Avro Mirage 720 (aka Ford GT), Polar Lights 1/25 Snap Kit

A quick holiday build, starting with the Polar Lights 1/25 Ford GT snap kit. The main visible difference between the super-tuned 720 Mirage and the "basic" Ford GT is the lack of a rear bumper, which leaves the back end rather more open. And lots of cool black detailing...

http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-33TgwmJ/0/XL/dials2-XL.jpg

The dash responds well to a bit of detail painting

http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-sRW9vHZ/0/XL/cockpit-chassis-3-XL.jpg

I took most of the chrome off everything, leaving only the supercharger body (which, although it is more powerful on the Mirage, is also chrome plated like the original equipment)

http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-f5rSmW9/0/XL/wheels-XL.jpg

The wheels end up like this. If I was even more shortsighted than I am, and had a steadier hand, the orange bar in the middle would resolve into "Mirage", but I'm not, so it doesn't. The brakes are moulded in to the back of the wheel, and so rotate with the front, which is the only major compromise to simplify the kit. They are also not handed, which only matters on the rears which have the main calliper and a secondary thingy (I'd love to know what it is -- you get them on most supercar brakes, on one pair of wheels). I'll just have to set the wheels carefully to put the callipers in the right position before taking pics!

http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-SGhrT7L/0/XL/cockpit-engine2-XL.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-s4J8q3j/0/XL/cockpit-engine-XL.jpg

The plain black plastic cockpit is much improved by a lick of paint. The seats are nicely thought-through, with inserts for the "breather" holes, but they are even better if you strip the chrome and repaint, and touch in the "holes" with a paint pen.

http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-PDtCZ5t/0/XL/chassis-built-front-left-XL.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-twbLRpN/0/XL/chassis-built-high-left-XL.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-zWcB8Sj/0/XL/chassis-from-above-XL.jpg

So that's the chassis together. Depending on what you can see (the body is one-piece and doesn't open) I might add a few pipes and cables around the engine. I've no idea whether the colours of the bits in the nose section are right, but since I can't find ANY pictures, and you can't see them after it's built, I'm not going to worry too much. Elapsed time to this stage about 4 hours. Now for the cool black detailing!

bestest,
M.

Matt, looks like another great kit for you. The thing on the rear brakes should be the parking brake. Is this kit any way related to the AMT Rides kit?

Thanks!

As far as I know, the AMT ?"Johnny Lightning"?, Polar Lights and Moebius kits are all exactly the same kit. I'm not sure which ones were pre-painted (or if it was ever possible to get one that WASN'T) and what colours they came in...

This:

http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Family/general-and-family/i-ffxJF7S/0/XL/mirage720-XL.jpg

Is what I'm aiming for...

bestest,
M.

Looking good.

Looks great so far!

There is no Moebius of this kit, but yes, first came the Polar Lights prepainted ones. A Johnny Lightning one came with 1/64 car. Ant am AMT box release, all bare plastic.

Thanks! And now for the shiny...

http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-TvfPXWz/0/XL/body-1-XL.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-zLPjJCC/0/XL/body-2-XL.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-6VWcTn5/0/XL/body-3-XL.jpg

...did I mention that it's quite orange? ;-P

bestest,
M.

I was always under the impression that the scale of this kit isn't quite 1/25.

could I trouble you for some reference measurements?
length+width of body
track+wheelbase of chassis


and yes, this car deserves to have that rear bumper removed.

Matt, you have inspired me to work on the AMT version I have. Paint looks great.

The wheelbase is 110mm, and rear track 75mm

The body is 188mm long and 80mm wide at the rear "haunches" (the widest part of the main body) or 88mm wide across the wing mirrors.

Compared to the real thing:
Wheelbase 2710mm
Rear track 1623mm
Length 4643mm
Width 1953mm

Wheelbase = 1/24.6 of the real thing
Rear track =1/21.2 of the real thing (but that might be sloppy fitting of the press-on wheels)
Length = 1/24.7 of the real thing
Width = 1/24.4 (if the width is the body) or 1/22.2 (if the width is over the wing mirrors).

So it's somewhere between 1/24 and 1/25, and that's OK for me!

bestest,
M.

The body is now on!

http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-LvJNN3s/0/XL/body-on-4-XL.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-g4fXLHC/0/XL/body-on-1-XL.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-tL3Lhzf/0/XL/body-on-2-XL.jpg
http://cmatthewbacon.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Models-Gallery-18/i-VM5sZr6/0/XL/body-on-3-XL.jpg

I removed the silencer box (the big square lump at the extreme rear behind the engine, because that's one way the 720 Mirage saves weight over the original GT. I've cut out the ring through which the exhausts emerge from the rear bumper part, and glued it in place on the body instead. The instructions have you add the rear bumper last, when the body and chassis are together. However, with the Mirage, the body with the mesh won't drop over the exhausts, so I had to cut them off the engine and insert pins so I could plug them in from the outside after it was all together.

Just the last few details and decals to add now...

bestest,
M.

thank you for the numbers.

I have a strong preference for 1/24 purely so my built kits are more homogenous.
I did read somewhere that this is closer than 1/24 than 1/25 but never got firm confirmation of that from anywhere.