1/12 MFH Lotus 79

[wardsmodelbuilder]

Hello all, this is my new topic which is going to be for one of my all time favourite kit builds. I was delighted to except this commission build and thought it was definitely one to share, I will try and keep this as up to date as possible given that Im very busy at the moment with several builds on the go.



The model is going to represent Ronnie Peterson's final drive to victory at the 1978 Austrian GP.

After spending a good long while organizing all the parts, I made a start on the engine block.



Very early stages but the engine is coming together nicely, still a lot of detailing to be done.



Thats all for now, back to the bench to start on the chassis, and the thousand of rivets that need to be added!!!

Thanks
Chris
www.wardsmodelbuilder.com
wardsmodelbuilder@outlook.com

[wardsmodelbuilder]

Been a little while since I updated this thread so here is a progress report on the Lotus 79.

More engine work now completed, wiring starting to go together,




Lots of very small pieces that take a lot of time to both get prepared and then applied. Well worth the effort though as its turning into a very well detailed piece.

Also I have just about done all the rivets in the three main chassis pieces.



All of which need to be drilled and placed individually. These pieces are all to be rubbed down and polished except for the side section on the front area of the chassis that needs to be painted black. This is the next step and then the front suspension and inner chassis details can start to be added.

Thanks
Chris
http://www.wardsmodelbuilder.com
wardsmodelbuilder@outlook.com

[wardsmodelbuilder]

Here is an update on the progress on the Lotus 79. This thread is a little behind actually progress of the build so I will try and update it in the coming days.

I have now completed all the rivet work on the main chassis section, which has also been painted and lacquered half in black body colour.



If you build this kit it is good to keep in mind that not enough rivets are supplied so more will need to be purchased.

In the photo you can also see the inner parts of the front chassis have been added as well as the pedals.



And, finally the front suspension, wheel hubs, brakes and steering arms have started to go together.



A little more detailing is required around this area but I should now be able to more forward and towards getting the cockpit, dash and seat in place.

Thanks
Chris
www.wardsmodelbuilder.com
wardsmodelbuilder@outlook.com

[wardsmodelbuilder]

Hello all, its been a little while since I last updated this post of the Lotus 79 so here is a progress report on what I've done to this point. There was a delay in finishing up the cockpit as there isn't enough rivets included in the kit so we had to purchase more which took a little time to arrive.

Having said that the cockpit panels are now finished, all riveted and ready for the dash and seat to be added.




I have also added the front brake cylinders, and added some pipes from those to the front callipers.



The battery is also in place and the wiring that leads up to the dash which is currently wip and will be added next.




The gearbox has been added to the engine ready for the rear suspension to be built up.



I have most of the bodywork painted which I was working on while I waited for the rivets to arrive so I am hoping I will be able to move this project on pretty quickly in the coming weeks.


Thanks
Chris
http://www.wardsmodelbuilder.com
wardsmodelbuilder@outlook.com

[wardsmodelbuilder]

Hi all, here are a few more photos on the Lotus 79 project.

I have now finished off the rear suspension. Went together pretty well, although as with all these kits there was a little adjusting required.







I've been playing with the cockpit for a while now and have all the pieces fitting well. So next step will be to finish off the dash and seat, and take the plunge by fixing the engine and gearbox permanently to the chassis.

Back to the bench....

Chris
http://www.wardsmodelbuilder.com
wardsmodelbuilder@outlook.com

[360spider]

Very cool build! Love those old MFH kits.