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Tamiya Subaru Impreza WRC 2002


galaxyg

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Much to my surprise the other week I realized that despite having completed some 97 car model kits, I'd never done a rally car. I'd certainly bought some, but that's only almost the same thing. 😀

 

In addition to wanting to tackle some proper legends as a general theme of 2021, I wanted to address this lack-of-rally-car so it was either my stash's Impreza, or it's Stratos, it's two Celicas or the Corolla.  The Impreza won, partly because I hate fiddling around with seatbelts and this kit includes driver and co-driver. Partly because if I think of rally cars, the Impreza comes first to mind. If you're reading this and going to comment anyway - I'd be interested to know what top 6 rally cars come quickly to your mind? Mine would be Impreza-Stratos-Delta-Celica-Lancer-Quattro. Sega Rally and Colin McRae rally have a lot to do with that order. And partly I've picked this kit as it's the 4th oldest kit in my stash.

 

Anyway on with the kit and the WIP. As some on the forum that looked at my completed Civic Gr.A last December asked me to do a WIP for a future build(s) - here we are. Thanks for asking, and hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you're following.

 

I bought this back in 2013 when it was an easy thing to find in a shop. 8 years later, it gets it's moment in the sun.

 

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There are plenty of detailed parts and there's nothing so good as starting out on a Tamiya kit.

 

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The money parts - the body and wheels. Both perfect.

 

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And here's the driver and co-driver. Ignoring the instructions entirely for a change, I'm going to begin my build here with these two chaps. Below the arms are glued on with superglue as the body and arms are made from this weird rubbery plastic. The heads are attached with blu-tack for now as they'll be coming back off later.

 

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I've test assembled the interior of the car so I can get the driver's arm positioned glued right for the steering wheel.

 

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As the heads and body are quite a different colour and finish, the driver and co-driver are Ned Stark at this point.

 

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The bodies are painted with Tamiya TS-93. Although they'll be matt later, it's quite convenient they are shiny now as to take decals. The driver's face is masked off with blu-tack as I don't need it blue like his helmet - easier to overcoat white with flesh. It's at this point I have to make a choice as to who the crew are. I choose Petter Solberg and Phil Mills.  Partly as their helmets are more distinct/interesting, partly because the idea of Makinen in a Subaru just seems to belong to the upside-down and partly as Solberg won the WRC in a Subaru, although not in 2002.

 

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It seems I have 4 bottles of flesh in the paint box, Heaven knows why, I rarely paint figures. My default would be Humbrol but it's changed into something darker and gooier and headed for the bin,  so I next tried water based Mr Hobby which covered the co-drivers hands in one coat. A shiny coat but nonetheless, coverage.  They'll go matt along with the rest later.

 

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Further painting and decalling..

 

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So at his point I find a photo of Petter on the Internet and notice the extra A* decals on his knees. The kit doesn't have these, but the Tamiya Rally mechanics decals I have left over from something else does. So on they go.

 

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I might as well do the seats next. undercoat and Tamiya Semi Gloss Black over the top.

 

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And then at last the crew's bodies get their coat of Mr Hobby Flat Matt, and look a whole lot more realistic. The helmets have also had their base colours, more to come for them yet before they're reunited with the bodies. I've not added the seat belt decals as I will be using some seat belt fabric to strap these guys into their seats and rollcage properly, and the decals will go on after the fabric is fitted.

 

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15 minutes ago, Windy37 said:

I can't seem to open the photos on your thread . Top 6 rally cars ; Escort mk2 , quattro , Imprezza , 6R4 , 205T16 , Lancer . 

 Gary . 

Hmmm. For whatever reason the photos don't seem to work in the Google Chrome browser or Microsoft Edge right at this moment. They worked fine when I posted them and my own site is not down, which is where they are hosted.  Firefox is still OK, and I use Opera and they work fine there too. I've made a link to one of the images here:-

 

<a href="http://www.mfhughes.com/kits/tamiya-subaru-impreza-wrc-2002/tsiwrc_wip_016.jpg">Final image of the 16 is here </a>

 

Edited by galaxyg
update on where and when linked images did work.
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Following this one, the Impreza is one of my all time favourite cars, and to date the greatest car I ever owned even though mine wasn't even a turbo version.  My favourite version being the 2005 Hawkeye (I finally have one in the stash which took me quite a while to source and is the only version that seems to be impossible to find), followed by the Mk1 facelift which is the one I had.  But I would own and drive any Impreza if I'm ever in the position to get another one.

 

You've made a cracking start on the figures, more racing kits should come with them.  Very crisp detail so far.  Can't wait to see this one coming together.

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I have a load of blue seatbelt fabric left over from the PIAA Civic Gr.A build, and in blue too..

 

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Finally the drivers are reunited with their heads, and the Sabelt decals too. Since these are onto fabric, I'm hoping they stay stuck down with the thinned-PVA I used as a decal setter underneath. The helmet decals are a bit of a pain to get around a sphere.

 

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Fire protection and heat protection...

 

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Starting the underside of the car with some blue.

 

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Starting the parts.

 

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And the body primed.

 

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Further work on the underside

 

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Detailing the brakes, calipers and suspension.

 

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Further additions to the underside, almost completing it. Not sure why the exhaust is white, but that what Tamiya says. Wonder what the real one is made from?

 

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The only thing left now are the protection plates, which are moulded in transparent. I guess so you can show off all the hard work painting and detailing. However, my car is going to be at least a bit dirty so I tried these for positioning, and the next steps will be to get them sprayed, black at the back and silver at the front.

 

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At this point I've only been working in it a week, so it's coming along well. Underside done, driver and co-driver and some of the interior done.

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2 hours ago, galaxyg said:

Thanks for the exhaust info.

 

There comes a time in every build when you can do this:-

 

 

I just wish on my builds it would still fit together so easily at the end of the build...

 

Car is looking great, especially for being only a week into it.

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Gathering more coats of blue paint, although annoyingly (2nd image), a hair. Probably a cat hair, they're in everything I own. A bit of sanding and repainting will do the job.

 

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You’ve done a good job . I’ve built numerous rally Imprezas  and always find the side decals a pain to get right . I wish the door handles were separate parts as they don’t help with the decal fitment . 
Gary . 

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The rear lights are a bit fiddly and could really use some moulded lenses rather than the chrome stickers.

 

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Lights and radiators done round the front.

 

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As I had the small studio set up for the Nissan Silvia S12 completed photos, I took a studio shot of an uncomplete Impreza.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
13 minutes ago, Scottey_b said:

 I love the attention to detail in this build did you do the pannel lining after clearcoating the body?

Thanks. Yes I did. I've got two methods and they're both used on the same build (and many others). After I've clearcoated and polished a body I've inevitably got polish in some of the panel lines, which is always a pain to remove even with a cocktail stick, and something I dare not scribe out at this point. For those panel lines *without* polish stuck in them (or over the top of decals), I use a 0.05 permanent black fineliner, and for those *with* polish, I run black India ink into them, dying the dried polish and the end result looks the same as the fineliner parts. It's not especially clear on the photos but the two lines down either side of the bonnet are dyed polish and they look really perfect.

Edited by galaxyg
Typo corrected
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