Datsun 240Z Rally Winner - need help again Thanks

[mickbench]

Has anyone actually built the Hasegawa Datsun 240Z Safari Rally Winner yet? If so, I’d really like to know how you built the front of the body – As per this below



I’ve just made a start on this last night, and I’m thinking how best to tackle the separate front bumper. It’s not a load bearing front from the looks, as the chassis glues to the front bonnet just next to the front suspension strut, so no stretching the body over the chassis like the Fujimi WRX STi I’ve just built (still shudder about how bad that was).

Would you advise to glue the front on how, and then install the lights etc, would I still have room to fit them cleaning, as it looks a little tight, reason I think Hasegawa decided to engineer the bumper off the body, and you attached the front lights and grill BEFORE attaching to the body.

Any thoughts on this? Many Thanks.

Oh, I searched and not that many WIP's for this model. BTW, I got the S27 belt set from www.hiroboy.com for the model in the end, and decided not to use the kit supplied decals.

Oh one last thing, I take it TS 8 Red would be perfect for this model? Nice deep red, but not as bright as the newer TS reds?

and can someone edit my title mistake. It's a 240z not a 250z. Typo..

[drunken monkey]

can't you do a dry run of the front end and see?
in any case, the nose of the 240 in reality is a separate body panel/part so you don't have to get a perfect seemless join (unlike on a 246 dino... give that try if you really fancy a heart attack). In fact, i would treat it as a separate part because then you'd have a real panel gap line and have one less panel line to deal with afterwards.

there might be another reason for enginering the nose as a separate section in that it is easier to do so; undercuts and all that are pretty nasty to deal with when you have a cone type nose.

[freakray]

Check reference materials, I think the nose piece should be attached and smoothed before painting.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

It's separate because it's easier to mold that way, it's a separate part on the 1:1 car and there were multiple variations of the front clip from Nissan and from Hasegawa (long nose Fairlady vs. short nose 240z). Test fit that entire assembly before painting to see for yourself if there are any fit issues, making sure the panels line up.

I rarely mold/glue parts like this (especially bumpers) on before painting because of potential assembly problems w/lamps or grilles or whatever, I temporarily tape the piece in place w/enough gap so paint covers all visible surfaces. In final assembly I have parts that I know will fit and are a perfect color match because they were painted at the same time, same place, same number of coats. I use Formula 560 Canopy glue to assemble them as it's nearly as strong as epoxy, dries clear, and excess seepage is more easily wiped away before it dries.

[MPWR]

Hey Mick-

I really like that you give a bunch of info in your question- makes it alot easier to give a meaningful answer.

As drunken monkey pointed out, the real reason the bumper is molded seperately probably has much more to do with mold geometry than to give the modeler more options on putting it together. Hasegawa likely assumes you'll just put it together and then paint it.

The way I see it, there are two options-

One, you can put the bumper on without the light lenses or mesh grille in place, and paint it. Of course, before doing this you'll need to verify that it is in fact possible to install the lenses and grille afterwards. Dry fit!

Two, you can paint the bumper seperately, when you paint the body, and then assemble it with the lenses and grille, and put it on the body in final assembly.

Really, theres no wrong answer- you can do it either way. It's the much the same as whether or not to put the front bumper on the Tamiya GT3 before painting it- if you're careful about it, you can do it either way, and the advantages/disadvantages of one way over the other don't leave a clear favored option.

As mentioned above, you will want to preserve the gap- but that's not hard by either method. So, take you pick.

Not having the kit to play with, I think if it were me I'd probably favor the first option, if I was confident I could assemble the rest of the detail afterwards. I like not to have to mess with glue around painted body parts. Paint obviously needs to be scraped form spots for gluing, and there's always the danger of filling the gap area with too much paint- but TS tends to go on thin so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Then again, this one has a black bonnet and red body, doesn't it? Painting them seperately may save you some masking....

Either way, I'm sure it'll go fine for you.

[hirofkd]

I recommend gluing the bumpers before painting, just because you get a better result. You'd better paint before gluing only when you know the fitting of parts are very precise. Even Tamiya and Hasegawa can have some minor fitting problem, so dry-fitting is just as important as priming.

And preferably, it's better sanding the body along the grooves, to smooth the surface (I don't mean to smooth out the mold), because the edge of a plastic part tend to be curled outward, making it a little higher than the rest. Same is true for the molded lines on the body like doors and trunks. If you sand those areas with fine sand paper like 2000 grit, you'll be able to see it.

[mickbench]

Many thanks for your help, and I feel it if I need to ask then it is better to provide as much info as possible, and then I get the best possible answer. As now proved.

I’ll perhaps look to attaching “Before” painting, but I will also check out the ideas by ZoomZoom. Over the past week I’ve certainly learnt to listen to the voice of experience, and not think “I” know better.

Many thanks, much appreciated.

[malscar]

Mike I notice that no one has answered your paint colour question.

I built the Hasegawa 1600 which according to their instruction sheet is the same colour as the 240Z. Looking at the box cover photo of the 1600 and from personal experience of a rally 1600 in that colour, TS-8 is too bright.

For the 1600 I used TS-39 Mica Red. Real colour is not Mica. The 240Z is somewhere between TS-8 Italian Red and the shade of TS-39. Closer to Italian. Have a look at McKlein's 'Rally" pgs 78 and 89. If you don't have it I can scan and email you.

The attached photo shows the 1600 in TS-39 next to a Lancer in TS-49.


Mal

[mickbench]

Thank you - nice 1600 BTW. Gotta get me one of them..

anyhow, this is a colour chart for the 240Z. There are some reds on here, any of these look correct -

http://zhome.com/History/ZColorGallary/index.html

Don't mind getting some paint mixed up if I have to. I'd like to get it right, after all it's a classic race car.

[cinqster]

Mick,

Halfords do a Nissan red which I'd lined up for my 1/12th version. Don't have the code number to hand right now but I think it's something like Nissan 526. It may be worth a look if your passing by a store. Nice paint to use from the can too - used it for some older Ferrari kits.

John S.

[MPWR]

So come on Mick, where's the build thread? You've been teasing us with questions and glimpses of the intructions- when do we get to see it?

[mickbench]

Halfords is actually good spray paint for model cars. Little pricy now that they have upped the prices a little, but still get more for your money then you do with TS paints.

These are the paint codes /colour for the 1971 Datsun 240Z

Interior and Exterior Color Combinations:

1970/71 Exterior Color Interior Color:

901 Silver gray (metallic) Black

903 Universal blue Blue or Black

904 Kilimanjaro white Blue or Black

905 Monte Carlo red Black

907 Racing green Brown or black

918 New sight 0range Black

918 Sunshine yellow Black

920 Safari gold Black (#920 aka-Mustard)

Perhaps it’s monte Carlo red?

[mickbench]

Originally Posted by MPWR

So come on Mick, where's the build thread? You've been teasing us with questions and glimpses of the intructions- when do we get to see it?

All in good time my friend.... Its coming VERY soon, made a start last night on the body. Lovely shape, nice mold as well.

I'll get the WIP up tonight, as I took some snap shots just before I want to bed, and didn't have time to post it up.

[mickbench]

I’ve just sent Hiroboy an email, as I know he has a venture with modelcolorworx and they can mix paint to the exact colour. I’m hoping they can fix me up with the correct shade. Plus, gives me a chance to try out these colours, as they look to be pretty good..

I’m sure the guy who runs modelcolorworx is a member on here, but darned if I can remember his user ID.

[gundam1969]

Mick,
I can mix up the 905 colour if you decide that this is the right code. Nissan call it Cherry or Flamingo red and was used between 1970 and 1979. Hope this helps.

Paul.