Tamiya's ancient Countach with an upgrade
May 20, 2023 22:19:27 GMT -5
406 Silverado, deafpanzer, and 3 more like this
Post by dannimal on May 20, 2023 22:19:27 GMT -5
Hey everyone!, This is one that i am about to wrap up from 2021. For an old kit, it still builds up beautifully, and other than the chassis battery bits, looks the real part. With this build, i really wanted to show how to get rid of that battery look, and add some other details to make it more realistic without a ton of work.
The arrows point to lines that only need shallow scribing...unlike the opening bits that need to be deeper.
...same here...
...and here.
...and again here.
I didnt want to do the engine this time, so i glued the hood down, but as you can see, there wasnt enough molded in contact, so i had to add styrene.
I also wanted to glue the headlamps in the down position, so styrene helped again.
I added end caps to the wing, and newer door mirrors from an Aoshima kit.
I needed to fill in the muffler holes, but after gluing in the kits tail pipes here, i remove them later in favor of the Aoshima ones.
The on/off switch was filled in.
I didnt want the kits wheels, and i didnt want to customize them either, so i used Aoshima wheels with Fujimi tires. I need to adjust the rear ride height.
Already looks better with those holes filled in.
Its kinda hard for me to describe, but i needed to use a spare battery cover to even out the rear suspension area.
Square styrene to fill in, and add contacts for shocks.
All the kit bits about to get better!
Look at all those ejection pin marks!! The arrows point to areas that need fillin, and what most people dont realize, is that the dash top is in two pieces, so i need to scribe it.
The seat on left is untouched, and unrealistically too hard, so i rounded all appropriate areas. Now it looks firm, but cushy.
These areas wont be seen here, but i just wanted to show another tip for realism with seats. Leaving these subtle sink marks in these circled areas, actually mimics real seats...fabric being stretched over foam and frame.
Filled in, scribed, and softened edges.
Time to make actual door panels, and mark the spot for a more realistic interior light.
All the pencil lines show where i need to scribe for seams in the leather.
This tiny area needs to be scribed to show that the glove box is openable...a corner in the molding doesnt do it at all.
Solder is used for floormat trim, and i cut slots for the seatbelts to go in.
I added a footwell wall, and a bracket for foot pedals.
I scribed the inner door seams.
It needed a more realistic hand brake slot, not just stuck to the floor.
An often forgotten centercolumn seam.
Fujimi Countach buckles, and colored pencil used on the raised bits of the guages finished with clear coat.
I add these two things together to replicate the covers on seat buckles...
...adds alot of easy realism.
The old door cards are now painted with rubber, and become the window gaskets.
I used shortened shocks from a Fujimi Cobra kit . You wont see most of it, so the quick blackwash will be okay this time. I will add hex rod bolts to finish them off.
This is how Tamiya wanted the tailights done...
...this is how they actually look -darker background...
...this is how they look now.
I made later version hood louvers from styrene.
Titanium Gold wheels, and SB muffler heat shield.
I used Spaz Stixx Ultimate Mirror Chrome for the turn signal buckets.
It looks great, but i need to flow flat black paint mixed with Canopy glue into the fore edge of the turn signal lenses.
It looks so much better now, still need to flow flat black into the exhaust tips.
Just needs the side mirrors!
The arrows point to lines that only need shallow scribing...unlike the opening bits that need to be deeper.
...same here...
...and here.
...and again here.
I didnt want to do the engine this time, so i glued the hood down, but as you can see, there wasnt enough molded in contact, so i had to add styrene.
I also wanted to glue the headlamps in the down position, so styrene helped again.
I added end caps to the wing, and newer door mirrors from an Aoshima kit.
I needed to fill in the muffler holes, but after gluing in the kits tail pipes here, i remove them later in favor of the Aoshima ones.
The on/off switch was filled in.
I didnt want the kits wheels, and i didnt want to customize them either, so i used Aoshima wheels with Fujimi tires. I need to adjust the rear ride height.
Already looks better with those holes filled in.
Its kinda hard for me to describe, but i needed to use a spare battery cover to even out the rear suspension area.
Square styrene to fill in, and add contacts for shocks.
All the kit bits about to get better!
Look at all those ejection pin marks!! The arrows point to areas that need fillin, and what most people dont realize, is that the dash top is in two pieces, so i need to scribe it.
The seat on left is untouched, and unrealistically too hard, so i rounded all appropriate areas. Now it looks firm, but cushy.
These areas wont be seen here, but i just wanted to show another tip for realism with seats. Leaving these subtle sink marks in these circled areas, actually mimics real seats...fabric being stretched over foam and frame.
Filled in, scribed, and softened edges.
Time to make actual door panels, and mark the spot for a more realistic interior light.
All the pencil lines show where i need to scribe for seams in the leather.
This tiny area needs to be scribed to show that the glove box is openable...a corner in the molding doesnt do it at all.
Solder is used for floormat trim, and i cut slots for the seatbelts to go in.
I added a footwell wall, and a bracket for foot pedals.
I scribed the inner door seams.
It needed a more realistic hand brake slot, not just stuck to the floor.
An often forgotten centercolumn seam.
Fujimi Countach buckles, and colored pencil used on the raised bits of the guages finished with clear coat.
I add these two things together to replicate the covers on seat buckles...
...adds alot of easy realism.
The old door cards are now painted with rubber, and become the window gaskets.
I used shortened shocks from a Fujimi Cobra kit . You wont see most of it, so the quick blackwash will be okay this time. I will add hex rod bolts to finish them off.
This is how Tamiya wanted the tailights done...
...this is how they actually look -darker background...
...this is how they look now.
I made later version hood louvers from styrene.
Titanium Gold wheels, and SB muffler heat shield.
I used Spaz Stixx Ultimate Mirror Chrome for the turn signal buckets.
It looks great, but i need to flow flat black paint mixed with Canopy glue into the fore edge of the turn signal lenses.
It looks so much better now, still need to flow flat black into the exhaust tips.
Just needs the side mirrors!