In Progress - Tamiya 300ZX convertible

[KTem]

Excellent, your paint skill makes plastic look like metal... very realistic.

[mickbench]

Thanks for the comments.. The polished Alclad II doesn’t photograph just as you see it. The picture shows the paint with some hints of black in it.. I’ll be fair, it’s not that weathered on real life, the picture is telling a few fibs.

This picture here, it looks very black. With the top cover on as well, it looks almost totally black.



This top down picture shows the Alclad II in a much different shade. Still looks like metal, and looks fantastic, but it can be mis-leading. The car will be made to look like it has been driven only for a few weeks, as already pointed out, so I must be on the right track.



Captain_Mark, I didn’t buy any Humbrol Brass for the cover, as recommended, I just mixed some gold with silver, touch of white and used that. I added the red to add some colour to the engine, as it was all starting to look a little black and silver. I WAS tempted to use some clear blue on the cam covers.. Nearly did it.. Just need to dry brush some silver on the nissan logo, and then my engine is painted. Needs fixing with glue yet.. So can take this apart, and the fan will be white. Still drying..

[Captain Mark]

The cover colour is very close, well done!
I can't remember if the NISSAN wording is actually silver or not, but can't hurt to do that on your build. Will add a nice touch of colour.

[kunta]

Nice progress.
That body paint is awesome and nice detail paint on engine.

[MidMazar]

good thing i saved my engine from my yellow z, your engine looks very real, nice weathering, wanna see this one done.

[A_C]

Nice painting work. Keep it up.

[sportracer02]

Nice project so far, clean building-style, good looking colours !!!!!!!!

[mickbench]

Update, engine is now assembled, and fan installed. Looks very good, but I'm sure it could be better.



Also done the masking for the underchassis. It took a good few hours to do this, and by the time I was done tonight, it was way to late to get some outside pictures. Gives you all an idea, but you can't see the fuel tank and the nice texture I got with the black. Looks just like the real underchassis stone chip protection stuff they apply.



Also notice that the interior is now completed.. I didn't attach any seatbelts in the end, due to lack of materials, and not knowing what to do.. It looks OK, but I'll get better as I go along.

And, if you want to, I've opened an account that allows me to upload all the pictures I've taken thus far. Starts from the raw parts, to where I am now.

http://www.blurryimage.com/show_gall...p?gid=1953&o=0

Hard to think this was just a box with some plastic in it, and that I've built it..

[mickbench]

Started to get on pretty well with this build now, below is the chassis with the fuel tank detailed, and all black trim work completed.



And this is the chassis now, with all the parts fitted and just needing the wheels attaching.



Interior is completely done, and just needs attaching to the chassis.



And the engine bay is now completed. I haven’t done any engine wiring, as TBH I’m starting to get a little bored of this build, and just want to get it completed without anything major going wrong, and if I started to tinker with wires I might have messed up. So decided to just concentrate on getting it completed, and it looks nice anyhow.






Front radiator was a git to fix in place, and the hoses do not line up very well. Bit disappointed with that, as normally Tamiya kits fit pretty snug. I messed around with it for about 30 minutes, and decided this was the best it was going to be, without extending the hose pipes. I even had problems gluing it in. Needs a small touch up at the base, where the glue leaked out.. Other then this, went together without issue.

I’ve done the glass trim, however it has a decal that goes across the top, sun visor by the looks of it. Decals are old, and they are breaking up. I’ve saved nearly all of them, but the sun visor has small hairline cracks that can be seen, but not a lot I can do about it. Decal saver saved most of them, but the sun visor is bad. Also, with this kit being old, the fantastic Tamiya Window Masks are not there, so had to break out the old pencil, masking tape and sharp knife.. Hate doing the mask templates like this, but I don’t know any other way. I scribe a thick soft lead pencil line around the edge you need to paint, then place tape over it, and cut the line through the tape with a sharp knife.. It’s like taking a bull into a china shop. One slip, and you could get a bad mark in the glass. Looks OK ish. Be OK once it’s installed, and the window wipers are in place. Nightmare..!! LOL..



Just got to trim the black in the body, do the panel lines, wax the body, attach all the body parts that are done and ready to install, and this model is “on the shelf”..

Keep watching.. It’s getting near the end.

And, all the progress pictures are here. From start to where I am now.
http://www.blurryimage.com/show_gallery.php?gid=1953

[tturbozx66]

The intake hoses should not line up or connect to the radiator. They should extend pass the radiator but the kit has it too short. The kit ommited the upper and lower radiator hoses coming from the engine.

[Captain Mark]

Your work looks so clean, I'm very impressed.
I'm not sure how you managed to mask up the fuel tank to paint it black, but that's an awesome job you've done, on the whole under-side of the car in fact.
And that interior flocking is superb!

Can't wait to see the finished product!

[mickbench]

Originally Posted by Captain Mark

Your work looks so clean, I'm very impressed.
I'm not sure how you managed to mask up the fuel tank to paint it black, but that's an awesome job you've done, on the whole under-side of the car in fact.
And that interior flocking is superb!

Can't wait to see the finished product!

Masked the fuel tank with Tamiya Masking tape, but it took around an hour to mask it off, very awkward. Thanks for the comments guys. And as for the hose pipes. I honestly thought they were meant to line up better, shows how much I know about cars..

[tturbozx66]

Originally Posted by mickbench

Masked the fuel tank with Tamiya Masking tape, but it tooks around an hour to mask it off, very awkard. Thanks for the comments guys. And as for the hose pipes. I honestly thought they were neant to line up better, shows how much I know about cars..

The only reason I know this about the pipes is because I owned the twin tubo version of this car for 5 years. And I am in the final stages of completing the Turbo version of the kit myself.

[ImolaEK]

Wow, your work is wonderful! Everything is soo neatly done. Great job !

[D_LaMz]

Great job on the engine!