1/25 scale “Speed Racer” MACH 5, by a Polar Lights

[Whiterook]

Throwing my hat into this race… with the “Speed Racer” MACH 5, by a Polar Lights. 1/25 scale, at 7 ½” long with 54 parts, it’s a snap kit, which generally means no glue is required, but on a few kits f this nature, I always glue them to seal it properly, especially as some work at the seams may reveal the need. Injected in white, chrome, and clear parts, it sports a detailed interior and metal axles to allow chrome and rubber wheels to roll freely. It even features gadgets like a robot bird scout and underwater bubble canopy!





I was huge into Speed Racer as a kid, and as dorky as it sounds, my friends and I would fly out onto our bicycles after the show and race around like crazy people! It was a novel cartoon show of the time and my first introduction to Japanese Manga.

I found this new kit at a small toy store on a bus trip this past Saturday in Rockport, Massachusetts… a beautiful little New England seaside town on the coast north of Boston… so I’m excited to get it on the bench!



Im very much looking forward to learning lots from the GB builders, too. I haven’t built a civie car since around the early 1970s so, considering my fledgling skills of that age, this is almost like a completely new style subject endeavor. So, getting ready to hit the starting line right after my PzIV completion.

[Whiterook]

I won’t lie… that giant “M” decal kinda scares me   …last time I dealt with a decal that big, it kinda spun outta control on me, haha. I’ll be curious in the “glass” canopy… back in my early days, I used regular plastic cement, and you know what that does to clear plastic! I’m going on the assumption that aircraft canopy glue is the preferred method? …and do any of you all dip your windshields in Future acrylic?

[tcoat]

Jul 28, 2023 8:11:40 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

I won’t lie… that giant “M” decal kinda scares me   …last time I dealt with a decal that big, it kinda spun outta control on me, haha. I’ll be curious in the “glass” canopy… back in my early days, I used regular plastic cement, and you know what that does to clear plastic! I’m going on the assumption that aircraft canopy glue is the preferred method? …and do any of you all dip your windshields in Future acrylic?

I would be cutting that M into at least three pieces to place. Figure is better to do it in pieces in a controlled manner than pieces in a random way.
I use white glue or Testers Clear Parts for canopies and windshields. Doesn't take much and since it dries clear you have a bit of a margin of error. 
I dip all clear parts in Future. Not only does it make them clearer but if you screw up you can wash the Future off, recoat and start over. It also protects them from fogging due to superglue vapours. 

[406 Silverado]

Jul 28, 2023 8:39:10 GMT -5 tcoat said:

Jul 28, 2023 8:11:40 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

I won’t lie… that giant “M” decal kinda scares me   …last time I dealt with a decal that big, it kinda spun outta control on me, haha. I’ll be curious in the “glass” canopy… back in my early days, I used regular plastic cement, and you know what that does to clear plastic! I’m going on the assumption that aircraft canopy glue is the preferred method? …and do any of you all dip your windshields in Future acrylic?

I would be cutting that M into at least three pieces to place. Figure is better to do it in pieces in a controlled manner than pieces in a random way.
I use white glue or Testers Clear Parts for canopies and windshields. Doesn't take much and since it dries clear you have a bit of a margin of error. 
I dip all clear parts in Future. Not only does it make them clearer but if you screw up you can wash the Future off, recoat and start over. It also protects them from fogging due to superglue vapours. 

That's pretty much what I was thinking about cutting that M into separate pieces. Future works perfect for clear parts as well and is what I use on all my military aircraft for the very reasons that Tony pointed out.

Glad to see this thread started up and can't wait to see you work your magic on it Emery.

[keavdog]

I built that one - super fun. There's two versions 1 very simple snap and 1 with more detail. The snap kit comes with stickers but there's a company that sells the decals here hdamodelworx.com/SPEED-RACER-Replacement-Decal-Set-for-the-Polar-Lights-Model-Kit-by-HDAMODELWORX-_p_862.html

The big M was a bit finicky but manageable - and the decal set comes with 2

[Whiterook]

Thanks, all… will do on the Future. And thanks for the decal info, John… I reached out to them to see if they can ship cheaper than Priority (…that’s more than the decal set itself!).

[stikpusher]

Oh I'm looking forward to this one. That was one of my favorite cartoons back in the day! Hell, I even enjoyed the live action movie that they made several years back. I thought that it captured the spirit of the original cartoon series.

[deafpanzer]

I grew watching this awesome show and it wasn't an issue for me to enjoy without the captions because it was packed with actions! I am going to follow this build. Good luck!

[kyledehart5]

Who doesn’t love speed racer? Looking forward to seeing this!

[Whiterook]

Jul 28, 2023 9:41:09 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

Thanks, all… will do on the Future. And thanks for the decal info, John… I reached out to them to see if they can ship cheaper than Priority (…that’s more than the decal set itself!).

Well, in the decades of being on forums, this is the first time I can recall, of my ever quoting myself 

…I did reach out to HDAModelWorx, and they’d git right back to me, saying they had arranged for a cheaper shipping alternative but hadn’t had time to adjust their site… they since have, and I ordered a set, with shipping at half the cost as before!

[Joe Rix]

This is going to be righteous Emery. Count me in for following along. Glad you were able to order a decal set.

[406 Silverado]

Aug 10, 2023 10:36:50 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

Jul 28, 2023 9:41:09 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

Thanks, all… will do on the Future. And thanks for the decal info, John… I reached out to them to see if they can ship cheaper than Priority (…that’s more than the decal set itself!).

Well, in the decades of being on forums, this is the first time I can recall, of my ever quoting myself 

…I did reach out to HDAModelWorx, and they’d git right back to me, saying they had arranged for a cheaper shipping alternative but hadn’t had time to adjust their site… they since have, and I ordered a set, with shipping at half the cost as before!

Glad to hear that you're now squared away on another decal sheet bud. Looking forward to this......

[Leon]

I grew up watching speed racer so this will be cool to follow Emery!

[Tojo72]

I definitely remember the show and it's theme song,should be a great build.

[handiabled]

I have a Speed Racer t-shirt my Daughter gave me. This will be cool to watch come together