My Sevens

I have been asked more times than I can count to share photos of all my Super Sevens together, especially since finishing my latest and seventh 1/12 scale Seven.
I have been cleaning my display cases over the last couple weeks so I thought the time was right, and the sun was out for the most part...
Unfortunately I can’t show all of my 1/12 Sevens. I gave one to Mr. Tamiya (Sr.) a dozen years ago, and another is in a private collection. But I have these five in my collection.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05393_zpspf64ue73.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05393_zpspf64ue73.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05392_zpssbgwg4tp.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05392_zpssbgwg4tp.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05361_zpsw69irovj.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05361_zpsw69irovj.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05362_zps5yggdqls.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05362_zps5yggdqls.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05363_zpsaamvyuhq.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05363_zpsaamvyuhq.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05364_zpshn4b3wvj.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05364_zpshn4b3wvj.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05365_zpsjctxjws8.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05365_zpsjctxjws8.jpg.html)

I thought it might be worth sharing a little about each one as well. It bears mentioning just these five models comprise about ten years of work to construct.

The “one that started it all” for me (regarding the models of Sevens) is the Carbon Fiber Cycle Fender Special. The second in the Tamiya series of 1/12 Caterhams. I built it Out-Of-The-Box. I added decals that I made, but that’s all.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05371_zps8dcvoalj.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05371_zps8dcvoalj.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05377_zpspyr8xdso.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05377_zpspyr8xdso.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05385_zpsa7b55glh.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05385_zpsa7b55glh.jpg.html)

The second one is the JPE. Ironically I won the kit at the 2000 TamiyaCon raffle. (Lucky first number called!) This one benefitted from some machined parts I made and earned me my first trip to Japan via the 2001 TamiyaCon. Sadly the Floquil fluorescent paint I used turned out to be unstable in the long run and the shades of the panels are now uneven in color. I used a different paint (Pactra) for the copy I built (in every other detail) for Mr. Tamiya and I think it has fared better over the years.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05372_zpsoscjb9ou.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05372_zpsoscjb9ou.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05378_zpsp64edju4.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05378_zpsp64edju4.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05386_zpswgxh3gcy.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05386_zpswgxh3gcy.jpg.html)

Number three (Red Seven) was built from a kit I bought at the first GSL I competed in. The seller gave me a great deal (he said since he knew I’d build it).
I added more to this kit and machined more parts for it than any other before it.
It won the Judges Grand Best of Show at the 2003 IPMS Nationals.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05373_zpsqtlbnh1d.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05373_zpsqtlbnh1d.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05379_zpsidgzesu0.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05379_zpsidgzesu0.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05387_zpsabuo0mjb.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05387_zpsabuo0mjb.jpg.html)

I was provided with two complimentary JPE Super Seven kits by a friend at Tamiya in 2003. One was built into a copy of the JPE I had already built and given to Mr. Tamiya. That would be Seven #4. I don’t have any photos of it handy. It looks just like the JPE I have, but with a cleaner, uniform, less green tinted fluorescent yellow exterior color.

Super Seven #5 was built from a standard kit (like the red one) and done in a predominately orange scheme with several machined and aftermarket parts added. It was provided by and built for a private collector. I have this photo of it from my files.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/DSC01848.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/DSC01848.jpg.html)

The second JPE kit I was provided with was heavily modified into this, (Seven #6), the Superb Seven. I did more scratch-building and machining for this one than ever before. It was finished in 2007 and did very well at the ’07 GSL earning both best of shows and my first Augie along with several other best of awards.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05374_zpsqkxkbvgj.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05374_zpsqkxkbvgj.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05380_zpswpc3qzfl.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05380_zpswpc3qzfl.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05388_zpsaixfficm.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05388_zpsaixfficm.jpg.html)

This is the latest one, (not the last). No kit or any kit parts used, purely scratch-built, just to see if I could build it that way.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05375_zpsesdgwwfe.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05375_zpsesdgwwfe.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05381_zpspvao12al.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05381_zpspvao12al.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Five%20Sevens/DSC05389_zpsagefesgf.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Five%20Sevens/DSC05389_zpsagefesgf.jpg.html)

Here are some comparison shots that show the overall size differences between a Tamiya Seven and my scratch-built version; both are 1/12 scale.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Another%20Caterham/DSC05354_zpsbyd6jwli.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Another%20Caterham/DSC05354_zpsbyd6jwli.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Another%20Caterham/DSC05350_zpsyncdvita.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Another%20Caterham/DSC05350_zpsyncdvita.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Another%20Caterham/DSC05352_zpsh19h7t5m.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Another%20Caterham/DSC05352_zpsh19h7t5m.jpg.html)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/Superb7/Another%20Caterham/DSC05356_zpsyrn1jsuc.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Superb7/media/Another%20Caterham/DSC05356_zpsyrn1jsuc.jpg.html)

Awesome work on them all

Incredible work on all of them!! My fav is the JPE one, always wanted to build that one!!

What an amazing collection! Just wow...

That is car model porn!

Great job! You were one of my inspiration for my Seven build. A real scale master :)

The bleu one keeps boggling my mind! When are you starting a new one or are you bored of them ;-)

I'll do at least one more, maybe two...

I really don't like the car but I absolutely love the models. I've looked at many of these before on this forum, and probably elsewhere, and still marvel every time at the astonishing level of detail. And so carefully rendered, too.

Said it before but the skills aquired to scratch that seventh seven is absolutely amazing. The hat has been off several times before but I take it off again in some humble gesture for your superb skills.

For me I think the red one is my favourite. Like it a lot!