Alfa Romeo 158/9 "Alfetta"

[mattbacon]

This is the very old (c.1960) Merit kit, as reissued by Smer. Built more or less OOB, because it's for a display showcasing older kits, so aftermarket wheels are a "no-no". I'm pleasantly surprised by how good the basic shapes are, and the parts count - since these Merit kits were also released in "slot-car" versions. I'm not sure that they all have the engine detail that this one and the Talbot Lago (also reissued by Smer) include. There are some things that I'll do differently on the Lago build - specifically I'll mask the radiator detail before doing ANY priming, painting or clear-coating.








I added a fuel tank and the padding around the seat in the cockpit, and changed the instrumentation slightly. I might noodle a little bit more - those bonnet-catches are now annoying me - but overall I'm pretty impressed for a 1950s vintage kit...

bestest,
M.

[alex156]

Good to see an old classic kit built,and yes the shape looks fine.
Atb,Alexp.

[Drift F.C]

I saw the wip and you have done a really good job!

[Drift F.C]

I saw the wip and you have done a really good job!

[Drift F.C]

I saw the wip and you have done a really good job!

[Drift F.C]

I saw the wip of this and you have done a really good job!

[AmazonSprite]

Looks great! Hard to believe it's such an old tool.

[radosuaf]

I'm about to have a go on that Alfa. Did you use any special techniques to paint the grille?

[mattbacon]

Thanks, guys...

Rado... no, I didn't, but if I was doing another...

I would mask the grille on the bare plastic. If you burnish Tamiya tape (or similar) down over it, you should still be able to see the outline (the "cloverleaf" three-lobed shape at the outside), and cut round it with a new blade. Do that, and KEEP the piece you cut off outside the grille. Then paint the body (primer, colour, clearcoat). Then, mask the outside of the grille, using the shape you cut off earlier, and cover the rest, and then spray the grille with a good metallic aluminium (Humbrol 27002, Mr Metal Colour... you need something thin). Finally, "colour in" the gaps between the raised "wires" with a fine black pen.

This would solve the problem I had, that the primer, body colour, clear and then silver "filled in" the detail on the grille, so that the louvres were very "soft" and I had to draw them in by eye. If you do it as I suggest, the moulded relief should be crisp enough to help you outline them, with a good pen...

Good luck!

bestest,
M.

[radosuaf]

I was thinking about deepening the louvres a bit with the blade anyway... I also plan to cut the "bolt" and drill a small hole to put some rod through it. We'll see if it works.

[alex156]

Hi Guy,s
If it helps here is a couple of shots of the real thing and a couple of my Revival kit.





Atb,Alex

[radosuaf]

Great! Do you have the pics of the engine before putting it in?

BTW, this is a nice model:
http://www.leighsdiary.com/forum/YaB...m=1278578712/7

[quadzero]

Very interesting to see how models were so long ago. You did a great job on this, I love the subject matter.