Follow along as I build my 1st race car of any type. This is a buddy build with Josh AKA Pork Chop @Xtremis Models & Miguel @ Miguel-Hobbiwerks both on YouTube. The video below is the open box review of the kit.
As always when starting a build the 1st thing I do is identify any model lines with a permanent marker and sand them smooth.
Next I check fitment. I discovered that the doors aren’t flush with the body. Hopefully the picture below shows this well enough.
Using a hobby file one the inside of the door and sanding stick on the outside and get a much more seamless look to the door. I also drill the alignment holes for the door out just a touch the add room for paint.
Still not happy with the push back I’m getting when the door is in place. By that I mean that the door is still pushing away from the body I decide to pull out the dremel and shave a little styrene off the body and bam the door fits well.
With the back side off my #11 exacto I cut out the exhaust hole on both sides.
Then after checking the box and 1.1 pictures online I discover that the kit doesn’t have front arro so with thin sheet styrene 0.4mm those are added.Both on the chin and front quarters got new arro.
After a full body sanding with a red 3M sanding sponge. I wash the body with dawn dishing liquid dry and wipe it off again with paint thinner and a low lint blue shop rag. I then hit it with a Tamiya anti static brush. Body prep is done and it’s now reedy for primer.
After priming I’ve wet sanded it with 3000 grit, washed again with dawn. All that’s left is color and clear. it’s still water wet.
Paint laid down great! It was an automotive urethane I got from my local Napa. If you’ve never used an automotive urethane and have the opportunity to get it mixed up I’d highly recommend it. Just don’t forget the reducer.
Modifying the exhaust tip and although it doesn’t stick out of the body it will add a more realistic look. I use K&S tubing #5102 and push a piece of soldier inside so it wouldn’t buckle when bent and this was the result.
Many other things where done this weekend during the live stream. Most of the engine was painted an installed. Brakes paint and decaled. Wheels painted, tires decaled and installed. I did hit the tires with Tamiya TS-79 semi gloss to cover the silver from the decals, and the rear wing was painted and decaled. Exhaust was also test fitted.
Now it’s back to the body. Unfortunately after putting the doors in place to prepare to tape off the area to paint black I realized that the paint didn’t match so of I went back to the hobby booth for a couple extra coats, and what was nearly a perfect paint job became full of dust and a blob of paint on one of the doors. So hopefully a little light wet sanding with 5000 grit will fix it.
So the wet sanding went well but during the taping process when I cut the cut and pulled it off not only did the paint chip off bu tit peeled of from around the whole area where the tape was cut. Pictured below what you can mostly see is just the chip.
So into brake fluid it went. Surprisingly after about 15 minutes it was working quit well, but it was left for about 24 hours. Then washed really well with dawn, wet sanded again lightly with 1500 grit. Re-primed with 1 light coat of Mr Surfacer 1500, then re-painted. Kinda glad it happened because the paint laid down much better this time.
I haven’t been at the bench much lately except for the live streams, but what I have been able to get done I’m really happy with. I’ve gotten the 5 point set belt harness together and in. Chassis is complete and I’ve gotten some of the black trim painted and painted. Still taping off some areas for paint but some progress is better than none.
