Jaguar MK2
On the left - I picked up a 'cottage industry' Jaguar Mk2 shell. It's probably 60's 0r 70's. It's resin / fibreglass, 1/32 scale, and not too bad proportionally, though detail is obviously sparse. It's the first fibreglass car I've attempted. I normally do plastic, so this will be a challenge - we're talking heavy duty tools, superglue (cyano), car body filler etc. ! It will be fitted up with slot car components, and there's obviously a lot of work to do apart from that - glazing, interior and so on.
Well - getting to grips with the tools needed for cutting and handling fibreglass resin..... The original note that came with the shell says 'minicraft drill and wet & dry'. I used a new fine hacksaw blade, a scalpel with a new blade, and fine files; starting with the big blob of resin all around the bottom of the moulding, and then getting in to the wheel arches, it seems to be working out OK, no cracks bar one at the back edge of the rear wheel arch. And I'll be stripping off that strange pinky-purple overspray of paint, using spray oven cleaner.
On the right - I'm looking to turn out something like this !
You can really see the fibreglass here, and the extremely uneven thickness of the shell. On experimenting, I found that a two-part epoxy putty for fixing car bodies (the real ones!), e.g. 'Plastic Padding', sticks well to the resin, can be roughly trimmed to shape when half-set, and then finished with a file when fully hardened. So I've used it on the sills, and packed some in to the nose and tail to reinforce them, and also used it to embed blocks of plastic to attach the chassis.
HOWEVER, before going any further with the shell, I realised that, as a 'home grown', it wasn't symmetrical. So I moved on to do the chassis straight away, so I could use it to realign the shell, specifically the wheel arches. Details of the chassis on the next frame.
I've gone for a front-mounted motor, to clear the passenger cell as much as possible so I can detail that. The chassis is a Scelaxtric Corvette one, lengthened through the middle by 1/8" to get the motor as far forward out of the way as possible ( and the drive shaft similarly lengthened ). The rear end ( between the axle bushes ) has been narrowed by 1/2", to reduce the overall track. I've added side sills that run up to the shell edge under the doors, and a rear valance. The front of the chassis has been extensively rebuilt, with a 'bridge' bit to take an MRRC steering unit. Wiring is MRRC, with MRRC fitments to push in to the guide blade, to hold racing braid in place. The wheels are Ninco 'classic' wires and narrow tyres. The wheels normally have to be attached to an MRRC steering unit by screws through from the front of the wheel; this spoils the look, so I've fitted the wheels from the back, drilling through the screw mounting blocks and using Scalextric brass 'stub' axles (trimmed to fit) pushed through from the back in to the wheels. Two-prong spinners for the wheels, and a dual exhaust still to come.....
Front after and before....... All the moulded on detail has been stripped off and has been or is being replaced. Already on the shell are a rebuilt radiator grille (with the right number of bars on it), sidelight 'strakes' on top of the wings, new or filled mountings for the assorted lights, trim detail above the headlights, and windscreen washers and stub mountings for the wipers. In front of the shell are all the loose bits i.e. replacements - bumper ( based on the rear bumper of a cheap 'pound shop' VW camper van ), assorted slot car spare lights, windscreen ( cut from a Hornby GT40 ), windscreen wiper bits, computer-printed number plate, and a Jaguar mascot for the bonnet, carved from scrap. And the windscreen has been cut out and trimmed with a strip of plastic card. CHROME TRIM LINES on bonnet; these are made from thin silver-plated jeweller's wire, superglued on, and I used this wire elsewhere on the rest of the shell as well.
Rear after and before....... Firstly, I had to redo the panel line across the top of the boot lid, as it was wrong. Otherwise, similar to the front, I removed the original detail and replaced. Already on the shell are a new number plate mounting / cover / light ( reversing, I think ),and I've added a boot lock below that. In front of the shell are all the loose bits i.e. replacements - bumper (based on the FRONT bumper of the aforementioned cheap 'pound shop' VW camper van ! ), rear lights from plastic card and clear scrap, and a computer-printed number plate. The rear window has been cut out and trimmed with a strip of plastic card; missing from the picture is the rear window glass, which I cut and bent from clear plastic card ( 40 thou ). And as mentioned before, chrome trim lines are made from thin silver-plated jeweller's wire, superglued on.
To the left here, sides - The wheel arches have been reprofiled, and lipped with plastic card.
The moulded on door handles have been stripped off and replaced with plastic card/rod ones.
The side windows - basically, I punched out the entire side window bit, including frames, and then rebuilt from plastic, including rain guttering and the bottom sill (the black bit just above the door handles).
The door panel lines have been emphasised, and slightly realigned.
In front of the shell is a clear window insert, cut from thin acetate sheet.
The chrome trim lines along the bonnet edge / doors / rear wings are made from thin silver-plated jeweller's wire, superglued on.
The 'Jaguar' emblem is temporarily in place on the bonnet.
Interior - bit of a job..... I built a complete interior. This fits by slotting in to and screwing on to the front and rear chassis mounts under the body ( so removable for dusting ). I raided the spares box for bits for door handles, gear lever, steering wheel. The lady passenger is a Preiser figure ( originally standing, re-posed to sitting ) and the driver is assorted bits of Preiser civilian, and Airfix and Tamiya soldier. Seats, dash, door linings & armrests are all built and shaped from plastic sheet.
Interior and figures painted up with assorted matt enamels and acrylics. Doing the walnut on the dash / door trim was interesting ! Slight gloss given to upholstery and 'woodwork' with one thin coat of Klear acrylic floor polish. Dials on the dash from Patto's Place decal sheets.
Finished -
Finished off with an acrylic Brunswick green, topped with Klear. Bare-metal foil for the shiny bits, and I black-washed the wheels to tone down the chrome a bit, and to bring out the detail.
AND note, I have subsequently also added rear wheel arch 'spats'.
