Paul H

An update on the new Revell E Type, as there's a very comprehensive set of test shots that have just been posted on an American forum: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/153139-revell-124th-scale-jaguar-e-type-fhc-test-shots/ Whilst Revell have fixed the wire wheels (nowhere near Tamiya Jag Mk2 / Morgan though), they are a vast improvement over the ones shown in the pics posted previously on here. The bonnet & headlights look really good, and there is a huge amount to recommend this kit - however, as feared, the windscreen is far too low, and it just looks completely wrong. Having overlaid the blueprints of an OTS onto those of an FHC, the Revell screen height appears to be that of an OTS, which (if the blueprints I have are correct) is noticably lower than that of the FHC (the OTS & FHC screens are not the same in reality as Pilkington list different part numbers for them). However, looking at the sprues and parts layout, everything is set up so that it would be very easy to release an OTS too. I can only assume that this is Revell's plan, and that the incorrect screen height is due to the kit part for the screen surround (whch is separate & on what looks like it will be a chome sprue) being shared across both versions. I can find no contact details on Revell's website, but I do hope that someone is able to point out this error to them, and that it can be fixed before the kit is finally released. Getting the shape of the screen that wrong is such a missed opportunity, especially when it looks like they are the first company to finally get the headlights spot on.

Not much I can remember relating to Atlantic Conveyor I'm afraid - mainly that if the exocet hadn't found her, the next likely target it would have homed in on would have been one of the carriers (& thus game over).

Ah - I'm not that familar with the details on XKs, but that's very useful to know if trying to replicate a particular year. However at least with both sets of details, as you say it should be easy to dechrome & blend in the side lights or fill the ventilation flap panel lines as appropriate. I've never been a fan of wire wheels (having to clean the 18" ones on the 1937 Riley Lynx Sprite that my father had when I was a child might have something to do with it though) so will definatly be building mine with the steels & spats. My kits are packed away in the loft so I cannot check, but doesn't this Revell release also have decals for a different UK registration plate (along side the moulded plates), or is the decal still NUB120 too?

That's lovely - fantastic work! Although my OCD cannot cope with the 1991 / 1992 registration number... Thank you also for the explanation of the additional engine bay items in your build thread, as that is really helpful for when I get around to building mine. I did build one about twenty years ago as a student & it turned out quite nicely, but it didn't appreciate the attentions of a younger sibling... However it survives in my parts box and will be donating much of its remnants to an Airtrax Mk10 (along with Heller's lovely IRS from an E Type kit that I messed up over twenty five years ago). The body of my old MK2 is currently being used as a test bed for an all opening panel version, and if successful, that will then be built up with all the parts from the new kit. Also, I wonder if the person who has just bid nearly £90 for one of these kits on ebay (ended earlier this evening) was inspired by what you have achieved here?

Will be following this with great interest too, as my late grandfather chaired the inquiry into her loss and it was one of many RN related topics that we would often discuss.

I have a couple of those XK120s waiting to be built and my understanding is that it is a pretty decent kit (despite being tooled about forty years ago), aside from the bonnet fit being poor & very prominent mold seams along the flanks (all can be fixed with filler & sanding). Detail wise, the only criticism I am aware of is that the moulding on the steel wheels is a bit simplified compared to reality. It was originally Monogram, and one of a series that had a diecast bodyshell (others were the MG TC and '56 Thunderbird), which may explain the body issues now that it is being molded in polystyrene. However they do look fab when built well, especially with the spats over the rear wheels. My only recent car purchase is also a Monogram kit, this time their 540K cabrio (inspired by a recent build on here of Revell's recent re-issue) to go with the Duesenburg I recently bought and the Cord & Packard ones I have already built from the same series.

Sounds like a great project, and will be looking forward to reading more! I've been contemplating doing just this to the unstarted one I have gathering dust in my loft. However I'm not feeling brave enough yet to cut it up, and so have been intending to use Heller's 1:24 one as a practice run in order to get a better idea of how and where to cut the bodyshell, and also how best to use the sections of the old roof to make the coupe one.

Until this photo, I hadn't appreciated how small it is - which makes what I thought was a fantastic model even more impressive!

That looks really smart! The lack of reverse lights is correct for the first MGBs as they didn't have any to begin with (not sure exactly which year they were fitted from though). The Molotow chrome on the bumpers looks great - was that straight from the pen, or did you airbrush it?

Great tip for the tyres! I don't think I've seen one of these built before. You've done an amazing job of making this ancient kit look really good, and great to see one that isn't silver!

Thank you. I think the only thing I reckon that Tamiya didn't get quite right for the GT3 relates to the basis for this kit being their earlier model of the Carrera version. The first 996s had full amber tint lenses for the front indicators, and full amber & red tint for the tail lights, and the Carrera kit does this well when the lenses are painted as normal on the surface with clear amber and clear red as appropriate. However, as far as I have been able to find out, the GT3 arrived after the introduction of neutral tint (instead of amber) lenses, which aren't as easy to replicate with those same kit parts. The front indicators aren't too tricky - thinned down clear amber paint on the back of the lense works ok, but the lack of any reflector detail at the rear means that leaving the lense clear as per the 1:1 just doesn't look right as that lack of any detail behind the lense is very obvious. As and when I risk trying to remove the lenses on this one, in addition to lining the edge of the lenses with black sharpie (a technique that I didn't know about at the time but wish I had) I will probably repaint them as per the earlier spec, full tint lenses. If I remember correctly, that is also what the instruction booklet says to do. Whilst not correct to the 1:1, it will look much more realistic. However if building the kit from the start, I imagine that it would be relatively easy to use a dremel or similar to reshape the solid plastic inside the recesses for the rear lights in order to create the reflector detail.

Very cool!

A 1980s release of the 1960s tooling Monogram 1934 Duesenberg dual cowl phaeton - inspired by a truly fantastic build of this kit on here!

Could you hide it with some weathering?

I've always loved the level of detail on these Heller kits, which has always helped me forgive their flaws. Your progress with this and detailed write-up is always a great read!

Here's that thread: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/112594-information-on-monograms-exotics-series/

Thank you, and good to hear Just the early type dash. Aside from the bumpers, there are no specific parts for the late version (the Rostyles don't count, as these were first introduced with the chrome bumper cars). So for instance, the correct type, squarer profile tail light units are not included. Not hugely noticable at 1:24, but something those who know would spot!

I do like the 1800, and think they are very underrated compared to other, equivalent cars of that era, but my favourite Volvo has to be the Amazon estate. However having owned one now for 18 years (the first 14 years it was my everyday car), which had been in the family since I was 13 means I might be slightly biased!! Some more, completed pics of the Viper are here:

Please do! I've often been tempted by this kit, and would be very interested to see more.

Thanks guys & I will try to make some progress on it soon! The Amazon estate model will be a bit later, as I will need to build up my skills more. My OCD is such that it will have to be spot on to my real one, but I will resist the temptation to add heavy weathering to match though. It's always dangerous opening their product news emails - it is only with great restraint that I do not have twice the number of their kits than I already have... If you want an 1800ES, Airtrax did do one, and it might still be available. The wires are just the MGB ones for now as sorting out the wheels will probably be one of the last things. A few 1800s did have wires in period, but I agree that this wasn't a factory fitment. If I do decided to keep them, they will be painted instead of chrome though. The kit comes with the correct early full hubcaps for the P1800 (to match the cow horn bumpers in the pics) which is what I am intending to use, but the later types of 1800S wheels should be available too as these are what Airtrax issued with the Amazon kits.

As much as I like the 6 Series, I reckon that its E9 predecessor is perhaps even better looking - being pillarless helps! The 6 looked rather gawky to begin with (this version is rarely, if at all, seen though) until they were fitted with a deeper front spoiler, which is how all the '80s ones looked . However, since the original (E24) 6 Series, the only BMW that has got close is the E38 7 series, where the styling dept managed to get the proportions absolutely spot-on.

This is one I started back in 2010. It's by Airtrax, and is moulded in resin. Tyres, suspension or glass are not included, although wheel covers of the correct design are provided. Photos of the kit parts themselves are here (not my pics - I had already made a start before it occurred to me to photograph them I'm using an Airfix (ex Aoshima) 1:24 MGB as the parts donor since the MG's 14" wheels at 1:24 are close enough to 15" at 1:25. The track is also the same, so most of the suspension parts etc can also be used. No doubt, the headlights and other small detail parts will also end up being used too. Headlights (both bowls / surrounds and lenses) are included in the kit, however I don't use alclad, just BMF or a Molotow Chrome pen & so will use the spare MG ones, with Molotow & BMF for other parts and detailing. My overall impressions of the kit are very positive - yes, some cleanup of the parts is required, and there are a few air bubbles that need filling, but no more than expected based on the description from Airtrax. The parts are all well moulded, with lots of detail with all badging on the body, and the dash is especially detailed. Now for the donor parts - the MG kit front suspension is close enough to the Volvo setup, so is being used pretty much as is but will have a few cosmetic tweaks to better represent the design of the Volvo crossmember. However, at the rear the MG is cart springs, whereas the Volvo is upper and lower trailing arms with coil springs and a panhard rod. The MG axle and hubs will still be used, but I will need to fabricate the rest of the suspension components. Wire wheels were a period optional fitment for P1800s, so I may keep those. If not, they may be hollowed out to accept the standard wheel covers as supplied in the kit unless I decide to turn something up on the centre lathe at work. Anyhow, enough talk – here’s the pics... An early shot, whilst still cleaning up the shell, and tweaking the fit of the chassis. Also in process of finalising the position of the wheels: Pretty much sorted - also added a section at the bulkhead to represent a box section that is there on the real car, and also to overhang & thus hide the join between body & chassis: (Also in the middle of cutting away the back of the finely moulded grille) Underside is well moulded too: Grille surround in place - this and the immediately following pics show the grille aperture cut away (compare to the very first pic - the original molding was solid all the way back to level with the front of the radiator): The front of the radiator (part of the chassis) has the appropriate detail moulded into it, so combined with the opened up grille, it seemed a pity not to show it. Front suspension - springs have been added, and there are now metal rod pins to locate & set the alignment of the crossmember (it needs to be removable, for a lot of further detailing to better represent the Volvo unit & then painting): The steering is incorrect too, as it still has the MG's rack & pinion, whereas the Volvo used a steering box with idler & linkages, which also need to be fabricated Crossmember as visible from the engine bay - the hollow top will be blanked off, and engine mountings then added. ON the real car, the top wishbone mounts are highly visible in the engine bay (those bushes are actually changed from under the bonnet!) so that needs detailing too. Rear suspension - the rear remainder of the leaf springs will be removed once the axle location is fixed, and has further location. The front part of the leaf springs will be remodelled into the lower trailing arm. Started fabricating the rear shocks (location point on the body was marked in the moulding) & just need to sort out the axle bracket now before the rear brake / hub assemblies can be glued in place properly: Front and side glass is in place - just need to sort out the rear window, but in the meantime, here's a view of the very nicely moulded dashboard: I must confess that I have done little since this stage except buy more Airtrax kits... In the to build pile I also have their Volvo Amazon saloon, Volvo Amazon estate (I provided them with reference data & also feedback on the masters for that one, and will be building it as a replica of my 1:1 Amazon estate), Jaguar Mk10, Volvo 142 and Triumph TR6. My excuse is that I am taking my time to build up my skills in order to build it to the standard and detail that I want. I would say this that this is also because it is my first resin kit, but that isn't strictly true as I built a 1:43 Alpine A110 by Starter when I was about 17 (Christmas present from my father, along with a custom mixed spray can of the correct Alpine blue ), but that was like painting and assembling a diecast model compared to this. Anyhow, now that I have posted about the P1800, hopefully it will guilt trip me into actually making further progress.

The next one from my archives, which by pure co-incidence, was completed on this date nine years ago (which is also when the pics were taken). It's Revell AG's rebox of the Monogram pre-1982 (E12 platform) 6 series - the Tamiya & Fujimi (sometimes also seen in a Testors boxing) 6 series is the later E28 platform version. Visually, the main difference is the design of the rear bumper. I suspect therefore that the tooling dates from no later than 1982. Unlike many of my model kits, this one was bought new in 2008 (along with a Revell AG's also current at the time rebox of Monogram's Ferrari 308 GTB but that's another story...) but it wasn't completed until 2011, at about the same time as the AMT Dodge Viper. It isn't as crisp or refined as the Tamiya or Fujimi (at the time, those were difficult to get hold of for sensible money unlike the Revell, but since building this, I have acquired both although I later sold the Fujimi as I don't like the 6 series that much to embark on as in depth a build as their Enthusiast kit, whereas the Tamiya is waiting to be built), but with care it still builds up well, and the result is a decent representation of a 6 Series. Revell included decals for the badging and instruments, which I think may not have been included in the earlier Monogram releases as these were all molded in. I ignored the instructions, and fitted the nose to the main shell at the start so they could be painted as one assembly, and so avoid a seam at the top of the kidney grilles. This turned out to have been a very wise decision, as it highlighted early on that the front of the chassis needed trimming to fit. If the nose had been fitted at the end, it would not have located properly on the body. The front subframe needed careful re-alignment to get the wheels properly centred in the arches, and I had to adjust the locating pins quite a bit to get the necessary movement. The suspension also wanted to sit too high, so that needed tweaking as well. Rather than try to modernise or update it, I decided to embrace the 1980s and build it as it would have been when new, so keeping the high profile tyres and the black boot spoiler.

As the real differential housing would be a two piece casting bolted together in the same place as the seam on the plastic parts, I do wonder if Heller have got it right, as there would presumably be a visible seam there on the real car?

That looks very smart! Very impressive paint and decal work for that livery too