Le Mans Contest Entry: 2001 Corvette C5-R

Hello everyone! The kit I’ll be building for the LeMans build is the Revell 2001 C5-R pictured below. The kit has decals for the #63 car of Fellows/O’Connel/Pruett that finished 1st in the GTS Class at LeMans in 2001. The real car is also pictured below
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/boxart.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/realcar.jpg

I actually started on this kit about mid-June, so some of this progress is being ‘back-dated' a bit. The kit itself is fairly complex, and has quite a good amount of engine/chassis/suspension/interior details. I believe it would build into a fairly decent kit if built box-stock, however I’ve chosen to *challenge* myself with several changes to the kit. I’ve never undertaken this level of modification, so who knows how it’s going to turn out!

1. Cut out the hood. The body is molded in one solid piece. Why they did this, I don’t know, but there is all kinds of decent engine detail that needs to be seen. The hood will have to be removed. I considered removing the rear section as well, but ruled it out for now.
2. Lower the ride height. A quick mock-up shows that the whole thing will sit way too high (particularly the front). A ‘lowering’ job is in order.
3. After looking at various reference pics (thanks to AF members for some site suggestions!!), I realized that there are several body/panel lines on the kit that will need to be filled/removed.
4. Side vents behind the wheels need to be widened. After looking at ref. pics, I believe the side vents in the kit are too small/narrow.
5. The hood vents need to be opened/rebuilt. The kit’s hood vents are molded in, and very thick. I don’t like ‘em.
6. Other vents around the car will be opened
7. The side window frames need to be shaved down/redone
8. The rear diffuser at the back of the car seems to thick (and warped) to me. I’ll build a better one from brass/styrene
9. The rear wing in the kit looks pretty good, but I may replace the end pieces with thinner brass sheet (trying to find a good ref. picture of this.)
10. The interior seat has the seatbelts molded in. These will need to be removed and replaced with something else (scratch? Aftermarket?)
11. The interior has some molded in wiring and electrical boxes. These will be removed and scratch-built
12. Engine headers will be scratch-built (plastic kit version is pretty poor)
13. Suspension (shocks) need to be scratch-built)
14. Various wiring/engine plumbing/etc will be attempted. Just how far I’ll go is yet to be determined (and will likely depend on how well everything else goes…)
15. I’m not sure about the windows/glass yet. I’d like to put in some replacement (thinner) windows, but this model is molded so that the windows go on from the *outside* of the body, rather than the inside. This could make it a bit more challenging to get the new *glass* flush with the surrounding window edges…
16. The wheels/tires are a bit of an unknown right now. I’m not sure what it is, but they just don’t really look right to me. Maybe they’ll be better once they’re painted and the tires sanded…

So here’s an early build-up of the kit pieces to see how everything would fit. I’ve already cut the hood free and started on re-building the hood-vents in this picture. I’ve also fudged the ride height a bit to lower the front end for the pics. It probably needs to go even lower…

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_3652v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_3637v2.jpg

The hood was removed using the ‘sewing thread’ method. This was the first time I tried this and it worked very well. I was amazed how well the hood fit after I had removed it. Here’s a pic of the section that was removed (again, you can see that I’ve started some work on the hood vents…)

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_3640v2.jpg

As already shown, the hood vents were a bit of a challenge. I removed them with a dremel and realized very quickly that the plastic around these areas is very thick. I cleaned up the edges (and repaired a few nicks!), filled in the incorrect panel lines, and started to install thin strips of styrene cut to size. I CA glued them in place as best I could. They’re not really a perfect representation of the real thing, but in my eyes they’re a LOT better than what was in the kit. I still need to figure out how to put the 'center support strip' into the vent in the middle of the hood. Here’s a pic of the real thing compared to my almost completed hood.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/c5r00046v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_3990v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_3991v2.jpg

Here’s a before and after photo of the expanded side vents:

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_3644v2%20copy.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/C5RWid7v2.jpg


The rear diffuser was built from thin brass sheet and some styrene strip:

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_3994v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/DSC00018v2.jpg

Here's a few other misc. pics of various things:

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4035v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4037v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4045v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4031v2.jpg

I was thinking of doing the same kit for the LeMans contest. I built it before and had no problems except for the exhaust which just didnt fit right and looked wierd. You said you cut the hood out with the sewing method? Never heard of it. Can you enlighten me on that. The progress looks great so far and looks to be very promising. I can also sense you are going to put in some photoetch stuff. You cut/sanded the exhaust, front intake and window trim which I assume are in place for photoetch parts. Keep up the good work!

StephenDeli: Simply use a polyester thread as a saw!!
Wow I like it!!!
Where did you get those pictures?
I want to make this car!!!

Looks like some stiff competion is the order for the day.

Impressive work! And an incredible attention to details! Looks on the way to be a masterpiece!

:thumbsup:

Very Nice!
I'll follow this like crazy!

This will be the best contest/learning experience of the year... really.

Very Impressive work!!, i will be following this progress thread!

Thanks for the comments. Some answers to your questions:

StephenDeli: Sewing thread will cut through plastic if you have a bit of patience. I found that stringing the thread in a home-made flexi-file worked perfect (see pic below). You have to saw back and forth for about 30-45 seconds before anything happens. The thread has to heat up from the friction. Once it starts cutting, you'll be amazed how well it works. Careful not to use too much pressure on the thread though, cuz it will break. I broke the thread about 3 or 4 times before I found the right balance. After the cut is done, there will be lots of little 'burrs' on the edges, but they brush off really nicely with a scouring pad. The end result is an extremely thin cut. As for photoetch, I don't really have any plans, because I don't know of any that is availalble. I'm planning to improve the exhaust, intakes, and widow trim somehow, but I'm just not exactly sure how. The window trim I see in pics is fairly 'flush' to the rest of the car, so I may just use paint (or possibly black BMF)
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/images/IMG_3656v2.JPG


Inservible: I got the pics from various sites that people have referred me to (from various forums). I'll add them all to the 'reference' thread here. (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=260379)

Murray

ScaleMotorsport has a photoetch kit availible which looks rather nice. But it is $20 (im to poor to afford one). Keep us posted!

Very impressive. :thumbsup:

I just looked at that SMS PE set. It looks like a pretty good set. I was going to try to scratch-build lots of that stuff, but now that I know the PE is available, it may make sense to just get that??

Haven't decided yet, but thanks for letting me know about it!!

Murray

It would save you alot of time and it would be accurate as well so I would get it if I were you.

This one will be very nice. It should be added to the "How to" section about "How to turn a revell kit to a master piece."

I might get one of this kit too :uhoh: :lol:

:iagree:
It is great to see this kind of scratchbuilding. And it will indeed be a work of art once finished!
Keep it up!

AWESOME!
Cannot wait to see it completed. I have that same model but I chickened out and went and purchased the Autoart 1:18 completed ones. :)

I am just wondering how you got such good detailed photos of the C5R?

Did you go to the Pratt&Miller plant?

Thx

al

wonderful built - beautiful work of scratchbuilding so far - love to follow this thread.:bigthumb:

Sorry that progress has been slow recently. I broke my leg and had to have surgery on Monday to fix it. However, here's a quick pic of the seat that comes in the kit:

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4048v2.jpg

It's hard to tell, but I've already removed the molded-in shoulder harness on the left side of the pic. The others will come off too. I can't seem to find any good pics of the seats in the LeMans C5-R, so I'm hoping the one in the kit is reasonably accurate. I'm gonna spend a bit more time on the 'net tonight to see if I can find some better reference to the seats before I put more work into the kit supplied version.

Asaenz, all of the pics I'm using were found on the net. If you go to this thread: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=260379 you'll be able to see all of the various sites that I found. Some of the sites were supplied by members of other forums as well. There's a couple in particular that have some amazing detail shots of all areas of the car. It's hard to find pics of the car specifically from 2001 LeMans, so I'm just using any pics I can find from various races and years. Sometimes it's pretty obvious that things were changed quite a bit, but lots of the stuff is pretty much the same in all the pics.

Thanks again for everyone's kind comments and encouragement. I've never tried anything this complex before, so I'm in a bit of a no-man's land. I'm certainly having fun trying lots of stuff I've never done before!!

Murray

Get well soon. :)
Looking forward to more progress.

Hope the leg feels better. On a positive note you can spend more time on models while the leg heals!

great job so far!!

i found these detail items while searching for something, anyway they might be usefull to you for this build

C5-R LeMans Corvette
16 PC. Detail Set
http://www.arrowheadaluminum.com/C5R01.html

brakes
http://www.arrowheadaluminum.com/LBR01.html

Thanks for those links! Looks appealing, but I think I'm gonna keep this as much 'scratch-built' as I can. A little bit of a personal challenge, I guess you could say. I've got some carbon-fibre decal coming, but other than that I'm hoping to just add scratch-built items.

Murray

Well, it's been a while since I've posted much of an update on this project. Life has been a bit more busy lately, so my progress has been slow.

My biggest challenge on this project so far has been the front ride height. I just couldn't find an easy way to do it. At one point, I started to build new front arms from brass, but then I decided to go a different route. The pic below shows the front suspension assembly before I started cutting. All of the circled areas were either cut/modified or removed. so that I could 'bend' the arms upwards to lower the ride height. I had to completely cut off the steering arm or it would have broken or looked bent after I was done. In the end, I didn't really modify things as much as I thought I would have to, but I don't think I could have 'bent' the arms up if I didn't cut all the other stuff away. From looking at reference pics, I think the arms are actually mounted to the bottom of the frame rails, rather than to the bottom of the car as it looks from the model pieces. I considered trying to change this to be more realistic, but I'm concerned that the end result might not be very strong. For now, I'm going to leave it as is...

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4471v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4475v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4531v2.jpg

I've mostly been doing test fitting and mock-ups to try to make sure the pieces fit together properly. I'm also trying to study the ref pics I have to see what other little 'goodies' to add. Here's a couple pics, including one that shows how the new rear diffuser will look.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4530v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4532v2.jpg

Haven't really started on the engine yet, but here's a shot of the components in the kit. There's one item on the front of the engine that I've colored black because it doesn't appear to be on any ref. pics I have. I *think* it's the alternator, and from what I can see in ref pics, I think it's actually mounted in the back of the car and somehow hooked to the rear diff/transmission somehow. If anyone knows more about this, please help! I've also written 'to scoop' on the pieces that are supposed to hook up to the hood scoops on the car. I think the pieces that are included look more like they would draw air from the front air-dam, rather than the scoops. So, I'll have to modify these pieces so they attach to the hood scoops instead. I'll also take a shot at making new headers/pipes as well.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4535v2.jpg

I'm realizing that many of the reference pictures I have are of several different cars. And the configurations of the cars can be quite different. Below is the rear diff/transmission piece that is included in the kit. SOme of the ref. pics I have show a completely different setup, but I can't tell what year they're from (sorry, no link available, but the pics I have look like a single rectangular piece hooked to the drive-shaft, rather than the two disctinctly seperate components shown here...) If anyone knows more about this, please help!!

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4536v2.jpg

Here's a quick shot of a test piece I made to see if I could make some better side pipes. I should have taken the pic from a better angle so you could see the bend in the pipe, but I think you get the idea. I used some really soft rod that I got from a surplus store. I have no idea what it is, but it's alot like solder, except quite a bit harder, and thicker. I drilled out the end and put some black paint in it. I'm pretty happy with the test, so I'll make some new ones for the final assembly.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4537v2.jpg

Here's a boring shot of the rear wheels. Only thing to mention here is that the wheels are *really* shiny out of the box. They have some sort of film on them and don't look very good. I sanded the tread with sandpaper to eliminate the molding line, and then used a fine scouring pad on the sidewall to dull it up a bit. Looks a lot better to me, but there's still something about these wheels/tires that just doesn't look right to me....

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4533v2.jpg

Here's a pic of a mod I did to the front wheels. I have no idea why, but the front wheels have a seperate 'pin' that you put through the wheel to attach it to the hub. However, the head of the 'pin' is HUGE and totally looks wrong. In the pic, the one on the left is modified, the one on the right is from the box. Basically, I just mounted the pin in a pin-vise and started sanding away from the back of the head with a square file. Eventually, I filed away enough plastic so that the pin sits against the wheel much more realistically.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4538v2.jpg

Well, there ya have it. Sorry I don't have more paint/assembly pics, but those will come in due time!!

Murray

Still looking good Murray, thanks for the update. How's that leg?

This is a Great Thread! Excellent scratch building Murray!
Hope your leg is OK?

Excellent work on refining the details Murray. You're doing a bang up job.
As Rob already asked, what is the latest on your leg?

Great work !
BTW, where did you find that blade, does it work well ?

Looks to be a very cool project!! Can not wait to see it complete!! Sorry about your leg, hope you get back on your feet soon!!

:iceslolan This Progress is to be very good, I also made already a car of these but it was of another version, it is a very Crazy car!!!!
Good rest of progress!! :iceslolan

....

Here's a pic of a mod I did to the front wheels. I have no idea why, but the front wheels have a seperate 'pin' that you put through the wheel to attach it to the hub. However, the head of the 'pin' is HUGE and totally looks wrong. In the pic, the one on the left is modified, the one on the right is from the box. Basically, I just mounted the pin in a pin-vise and started sanding away from the back of the head with a square file. Eventually, I filed away enough plastic so that the pin sits against the wheel much more realistically. ....

Agree... Wheels pin like those have no place in a kit like that... the CR5 is a great kit with very little imperfection but the height ride and the front wheels have to be reworked to have something decent. You'll see, carbon decals are a bit tick too, but look nice and fit like a glove when in good position and have some microsol. I'm the opposit of you... the engine and the drive train (modified height (the rear with the metal axel is quite a mess too)) are done but haven't touch the body yet.

...

Here's a boring shot of the rear wheels. Only thing to mention here is that the wheels are *really* shiny out of the box. They have some sort of film on them and don't look very good. I sanded the tread with sandpaper to eliminate the molding line, and then used a fine scouring pad on the sidewall to dull it up a bit. Looks a lot better to me, but there's still something about these wheels/tires that just doesn't look right to me....

...


I agree, the sidewall doesn't look quite right to me, especially where it interfaces with the actual rim...

Just some quick answers to your questoins:

1. The leg is getting better (thanks for asking). I'm out of the cast now, and those d@mned crutches are finally gone. It'll take a while for it to get back to normal, but I'm feeling a huge amount of freedom now that the crutches and cast are gone!! Thanks for your well-wishes!!

2. GT-Alex: The blade came from a general craft store many years ago. I have a few of them, but haven't used them until recently. It's quite a 'coarse' blade, but it seems to work quite well. They're a bit wider than a normal exacto knife blade and need a bigger handle to fit into. I've seen them at places like Michael's so you might want to take a look there.

3. Still not sure what to do about the wheels/tires.... open to suggestions...

Thanks again

Murray

...Still not sure what to do about the wheels/tires.... open to suggestions...

Studio27 makes an awesome set of alu wheels i think.

Pleased to hear you are getting you feedom back Murray. :) Maybe the wheels off mid nineties Tamiya sportscars like Porsche GT1, Nissan R390, Merc CLK_GTR could be substituted? Superficially they seem similar. Also some of Tamiya's DTM Calibra and C-Class kits had the same wheels.

I am building this kit right now and I used the wheels from the revell porsche 911 gt1 EVO (the one with history channel markings).

the tires from the c5-r kits fit perfectly on the porsche rims and they are much more detailed. I also used the brake disk and seat from the porsche kit.

Since the porsche kit is fairly cheap, I like to think of it as revell's "detail kit" for the c5-r.

Thanks for the suggestions. We've got a swap night for our local club coming up, so maybe I'll get lucky!! I'll keep my eyes open for a substitute.

Murray

I'm realizing that many of the reference pictures I have are of several different cars. And the configurations of the cars can be quite different. Below is the rear diff/transmission piece that is included in the kit. SOme of the ref. pics I have show a completely different setup, but I can't tell what year they're from (sorry, no link available, but the pics I have look like a single rectangular piece hooked to the drive-shaft, rather than the two disctinctly seperate components shown here...) If anyone knows more about this, please help!!

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4536v2.jpg


Ok, well first off this is an excellent project. One of my favorite Corvette racecars. Your detail is mind numbing, the vents on the hood are looking spectacular. Ok, now on a c5 when it's equipped with an automatic transmission, the transmission and rear diff are kinda bolted together, if you will, in one piece. It appears, the standard transmissions are seperate from the differential. Hope what little knowledge of the c5 I have has helped.

Just some quick answers to your questoins:

1. The leg is getting better (thanks for asking). I'm out of the cast now, and those d@mned crutches are finally gone. It'll take a while for it to get back to normal, but I'm feeling a huge amount of freedom now that the crutches and cast are gone!! Thanks for your well-wishes!!

2. GT-Alex: The blade came from a general craft store many years ago. I have a few of them, but haven't used them until recently. It's quite a 'coarse' blade, but it seems to work quite well. They're a bit wider than a normal exacto knife blade and need a bigger handle to fit into. I've seen them at places like Michael's so you might want to take a look there.

3. Still not sure what to do about the wheels/tires.... open to suggestions...

Thanks again

Murray

Murray,
see my LM Meet thread to view Revell Porsche Evo GT1 wheels under a C5-R.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=241241&page=1

hth,
Bill

Ok, well first off this is an excellent project. One of my favorite Corvette racecars. Your detail is mind numbing, the vents on the hood are looking spectacular. Ok, now on a c5 when it's equipped with an automatic transmission, the transmission and rear diff are kinda bolted together, if you will, in one piece. It appears, the standard transmissions are seperate from the differential. Hope what little knowledge of the c5 I have has helped.

Correct. They call this a transaxle system.

Thanks for all the info everyone. Below is a the reference pic I have that shows the 'transaxle' I'm guessing... So, I'm wondering if the kit supplied part (see previous post) would be correct for this car or not? Anyone know which way the 2001 LeMans car would have been? Note, that this is not my picture, and unfortunately I don't have the exact source of it handy. If it's your pic, hopefully you don't mind me posting it here.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4570v2.jpg

Also, here's a comparison of the wheels to a real pic (again, not my pic, so if it's yours, hopefully you don't mind...). I think it's pretty clear that the rim of the wheel is quite a bit wider than what they are in real life. I'm looking around for some donor wheels from the other kits some of you have mentioned. Note that the wheels have some paint on them now. I thought I'd give them a quick coat to see if it made any difference... I think it made it even more clear that they just don't look right.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4569v2.jpg

I got tired of all of the jerking around with the suspension/chassis stuff, so I decided to start painting the engine. I used Testors Metalizer buffing aluminum plate. I've drilled out some holes where the headers will fit into. I took a shot at painting the red 'CORVETTE' letters on the covers, but it didn't turn out that spectacular. You'll never see it in the final product anyways. Also attached is a pic of the real thing (yet again, not my pic...)
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4567v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/c5rengv2.jpg

I've done a bit of work on these intake thing-a-ma-jigs (sorry, I'm actually quite ignorant about lots of car stuff...) The one on the right is from the kit, and the one on the left has had that big raised center strip sanded off and a new line has been scribed down the center. Pic of the real thing is also below (again, not my pic...) This Testors Metalizer buffing aluminum plate paint. I'll try to put the kit decals on this piece and see how it turns out...

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4568v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/C5REng2.jpg

Well, that's it for now. Thanks again for all of your previous responses.

Murray

Here's a picture of the wheels from the gt-1 evo kit, it's not accurate but it's the best i could find without bashing one of my tamiya kits.

You might wanna try to paint the wheels in a metallic silver paint like ts-17 I think it looks closer because the real rims are not chromed. Just a suggestion.

I can't wait to see you c5-r finished btw :)

EDIT: lol, I forgot to put the picture :grinno:

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/uploads/60219/DSC02127.jpg

Your engine progress looks very good!

Well, progress is a bit slow lately, but here's a few pics of my current status (sorry for the smudge on the lens...didn't notice it until now)

First, here's a couple of pics of the real engine that I snagged from the net. The pics don't belong to me, so hopefully the owner won't mind me using them here.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/DSC00014v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/DSC00019v2.jpg


And here's my version so far. I know that the plug wires are a bit oversize, but I'm going to leave it as is for now. It's much more obvious in the pics than when you look at it in person. I made the little throttle spring from thin wire, and all of the front pulleys are made from brass or aluminum of some sort. The belt is a strip of masking tape.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4853v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4854v2.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4855v2.jpg


Thanks to everyone who recommended the Revell Evo GT-1 kit as a substitute for the wheels. I was in Regina for a show/contest a couple of weeks ago and a club member there just happened to have this kit on hand and was willing to sell it. Almost a shame to snag the wheels from it... at first glance the Evo GT-1 kit seems to be quite nice! Here's a pic comparing the wheels from the two kits (the Evo kit wheels are on the right). I do like the Evo kit wheels a lot better so I'll use them as recommended.

Murray

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4858v2.jpg

Looking good. Great work on the body mods and engine so far.

When it comes to spokes (my favourite subject :)), the Tamiya R390 GT1 wheels are somewhat more suitable for your project because the spokes extend all the way to the outer lip (like the real Vette). On the other hand, the centers are much deeper than on the Vette, just like the ones from the Porsche are. Basically, if you want more accuracy, you'll need to modify the centers of the R390 wheels, IMO.

Here's a pic

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/ales12911/WR390_001.jpg

Looking good. :)
I just picked up one today. So far all I have done is sand the body. lol I ordered some primer today too.

The engine looks nice, i especially like the timing belts.

look very good so far.

bit slow progress, but look good :D

Looks good so far. As for the CF decals for the airboxes are kinda dodgy. They dont cover the airboxes as good as they should. But it doesn't look all that bad.

Thanks for your comments!!

NME NVADR - hopefully you'll post some pics of your build too! I haven't found to many build-ups of this kit on the net...

Ales - Those wheels do look quite a bit nicer. However, unless someone is going to offer me a set for sale, I think I'm just gonna cut my losses and go with the ones from the Porsche kit. I think the thing I didn't like about the wheels in the C5-R kit is that the spokes didn't go right to the edge of the wheel (as you identified). Makes the rim look too wide, and the spokes too small. The alternate wheels I have do a good enough job (for me) of fixing that.

Vric - yes, progress is far too slow on this kit. Winter is coming soon though, so that will mean more time indoors, and more time at the bench...

StephenDeli - I don't really like the kit decals for the airboxes either. I didn't really like the CF pattern as it seemed too big/harsh for me. I tried putting some SMS carbon fibre decal on one of the airboxes, but it was my first time making a decal pattern, so it didn't turn out that great.

Another progress item to come soon - I've started gluing the frame to the chassis and a major glitch has occured. I'll need advice from the crew here before I proceed further.... pics and description to follow later tonight...

Murray

Yeah I'll post pics! :)
Today I used my metal files to remove the molded in seat belt and painted most of the roll cage.
I really like how you cut out the stock vents slats and custom did them. If I feel brave enough I might try to do that. You have done a great job so far, I hope mine turns out atleast half as good. lol

NME NVADR - I highly suggest you look at Bill's (bvia) build of the same model. He exposed the vents too, but after looking at his, I wish I'd have done it his way. Essentially, he ground away all of the plastic beneith and around the molded in vents!! It's the kit vents, just with all of the surrounding plastic cut away (this would be a big job because the plastic in this area seems to be pretty thick!!!). Here's the link to the post with his C5-R:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=241241&highlight=c5%2A

On to my problem. If you look in the pic below, you'll see that I've started assembling the chassis and frame, etc. Notice that the front of the car sort of lifts up!! When the suspension and all of the various stuff is connected together, it pulls the front of the car up. I don't know if this is something unique to my build or not, but a test fit of the body and hood showed that nothing is gonna fit right if I leave it like this. I tried to cut the frame tubing (circled) to see if I could just bend it into place, but I think that'll be a hard road. I considered putting it in hot water to bend it, but there's a lot of glue joints here and I'm sure to break something if I try it.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4911v2.jpg

My alternative is to do a little surgery. I've marked a little 'V' on the main frame on the pic below. I figure if I cut through most of the frame (from the top), I should be able to bend it into the correct position. I'd fill the gap with styrene and superglue to solidify it again. I would likely replace the round tubing (already cut) with brass tubing.

http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_4912v2.jpg

Well, what do you think? Will it work? Can anyone offer a better alternative??

Murray

hmmmm... That's wierd. I guess just go ahead with the surgery...
BTW I noticed you removed the battery and wires from the right side of the center console. I am thinking about cutting off that whole area and custom building it with wires, styrene and putty.
Good luck with the surgery. :)

Looks good! That is strange about that frame of yours. But I think you can manage to fix it!
I had one of these kits... but i cutted it in to peaces and used the stuf fore other projects :P Keep it up!

I Love scratchbuilding projects like this. I hope you get the chance to work on it because I love this car and I love seeing how some of the guys on here create from scratch.

By the way, I thought you might like to check this out. Its probably old news to this board but I came across it on a Japenese web site. It must be 1:12 but if it is 1:24 then its bloody awesome. Hopefully it'll help you to build yours.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/89453C5-R-1.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/89453C5-R-2.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/89453C5-R-3.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/89453C5-R-4.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/89453C5-R-5.jpg


Cheers

Farrokh

Well, I've made a bit of progress, and realized a few things. Firstly, my skills aren't up to snuff to finish this project off like I was originally hoping. Second, I know very little about the mechanicals of cars, and this makes it very hard to add hose/wiring details. I do have lots of good ref. photos, but even with that, I find myself guessing alot. So, hopefully you'll all understand that what you are about to see is becoming less and less 'accurate', and more and more 'representative.'

So on to the pics.

This is just a pic of some bottles/containers in the car. The small one goes in the front, the larger one in the back (the plastic kit version is on the far left)
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_5029v2.jpg

Here's a pic of the frame/chassis before paint went on it. I attached the rear diffuser and made a few other additions from thin metal (fuel cell tops)
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_5031v2.jpg

Here's some paint. Generally, the whole thing was sprayed flat black first. Then I masked off the chassis and various other items and sprayed an unknown paint color on the frame pieces. The paint was originally a Model Masters color of some kind, but the label came off and I never kept track of what it was. It sorta looks like a steel-grey color, which seemed to match the pics I had pretty close.
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_5035v2.jpg

Here's my attempt at doing some SMS CF decals on the airboxes. Not the greatest, but they'll do. The SMS decals are very nice to work with and have a nice pattern. I cut out the 'Corvette C5-R' portion from the kit decal and put it on top of the SMS decals. Some of you may notice that the weave of the CF decal on the kit decal goes the opposite way of the SMS decal --- oops. Should have fixed that, but it's done now and it's not too noticeable unless you really look hard. I'll do more touch-ups on the engine when I start working on the engine compartment.
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_5038v2.jpg

This is the 'bottle' that goes in the rear of the car. It's painted gloss black, and then some aluminum powder was rubbed in to give it a metalic look. I'll add some more aluminum powder before it's installed because it's a bit delicate for handling. A couple of the hoses will go in/out of this item.
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_5202v2.jpg

Here's a few of the electronic boxes that will go into the interior of the car. I had absolutely no ref. pics of these items, so I just replicated what was originally molded into the interior of the car. Wires will go in/out of them once they get installed. The masking tape around the boxes is intended to look like straps that would hold down the boxes.
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_5203v2.jpg

Well, here's the rear of the car with most of the wiring installed. I tried to follow ref. pics, but it gets hard to really know where everything goes. Much of this is just wires that start and end in random places. The metallic 'bottle' from the earlier pic will go in the back and a couple of the hoses will feed in/out of it. There's a 'tube' that joins the two fuel cells (top of the pic) that was scratch built from some heavy wire that I had. In the ref. pics I have this looks more like a black hose than the metallic pipe the way I've represented it. I may end up painting it black, but I kinda like the metallic look to break up the monotony of the black. Not in the pic is two similar metallic tubes that will run from the fuel cells back to the rear of the car (where the fuel filler connection is). Lots of pics I have actually show the fuel filler on the right side of the rear window, but it's hard to tell what year/config of car this is on. I decided to just leave it on the rear of the car instead of try to change it. Future updates will show the filler tubes better.
http://members.shaw.ca/m.k.kish/c5r_build/IMG_5205v2.jpg

OK, that's it for now. I'm trying to get the interior done, and then on to the engine area. I'm really beginning to realize how awesome a lathe or mill would be to do some stuff. That won't happen soon, but if I start saving now, perhaps it could be a reality someday!! (if anyone has any links or reasonable suggestoins about lathes/mills, feel free to include them here, or PM, or email). Thanks for your previous encouragement.

Murray

Dayum, that's looking good!

Youre doing a stellar job on such an ambitious project.

JeFF

That is looking Beautiful so far!! Keep up the good work!

Fantastic work Murray! I think your skills are coping just fine. Could that mystery paint be gunmetal?

Thanks guys. No progress to report since the pics. Hoping to get a bit of work done this week since 99% of the people I work with are American (I'm Canadian), and most of them will be celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. Should give me a few days of down time too!!

Farrokh - I think I forgot to thank you for the pics of that car. It looks bloody awesome! I don't think it was built from the same kit as I'm using... If it was, the guy did a ton of scratchbuilding. The pics have given me some good ideas for details to add to my build.

Phil - Thanks for your comments. I wish I knew a bit more of the technical aspect of these cars...it would make it a lot easier. The paint very well could be gunmetal, but I'm not absolutely positive. I don't even have another bottle of gunmetal to compare with.

Hopefully more pics later this week!!

Cheers

Murray