Tamiya 1:24 Vespa

This is a super fast WIP, and I am glad I was taking pictures with my phone along the way to share with Jay! since I wasn't originally intending to make a WIP thread.

A long time ago, I got a used Tamiya Campus Friends, with the friends painted somewhat, but the Vespa was completely untouched. Then I touched the heck out of it and bit off probably too much (Jay! and I were trying to hit a deadline). So forgive the crappy picture quality....

I glued the halves together and then cut off the seat, the front fender, and the handlebars.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/photo_zps2dd277eb.jpg

I cut out the part of the cushion where your butt goes, added a piece of plastic rod to the handlebars for the steering. At the bottom of the body I added about 1cm of an aluminum tube for the shaft to go through. There wasn't enough body to drill all the way for the tube. I also added a piece of plastic under where the seat goes. I cut it roughly to shape and sanded it smooth. It's hard to see, but I also drilled out where the headlight goes. I added some Tamiya 2-part epoxy to make a smooth round headlight bucket and formed it with the other end of a paint brush. I sanded a headlight lens from... who knows what kit... to make a clear headlight later.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/photo_1_zps158c7075.jpg

I sanded the spot for the horn flat, and then glued a piece of oval plastic for the top of the fuel tank (under the seat) before priming the Vespa.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/photo_2_zpse690861d.jpg

Not the color I intended...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/photo_3_zpsaf0b3deb.jpg

...so I brought back a new can from the hobby shop...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/photo_4_zpsb3c8f321.jpg

...and was much more satisfied.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/photo_5_zps8b58bd27.jpg

Crummy, out of focus picture of the fuel filler cap, the Racing Mate! decal stolen from the Hasegawa Celica just for fun, and my taillight made from a reflector from a Camaro, I think.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/photo_8_zpsa439b680.jpg

And here it is incomplete but together. I later added brake levers carved and sanded from some sheet styrene, and made the metal horn from a MCG photoetched A/C vent that I smooshed the handle of a paintbrush into to make it convex.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v417/willimo/photo_6_zps0e941776.jpg

Please see my one decent photo of my completed Vespa in the AFMOTY. Thanks, y'all!