billn53 Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 (edited) Hello everybody! This is will be my first build in the "Vehicles" forum, so let me introduce myself. I recently returned to modeling after a few decades lapse, but during that time I never stopped adding to my stash. Most of my collection consists of 1/72 aircraft (where I have been posting up until now), but I also have a good number of automobile kits. Mainly 1960s GT and prototype racers (Ferrari, Porsche, Lola, Ford GT, etc.), as well as some Grand Prix and IndyCar kits (something to do with having been a teenager in the 1960s). But my all-time favorite racers from that era are the Chaparrals. Wanting to start off with a relatively simple project, I went through my stash and selected these two kits: Should be a quick and easy build, right? But, not so fast! Let's begin with Arii's 2C. I have read that the body originated as a slot car, to which Arii added a belly pan, wheels & tires, and interior from the Modeler's Chaparral 2D coupe. Looking over the parts, the major weaknesses (in my opinion) are the unrealistic and unauthentic injector velocity tubes, and incorrect tires/wheels. First, the velocity tubes. For the specific car modeled (#66 from the 1965 Nassau race), the engine injection looks like this: This is what's in the kit: Lame! So, it looks like I'll have to scratch up something better. To start with, I found some nice parts I can modify in this Fein-Design kit (another from my stash): But, not wanting to sacrifice those parts, I instead cast duplicates in resin: My success rate for getting a good copy definitely isn't 100%, but after a number of attempts I believe I have enough to populate my engine: I'm not done by any means... I still have to add tubing to the top & bottom of each part, and then install them onto my engine manifold (also "borrowed" from the Fein-Design kit). I'm taking a similar approach with the wheels issue -- duplicate in resin more authentic parts from other Chaparral kits in my stash. Here's what Arii provides. Definitely unlike anything I've ever seen on a Chaparral: My first attempt has been less than satisfactory, as you can see in the pic below. On the left are the 'master' wheels that I used to create a latex mold for my resin duplicates (seen on the right): Notice the resin intrusions between the spokes of my duplicate wheels. These are the result of bubbles in my latex mold: The solution is to make another mold, being careful that no bubbles are trapped between the spokes. Unfortunately, I've used all my latex and must wait for the postman to deliver a fresh supply. One more thing... The tires in the Arii kit look very nice, if you like Goodyears! But, I believe the Chaparrals were running Firestones. Can anyone point me to where I can find an appropriate set of tires? If I can't find any, my fallback is to try sanding off the 'Goodyear' lettering and putting a Firestone decal in its place. I'm sure many other questions will pop up, hopefully someone here will be able to help me sort them out. Follow the racing line! -Bill Edited July 31, 2018 by billn53 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaddad Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Looking forward to seeing this progress, unfortunately I can't offer any practical help,just moral support I'm afraid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted July 31, 2018 Author Share Posted July 31, 2018 Moral support is good 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherry268 Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Always had an interest in the Chaparrals The one I really want is the 2F Just something about that model Looking forward to seeing yours built Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Was there a Chaparrel 2G? Back in the day we always used to refer to the TV programme as 'High Chaparrel 2G' (That was when colour TV was a new thing in the UK!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 16 hours ago, cherry268 said: Always had an interest in the Chaparrals The one I really want is the 2F Just something about that model Here's one for you: 7 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said: Was there a Chaparrel 2G? Back in the day we always used to refer to the TV programme as 'High Chaparrel 2G' (That was when colour TV was a new thing in the UK!) 2G? Yes! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 While waiting for my latex mold material to arrive, I took a closer look at the 2D kit. I haven't actually started any work, so this post is more of an in-box review. My kit dates from 2004, but I remember building this many, many years earlier. Also note that decals in this release are by Cartograph. As you will see later, they look to be excellent. First, the body. It's well molded with almost zero flash. I haven't compared it to any drawings, so can't say how accurate it is. But to my eyes it does look like a 2D! Obviously, there's room for detailing the body. For example, the rear grillwork is molded in, and would be greatly improved by some PE grills: The interior tub is pretty basic... but as this is a coupe not much will be visible, so I don't intend to do much additional detailing here. Here's the belly pan. This is definitely a curbside model. Like the Arii 2C kit, the engine and its velocity tubes are poorly represented: I expect that I'll replace this with duplicated parts from the Fein-Design kit, in the same way I'm planning for my 2C: The tires in this kit look very nice, and decals are provided for the Firestone markings. On the other hand, the wheels are a big disappointment: Somewhere along the way I must have picked up replacement tires & wheels, because I found these tucked away in my box! Much nicer! And, if I use these I'll have some nice vinyl tires for my 2C build 🙂 Clear parts come in a protective plastic bag, and look pretty good. Some polishing and Klear should make them look great. Unfortunately, the windshield wiper is molded in and I would prefer to see it go away. But that will mean more work to get the windshield clear again. Also, I'll need to find a replacement wiper somewhere. I assume they're available as PE detail parts? Also in the box is a pre-painted driver figure. But no attempt was made to fill in the seam lines, so I'll have to fill those in and re-paint: The decals, as I mentioned earlier, look great! I hope they go on without any problem (given that they're nearly 15 years old): Finally, I thought I'd share the kit instructions. Only 5 steps to a finished model! And, the last two steps don't really involve much work: That's all for now. My latex molding material should arrive tomorrow. Wish me luck! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherry268 Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 "Here's one for you:" That is a lovely picture, thanks for showing it "Was there a Chaparral 2G?" I think there was a 2H, 2J and a 2K, Still none as lovely as the 2F He was a clever man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmosman Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I remember having a model of the 2C in the late 60's. The best Chaparral for me was the 2K Indycar designed by John Barnard who later went to McLaren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherry268 Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I looked on tinternet and found a 2F made by Fisher models Not sure if it is available in the UK and looks quite pricey But if I had the time I'd get it but I AM NOT ADDING TO MY STASH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 Too late for me, I succumbed to temptation and ordered one last week. Now, if only I could find a 2K and original Chaparral 1, my stash would be complete. Hi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherry268 Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 I will be interested in your opinion of the 2F kit and good luck with finding the rest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 The size of the wing on that 2G! Thanks for the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 5, 2018 Author Share Posted August 5, 2018 (edited) Time for a Sunday afternoon update. I've made good progress on my pair of Chaparrals (although it may not look like it). First off, my latex mold material arrived so I was able to sort out my wheel and engine situation. Here's the result of my efforts: At the top are the original resin wheels that I used for my mold. My duplicates are on the bottom. My versions are solid behind the mesh spokes, so when it comes to painting I will use a black wash to give depth. On the right is the top portion of the Chevy 327 engine (borrowed from the Fein Design kit) that will give the illusion of detail below the cars' velocity stacks. Wheels after painting with Vallejo Metal Color aluminum (black wash yet to be applied): And dry-fitting parts for the two engines. 2C on the left, 2D on the right. I'm using brass tubing to raise the 2C's carbs to the appropriate height for the specific car being modeled. This isn't exactly accurate (see detailed pic of actual engine below), but my simplification probably won't be noticeable. For the velocity stacks themselves, I plan to cut them from thin wall brass tubing after estimating the appropriate lengths for each car from photos I've collected online. Finally, I've cleaned up minor flash, mold lines, sink marks, etc. from two bodies & other major pieces and applied my first colors. For the interiors and chassis pans, I airbrushed Tamiya gloss brown. I've given the bodies an initial coat of Tamiya "rattle can" white primer. My next chore is to open up the various air scoops and screened areas on the 2C and 2D bodies. Below are some pics of the actual cars to give you an idea of what I'm getting into: 2C: 2D: Wish me luck, I'm going to need it! And now for something completely different... (Cherry268, this is for you) My Fisher Chaparral 2F has arrived, and it's a beauty of a kit. Clean resin moldings, PE details included, two sets of vacuform clear parts (in case I make a mistake, which I usually do with vacuform parts), good looking decals, and excellent instructions. Take a look: The kit is pricey, but there's good value here. In any case, if you want a 2F, it's the only game in town. Till next time! Edited August 5, 2018 by billn53 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherry268 Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 Oooooh that does look good I must clear the stash a bit Not going to order it to sit on shelf Thanks for showing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Happy Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 Holy Smokes this is so awesome 😎 Billn53, Please keep us updated on this tremendous build 🙏📸🙏 Great work! Mr.Happy (In name only) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 Gotta love those Chaparrals: privileged to have met Jim Hall and can't wait to read his biog when it comes out next year. He's probably the single most influential person in the history of motorsport and I eagerly await seeing what you get up to with these! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) It's always a bit scary to take a knife to a beautiful body, knowing if you screw up you may end up trashing the whole project. I'm happy to report that I've managed to open up the various screened areas and a few other items on my Chaparrals, and they've survived the surgery! Here's a step-by-step using my 2C as the example: First, I carefully drilled holes inside the perimeter of the area to be cut away: and used a sharp knife to cut through the holes: That was the easy part. Then, using files and sanding sticks, I carefully trimmed and cleaned the edges: Same for the rear transom: While I was at it, I opened up a couple of air scoops: A lot less work was needed for the 2D -- a couple of long openings in the deck on either side of the engine, and the rear transom. There is also a small oval opening that is screened in near the right-front tire: I haven't yet decided on what to use for the screens. More than one kind of material seems to have been used, sometimes different types of screen on the same vehicle. And, I will need to watch for a particular problem with my 2D, namely, the kit's belly pan runs all the way to the rear and might be visible through the screen (depending on what I end up using). If this turns out to be the case, I may need to add details like the spare tire, etc., as in the pic below (in this particular 2D the screens seem to be absent): Till next time! Edited August 9, 2018 by billn53 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 11, 2018 Author Share Posted August 11, 2018 (edited) I believe I have found an appropriate screen material -- it is a brass photoetch product sold by Eduard. It comes in various mesh sizes and arrangements (hexagonal, rectilinear). The one I've selected is the smallest hexagonal mesh that Eduard sells: The only way I can imagine attaching the screen material to the Chaparral bodies is from the backside. This means there will be a step between the mesh and the outside surface of the car body, due to the thickness of the plastic. If I didn't do anything, the step would be a scale 2-inches or so, which is totally unacceptable. So, I set about thinning down the plastic around the screened-in areas using a rotary grinding tool. Here's an in-progress shot on the Chaparral 2C. The two openings on the right have already been thinned down, the ones on the left are the original thickness: Quite a difference! And, here's a pic with some of the PE mesh tacked into place: A couple of points need to be made. Comparing to photos of the actual car, the mesh is still not small enough and the step is still too large. I can't think of any reasonable way around these issues, so I will just have to live with them. Second, it's easy to see through the mesh, so I'll either need to add interior detail (see photo above), or blank off the backside to preclude see-through. Most likely I'll follow the second path, except perhaps for the rear transom on the 2D, where the rear wheel wells and spare tire area clearly visible. That's it for now. Time to get back to grinding! Edited August 11, 2018 by billn53 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 13, 2018 Author Share Posted August 13, 2018 Another quick update. I seems like I was working on these builds all weekend, but progress is in little baby steps! A little more surgery, on the 2D's rear deck. Monogram's design has it attaching to the body with a couple of large pins, which would be easily visible. I removed the pins and filled in the associated holes in the deck. Also, Monogram had two large rectangular cutouts over the rear tires, probably a legacy from this originally being a slot car body. I filled those in as well. After checking photos online, I concluded that the interior of the body, including the transition to the transom, was painted black. No fancy airbrushing here, just old-fashioned hairy stick: My attention right now is on the interior. For the 2D, I limited my effort to painting (I plan on using the driver figure, and being a coupe, the interior will not be easily visible): The 2C is another story. Arii's interior, to say the least, is rudimentary. I decided to make the driver's ride more comfortable with a seat cushion and seatbelts fashioned from Milliput: And, that's all I have for now. Like I said, little baby steps... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 15, 2018 Author Share Posted August 15, 2018 Somebody please take my knife away before I cut again! I've been doing more surgery on my 2C... I noticed that the forward console and instrument panel in the Arii kit are wrong. The IP is set too far back and runs straight across from one side to the other, making the cockpit opening rectangular. In reality, the forward console is three-sided, with the IP set about halfway between the door jamb and the apex of the windscreen. So, out with my trusty hobby knife. Here are before & after pics: An unintended consequence of this is that I now needed to close off the forward end of the canopy tub, otherwise the tires, etc would be easily visible through the cockpit. I built a simple, three sided wall on the belly pan that approximates the shape of the actual car's cockpit enclosure: And here is how everything looks now when pieced together: Compare the IP shape with what can be seen in this pic: Not perfect, but much better than before. Back to my 2D coupe, I had to fill in another opening in the body, this one for the flipper actuator mechanism used in the slot car version of the kit. I also had to fill in the corresponding attachment point on the bottom of the flipper: I think I'm almost ready to begin painting! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Lovely work: is that dash photo the aftermath of Jim's catastrophic accident at Laguna Seca? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share Posted August 16, 2018 Yes, the pic is from the 1965 Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. The wreck was salvaged and rebuilt as a Chaparral 2D, and then rebuilt again as a 2F. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) I've been attending to a few things about the Arii kit that have been bugging me to the point that I couldn't ignore them any longer. Namely, air scoops: The kit provides an air scoop that goes behind the left door. This was in actuality a rather large scoop, but the opening of the kit item is much too small. Out came my knife (again!) and, with some tailored cuts and a bit of plastic strip, I enlarged the opening to roughly twice its original size: There should be another scoop forward of the right door, but this is missing entirely from the Arii kit. I scratched on up and attached it in place: I also added a blanking plate beneath the screened openings aft of the radiator outlet: Here are a couple of pics to compare my rendition of this Chaparral 2C to the real McCoy: Getting closer to painting time! But I've run into another snag... I want to get the clear headlight covers installed and faired in before painting. Unhappily, the covers for the 2C are missing. They are listed on the instruction sheet, but there are no such items on the clear sprue. I have two of the Arii kits and the covers are missing from both! But I have some ideas on how to skin this unwelcome kitty. Stay tuned! , Edited August 17, 2018 by billn53 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 (edited) The subject of today's update are the clear parts. As I mentioned at the end of yesterday's post, the Arii kit is missing the clear covers for the Chaparral 2C's headlights. Actually, that is not quite true -- the Arii kit DOES include headlight covers, but they are for an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CAR! My going-in plan for fabricating the needed covers is this: create a mold that I can use to vacuform the covers from thin clear sheet. First, create the mold.... I lined the headlight openings with kitchen foil, and filled the opening with Milliput. This I roughly shaped with my fingers, and let it set overnight. Once it had hardened, I used sanding sticks to refine the shape. The foil allowed me to easily remove the molds from the body. Here they are, set in place. The black color is Mr Surfacer -- I will fine-sand and polish the molds before attempting to vacuform the clear parts. Next up: the windshields. At the beginning of this build, I observed that the Monogram 2D kit's windshield includes a molded-in wiper, and I desired to replace this with a PE item. The challenge was to cut away the molded wiper without ruining the windshield. Here's how I did it: First, I outlined the molded wiper with vinyl tape, to protect the windshield. Then, using the tip of a fresh No. 2 blade, I carefully cut away the wiper, finishing with carefully scraping until the wiper was entirely removed. Next, I wet sanded the entire windshield using a 400-grit sanding stick. I continued wet sanding, using progressively finer grades. Finally, I polished the windshield (and also the side windows, while I was at it) with Tamiya Fine and Finishing polishing compound. Voila! The ugly molded in wiper is gone, and the windshield looks even better than before. I'll next do a careful cleaning to remove any dust & polishing residue, and dip the entire thing in clear acrylic (Future). I did the same on Arii's windshield for the Chaparral 2C, which had a number of minor scratches and blemishes out-of-the-box: That's it for now... The weekend is here at last, and I expect to get some more good modeling time in over the next couple of days. Edited August 18, 2018 by billn53 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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