Spad Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Hi all - seasons greetings to you all! May I present my Ford Zodiac by Airfix in 1/32 scale - just slipping in under the wire for 2018! Actually, it was built for the Car and Motorcycle SIG display at Telford this year - theme was "Best of British". It's a kit I have had since the very early '70s and I had always wanted to build it as my dad's car from that period, a car which I adored then and still do. Needed a bit of work to get it "right" to correct the sit and a lot of fettling due to mould wear (even then!) not to mention I had lost or broken a couple of parts in the intervening years. Painted in Japlac BRG in an attempt to replicate the Goodwood Green of the original and a combo of Alclad Chrome and Molotow chrome pens. The glazing needed a good sand/polish routine followed by a dip in Klear. The back of the front seats were blanked off as hollow otherwise. I had lost the meter bezel so that needed to be scratch built. I added an indicator stalk and the gearchange lever - 4 on the Tree here plus "kick-down overdrive" on 3rd and 4th - 6 speeds in a 1963 car! Dad also had a small stainless bracket under the dash to house 3 additional gauges (oil pressure, vacuum and battery charge) so that was added. Missing also was the horn ring on the steering wheel so one was fabricated from nickel wire courtesy of Albion Alloys. So that all of this could be seen (ha!) I dropped the driver's window (well, just cut it off the side glazing!). The hub caps are unnaturally deep as the kit features rotating wheels so they must house a plastic retaining washer, so they were sanded back to a more realistic height and chromed. The instructions will have you glue the dash assembly to the firewall on the floor part so that's what I did. If you're building one of these I recommend you don't. If you do, he whole thing disappears under the windscreen scuttle leaving just the steering wheel in view. After Telford I took my courage in both hands and gently levered the joint apart and then fixed the dash to the bottom of the windscreen which was already installed in the body shell - much better, and there's already a depression moulded into the dash to match the windscreen so I don't understand the instruction error. Oh well, never mind, sorted now. It still needs number plates to give it it's original identity but I'm calling it done until I can sort them out. Enough waffle - here's the model - hope you enjoy looking. C+C welcome as ever! I lost the original front bumper so carved a new one from plastic stock and finished with Alclad Chrome This is the kit I had As you see here, way too much rake! This is how I lifted the front end - spacers on the Macpherson Struts I lost the front cross member so needed to make a new one - five bits of tube in there! Broke one of the rear leaf springs in a previous failed attempt to build it! Dash installed in original location And here she is on the SIG stand A mighty long time coming but I am pleased I didn't actually do it back then - the hobby has moved on so much since, the products available now make it so much easier to complete a reasonable job and to do it now would have been prohibitively expensive when you see how much these things are commanding on a well known auction site! Thanks for looking and have a terrific New Year, all of you! ATB Rick 26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triumphfan Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Looks superb Rick. Some of those old Airfix 1/32 cars were great kits and quite accurate too. Wish I still had all the ones I smashed up or turned into Scalextric racers when I was a kid. Atb, Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 There's a blast from the past! Nice build. There's a real one in that colour in Mablethorpe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 That's a little cracker Rick, lovely finish! I wish Airfix would re-issue the classic British cars, like they are with their ancient armour kits and such! Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Delta 210 Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Absolutely amazing! The paint finish and interior are incredible! A great tribute to your Dad's car. (Now, where can I find a Cortina Mk 1....) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayprit Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Nice build, brings back memories of when I used to drive them in the army, same colour, Commanding Officers staff car 77EL41...………...don't think it had those wheel trims though!!!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spad Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 Thanks guys, very kind words, much appreciated. @Pete in Lincs the number plate of that one wouldn't start with "WWC" would it....he says hopefully! ATB Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Sorry, Rick, It;s been a while since I was out there. I'll see if I can remember though next time I do get that way. And, oddly, just South of Lincoln today I saw a Ford Zephyr. Same body but single headlights, in dark blue and lovely condition. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan R Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 2 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said: And, oddly, just South of Lincoln today I saw a Ford Zephyr. My dad had a Zephyr 4 in the late 60's. White with Red upholstery. Had to get rid of it as he found that a previous owner had stuffed the gearbox with sawdust to keep the noise down. Cheers, Alan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 I've got a couple of these in the stash. One bagged and one boxed for the American market, but not modified. I built one many moons ago, and have driven the Zodiac and Zephyr 4 as taxis about '71-72. I never got to own a real one. The oil crisis hit, and running costs were too much for me then. Nice looking model, and I will keep your modifications in mind, I will build at least one of them. Got a Lotus Cortina too! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Alan R said: My dad had a Zephyr 4 in the late 60's. White with Red upholstery. Had to get rid of it as he found that a previous owner had stuffed the gearbox with sawdust to keep the noise down. Cheers, Alan. My Grandfather had an identical model, fortunately without sawdust in the gear box, and I remember feeling very important when he gave me a lift to school every Thursday morning whilst he smoked his pipe. Needless to say: different times !! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canberraman Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 A lovely rendition of a British classic. My mate Barney had one just like that in the early 80s. We felt like Sweeney villains driving round the back roads of Berkshire in that beast. My overriding memory of it though is breaking down on the A34 and the two of us pushing it up a slight hill for about a mile to safety. I couldn't believe the weight of the thing! Happy days and great nostalgia. Mark 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan R Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 19 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said: Got a Lotus Cortina too! Lucky beggar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 minute ago, Alan R said: Lucky beggar! I will part with, but it ain't cheap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan R Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Today walking home from a hospital appointment. a Ford Granada Mk2 2.8 Ghia with non-standard alloys. Looked a bit tatty and rattly (The exhaust was really loose!). Engine still sounded sweet though. Cheers, Alan. 1 minute ago, bentwaters81tfw said: I will part with, but it ain't cheap. The wife would kill me!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 2 minutes ago, Alan R said: Today walking home from a hospital appointment. a Ford Granada Mk2 2.8 Ghia with non-standard alloys. Looked a bit tatty and rattly (The exhaust was really loose!). Engine still sounded sweet though. Cheers, Alan. The wife would kill me!!! Go with a smile on your face, I'll do you a deal for the Cortina and the Zodiac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhouse Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 20 hours ago, Alan R said: a previous owner had stuffed the gearbox with sawdust to keep the noise down. I had a Triumph Herald like that. Did your dad buy it from a used car lot in Fulham? Weekly Motors, I think it was called. Or was it Daley? 😏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan R Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 minute ago, bhouse said: Did your dad buy it from a used car lot in Fulham I think he bought it locally in Rochester. This was about 1967, so I was only about 12 then. I think Daley motors is a franchise all over the country... Cheers, Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 That's a cracking job on the Airfix oldie Rick,I'd love to see these kit's re-released in their new classic's range,not sure which mold's survived. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spad Posted January 13, 2019 Author Share Posted January 13, 2019 (edited) Thanks stevej60 - I've been told that this mould got butchered when Airfix tried to spice it (and some others) up for the US market and made a kind of hot-rod cum dragster out of it! 🙄 Edited January 13, 2019 by Spad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepboy Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 Thank you for posting this. I made mine in the early 70's when I was about 8 or 9. I remember it was in dark green plastic. Trying to get the body on the chassis was a nightmare and there were little squidgy glueyfingerprints all over the glazing but I was proud as punch. It sat next to my Folland Gnat with collapsed under carriage because the glue haddnt tried when I put it on by bedside table. That had little squidgy gluey fingerprints on the canopy !! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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