Aston Martin DB4GT in 1/24

[mattbacon]

The chassis is done now:



The underside is very simplified, but it's out of sight and out of mind. Just a little bit of detail painting to satisfy the "Because God can see" tendency in me...




First try with the wheels on... It certainly looks different from a silver DB5 with chrome wheels, which is where it started! I replaced the two-ear knock-offs from the road car with some three-ear hubs from the spares box, which is what the race cars in my period references seem to be sporting...

bestest,
M.

[mattbacon]

..and now for some bits that don't look like much, but have taken longer than you'd think, and had me worried about how to do them. Details, details.

At the top, those coloured "bullets" are actually the tail lights, which started life as a bit of perspex, which I whittled, shaped and polished. They've had the clearred and orange on, and are awaiting the chrome "frames"

In the middle, two fuel filler caps, made from turned and shaped sprue.

And finally, the exhaust. For some reason Doyusha decided to put the chamfered end caps on the wrong way up, and they are a bit spindly, so these are new ones from plastic tube. It's in two bits because, of course, that's ANOTHER bit that needs to be 5mm shorter...

On to the bare metal foil, now...

bestest,
M.

[mattbacon]

The rear lights in place. Tamiya Clear Orange and Red, with Humbrol Metalcote for the silver parts. The close-up is a bit unforgiving, but they look the part in making the DB4 visually different from the DB5 base kit. You can just about see (out of focus) the fuel filler cap. BMF work has started.



The transparent headlight fairings were just too thick and badly fitting, so these are made from a clear plastic water bottle. I put a piece of Tamiya masking tape over the hole, pressed it inward slightly to dish it, then drew around the outline with a pencil. Then I stuck the tape onto an appropriately "double curved" bit of the neck of the bottle, and cut around the outline, now bulging outward instead. Glued in place with Formula 560 white canopy glue -- the silver "rivets" are still to painted on, but there are only four per light.

bestest,
M.

[mattbacon]

On the home straight now...








The BMF was more of a pain than I'd have liked -- mine seems to have gone "wrinkly" and it cracks everywhere there's a wrinkle. It must be half a decade old, though, at least, so maybe it doesn't owe me anything. The side windows are acetate sheet, which gives a better view inside. I wanted to make a windscreen from acetate as well, but after several tries I just couldn't make it work.

Just a few external details to add now, and then on to decals. I have to figure out what number plate and race numbers to carry, since it's a bit of a hybrid, rather than being based on any real car I have pictures of... DBA6T is springing to mind at the moment (you have to think of it in number plate font)

bestest,
M

[mattbacon]

Right... I'm calling this done.



Home made decals for the race numbers, various sponsor logos from an Aoshima MGB kit, and a home made number plate (which is a legal British plate, albeit with illegal spacing...)

More pictures over in Completed Projects.

Thanks for the interest and support during the build!

bestest,
M