JayMesawitz Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 This is my next project. Skyline GTR late 90’s era. I will finish it in Calsonic markings & blue as on the box art. I have spent some time on body prep & primer. Color & decals will come much later. I started on the engine, just basic assembly. I wanted to wrap my head around what plumbing could be done. Here is a reference pic of an actual engine bay & the kit engine & bay. The kit supplies very little more than what you see in the hole. Sure, there’s and intake & exhaust manifold. The end. That’s a lot of empty space. The engine almost looks too small but I can’t do any thing about that. I should however be able to manage some scratchbuilt components to try to replicate a few details in the reference. Thanks for looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 Looks like you've done some cutting and grinding in the bay. Did you remove some molded initems? GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 just a couple heavy mold seams, no detail was there to lose. But I will be doing some on the shock towers. I looks like they should be angled in a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamsof51 Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Looks like a fun project. Looking forward to watching your progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted February 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 here is a little progress. Angleing the shock towers in & one simple homemade trinket for the fender well. Still needs a bit of filler but I'm happy with it so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted February 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 and a little more stuff. It is hard to pick out but I'm really pleased with the hood latch representation. More pics in my album Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 The album pics show the stamped metal panel/hood catch a bit better. What did you use to create the rivets for that panel, and also how'd you do the flanged bolt heads (or are those washers) between the panel and the radiator? Lastly, the bay brace looks like metal! Is it made from solder, or what? GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted February 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 The brace is aluminum tube, the rivets are peal & stick dodads I found a long time ago. A wedding present actually. the othe items between the panel & radiator were punched from the same sheet alum. as the panel using a recent purchase of mine; Die cut hole punch. two sized stacked for effect. AND you can no longer tell that any work was ever done on the shock towers. I'm pleased so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raisin27 Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Engine bay is coming out great so far. Some nice fabricating. Looking forward to seeing more. Raisin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 A little work this weekend. I formed plumbing for the intercooler from aluminum tubing. It's a bit rough at the moment but the pipes will get puttied, primed, painted black and finally alclad chrome in the end. Fingers crossed, they will look like original kit offerings. I also have a start on the air intake plumbing but more work needed before it can be fit into place. Thanks for looking, constructive comments welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewahl Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Bending tubing is more difficult than bending rod because the thin walls collapse. Are you using a bending tool or just a rigid mandrel of some kind? The effect looks great, and the big open engine compartment is beginning to fill up. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 thanks for the comments. No bending tools other than my fingers & a pair of smooth jaw pliers. I start the bend with my fingers. Then I hold the tube at the bend with the pliers. Using even presure I finish the turn. As you can tell it isn't perfect but it does help to prevent a totally collapsed kink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted March 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 a little more to show. progress feels really slow. I wanted to share how the cleaned up (puttied & primed) bends turned out and how well every thing crowds into the engine bay. Thanks for looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Can't see a crimp in any of them anymore. What are you using for your hose connectors? GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bun E. Carlos Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Great Job!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted March 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Hello again. Still plugging along slowly. Finally, a bit of color. I added some smaller wiring on the fuel injector side. Still left to do… Brake reservoir and plumbing to ABS unit and a wiring harness or two. Basically, the firewall area. Then onto the chassis. That should go quickly since it’s rarely is ever viewed. Maybe, I won’t even paint it…OK, I’ll paint it a little. Thanks for looking & comments welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamsof51 Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Vast improvement over what came in the box. I'm surprized Tamiya did not provide more detail. I built thier Porsche GT1 kit a while back for my father in law and it had lot of engine detail under a removable rear body. The decals were a high point in that they reacted very well solvent and that car had a lot of graphics over compound curves. Almost had a heart attack when I put solvent on the first one and it wrinkled up! That project took me six months. Can`t wait to see more. Thanks for posting progress photos. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted March 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 still plugging along slowly. here is the brake resivoir and ABS module. I have a wiring harnes in the works and started the front suspension. Not much to it. mayby a pic later. next stop will be the interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomordie Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 Amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted March 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 just a quick little update showing the front suspension. I'm trying to represent a bit of rust on the edge of the brake rotors. I'll need to darken & dirty them a bit to get the final effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted April 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 It seems I've let this one sit for a while. My best excuse, I took a long weekend to go to Montreal to see my favorite music group put on a three day event. MARILLION. They played a three hour set each night and only covered about a 1/3rd of their life's work. Talk about value, the event tickets were only $160, travel expenses add up though. For those who remember this group from the early 80's and their big hit in the US "Kayleigh" they have been making fantastic music ever since. 15 Albums now. Artistic, Unique, Mature. But I digress. I have completed the under carriage, Front & Rear suspension. And only just begun the interior. I ground off the molded in seat belts and installed one made from Tamiya tape strips & generic PE hardware. I added texture to the seat and steering wheel grip with micro-balloons filler. You brush paint the surface, dredge it in the MB filler (white powder) while it is still wet then airbrush the final finish. The roll cage is assembled and with the interior is all primered up and I have begun some plumbing & wiring. There are more pics in my Fotki album. Thanks for looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 The texturing on the seat AND steering wheel really pops! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted April 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 On another forum a member asked how I was going to mount the hood. My reply... I guess I was going to leave the hood loose until you posed the question and got me thinking. So here is my solution. The hinge on these things are little more than pivot points back at the windshield. I decided to ignore them as they are really pretty small and basic but I did install a hoop prop. The prop swings up & down for open/closed position the hood simply sits in place. The kink in the wire is to navigate around the radiator when in the closed position. Pretty effecting overall look I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayMesawitz Posted April 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 I made some significant progress on this project over the weekend. I completed final installation of the engine, mounted the tires, finished up the interior, painted the body and applied about half the decals. The rest of the decals, clear coat & final assembly is all that is left. It should be complete for Thursday nights' IPMS meeting. Thanks for looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamsof51 Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 This is one great looking project. I like your jig for holding the body. How about a photo without the car on it so I can steal uh borrow the idea. I'm also one that follows some of my favorite bands from the past. Saw Queensryche last week. My wife joined the fan club and we were picked to go in for the sound check and to meet the band after the show. A lot of bands from our past have made music all these years. In some cases, the best music of thier careers. Music and modeling...makes perfect sense to me. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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