Ford Mustang Mach 1 1971 (Diamonds are Forever) and another Shelby GT350 H

[johnlambert]

Here are my kits for the group build.  My first choice was the Shelby because the kit was easy to find and I saw a lovely, full-size GT350 H last year.  Then the Diamonds are Forever Mustang came out and as a James Bond fan I had to add it to my collection.  Even though DaF isn't the best Bond film, the 1971 probably isn't the best Mustang and it appears in one of the worst attempts to disguise a continuity error ever committed to film.

 

 

Let's have a look at the red Mustang.

 

Lots of red plastic and lots of flash, I guess this is a re-issue of some old tooling.  You also get a variety of other parts so you could probably build a drag, race or street custom Mustang without too much difficulty (save maybe tyres).

 

Looks like a bit of a short-shot on the steering wheel but should be easy to fix.

 

I've started work so there will be more to show shortly.

[Pete in Lincs]

Interesting. The continuity error, is it when the car is up on two wheels?

Did I read somewhere that it is first seen on the left wheels and then on the right? Or vice versa?

Whichever, it will be good to watch the build.

 

[TonyW]

The '71 has been about a bit. I think Matchbox even had their logo on the box at one point. The kit is basic, but there's a Mustang in there.

 

The Hertz Shelby could probably have its own sub GB, it's a popular choice.

[Six97s]

3 minutes ago, TonyW said:

The '71 has been about a bit. I think Matchbox even had their logo on the box at one point. The kit is basic, but there's a Mustang in there.

 

The Hertz Shelby could probably have its own sub GB, it's a popular choice.

 

The Diamonds are Forever car is the old MPC kit, which was eventually turned into a '73 model, then in the '80s sort of backdated to a '71 for the Boss 351 reissue.  The DaF version has another, slightly better attempt at a '71 grille, but still has the larger '73 bumper and matching fenders.  Confusingly, they've issued it as an AMT kit this time - both AMT and MPC were acquired by ERTL,then changed hands a couple more times, with Lindberg (and hence IMC tooling) being picked up along the way, so AMT on the box doesn't necessarily mean it started as an AMT kit.

 

The Matchbox/AMT one was the old 1973 AMT annual, which later got updated (ruined) as a road racer and was reissued by Matchbox as the 'Macho Mustang' (see my post in the discussion thread).  It was last out as the Warren Tope car fairly recently, which might still be available new.

 

Both the AMT and MPC '71 - '73 kits have FE big block engines, which were last offered in 1970, so if I were building one I'd probably glue the bonnet shut.  🙂

[Six97s]

Sorry for the tangent - looking forward to seeing what you do with these!

[johnlambert]

53 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Interesting. The continuity error, is it when the car is up on two wheels?

Did I read somewhere that it is first seen on the left wheels and then on the right? Or vice versa?

Whichever, it will be good to watch the build.

 

That's the one.

 

18 minutes ago, Six97s said:

 

The Diamonds are Forever car is the old MPC kit, which was eventually turned into a '73 model, then in the '80s sort of backdated to a '71 for the Boss 351 reissue.  The DaF version has another, slightly better attempt at a '71 grille, but still has the larger '73 bumper and matching fenders.  Confusingly, they've issued it as an AMT kit this time - both AMT and MPC were acquired by ERTL,then changed hands a couple more times, with Lindberg (and hence IMC tooling) being picked up along the way, so AMT on the box doesn't necessarily mean it started as an AMT kit.

 

The Matchbox/AMT one was the old 1973 AMT annual, which later got updated (ruined) as a road racer and was reissued by Matchbox as the 'Macho Mustang' (see my post in the discussion thread).  It was last out as the Warren Tope car fairly recently, which might still be available new.

 

Both the AMT and MPC '71 - '73 kits have FE big block engines, which were last offered in 1970, so if I were building one I'd probably glue the bonnet shut.  🙂

Thanks for the info.  The kit comes with two different front bumper/valance parts, there is a smaller bumper and separate valance or a larger integrated bumper and valance; the former seems to match the box art, although the fit isn't great.

 

There are two engine blocks in the kit, I don't know if either is right for a 351, to be honest the  one that the instructions has you buid isn't great, so that permanently shut bonnet sounds like a good idea!

[johnlambert]

Let's have a look at where we are so far.

 

This is the front bumper, it looks about right I think.  Close enough, anyway.

 

The tail panel is glued in, I can't see a problem with final assembly if I fix these parts now and it makes painting much simpler.

 

This is a selection of engine parts, the ones on the left make up the block that the instructions tell you to build.

 

It took a lot of sanding and trimming to get the engine together with anything like neat assembly, and then there's a chromed sump to go into a bath of oven cleaner.  Might as well do the fan at the same time.

 

Step one in the instructions is to assemble the wheels and tyres.  While the oven cleaner was working it made sense to do this.  The front wheels attach to the frame with the red plastic pins, but these try to push back into the wheels so I added some styrene packing to help support them.

 

I decided to test fit the wheels to see how the car will sit.  It's not bad.

 

 

 

The kit gives you three possible ride heights, I think the wheels are fractionally too far forward but I don't fancy trying to drill new holes in the correct place.

 

I thought I'd test the lower ride height.

 

Compared to pictures of the Mustang in the film it's way too low, so I'll stick with the highest setting.

[Spiny]

Got to agree with you on the ride height, the higher setting is better. I can't help thinking that we've got so used to cars sitting fairly low now that it's easy to forget that back in the day cars did sit quite high up.

 

Also, I'm not sure I can cope with reference to "DaF" - I keep expecting to see a Variomatic make an appearance 😆

[dbostream]

12 hours ago, johnlambert said:

There are two engine blocks in the kit, I don't know if either is right for a 351, to be honest the  one that the instructions has you buid isn't great, so that permanently shut bonnet sounds like a good idea!

It's your decision but I think you should make it possible to view the engine. Even if it is not 100% accurate I am willing to bet most people won't know.

[johnlambert]

More progress to report.

 

One of the strange things about this kit is that the depiction of the pedals is for automatic transmission but the gearbox and lever are for a manual car.  Reference photos suggest that the cars (there were several, as you might expect) used for filming were automatics.

 

I'm not going too mad trying to change things but this finned part should do enough to replicate the underside of an automatic transmission.  I'm not sure what it was meant to be, but I think it's one of the spare parts for another version of this kit.

 

I've also chucked some primer (Tamiya aerosol) at various parts.  Because of the way the body tucks under I've started by spraying the underside.  As predicted the red is hard to cover, but the chassis will be black, so that should cover pretty well.

 

These ejector pin marks will need addressing as they'll be very visible beneath the Mustang's rear window.

[johnlambert]

Of course I've not forgotten the Shelby Mustang.

 

The part-assembled engine.  We had another case of "chrome sump" which I fixed and I've added styrene sheet to close off the oil pan.

 

I've also been over the body.  The moulded in Mustang and "289" badges are gone (let's see what happens when primer goes on).  I've also added a few pieces, lik e the side scoops.

 

The rear valance, but it doesn't look like the front valance will fit and still allow the body and floor to come together.

 

The fit isn't seamless or very sturdy, so some styrene sheet and filler has been added to make a stronger join.

 

It's hard to tell, but I've shaved off the moulded windscreen wipers, drilled holes for new wiper pivots/mountings and also opened out the door handles.

 

I think this kit will be the easier of the two to build, not withstanding the challenge of getting a decent finish in gloss black.

[Six97s]

It's 30-odd years ago, but I'm pretty sure you can fit both front and rear valances and still get the chassis in - tuck the rear in first and it should go.

[johnlambert]

I feel like I'm not making as much progress as I could, life has a habit of getting in the way of modelling.

 

We have two V8s coming along, the 1:25 version on the left, the 1:24 on the right.  The Cobra valve covers have some Halfords satin black sprayed straight on the chrome.  A piece of kitchen towel dampened with thinners was used to remove the paint from the raised surface.  I need to put some paint on the carburettors.

 

Mach 1 body in primer.

 

There's still a bit of cleaning up to do.  Primer is Tamiya Surface Primer from a spray can.

 

Shelby, also in primer.

 

The moulded in emblems seem to have disappeared without a trace.

 

There are still a few bits that need smoothing out.

 

Mustang Mach 1 floor has been given a coat of Halfords Matt Black, which seems to give more of a satin effect (which I wanted).

 

Mach 1 interior parts.  These are painted Ford Sunburst Red, which should provide a slight variation against the body that will be painted Tamiya Italian Red.  There are black panels on the seats (the shape of the seat base is all wrong, but shouldn't be visible when the car is finished), wood panels on the dashboard and door cards, plus more black detailing, so lots of bits to add.

 

I'm a bit worried that the Mach 1 is going to be one of those kits that fights all the way to the end.

[TonyW]

Real Deja Vu from me with that Hertz car, I'm on my third now! It's a nice kit.

 

It will slot together with both valances fitted, it's a snug fit up front, but it will go. Slide in the rear end and ease the sills over the frame. A slight push back and the front end drops into place.

 

The  Mach 1 looks like a challenge but the shape looks right to me. The last of the real Mustangs. The '74 was from another planet, in my totally unbiased opinion.

[johnlambert]

26 minutes ago, TonyW said:

Real Deja Vu from me with that Hertz car, I'm on my third now! It's a nice kit.

 

It will slot together with both valances fitted, it's a snug fit up front, but it will go. Slide in the rear end and ease the sills over the frame. A slight push back and the front end drops into place.

Yes, I've test fitted and it isn't nearly as tight as I feared, so the front valance was fitted before the first coat of primer went on.

26 minutes ago, TonyW said:

 

The  Mach 1 looks like a challenge but the shape looks right to me. The last of the real Mustangs. The '74 was from another planet, in my totally unbiased opinion.

Having seen some of the interpretations of the Mustang shape by the kit manufacturers I'm glad the Mach 1 is basically correct.  I've cleaned up far worse mouldings (Airfix, I'm looking at you). 

[mustang1989]

This is going to be way too cool to follow. Watching with great interest and love what you're doing so far.

 

I've gotta say though.....that Mach 1 kit is really showing its age with those adjustable ride height holes and the molded in red color. The last kit that I had molded in red was a mid 80's Revell F-100 kit. 

[johnlambert]

A lot of effort has been expended today, which doesn't seem to have manifested itself in visible results.  Still, progress is progress.

 

Shelby body, mostly sanding down seam lines and rough places.

 

I decided it would be easier to add the front suspension before painting the underside.  As I'm painting I decided to prime the interior tub too.  As you can see there's a gap where the transmission tunnel goes, Which means I've also had to prime the underside of the interior so that it can be painted.

 

Not painted but I've glued the tachometer pod to the top of the dashboard as I hope it reduces the risk of messing up the paint finish later.  The seats have been separated from the sprue to make them easier to spray.

 

A little colour on the steering wheel, it will eventually get a coat of clear orange to simulate the wood grain effect of the wheel rim.

 

There is more wood grain on the 1971 Mustang, so that's all masked up and sprayed.  I might try dry brushing a little dark brown to bring out the grain before adding the orange.  Or maybe not as I don't know how visible it will actually be.

 

I've also tackled the ejector pin marks on the rear parcel shelf and on the underside of the bonnet.

 

Other work includes more primer on various parts and I've stripped the chrome from some of the Shelby's engine parts including the alternator and air cleaner.  I wasn't happy that the air filter element looked chrome.

 

Tomorrow will probably involve more primer and maybe various shades of black paint.

[nearsightedjohn]

Nice job John on the removal of the windshield wipers you did on this Shelby. I just did the same on my A/FX build and boy-O-boy it was nerve racking! I used a wonderful set of pricy micro chisels that my wife gifted me for my birthday last year - what technique and tools did you use to remove your wiper blades?  The molded-in front window frame detail on my kit body incorporates a slight grove which I guess represents the border between the rubber seal and the stainless frame. Reproducing this subtle groove in the frame beneath the removed blade area is quite a challenge - I ended up sanding the remaining frame smooth with a single remaining frame border edge snd hope I can fake it with masking and paint later.

 

You’re doing a great job documenting this “duel build” and looks like you’re also doing a great job keeping the parts separated. I’m building two other auto kits simultaneous to my Ritchey A/FX, a ‘62 Dyno Don Bel Air and a ‘65 Plymouth AWB Golden Commando and I’ve already managed to mix up all the radiator hoses! This GB is fun!

[johnlambert]

Thanks John.

 

I used a fine scalpel to remove the wipers on my Shelby Mustang.  It's not the neatest job in the world but I hope that the presence of some 3D wipers will hide the worst bits.

 

As for keeping things apart, it's probably the only good thing about the 1971 Mustang being moulded in red; I know all the red parts belong to that kit and anything white is the Shelby.

[johnlambert]

A few more bits done.

 

A bit of clear yellow on the carburettors and the Shelby V8 has some fresh satin black on the rocker covers.

 

Steering wheels, patching the gap in the Mach 1's steering wheel and painting up the Shelby's wheel rim.

 

Shelby floor and interior painted Revell Aqua Colour "Anthracite".  I like the colour and the paint seems to go on really nicely.  The sides and parcel shelf on the interior are supposed to be satin black, so it doesn't matter about the paint coverage in those areas.

 

Mach 1 "wood" panels for the interior.  These had a coat of light beige sprayed on, then some clear orange.  That didn't look dark enough so I dry brushed some darker brown and I'll give it another coat of orange.

 

Still fighting mould lines on the Mach 1

 

Even the Shelby seems to throw up new seams with each coat of primer.  I swear the plastic regrows when paint is applied.

[HoolioPaulio]

Great work so far Mr Lambert, mould lines on car bodies are my nemesis 😐.  I've never tried wood effect before, no idea you could do it with clear orange over light brown.  Might have to give it a whirl for my steering wheel, but will test on some sprue pieces first.  Is there anything special to the process?  I'm assuming the clear orange needs to go on streaky to give the grain effect...

[Fnick]

If I may... Tutorial on wood grain effect

 

https://youtu.be/sUhWzsPRC-8

 

Nick

[nearsightedjohn]

Wood technique I learned from others for doing WWI aircraft props is really simple and forgiving.  First airbrush Tamiya XF-57 "buff" as a base.  Once dry, apply a light coating of dark brown oil paint (burnt umber or burnt Sienna) thinned with mineral spirits or turpentine using a brush.  After 15 - 30 min take a stiff/ course brush and create wavy wood grain like streaks in the oil paint layer that will expose the base buff color and start to appear like wood grain.  Let the oil paint fully cure for 2 - 3 days, then airbrush thinned coats of Tamiya clear yellow (X-24) or clear orange (X-26) or a mix of both to give the wood a varnished look.  It's super easy to do and using oil paint is key IMO to getting a realistic wood grain look.

Edited July 30, 2021 by nearsightedjohn
changed "paint thinner" to "mineral spirits"

[johnlambert]

Sadly, once again, there isn't a massive amount to show; but it's starting to feel like progress.

 

Interior parts for the 1971 Mustang.

 

The back seat needs some cleaning and there's a bit of detail to pick out but it's getting there..

 

Front seats and dashboard are also coming along.

 

First coats of paint on the body.

[mustang1989]

Looking good so far John.