Noobie - need a little starting help

[Shaky-hand-man]

Hi,

I been dribbling at the quality of the models on here for some time - enough to make me do a kit myself - well that and its the nearest thing i'm going to get to an mr2 turbo this year...

i've looked at the faqs on equipment but there seems to be a number of brands and i dont know which is best value/performance.

I already have a clipper kit (file, pliers) that I used on some Gundam models. But I'd be really grateful if someone could give me a breakdown list of what I will need for one complete build?

the kit is a fujima mr2 sw20.

I have had this sitting in my cupboard (with a similar initial D one - they look to be exactly the same apart from decals) and have just been a bit intimated to start it cos i dont want to mess it up!

I'm in the UK so would like to buy UK specific to save on delivery. I'm guessing online will get me the most for my money. Not too concerned about getting the cheapest stuff - but the best value for price.

I await the wise words...

[MPWR]

Welcome to AF!

We're happy to give you guidance in your building, but to do so it will require participation and effort on your part. There is a fantastic amount of information on modeling available here, to be found in the FAQ guide and with the search feature- however it is up to you to make use of these. If you look through the FAQ's, you'll find that your question has been answered.

If you have further questions, please feel free to ask. But if you want good answers, you must ask good questions. Be specific- very specific. Do not ask "tell me everything I need to know about..." kinds of questions. Nobody wants to retype the encyclopedia on how to begin building again (and again and again)- especially as you're likely to find may of your questions already answered here. (A good rule of thumb is, don't ask someone else to type to answer more than you have typed to ask.) If you have specific questions, people here are very happy to help. But please, look for your answers yourself first.

[tonioseven]

Yeah, what Andy said. . If it would be of any help, below is the Fujimi SW20 kit I built a while back...

[potsie]

My couple of bits of advice would be:

1. yes, the FAQs are a great place to start, though apparently you have already browsed that section.

2. yes, be very specific with questions and you are more than likely to get an answer.

3. being in the UK you are pretty much set. My experience in the UK was that with a bit of effort you can get everything you want/need for very good money - there are model shops everywhere! You do not necessarily need to buy 'modelling' brands. There are loads of art supplies stores that are often good value for money.

4. if you want to buy online, but want to stay in the UK, then you have some good options. Many people here, myself included, have used hiroboy.co.uk. They have a good range of tools, paints, etc. I think also that Hannants are online, but I have never bought from them.

5. very good source for paints is Halfords - in particular primer (yes, you want to use primer). Great range of colours as well, though the metallics are out-of-scale so can look odd. Plain colours are great though. Much cheaper than buying 'modelling' spray paint.

6. as for your kit, most people here will tell you that Fujimi do a great range of models, but the quality can be a bit hit and miss. Though recent kits are a great improvement. Do lots of test fitting.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Grant.

[hirofkd]

Welcome to AF.

The SW20 kit has a couple of tricky issues. One is the fitting of the
interior&chassis assembly to the body shell, and the other is the ride
height.

Use quality masking tape, and dry fit the body, window, dashboard,
interior tub and chassis. You'll probably have a difficulty fitting the
interior&chassis assembly to the body. That's because the rear window is
too tall. The front edge of the dashboard might interfere with the
windshield, too. So, you'll probably want to file the bottom of the rear
window a little to ensure precise fitting of those large parts.

Once you are done with the fitting issue, attach the tire&wheel to the
front strut, and check the gap between the wheel arch and the top of
the tire. I'm sure there'll be 2-3 mm gap there, and you'll probably want to
correct that.

File the top of the strut by 1-2mm, while leaving the pin intact. If
that's too difficult, cut the top off with a knife, drill a hole with a
pin-vice and insert a metal rod. But you'll have to invest extra money
on a pin-vice, drill bit and metal rod. After that, there should a gap
between the bottom of the strut and the lower suspension arm. You can
glue a piece of plastic to the suspension arm, and drill a hole. (keep
in mind that if you lower the ride height this way <i.e. by raising the
struts>, there is a possibility of the lower arm interfering with the
wheel. So, whatever you build or modify, always test fit parts as often
as you can.)

Do that to all four corners, and I assure you that the SW20 model will
look much better than the out-of-box one.