Tamiya Mclaren MP4/4 w/ Top Studio Detail Up Kit

[Foenetik]

since theres no way on earth im putting the body on and covering all this work, i was going to put the body next to the chassis. however this seemed kinda crude. i assume in the real world they have a stand as to not ruin the body. so i decided to scratch build one. came out decent. as usual, first time scratch building anything. its not complicated at all but its not the star of the show so i wanted to keep it simple. need to paint it. going to make it alum and TRM gave me the suggestion of chroming the brackets and such. so im going to do that, i think it will add some nice contrast of materials.

thanks for looking!

One of the legs. added a bead around where the pipes connect. was going to make it look like weld seams but i cant seem to get it to form when i put glue on it and press down. they kinda look like a collar so ill probably leave it so i dont ruin it.


since the legs are at an angle, i had to find a way to sand the feet down so that they would fit into the angle styrene feet. devised this little contraption. worked like a charm, didnt have to guess any angles.




Completed Stand


Stand with body

[TRM]

Love the stand brother!! This thing is looking off the hook!! Great bit of scratch work!!

[Foenetik]

Thanks todd!

Small update:

Added fittings and 1/2 the lines for the brakes.


Assembled brakes


Added CF to cockpit. Had to do it in sections. Basically i took blue tape and made templates. Used microsol came out pretty good i think. the textured paint is kinda showing though, but i kinda like it. once i future and dullcote it wont be as pronounced me thinks.

[Foenetik]

futured and dullcoted the cockpit



Added PE to the intercoolers and radiators. originally i had them all alclad chrome and the PE and the oem piece were visually fighting it out so i flat blacked the inside and then put the PE on top. looked much better.




this is the bottom of the wing. the CF part was supposed to be gloss black. but i thought CF would be tyte yo. so i changed it up. im happy with it.


and the steering hub before black paint. unfortunately i dont want to paint it cause if you look under the chrome hub youll see the tiny bolts i had to make from solder. they look so cool and as soon as i paint em black i know thyre gonna dissappear. maybe i can get a toothpick or brush in there and top em off with some chrome. make it look like bolts.

[TRM]

Some really fine detailing Tony!! Very clean work!! Nice bit of scratch work on the steering wheel!!

[Leon]

Your doing some awesome work Tony .The level of detail is beyond words.

[Foenetik]

thanks guys! 

[Tobi]

You assumed right with the stands for the body, but they were less sophisticated than yours. Simply two inverted "V"s for the legs with a crossbar on top, all from round tube and all the same size.

Anyhow, I love your work! It's been ages since I've built my last F1 (decals have already yellowed, I didn't gloss coat back then).

It's about time I start another one, thanks for the inspiration.

[Foenetik]

Aug 7, 2014 3:36:48 GMT -5 Tobi said:

You assumed right with the stands for the body, but they were less sophisticated than yours. Simply two inverted "V"s for the legs with a crossbar on top, all from round tube and all the same size.

Anyhow, I love your work! It's been ages since I've built my last F1 (decals have already yellowed, I didn't gloss coat back then).

It's about time I start another one, thanks for the inspiration.

the ones i saw i think were a model and they were thicker like mine but i think they were just a universal unit a company offered. i did some more research after your comment and i saw the thinner simpler ones. i actually think they look nicer thinner. i mean i like mine too but in comparison they seem a little thick now. i may revisit those. thanks for the info and compliment.

[Foenetik]

im going to get some small diameter alum rod and make them right from metal. thanks for the tip tobi. i really appreciate it.

[Foenetik]

Update Time! Made quite a bit of progess.

Just want to say something really quick about the model since im getting close to wrapping it up:

Ive learned a lot with this model. When i started it, it was the 3rd model i worked on since a 15 year break. So needless to say im still a novice modeler. However, with this kit ive learned to work with all sizes of Photo Etch, Sharpened some body painting skills, learned how to detail an engine, and learned in general how the process of modeling correctly works. Now, with that said, as i put it together, i realized some big mistakes i made. For example, i know to dry fit parts to make sure they fit. However, it didnt occur to me that i should also dry fit the sub assemblies to the car prior to gluing instead of assuming all the locating pins and such would make it line up right. Because i didnt really think to do this. The engine wont sit where its supposed to in relation to the rest of the car, and some other major parts arent where they should be. Now, this COULD be fixed however it would require MAJOR surgery, buying new parts and lots of time that, frankly, im not interested in doing. There is no way to finagle it into its correct alignment, trust me. Im not really into F1, i just got the car cause im a sucker for details, and a challenge. Its not a labor of love, so its not worth it to go back that far to me. So i mounted it as best as i can to make it look as best as i can. With that said, im happy with it and how it will end up. I got what i wanted out of it. Tons of experience and lessons learned. Its going to look nice in the end, but i didnt want anyone to look at the Top Studio Site, or other modelers pics and see how off mine is. I also had to make some creative choices and change things to make it all come together due to the alignment issues.

Again, im happy with it, and im getting to the point where i want to do something else. I will apply what i learned to future models (especially the top studio kit for the YZR bike i got) and will be a better modeler for it. So because its not a super clean build and there's mistakes, I decided to make it look post race. This includes some weathering (dirt, slight grime, oil fuel stains, etc etc). I actually am very happy with how the weathering is coming out so far. Im keeping it pretty light but these cars go through hell each race.

Here is my progress so far, and thank you VERY much to all of you who stuck around for this, i know it took forever but its a really tough kit. It was worth every penny and im SUPER excited to move onto the next models i have.

Im not exactly sure what this is, maybe a gear selector? has numbers on it.


Cable and bracket for the gear selector (at least i think thats what it is)


"Dashboard". Notice the redicuously tiny toggle switches on the right. those were fun. ahem.


Steering Wheel backside. Two connectors to pigtail.


Cockpit Detail Shots, Seatbelts




Rivet Detail


Front suspension



Decided to pin all the spindles to make mounting easier, and add detail (not part of the instructions)



These were fun to bend...even with a PE Bender


Inside the air duct


Underneath cockpit (wont be seen once put to floor)



Cockpit mounted to floor w/ intercoolers


Engine added to floor




After weathering, Brakes added, lines connected, General Shots of car to hopefully show details..






























So heres the base im working on. My dad had some extra floor tiles from when he did his garage so i figured out how big they need to be for scale (1ft x 1ft). They are some kinda composite material (thought they were like a linoleum) so they were brittle and VERY hard to cut even. So the floor isnt exactly square but i kinda like it. Looks like an old garage, and it kinda represents this model. Looks cool but not perfect. Once i mount the car im going to add fuel and oil stains. Not a lot but looking like something spilled and was wiped up. It will stain the floor even though its made for a garage and is resistant. My dads garage has plenty of stains. Should look neat with the car, body and the tires piled on the side. Going to lift the car off the ground somehow too. havent figured it out yet. I also am leaving one caliper off and to the side, like its being worked on (hoses still attached) and sitting on an oil and brake fluid stained rag. Want to be a lil different than what i see all the other f1's doing. For the missing corner tile im going to put the squigly of adhesive you see under missing tiles, once i fill the border in.


And finally, i bought some smaller brass rod, to make the body stands. it will be more accurate. Havent started it yet.

[TRM]

Outstanding progression on this Anthony! The base will look really sharp when you are done!!

The devil is certainly in the details my friend.........



Says it all right there!!

[Foenetik]

Aug 19, 2014 6:58:08 GMT -5 TRM said:

Outstanding progression on this Anthony! The base will look really sharp when you are done!!

The devil is certainly in the details my friend.........

....Says it all right there!!

Thanks Todd!

[mrt51]

Holy Cow!

Speechless!

Terry

[deafpanzer]

This is SO SICK!!! I think I am about to scream medic!!! Stunning...

[Foenetik]

Thanks guys!

i cant help but glare at all the mistakes, but i appreciate the compliments just the same. its a pretty neat detail kit. cant wait to do the bike now.

[Tobi]

Let's sum up:

You had fun doing this? I guess so.
You learned a lot when doing it!
You like what you did achieve. Me too BTW.

What else could you ask for?

The day I would build a perfect model is the day I will quit doing this sick stuff! 

Nice idea with the checkered floor.

[Foenetik]

Aug 19, 2014 13:31:01 GMT -5 Tobi said:

Let's sum up:

You had fun doing this? I guess so.
You learned a lot when doing it!
You like what you did achieve. Me too BTW.

What else could you ask for?

The day I would build a perfect model is the day I will quit doing this sick stuff! 

Nice idea with the checkered floor.

That about sums it up. There were a few areas that made me want to set it on fire, but i did generally enjoy the build. youre right, couldnt ask for anything more.

Thanks!

[wbill76]

Looks like this one's getting close tot he finish line! Nice touch with the base/floor.

[Foenetik]

Aug 21, 2014 12:56:56 GMT -5 wbill76 said:

Looks like this one's getting close tot he finish line! Nice touch with the base/floor.

almost! still have a ton of decals which should take some time, but its getting there. finally. 

[deafpanzer]

You have plenty of time... Armorcon is only a month away. Wait a minute... can you bring it to that show?

[Foenetik]

Did some work on the accessories for the base.

So, i like to point out the mistakes because a: I dont want others to make the same mistake i did, and im getting decent at covering them up/fixing them so i like to show the creative process. For example, I accidentally got too much super glue where the front disk brake mounts. I cant scrape it because its so fragile, and i cant use glue debonder as it will eat the resin. so, what to do? decided since its post race, going to leave it off like its being worked on. Its not exactly accurate as typically youd have the rotor separated from the caliper but theyre glued on really well so thats not coming apart. Im going to leave one line connected to the 3 way connector, and the further one, im going to cut the nut off the end of one of the extra connectors i have and ill glue it to the end of the detached line so it looks like its unscrewed from the chassis. and then ill add some "brake fluid" coming out the end cause it always gets everywhere. I made some accessories to make it a little more believable.

Stained Paper towel, with brake parts on it.


The bunch: Paper towel stained, The shop rags the brake assembly will sit on (caliper is just there for effect, its not cut to length yet). Tried using a real shop rag but it didnt scale well, it was way too thick. so i had a red tshirt i didnt care about i sacrificed for the greater good. came out nice i think. I also made 2 folded, clean shop rags.


The revised body stands. They arent painted yet. i added the feets to the front ones so it will have more surface area to glue. i was going to make it like the rear but honestly it was a lot of work just to get the rear even. didnt want to do it again.Added a bolt and nut detail to the rear stand.




thats all for now. just diligently painting the wing parts so i can get to decals.

[Foenetik]

Aug 22, 2014 9:54:52 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

You have plenty of time... Armorcon is only a month away. Wait a minute... can you bring it to that show?

dont think so, but im bringing it to show you guys cause the pics dont capture all the details. Im definitely bringing the aerosan though!

[Leon]

Anthony that is some awesome detailing you've done .Looking forward to seeing it up close.

[Foenetik]

Aug 22, 2014 19:06:22 GMT -5 Leon said:

Anthony that is some awesome detailing you've done .Looking forward to seeing it up close.

Thanks Leon! Looking forward to meeting up. Cant wait for the show

[TRM]

Nice bit of extras there Tony!! Looking really sharp!

[Foenetik]

Aug 23, 2014 17:27:07 GMT -5 TRM said:

Nice bit of extras there Tony!! Looking really sharp!

Thank you sir!

[Foenetik]

Small Update:

Did some decals..

This wasnt in the plans but they looked so plain...


Rear Spoiler


Bottom of rear spoiler


Nose


Cockpit



Windscreen (still need to paint black along bottom inside)


Body



Body After Clear*


*
So this was a first.. Only this one did it (thank goodness). But after clearcoating this decal went all 60's on me. Not sure why. I waited 3 hours after using MicroSet. Even swabbed them all down. Never had it happen before. So ive decided which side will be facing the back of the diorama haha. 

cue sad trumpet...



just had an idea. im gonna make a mechanics fender mat. i have extra decals, this way i can hide it. might just work!

[Foenetik]

so since im making it looked worked on, todd helped me find a tool box and tool! woop!

[TRM]

Some excellent work there Tony! Decals look great...well, except for the one, but I think you have that figure out on this one now Keep bringing it my friend...almost there!!