Airfix MGB 1:32 Scale

[Andy2002]

UPDATE 1:

Hey folks,

This will be my first WIP thread on this forum. I picked up this cheap kit for a quick build. It's a very old tooling so I'll try and do what I can to improve it somewhat. I plan to practise my weathering skills using my airbrush. I'm quite new to airbrushing.. only dug the equipment out of the garage a few weeks ago and have had to replace the needle, etc. This will be one of my first projects that won't be brush-painted. Just something to bare in mind.

Moving on, I did actually own a late 70s rubber bumper MGB GT once (in 1:1 scale) so that was another reason for picking up this kit. Just remember this if you're thinking of restoring a classic MG; MG stands for 'money gobbler'.

Anyway, enough waffle.. a detailed inbox of this kit has already been covered somewhere in this forum, so I won't bother.

Here are some pics of the little progress so far.

(Below) The first few steps of the build are complete (bar the detailing) but I seem to have mislayed one of the leaf springs. I've been using the pot of Ever Build wood filler to weather the wheel arches, which you can see in a picture further down the page. I'm kind of experimenting with weathering, and I thought the coarseness of the woddfiller would give a good dirt effect... I'll be using Vallejo paints primarily for this build.

My workbench (below). I've been using the Revell Contacta Liquid with built-in brush.. basically because I've used all my ther polycement glues.. need to buy some more...

Here a pic of the wheel-arch weathering I've embarked on (below). As you can see I've applied a thin layer of the coarse wood filler where necessary to give the kind of surface you find in the wheel-arches. It'll be painted a dirty brown colour later, after I paint everything black and pick out the other colours...

Appologies for the massive pics and the slightly poor lighting in one or two of them.. I couldn't find a way of reducing the size, and my camera displays the images brighter than they actually are.

Anyways, I've ordered a spair leaf-spring from Airfix and as soon as that comes through the letter-box I'll do another update on this one.

That's it for now though,

Thanks in advance for any comments,

Andy.

Edited March 21, 2013 by Andy2002

[Séan Pádraig]

This is one of those kits that lure you in by a wonderful boxart and then drive you crazy when yo try to build... but you've made a great start.

[Andy2002]

This is one of those kits that lure you in by a wonderful boxart and then drive you crazy when yo try to build... but you've made a great start.

Yes, thanks. Not a fan of the new CGI boxarts though.. I much prefer this..

Andy.

[richellis]

looking good, I like the idea on the wheel arches!

[roymattblack]

I built this one years ago and still occasionally wake up sweating.......

Great so far.

Roy.

[Andy2002]

UPDATE 2:

Hey,

A bit more to show you on this one. I've finished painting everything black, and although I haven't got a picture of it I've started painting non-black parts of the engine..

I decided to use Vallejo Black because it isn't such a dense black... looks slightly faded in real life, at least when applied with an airbrush... which is good for the tires because rubber isn't ever a perfect black..

I discovered on examining my airbrush needle that it needed replacing because it was damaged on the tip and the paint was shooting out at an angle. Clumsy me - must have knocked it... £15 for a new one!

As I think I mentioned before, I had to order a few spare parts from Airfix as I mislaid them. They'll probably turn up next week..

The parts in question. Airfix provide them free of charge, of course.

Finally, the most important picture.. of the painting progress.

That's pretty much it for this update. Next step is to finish painting the engine parts that aren't black.

Unfortunately my workbench faces into a window you can't see anything in the photos. I'll have to find my anglepoise

Still deciding whether I should dig in to detailing that engine and bay. I'm put off because it will be so much work due to the fact it's very, very sparsely detailed to begin with and my scratch-building skills are pretty poor currently. Besides, the model will have the bonnet down when on show anyway..

Anyhow, thanks for looking as always,

Andy.

[chadders]

As an MGOC member, veteran of several MGB rebuilds and the current owner of an F and a ZS, I can honestly say, thats I'd rather build one of the real things than the Airfix one! I'm still taking the medication for the one I built 20 odd years ago

[Andy2002]

Yes, I did own an MGB in English White a while back too. Lovely looking car. Had to replace pretty much all the panels on mine! MG stands for Money Gobbler in my mind. Made a loss on it, but hey, you only live once...

Andy.

[rmcclure]

Nice start and I definitely agree with Chadders - this kit makes working on a 1:1 seem simple! The last time I tried one of these the wings and bonnet were horribly warped - don't know if you've tried a dry fit yet?

Good luck,

Roger

[roymattblack]

I'm another 'BGT rebuilder.....

Mine was a teal blue '72.

It ended up with a Sebring body, painted black upper, silver under the chrome waist, and a grey/red interior retrim.

Looked the dogs doo-dahs when it was finished and cost me a packet.

It actually earned a 3 page feature in the MGOC mag.

I also made a loss on it to buy a Lotus Esprit S2, and the pillock who bought the MGB painted it red - BADLY!.....

Looking back, it was a pretty grim car, even when it was going well.

You think MG stands for Money Gobbler - Lotus stands for 'Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious'.

How about £65 for a 2" suspension bolt?

Mind you, it was all fun at the time.......

Roy.

[Andy2002]

Nice start and I definitely agree with Chadders - this kit makes working on a 1:1 seem simple! The last time I tried one of these the wings and bonnet were horribly warped - don't know if you've tried a dry fit yet?

Good luck,

Roger

No I haven't dry-fitted everything yet.. I think I'll do that now. Thanks for the hint.

Andy.

[Andy2002]

I'm another 'BGT rebuilder.....

Mine was a teal blue '72.

It ended up with a Sebring body, painted black upper, silver under the chrome waist, and a grey/red interior retrim.

Looked the dogs doo-dahs when it was finished and cost me a packet.

It actually earned a 3 page feature in the MGOC mag.

I also made a loss on it to buy a Lotus Esprit S2, and the pillock who bought the MGB painted it red - BADLY!.....

Looking back, it was a pretty grim car, even when it was going well.

You think MG stands for Money Gobbler - Lotus stands for 'Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious'.

How about £65 for a 2" suspension bolt?

Mind you, it was all fun at the time.......

Roy.

The teal blue works very well on the BGT, I think Sounds like you had fun customising it.. can you remember what issue the mag article was by any chance? The Esprit S2 is a fabulous looking car.. always reminded me of the Lamborghini Countach, vaguely, for some reason.. must be those beautiful lines. 'Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious' sounds correct though, and the parts are a bit on the 'dear' side as you say. Lotus is like Lancia, isn't it?.. cost a lot to keep going, but just look at it........

Andy.

[roymattblack]

The teal blue works very well on the BGT, I think Sounds like you had fun customising it.. can you remember what issue the mag article was by any chance? The Esprit S2 is a fabulous looking car.. always reminded me of the Lamborghini Countach, vaguely, for some reason.. must be those beautiful lines. 'Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious' sounds correct though, and the parts are a bit on the 'dear' side as you say. Lotus is like Lancia, isn't it?.. cost a lot to keep going, but just look at it........

Andy.

I'm pretty sure it was issue 92, or 96. I have a copy somewhere. (def in the 90's)

I've always been a 'sucker' for cars.

Like a nitwit, I had 5 different Lotii over the years (never learn....) All of them were big trouble at one point or another.

S3 Elan - was actually Colin Chapmans own car before me - wish I still had that one!

Elan +2S - lovely car, least trouble.

Europa Special in black JPS - needed an engine rebuild - OUCH!

Esprit S2 - Cam belt skipped on startup - repair bill was a touch under £5,000

Elise series 1 - go-kart on wheels - didn't actually work for more than a week at a stretch - awful - LAST Lotus.

Then came the 'BGT, after that a Spitfire mk3.

After that, Porsche Carrera - water pump failure cost as much as my MGB......

Numerous 'sensible' (boring) cars for a few years.

Jaguar S Type R - Bl--dy awesome car.

Currently Jaguar XK8 - ex Jaguar brochure car. Love it to bits - and an Audi A4 ('er indoors' car)

You can probably tell at 58 I still haven't grown up.

Retire in July, E-Type as my retirement present.

Roy

P.S.... Love your MGB build.

[Andy2002]

I'm pretty sure it was issue 92, or 96. I have a copy somewhere. (def in the 90's)

I've always been a 'sucker' for cars.

Like a nitwit, I had 5 different Lotii over the years (never learn....) All of them were big trouble at one point or another.

S3 Elan - was actually Colin Chapmans own car before me - wish I still had that one!

Elan +2S - lovely car, least trouble.

Europa Special in black JPS - needed an engine rebuild - OUCH!

Esprit S2 - Cam belt skipped on startup - repair bill was a touch under £5,000

Elise series 1 - go-kart on wheels - didn't actually work for more than a week at a stretch - awful - LAST Lotus.

Then came the 'BGT, after that a Spitfire mk3.

After that, Porsche Carrera - water pump failure cost as much as my MGB......

Numerous 'sensible' (boring) cars for a few years.

Jaguar S Type R - Bl--dy awesome car.

Currently Jaguar XK8 - ex Jaguar brochure car. Love it to bits - and an Audi A4 ('er indoors' car)

You can probably tell at 58 I still haven't grown up.

Retire in July, E-Type as my retirement present.

Roy

P.S.... Love your MGB build.

Mate, you are a very lucky man to have owned that many Lotuses, especially Colin Chapmans, no less! You certainly have great taste in the world of cars. What year was the Carrera?.. the parts for the old 'whaletail' Porches (I've got a soft-spot for whaletails, myself) are astronomically large.. what series E-Type do you think you'll go for?.. and what colour?

I did get the MGOC mag for a short while, but not back then unfortunately..

Anyway, lovin' your 1/8 E-Type build as well,

Cheers,

Andy.

[Andy2002]

UPDATE 3:

Okay, so here's what I've done, detailing-wise to the engine bay of the Airfix kit...

HAha.. ..naaah.. only joking; those are some pics of my 'BGT that I took as reference pics, just before I sold it a while back.

Thought I'd pop them up on this thread just for you to drool over.

Still not sure whether to bother detailing that engine bay. I mean, the kit isn't anything special in the first place, being from whenever - mid 70s I think (like my 1:1 scale BGT was), and if I was to spend all that time making it look like those pictures, I'd have to spend ages doing the rest of the model to match and I just can't be bothered at this moment in time, so I think I'll just leave it - for now at least..

The next update will be some pics of the engine installed I hope.

Some more pics below... If you want any other walk-around photos of my BGT as references for personal use, I took plenty, so just send me a PM

Probably has more like 140,000 on the clock because I had to replace mileometer when I was doing it up and added 23,000 on it myself...

As you can see, I wasn't lucky enough to own one with a black leather interior but I still quite liked the 70s oranges ... I'm going to try and replicate the exact steering wheel I had on mine, as seen below.

That's all for now,

Thanks,

Andy.

[roymattblack]

Andy - Love what you're doing and your old Beegie looks nice.

Re: my Elan - I even had the old green 'log book' with C.A.B.C.'s signature in it - as well as one of the rare 'signed' steering wheels....

Ho hum...

My Porsche was a 1985 car - it was about 6 years old when I bought it.

To be honest, quick, yes!

Comfortable - NO!!! Horrible un-supportive seats.

The E Type I fancy is the series 2, 2+2 for practical reasons, OR one of the V12 2+2's as these are still fairly affordable due to the horrendous thirst.

Jag say around 14mpg.

Owners realistically quote around 10mpg.

As it will get 'occasional' use, I'm not bothered by that.

Love the pic you posted of the Jags. If the XK had been anthracite with 18" Flute wheels, it could have been a pic of my two cars in the future.....

Roy.

Edited March 20, 2013 by roymattblack

[Andy2002]

Roy,

Thanks. Can't believe how lucky you've been.. I don't dare ask how much you paid for the Elan at the time! I think the 70s and 80s Carreras really do look fantastic. To be fair I can't think of a single classic sports car that doesn't.. although in thirty years time the same will be said for the sports cars of today. The MGs aren't particularly luxurious on the inside either, to be honest. You can actually feel the springs wedged between your buttocks from what I can remember..

The series 2, 2+2 was what I expected you to say because from what I've heard and seen, they aren't too expensive, at least not as expensive as the desirable series 1s and probably are more practical, as you say. They look just as beautiful as well, unlike the series 3s.

I think you're right about the fuel consumption and that it isn't too much to worry about on classics as they're protected from the elements in the garage or wherever most of the time. When you buy your E Type, be sure to post a detailed thread on here..

Andy.

Edited March 21, 2013 by Andy2002

[Andy2002]

UPDATE 4:

Hey,

Did a bit more on the MGB today..

The engine and wheels before extra painting, as well as the first test fit of the interior and shell. I also decided to have a go at sorting out the flashy grill..

I'm kind of annoyed that the seats have no back to them. Didn't realise it until I'd finished spraying them. I think I'll scratch-build some backing for them over the weekend..

Here's the grill before treatment...

...and after... still needs a fair bit more tidying up but it's better than it was (slightly)...

After the gearbox and various bits of the engine were painted, I weathered it with a bit of Paynes Grey oil paint..

Came out quite well for an OOTB attempt..

Steering wheel painted up a bit, wheels dry-brushed (my own method - don't know how else you're supposed to do spokes, unless you take hours and paint them by hand). Unfortunately I screwed up a couple of them and the paint went where I didn't want it.. have to redo those patches and then do some extra touch-ups. The engine will also need some more work done, as will the grill.

That's it for now. More work to be done on this one over the weekend, including spraying the body hopefully. I'm weighing up between Racing Green, the classic red or possibly Teal. Even though my own MGB GT was English white, it's quite hard to do a white paint job well, so I'm steering (no pun intended) away from that option.

Thanks, as always, for looking,

Andy.

Edited March 21, 2013 by Andy2002

[avro683]

Excellent work, love the wheels. I have this kits bigger brother, must dig it out.

[roymattblack]

This is coming along really nicely.

As a small point, you can get really nice 'proper' wire wheels in 1/32 from most slot car suppliers on the web.

Regarding my old S3 Elan - it cost me £630!

It was in great condition.

That was back in 1975 and I was earning £60 a week as a graphic designer.

It was Signal red and the reg was LAH 630E - I wonder where it is now.....

Roy.

Edited March 24, 2013 by roymattblack

[Andy2002]

Excellent work, love the wheels. I have this kits bigger brother, must dig it out.

Cheers mate. Your encouragement is always appreciated

Andy.

[Andy2002]

This is coming along really nicely.

As a small point, you can get really nice 'proper' wire wheels in 1/32 from most slot car suppliers on the web.

Regarding my old S3 Elan - it cost me £630!

It was in great condition.

That was back in 1975 and I was earning £60 a week as a graphic designer.

It was Signal red and the reg was LAH 630E - I wonder where it is now.....

Roy.

Thanks. I'll look into the slot car wheels idea if I have time. I'm kinda taking this project as an early airbrushing attempt.

On the subject of the S3 Elan £630 even in 1975 was still a bargain! I suppose you've got to account for all the money you spent on it though.

I've just been out and bought a Revell E Type (1/24), partly inspired by your 1/8 scale build, and also because the MGB build is going relatively well. I seem to be getting into the vehicles now. The MGB is my first non-military vehicle I've built / am building. Surprising how satisfying a change in modelling subject is

Andy.

[roymattblack]

You'll enjoy the Revell E Type but don't be fooled by the 'new' boxing of what is actually a pretty ancient kit.

There are a few build threads about and they all say it wasn't exactly easy.

Mind you, if kits are too easy, they can be boring.

I like a bit of a challenge.

Re: the Elan - it wasn't TOOOO bad in the two years I had it.

A cracked front chassis upright had to be welded and it went through rear doughnuts like you wouldn't believe.

My Europa however - don't get me started on that one!!!.....

MGB is looking good though.

Roy.

[Andy2002]

UPDATE 5:

Just a very quick one.. the body has been sprayed, after priming with white:

I think I'll try and gloss it up a bit with some varnish of some sort - any suggestions would be much appreciated

More progress to come on this one over Easter..

Thanks,

Andy.

[roymattblack]

If you can stand the pong, get a spray can of HB 2K clear coat.

You can get it from Ebay at around £8.50 delivered.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110808826199?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

It really is the dogs doo-dahs.

You won't BELIEVE the deep, 'toffee apple' gloss, and it's touch dry in 5-10 minutes but it will take finger prints up to around 24 hours so leave it alone.

I found it after asking how some of these exhibition guys get such an incredible wet-look real gloss.

You will never build another car kit without it.

Trust me!

Roy.

P.S..... Love the colour of your B.

Edited March 29, 2013 by roymattblack