at painting them.

The kits rear tyres are deformed and have gone hard, so are unusable. The final thing will have rear wheels off with a steel stand under the gearbox, cowling off and displayed on a stand beside the body with these mechanics doing a tune up during testing session. At least that's the plan . . .

[Twokidsnosleep]

Great detailing
Loving the wiring you are adding

[cor]

Thanks Scott. The wiring give it so much more realism.

Steering wheel added. Decals very crumbly. Some pe nuts on the center. Grip was roughed up plastic with a round file - looks quite good.

[cor]

Been going slowly with some little details. Bit mind numbing, but has to be done. The electric box was scratch build, and yes, thats a Kawasaki sticker . . . my bad.

[cor]

Small update. Bit of detailing and painting while I wait for the red spray can to arrive.

Also, I accidentally discovered a new painting technique you might be interested in. Works well for small parts with lots of detail.
I dont have an airbrush so sometimes the paint from the brush can form into blobs and obscure detail, so after painting, I use this cheap camera blower to hit the part with a jet of air. It smooths the paint out nicely.
The shocks were not done with this technique, and you can see the roughness of the paint. I will strip it and redo it with this and check the difference . . .

Wish I discovered it at the start of the model.














Heres the redo after stripping the paint:


Wet paint applied with brush, before air blow




After air blow



and one more coat . . .





Before air blow



After

1st paint attempt -->



The diffrence after the airblow is similar to as if the paint was airbrushed on. Its a cheap simple way to achieve an even paint application and retain detail. Hope you get something from this. For me, its a game changer . . .

[cor]

Front suspension mostly complete. Added photo etch nuts and bolts to give it some pop.





This is how I took that last photo. the concentrated light can highlight a part you want to show. Im a photographer, and know lots of little tricks to take better photos.

[DRUMS01]

Looking really nice, love the details. This kit is still on my wish list so thanks for sharing it with us all.

Ben

[cor]

Thanks Ben. I was going to build the Lotus 49, but luckily this came up as a bargain. Im very impressed with the kit.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Good detailing work going on

[cor]

Thanks scott. Im glad you guys are liking the details Im adding. I've put a lot of work into it, especially researching it, as there are not many pics of the 1990 car as it raced - theres a lot of pics of the car in the years dafter the season, modified, not as it looked when it raced.


Bit about the real car:
The actual race car came second behind the Mclaren driven by Senna in the 1990 world F1 championship. Senna rammed Prost (who was driving this car) in the first corner of one of the last races to take them both out. Prost had a good chance at beating Senna - this car was faster but had gearbox issues with the new semi auto paddle shift.

This crash meant Senna was the Champion that year. The previous year there was also a controversial accident between the two of them when they were teammates at Mclaren. When Prost signed for Williams, the dominant team at the time, his contract said Senna was not to be his team mate. Senna cried foul, as he wanted to drive for Willaims too. Rivals, yet Prost was a pall bearer at Sennas funeral - where a million people lined the streets . . . a bit of history.





Anyway, I went hard because I could see the two main assemblies joining tonight. Here's a few late night pics - its a big model.

[cor]

Started the decal process. Decals are very fragile and tear easily, but its starting to look really good now that it's coming together.

Some bodywork was painted Tamiya Italian red, other parts will be left as the original coloured plastic, including the cowl, as the colour of the paint and plastic are identical. One less process to screw up too.

[cor]

Have finished the floor, and painted the sides, wings, and nose. Decals were very fragile, some were touched up with paint, and have applied clear over the bare plastic and decals, sanded and repeated this about 5 times to get it smooth, as the clear - mr super clear - attacked the decals, and a couple of dry coats were needed first to seal them, before a wet coat. But overall, after a lot of work on the clear, its come up pretty good.

Still have the cowl to go, and the wheels, which are no good really. I have to buy some new ones as the tire are hard and deformed, but will put them on soon for some pics because it looks so much bette with the wheels on.

Here are some quick snaps, they dont do this car justice thought - its looking really impressive now that its finally coming together. Tamiya have done an awesome job with this one.

[Kevthemodeller]

Coming along very nicely

[BigWall]

It's looking great!

[Donkeywalloper]

The skill and thought put into this build is really a masterclass.

DW

[cor]

Thanks guys. Dont know about a masterclass DW, Im just trying to match the quality I'm seeing here. Im getting better at modelling from looking at all the outstanding builds everyone on this site is doing. This car would not be half as good if it weren't for me looking at all the great work thats posted here. My next build will be better because of this community.



The car itself is basically finished except for some general touchup.
The cowl is the last piece, and will be quite a job as it's large and needs to be 100%. It fits onto the body perfectly. Everything in this kit has fit together really well.

Im using Mr Super Clear UV cut rattle spray can for the gloss finish, being careful to put a dry coat over the decals first as the clear attacks them severely if it's applied wet. Ask me how I discovered that. . .

The tires were hard and deformed when I bought the kit, I knew that when I got it for a bargain. So, after much thought when looking at the near finished model, I've decided to not make a diorama and just have the car as is should be - with wheels on. So i bit the bullet and have a delivery on the way form Model Factory Hiro - new tires , which brings the kit out of bargain price to reasonable price, but these tires are more detailed than the kit ones, so that takes some of the sting out of it. I have to say though, I have found the kit great value for money, as it's a long enjoyable build and the car will be a great display piece for decades to come.

The photo below shows what a 30 year old Tamiya "rubber like slick tire' looks like when you try to remove it from the wheel.

Heres some photos of wheels and the valve stems, which I'll glue into the hole I made after the tire goes on, made from wire, woodwork glue and resin hose joints - cutting off the nut for the stem base - and a pic of the head rest, covered in leather as per the seat, with the ferrari decal applied. It was never going to be easy to get the decal to sit realistically on the leather. The backing film was too smooth and shiny during tests. So after much testing I found that by padding it dry, then wet coating it with Tamiya Clear matt spray, which doesn't discolour the leather, it melted the decal enough to get it to sink into to the raised fibres of the leather.

Strangely enough, the Tamiya display model on the instructions doesn't have this sticker applied . . . or the speedline decals on the wheels.




After another coat of matt clear then carefully scratching the backing film off with a knife.














Re-did the valve stems out of solder and heat shrink with a dab of brass paint.

[Kevthemodeller]

The rubber on the tyre appears to have gone brittle, something a lot of plastic and rubber from the 90's -00's appears to do. Think it was the age where they were trying to go greener but it just doesn't last, see this a lot on cars/bikes.

I'm sure you can get replacements, if you haven't already

[cor]

The rubber on the tyre appears to have gone brittle, something a lot of plastic and rubber from the 90's -00's appears to do. Think it was the age where they were trying to go greener but it just doesn't last, see this a lot on cars/bikes.

I'm sure you can get replacements, if you haven't already

Its a bummer they deteriorate. But yes, I bought a new set of tires from Japan. Very expensive, but with this out-of-production higher end kit, it was to be expected. At least they are an upgrade to the kit tires, so that's a bonus.



Decals have been applied to the cowl.
The Fiat decal had white discolouration to it, so painted it blue.

I had many issues with them breaking up - decaling and painting bodywork is not my strong point, but managed to get it looking ok.

After the gloss sand gloss sand gloss sand procedure it should be fine. I estimate about a week away from pole position.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Wow gorgeous car despite the issues. You made the best of her
The Fiat and Prost decal recovery is superb...and has a bit of used but not abused look
Unusual for Tamiya kits to have such troubles...now you are making me thing I better look at my 1/20 and 1/12 stash collection tires

[digger303]

Wow gorgeous car despite the issues. You made the best of her
The Fiat and Prost decal recovery is superb...and has a bit of used but not abused look
Unusual for Tamiya kits to have such troubles...now you are making me thing I better look at my 1/20 and 1/12 stash collection tires

As much as I hate too I've gone to buying resin tyres and replacement tracks. I had one set of AFV club tracks out of a M3 that when slightly stretched I could see pinpricks of light through the vinyl. A fraction more stretching and they fell apart. Dragons ds tracks when packed in that preserving oil crumbled. Italeri Opel blitz truck tyres had multiple cracks like yours and Tamiya tracks that shrank in over all length. Not what you want on your kit it they are a firm fit to start with, all the wheels start curling inwards.
Having said all that I've a friend ( yes I have one ) that says he's never had any issues so maybe it's just me.
One advantage of resin is there is no centre line to clean up in a product that is hard to sand. Disadvantage is it's trying to kill ya.

[cor]

Wow gorgeous car despite the issues. You made the best of her
The Fiat and Prost decal recovery is superb...and has a bit of used but not abused look
Unusual for Tamiya kits to have such troubles...now you are making me thing I better look at my 1/20 and 1/12 stash collection tires

As much as I hate too I've gone to buying resin tyres and replacement tracks. I had one set of AFV club tracks out of a M3 that when slightly stretched I could see pinpricks of light through the vinyl. A fraction more stretching and they fell apart. Dragons ds tracks when packed in that preserving oil crumbled. Italeri Opel blitz truck tyres had multiple cracks like yours and Tamiya tracks that shrank in over all length. Not what you want on your kit it they are a firm fit to start with, all the wheels start curling inwards.
Having said all that I've a friend ( yes I have one ) that says he's never had any issues so maybe it's just me.
One advantage of resin is there is no centre line to clean up in a product that is hard to sand. Disadvantage is it's trying to kill ya.

This kit is 30 years old - but yes, check them - I think exposure to air and moisture is a problem. The box this kit was in looked like it was excavated from Thebes, and the plastic housing the tyres were sealed in had been opened and the tyres put on the wheels, so more exposure to the environment than if left in the packing.

I think a high quality 3D print of a tyre in any hard plastic (or the soft vinyl you can get now) would be the best. Maybe print it in half so it can go on the wheel, then sand the seam - would be easy in hard plastic. Ive seen them for sale on ebay but they are rough and not cheap.
It's another skill, and you need a printer and Cad software and skills to design the object, which is tricky to lear, but 3D printing wheels and tracks - you can make anything, any variation - the ultimate scratch build.
I cant wait to get a 3D printer.

[kpisnuts]

That looks awesome

[cor]

The cowl.

Fixing fragile decals and getting a smooth gloss clear coat over the bare red plastic.

Still another one or two sandings and spraying to remove the bumps over the painted decal repair on the fuel cap Marlboro decal.
The dark blue paint repairs over the white faded areas of the FIAT decal are minimised after the clear coat. So overall, very happy with how its looking, but was a lot of work touching up and sanding back the clear over the decals.

Anyway, with the glossy cowl on, the car is looking fantastic. After the tyres arrive this week, there is only the mirrors, windshield, and headrest to attach to the cowl and it will be ready for the final photoshoot.

[BigWall]

Amazing saves with the decals!

[Johnj]

Thanks guys. Dont know about a masterclass DW, Im just trying to match the quality I'm seeing here. Im getting better at modelling from looking at all the outstanding builds everyone on this site is doing. This car would not be half as good if it weren't for me looking at all the great work thats posted here. My next build will be better because of this community.



The car itself is basically finished except for some general touchup.
The cowl is the last piece, and will be quite a job as it's large and needs to be 100%. It fits onto the body perfectly. Everything in this kit has fit together really well.

Im using Mr Super Clear UV cut rattle spray can for the gloss finish, being careful to put a dry coat over the decals first as the clear attacks them severely if it's applied wet. Ask me how I discovered that. . .

The tires were hard and deformed when I bought the kit, I knew that when I got it for a bargain. So, after much thought when looking at the near finished model, I've decided to not make a diorama and just have the car as is should be - with wheels on. So i bit the bullet and have a delivery on the way form Model Factory Hiro - new tires , which brings the kit out of bargain price to reasonable price, but these tires are more detailed than the kit ones, so that takes some of the sting out of it. I have to say though, I have found the kit great value for money, as it's a long enjoyable build and the car will be a great display piece for decades to come.

The photo below shows what a 30 year old Tamiya "rubber like slick tire' looks like when you try to remove it from the wheel.

Heres some photos of wheels and the valve stems, which I'll glue into the hole I made after the tire goes on, made from wire, woodwork glue and resin hose joints - cutting off the nut for the stem base - and a pic of the head rest, covered in leather as per the seat, with the ferrari decal applied. It was never going to be easy to get the decal to sit realistically on the leather. The backing film was too smooth and shiny during tests. So after much testing I found that by padding it dry, then wet coating it with Tamiya Clear matt spray, which doesn't discolour the leather, it melted the decal enough to get it to sink into to the raised fibres of the leather.

Strangely enough, the Tamiya display model on the instructions doesn't have this sticker applied . . . or the speedline decals on the wheels.




After another coat of matt clear then carefully scratching the backing film off with a knife.














Re-did the valve stems out of solder and heat shrink with a dab of brass paint.

Geeze oh... your almost there !!! You've smashed this out the park cor. I've been away for a bit but looks like i've missed a fair bit.
It really comes alive when the front and rear wing are added
Thats a pity about the tyres, but your right, they have to be stored correctly. I've just checked my own kits and they appear to still be soft luckily. Both kits are still packaged as they left the factory 30 ish years ago.
What kit are you thinking of building next ?

[cor]

Geeze oh... your almost there !!! You've smashed this out the park cor. I've been away for a bit but looks like i've missed a fair bit.
It really comes alive when the front and rear wing are added
Thats a pity about the tyres, but your right, they have to be stored correctly. I've just checked my own kits and they appear to still be soft luckily. Both kits are still packaged as they left the factory 30 ish years ago.
What kit are you thinking of building next ?

Hi John. Yes, almost finished now - just the mirrors and windshield to attach to the cowl, but have to let the cowl clear coat cure for about a week otherwise I'll damage it (again) So final pics are a week away.

Glad your kits are ok. These things are not cheap - the extra wheels from Hiro cost $120 . . . but they look to be upgraded with added detail - they should arrive today or tomorrow.

What to build next, that's the question. Probably have a bit of a break to focus on work first, but I want to build another 1/12 racing car for certain. Ive got the detailing bug. Prob not F1. Looking at vintage sports cars, Le Mans kind of thing - so that narrows it down for me to Ferrari 330P4 or Porsche 956 or 962 Rothmans, both era defining cars for me - the looks of the Ferrari and the performance of the Porsche. Both Model Factory Hiro, so quite an investment, however after building this thing I think my skills have developed enough to take on one of those as a long term project. They'd have to be perfect, so a slow careful build if I can manage it.

What about you? Is the Mclaren completed yet? What 1/12 kits do you have in your stash?

[cor]

Making new windscreen.

The windscreen is a big letdown in this kit. It is very thick, and when thinning it out it developed internal cracks. It looked bad, so I had to make a new one out of a soda water bottle.
I made the shape of the screen by pressing the cracked kit one onto some milliput epoxy putty, then used a hair dryer to heat the plastic bottle which shrunk it over the hardened putty.

The result is quite good, better then that the kit one due to its flexability and thickness - very thin - but attaching it to the cowl is now a major problem. I've decided the best way to do it is by using 1/12 scale rivets, drilling holes and glueing the rivets in.
It will be very fiddly but as the windscreen is a major feature on the external of the car, I have to do a proper job. I cant just glue it, it wont look right.

Things are going slowly due to sanding through the clear coat, oh dear, another spray, needs 5 days to cure. I knew the cowl would be a major pain . . .

The Ferrari SEFAC crew turned up though . . .












The Ferrari SEFAC crew turned up though . . .

[Twokidsnosleep]

Ingenious windscreen creation
I am very impressed

[BigWall]

Nice work with the windscreen!

[cor]

Tyres arrived. Cowl polished. Waiting for rivets to arrive to fix windscreen, then finally mirrors and its done.

[Kevthemodeller]

Love them tyres, they're just superb

Is that an XJR400 is see in the background

[cor]

Love them tyres, they're just superb

Is that an XJR400 is see in the background

Yes, the tyres are very high quality.

The bike is an Ayoshima kit - Kawasaki Zephyr 400 "Street Custom" - was my practice before doing the car.
It turned out ok. The Ferrari benefited from the practice.

[Kevthemodeller]

Ok , another very nice build there mate