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1/12 scale Ford Escort RS1600


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So, what is supposed to be an easy straight forward build as an interlude to something much more complex...

Came across these on t'interweb (https://mezzo-mix-models.jimdo.com/) and felt I wanted one, after some easy communication with Christian I purchased this Ford Escort and a 1/12 scale Porsche K3 (which will be done as Bob Aknis Coca Cola livery)

The Escort is a resin model, comes in a few pieces with an internal tub much like most 1/25 scale model cars. I wanted to do the Fast and Furious 6 sample as below....spacer.png

 

Christian can provide a race or rally version so I chose the race...should have picked the rally but I'm sure this will work in the end. The resin parts are nicely detailed and the axles carry really fine details and shocks. The engine block is a BDA engine and well represented. You also get left and right hand drive dashboards. The wheels that came with my version were race slicks but I had some Minilites in my parts box so will see if I can get away with putting them on...my mistake when ordering.

 

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The roll cage is provided in a single piece, along with door handles, very delicate windscreen wipers, and various ancillaries. 

 

Work started with bodyshell, this requires a fair bit of work and there is a very obvious join down the doors and roof. Some filling primer, general sanding as per normal body prep and it comes together very quickly. Resin is a very easy material to work so be careful not to remove too much. And use a respirator mask when sanding as it is not good to breath in...please.

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Some filling and sanding was followed by scribing the doors and other panel joints. These varied in depth originally so I think this will improve end result very well. Not my favourite job as I am very bad at it...

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Some bonnet catches were added as per real vehicles, these are from DAB models and look real sharp. So this was then primed in Mr Surfacer 1000 white, followed by Zero Paints Pure Brilliant White. In my head I had a simple mask the white, blast on the Blue and stripes are done...silly me...

Base coats went down lovely, followed by much masking and stress/annoyance around the wheel arches. Colour matched paint from Zero Paints was Fast and Furious 6, Ford Escort MK1 Blue. These are my favourite paints and my go to. 

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As you can see, Blue bled through everywhere...I should also mention, bonnet is held on by four NeodymiumMagnets, boot is held on with two...so they just lift on and off. Some more supplies were also ordered form Spotmodel,  in particular some spotlights, rear boot latches and fire extinguisher decals. 

 

This has been set aside while I calm down and gather my self so I set to work on the interior and engine bay but I forgot to take many pics so this might get a bit 'wordy'

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Engine block comes in a single piece with seperate carbs. The ?cambelt has teeth moulded and looks fab. Fuel line that goes across engine, not so much...painted in a variety of alclads to get some modulation in the engine and it looks real smart at present. Plug leads were added. No wires or piping is supplied so you will have to source all your engine lines and wiring yourself. Decal placed on oil filter, some details picked out and it looks sweet...

 

 

Interior was sprayed base Blue, door cards done in Tamiya LP Semi Gloss Black, floor sections in LP Flat Black. Door handles, window winders (remember those?) Detailing on dashboard done with various switches etc, heater controls painted and spare dial decals located and used for instruments. These were then glazed with Kristal Clear. Extinguisher treated to some PE straps, gear lever given some white accents and seat belts made up and located. Seat sprayed in Tamiya Semi Gloss Black, with centre pads and steering wheel done in Zero Paints textured Charcoal paint. 

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The handbrake is in place now as well! you can see the resin printing lines clearly on the black dashboard but these are not as prominernt on the real piece. 

Work now continues on sorting the bodyshell as I want to get that to 2K. some work has been done on boot and in the engine bay with cables, wiring and other bits...so will update soon...

Edited by Peter Milgate
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6 hours ago, Peter Milgate said:

window winders (remember those?)

 

Still got them in the back of our 2014 Focus...!! 🤣

 

Nice interior, good start to the build - Christian has done amazing work developing those kits.

 

Keith

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Some more work on the interior has been done. Seat belts added using old PE sets form spares box and some nice blue ribbon. Not followed any reference pics, just did what I felt looked okay. They aren't a good fit for the type of seat provided but they will do me...

 

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The seat belt shoulder straps are fixed to the roll cage cross bars. Once the roll cage was fitted and belts sorted, that was the interior done.

 

 

On to the axles, starting with some paint work to calipers (Tamiya LP Pure Blue) and some rubber work on steering gaiters? etc.

Detail work continued with some Brembo decals. I couldn't find any curved versions that fit so just used what I had available from my decal stash.

On the rear axle I have added some brake lines, again just to add some busy to the axle...Front brake lines will be added when the axle is fitted to chassis due to the way they are routed.

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I have dabbled with the engine, moving that forward with some wiring, detail painting and decals. It's looking pretty smart and I'm happy with it.

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Exhaust headers added...hope it fits into engine bay with those already on???

 

All this work is just avoidance so I didn't have to face the body again. No distractions or excuses left now so back fiddling with my bloody poor paintwork. I have attempted to touch this up by brush using the blue and white. I have then figured I have to sort some details before the 2k goes on. So I have done shadow highlights around the logos (bonnet and boot) in black and highlighted the lettering with Tamiya LP Sparkling Silver. Touched in the keyholes and put on the door handles...and added the petrol cap...which I hadn't forgotten at all!!!

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Some work done in the engine bay, adding the washer bottle and clear hoses, along with the hydraulic cylinders. Getting there...I have done some more seperate wiring looms but they won't be fitted until the engine is fitted in situ...

 

While I am not 100% happy with my body, I am satisfied that from normal viewing distance it looks fine, so tommorrow it will get 2k'd so the build can progress...

 

 

 

Edited by Peter Milgate
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That's pretty impressive work.  The seat belts look just right (often they turn out overscale), the engine bay detailing and engine wiring are first class.  Good save with the bodyshell too!  Excellent all round, I await further developments with interest. 

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That looks great, engine is wicked!

 

Wouldn't worry about the seatbelts, seats of that style with separate head restraints were often used back in the day and that's the way the shoulder straps would sit.

 

Good looking Escort! 

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I have managed to move to 2K today.

Spray booth was cleaned out and relined, given a light mist of water in an attempt to reduce dust etc and the anxiety provoking 2K commenced. I mounted the body, bonnet and boot lids last night so I could focus on what I wanted to achieve...as you can see, it only just fits in my spraybooth and care must be taken when turning and moving it...

 

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and two light coats before a wet coat and ta da!!!....Zero Paints Diamond Finish Two Pack...always a good result but be careful to build it up as it can be hot when layed too down to quickly. 

 

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So these are while 2K is continuing to settle and self level, but you get the idea. Some dust on roof and body nothing horrendous...favourite part of this build...the door handles, they just look great to me!!!

 

So I will need to wait for 2K to cure for a few days but got the spotlights built and sprayed in Tamiya LP Semi Gloss, lenses done in Zero Paints Chrome, which isn't great but will do behind the clear resin lenses...

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These will be mounted once body cures, as well as main assemblies. The interior tub is complete, engine is 90% complete and the finishing touches will be done once fitted. This will need rear light lenses painted with Tamiya clears and fitted, front headlights and grills fitted, boot mounted fuel tank and battery fitted with some additional boot wiring to link rear lights. And then the windows...currently working on a 1/12 scale tax disc!!!

 

While waiting for body to cure, I shall bob over to my Tamiya !/12 scale Williams FW14B and get the decals on the chassis for that...

Catch you all in a few days...

Edited by Peter Milgate
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Drop dead gorgeous 'shell.  It's really turned out well.  I feel your pain re. the spraybooth, mine's identical to that and I struggle with 1:16 scale bodyshells - I can imagine how much fun it wasn't wrangling that shell around in it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Escort is moving along nicely...Spotlights are painted and assembled along with producing a couple of registration plates (formerly known as number plates!)

 

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Registration plates are just scans of some 1/24 scale decals printed at 200% and glued onto plastic card. They're not the car version plates but will look the right style...

 

Moved onto boot fittings and work was completed in there, wiring fitted for rear lights, battry completed and bracket made to secure it from plastic card and plastic rod. Oil tank fitted and given some braided lines along with fuel tank setup. Oil and fuel tank painted in gloss base and then Alclad metals. 

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Striations on fuel tank are really accentuated in this photo, while they are present and represent my poor preperation work, they are nowhere near as prominent as they look. 

With the boot interior fitted, I then changed ends to the engine bay. Front axle and engine has been fitted and work started on fitting some electrical cabling, oil and control lines along with the last few enging components. The engin bay was finished off with some warning decals and a little vin plate...

 

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So that's the egine bay completed, best had look at the front grill and lights. Front grill comprises two parts, the rear black section and a seperate border piece (in Chrome) Headlights were painted in Chrome and clear resin light lenses were fitted. Looked smart up until the point I dropped it and squashed it into a thousand pieces with my automatic leg squash...bugger...

 

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So, this may delay things a little...no way to rebuild from the shattered parts but Christian is sending me a replacement set of grills and lenses...took ages to sand those light lenses as well!!!

In the mean time, I have made templates for the side windows and cut them out ready to be fitted. The rear light lenses have been painted with Tamiya Clear Red and Orange, with borders done in chrome. 

So, interior is next step, getting the tub fitted in after side windows. Front windscreen ahs had a Black Rubber surround masked and sprayed on, just need to do same for rear screen. Doors appear to have semi-gloss black bars as well so these can be painted next...until then...

 

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Beautifully finished and detailed boot space and engine bay.  My sympathies regarding the grille, it's an awful feeling when a part goes irretrievably Tango Uniform, but glad you've been able to obtain a spare.

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25 minutes ago, Neddy said:

it's an awful feeling when a part goes irretrievably Tango Uniform,

 

Indeed, just like the windscreen of the Tamiya Escort Cosworth I've been working on for the last couple of years that I managed to destroy this week :(

 

Keith

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Just now, Neddy said:

Ouch!  I really do feel your pain.  As it's Tamiya, would there be  chance of getting a spare?

 

Thanks. Wouldn't think so, it's been oop for years. I should be able to make a replacement from acetate, not the first time I've done it.... :doh:

 

Keith

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4 hours ago, Roggan said:

That is a beautiful engine. It would look good in my scratchbuilt Caterham chassis.

I'm sure if you messaged Christian at Mezzo Models he would provide you the engine parts.

mezzo-mix-models.jimdo.com/kontakt-contact

 

The engine is fairly basic but looks good enough with a few additional wires and pipes!!

 

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Another quick update on the Blue Ford Escort...

Gearbox has now been mated to the engine block and exhaust headers bolted onto the engine block...

 

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Of note is the "melting" area around the front left anti roll bar. This appears to be unset resin and keeps leaking and running. I'm unsure of how to stop this but nothing appears to be stopping it at present. It is very tacky and sticky, causing all sotrts of mess when the body is handled...there are three little spots but this one at the front is by far the worst. 

The rubber window shuts and surrounds have been masked and carefully painted to the side doors and the glazing fitted to the inside of the shell. 

 

Glazing is clear styrene sheet, glued in place with B-7000 multi purpose glue. This is new to me but comes in a massive tube, dries clear but with some give once set.It grabs quickly. Side windows were done and interior tub glued into place using normal CA glue. 

I did consider cutting the drivers window as half wound down but following discussion on ISM, I was easily convinced to seal the shell up to dust proof it as best as possible...

 

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Rear axle is ready to fit, just waiting on glues to set. Front screen has rear view mirror and tax disc fitted...ready to go. 

The prop shaft is rather bannana shaped and will require some heat to straighten out...work progresses...

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Shame about the uncured resin, maybe Christian would have an idea on how to cure it? I don't know whether the parts are 3D printed UV resin - if so maybe one of the UV pens off ebay might work?

 

Otherwise it's all looking really neat!

 

Keith

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Annual leave is great as it gives you the opportunity to crack on with the important stuff...glazing!!

 

So front and rear screens trimmed to fit. These are vacformed structures so have a bit of curvature to them. I've never fitted these sorts of windows before so be gentle with me. They fit into a recess moulded in the bodyshell. They were glued in place with B-7000 as were the side windows and taped down to secure while they set up. 

Front screen was fitted with the rear view mirror and had its tax disc fitted before being carefully lowered into place.

 

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The fit isn't perfect but I am happy with it. 

 

Once given some time to set, I fitted the rear axle and propshaft. These were very straight forward and fitted with no issue. 

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It was now time to move on to the little finishing details. So indicators and tail lights were given a backing of bare metal foil to aid the reflection and colour image and were fitted front and rear. Registration plate was next, fitted using two little MFH rivets...unecesary but looks good...I looked at the fitting of the rear springs which secure the boot lid but these were dead flat/straight and to get them to meet the boot lid and back of car the needed to be bent and shaped. This was done with the application of some heat (using my decal heat gun) and easing it round a bit. Worked out great and so these are superglued to the boot lid and give the impression they are fixed both ends. The boot lid is secured by magnets and the fuel filler caps.

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Attention now went to scuttle and fitment of wibndscreen wipers and electrical cut off switches...pilot holes drilled then eased out with correct sized drill bit. Holes also drilled for door mirrors. 

I was a bit disappointed with the size of the kit supplied ones and remebered I had not fitted some to a previous mode so utilised those. They also had a better mirror glass in them. 

 

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Some three quarter views of the build so far...

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For something that is not a supercar, it has a lot of presence...

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It is currently sitting on its stock race wheels...just to keep it off the floor!! I have some Minilites which I am currently in the process of fitting...

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That's it so far. Wheels will be fitted in next few hours and wheel centres will need some fettling. And it will be done until new grill arrives...oh and a polish...it needs a polish...

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