This will be my other GB project, this is Ayrton's 1990 Championship winning car.



Livery will be the Marlboro decal set from crazy modeler.



I'm intending to do as much engine detail as possible on this build, So I have some various piping and connectors on order from Hiroboy,
here I've assembled the V-10 Honda engine block, couldn't resist picking out the Honda logo with some citadel chainmail silver though



the exhausts have had some masking tape added around the exhausts and initial allclad treatment - more work on these later



Here is the Monocoque as it appears out of the box, i've drilled some small pilot holes for the cable connectors, these will be added as I run cables from the rear of the cockpit to the engine and sidepods. The majority of this part will be covered in Carbon fibre decals which I also have on order from hiroboy.



Here is the seat out of the box -



the moulded on seat-belt looks a little crude and was dremmelled off , after a little sanding and prep it was ready for the Model hiro 5 point harness set, fairly straightforward to assemble, and a little fiddley in places, but the end result is worth it and is a distinct improvement

Looking Nice Skii. Those belts really do make a difference don't they. I'll be interested to see how things go with the carbon fibre decals, I've been thinking about getting some as I have a number of F1 kits about. I had a close look at some of the F1 cars at MK on Sunday and getting the decals to sit around some of the suspension parts and other areas looks like it could be very interesting.

I've always had a soft spot for McLarens in the Marlboro livery (and they never, ever, made me want to smoke!). I think I've got an MP4/4 somewhere around...might have to take a look.

Looking forward to seeing this one progress now

Karl.

Pulling up a chair in the front row for this one.

Me too!

Hi Karl

The trick with CF decalling from what I gather is to do a panel at a time, using masking tape as a template. The CF arrived today so i'll post some progress up very soon

So - the decals settled nicely with a drop or 2 of Microsol. Quite an easy process, apply masking tape to monocoque - cut to shape with a sharp knife, carefully remove tape template and stick to rear of decal sheet, cut the shape out of the decal sheet, and apply.



Looking a bit silver here as the real monocoque was much darker, so it was dusted with thinned tamiya smoke, might need a little bit more yet, but its heading in the right direction



Also I've separated the front nosecone from the rest of the bodyshell - had to be careful here, just follow the panel line with a stanley blade until the two come apart, a razor saw would have come in useful here, but I got there in the end anyway

Looking good.
Neat trick with the tape. I'll have to remember that one.

Very nice indeed.
CF decals look great.
Good masking tape tip too.

I'm following this build closely, some good stuff here.

Those carbon fibre decals really do look cool don't they! You've also made it seem very easy to do, I'll let you know whether it is or not when I get around to it ...

You're right about the 'silverness' of the CF though, it was definitely darker on the MP4/5's than that is. The smoke certainly does seem to go towards correcting it anyway. Incidently, which CF decal sheet did you buy? I know there are a few around and wondered which it was...

I think my next build is going to be a Camel Lotus 99T from '87... and that'll be a Senna one too!

Karl.

Very nice start.

Excellent job on the c/f.

Hi karl - I'm using the crazy modeler sheet here

lots of styles available, admittedly I could have gone darker but its easy to darken yourself !

bit more work on the engine, the kit spark plug connectors are pretty poor bumps of featureless plastic,



So firstly a small hole was drilled into the rear of each bump to accept some small vinyl wiring, and I've cobbled some simple plastic card squares to form the connectors which were then glued on top, a small hole drilled into the top of each square to re-create the plastic moulding.



The wires are then all pushed into a short length of heat shrink, - here is a side I did earlier


I'll fit a gold electrical connector to the other end of the heat shrink which will then be cabled to the various connectors on the monocoque

Hi John- actually the wires are loom cables- and they are going to the individual ignition coil packs- one positioned above each plug- but then you probly already knew that....

BTW yo did a great job on the carbon fibre decaling- I always found the stuff to be really brittle, and would rip and tear very easily

That is starting to look the proverbial dogs danglies Skii, keep the pics coming, really good job.

doh - gawd i've replaced enough of them on my cars to know this

Added some more Cf inside the drivers tub, this will be darkened similar to the monocoque



and finished the main engine lump and gearbox

Coming on really good John, keep up the good work.

John I hate you because that looks fantastic ..keep up the good work

John

You are most certainly doing justice to my all time favorite race car drivers machine! Keep it up man!! I am loving the engine detail

Mike

This build is for you then matey

righty then, the carbon fibre on the monocoque is mostly finished and decalled, a sprinkle of semi-gloss varnish seals the decals down to look almost painted on, brass tubing added to the front suspension springs damper heads as an improvement to the kit plastic.

I have some photoetch rivets winging their way across the pond as we speak to add that final touch of realism to the monocoque.



Here is the result of 2 days work on the bodyshell - the section below the airbox behind the drivers head and below the sidepods are seperate parts and not a perfect fit so a little filler ,CA and blending was needed.

Then the bodyshell had about 3 coats of halfords white primer which was then wet sanded with 1500 grit wet+dry until almost shiney - the trick here is to eliminate any sign of orange peel texture. Preparation is everything



A bit of careful masking and the Zero paints go down, simply a joy to use these paints, but the mist coats do tend to build up a rough texture but a quick scrub of the whole body with some micromesh cloths ensure a nice smooth finish, don't worry about the extreme bottom edge as the is going to be painted black

Looks good John!

Wish I had the talent and patience to build one.

That's looking really sharp.
Fantastic work.

I was planning to do some painting on the GT40 this weekend, but I've come down with a stinking cold.
Don't really feel like doing anything now.

John, that monocoque looks fantastic with the carbon fibre decals on it. You've made it look so easy!

The bodyshell looks a treat too, very nice paint job on it.

You've just given me a great idea as well. I noticed that your 'stand' that you're using for spraying the bodyshell is the inner part of a CD cake... never would have thought of using one of them!

I'm enjoying this build!

Karl.

Crackin stuff John, tiz coming along very well.
Dont make too good a job of it, give the rest of us a chance

Great stuff John ..looking good

thanks fellas, you are too kind

All wired up - Top Studio resin connectors and heat-shrink piping, ready for plumbing into the engine

bloody hell, that looks stunning.

* looks forlornly at boxed tamiya Maclaren... gives up and goes home *

That's looking very good John.

Thats brilliant John, a really soooooper build, but come on own up just 'ow much is this GB costing you? if you don't mind me asking!

H*ll yes.... that's really great work, John.

Ian

Superb.
I've been looking at those little electrical connectors. I'm gonna have to get some, cos they make so much difference, don't they.

Pete

Probably in total, including the kit itself around £85

Not a kit I can afford to make a pigs ear of !


J

Awesome CF decalling Skii. How do you manage it? Particularly the side pod ducting.

Grant

Easy peasy mate

Apply tape to sidepod, gently cut to shape with a sharp blade, remove tape - apply to back of CF decal sheet, cut to shape - apply

Probably the easiest part of this build actually !

j

You make it sound so easy!

I have some large (2*4cm and bigger) to apply to compound curves, which is leaving me with lots of wrinkles. But, a few hours after my last post, and some more Micro Sol later things are looking better. The stuff certainly transforms the model, so I shall be persevering.

cheers

Grant

Wow - very nice work John - another beaut!

John, that wiring and stuff looks fantastic. The monocoque almost looks real now!

Karl.

Bloody 'ell John, almost as cheap to buy the real thing.

'Probably in total, including the kit itself around £85

Not a kit I can afford to make a pigs ear of !'

blimey charlie - another £40 and you could pick up the 1/12 reissue...

Yeah, but if you got the 1/12 re-issue you then have to look at the £200 ish worth of detailing kits, like here Posh Expensive Detailing Kits

Russ

just doing my bit to flaunt the tobacco advertising laws

Decals applied to the bare paint layer

Gloss coat next

I say. That looks rather spiffing old chap.

I take this back John, it does look like the real thing.

In my best Zummerzet.
"Proper job there Chap !"

DD

That bodyshell looks superb with the decals on lovely job!

Glad you've gone for the Marlboro decals rather than those crappy black lines that replaced it at EU tracks... One thing I always found really weird with the tobacco ban. From somewhere in the early 80's the cars had replacement decals put on, and the mechanics had tape over the logo's etc, etc, but the circuits (silverstone in particular) had Marlboro adverts around them until at least the late 1990's...

Karl.

Skii your a git ..breaking the tobacco advertising laws
I have a house full of 15 year olds I said look how uncle John builds a car ..they just saw it and rushed out and bought 200 Marlboro's
I also went out and bought 200 Malboro's

As usual John Great stuff ..keep up the good work

Nice one Skii, looks the biz.

Ah really brings back childhood memories, being sat in front the TV. Looking way cool.

thanks peeps, glad you approve, that Zero Mclaren red is bright stuff eh

Next 2 mist coats of zero laquer (which I was less impressed with) followed by 2 wet coats of Halfords lacquer sanded smooth with 1500 grit and micromesh polishing cloths and finally car polishing wax

et voila

Ooooh, that looks Goooooood.
Bloody nice job.