Flying Badger Posted September 14, 2022 Share Posted September 14, 2022 (edited) The Lotus 79 is on hold for a bit whilst I overcome some minor issues and await some paint that is on back order.... In the meantime I have one of these: (* not my photo - it's from Orso's build on here last year as I didn't have a box art shot) The Ebbro kit is a collaboration with Tamiya and is essentially a transkit for the Tamiya Lotus 25 which I built recently (see that build's Work in progress thread and Ready for Inspection thread). The A, E and F sprues are Ebbro's new ones replacing the Tamiya equivalents but keeping the common parts on B,C and D sprues of the Tamiya Lotus 25 kit as well as some photo etch and metal parts. One thing I noticed straight away is that this has more flash than the original Tamiya 25.... I think partly because the Lotus 25 kit I built up was an old one so produced from relatively new mould tooling - by the time this Ebbro / Tamiya kit was launched those toolings had a fair bit of mileage on them hence the flash. It's not bad by any means, just not as crisp as a new kit. Having the Lotus 25 build still fairly fresh in my mind I decided I could build this one up as a fairly quick build whilst I await paint etc for the Lotus 79 build. I started with the base piece for the Monocoque: From the previous build I found these lower suspension arms a real pain in the proverbial as they are supposed to be chrome / metallic whilst all around them are the British Racing Green of the sides of the tub. So I took a very fine razor saw and chopped them off: I'll probably have to carefully drill them as well as the mounting point on the tub to take a fine brass pin to give them strength, but at least they'll be out the way now! Then attached the main internal piece for the monocoque: Then started to attach the sides: Last time I found out to my annoyance that this stage adds some distortion to the rear end which makes the fit of the upper engine cover slightly out and fiddly. To stop that, this time I glued it only along the bottom straight edge first. When it was dry I then glued it along the long straight edge at the top, before working on the rear engine compartment edges (with the rear frame attached to keep everything in alignment). Next some minor gap filling and sanding before a coat of primer. (Pics to follow) I also started to assemble the main parts of the engine and gearbox: There then commenced a monster session removing all the other parts from their sprues, cleaning up the injection pins marks and parting lines etc. before priming them all ready for paint. More to follow soon! Flying badger. Edited September 14, 2022 by Flying Badger 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SprueMan Posted September 14, 2022 Share Posted September 14, 2022 Cool! Just a note; some other modellers have discovered the rear end of the monocoque will never fit right. I would suggest a lot of dry fitting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted September 14, 2022 Author Share Posted September 14, 2022 Yes thats my take too.... the distortion of the monocoque from the attachment of the sides is definitely a contributory factor to those fit issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted September 15, 2022 Author Share Posted September 15, 2022 Lots of parts painting: Some of these still need additional colours adding (e.g. the wheels need the outer chrome and the brake discs need the calipers painting gold) Monocoque now has it's British Racing Green paint (Tamiya TS-43). I now need to spend a while doing some masking to paint the internal grey colour and the polished alu of the radiator pipes underneath... The fit of the main fuselage cover and the rear engine cowl is not too bad. and the other side: One issue is the short plastic locating pins on the main fuselage cover were badly formed in the mould and only one of them remains.... I need to add some replacements from brass rod to make sure the cover properly locates into it's holes. Then I need to spray the underside of the fuselage cover and the engine cowl (alu I guess) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klubman01 Posted September 15, 2022 Share Posted September 15, 2022 2 hours ago, Flying Badger said: Lots of parts painting: Some of these still need additional colours adding (e.g. the wheels need the outer chrome and the brake discs need the calipers painting gold) Monocoque now has it's British Racing Green paint (Tamiya TS-43). I now need to spend a while doing some masking to paint the internal grey colour and the polished alu of the radiator pipes underneath... The fit of the main fuselage cover and the rear engine cowl is not too bad. and the other side: One issue is the short plastic locating pins on the main fuselage cover were badly formed in the mould and only one of them remains.... I need to add some replacements from brass rod to make sure the cover properly locates into it's holes. Then I need to spray the underside of the fuselage cover and the engine cowl (alu I guess) The top bodywork and engine cover were moulded in GRP, so I think a dull matt green finish would be appropriate. I came across this picture showing the body work lifted clear of the chassis and I think the inside (the area visible just below the end of the yellow stripe) looks dark green. Hope this helps. Trevor 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted September 15, 2022 Author Share Posted September 15, 2022 That makes more sense... those complex curves are doable in alu but not easy... GRP would be much easier and 1965 is about perfect for their use as the latest material. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nearsightedjohn Posted September 15, 2022 Share Posted September 15, 2022 (edited) Looking good so far Badger! I wouldn’t sweat the missing locating boss on the upper fuselage cover. When I built this kit, I ended up replacing those molded-in bosses with longer brass pins in order to provide adequate engagement and press-fit retention with the mating holes. Getting the front “fuselage” cover and engine cover to fully seat onto the main lower body required a lot of debugging. Two other problems I encountered were with the exhausts/ extensions and the windscreen: Per the instructions, I prebonded the exhaust headers to the engine before assembling the turned aluminum exhaust extensions (which pass through the looped support member). Unless the exhausts headers are positioned PERFECTLY into the block and the block aligned and centered PERFECTLY within the chassis, these aluminum exhaust extensions will veer off at unslightly angles. If possible, I recommend bonding the headers and extensions at the very end after aligning everything relative to the engine/ chassis assembly. On the windscreen, I applied a very small amount of Testor’s clear part cement to the groove on the upper body (“fuselage “) cover to secure the windscreen in place. When I installed the windscreen, the adhesive wicked up between the very narrow space between the cover and screen creating an unsightly bond joint. I recommend either applying cement only at the rear of the windscreen or don’t bond it at all. Sorry for this long-winded response but I always appreciate suggestions/ warnings from other builders on here that help me avoid miss-steps. The RFI posting on my build can be seen here. Despite these issues, this is a very nice kit, particularly the turned aluminum velocity stacks and exhaust extensions. Wish Ebbro or MFH would offer these 1/20 parts as aftermarket. Edited September 15, 2022 by nearsightedjohn Missing words 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orso Posted September 15, 2022 Share Posted September 15, 2022 I think it is unpainted glass fiber. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted September 16, 2022 Author Share Posted September 16, 2022 14 hours ago, nearsightedjohn said: Two other problems I encountered were with the exhausts/ extensions and the windscreen: Per the instructions, I prebonded the exhaust headers to the engine before assembling the turned aluminum exhaust extensions (which pass through the looped support member). Unless the exhausts headers are positioned PERFECTLY into the block and the block aligned and centered PERFECTLY within the chassis, these aluminum exhaust extensions will veer off at unslightly angles. If possible, I recommend bonding the headers and extensions at the very end after aligning everything relative to the engine/ chassis assembly. On the windscreen, I applied a very small amount of Testor’s clear part cement to the groove on the upper body (“fuselage “) cover to secure the windscreen in place. When I installed the windscreen, the adhesive wicked up between the very narrow space between the cover and screen creating an unsightly bond joint. I recommend either applying cement only at the rear of the windscreen or don’t bond it at all. Thanks for the heads-up. by happenstance I had left the exhausts off the engine subassembly. I tend to leave off thin sticky-out bits on the basis I would otherwise only have to re-glue them back on anyway after I knock something off and potentially end up feeding the carpet monster those small parts in the process. Leaving them off to the end avoids that, and now I also know that it has the happy accident of solving squiffy looking alignment! 😃 The windscreen on the Lotus 25 I built had a similar problem. I tend to Klear any "canopy" parts first anyway so cleaning up the first attempt wasn't too traumatic as once removed from the car warm water soak and then a re-Klear resets it back for another go. But even the tiniest amount of clear part glue stood out a bit. Thanks for the suggestions - I'll give the only at the rear method a go when I get to that stage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted September 26, 2022 Author Share Posted September 26, 2022 Final painting is done! Clear lacquer on the external paint surfaces. All the other painted parts. Still got some small decals to add to the dials and the steering wheel. There's also a couple of small PE parts to add. One of the really nice upgrades of the Ebbro kit over the Tamiya one are the rear shocks: Real springs to add into the shock body. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redstaff Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 Looking very nice I have one of these to have a go at sometime in the future, the green looks great Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted September 26, 2022 Author Share Posted September 26, 2022 (edited) Thanks. The green is tamiya TS-43 spray can decanted and sprayed with an airbrush (thinner layers and more control). The instructions say TS-9 (I think) but the Tamiya 25 kit this is based on said TS-43 and I think it's a better match for Lotus' 1960s British Racing Green than TS-9 (not that there is much in it) Also be aware the Ebbro instructons suggest XF-20 as the internal colour but it's way off (more creamy-beige than grey). I used XF-53 instead which with a coat of clear gloss lacquer is a much better match for the grey on the real thing. I'm trying out my new jar of Zero Paints clear Gloss lacquer. It says beware putting it over water based paints like acryllics but so far the Tamiya acrylics seem ok. Also the Alclad is playing nicely with it too.... just got to not swamp the surface too much. Edited September 30, 2022 by Flying Badger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted September 30, 2022 Author Share Posted September 30, 2022 (edited) Got the decals on at this stage so I can clearcoat over the top before there are fiddly bits (engine, suspension etc) in the way. Still got to add the clearcoat but I'm giving the decals a day to dry out fully first. Then there will be lots of polishing to get the clearcoat smooth and shiny. Also got the windscreen dipped in Klear (it's only dry fitted here for the moment). Internal decals are minimal: The camera lets you zoom in enough to see what is hard to see with the mk1 eyeball... got the right most gauge a bit skew-if 😳 fortunately it will be hard to see inside and is tiny so hopefully it's not an issue. Edited September 30, 2022 by Flying Badger 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SprueMan Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 Looks GOOOOOOD! I would not worry too much about the color. In those days color was not as accurate as it is now, and paint fades with time as well, so the exact color is more of an illusian than a reality (IMHO) Its more important to be happy with what you are building, and I think you should be happy with that lovely little car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted September 30, 2022 Author Share Posted September 30, 2022 Very true... added to which colour accuracy of photographic prints of that age is not perfect either let alone the errors added by then scanning the prints or negatives to digital versions and displaying them on a screen (even colour calibrated one). The total errors mean colours are all relative anyway. To be honest the difference between TS-43 and TS-9 is very very small when you compare the two. TS-9 is a smidgen darker but thats about it. Other than finding a Lotus 33 in original paint (unlikely) that I could colour match against (and as you say paint fades over time) I'm entirely happy with the colour I have achieved. The internal colour is close enough to good photos of the original car in 1965 to satisfy me and my choice of grey is certainly closer than the suggested XF-20. I also added some more brown to the red/brown mix for the leather anyway as the suggested 5:1 ratio was a bit too red for my liking and didn't seem to match the leather colour in the pictures - especially for a car after it had done most of a season with Jim Clarke sitting in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted October 3, 2022 Author Share Posted October 3, 2022 (edited) Note to self.... Zero Paint's clear topcoat lacquer is only decal friendly when sprayed on.... brushing it over decals on small parts is NOT a good idea..... And on a totally unrelated note.... does anyone know where I can get a lotus badge decal small enough for the centre of the steering wheel? 🙄 Edited October 3, 2022 by Flying Badger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SprueMan Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 3 hours ago, Flying Badger said: Note to self.... Zero Paint's clear topcoat lacquer is only decal friendly when sprayed on.... brushing it over decals on small parts is NOT a good idea..... And on a totally unrelated note.... does anyone know where I can get a lotus badge decal small enough for the centre of the steering wheel? 🙄 Oh shoot! Yes, you will have to buy a full set, but it can be gotten from here: https://www.indycals.net/decals/f1.html (Scroll down to you see Lotus 25) I have used these decals myself and they are decent. Shipping is relatively fast too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted October 3, 2022 Author Share Posted October 3, 2022 SprueMan, Indecals are great. I have a selection for the other kits on the list including a set for the Williams FW11B I'm building from a rescued FW11 kit (modified with some 3D printing). I had a look but I have also found these on ebay this evening: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274706290668 From some measuring with my sliding calipers on the part and on screen the smallest decals seem to be 2mm which is spot on for the steering wheel centre badge. I'm buying some others of their decals I need anyway (Williams FW07 replacements) so saving on the postage otherwise it would be another indecals order We'll see what they are like I guess - if they are rubbish I can always leave the steering wheel off until my next Indecals order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SprueMan Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 Ah, so you are well set Well, you can glue the steering wheel in, I think it should be possible to apply the decal afterwards with a brush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc2 Posted October 6, 2022 Share Posted October 6, 2022 On 10/3/2022 at 9:46 PM, Flying Badger said: I had a look but I have also found these on ebay this evening: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274706290668 I'm buying some others of their decals I need anyway (Williams FW07 replacements) so saving on the postage otherwise it would be another indecals order I would be very interested in your feedback of the decals from this supplier, I have been considering a sheet of their FW07 decals as I too have one in need of 'rescue'! Malc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted October 6, 2022 Author Share Posted October 6, 2022 Hi Malc, OK will let you know what they are like once they arrive. So far... they don't offer combined postage on their listings you have to send a message and ask - but they replied very quickly and positively saying to either buy the items and they will refund the combined postage difference (seems a sensible approach). One thing to note is that the decals that are displayed on the listing seem to be identical to the kit ones and that means that they have the 1979 and 1980 early season version of sponsors logo... the main one being the Dalah-Avco decals with/wihtout the same in Arabic in 1980: The English/Arabic combined one was used at: Round 1: Argentina Round 2: Brazil Round 3: South Africa Round 4: United States West (Long Beach) Round 5: Belgium The English only version was used at: Round 6: Monaco Round 7 that never was because of Balestra being an enormous cockwomble: Spain Round 8 7: France Round 9 8: Great Britain Round 10 9: West Germany Round 11 10: Austria Round 12 11: The Netherlands Round 13 12: Italy Round 14 13: Canada Round 15 14: United States East (Watkins Glen) I'm doing my FW07 as raced at the 1980 Canadian GP and there are also additional Canadair / Challenger decals needed specifically for Canada - not really a surprise as Frank Williams was a sponsorship selling genius back then so local sponsors for local races was entirely normal at many races for Williams Racing. The TAG logo is there but it has the extra "Techniques D'Avant Garde" text under it and not the "Challenger" text (easy enough to cut off and replace) so I'll need to get a set of those made along with the different version of Dallah/AVCO and Canadair decals for mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc2 Posted October 6, 2022 Share Posted October 6, 2022 (edited) Brilliant, thanks for the comprehensive reply! I have not decided which race to model yet, so will have to tackle that when I get to it. Malc. Edited October 7, 2022 by Malc2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted October 7, 2022 Author Share Posted October 7, 2022 The decals have driver name decals for Jones (1979 & 80) Regazzoni (79) and Reutemann (80) so I'd guess the kit was designed to be represent either late '79 or early '80. I expect it won't depict minor changes to systems, engine etc over the winter. The blurb on the kit says at one point "In 1980....so far has won the Argentine Grand Prix and the Monaco Grand Prix" which makes me think it was released just after Monaco as Jones won the next race in France as well - which makes the decal coverage make sense. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Badger Posted October 20, 2022 Author Share Posted October 20, 2022 Still waiting for the replacement decals for the steering wheel (mostly due to the postal strike). Other than a few very minor bits to do it's mostly finished: The desk lamp shows up the dust a bit - I should have given it a blow with a dry airbrush before taking the photos. The metal turned inlet trumpets from Ebbro look good. Here it is alongside my earlier Lotus mk. 25 Look out for a Ready For Inspection thread coming to a forum near you soon! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted October 20, 2022 Share Posted October 20, 2022 Nicely built. Two really nice Lotuses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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