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A 1/12 gallery - 50 Years in the Making...


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Back in April when I posted my Doyusha Countach, a very kind lad, called 'Dieselweasel' here, posted this within:

'Codger the Countach looks brilliant , would like to see all of yours together, bet it would make an awesome display.

ATB

Jim'

Well sorry to neglect this so long but here it is. Most here are sick of seeing these from their features but one here is previously unseen - for - really- 50 years:

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It's the Porsche 910 from the original box of 1968. It was my sort of 'training wheels' Tamiya big kit which although simplified compared to today's sophisticated kits, holds up amazingly well. Only the screen wiper has gone MIA. Remember Pactra enamel paints? Here they are. And honestly it's not a bad paintjob considering I was in my yout as a modeler and a person. Amazing too is that all the cars are in the same scale, and accurately sized, and seeing them together reveals stark size differences.

The GT-40 prototype of 1966 looks tiny compared to the production-based 1976 Porsche 935. But the 910 of 1968 looks even smaller and more refined for small bore endurance racing just two years later.

The size contrast continues with the mid-70's Countach and the modern Caterham 7. These all live in glass cages now and they will easily outlive me. Indeed, only the oldest (910) suffers from a sagged tire. Amazing work from Tamiya, Trumpeter and Doyusha, that last kit from the late '70's but just built this year.

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Still tucked away in plastic bins are four of the very early Tamiya F-1's, which also were built in the '60's and '70's. No aftermarket stuff and barebones detailing by me. These were advanced in their day and it was a satisfactory accomplishment completing them as a kid. Lotus, Matra, Ferrari and Brabham:

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These were all stepping stones to more complex stuff which I wandered into over succeeding decades including my venture into 1:1 car building/racing/scaring old ladies. Before these were hundreds of smaller car/fighter plane/boat kits, a stint of scale R/C aero flying, visible human beings, paddle-wheel riverboats and Lord knows what else my mercifully lost memory can't recall.

So I hope it was worth the wait Jim and thanks for asking. / C

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A collection to be proud of Mr C and my favourite has to be the Brabham. Amazing how well they have stood the test of time you should be very proud of all of them they are awesome 🙂

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1 hour ago, Codger said:

 Before these were hundreds of smaller car/fighter plane/boat kits, a stint of scale R/C aero flying, visible human beings, paddle-wheel riverboats and Lord knows what else my mercifully lost memory can't recall.

So I hope it was worth the wait Jim and thanks for asking. / C

😲 Of all the people admitting to building "smaller models"... ;)

 

Nice collection of the big stuf you have there though. I'd say it stands as testament not just to your building skills, but also to you looking after things to have survivied for so long in such good condition.

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Fantastic work, and the models have aged really well, eg minimal yellowing of decals etc. (Do you keep them in the dark?)

 

I really can’t pick a favourite...I love the F1 kits (that Matra is soon to be re-released) - but the ‘simplicity’ and innocent look of the Porsche gives it a certain je ne sais quoi.

 

 

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15 minutes ago, sennapod said:

Fantastic work, and the models have aged really well, eg minimal yellowing of decals etc. (Do you keep them in the dark?)

 

I really can’t pick a favourite...I love the F1 kits (that Matra is soon to be re-released) - but the ‘simplicity’ and innocent look of the Porsche gives it a certain je ne sais quoi.

 

 

Hi, do you have any further details on the re-release of the Matra kit I'm very interested in this one 🙂

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Evening Mr C. seeing your big kit builds it was well worth waiting for, they look brilliant, i have a few Tamiya 1/12 kits to build, if they come out a quarter as good as yours i will be a happy camper, how do you keep them so pristine, are they kept in an hermatically sealed room, the colours are so vibrant and clear.

Thanks again for the pictures of all your big builds, hope to see some more of your builds soon

ATB 

JIM (Dieselweasel)

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3 hours ago, sennapod said:

but the ‘simplicity’ and innocent look of the Porsche gives it a certain je ne sais quoi.

They're all fantastic, but surely the Matra has the "je ne sais quoi" - the Porsche has a "weiß nicht was".

 

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Where to begin?

Firstly, a huge 'thank you' to all who looked in. Once more you bunch of fifteen have caused the 'Like' button to suffer strain and the Admin is NOT amused. But you lot are kind and generous. Any and all questions welcomed.

Good points and questions were raised by those that posted and I will attempt to answer those now.

It turns out this is a sort of 'study' on the long-term longevity of plastic models. In terms of age from the time the kit was produced, the youngest is the Trumpy GT-40 from the early '00's. All the others range from the very late '60's (910) through the '70's (all the F-1's plus Countach and 935) then the early '90's (Caterham 7). Hopefully, there is a visible progression of skill and material  improvements over the decades.

Now the very earliest kits were built in or near the years they were produced. Except the Countach (built 2019), 935 (built 1989). The later kits ( GT, Cat) were built '10 and '19 respectively. Whew - destroyed many gray cells trying to organize that!

The early cars were (if memory is working) all painted with Pactra enamels and glued with Testors cement - no CA or lacquers common then. Decals were fine then but I remember I painted white roundels under the big side numbers before decal application. No color bleed that way. The only cars to really have decals are the 910 and 935 and they are fine to this day as you see. The 935's are under Pactra clear. The GT only has 'Ford' decals on the rocker panels because I masked and painted all the stripes. I prefer models not needing decals.

I had all the early models in a smallish glass door wall case in our house of 36 years but in 2007 we moved here. At that time I put those models into individual plastic storage bins for the move and they live in safety here in the dry basement as they would not fit the decor chosen by the Property Mistress. But I do bring them out from time to time to inspect and admire them and they remain in the condition you see here.

In the early '90's, my daughter and I started an art framing business and glass became part of our every day lives. As I completed each of the subsequent builds, I built glass cases for each. We ceased as framers for customers in the late '90's but have all the equipment to frame for our selves and family. Then in '17, I built the grand case for the very large Rolls. I detest and deplore dusty, sooty models and can say I've never had any. They all look as the day I stopped gluing. Paints stay cleaner than wiping with rags or brushes this way, no fading and pet hair and child fingerprints are non-factors.

The only paint 'yellowing' I can say is the 935 and I'm not sure if it's the Pactra white or the clear that turned. But it does add a patina that I've loved since it began. Brings nostalgia to mind.

Only one 'rubber' tire (910) has gone mushy out of the lot.

Bravo to the kit manufacturers; In composing this thread it has amazed me that I have fifty year-old plastic that has not only survived but remains as new - without deterioration, warping, sagging or discoloring. If only humans would survive as well!

Sprinkled around my office/build room, these five live in cramped but untroubled environments and give me pleasure to re-live their builds. The Rolls holds court in a much larger space in the dining room - a location gained after much marital bloodshed. They will surely outlive me and that's OK...

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11 minutes ago, dieselweasel said:

Thanks again Mr C for letting us see your masterpieces, a real pleasure for us. Are you still building !!.

Please show us more of your builds

ATB

JIM

Hardly masterpieces but again you are too kind Jim. Glad I could finally answer your request.

I think my building is over but I like to tinker with materials and finishes from time to time. My body tools are in need of complete rebuilds but some of those tools are gone forever. And I don't want to submit to corrective repairs because - I'm an ol grump, hate hospitals (especially now) and try hard to do without doctors.

But I enjoy sharing methods and ideas and most of all, learning the magic that all of the Aces here can perform.

I will still post the work of Dave Cox in my Rolls thread because that is most inspirational and instructive to many here. Oh, and it's 1/8 scale...:devil:

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On 7/16/2020 at 9:50 PM, Andy J said:

Hi, do you have any further details on the re-release of the Matra kit I'm very interested in this one 🙂

It’s available at Hiroboy and Wonderland models (assuming you’re in the UK) - but it ain’t cheap at around £160gbp.

 

btw - for some reason it’s being retailed as an Ebbro kit, not Tamiya.

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