Model Car Guys -- winter is here

Yeah, I know, Christmas and all of it's time sucking crap is also approaching. But, shouldn't we at least be planning our next great builder's contest? I'm already a quarter of the way through my first build of the season.

Cool and eager to see some more builds. 

Good call! We should do that. 

Great!

We'll need a theme. And probably shouldn't launch the official start until the new year.

This I started Nov 1st. Slooooooow progress. It's a mashup of a beetle and the Porsche Indy car. Inspired by the Hammerhead VW posted (I think) in the hotlink thread.

Dang it!

I need to get to work.

My Tamiya FD RX-7 was going great until I smurfed up the paint. Alcohol usually does a good job removing paint, but not this time. Transferring to brake fluid tomorrow.

Whatever is decided on, I'm in. Haven't touched anything model-related since February.

I'm currently working on this. 

Old Monogram kit, nice easy build to get me back into the swing. 

I've got a few kits lying around, begging me to start on them. I haven't built a model kit since I was a kid, but I think it may be time to change that up.

Well timed thread this. After a summer and fall entertained by a certain 1/1 scale X1/9, I just did a quick little build of a 1/35th scale Land Rover for slot track scenery. It will be at the pump filling dump cans. It still needs to be a little scruffier. Also took a chance on a damaged box kit at deep discount. A subject I have wanted to build since they were new cars. See photo of box damage. Kit is perfect. Body already primed. Increadibally complex molding on the body shell and inner structure parts. More photos of that as it progresses.

I've got the Gulf version of that McLaren kit. I haven't built it, yet, but if it's anything like the Aoshima Murcielago GT1 kit I recently built, it should go together really well.

What is it with Revell decals? Either they are too thin and tear when you try to install them or they are too thick to lay flat, even with judicious application of Solvaset. 

Kudos to Round2 for actually supplying decals that work.

I am building the McLaren as the all orange completely unadorned car that was at the 2006 Gooodwood Festival, I believe owned then by Ralph Lauren. Pure sculpture. Paint is Tamiya brilliant Orange over red primer. The color photographs odd under much of my home lighting. The pic of the parts tree against the black background shows it best. Lots of body parts here, wonderfully well molded. Two tiny sink marks next to the nose opening and a slight seam across the rear fenders that needed only a little sanding and on to color. Not a whole lot of "body" on the main molding!

1980 called. Monogram wants their molds back. 

Turned out okay despite decal struggles. A very easy kit to build except when it wasn't.  Full review on my YouTube channel.

Last two for the year. Tamiya FD RX-7 and NSX. Not real happy with the way they turned out. I had a lot of self-inflicted wounds with the paint and ended up stripping and repainting both, with so-so results.

Alright, let's do this. Who's in for a February build?

Um <looks around>

Seems I havent made a dent in the VW project. Or the 1/20 scale vette from last year!

I've only got about seven kits stacked up, waiting. 

I got this far on a Tamiya 911 GT1 before the puppy moved in. They way things are looking, it's going to be a month or two before I can get any more done. It will eventually have the Blue Coral livery.
 

Question:  is it necessary to wash the parts before priming? I've always heard you should wash everything to get rid of the 'mold release' agents but I never used to 30+ years ago and never had a problem. It's an annoying step I'm kind of tired of doing and starting to think this may be an old modeler's tale. 

In reply to ddavidv :

I only ever wash it if it feels greasy or if it's resin.