Interim Project: Tamiya R34 Skyline

Welcome to Twist's Interim Project.

http://www.hlj.com/images/tam/tam24210box.gif

This project is one that will no doubt be finished in the fall or later. I'm just working on this until some other models arrive from HobbyLink Japan. In any case, I'm going to take Tamiya's R34 Skyline and turn it into Signal Auto's R34 Skyline Street Version ( http://www.signalauto.com/r34.html ). Here are some crummy pictures from my digital camera of the car as feature in Super Street.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/464599signalR34sv.jpg
I'm doing the car in metallic black instead of Midnight purple (Tamiya doesn't make that dark of a purple.) I don't know about the tuner decals or the red lines along the side yet. I'll have to scratch build the mirrors. Ouch! I've ordered the TE-37's from HLJ (made by Fujimi), but Phil (pkw1) pointed out that the ones on the Skyline are low offset (sorta deepdish), and the Fujimi ones are flat. More modifications. The biggest hindrance will be the wing.

Despite this being my first puttying kit and first major modification kit, I've already begun cutting and puttying under the supervision of Phil (thanks!). Here is what I have so far (note that all of these are "in-progress" pictures):

The hoodvent (the lines are stray pencil marks!):
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/581210hoodvent.jpg
The front bumper:
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/933105frontend.jpg
The real front bumper (Nismo) looks like this (not the same hood, thank goodness!):
http://car.biglobe.ne.jp/autos/event/tas2001/DSCN0001.jpg
The side skirts:
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/954079Dvc00037.jpg

P.S. My Fujimi Mitsu Lancer Evo V GSR is now up in the gallery and I'd really appreciate it if you guys would take a look at it and comment in the respective thread. Thanks!

that is sweet man!!!.......i think it looks very good for your first time.....just out of curiousity?........how are you going to make the spoiler?......you're gonna use putty?......are you gonna just make it free hand?.......anyways, i can't wait until it's finished.......are you gonna get some carbon fiber decals and make a carbon fiber hood like the SV?...that would be sweet.......

That is a nice looking car, funnily enough the wheels u are after are some than i plan to release for my Scaleautostyle project because when i get around to it i plan to make this little baby!http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/411270Mr2wbk3.jpg
I have found someone who can produce some master wheels for me then i will be making copies in resin. The plan is for them to fit with either of the two main types of fitting u get amongst Tamiya, Fujimi and Aoshima kits and i have devised a way of doing this. If u want to add them to your car in the future i'll let u know when they are ready - not likely to be for some weeks yet!

tenzoracerevovii: The hood is definitely gonna be carbon fiber. I've bought one to scale sheet (1/24) for the hood and spoiler. I'm also going to go buy another one for the front skirt and the two underbody panel thingy's that deal with air flow under the body.
As for the spoiler, I imagine that it will be a combination of the modified stock one, Evergreen modelling sheets and putty.

flyonthewall: That sounds sweet. I might order them from you, but that's a long way down the road yet.

The wing would look great in photoetch, and you could probably find something on HLJ of Media Mix. Just depends if you want to wait or not!

Funnily enough!....:D ....wings are also something i will be releasing. Im desiging the parts to be photoetched so i can send my plans to a few etching companies. My idea for this is to have the wing supports and end plates in etched steel with enough parts on the fret to make 4 wings - 2 double, 2 single with different heights and diff end plates etc. The aerofoils wil be as a long strip in resin, molded in the correct shape and are to be cut to length as per the modelers requirments. The designs are not like the one above, they are more upright, but as my designs are in the early stage then i could expand on it and include something like it.

Any thoughts and suggestions are very welcome.

...

Originally posted by R34_GT-t

When you buy the Tamiya Nissan Skyline R34 GTR kit does it come with the orange indicators as standard?
When I make mine I would want to put clear repeaters on rather than the orange one's
How would I do this?
-Elliot

They come molded as clear

Originally posted by R34_GT-t
So you are making it into a R34 R-Tune?
Why do you not like the NISMO bonnet?(hood)
When you buy the Tamiya Nissan Skyline R34 GTR kit does it come with the orange indicators as standard?
When I make mine I would want to put clear repeaters on rather than the orange one's
How would I do this?
-Elliot

It's Singal Auto's Skyline Street Version. Here is the list of modifications:

Fast Facts:
OWNER: Kousuke Kida
HOMETOWN: Osaka, Japan
DAILY GRIND: President of Signal Auto.
RIDE: Signal Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R Street Version
UNDER THE HOOD: 2.6 DOHC I-6 (RB26DETT); HKS 2.8L kit; oil pump; Toda Camshafts (intake: 256 degreees, exhaust: 264 degrees), valvesprings; Tomie retainers, aluminum slide pulley; Singal ported and polished cylinder heads; Trust T88-34D turbocharger, stainless stell exhaust manifold, high-flow Type C wastegate, intercooler; Singal 90pi CB-Muffler, oil catch can, aluminum radiator, HKS F-con V pro, two Bosch fuel pumps, KAAZ limited Slip differential, Exedy Triple Plate Clutch
STIFF STUFF: Tein RE Damper kit (front: 12k, rear: 12k); Cusco adjustable radius rod, upper control arm, drag rod
ROLLERS: Volk racing TE37 wheels (18x19.5), Toyo Vimoda tires (265/35ZER18)
STOPPERS: AP brake caliper kit, Hurst brake-line lock
OUTSIDE: Shift carbon-fiber hood; Nismo front bumper, rear bumper, side skirts; Singal GT-Wing; Ganador carbon-fiber mirror; Midnight Purple paing
INSIDE: Bride seats (Dinos in front, custom Brides in rear), Simpson five-point racing harness, Nismo gauges.

I'm trying to build as exact a repilca of this car as I can. Differences so far is basically the paint. It will be black instead of Midnight Purple. I've still got to shave down the lining on the hood it's too high. It will have clear turn signals on the side. :) I'm doing the Nismo hood because it's not on the real car and it's waaaay beyond my skills.

...

This is what I get for being vague, I put the Z-Tune up because it has the same front end. It's the Nismo front bumper I believe. ;)

Progress is slow, but it is progress. I'm progressively shaving back the hood to get the real thing, but it's slow and prone to mistakes. I'm not going to waste your time with photos right now. Expect some soon though.

Great subject, man! Keep it coming! :D

Here are pics of my progress so far. I really love putty, but it's not as forgiving as I'd like. Bear in mind that all the work here is still in progress and has not been sanded and in some cases not even cured completely. Enjoy, though.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/744154semifront.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/211294meanie.jpg
I love the second photo. It shows how mean a Skyline really is!

This week is spring break for me so I should be making a lot of progress. I'll keep posting pictures as they are relevent. :D

P.S. I don't know if this works with any one else's digicam, but looking at a model through its lens really brings out the glaring errors! :(

Thats looking damn fine!!! Is putt all u use with your mods??? Have u tried used plastic card aswell?
This is how i do my bodykits, building up the basic shape with the plastic the refining with the putty. Have u had any problems with the putty falling off?
Even so its looking good and if that works for u then stick with it!
Cant wait to see the end result.

Looking great so far

Originally posted by flyonthewall
Thats looking damn fine!!! Is putt all u use with your mods??? Have u tried used plastic card aswell?
This is how i do my bodykits, building up the basic shape with the plastic the refining with the putty. Have u had any problems with the putty falling off?
Even so its looking good and if that works for u then stick with it!
Cant wait to see the end result.

I use putty and Evergreen Styrene Sheets. For everything but the sideskirts I use the sheets first and then to make things look good and smooth I use putty. The putty has never come off for me, but on occasion some of tries to. I just use regular modelling glue and stick it back down. I don't have any 500 grit sandpaper so I just score whatever I'm going to be puttying with my hobby knife before I put it down. Not ideal, but it works. :D

Aha that explains it! I thought u were just using putty and nothing else.

I've got the body kit finished! :D (or nearly still got to sand) :(

I've started doing some preliminary to determine if I can do the GT-style wing. Here is what I have so far...
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/666922wingbeg.jpg

Also, flyonthewall, here is some of my styrene work...
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/143368styrene.jpg

Next comes the scratchbuild mirrors and wing! :eek:

Thats looking kick ass! The wing supports look a little on the thick side, try 20thou sheet.

yeah, I think that the sheet is 4000. I don't have the money to get any more sheets, :( but I can just shave it down. :) Well, I'm watching Tombstone and working on it, so I got to get back to the movie! :)

Great job!
Newbie question.. where do you get those sheets from? What #s do I need to start with?

They're called Evergreen Modelling Sheets. 4000 is appropriate for most applications. Your local model shop should have them. They're cheap, too, about USD$3~4. They act just like the plastic that comes with the kit so no special glues or paints. I bought a saw to work with cutting and everything, but I've found it unnecessary thus far. Hope that helps. (Oh, the putty I've been using is called Tamiya Epoxy Putty. It comes with a strip of white and a strip of blue (mine's actually green!) clay. You take equal amounts of each and mix and you're good to go! It reminds me of the gum grenade in the movie Mission: Impossible with Tom Cruise.)

I've finished crafting the wing from styrene sheets. Here is a picture of it. Right now I haven't bothered sanding and finishing just wanted to show you guys the basic shape. The actual wing won't stay on because it's so far back on the supports so I have to hold it down with tweezers and brush. :o Shouldn't be a problem once I glue it down, though. Without further ado!

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/301138wingmed.jpg

top work once more old boy!!! The shape looks fine to me.

Originally posted by flyonthewall
top work once more old boy!!! The shape looks fine to me.

You're quickly becoming my best modeling friend! ;)

Originally posted by Twist
I've finished crafting the wing from styrene sheets. Here is a picture of it. Right now I haven't bothered sanding and finishing just wanted to show you guys the basic shape. The actual wing won't stay on because it's so far back on the supports so I have to hold it down with tweezers and brush. :o Shouldn't be a problem once I glue it down, though. Without further ado!

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/x.jpg :o Fantastic!!! Are the supports cut-out by hand? WOW! :)

Originally posted by jay@af
:o Fantastic!!! Are the supports cut-out by hand? WOW! :)

Yup. They're cut out from a big styrene sheet. Took me an hour and a half to get 'em right. I even broke off the tip of my hobby knife when I was trying to cut one of the holes out! :)

An update on the mirrors. It appears now that I'm not going to be able to use the stock mirrors or at least very much of them. They're so different. Also, it's on such a small scale that putty is most likely going to be very difficult to deal with. Oh and I've got to do it twice and make them look exactly the same! :eek:

Also, I've accumulated a lot of dust on the body of the car. Is it possible to wash it with mildly soapy water like I can do with non-puttied plastic?

Sure you could, just make sure the putty has had a long enough time to cure, and there aren't any flaky parts..

I'd recommend going to the automotive store or hardware store and getting some "Tack Cloth", it's a somewhat sticky cheesecloth that will pick up dust and dirt. there should be no adverse reaction between the cloth and the putty...right? ;)

I wash my stuff which has had putty on it, aslong as it cured theres no problem.

damn.....that looks freakin nice.........the bumper and the hood looks fantastic.......and i was sort of uneasy about the spoiler and how it would look.....but it turned out beautifully!!......man.....i can't wait until you finish it!!! hurry up!....but take your time to make it nice....:D

Well, I have a term paper that I need to finish up in the next week or so. :( That means no model for that time. :( The faster I get it done the faster I can get back to modelling! :D I'll be sure to let you know when I can get back to working on it.

i tried makin a wing like that but it was too small and looked like a pos

Originally posted by 7337
i tried makin a wing like that but it was too small and looked like a pos

sorry about the change of subject.....but can i see some pics of your skyline?......man......how much did it cost to import it?.......we here in the west coast have motorex that sells em for 90 grand....how much did you pay?........:D:D........i love that car......and i hate people who own them:flipa: :finger: .......J/P

I had to bring this thread back... what about your skyline , Twist? I'd like to see some finished pics... or at least progress pics...

:o Actually there's been no progress. I've been working on other models: Fujimi Honda ITR, Fujimi 240Z, Tamiya BMW Z3. As soon as I get those done I'll start work on my Skyline again. :)

U have beat me to it Tom, i was going to ask Twist the same thing! I'm eager to see the end result too.

Originally posted by Twist
This project is one that will no doubt be finished in the fall or later.:o

...But I can't wait either! ;)

Originally posted by Twist


Yup. They're cut out from a big styrene sheet. Took me an hour and a half to get 'em right. I even broke off the tip of my hobby knife when I was trying to cut one of the holes out! :)

i wanna ask u............. wat do the plastic sheet feel like??.........is it easy to cut with a exacto knife??

The Styrene Sheets that I use are of the same material that the rest of the kit is. It's just regular modelling plastic. Depending on thickness it is easier/harder to cut. It's never that big of a deal.

To all those eagerly awaiting my finish. I never knew so many people would be interested in my work. :) I'll try to start back as soon as I can. :D

The Beast rises again!

I resume work on the Skyline this Saturday (hopefully sooner).

About time you dusted that one off!;)

Sounds good. I didn't see this thread before, so I'm skiming it though, your spoiler was coming out pretty awesome.

I'f youre still planing on building a replica of the signal skyline,then youyre gonna have to update that bumper cuz the signal skyline has a different bumper now,and it's painted a cammeleon paint job,but the rims are still the same

forgot to mention,the interior has a bride seat,a rol cage, and alot of other interior goodies,this should make it more challenging for you,but i will be very impressed if you can do this ;)

I'm sticking with the old one for now. ;)

But I am planning on completely redoing the interior. :eek: It's just going to take all of my free time for a couple months. I have lots of pictures and magazine articles. I'm also going to try to make all the tuner stickers. :eek:

How are you gonna make the tuner stickers? I would really like to know. :)

And here my stock GT-R pales against this beast...WELL DONE, IT'S GONNA BE BEAUTIFUL!!

Nice man... I love that car, seen it in Super Street like 3 times and its soo awesome to see someone makin a model of it... looks great so far!

I still gotta resolve finding the purple paint used on the original car. Tamiya only makes a very very light purple color.

I am planning on buying another R34 and building it to be the updated Signal Auto Skyline GT-R R34 Street Version.

As for the decals, I'm pretty certain that for a hefty price you can buy a blank decal sheet that you can use a standard printer with and make decals. It's a ways down the line so I'm not worrying about it right now.

Well, the weekend has come and gone and I didn't get much work done. I spent most of the time modelling just getting familiar with the kit again and what I'm doing. :shrugs shoulders:

Unfortunately for you guys, I do not have a digital camera anymore. So all of my updates will be pictureless, but knowing you guys that won't do. :( So... I am currently in the hunt for some one who will let me borrow a digicam and take pictures. I'll keep you guys up to date as well as I can until then, tho...

Originally posted by integra818
I'f youre still planing on building a replica of the signal skyline,then youyre gonna have to update that bumper cuz the signal skyline has a different bumper now,and it's painted a cammeleon paint job,but the rims are still the same There are at least 2 Purple Signal Skylines; the chameleon one is the race/street version. The Midnight Purple one is the personal car of the president of Signal. :)

I always taught it was the same car because the paint looked similar and the rims were the same so i figured it was the same car,i should build one too :rolleyes:

There are as many of them as people want to buy. You can buy the conversion from the V-Spec II R34 Skyline for approx. $90,000. So if you feel like paying for it, you can have one too. (If you're in the States, I'll do a lil math for you.) :)

1) 1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R V-Spec II (it has to be in Japan or sent back to Japan for Signal to work on it, and then shipped over the US and made US compliant)................................ $100,000

2) Signal Auto Street Version conversion................ $90,000

Total bill.............................................. .........$190,000 and change. :eek2:

All the same, I want one. :cool:

It's looking really great.Can't wait to see it completed.