MR2Don

I'll have to stop this soon or I'll go nuts. Latest checks: Windscreen rake is nearer correct on the Tamiya, the Heller is too steep. Front edge of doors. T is correct in curving them up to the screen level, H has a sharp right angle. I'm able to check all this as there is one for sale near me. I could always go up there with a tape measure and say "I'm sorry I haven't got £70k, but can I crawl all over it and measure things". Don't think I will, somehow. I think it would be better if I just built them and enjoyed the experience. It's not as if anybody that is likely to see them (family and maybe a friend or so) is going to say "That's wrong!".

My bright idea is to build three Alpine A110s; one as '71 Monte (Tamiya), one as '73 Tour de Corse (Heller), one as '74 road trim (Tamiya). Made a start by tidying up the Heller body, removing flash, sharp edges etc. - Tamiya body hardly needs it. Looking at them, they seemed to be different, so I put a first coat of primer on the Heller and a Tamiya, so the moulding colour didn't interfere with examining the shape and form and look what I got! Tamiya above, bodies lined up to back of the door. Heller is narrower across the top half of the body, because there is a more pronounced rollover at the top of the door, this makes the windscreen narrower. The whole front becomes shorter because the windscreen rake is less; the bonnet is further back as are the headlight housings and the front curve is less pronounced. Doesn't seem so bad at the rear, except the window is markedly smaller again. So, as per the title, one of these is wrong! Wouldn't matter quite so much if I didn't intend to have all three sat side by side.

Very true, but the main reason is the extremely limited availability of the standard rear tyres - 225/50-15.

Oops, it's not! It's an Elite, Type 75 or 83. Twigged it by Googling the Europa and then realised it's nothing like one. Much searching of Lotus models found the right one! So, my over the shoulder at low speed eyesight isn't as good as I thought!

A Lotus Europa in yellow, in a considerable state of undress/distress, if you get my meaning. Sitting up to the side of a property near Takeley. It's been there a while, I first spotted it about 6 months ago and couldn't identify it but had traffic behind me so couldn't investigate, but today I was able to slow down and a look over my shoulder confirmed. It doesn't look like it's being restored, just sitting there with several bits missing.

Ahem, my mistake, I hadn't looked at the whole diorama when I wrote my comment, or I would have spotted it. WRT the MR2, is it the Fujimi kit and did you note that the wheels are way over size, scale up to 17" which MR2s never had. I've built one and converted it back to a UK spec rev 2! (see image to the left).

Hello! That dark blue one on the left, unless I'm way out, is a Rev 5 Mk2 MR2 and there's its engine lying in front! I started to wonder when I saw what look like MR2 wheels up on that rack. Youza!!

Me too, I'm immunocompromised. I follow a lot of Webinars and one concern being stated is that immunocompromised people may not have side effects as our own immune system is compromised to the extent that it can't react strongly to the vaccine. I'm in a study running from Birmingham Uni that is investigating post vaccine antibodies in people like me - I've got CLL.

Love to know what that's got in the back!

The one in the workshop has quite a history, can be found on Google. Sold at auction by Bonhams in 2013 for...£1,450,000!

I've just Googled "Triumph Herald Interior" and there are several dash images, some of which might even be helpful!!

I reckon that's about the same charges that I paid on mine.

In my local workshop when I took our Astra down for its MoT. Bronze "V" reg, Cortina Mk4! One owner from new, my mechanic said, so the guy was either young when he bought it, or getting on a bit now. Not in fantastic nick, loads of little rust pock marks on the bodywork, maybe he lives too near the coast. BTW, Astra passed after two new front roll bar drop links.

I bought it in 2019, so no £135 limit. It was just UK import duty from Japan. Things might be different now, but the EBay price for it is well above that figure. From a completely different purchase, I could presume that Customs and Excise have been made so busy by Brexit that some items are just being waved through. My purchase should have attracted excise duty on alcohol but didn't (but may well do next time!!)

I bought one from Japan in 2019 (earlier release without PE) for £142 and got hit for import duty of £38 by HMRC, so watch for that!

Truly magnificent!

Anybody fancy taking this on as a diorama, bet there's some of you could do an excellent job! https://images.app.goo.gl/HyHeJUK64f1DDoETA

I had the same issue with my Mk2 MR2 Fujima kit. Approached it in much the same way with a strip of plasticard across the back. BTW, it's the easiest way to tell an imported MR2 from a UK one, square number plate recess versus rectangular.

Very good selection. Has anybody else noticed that "tow" gets underlined as indicating it's an acronym and the acronym is for "Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided missile". WOW!

I agree with Trevor; that flat tyre is a stroke of genius!

Well...until they get there, maybe!

Outstanding. Incredible attention to detail, there must be everything in there but the kitchen sink...hold on, let me have another look.

A Porsche "rumble" should be what it is and not interfered with. The guy at the end of our street (cul-de-sac) has a 2006 Carrera 4S; doesn't drive it much, but you can tell when he's going out in it - deep rumble, lovely sound!

I've made space for one! Clearly I haven't started any of these yet and it may be noted that the Tamiya '71 Rallye and the '74 road going have the same body moulding. But just take a glance at the Heller '73, which I'm intending to present in Tour de Corse livery, and the condition of the moulding! That one will be a challenge!

If the forum can read it, url from French press of what's coming! Apologies for all the other crap in it and that it's in French. https://www.rallye-sport.fr/guigou-avec-lalpine-a110-rally-rgt-au-monte-carlo/