1/12 Testors Lamborghini Countach

Starting off with this one today, this will likely be a long term build. The plan is to go 'enhanced box stock' - I'll be trying my novice hand at some scratch build improvements to existing parts, without really building anything new.

Here's the box shot:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/01-BoxShot.jpg

And here we have the first issue - despite the box description, this is definitely not an LP500S. Note the shape of the front wheel flares, and the way it blends (or more precisely, doesn't blend) into the front air dam. From the LP400S models on, the flare was a rounded square instead of a smooth arc - and it was blended into the air dam smoothly. The wheel style, too, disappeared during the LP400S run, to be replaced by the smoother dished ones. Also, some of the engine details point towards the kit's true roots as an LP400. At best, this is modeled after the Walter Wolf LP400S prototype. I'm not going to quibble over the details, I'm going to build this as is and say it was built at the same time as the Wolf prototype :wink:

Second issue is the horrid gold chrome in the kit - very splotchy and uneven.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/05-BadGoldChrome.jpg[/URL]

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/06-GoldWheelChrome.jpg[URL="http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/06-GoldWheelChrome.jpg";] (http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/05-BadGoldChrome.jpg)

This will be stripped, and anything meant to remain gold (mainly the wheels) will be resprayed with Alclad pale gold.

Finally, just because I can't stand not seeing it, here's the dry fit of the body. Lots of finessing will be needed to make this sit right in the end . . .
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/04-DryFitBodyPanels.jpg

I'm open to suggestions for changes from those who know the kit - but I plan to post updates real-time, and they may be a bit slow from time to time, so I don't expect to see it finished for a while. However, I can use the encouragement to complete it!!!

Thanks for viewing.

Hardly see Countachs built anymore, much less large ones. Good luck with your build.

A beauty of a kit. I started the Doyusha a few months ago but had to put it down, won't get back to it for a while. Got as far as cleaning engine parts and putting some together. The tires are the best I have seen. Maybe now I'll be motivated to get back to mine.

Nice Kit...Is this one of those old Testor's Kits that were really Fujimi but reboxed as Testor's? I'm working on one too but its a Fujimi 1/16 scale version...I too can't wait till its finished...It wont be super detailed but look great.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b232/LSBE46/Model%20Cars/carmodels031.jpg

It's actually the Doyusha kit, and it looks a lot like the pics I've seen of the Otaki one as well, but I'm not sure of that . . . .

Progress is being made - first up, though, the goodies arrived! Acu-Stion, so they were pricey, but lots of options. Biggest disappointment is that the scripted logos (5th row) are 4 mm too wide to use on the valve covers - but most of my reference material shows they were painted anyway, so I'll leave the kit ones.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/07-PEEmblems.jpg


The hood logo is smaller than the kit pieces, too - looks more accurate to me. Other advantage is the chrome on the kit pieces is way too thick, so there's no detail - even stripped, the detail isn't great. These should look nicer if my painting hand does them justice. Same for the wheel inserts - the top row fits them perfectly, and the same size works for the steering wheel as well, which the kit doesn't supply anyway.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/08-HoodEmblem.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/11-WheelEmblem.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/10-SteeringWheelEmblem.jpg[/URL]

And the logos for the rear - kind of an odd trade-off here - the PE Lamborghini has a capital L instead of lower case as on the 1:1 and kit, but the "t" in Countach looks better on the PE.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/09-RearDeckEmblems.jpg

[URL="http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/09-RearDeckEmblems.jpg";] (http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/10-SteeringWheelEmblem.jpg)
Finally, proof that I'm doing more than messing with the shiny bits - the beginnings of my 'mass painting' process. Means slow progress in the beginning, but I don't have to clean the airbrush as much if I do the colors in groups (and use less thinners, too!).
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/12-PaintPrepStart.jpg

good work so far!!

i have a huge supply of countach's from 1/43rd to 1/24 1/16 and 1/12 my most fav car in the world!! :icon16:

watchin this one like a hawk!:popcorn:

Yes taliesen,
The Otaki and Doyusha kits are identical. I actually half built the Otaki +25 yrs ago. Didn't know better so everything (engine, suspension) was brush painted. I never finished it but I still have it. The body, interior, and wheels I did not touched. Couple of years ago I got the Doyusha. They are identical. That means I have two bodies, set of wheels, tires and interior. If I really wanted I could still restore the horrible painting I did on the engine and suspension but too much work. For now I'll just do the new one. One of my top five kits of all time. Light years ahead of it's time. The only negative I've heard is that it's a tight fit fitting the body. Since I never got that far I don't know how bad/tight it is.

taliesen, forgot to ask about the PE sheet. Where did you get it and what part is it? Do you have link?

I got it from Media Mix - took about a week, week and a half from Singapore to Texas.

http://www.mediamixhobby.com.sg/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?currency=USD&keywords=ACULE12P&sort=2a&page=1

Made a lot of progress on getting ready to paint, but most of it doesn't show well . . . . here's MOST of what I've got done now:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/19-PaintPrepstage2.jpg

Made the scripts gold, since the car will be black - the emblems are gold too, but still need the black added, and the clear:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/13-Goldemblems.jpg


Modded the rear mesh screen between the exhausts - the kit part has a 'solid' mesh:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/14-RearMesh-original.jpg

Cut that out and replaced with an aluminum mesh for sculpting:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/16-RearMesh-readytopaint.jpg

Got a start on the interior as well - it's molded with a texture everywhere it is supposed to be leather, but looks more like carpet. I'll have to sand this away - but the speaker grills will get lost in that process.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/17-Interior-Speakergrill.jpg
So, I'm drilling them out - taking a while, and I've already busted a couple of #78 bits . . .
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/18-Interior-Speakermodinprogress.jpg

That's all for now . . . . hope to get some painting done this week, but it's looking like I'll be busy with 'real' life, so it may take a while . . . .

Thanks for looking!

Fantastic project - I'll be keeping an eye on this build.

Damn. That speaker work is incredible. Ever consider being a microsurgeon? I never would have thought of that.

Minor updates this time around . . . .

Finished the cleanup of the interior - did the seats too, they had the same texture issue. Drilling the speakers took longer than I thought - final cost was 6 - 8 #80 drill bits broken, and one bit through my finger tip (from closing the bit container, if you can believe that). Worth the bits, not sure about the finger . . . .

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/20-InteriorPrep.jpg


Also had to add some clearance to allow the gearbox to fit in the tunnel correctly - dremel to the rescue!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/21-GearboxTunnel.jpg

Finished up the emblems - very thin black enamel paint applied in the open areas, and it wicked right into all the little gaps. Took a bunch of applications, but came out pretty good. Finished with some Future. I couldn't get good pics of the wheel caps, but here's the hood emblem.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/22-HoodEmblem-Finished.jpg

And some more goodies arrived!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/23-PaintArrived.jpg

I'm currently spending time on unwarping some of the body parts - the engine cover in particular isn't sitting right. Too boring to show pics of . . . .

Next update may be a while - hopefully it will include some paint and actual assembly!

This build sure is inspiration for me since I have the fujimi 1/16 countach next in my to-do pile.

Nice start Taliesen! I too built this model about three years ago. The fit and finish was generally pretty good on the P400 version (Michelin XWX's and no wheel arch fairings) as I recall. I think the engine is beautiful. I added some braided line and wire to top of the engine and found some ignition wire that was a litle closer to scale. I also scratch built some ribbed fresh air ducts to the air cleaners. My only disapointment was that after working so long on the engine one could hardly see any of it through the tiny body opening. If I were to do another I would give some thought to leaving the engine out displayed next to the car or something.

First, thanks to everyone for the kind comments!

Disaster number one has occurred . . . while priming, dropped a part into some crud, so I figured "I'll drop this in thinner for a few seconds to clean it up." Dumb me, wrong kind of thinner . . . . I now have melted my fuel rails. . . . . :loser:

Anybody with this kit have a spare C27??? I'm trying to scratch something up, but it's going to be severely lacking in details. I could finish the engine without installing the part (and will, if all else fails), but would be nice to have it in place . . . .

Not much progress, as I've been on a business trip out of town, but I did manage enough for a minor update.

I've got the basic structure built for the fuel rail, but am stuck on the detailing - will post some pics if it works out :confused:

I also started modding the instrument panel - again, the main surface was molded with texture, when it should be aluminum.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/25-InstrumentPanel-Before.jpg

Couldn't possibly sand that out, so I decided to remove it and build a replacement.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/26-PanelRemoved.jpg

Here's the beginnings of the new panel - I've since laid out the pattern for the holes to be drilled, but haven't actually done them yet. I have some ideas for how to do the rings and the gauges themselves, but not 100% sure they'll work.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/27-ReplacementPanel-Shaped.jpg

I did at least get something done . . . . .
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/24-WheelsCompleted.jpg

I did get additional painting done - engine block, exhaust, and a few other bits, but they're not terribly interesting until the assembly happens, so I'll hold off on pics . . .

That's all for now . . . . will ask again, though, if anyone has a spare C27/fuel rail, please PM me. Will look loads better than what I can scratch!! Thanks for following!

Awesome!

I still have the engine and some parts from that kit. Post a pic of the part or the remains thereof and i can let you know if i still have it. If no part you could post a pic of assembly diagram. I dont know of another way to figure out which part it is.
-Brando:)

Aw, that would've been too easy . . . . can I blame jet lag for not thinking of it if I was only one time zone away?:p

Anyway, here's the offender . . . in it's pristine original condition. After my chemical bath, all of the attachment points to the carbs are looking very 'melty'!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/28-C27.jpg

Should've waited one more day to post the pics of the wheels . . . . postman brought another gift, some valve stems from RB Motion . . .

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/29-WheelswithValveStems.jpg

I love this thread. I may have to crack the seal on mine some time soon.

:smile: I'm building a 1970 skyline right now. I have used guitar string and hollow plastic tubing to scratchbuild fuel lines, carb and throttle linkages and tiny springs from the nickel wrapped guitar strings. It is looking NICE! I'll post pics when I get my camera back and start a new thread. Just an idea for while you wait for the parts.

-Brando

Made some progress in several areas, but most isn't ready to show yet - approach on dash has been sorted, but I need to re-do the main plate as the gauge placement is a bit off, got a lot of the 'bulk' painting done as well when the weather cleared for a couple of days.

With the holidays, I might not get much else done til late weekend, so I wanted to post a teaser shot of sorts - here's where the engine is currently. Still need to add a bit, and do some more detail painting (like on the oil filter). Trying to decide whether to apply a black wash or not - I've never really gotten the hang of that, and I don't want to screw this one up. Your opinions?

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/30-EngineinProgress.jpg

The engine is looking fabulous!

A wash can certainly help, although I'm not sure I'd go with black as it may stand out a bit too much. Perhaps a brown or grey, or a mixture of the two. Personally I like to use artist oil paints in the appropriate colours, mixed with turps. Runs through the cracks great, and can generally be lightly wiped off the build and won't leave residue or mess with the paint (but be careful, too much stuffing about and it will mark your paintwork).

If I can add to Captains post, I searched and experimented a long time before settling on POLLY Scale's "Oily Black" #414329. I like the color because it's several different colors combined: browns, blacks, greens, even some greys. It's a water based paint so you can layer it on top of enamels and lacquers without mixing it into your base color. I dilute it way, way down and dab it into cracks and corners, let dry, rinse and repeat until I achieve the desired shadowing. Bear in mind that your not literally simulating oil/grime, it's more to add shadow effect that gets lost when going from 1/1 to 1/12. For example, the back of the alternator is cast with openings for ventilation. So adding oily black will bring out the moulded in detail and simulate an open area. Same for the cast cooling fins on the block. Adding wash will bring out the height of those fins by shadowing the valleys between.

That engine is looking good. Keep posting!

Very nice progress, anything further on this as yet?

What was the colour you painted the sheels in?

I've got the same kit here in a box waiting to start!

Thanks,

Real life caught up with me for a bit, and I haven't had time to do much so I sort of lost the fire. When the weather cleared up, I did get a chance to do some more painting in bulk (there's a LOT of semi-gloss black on this one), but no real assembly so nothing too exciting to show. Hope to have an update by the end of this weekend, though.

The wheels were stripped with Strip-a-Kit, cleaned up, primered grey, and then hit with a couple of light coats and one heavy coat of Alclad pale gold - the 1:1's are painted magnesium, and I think the heavy coat of Alclad simulates it pretty well. The lugs were picked out with good old X-11.

Thanks for looking!

OK made an attempt at a very light black wash on the engine . . . . thoughts?

Before:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/30-EngineinProgress.jpg

After (messed up the oil filter, need to strip and repaint it):
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/31-EngineinProgress-lightwash.jpg

not the same scale and not exactly the same car but my one of my references for countach builds is this build (http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~mokei/e-gallery-lambo.htm) where this is from.

http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~mokei/image/co14.jpg

not the same scale and not exactly the same car but my one of my references for countach builds is this build (http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/%7Emokei/e-gallery-lambo.htm) where this is from.


I saw that build, quite nice - I have a very similar angle of a real LP400 motor I've been working from a bit . . .

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/lp400se.jpg

OK made an attempt at a very light black wash on the engine . . . . thoughts?

Before:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/30-EngineinProgress.jpg

After (messed up the oil filter, need to strip and repaint it):
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/31-EngineinProgress-lightwash.jpg


You can add a bit more of it, just a tad more.

Jonathan,

impressive stuff you are showing us. Many thanks, as I'm playing around with thoughts to start my LP 400 Otaki. Seems pretty identical lest the version differences LP 400 -> 300.

Just sent you a PM with a link to my photo references (I don't post the link here because I'm not sure about violating copyrights). Lots of pictures, one guy did an engine revision and took pictures.

Let the news come, I will definetely watch this!

Paul

OK, soliciting opinions - I had some KA Models tan flocking that was too bland and light for the interior color I've picked, so I mixed a bit of black and a bit of wine red into it. Thought was it, but was out rummaging the local woodworking store for tiny sanding discs (don't ask) and came across the suede-tex stuff they have - 11 USD for 3 full ounces of the stuff, should last a long time - so I grabbed some black and dark brown. So, the attached pic are the options I'm facing. Middle is the original 'mix' of KA colors, the far right is the pure brown, and the far left is pure brown mixed into the KA. Opinions welcomed. And no, the final interior won't be that shiny - but the work spent on the speakers was definitely worth it!

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/32-FlockColorCheck.jpg

If you're trying to match colour I'd say go with the left (but you should be able to paint over whatever you put down), and if you're after advice on the best texture I'd vote for the right.

And the speakers do look good!

Some decent progress made this weekend . . . got almost all of the non-bodywork parts left to airbrush done, and some extras.

Need some good weather again to get more done on the engine - have some metallizer to lay down, but here's where it stands:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/33-EngineInstall-Rear.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/34-EngineInstall-Bottom.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/35-EngineInstall-LowLeft.jpg
Carbs were done in Alclad duraluminum, given a light wash of Tamiya acrylic titanium gold, and some detail work in the full strength color as well.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/38-EngineInstall-Top.jpg
Same wash applied to the throttle linkages.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/40-EngineDetail.jpg

Also sanded out some specks and repainted the interior - same color mix, with some flat base added to tone down the gloss. Suede dash is Valspar suede spraypaint, overcoated with flat black acrylic. This needs another coat of black, some gaps in the coverage.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/42-EngineInstall-InteriorTestFit.jpg

And got the flocking in . . . again, some spots neat retouched and cleaned up - but overall, not too bad for my first attempt.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/43-Interior-Flocked1.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/44-Interior-Flocked2.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/45-Interior-Flocked3.jpg

Thanks for looking - comments and criticisms welcomed!

looks cool to me dude

[QUOTE=taliesen]Not much progress, as I've been on a business trip out of town, but I did manage enough for a minor update.

I've got the basic structure built for the fuel rail, but am stuck on the detailing - will post some pics if it works out :confused:

I also started modding the instrument panel - again, the main surface was molded with texture, when it should be aluminum.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/25-InstrumentPanel-Before.jpg

Couldn't possibly sand that out, so I decided to remove it and build a replacement.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/26-PanelRemoved.jpg

Here's the beginnings of the new panel - I've since laid out the pattern for the holes to be drilled, but haven't actually done them yet. I have some ideas for how to do the rings and the gauges themselves, but not 100% sure they'll work.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/27-ReplacementPanel-Shaped.jpg




What are you going to do for the dial faces? This was always about my biggest gripes of this otherwise excellent model. How could you possibly paint the the molded in dials?

What are you going to do for the dial faces? This was always about my biggest gripes of this otherwise excellent model. How could you possibly paint the the molded in dials?
They won't look stock, that's for sure! Basically, I got myself in over my head and tore the old one apart before I had thought it all the way through. Or should I just say I challenged myself?

I found some good scalable gauge faces online (white faces, blue numbers) - the downside is, I can't find a good speedo, so there will actually be 2 tachs and then various small temp gauges for the others. I will print them and affix them to a sheet of styrene, then some clear styrene for the covers, and then put the main plate over with some scratch built bezels. Not perfect, I know, but at that size they're not terribly legible anyway, and the angle of view will help disguise it a bit.

I destroyed two sheet aluminum plates trying to drill them, so I'm switching to styrene instead - the material was better to drill, but I didn't align the centers properly, so it looks horrible and needs to be redone. The bezels need to be thinned out a bit more as well.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/46-GaugeMockup.jpg

Looking good. The flocking on the interior is very realistic and the engine is going to be amazing.:popcorn:

looks nice ! I love the way the drilled speaker "grilles" came out after painting the interior.

Finally, the dash rebuild is finished - honestly, it could have been a bit better, but given how visible it will be, it's plenty good enough. Panel is a sheet of styrene, drilled out and painted with Alclad aluminum, bezels are cut from styrene tubes with a miter box and painted semi-gloss black. The gauge faces were printed on photo paper and attached to another sheet of styrene with double sided tape, then glued to the back of the panel and installed.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/47-CompletedDash.jpg

With that out of the way, I was able to get a lot done on the interior - have a few trim pieces around the back window left, and then I'll add some belts and possibly some rubber mats for the driver's footwell. Seats aren't glued in yet either . . .
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/48-Interior90Percent.jpg

Another view - the steering wheel rim is done in my new favorite black leather look - Tamiya rubber black (TS-82) cleared with semi-gloss clear (TS-79). It gives a good tone without being solid jet black. The telescoping neck of the wheel is straight TS-82 (more visible in last pic), and the rest of the column/wheel is TS-29, for comparison.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/49-Interior-DashView.jpg

Finally, a dry fit to the chassis.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/50-Interior-DryFittoChassis.jpg

Thanks for looking - comments and criticisms are welcome!

This looks to be coming together very nicely.
And I'm totally going to steal your good idea for creating a leather look with TS-82.

This looks to be coming together very nicely.
And I'm totally going to steal your good idea for creating a leather look with TS-82.

That's why we share! Hope it serves you well.

Minor update, buttoned up the engine bay with a couple of added details thrown in.

First, replacing more wires - this kit has some 'rubberized' wires for the plugs, coils, battery, etc, and the instructions call out the colors to paint them. I've already replaced the plug wires, but rather than using the kit coil wires:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/51-CoilWires.jpg

I used just the ends that connect to the coils and drilled a hole in each one:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/52-ModifiedCoils.jpg

Here's a shot with them installed, and the wires connected. You can also see the scratch built air hose now attached to the intakes - these were wire coiled over an aluminum tube, and then covered with heat shrink tubing.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/53-WiredCoils.jpg

Finally, an overall shot of the engine - now complete:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/54-CompletedEngineBay.jpg

Looking awesome!!!! I have a 1/24th version of this, so your build is very inspiring (and very scary!)

Nice !
I like the engine details like the carb linkage !

These big scale models nees a lot of details compared to a 1:24 kit to not look "naked"

Must post up some wip pics of my 1:16 5000quattrovalvole some day.

Actually, the carb linkage is all standard in the kit - the only thing I did 'special' to it was to drill out the holes in the central arm part, where they had molded in depressions. Great detail built right into this one - a very good platform for adding a few minor tweaks (which is all I'm up to trying at this point in my 'career').

Thanks for the comments!

Nice progress Jonathan! I remember this kit seemed like it had 10,000 pieces at this point in my build. You're doing a great job.

I remember being impressed with how accurate and well designed this model was too though I would design a more robust door hinge if I do another. I don't recall any major fit issues other than tweaking the body panels here and there. Most of my problems originated from spraying the panels at different times and ending up with subtle differences in shades. Lesson learned...

If you enjoy 1/12 there are several others in the Otaki/Doyusha series with equally impressive detail. (Lancia Stratos, Mercedes 450SL, BMW 3.5CSL, etc with 3-400 pieces)

If you enjoy 1/12 there are several others in the Doyusha series with equally impressive detail. (Lancia Stratos, Mercedes 450SL, BMW, etc with 3-400 pieces)

Thanks! But don't tempt me . . . . I've got enough in the stash that I can't really justify adding any more 1/12, but maybe I'll keep my eyes open just in case :sly:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/DSC_4998.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/DSC_4999.jpg


http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/DSC_5000.jpg

:uhoh:

Is that your storage room or a hobby shop?:grinyes:

One last update for the weekend - in addition to this, got the rear suspension installed, but need to do some touchups before it is photogenic . . .

Modifed the kit seatbelt mounts - they included the shoulder mounts, but no belts and no other hardware. The belt material I have is wider than the stock openings, plus the stock ones don't look very impressive - so I used the center part for the mounting pin, removed the stock belt guide, and cut a small slit in each with a P/E saw to mount the P/E bracket. Kit part is on the left, modded one on the right:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/55-ModifiedSeatbeltBrackets.jpg


The other end is also a P/E piece, mounted to a square of 1mm thicker styrene - the styrene and the recess on the P/E part were then painted semi-gloss black. Here's the installed assembly - interior is now done.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/56-SeatbeltsInstalled.jpg


Thanks for looking!

Great progress, keep it comin.

Request permission to shamelessly steal your idea to cut out the rear waste gate plastic and replace it with mesh for your lambos little cousins?:sly:

I'm sure I stole it from someone else, so go right ahead! I'm in the process of replacing the vents on the sides of the engine cover as well - I've got one side done, but probably won't get to the second til later in the weekend. Here's a comparison of the original solid part and the one side that is done. I'm thinking this is a single part on the 1/24 versions, so it might be a bit more difficult to pull off in that scale.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/58-EngineCoverScreenCompare.jpg

I'm also trying something a little crazy (but not permanent yet) - while making a mold to cast a copy of another part, I decided to try and make a mold of the "designed by Bertone" badges on the sides. If it turns out, I'll do them in Alclad chrome and sand off the originals to get a nice separation in the parts, and allow me to get a smoother finish on the sides of the body when sanding. We'll see . . . .

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/57-MoldingBertonePlates.jpg

Next step is to cut into the body and resize the wheel wells - I've already drawn out the lines using the fender flares as a guide . . . . but I'm nervous to take the plunge :loser:

Molding those Bertone B's is a cool idea. Since you're well into body mods you might take a look at those doors. For some reason Otaki put thick reinforcement ribs on the inside area of the side windows thats not present on the real car (kit molding problem?). Whatever the reason for it, I was able to remove that junk without the door losing it's shape. Then the delicate outer window surround fits perfect right off the sprue and defines the three pieces of glass on the door.
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/cratecruncher/Ferrari%20250%20SWB/TestPics001-1.jpg
Here's my LP400 with the window ribs removed.

I went on ebays parts and accessories for Countach. There are good pics of individual parts for reference. Just an idea. Also, it's pretty amazing how much some of that stuff costs(300 bucks for 1 headlight lens...etc.) :screwy:

Great job so far Jonathan - we're all enjoying this one.

There is a very good write up on this same kit just been published on
Modelersite (www.modelersite.com (http://www.modelersite.com)) - I'm sure you'll find it interesting if you haven't seen it already.

I saw that write up, pictures look nice, but I didn't want to spring for the text. (EDIT - I was clicking the wrong link, article isn't a pay-per-view yet - good stuff, but I won't be taking advantage of a lot of it because I'm past the point of no return on some . . . ).

Crate - great idea on the door mod, I will definitely be looking at that one - timely advice, too, as I was hoping to get primer and paint started tomorrow. May be a slight delay now, but looks like it is worth it!

The Bertone plate idea seems to be working out - I'll know better once I get the paint on it . . . some in process pics follow.

Closeup of one of the molds - more than anything, this points out my need for a good macro lens . . . . need to convince the wife to let me spend 400 on it first :smile:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/59-BertonePlateMoldCloseup.jpg

The sharper eyed among you may notice this is a different shape than the pic in the last post - I actually did two molds so I could cast 'em both at once (and did that by casting off of two bodies - however, unlike Alex I will not be springing a surprise dual build on you. I'm saving the second one for a true LP500S conversion down the road when my scratch skills are better!)

Sorry for the lighting on this one, but my flash was washing out the picture of the finished one (need a new flash, too . . . ), so this is by indirect florescent bulbs instead. The resin is actually pure white. The other part I was casting (my first attempt) needed a second take, so I made an extra set of these as well with the extra resin. If this works, they'll go into storage for the next build.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff307/taliesen3e00/Lamborghini%20WIP/62-BertonePlateSample-Raw.jpg

Those emblems are going to look great. So I see you've figured out the fuel rail problem and it's a good thing. Here is what I finally received in the mail today. As you can see it has taken quite a beating and most of the part you needed is gone. Sorry bud. I tried.


http://i546.photobucket.com/albums/hh401/brando590/100_0187.jpg