300ZX Z32 Twin Turbo

Hello all!
I first got into modeling something like 6 or 7 years back in highschool, but then I started moving around and all of my models ended up getting trashed between houses. And then, of course, I couldn't model much in my dorm rooms. However, I recently got a new permanent address and found AF, which got me hooked again.
Just so you have an idea about what kind of space I have in this new permanent address, here is a picture of my work area:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0377.jpg

I made that tool holder out of cardboard tubes that were used in the packaging of some new stuff we got for our apartment. I also just read that Bondo does not stick to plastics, :banghead: so now I have to go find some polyester putty. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a good hobby shop in the Minneapolis area. Die cast seems to be all the rage, for some reason..
And here is how I solved part of my no-shelf problem:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0378.jpg

I just add folders as I add materials like the shipment of styrene I got last night :naughty:

Enough of me blabbing on about my life. Last night, I started in on the Tamiya 300ZX Turbo, and I have to say, the Twin Turbo Z32 is my #1 favorite car of all time (so I hope I do this model justice :evillol:). First off, since I prefer the hatch of the Z without that spoiler, I took a few hours to file it off.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0380.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0381.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0382.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0383.jpg


I'll fill in that crease and the spots where I sanded through the body with putty when I mix up a batch.
When I finished with that, I cut up the front a bit to make way for a scratchbuilt bodykit.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0387.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0388.jpg

I'm pretty sure I'll be using this wing on the trunklid. It is the middle width and lowest height of the three included in Tamiya's Ings Z-Power Wing set.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0389.jpg

I plan to make this something like a weekend track and show car and fully open the doors, hatch, hood, and T-tops, so stay tuned. Comments and especially constructive criticism are encouraged. I'm here to learn :biggrin:

Looks like you are off to a good start. I feel your pain about work space - I just moved and have much less space than I am used to. I may even have to be tidy to save room!!

Hi, just a word of warning...

electronics stuff like that DELL laptop is vulnerable to chemicals you used on modeling. never mix (or too close) modeling stuff to any electronics!

if space constraint is a factor, i suggest you get a mock-up table & do your modeling there. i have a folding table to do modeling at home too. when i'm not modeling i close (fold) the table to make space.

your glass table will be damaged if you accidentally spill glue or strong CA stuff, or drop something sharp on it...

remember, it's the skills that count not the arrangements or condition of the working table...

when i say i did all my sanding, drilling, cutting & puttying modeling works at work...yes, standing, in a dirty dark & dusty cage-like store?
also, i bring with me a potable dremel tool w/ bits & a battery tamiya drill as there's no electricaity too!?
do you believe me?

marc:cwm27:
SGP

Welcome to AF.

Looks like you're off to a good start, will be interesting to watch the progress.
As Marc mentioned, keep electronics and modeling stuff separate. Filing dust in your keyboard will do damage in the long run and the screen attracts dust anyway...

I like your creative approach with the tool holder, good thinking. Oh.... you shouldn't have any problems finding good hobby shops in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area. I spent some time there in 2001 (admittedly a long time ago) and remember going to several rather large and well sorted hobby shops. I do not remeber any names or locations, but other forum members will be able to help you. Just search for "Minneapolis, hobby shop, etc" and if you don't get any results, post a "Hobby shops in Minneapolis" thread. Good luck!

Cheers

PS: Pls read the how-to about taking pictures. Even the best best does look like cr*p if it's badly photographed | + you get more views and comments with proper pics ;)

Thanks for the comments and ideas guys.

Marc- I had figured sanding dust wasn't good for keyboards, but hadn't thought about a folding table. That would give me a ton more space and wouldn't F - up my computer :smokin: And I do not envy your dirty, dark, dusty cave, but that just shows that dedication is stronger than a lot of other sensibilities :rofl:

voyageur- Thanks for the tip. I'll see what "the Google" can tell me about hobby shops in the area. And since I have nothing else to do at work for 8 more hours, I'm off to read the photography how-to.

Funny story: My apartment is on the ground floor of the building (and I mean that half of the place is underground. The bottoms of our windows touch the pavement :eek7:). Anywho, last night was my first late night of modeling in this apartment, and it was a hot one, so I had the windows wide open. Apparently we need new screens, because before long my light had attracted an entire Brazilian rainforest of insects to my work area. I never thought I'd need a mosquito net for modeling!

Hi dude,

before you fenced up the entire basement with insect net...i suggest you try to build a extractor for your future airbrushing. just stick the fan end out of the window for extraction.

you know, those small fan at one end of a flexible duct & the other end at the back of your whatever spray booth you can come up with.

trust me, basement is a haven for toxic suffocation...especially enamel, glue, CA, arcylic or lacquer fumes from modeling, 100% pure inhalation & no escape!!!

by the way...your modeling set-up is WAY too clean & tidy!
hehe, no joke...ask around & you'll see what i mean.

cheers!:cool:

marc
SGP

Oh, I know what you mean, but give me a break. I haven't even been using it for a week yet :licka:
I like your idea about the exractor. I've been planning on building a temporary spray booth / fume hood for my modeling. I've got a big box, some extra computer fans, and soldering skills. I just need an A/C filter, Flourescent light, and Dryer duct (Home Depot, here I come :grinyes:)

I have a few quick questions for all those modelers more experienced than myself.

First, when painting a car body, is it possible to use that Rustoleum clearcoat you can get from Walmart, or do I need to go buy some TS-13? I've read all the painting tutorials I can find, but I haven't been able to figure out if I can use generic stuff or if I need something model-specific.

Second, when I'm wiring an engine or doing something else that requires me to drill tiny holes like that, should I drill then paint, or paint then drill? On the first option, I'm worried that the paint will clog the holes and I'd have to re-drill. On the second, I'm worried about being stupid and messing up my paint. I'm just wondering what works for other people.

That's it for now. I'll probably post updated pictures of my bodywork tonight.

Take care!

i drill then paint cause u can alway just unclog them when ready but messing the paint job could cost you. to do the job all over .......less work with the 1st option

Hello again.

First of all, for those of you (Marc :wink:) who think I'm too neat and tidy, here is a picture to prove that I'm making progress on becoming messy:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0425.jpg

Actually, as I look at that picture, I'm realizing that I'm too organized even when I'm using everything. Oh well, that can never be a bad thing for a future engineer.

Here are some updated pictures of the car:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0434.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0437.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0439.jpg

I have a choice between these wheels:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0406.jpg

And these:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0407.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0408.jpg

I'm leaning pretty heavily toward the first set.


Here are a couple with the up to date front bumper (not done yet) and wheels:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0421.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0424.jpg

Thanks to everyone for looking, and extra thanks for those who comment and help out :grinyes:

i like the 2nd set but thats just me ....From what kit those came from

The first set is from one of the Revell or AMT tuner cars. Possibly an Eclipse, possibly an Integra (I don't remember. I just found the sprue with them on it in my parts box)

The second set isn't from a kit. They're resin 19" BBS Le Mans with aluminum sleeves from Scale Productions. They cost me a little over $25, which is more than I paid for the kit, but they are really nice, and the fine detail is really amazing. Either wheel I decide to go with, I will paint them gunmetal.

LoL, I look at my modeling desk and give up trying to tidy it. The reason? I tidy it, then about 2 or 3 hours later it's about the same way it was.
I'm not so sure about the bondo, I know its great for working with resin. Why don't you just take a peice of sprue, prep is as you would prep the model and apply some... wait for it to dry and see how it handles.

And... Welcome back to the overly addictive world of AF and modeling !
Steve

I'd use the BBS, the integra wheels are WAY to small and narrow for that body kit you are working on.

Hello again. Small update:
I found a great hobby shop called Scale Model Supplies in St Paul the other day, and picked up some supplies, including a few Tamiya paints. All the internet sites I've looked at including Tamiya USA have listed Park Green (TS-35) as out of stock, but SMS had around 10 of them, so I picked one up.
If I don't end up deciding on this particular paint job, I know I'll use the colors for something, but this is an example of what I'm thinking. It's Tein Suspension's relatively new Civic SI demo car:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/tein6.jpg

Image is obviously taken from TunerZine.com. Hopefully I'm within my legal boundaries posting this here, giving them credit.
Anyway, I like the way their cars look (check out more at http://www.tein.com/gallery/demo.html) and I might try to paint my 300ZX this style. I would paint the BBS wheels silver and apply CF decal to the wing and the hood (I'll do the CF no matter what).

Here are some pictures of the work I did tonight. I didn't get much done because I was absentmindedly doing it while I watched Paycheck for the third time.

Here is the front underhood area OOB.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0440.jpg

According to my reference pictures, there is a cutout for a hood latch and a few holes in the cross-frame, so I added those.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0446.jpg

The holes are a little hard to see in that picture, but they stand out quite well in person. I'm working on the actual latch to put in there, but I don't have any picture-worthy progress yet.
Just so you and I have an idea of what the BBS wheels look like with this bodykit, here are a few mock-ups:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0449.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0452.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0453.jpg

This won't be the car's final stance. It won't be as low as this just because I don't want the tires touching the wells. I'll see what the stock stance looks like and decide whether I'm going to lower it or not. I'll probably just lower the front a tad and leave the rear where it is so it tilts forward.
That's all for tonight. My wife's taking off tomorrow for a drum and bugle corps show, so I'll have plenty of time to get some actual work done :grinyes:

Some more scratchbuilding - Basically just filling in some gaps.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0470.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0456.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0457.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0463.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0458.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0479.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0482.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0483.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0484.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0485.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0486.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0487.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0488.jpg

Nice progress, im so jealous that you have scale production bbs lms. They look fragile, very thin. Nice start on the bodykit also. Keep us posted and leave the bbs wheels on it.

Thanks MidMazer. Why are you jealous that I have Scale Production BBS? Just because I was stupid enough to drop that kind of money on awesome wheels? :rofl: They do look pretty fragile and thin. The spokes have a little bit of flash, and I have been procrastinating on fixing that because I'm afraid of breaking them. Believe it or not, your yellow 300ZX is the one that inspired me to begin this build, so nice job on getting me going. :grinyes: I also wanted to ask about your G35 but didn't want to dredge up an old thread again. Is it 1:24, and who makes it? Great job on it by the way; I love the color.

I have decided not to go with the Tein Suspension theme. I'm going to CF the hood, rear hatch, and front fenders. I will also be scratchbuilding a splitter for the front and a diffuser for the rear, both of which will be in CF. My color choices for the rest of the body are gloss white, camel yellow, silver, light metallic blue, Fast&Furious orange (Tamiya Fluorescent Red...looks orange to me), lime green, or park green. These are all Tamiya sprays. What do you all think?

Nice progress, im so jealous that you have scale production bbs lms. They look fragile, very thin.


yeah, me too... they do look good eh!?
too bad they don't have narrow front / wide rear combi.
if not for sure i'll get a couple of them for my builds!

gee, you seem to widening the bodywork when you do styrene job like this.
are you widening the body overall?

keep going!:biggrin:

marc
SGP

Thanks Marc. Knowing at least one person enjoys my work is enough motivation to not keep it all to myself :evillol:
I am not conciously widening the bodywork. In other words, I'm not making a widebody kit for it. The lower part of the body comes straight down on my bodykit rather than curving back in like the stock body, so that gives the illusion of being wider. It works kinda like putting a skirt on a 240SX. It widens the bottom without widening the body.

My project for the past two days has been to improve upon Tamiya's so-so turbochargers.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0508.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0509.jpg

First, I paint the base coat of Testors silver.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0510.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0511.jpg

In this next photo, I believe I have already painted the downpipes. I mixed some Testors steel with flat black to create the cast iron / dirty look most downpipes have. On the bottom right, you can see a sneak peek of the special detail I have in store for these little buggers :naughty:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0514.jpg

And here is some more extra detail. I went for a walk recently and picked up every cigarette carton I could find on the ground. This supplied me with a lifetime supply of heat shielding material. (Thanks to rsxse240 for that tip. I've never smoked, so I didn't know they were good for something!)

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0515.jpg

I just cut an L-shaped section and wrapped it around the turbine housings like you would on a real turbo. It looks REALLY convincing in person. I just wish that I could take pictures that actually do justice to the small things I'm working on.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0519.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0520.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0522.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0525.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0526.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0527.jpg

Next, I decided that I don't want my turbochargers to seize up from lack of lubrication, so I added some braided oil lines. For the braided line, I used 0.012" tigertail, and for the fittings, I cut hex rod into small lengths, drilled holes in the center, painted them transparent blue over silver to look anodized.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0528.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0529.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0531.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0532.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0533.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0535.jpg

Well, that's all this time. Hopefully, my pictures aren't so bad that they ruin the experience. It's very difficult to focus a standard camera on such small things. I'm just lucky there's digital image stabilization, because I don't have a tripod and I seem to get the shakes as soon as I have to hold a camera or something small like those hex-rod fittings.

Nice work!!! Love the Heat shields on the turbos. Lookin great!!

Wow!
i've been smoking for the past 20 years but it never come across to me what those cigarette sheets can do!

very realistic turbos you got there bro! i certainly pick up some turbo ideas from you here...or at least i have a valid reason for my nagging wife on continuing to smoke!!!

haha...!!!

i always appreciate builds that are not 100% out-of-box building. though i'm no fan of nissan or any other makes but ferrari...your build did get my attention, so keep going!

(to drill first or to paint first...take a look at my current WIP & you'll know my answer)

marc:smooch:
SGP

Hey, I'm very pleased to hear that my advise was able to help out! The heat shielding is very convincing, though you'll likely never even be able to see it when you get it all complete, YOU know it's there, and it looks fantastic!

Thanks a lot for the comments guys. They really do help me get over how self-critical and discouraged I can be about my work.

@Marc - It's very encouraging that my build has been able to catch the attention of someone that is both a master body-modder AND a Ferrari snob :lol:. I couldn't quite tell your answer to the drill or paint question directly from any of your WIPs, but I learned (by doing it the wrong way) how to do it the right way!

I have a slightly noob-ish question for everyone. Are clear plastic parts (particularly Tamiya) harder and more brittle than their opaque counterparts? The reason I ask is that I want to add some vents to the hood, but I don't want to split it in half. When i cut the hood and windshield off the sprue (the same way I do with every other part. Use small scissors about 1mm from the part, then file down the rest), a small crack made its way all the way into the clear part. Thankfully on the windows, the cracks will all be covered up by the B-pillars and windshield cowling, but if there is a secret to getting those parts off the sprue without cracking them, please let me in on it. Also, if anyone has an idea on how to work around the hood problem, please share it :biggrin:

*EDIT* I have an idea, but I'm not sure it will work. I could "vacuum" form a copy of the hood and modify the copy. I put "vacuum" in quotes, because I don't have a vacuum chamber (or whatever the machinery is called). Flyonthewall used the same process I'm talking about with his 60 Red Years 612 Scagletti for the glass roof. However, he also melted the body of the car in the process. Does anyone think my idea will work, and if so, does anyone also have any ideas on what I could do to avoid melting the kit hood? Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

That's all for today. I haven't made much substantial progress this week because of my work schedule, but I'll be sure to update again when I get enough time to get something done.

More updates!
But first, some fun.

I took a couple of older models that got damaged in transit (and admittedly, I built when I was less patient than I am now. Shoddy workmanship and such...) and set up a quick diorama of sorts.. They are both AMT Fast&Furious Supras.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0606.jpg

The one on the left is DRIFT-TACULAR, yo! The one on the right is post - Nick Hogan :lol:

This is the product of my car audio un-install. Everything except for that USAcoustics amplifier works, so if (long shot + fingers crossed) anyone sees this and is interested, I'm willing to part with any of it. Just PM me and I can get more pictures of whichever part you want and we can talk about price (and possibly international shipping). Ok, I swear I'm done trying to sell stuff.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0587.jpg

Ok, on to real modeling. Luck strikes in the strangest ways. About a week ago, my wife and I were getting back to our apartment from work, and what do we see? Somebody had discarded a perfectly useable card table right next to the dumpster, so we got it in the apartment, cleaned it up, and now I actually have a modeling table!

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0589.jpg

And for anyone who is wondering, even though the Bondo is still there, I tested it out on some scrap and it really doesn't stick to plastic at all. Darn..

Ok, some progress. Since the Z32 is hands down one of my favorite cars and since I've acquired so many reference pictures for both this project and a 3D graphics project I started a while ago, I know this car about as well as somebody who has never touched one in real life could. Tamiya's model has decent detail for somebody who doesn't know / care too much about the car. I am not that person.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0537.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0541.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0551.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0556.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0577.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0581.jpg

The bronze coil springs on the throttle bodies look fine in person, but I might redo them because of how sloppy they look in these pictures. I'm not sure yet.

I also finally got some paint on some plastic! Priming has begun. I'm using Krylon H2O white primer, and it's working great. Goes on somewhat rough, but smooths out a little while it's drying. I'll still need to sand though.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0583.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0585.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0586.jpg

Uh oh... What is Zach doing?
Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus, told us all that "weight is the enemy." Another well-known enemy is heat. That is the focus of this build. Heat shielding, bigger intercoolers, and oil / differential coolers!


http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0594.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0599.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0600.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0604.jpg

I'll trim those long "legs" when I decide exactly how I'm going to plumb these. I'll probably bend them into 90* fittings and run braided line from them. I'll also run a black wash into the grooves as soon as the silver paint dries.

gee bro...
i think i'm beginning to understand your daily life more than your modeling feat!!!
hahaha...

you're kinda cute bro...one thread contains everything you can name of, what's next bro? funiture & food!?!?
hehehe...

ok, ok...back to modeling, glad you've got a modeling table! well i must say your in-depth on the 300ZX is astonishing! the minutes you're detailing the build is...how do i say!? i'll can only say that i'll never be able to do all this details in my modeling life on any single car...

great work & nice sound system you got there...how about your CD collections!?
hehe...

marc:runaround:
SGP

Now that you mention it, I AM running a black market grocery service. And that bean bag in the second pic. Goes to the highest bidder!

Bwahahaha! how much for the National Geographic collection? lol, just kidding.

The Z is looking great. When I first saw the oil coolers, I thought they looked a bit "thrown together" but now that you have them painted, and once the black wash is in the grooves, they'll look fantastic. The coil springs on the throttle linkage looks a bit wrong. I'd try a smaller diameter wire for the spring coils, and don't wrap them quite so far down the rod. I don't recall our TT-Z having such long springs.

Keep up the great work. Congrats on the free "personal work space". I know mine is priceless.

I'll give you every National Geographic issue I have for one of those resin SR20's! (my next project is a time-attack style 180SX)

I recently trashed a set of headphones that were super uncomfortable and barely worked, so instead of throwing them away, I got a bunch of rubber hose material (insulation), VERY fine wire (when it's fully unraveled, it's more like thread than wire), and because of the design of the headphones, some pretty cool metal with holes in it. I really have no more technical description than that. I'd be able to use it as a sort of heat shield. Some cars have exhaust heat shields that are perforated like that for some reason.

Anywho, I've decided to re-do the throttle linkage springs. Good thing superglue doesn't stick to paperclip. I'm not quite sure why that is. I even keyed the ends with a file so there would be a rough surface to grip onto.

Note on the oil coolers: I tried to give them a pre-mature wash. And by pre-mature, I don't mean that the paint wasn't dry. I mean that I did it before I had the correct equipment. I read a thread a while back about using artist's oils for washes, and I really liked the effects the author was able to achieve. I haven't been able to make it to an arts/crafts store yet though, so I decided to use some flat black paint mixed with brush cleaner I had left over from back in the day. Needless to say, my silver paint melted into the wash. Fortunately, I narrowly avoided disaster (the paint didn't strip, it just got darker) and learned my lesson for the week: Never use brush cleaner for anything but brush cleaning!

I'm two hours into one of my 11-hour work days, so wish me luck, guys!

Nice, keep the updates coming. They keep on getting better and better. The oil coolers look sweet. Also nice idea on putting heat shielding on the turbo. Oh and sorry for the late response, the g35 is a fujimi 1/24 scale.

As some of us may have noticed, everything that was posted earlier yesterday just mysteriously disappeared. That includes my latest update! I will re-write it as follows:

I decided to replace one of the parts of my models I have always been dissatisfied with: The battery. Here is how I built an Optima Yellow Top.

Step 1: Look at your kit battery in disgust.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0590.jpg

Step 2: Cut 6 lengths of 1/8" styrene tube about the same height as your kit battery.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0591.jpg

Step 3: Glue them like so

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0595.jpg

and like so

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0596.jpg

Step 4: File the ends of the tube structure flat so they are all the same length. Then, trace a rectangular perimeter on some sheet styrene and cut two pieces (I used the kit license plates and trimmed the excess).

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0608.jpg

Step 5: Cement one of these rectangles to one end of the tube structure. This will be the base of your battery.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0614.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0619.jpg

Step 6: Cut two lengths of styrene rod (about 0.050" diameter...I just used more kit extras) about the same length as the tubes you cut earlier. These will be the battery posts and will help center the lid on the battery. After you do this, drill two holes in the lid to accept these rods. This is a dry-fit with all parts:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0624.jpg

Step 7: Paint the lid yellow, the posts silver, and the base/tubes flat gray.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0637.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0644.jpg

Step 8: Assemble.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0647.jpg

If this is not enough detail for you (it wasn't for me), you can create a battery tie-down to complete the package. I apologize for the lack of progress pictures. I got excited and forgot to take snapshots when I was building it.

Step 1: Cut a rectangular strip of 0.020" styrene that is slightly longer than the battery is wide.

Step 2 (optional): Drill three evenly spaced holes on the part that covers the battery. I also filed the strap into the hourglass shape of the kit part. This just adds some extra flair.

Step 3: Drill a smaller (0.012") hole in the part of the tie-down that hangs off the battery.

Step 4: Cut a length of 0.012" wire about an inch long. This will be the threaded rod that holds the tie-down to the battery tray in a 1:1 car.

Step 5: Drill a 0.012" hole in the center of some 0.040" hex rod and cut off a short length to serve as a nut on that threaded rod.

Step 6: Paint as you see fit.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0641.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0643.jpg

Step 7: Dry-fit on the battery and bend the wire at the bottom.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0651.jpg

Step 8: Remove from the battery and trim excess wire. You only need enough to superglue to the bottom of the battery. I also filed a groove in the base of my battery so that the wire would lay flush.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0664.jpg

Step 9: Assemble with superglue and admire your work!

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0675.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0676.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0677.jpg
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/hertz037/300ZX%20Project/100_0678.jpg

That's all for today. Hope you enjoy, and hope this one doesn't get deleted too :loser:

no problem bro, you're always on my mind!!!

hehe...:smokin:

Are you making it right hand drive?
looks good.