Aston Martin DB5
Basically, I inherited a partly started project bundle from someone else, who intended to do what I've finished here - to front-engine an Airfix / MRRC DB5. The bundle was most of an Airfix Static kit, an MRRC slot car body plus chrome, and a matching MRRC 'high speed' chassis, plus a set of Ninco wheels and a Mabuchi motor. In this pic top is the MRRC 'high speed' chassis. Bottom is the floor pan from the Airfix static DB5 kit, as received with test hole cut in it for motor. Both components will be cut down further, and mated together to provide a full interior that can be attached to the body shell, and have a base plate chassis ( with motor in etc. ) attached underneath.
Shows the MRRC chassis & Airfix static kit floorpan mated together. The red block in the passenger footwell is where one of the screws to attach the motorised chassis goes. MRRC steering wheel. Static kit seats. Scratchbuilt interior door panels. Driver - this is from the 1/32 Airfix Ford Escort static kit, detailed a bit; head & hands are parts from a WW2 army set ( 1/35th ).
Shows underside of body interior, clearance made for rear axle & contrate, the cutout for the motor, and the 2 mounting posts at the front for the Ackermann steering to attach. Body glass here, shows driver's window cut out.
This is a cut down MRRC Cobra chassis. Mabuchi motor, drive shaft, rear axle, cogs, wiring & spade connectors from a Scalextric Corvette. MRRC Ackermann steering unit - normally the wheels would screw on to this from the outside, leaving a screw head showing in the middle of the wheel, but I've 'reverse engineered' this so the screws go through from the inside instead and so are hidden. Revell braids. And Ninco 'classic' 32-spoke wheels ( with tyres ).
All the chassis & interior components painted and assembled. The painting done with matt enamels, followed by one coat of Klear acrylic floor polish to give a sheen to areas like the seats, steering wheel & dashboard. Note also the extra detail added round the dashboard area.
MRRC slot car shell - deflashed, panel lines for bonnet & boot scribed in (they were originally raised lines), rod & strip added round windows to provide a base to apply Bare-metal foil for the chrome trim.
Air scoop on bonnet has been opened up.
The shell was hand-painted with 2 coats of Vallejo acrylic paint ( shade Oxford Blue ). After, that is, it had been prepared for painting by being keyed with very fine sandpaper ( 1000 grade ), and then washed / degreased.
The painted shell was given a single coat of an aerosol acrylic gloss varnish - amazing how it changes the purply colour of the matt paint to a strong blue ! The one coat of varnish doesn't give a full gloss finish; this will be done later with some extra coats of Klear acrylic floor polish. The one coat is done in the interrim just to harden the paint, and to protect the paint from handling whilst Bare-metal foil is applied for the chrome areas. It also gives a base for the foil to stick to.
All the chrome foiled up, and the thing assembled, with a couple of coats of Klear acrylic floor polish to give the final gloss.
I think this shot shows how front-engining the car has paid off by allowing a full interior.
Some serious work on the headlights - the kit originals are a flat chrome disk behind a thick 'fish eye' lense, so junked these, and then added a plastic strip surrounds covered with metal foil, decent slot car spare headlights, and clear covers cut from scrap clear plastic with the right curvature - actually from the packaging from a new shirt, the plastic stiffener to keep the collar in place ! I think they're a massive improvement.... Again, a computer-printed numberplate, mounted on plastic card. The side lights are the kit ones, thinned down a bit, and relocated lower ( too high on original kit ). The radiator grill has been cleaned up and black-washed to bring out the detail.
Number plate made up with chrome surround - plastic card covered in Bare-metal foil, then computer-printed number plate stuck on. I discarded the kit rear lights, and made up new ones, again an oval of plastic card covered in Bare-metal foil, and slot car spares orange / red / clear 2mm stick-ons. Note also small red reflectors on the 'shoulders' of the rear bumper. I also added a boot lock (just visible below number plate).
I think this stance definitely captures the essence of a DB5 ! Note slot car guide blade & braids well hidden under the nose.
