Hobby Design Murcielago LP640 Transkit

[BVC500]

I ordered the new transkit on ebay and received it today. Initial impressions are very good! I think the castings are accurate and well done with minimal flash. I bought mine for $70, and when you compare it to the SLR convertible transkit, which I also bought for $65, its a very good deal. There's a lot more parts to it then the SLR, which I think should be priced around $40. Not sure about the parts fit, as I don't have a donor Murcielago kit yet, but hopefully HD has corrected their resin shrinkage issue (also, I took Alex Kustov's advice and bought it as soon as it came out).

HD is sure producing a lot of items! If they get big enough, maybe they should produce styrene-injection instead of resin parts!

[Veyron]

[BVC500]

I knew I'd get a comment like that, lol. It is. Here you go for now. Photo courtesy of resinkit-us on eBay. I'll try to take my own, detailed photos later tonight or tomorrow when I can borrow a friend's camera (as I don't have one yet...I know, I'm lame).

[Veyron]

Thanks!

HD's 599xx kit is spotty at best and the wheels were useless....but I have most of their latest wheel sets and they are 100% improved in every way.

[BVC500]

Yeah, I've read a lot about the 599xx. If there is no resin shrinkage, which I won't know until I get a donor kit, then this transkit is a big improvement, and seemingly accurate. Here are a few more impressions after looking more closely.

1) Clear resin rear light covers are nicely done, though the surface is a little rough. It will need to be polished smooth and/or cleared. Photoetch parts are used to replicate the starburst pattern of the lights.
2) Kit includes engine bay frame for murcie roadster.
3) Instructions are partial. Nothing indicated about exhaust tip and wheels, for example. No matter, though, because its easy enough for a skilled modeler to figure out what to do.
4) Rear bumper arrived broken where rear light background meets bumper proper, but any easy fix.
5) Clear part for engine lid. Flimsy clear sheet but easier to deal with then thick acetate, and looks more realistic.
6) Very impressed with the wheels. They look difficult to make and cast! Minimal flash and surfaces are very smooth.
7) Front and rear bumpers nicely done, especially impressed with the rear bumper. Minimal prep required.

[xerox3]

Looks good.Could you post a link to the ebay store that you bought it from? Thanks

[da_ashman]

Nice, I have no idea why Fujimi didnt make the LP640, I just brought the Murcielago kit over the weekend & the parts are all seperate, bumbers, sideskirts & engine cover, they could have eaisly made up a few new spruces for the LP640!! Might have to get this transkit,

[star21]

Wow! I haven't seen this one. I've only seen the Gallardo Superleggera transkit. I'll have to put the LP640 transkit on my list.

[BVC500]

http://stores.ebay.com/resinkitmodel

[Chuck Kourouklis]

You guys mind me asking a general Fujimi Murcielago question while we're on the subject?

If not, thanks and here it is:

Do any of these transkits (or did Fujimi themselves) make provisions for correcting the suspension track widths on the model? Got the first issue of the kit and thought it was just gorgeous - till I mocked up the suspension and found the tires sitting wa-a-ay inboard of the body work, more like a '50's Buick than any modern exotic.

Doesn't look that hard to fix it yourself, but kits that don't need adjustments like this tend to rotate ahead of it in the ol' building triage...

[BVC500]

Doubtful, unless somehow the wheels have spacers built in. They don't, though. Never built a Murcie, but from builds I've seen, there's a lot of little corrections that need to be done. Hoping to get my hands on a donor kit soon for a reasonable price. Weird thing is, I never see Murcie kits on eBay that are in the states!

[Veyron]

Originally Posted by Chuck Kourouklis

You guys mind me asking a general Fujimi Murcielago question while we're on the subject?

If not, thanks and here it is:

Do any of these transkits (or did Fujimi themselves) make provisions for correcting the suspension track widths on the model? Got the first issue of the kit and thought it was just gorgeous - till I mocked up the suspension and found the tires sitting wa-a-ay inboard of the body work, more like a '50's Buick than any modern exotic.

Doesn't look that hard to fix it yourself, but kits that don't need adjustments like this tend to rotate ahead of it in the ol' building triage...

They do need a bit of a spacer but no transkit is going to allow for such a simple fix. Also Fujimi got the windshield surround trim wrong.

Their kits are better now but when they made the Murcie kit they were still in quality transition.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Yup, the circa 2004 releases were still a little dicey, weren't they?

I wasn't thinking spacers, which would throw the steering poses off, so much as hacking and splicing extra material to space out the suspension arms and tie rod ends a bit further. Problem wasn't quite as drastic in the rear, iIrc - been a few years since I pulled it out of storage.

Anyway. LP640 bits get more and more appealing as I look the pics over.

[TTXS]

[star21]

Originally Posted by TTXS

That looks a bit like it was left parked in the bad side of town.