Tamiya 1/20 Ferrari 312T3

[AliGauld]

Hi There,

This was picked up in Perth at the Scottish Nationals last year with the idea that it could be a test and learning build for the 3 Ebbro kits that I have lying as I want them to be as good as possible.

I originally built the same kit in 1980 in my last summer in Dingwall during a Summer holiday from college and so I thought it would be a helpful test subject.

 

Painted with Mr. Hobby White Primer, AK Extreme Black Base, Aluminium, Polished Aluminium, Chrome, Humbrol Italian Red.

Finished with Alclad Aqua Gloss II.

Decals from Indycals as the kit ones were pretty yellowed.

 

Due entirely to operator error I made a mess of the sidepod panel deals and so had to use the kit ones, hence the colour difference.

I did find that the Indycal decals gripped immediately on contact and were very difficult to adjust without tearing and stretching so some touching up was necessary around the engine cowl which is visible.

This was probably entirely my fault and the smaller ones went on beautifully.

 

The car is built as the steed of the Late Great Gilles Villeneuve in my opinion the second greatest racing driver of all time.

 

As a postscript this nearly didn't happen. As I was taking it to the kitchen to photograph my arthritis decided to play up and it dropped to the floor, smashing into about 20 pieces.

After almost crying I picked up the bits and managed to patch it together the only really visible effect is on the roll bar which has a slight step.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm fairly chuffed with the outcome and as always comment and criticism welcome.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

 

[Ian]

Very nicely done, this is the only F1 car I have ever wanted to build... shame it's not in the catalogue anymore, and the eBay sellers are asking a mortgage for them !!

 

 

 

Ian.

[RabRoberts]

Very nicely done Alistair, I have the Tameo 43rd scale kit of the same car in the stash, hope mine turns out as nice, and hello from just up the hill in Brightons.

 

Cheers - Rab.

[AliGauld]

5 hours ago, Ian said:

Very nicely done, this is the only F1 car I have ever wanted to build... shame it's not in the catalogue anymore, and the eBay sellers are asking a mortgage for them !!

 

 

 

Ian.

Hi There,

I managed to get this for a really good price at the Scottish Nationals last year. That's not been an option recently but keep looking you'll get one eventually.

 

41 minutes ago, RabRoberts said:

Very nicely done Alistair, I have the Tameo 43rd scale kit of the same car in the stash, hope mine turns out as nice, and hello from just up the hill in Brightons.

 

Cheers - Rab.

Hi there,

Thanks so much. I'm sure yours will be a lot better.

and a wave up the hill from here. You're not far away at all.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[nearsightedjohn]

Nice job Alister on an old tooled but still very nice Tamiya kit. You did a very nice job on the challenging two-tone red/white scheme and fitting the red pinstripe decals to the red/white borders. I built this same kits a few years ago and also struggled with the Indy decals (hand cutting and their fragility). I understand your desire to “practice” on an older Tamiya kit before diving into the Ebbro F1’s but my experience is that they are two totally different animals, particularly in the front and rear suspension assemblies (Tamiya’s are much easier IMO). My advice: dive into the Ebbro’s and just test fit like crazy and be patient. 
I was lucky to see G. Villeneuve drive this exact car at Long Beach in ‘78. He was the most impressive driver I saw up to that point after attending the first few years of GP races there. I miss those good old days of V12 Ferrari’s/ Matras/Alfa’s,  V8 Cosworths, early turbo  Renault’s, all with massive year tires and great varieties of chassis shapes. Lucky for us that Tamiya/ Hasegawa/Fujimi tooled up so many of these cars for us old modellers.

[AliGauld]

51 minutes ago, nearsightedjohn said:

Nice job Alister on an old tooled but still very nice Tamiya kit. You did a very nice job on the challenging two-tone red/white scheme and fitting the red pinstripe decals to the red/white borders. I built this same kits a few years ago and also struggled with the Indy decals (hand cutting and their fragility). I understand your desire to “practice” on an older Tamiya kit before diving into the Ebbro F1’s but my experience is that they are two totally different animals, particularly in the front and rear suspension assemblies (Tamiya’s are much easier IMO). My advice: dive into the Ebbro’s and just test fit like crazy and be patient. 
I was lucky to see G. Villeneuve drive this exact car at Long Beach in ‘78. He was the most impressive driver I saw up to that point after attending the first few years of GP races there. I miss those good old days of V12 Ferrari’s/ Matras/Alfa’s,  V8 Cosworths, early turbo  Renault’s, all with massive year tires and great varieties of chassis shapes. Lucky for us that Tamiya/ Hasegawa/Fujimi tooled up so many of these cars for us old modellers.

Hi there,

I can't take the credit for the red/white borders as I ordered the option with the white decals but thanks very much for your kind words.

I'm going to get started on the Ebbro's soon and am actually looking forward to it.

I, too, miss those years of F1 what I would call the Cosworth DFV years when we had drivers who could race and not just drive quickly but in saying that the safety of those drivers needed to be addressed.

I grew up with Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and Francois Cevert as my heros and remember them fondly and well.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[sennapod]

I love *your* model, and I love that particular model - I also slaved over it, listening to Genesis, back in 1980 whilst doing my O-levels (which might partly explain why I was asked to ‘leave’ that particular school shortly after ( due to lack of academic achievement!). In fact the 312T3 and the Genesis song ‘Paperlate’ are forever tightly-bound in my memory. It is still now in my attic, in shoebox, in pieces...

Can’t fault your build whatsoever (even post kitchen-drop); did you de-chrome the front/rear wings? (and wheels?) - they seem a bit less shiny than the kit ones.  And, of course, it has to be in Gilles’ markings !

 

 

[AliGauld]

21 hours ago, sennapod said:

I love *your* model, and I love that particular model - I also slaved over it, listening to Genesis, back in 1980 whilst doing my O-levels (which might partly explain why I was asked to ‘leave’ that particular school shortly after ( due to lack of academic achievement!). In fact the 312T3 and the Genesis song ‘Paperlate’ are forever tightly-bound in my memory. It is still now in my attic, in shoebox, in pieces...

Can’t fault your build whatsoever (even post kitchen-drop); did you de-chrome the front/rear wings? (and wheels?) - they seem a bit less shiny than the kit ones.  And, of course, it has to be in Gilles’ markings !

 

 

Hi There thank you so much.

The chrome parts were soaked in Mr. muscle oven cleaner then painted with AK Xtreme metals.

 

There must be something about Genesis and exams. 

I travelled down from Dingwall to Dundee the night before my English Higher to see them at the Caird Hall.

Wasn't a pretty picture the next day in the exam hall.

 

It had to be Gilles he could make a Prancing Horse dance better than anyone.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[Kitkent]

You're right about Gilles Villeneuve my hero,your model looks very good - and it's better with the chrome removed! I also saw Gilles in this car

at the Brands Hatch Race of Champions which I believe he won. Like an idiot I never took a camera that day. Chris.

[AliGauld]

16 minutes ago, Kitkent said:

You're right about Gilles Villeneuve my hero,your model looks very good - and it's better with the chrome removed! I also saw Gilles in this car

at the Brands Hatch Race of Champions which I believe he won. Like an idiot I never took a camera that day. Chris.

Thanks very much.

As for the camera yup been there.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[kapam]

Stunning! 

I find the F1's of this era much more visually appealing than those of today. 🤔

[AliGauld]

7 hours ago, kapam said:

Stunning! 

I find the F1's of this era much more visually appealing than those of today. 🤔

Hi There,

 

Many thanks for your kind comment.

 

The cars then certainly had an individuality about them that caught the interest.

 

Cheers,

Alistair