Post by quattro on Apr 3, 2021 11:55:54 GMT -5
Guess it could have been called a scrapyard challenge.
Going to be a ramble this one. It is not about what I bought and built and how clever I might or might not have been.
Its about two pieces that had a long and unusual time of it until something clicked and I got them sorted into some sort of shape.
So went through a bunch of boxes stored away since I dunno when. I found this.
This was once a very beaten up Brabham BT49 slot car. I got hold of it in 1984 and did a conversion on it.
In those days there were no inkjets at home or decal paper that I recall.
I had just started at a graphic design studio and the white numbers and driver name were done as custom dry rubdown transfers.
I used to artwork by hand to size on an old photo mechanical transfer machine and add to our job sheets.
The roll hoop had gone and the rear view mirrors and the cog had gone on the engine. Tires were shot.
So.
Off to look at Indycals and there are the various 126 C2 decals available including the ones for Patrick Tambay.
Off to ebay to source the few bits I need to get it running and then something synchronicitus (is that a word?) happened.
I saw a Gunze Sangyo Ferrari F187. They came with engines and I thought why not.
But this particular kit had something else in with it from what I could see on the pics.
Took a punt and got it cheap. And this was in there.
It was an old Protar 1/24 Ferrari 126 C2. Have looked at them on ebay but so bloody expensive.
This was almost all there.
Read up on how to strip paint off a plastic kit and got the rubbing alcohol online and set about dunking it for a couple of days.
Had to sort out a few of the engine and rear suspension pieces but whoever had worked on it before had done a decent job.
In the meantime I got to work on the slot thing.
Added a few bits but could not re profile the nose because there would be nowhere for the guide mount to go.
Couple of days pass and the paint fell off the 1/24th really well.
Both got sprayed up at the same time.
The rear cowling was missing as were the rear wing endplates. Took a PDF of a paper model of the car and went to work.
Seemed OK. |Not perfect but better than eyeballing it.
Let that thing settle down and went on to finish up the slot thing.
I know this is not a slot car forum but it just struck me how odd it was that finding one old 'model' led me to the other.
So back to the 1/24th.
The one main thing I had to tackle was that I only had the one front brake and air scoop assembly.
Thought about it and used styrene sheets and rods, a nut and a washer to fashion something that was close to what I needed.
I cannot cast or mold so best I could do. Once done they fit fine.
So cracked on and did the 1982 Imola version of the Villeneuve car, again thanks to the Indycals ordered.
It ran with front wings in practise but not in the race.
Just added some of the spare photoetch for catches and trimline black for the tape used to hold panels together.
Again this is not about me and what I did but about these two assemblages of plastic and the odd journey they have been on
and how they have ended up.
Silly thing is I mentioned recently Italeri re releasing some of the kits they have acquired from the likes of Protar and Heller.
Be funny to see the 126 c2 come back.
And I am left wondering which comes first nowadays, The decals or the kit. Never used to be like that but thankfully it is these days.
Guess our regular decal suppliers have a very good idea of what we are all working on.
(and as an aside I am gobsmacked at the extensive range of decals offered for the early 70's Tyrrells of Stewart and Cevert and the
Ferrari 312 Bs...... The research and depth of product offered is amazing from Indycals).
Without the decal sheets being there I doubt these two pieces would ever have been 'ressurected'.
Hope I ain't bored you chaps. Been lucky with the 24th car and the slot runs nicely.
Good way to start the Easter weekend.
Happy Easter fellas and do not eat too much chocolate egg!
