Colin’s GB 1/8 Ayrton Senna’s MP4 McLaren

[Bigfoot57]

My first post of this GB if it’s the wrong can moderator please move to correct location
Anyway I don’t have any sprues so to speak so will this do for the contents

Regards

Colin

[Wouter]

1/8 ey? Looking forward to see how this unfolds. Must be quite big when finished.
I built an MP4/5B in 1/20 couple of years ago and enjoyed it. Which colors are you going to use? Zero Paints got great McLaren 80's paint.

Cheers

[Bigfoot57]

Shouldn’t need any the model is already pre coloured and most of the decals are already applied as well it’s basically glue and screw it together see 1st page of instructions below nose cone already coloured and decalled

[Bigfoot57]

Stage 1 comeplete I haven’t done any modifications yet as there isn’t enough to modify have sanded down the tire so the sheen had gone from the surface
I am disappointed by the front wing it does fit tightly and the screws frankly are rubbish they won’t go into the recess far enough and the heads are getting chewed up by the screwdriver this means the end plates wobble not what I expected given the positive comments about this kit

Regards

Colin

[Bigfoot57]

just a small correction to the text in previous post it should read do not fit tightly not as posted do fit tightly which is completely wrong given that the end plates wobble although I have stopped that with some glue you shouldn’t have to resort to such measures in this class of kit

[Bigfoot57]

Pack 2 complete not much to say or do at the moment just basically follow instructions this pack saw the rear wing built a bit more on the engine namely the cam covers and the clutch and alternator along with timing chain and finally the plenuium chamber along with skids for the front wing like I said not much to it at the moment pack 3 tomorrow

Regards

Colin

[Bigfoot57]

Ok Pack 3 and things are getting more like it 1st off is the brake disc and calipers which are assembled unusually using a piece of tape and strip of paper threaded through the calipers why I have no idea but I did as instructed incidently the scratches and bits of paint missing from pieces is where I scraped off the top layer so the glue is actually gluing the plastic layer and not the top coat of paint
Next came the inking in process whereby you black in the hollows of certain pieces to give the impression of depth etc you can see I used a whittled down toothpick to apply matt black paint yes it should be proper Indian ink but I haven’t got any of that nor will I be acquiring any soon so paint it is
The pictures show the pieces that have been inked in finally the grey alternator gets the treatment and lastly the intercooler which I painted black then using a cloth with meths on it wiped all the top surface of paint off the part leaving the sunken bits still painted not perfect but it will do

Regards

Colin

[papa 695]

Coming along nicely Colin, It should turn into a really impressive kit once completed. as for the screws you really need to find a screw driver that fits perfectly, the one's supplied if you got one are usually naff.

[Bigfoot57]

Your’e right about the supplied screwdriver I now have a precision set which are miles better anyway onwards pack 4 was done tonight and comprised of another brake disc along with the calipers built and finished as per previous also this time was numerous bits of pipework which had plastic tape wraparounds the black banding you can see etc see the enclosed photo’s and finally a rear tyre and wheel which I sanded the shiny sheen off the tyre again as in the previous construction and finally the 1st brake disc and calipers are attached to the front wheel by way of a black nut which there are a further 4 on the small display card photo


Regards

Colin

[Bigfoot57]

Onto pack 4 this is where the radiators start to take shape and again further detailing blacking hollows in the meshes using paint then a cloth soaked in meths to remove all excess paint and just leave the background then finally take all pieces for this stage and assemble them together

Regards
Colin

[Bigfoot57]

Previous entry should have read packs 4 , 5 & 6 construction this time is the the main monocoque has some attention namely the square of dark satin black at the front of the cut out for the cockpit and the turbo boosters the rest already having been done in the previous what I thought was pack 4 but in actual fact was packs 4 5 & 6 I have only 1 photo so next up will be pack 7

Regards

Colin

[Si Benson]

Coming along nicely Colin,
Brimming with details:thumb2:
Si

[Bigfoot57]

Ok pack 7 as there is now more smaller parts I have upped the photo detail shots to illustrate the build stage
So 1st off is a shot of all the parts involved which includes numerous small screws I know some people are replacing these with more releastic bolts but to be honest most of them won’t be seen so I’m sticking with the screws
In this part are 2 shock absorbers the balance control a couple of bulkheads and the cockpit with the gear stick I have laid the photo’s out in the sequence 1st the actual parts then the finished component the only deviation from this is the ink wash on the shock absorbers which the top one is before and the bottom one is after the wash was done by dipping a brush into some white spirit then using the residue paint left on the lid of the black paint this produced a flowing effect capillary action I think it is called anyway what it did was to flow the diluted paint into the grooves of the shock absorber leaving the ridges clear worked brilliantly anyway as always comments good & bad welcome

Regards

Colin

[papa 695]

This is moving along very nicely Colin, keep up the great work.

[Bigfoot57]

Pack 8 well 3/4 of it was started last night it didn’t get finished due to waiting for glue to set on various sub assembies before they could be joined together
1st off was to stick and screw the shock absorbers to the left & right front end plates as illustrated the connecting rod was threaded onto a projecting screw it was the pinned into position using another connecting rod then tapped so it stayed in that position
After the glue had set the tape was removed as per photo showing both shock absorbers in place
Next the 2 end plates were joined as per photo using that connecting permanently fixed this time
Next the front and rear monocoque end plates were added after which the whole shock absorber assembly was also added to the inside of the monocoque it was such a tight fight I deemed glue unessccary
The final piece of the assembly done last night were the upper & lower steering joints the last photo shows the monocoque in its most recent update in way of components and structual

Regards

Colin