tamiya rally driver figure set.

[S5 modeller]

Hi chaps.

Don't know if this is the right section to post this in, but it is vehicle related.

I've just purchased this tamiya rally driver set....

With a view to replacing the moulded blob of a driver supplied in the tamiya zakspeed capri kit.

This is the kit supplied blob, certainly lacking definition.

This is the new body, lots of crisp sharp detail.

Although they are both 1/24, the kit driver us slightly larger, hope the new chap doesn't look too small.

This is the rear of the header card, complete with Japanese text.

Now for my question.

The new parts are moulded from different materials, the heads clipboard and headsets are obviously styrene, but the bodies are made of some strange rubberised material. Anyone got any ideas what it might be?

It has taken the detail beautifully and is flexible, to allow for positioning. Might it be pvc?

I've tried the tamiya websites in the uk, usa and japan, but they only list it as plastic. I've used google translate on the header card, but it doesn't tell me owt.

I'm worried I won't be able to get any paint to stick to them.

I'm stuck here, and would appreciate any help or insights.

Thank you.

Matt

[Hotel Papa]

Light a piece of runner, extinguish it, and take a whiff (carefully). If it has an acrid smell (hydrochloric acid), it's PVC. if it has the familiar smell of (poly)styrene, probably with a rubbery note mixed in, it's a very flexible ABS.

There are more possibilities, of course, but the test for PVC is pretty straightforward.

(You can also heat a copper wire, melt a bit of the plastic on it and burn it in a flame. If the flame turns green, chlorine is present (-> probably PVC).)

As for paint not sticking: That would be a quick test, wouldn't it?

Edited April 29, 2016 by Hotel Papa

[stan]

Matt

The ones i have that came with the peugeot were all styrene.

Must have changed them.

Give them a scrub and prime them with auto primer paint should stick no problem.

I have some on the way i`ll let you know how i get on.

Stan

[Deadman Disciple]

Halfords primer will stick to them no problem.

I bought a set of these for my Belkits Ford Fiesta WRC & i painted on after the halfords primer went on a treat.

Wayne.

Edited May 20, 2016 by Deadman Disciple

[S5 modeller]

Thanks for that chaps.

[Mad4kits2]

Quick question,where did you purchase the figs from?

Dave

[S5 modeller]

I got them from spot models, in spain. They are about the only people I could find that had them in stock.

http://www.spotmodel.com/product_info.php?products_id=12134