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Post by arcticwolf on Aug 22, 2021 12:34:01 GMT -8
Having built that kit myself, I know the pain.
Mark, I remembered you built that. Nice job, you opened up the nose and made it a lot more authentic to the LeMans car.
If you want a real disaster, build the Union release of the Mark 11. The quality of the moldings is so bad it makes the IMC look like an MFH.  |
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Post by afx on Aug 23, 2021 5:07:32 GMT -8
I have this kit but haven't been brave enough to take it on. Nice work on your build Paul.
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Post by starfighterace on Aug 23, 2021 7:25:52 GMT -8
Having built that kit myself, I know the pain.
Mark, I remembered you built that. Nice job, you opened up the nose and made it a lot more authentic to the LeMans car.
If you want a real disaster, build the Union release of the Mark 11. The quality of the moldings is so bad it makes the IMC look like an MFH. Agreed! Those are only useful for Parts for other kits. |
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Post by arcticwolf on Sept 13, 2021 18:24:20 GMT -8
And so, to continue to bore you to death. The Union MK2 kit. It literally is the worst quality I've ever seen. Let's just say the body parts needed a little cleaning up:
The fit was even worse than the MK 1, so I never even entertained having the doors open. Step 1 was gluing them shut and having them fit. I started at the top with some re-enforcement on the inside, then coerced the rest into place (after some appropriate sanding).
I used the back firewall to hold the shape until all the cements had thoroughly set up. So far it worked:
This kit I started along side the MK 1, painted the chassis bits at the same time, etc. Then I set it aside to complete the first nightmare.
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Post by arcticwolf on Sept 13, 2021 18:37:36 GMT -8
The kit is no where near accurate. It's a MK 1 with a new front and rear clip, so the chassis is all wrong at the front. Later on that. After a few rounds of fill and sand, I got the cab looking somewhat decent. I wanted to doors to show, just fit properly, and I sanded quite a bit off them. Fortunately the plastic was fairly thick:
All that just to get what Fujimi gives you OOB. Grr.
Next step cut the hinges off the inner doors and clean them up. The hinges are the main interference for a proper fit as I found out.
With them glued in place, a coat of black paint and another test fit. After some sanding the front clip aligns reasonably well.
At this point I decided there might be some merit in continuing (I was about to shelve it for parts, I have a Meng kit on order).
More to come.
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Post by arcticwolf on Sept 13, 2021 18:54:54 GMT -8
With the interior complete (same as the MK 1), no extra detailing and decals for seat belts.
Not that I read instructions often, but throw them out and do it this way. After test fitting and material removal until happy, don't glue the dash to the chassis, glue it to the upper body instead. That way, you get the perfect fit where it shows. Complications arise later:
We can now assemble the center of the car. Yeah, right!
The rear firewall was needed to straighten the cab out, so it all went together at once. I used the Gold slow setting CA for this task, it was either going to work or get tossed.
I think it was about then I took a break and installed some siding.  |
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Post by arcticwolf on Sept 13, 2021 19:25:04 GMT -8
This is the kit - strictly MK 1, they made no attempt to be accurate. I think they cobbled up a few new parts and threw them in the box and voila - a MK 2. Bullshit.
So, some scratch building. I took part of the kit oil tank , some resin fittings and some sheet styrene.........
The kit gave us a rod with two eyelets ......... some styrene tube and copper wire yields a steering rack:
I also moved the rad further forward (I'm not cheating, that's how Ford did it) and made some coolant tubes from copper wire, and the whole thing looks a bit more like a MK 2 front end:
I should point out that the whole idea was to build these kits out of whatever I have lying around, that is, don't spend any more money on them!!!
On thing I should have done. Ford made the chassis extension at the front a bit longer to support the new hood. I should have done the same, but the kit works the way it is (sort of - more later), so I left it.
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Post by arcticwolf on Sept 13, 2021 19:30:57 GMT -8
And yes, miracles happen - the spare tire fits where it should:
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Post by arcticwolf on Sept 13, 2021 19:56:19 GMT -8
My assembly order created a new wrinkle. You can't get the engine in the car with the firewall installed. So I did it the way Ford did it. I cut out the top transmission brace, installed the power train, and glued it back in. Some gap filling CA and a paint touch up you'll never know.
The supplied big block is not bad for 1/25th, so I'm using it. I'll save my resin gems for better projects.
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Post by arcticwolf on Sept 13, 2021 20:21:51 GMT -8
The kit comes with a set of headers. Unfortunately, they're wrong, no crossover pipes. Having no confidence of getting them installed if I fixed them first. I decided to grind a little off them, paint them and install them. Then I bent some styrene rod and fitted in 2 crossover pipes, some Tamiya putty (dip a brush in lacquer thinner and gently brush the putty until you get the desired shape, no sanding needed if done right) and, OK not quite right, but better than it was:
Paint touch ups and smoke overcoat were done with a brush in place after.
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Post by arcticwolf on Sept 13, 2021 20:32:16 GMT -8
So, the chassis is mostly finished. Added, because they are missing from the kit, 2 oil coolers made from styrene and an old Williams radiator, a fuel line, throttle linkage from a shifter with the knob removed, air intake trumpet from God knows what, wires (fly fishing line), net cost = zero. At this point I decided to leave the luggage boxes until later, if ever. It's a reasonable facimile of a MK 2 I hope:
Thanks for looking.
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Post by mustangrex on Sept 14, 2021 4:38:03 GMT -8
You have done a lot of extra works on the MKII and it shows. I have built all of the original IMC/Testors/Union MKI, MK2, J car and MKIVs and primarily box stock (starting in the 1990’s) just as the Fujumi kits and some of the resin kits were coming out. Given that these kits originate from 1960’s molds it is no surprise they are far from accurate but at that time there wasn’t anything like them. Fast forward over 50 years later and while the MENG kit looks to be more accurate it still has I some accuracy issues.
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Post by mustangrex on Sept 14, 2021 4:54:23 GMT -8
Nice job on the MKI. The kit is a bear like all of the different IMC ones. I would dab some silver paint on the latches and anywhere else there are screws or fasteners.
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Post by Ben_B on Sept 14, 2021 5:46:26 GMT -8
Nice!!!
Ben
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Post by starfighterace on Sept 14, 2021 6:10:21 GMT -8
That is Yeoman's work to build that kit. You are quite correct all the IMC Mk.II kit is the original GT with new front and rear body panels. Just like the '66 Sebring Winning car but the roof removed. Same goes for the Mk.I kit with the larger rear deck and tires.
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