1:24th scale Jaguar E-Type roadster

[Layla's Keeper]

Every once in a while, I finish a model. This is one of those whiles. The kit is the Gunze Sangyo curbside E-Type (lacking the engine, white metal and photoetch of the "High Tech" version) and honestly I wasn't too impressed with the kit since the body's accuracy and chassis' details were lacking.

However, for $9 bucks off of shelf of one of my local hobby shops (Hobby Castle, great place for finding unusual kits), it was a fun little buildup. The paint is a nail polish color called "Satin Shoes" that cost 99 cents at the Rite Aid. Hope you like.

[quadzero]

That a very fine looking car and I dont blame you wanting to build this. It does looks like it would be a fun build. I like the colour also, what did you thin the nail polish with? I've wanted to try them for ages now but just never got around to it.

[Nutsforcars]

This is a very nice build. I really like the color and the shine. I know you did good work because I did this kit over 10 years ago and it has its challenges. BTW, it seems your kit did not have rear view mirrors, either (just like mine). Did they forget them or does the original get by without them?

Cheers

[Layla's Keeper]

Nutsforcars - The kit didn't have wing mirrors, and the original car did have a Raydot style driver's side mirror as I recall. If I had the ambition on this project, I'd have used a Mode Car Garage photoetch piece.

However, I'd have also used the 100% superior Revell kit, also.

quadzero - I use regular hardware store lacquer thinner to thin nail polish. The shine is Model Master high-gloss straight from the rattle can and attacked with MicroMark polishing pads and an evening of wetsanding in front of the TV.

[quadzero]

Originally Posted by Layla's Keeper

...an evening of wetsanding in front of the TV.

That's the way I do it also. Thanks for the info.

[AmazonSprite]

Looks good! However, what's happened to the door handles & rear lights?

I'm a bit surprised to read the criticisms of this kit - I built one last year, and found it very easy to build and I would also describe it as pretty accurate. My only criticism is the seam along the top of the sill but I'm yet to find an E Type kit that doesn't have that! Also IMHO the chassis detail is good (lacking only the rear coil units) unlike some of Gunze's other curbside kits.

[willimo]

Looks really good. The color choice is perfect. Very cleanly built, too.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by AmazonSprite

Looks good! However, what's happened to the door handles & rear lights?

I'm a bit surprised to read the criticisms of this kit - I built one last year, and found it very easy to build and I would also describe it as pretty accurate. My only criticism is the seam along the top of the sill but I'm yet to find an E Type kit that doesn't have that! Also IMHO the chassis detail is good (lacking only the rear coil units) unlike some of Gunze's other curbside kits.

I'm surprised w/the critism too. I think the Gunze kit looks very accurate. Even when missing taillights, turn signals, wipers, and door handles The Revell kit is 1/25 scale and looks it (smallish), and the headlight covers/bezels never have looked correct to me, they're too small and round. It has good (full) detail and can build very nicely though, with proper care. Same can be said of all the ex-Aurora European models made in the '60's and reissued by Revell later. My only wish w/the lo-tech version of the Gunze kit is the lack of "proper" headlight bezels and front fender "beads". I think they were P/E in the high-tech kit. They're MIA in the lo-tech kit (headlight bezels are decals...uh, no thanks). I'll add the bead in the recess w/a small piece of wire or styrene rod. I'll improvise headlight bezels w/BMF.

I've solved the sill issue on my Gunze kit; I'm going to assemble the interior after the model is painted. This is aided by the kit's soft vinyl interior components. I will glue the chassis to the body and fill the seams, then paint the body and flock the carpet areas before final assembly. I've done a dry fit of the interior components w/the body/chassis taped together securely. I will add the rear bulkhead first, then the door panels, then the console, then the firewall. The dash easily mounts from inside after the firewall is installed. Same w/console details and seats. I would have never thought of this scenario if it weren't for the seam issue, and looks like I won't have to modify anything to get this to all fit together. Real convertible interiors are added after body ass'y and paint, so why not a model?

[AmazonSprite]

Originally Posted by ZoomZoomMX-5

I'm surprised w/the critism too. I think the Gunze kit looks very accurate. Even when missing taillights, turn signals, wipers, and door handles The Revell kit is 1/25 scale and looks it (smallish), and the headlight covers/bezels never have looked correct to me, they're too small and round. It has good (full) detail and can build very nicely though, with proper care. Same can be said of all the ex-Aurora European models made in the '60's and reissued by Revell later. My only wish w/the lo-tech version of the Gunze kit is the lack of "proper" headlight bezels and front fender "beads". I think they were P/E in the high-tech kit. They're MIA in the lo-tech kit (headlight bezels are decals...uh, no thanks). I'll add the bead in the recess w/a small piece of wire or styrene rod. I'll improvise headlight bezels w/BMF.

Glad it's not just me then! I fully agree about the bonnet / headlights on the Revell roadster - they're not quite right (the 1:8 coupe is better but not perfect either - looks like just the bezels rather than the bonnet, so should be fixable) but from the pics I've seen, the ex-Aurora 1:25 coupe is shockingly bad. The Gunze on the otherhand, looks spot on, with just enough of a point to the headlamp covers. The surround isn't great though & I hadn't noticed the bonnet beading issue until you mentioned it! Heller did both the roadster & coupe in 1:24 (early '80s?), and they look very accurate, & have full engine / underside detail as well. I built a Heller coupe as a kid, and based on the wreckage that has survived, it's a decent kit with well fitting parts.

Originally Posted by ZoomZoomMX-5

I've solved the sill issue on my Gunze kit; I'm going to assemble the interior after the model is painted. This is aided by the kit's soft vinyl interior components. I will glue the chassis to the body and fill the seams, then paint the body and flock the carpet areas before final assembly. I've done a dry fit of the interior components w/the body/chassis taped together securely. I will add the rear bulkhead first, then the door panels, then the console, then the firewall. The dash easily mounts from inside after the firewall is installed. Same w/console details and seats. I would have never thought of this scenario if it weren't for the seam issue, and looks like I won't have to modify anything to get this to all fit together. Real convertible interiors are added after body ass'y and paint, so why not a model?

I've been looking into this same method for a while now for the 1:8 coupe (& also Heller's 1:8 Citroen) but at 1:24 it sounds tricky, but definately worth the effort

[Layla's Keeper]

Unfortunately, the wipers were sacrificed to a set of unfortunately dull MicroMark parts tree nippers. Wasn't able to remove them from the tree cleanly, or able to bend them straight where not broken.

Didn't want to risk the door handles in the same fashion, so omitted them. Maybe I'm lazy, but considering that there's a Fujimi Enthusiast Series 365GTB/4 that'll be sharing the shelf with this Jag, I can live with omissions in a shelf model.

As for the tail-lights, had just plain forgotten I'd painted them, so added them after noticing they'd been painted (which was after the photos, go figure).

Now, as for the accuracy comments, they actually aren't addressed to the nose end of the Gunze kit (although the Gunze's grille opening seems a little too narrow for my measurements), but to the improper curve of the rear wheelwells and the odd "peak" of the rear fenders. Their upward swoop from the decklid is much too pronounced, and the 1:1 E-Type is much flatter in this area.

The chassis, though, was abysmal. I'm sorry, but the two pieces supplied in the kit do no justice to the Jag IRS. There's no depiction of the uprights, no depiction of the upper links, and the "cradle" is completely ignored. I'd have been better off with a transplant out of one of the Revell 'Lil John Buttera street rod kits.

But, for building an E-Type on the cheap for a nice little shelf model, it was fun. I agree with Bob, the interior vinyl parts make final assembly cake, not to mention look pretty much like that classic British leather (I should know, it's what's under my rump in my MGB GT).

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

I've looked at pics of the 1:1, and the model, and the only thing I see wrong in the rear fenders is the wheel opening itself, which looks easily remedied by reshaping the opening w/an X-Acto to make it more symmetrical instead of sloping upwards from front to back. That will take away any of the visual weight which might make one think the top of the fender is incorrect. My eyes seem to say it's pretty accurate. I'm happy w/the kit so far, but building it will be the ultimate test. Yours looks good, and I'm not worried over the dirty parts underneath, stuff that I won't see when it's sitting on display like all my other curbsides. I'm building it to celebrate the style. If I want all the detail I'll likely look for a Heller kit. Which may happen once this is finished

[bigfrit]

I have to agree with ZZMX5 here,

I have two gunze's, and have checked the revell kit.
And with comparing it to a real XKE, the only fault I could spot was really the panelline. Which is easily fixable. Also, the front bumper doesn't look too good either. The protruding thingies on the front need to be sanded to get the real shape (I hope you know what I mean)

Eitherway, hard to tell what your kit looks like with those indoor finished pics...

I d love to see some sharp outside pictures.

Oh, and ZZ, i fixed my panellines finally too on that kit... will be building it pretty soon too. I m thinking of putting the rear lights on, together with the wipers...




Oli

[willimo]

I desperately want to build this car:
(I'm stealing bandwidth, I hope it works).

The E-type is such an amazing looking car, easily one of the best looking if not the best, it makes me wonder what happened to Jaguar. Now all their cars look like cheap imitations of Aston Martins. What I particularly love about the old E is that the back end sits way in the air, until you get into the car. Then your weight brings it down to a more believable ride height. That's freakin' cool.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by willimo

I desperately want to build this car:
(I'm stealing bandwidth, I hope it works).

The E-type is such an amazing looking car, easily one of the best looking if not the best, it makes me wonder what happened to Jaguar. Now all their cars look like cheap imitations of Aston Martins. What I particularly love about the old E is that the back end sits way in the air, until you get into the car. Then your weight brings it down to a more believable ride height. That's freakin' cool.

That would be a cool car to build. The Gunze kit has the HT, and Replicas & Miniatures of MD. have the Jaguar racing wheels/tires. You're on your own to make all those rivets

I have a resin '64 E Type lightweight low drag coupe to build; gorgeous car that ran LeMans

What's wrong with new Jaguars? Look no further than mismanagement of the brand by Ford. Trying to make Jaguar a volume producer of cars, watering them down (the downmarket X Type the prime problem) has neutered and cheapened all of them. The front of the new XK looks too "Taurus", and it was designed by the same guy who is designing all the Aston Martins (and thus making them all look gorgeous, but nearly identical ). The new XJ sedan looks identical to the earlier one, with a more formal roof. Ugh. And rumor has it that Jaguar may end up in the hands of...Kia. How the mighty have fallen.