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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 1, 2022 16:50:18 GMT -8
Post Covid blues. The bug is gone but the aftereffects linger on. Grrrrrrrr! So I putzed around with something simple. Yeah, right!
Not a build, it was supposed to be a simple repair and restore. A kit I got very cheap, already built, needed some TLC. Which is why I bought it, because I hate carbon fibre cars and normally wouldn't bother, plus these Tamiya kits are way overpriced IMO. Turned into a ressurection, of course.
This, after basic disassembly, is what I got:
Some damage to the rear suspension and some touch ups needed, but kudos to the original builder, very nice precise work! And also covered in carbon fibre decals, every part! Not something I'd have bothered to do, so bonus.
To clean up the monocoque I had to do some disassembly, and some parts fell off......but windex plus a clear coat = the ELF decals and red 5 cracked. OK, a gamble, I had an Indycals sheet just in case, so what you see is indycals ELF's and 5 over top of Tamiya's original decals. Believe it or not the register was identical. Before the repair:
And after, with 2 more TS13 clearcoats:
So far so good. Except the engine cowl looked awful, so I soaked it in windex and found the blue part was a decal, not paint. Indycals expect you to paint it, of course!
At that point I figured repainting the white part would help anyway.
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 1, 2022 17:03:19 GMT -8
At least I now could glue the seat back in. The front suspension was reassembled with pins and glue - originally all the kit was screwed together - so far so good:
The car didn't steer, because the rack and pinion was, as always, too tight a fit (normally I file the teeth off the pinion). With the bottom of the nose removed, I took the dremel and a pointy diamond bit and ground down the teeth on the rack and the pinion, just enough that it moves freely. Now it steers.
That's when everything went wrong. The thing started to fall apart, literally, due to the carbon fibre decals. Anything that was glued to the decals - most of the car - let go. Lots of decal scraping and CA to make it solid again. Grrrrrrrr. However, I didn't want to waste the beautiful decal job.
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 1, 2022 17:10:16 GMT -8
The tires, I had thought, were garbage, but it was just the decals/transfers/whatever. Windex, scrape, toothbrush, repeat. 3 before and 1 after, not too bad at all. Saved me buying resin ones.
So basically redid the sidepods and repaired the rear suspension:
A lot of detail painting while I was at it
I was pretty happy until I realized the ride height was wrong.
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 1, 2022 17:18:50 GMT -8
Detailing done, and ready to go back together
car steers!
Test fit of cowl, with it's new paint job:
The front wing - no pictures, I was too frustrated - fell apart 9 separate times. It just would not stay together. I gave up, stripped off all the CF decalling, painted it rubber black with a SG clearcoat and new decals and pinned the thing together. Looks fine to me. Just to match, the rear wing got the same treatment. Original decals on rear wing.
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 1, 2022 17:25:02 GMT -8
The cowl was done with Indycals decals and clear coated. I know the blue Camels don't match the Tamiya paint but close enough at this point.
I figured I'd park it with it's cousin the Renault
Thanks for putting up with me.
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Post by kyledehart5 on Dec 1, 2022 21:40:06 GMT -8
What a delightful restoration job!! Turned out great, even if it is a carbon fiber car. Lol. And it looks good up on the shelf with its cousin! Nice work Paul!
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Dec 2, 2022 7:58:41 GMT -8
Great Save, I found that kit to be a bit complex, but so is the real car. I bought one and prepared by buying the kit and Book on building it, getting together the bits and pieces need to upgrade the basic kit and Gave Up! To much for my simple brain... I like Carbon Fibre cars but this kit was just to much... Great Job Keep on Posting these kinds of redo's.... Chris
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 2, 2022 11:17:12 GMT -8
Great Save, I found that kit to be a bit complex, but so is the real car. I bought one and prepared by buying the kit and Book on building it, getting together the bits and pieces need to upgrade the basic kit and Gave Up! To much for my simple brain... I like Carbon Fibre cars but this kit was just to much... Great Job Keep on Posting these kinds of redo's.... Chris Thanks Chris. By the time I was done, it wouldn't have been much more work to build the car from the beginning. But they want 450.00 for the kit, 90.00 for the suspension detail-up, 90.00 for the brake set, 90.00 for the cockpit, plus a carbon fibre decal set, plus Indycals decals (or Camel fill - ins) and on.........plus shipping on all that. It's a 1000.00 model when you're done. For 1000.00 I can buy a MFH kit! This one cost me about 100.00 all told, so that's why I have it at all, lol.
I need something simple, maybe a Protar Ferrari..........  |
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 2, 2022 11:20:31 GMT -8
What a delightful restoration job!! Turned out great, even if it is a carbon fiber car. Lol. And it looks good up on the shelf with its cousin! Nice work Paul! Thanks Kyle. That yellow Renault is my pride and joy, I don't think I could duplicate it today no matter how hard I tried.  |
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Post by kyledehart5 on Dec 2, 2022 13:11:36 GMT -8
What a delightful restoration job!! Turned out great, even if it is a carbon fiber car. Lol. And it looks good up on the shelf with its cousin! Nice work Paul! Thanks Kyle. That yellow Renault is my pride and joy, I don't think I could duplicate it today no matter how hard I tried. That Renault, from the picture I can see looks stunning. A gorgeous build of a very pretty car. And I always thought Jabouille was a great name. Lol. Something simple like a Protar Ferrari is it? 🤦🏻♂️😂 Can’t wait to see whatever it is you build next. |
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Post by pnance26 on Dec 14, 2022 11:14:15 GMT -8
So that was the 1/12th Williams? Great save from a car of doom!
Simple like a Protar Ferrari... I didn't sell those to you did I? If so, I apologize... they are some ole brittle kits for sure!
I wouldn't have much to say about rebuilds except I have one of the cousins that I built and gave away. It came back to me two years ago and had taken a dive off a shelf so it is need of repair. AFter I gave it away, I built another that is in my collection. I have no idea what to do with a 1/12 car full of spare parts. It is the Tamiya Renault RE20.
Like I said, good save, Paul! Looks good!
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 15, 2022 8:35:11 GMT -8
Yeah, Patrick, you're the guilty party.  |
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