1/12 Trumpeter Ford GT40 replacement decals..?

[Rickard_Olsson]

As the topic says, I am wondering if anybody knows where I can get some replacement decals for the 1/12 Ford GT40 by Trumpeter.. I think is looks pretty boring in black and was just wondering if there were any other schemes available

// Rickard

[gionc]

I seen that bestbalsakit offers a few schemes for the 1/12 GT40: I wanted to purchase the yellow one..

[TurboGuru]

I have been condsidering purchasing this kit, but I wanted to see what other colour schemes there were.... so last week I did a similar search and came up with these:

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/bestba..._ipgZQQ_sasiZ1

Btw - how are you finding a kit, is it worth it?

Hope that helps!

[MerlinPro]

Hello Rickard,

I share your interest in GT's. I have the Trumpeter kit and am about 60% complete with it. Like you I did not want to model chassis 1046, the black restored car owned by George Stauffer which Trumpeter used.

I have collected over time, a fair amount of visual research and learned that 1046 which won LeMans in '66 has some differences with the way it was restored and how Trump modeled it. I am aware there are a few other decal sets available for other cars in '66. But here's the catch-each of these cars were different from the kit version we have. Things like oil coolers, interior arrangements, suspension parts, wiring and fuel pumps are slightly different car to car. If you are not concerned with accuracy, you can build the kit and put different colors and numbers on it.

If you do want an "as-raced" replica I advise you to do extensive searches for the various chassis numbers, collect the photos and be prepared for a lot of scratch building.

As I learned all this I decided that the kit had too many construction compromises in it to be an exact replica of any of them. Trumpeter only "suggests" the look of some parts and omits others they did not wish to engineer-like a distributor and wiring and brake plumbing. Most of the suspension and oil and fuel lines they include suggest the original but are only representations at best. The springs, brakes and suspension arms are terrible with toy like connectors. They include an interior roll bar structure which is how it was restored but it did not race with one at LeMans.

So I decided to go another way-I'm building a car that didn't exist but is in as-raced condition. Sort of like a test or practice car. I selected a silver-blue metallic color (very much like Viking Blue used on Cobra team cars) with no markings. My car will be "weathered" to look like a heavily used track car. I have scratched new suspension arms and some joints where visible and did a lot of interior wiring and piping. I spent an enormous amount of time reworking the tire profiles (which are all wrong as supplied) then painting and lettering them and the wheels. Many parts are not visible when the car is complete, even with the nose and deck removed.

Trumpeter did do an excellent job on the fitment of the parts-except for two important areas: the doors are bulged slightly above the roof at the top and the entire rear deck does not lie flat on the top outer edges. I tried some heating and bending with water to no improvement. I see now why many modelers on other forums complained it was too expensive for what they give you. But I am a lover of GT-40's and this is the first ever 1/12 so I had to get it.

Well I did not answer your question but I would love to hear your thoughts on your project. I have enjoyed the challenge to my skills and matching the details to my research pictures of the various cars.

Cheers,
Merlin

[MerlinPro]

I assume that no one likes the Trumpeter GT-40?

[F1Tommy]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

I assume that no one likes the Trumpeter GT-40?

I think alot of people like it, but even more like the KA models transkit for it. I hear they sold a ton of them. Scale Motorsports missed the boat.

Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2010 model/photo contest-Chicago April 24th 2010

[MerlinPro]

Originally Posted by F1Tommy

I think alot of people like it, but even more like the KA models transkit for it. I hear they sold a ton of them. Scale Motorsports missed the boat.

Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2010 model/photo contest-Chicago April 24th 2010

Yes, KA's craftsmanship is excellent but did not present a good value to me so I passed. Adding $160 to a $175 kit made little sense when you still have screwed-together construction and junk suspension components.

I did not care for the resin seats as the worst 'as-raced' photos I found were not trashed like that. Making the headers in white metal was a waste IMO when the kit's plastic ones fit and finish perfectly. And tiny PE parts where barely seen are just hours more work to little improvement. All the tin panels were either foiled or replaced by my own sourced tin can aluminum. The cylinder heads and intake are mere suggestions by Trumpeter but KA does not have parts to improve them from what I see.

I understand why SMS passed on this one. I have their Tamiya 395 kit and it is a world of difference. But I had to have this GT-40 and it does have the proper 'look' when finished and closed.

I just have not seen virtually any builds or completed models on the web. Assuming you're correct and people bought a 'ton of them' -they're just not writing about them or I visit the wrong modeling sites.

'Scale Auto' magazine did a review build by Mark Melchiori which was rushed for a deadline and he omitted all plumbing lines and had difficulty with simple to remedy kit flaws. It was a waste but made a pretty picture all closed up.

[F1Tommy]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

Yes, KA's craftsmanship is excellent but did not present a good value to me so I passed. Adding $160 to a $175 kit made little sense when you still have screwed-together construction and junk suspension components.

I did not care for the resin seats as the worst 'as-raced' photos I found were not trashed like that. Making the headers in white metal was a waste IMO when the kit's plastic ones fit and finish perfectly. And tiny PE parts where barely seen are just hours more work to little improvement. All the tin panels were either foiled or replaced by my own sourced tin can aluminum. The cylinder heads and intake are mere suggestions by Trumpeter but KA does not have parts to improve them from what I see.

I understand why SMS passed on this one. I have their Tamiya 395 kit and it is a world of difference. But I had to have this GT-40 and it does have the proper 'look' when finished and closed.

I just have not seen virtually any builds or completed models on the web. Assuming you're correct and people bought a 'ton of them' -they're just not writing about them or I visit the wrong modeling sites.

'Scale Auto' magazine did a review build by Mark Melchiori which was rushed for a deadline and he omitted all plumbing lines and had difficulty with simple to remedy kit flaws. It was a waste but made a pretty picture all closed up.

The modelers site had a pretty nice build of this kit.

SMS did do a detail set for the Revell F2002 wich was not much better than this kit(maybe worse), so thats no excuse. I understand his decision,
and it is his call after all. I think he would have sold alot of them. The KA kit does miss alot of the problems, but has alot of nice photoetch wich will help in the build. Years ago a broke down and bought the GMP MKII and must say its much better than the Trumpeter in detail. That really makes you wonder. The big thing on the GMP that sets it apart are the tires. They are superb.

Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2010 model/photo contest-Chicago April 24th 2010

[gionc]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

I assume that no one likes the Trumpeter GT-40?

I like it a lot, I think anyone owner got his own minute of modeling nirvana at first body fitting test... the shape in this scale is simply amazing...

Said that the kit has muuuch things that would be better also without considering that is not 100% accurate with the original car: it looks just pantographed starting from a great 1/24 kit: details are not so crispy as Trump used us with 1/32 aicrafts, and chrome is horrible..

But at last it is a great kit to me and a good deal for a price between 140-170 eur. I'm considering the KA TK also but it would be a great challange without it, to test/improove our scratchbuilding/machining skills.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by F1Tommy

Years ago a broke down and bought the GMP MKII and must say its much better than the Trumpeter in detail. That really makes you wonder. The big thing on the GMP that sets it apart are the tires. They are superb.

Well, that answers one question people have had, whether Trumpeter used or shared GMP tooling.

Pretty sad that a diecast in the same scale as the plastic kit is better...

[MerlinPro]

Originally Posted by gionc

I
Said that the kit has muuuch things that would be better also without considering that is not 100% accurate with the original car: it looks just pantographed starting from a great 1/24 kit: details are not so crispy as Trump used us with 1/32 aicrafts, and chrome is horrible..

This is so true. Trump has $200 aircraft and ships which far surpass this effort. P-47's with complete supercharger and radial detail, Tomcats with every conceivable ordinance, radar and complete engines-almost all of which get closed unless you build a cut-away. And many others for the military modelers.

I was particularly sad because the 427 Sideoiler engine is so poor. I'm fortunate to have one and reference for me is very easy. Even though it's buried in the car I added better details and finishes.

I also have the Exoto 1/10 model of chassis 1015 (car #1, 2nd place LeMans ) This is a superb model and yes, the larger scale helps-but there are very few, very minor carps with this. I just don't want to try a disassembly to improve it because of it's value. But it looks fantastic to all but the most experienced GT-40 lovers.

Would like to see other builds and finished models. Bob-any interest?? Melchiori's build was a rush-job which cut many corners.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

Bob-any interest?? Melchiori's build was a rush-job which cut many corners.

Nope; I don't build 1/12 scale (I was offered the review kit and passed), and the people I know who do are still figuring this beast out. If anyone I know who can do a great job with it and actually build it, it would likely be Eric Cole aka Mach I 2003. My personal passion is for the Gulf-livery LeMans winning car from '68 & '69. If the kit were that (and not nearly as compromised), I might consider it.

I should have the Tamiya Aston Martin DBS and McLaren Mercedes SLR 722 review kits on my bench early next week

Review kits have to be built OOB, so not much room for doing much with that kit other than showing it built as-is. I continue to be completely perplexed as to what Trumpeter is really trying to accomplish with model cars. They still seem to have little clue how to hit any sort of "sweet spot" whatsoever.

[MerlinPro]

Thanks for the reply and your insights. I understand about the review requirements to build OOB but even a hacker like me got the fuel and oil lines and the brake duct hoses right.

[512BB]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

Hello Rickard,

I share your interest in GT's. I have the Trumpeter kit and am about 60% complete with it. Like you I did not want to model chassis 1046, the black restored car owned by George Stauffer which Trumpeter used.

I have collected over time, a fair amount of visual research and learned that 1046 which won LeMans in '66 has some differences with the way it was restored and how Trump modeled it. I am aware there are a few other decal sets available for other cars in '66. But here's the catch-each of these cars were different from the kit version we have. Things like oil coolers, interior arrangements, suspension parts, wiring and fuel pumps are slightly different car to car. If you are not concerned with accuracy, you can build the kit and put different colors and numbers on it.

If you do want an "as-raced" replica I advise you to do extensive searches for the various chassis numbers, collect the photos and be prepared for a lot of scratch building.

As I learned all this I decided that the kit had too many construction compromises in it to be an exact replica of any of them. Trumpeter only "suggests" the look of some parts and omits others they did not wish to engineer-like a distributor and wiring and brake plumbing. Most of the suspension and oil and fuel lines they include suggest the original but are only representations at best. The springs, brakes and suspension arms are terrible with toy like connectors. They include an interior roll bar structure which is how it was restored but it did not race with one at LeMans.

So I decided to go another way-I'm building a car that didn't exist but is in as-raced condition. Sort of like a test or practice car. I selected a silver-blue metallic color (very much like Viking Blue used on Cobra team cars) with no markings. My car will be "weathered" to look like a heavily used track car. I have scratched new suspension arms and some joints where visible and did a lot of interior wiring and piping. I spent an enormous amount of time reworking the tire profiles (which are all wrong as supplied) then painting and lettering them and the wheels. Many parts are not visible when the car is complete, even with the nose and deck removed.

Trumpeter did do an excellent job on the fitment of the parts-except for two important areas: the doors are bulged slightly above the roof at the top and the entire rear deck does not lie flat on the top outer edges. I tried some heating and bending with water to no improvement. I see now why many modelers on other forums complained it was too expensive for what they give you. But I am a lover of GT-40's and this is the first ever 1/12 so I had to get it.

Well I did not answer your question but I would love to hear your thoughts on your project. I have enjoyed the challenge to my skills and matching the details to my research pictures of the various cars.

Cheers,
Merlin

I really look forward to your project!
I have been paying attention on when the GT40 will hit the stores ever since they annonce the release of it. I bought it at once eventhough I know I have to smuggle it home without my wife knowing! On opening the box, I didn't regret for buying it, for it is a nice kit with parts made up of different and appropriate material. It looks good to me, but of course if you want to compare it ith actual pics, you might notice some error or something missing, but don't forget you don't carry a reference with you all the time! At least the trumpeter kit represent a decent GT40 that you can tell rightaway!

[512BB]

Originally Posted by F1Tommy

The modelers site had a pretty nice build of this kit.

SMS did do a detail set for the Revell F2002 wich was not much better than this kit(maybe worse), so thats no excuse. I understand his decision,
and it is his call after all. I think he would have sold alot of them. The KA kit does miss alot of the problems, but has alot of nice photoetch wich will help in the build. Years ago a broke down and bought the GMP MKII and must say its much better than the Trumpeter in detail. That really makes you wonder. The big thing on the GMP that sets it apart are the tires. They are superb.

Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2010 model/photo contest-Chicago April 24th 2010

Yes! That's what I hate! The manufacturer are actually producing P/E parts because they want to sell you P/E! I have to admit P/E parts sometimes really enhance a model, but you just cannot replace everything with this thin material! A very typical example is Eduard who specialized in military models.