McLaren MP4/6 Ayrton Senna Fujimi 1/20

[DocRob]

Hola fellow modelistas,

due to different reasons, I neglected my bench and LSM for some weeks and the next weeks won't be much better. Despite all obstacles, I wanted to start a new feel good build to motivate myself and so I chose my favorite F1 car for the task. Since a while, I accumulated some goodies for this project and since some weeks everything arrived at my doorstep.

The kit:

The goodies:

- Top Studio Cockpit detail set
- Top Studio PE-set
- Top Studio carbon decal set (was the hardest to find)
- TBDecals sponsor decals
- Tamiya seat belts
- PE rivets
- Colors from Zero Paints (a first for me)

I considered starting with the body, but decided to start, like the manual suggests, with the engine. Big mistake, at least motivational. As you can see on the pictures, the parts are metal plated in an aluminum finish, what's not to like about it. First of all the plating has spots and foremost it's completely superfluos, because nearly the whole engine is BLACK. You might say, no biggie, but it is, because of the plating no part fits how it should, you have to scratch, grind, and re drill all holes. Beside this, you can't use normal modeling cement, so I was forced to use CA.
That's not all. The engine parts sport all known types of plastic abnormalities, like prominent parting lines, ejector marks, burr and flash and the silver plating doesn't enhance general visibility.

Strange thing, that other versions of the kit seem to include the engine on black sprues. In all the beginning was utterly frustrating, we don't speak about an ancient short run kit, cast in some garage, it's a relatively modern incarnation, Fujimi what have you done.

This will not be a fast build, other than I sod the kit, if it continues to fight me back.

Oh, I haven't spoken about detail. The positive so far, the engine is very detailed and has a large part count. On the pictures, only half of the parts are added for better painting

If you look at the picture above, you can see the cylinder heads with very prominent cooling ribs, which unfortunately doesn't exist on the real thing. This is how it looks, with the added PE parts from Top Studio.

Fujimi, are you the Japanese Italeri?

I'm still hoping the best for the non plated sprues and will not instantly bin the kit, but it's definitely on probation.

Cheers Rob

[Peterpools]

Rob

Yikes, it's hard to believe all the work Fujimi is putting the builder through for what should be black in the first place and why provide the engine this way in the first place? Is it possible to strip the Fujimi finish, then prime and go with Tamiya Black Lacquer? 🤞

[BlrwestSiR]

Nice to see an MP4/6 build Rob. The Top Studio stuff is really nice. The plating is definitely an odd choice. You can strip the plating by spraying the parts in oven cleaner and then use a brush to scrub it off.  Some folks have even used plain bleach but that might take a bit longer. 

I started the Tamiya 1/12 kit back in 1993 and still need to finish it. Hopefully you won't take that long on your build. In fact, the tires have now crumbled on it so they're useless. I've been conversing with a guy in the UK about doing some 3D printed  replacement tires so may have a solution for that problem. 

Meng has come out with an MP4/4 in 1/12 and Beemax has announced one as well for next year. Based on their Lotus 99T kit, I think the Beemax one may be the way to go. 

[BlrwestSiR]

One more thing, if you can find the MFH book on the MP4/6, it's quite good for reference photos. 

Edited December 8, 2023 by BlrwestSiR
Fix pic.

[monnthebiff]

Very nice indeed,  Top Studio stuff is just amazing. The quality has to be seen to believe. This will be epic.

 

Regards. Andy 

[DocRob]

14 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Yikes, it's hard to believe all the work Fujimi is putting the builder through for what should be black in the first place and why provide the engine this way in the first place? Is it possible to strip the Fujimi finish, then prime and go with Tamiya Black Lacquer? 🤞

 

14 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Nice to see an MP4/6 build Rob. The Top Studio stuff is really nice. The plating is definitely an odd choice. You can strip the plating by spraying the parts in oven cleaner and then use a brush to scrub it off.  Some folks have even used plain bleach but that might take a bit longer. 

I started the Tamiya 1/12 kit back in 1993 and still need to finish it. Hopefully you won't take that long on your build. In fact, the tires have now crumbled on it so they're useless. I've been conversing with a guy in the UK about doing some 3D printed  replacement tires so may have a solution for that problem. 

Meng has come out with an MP4/4 in 1/12 and Beemax has announced one as well for next year. Based on their Lotus 99T kit, I think the Beemax one may be the way to go. 

Thank you Peter and Carl, you are both absolutely right, I should have stripped the plating, but I naively anticipated a reasonable fit. The opposite was the case, not one single part fitted like it should, without some manipulation. 

Carl, I hope mine will not take that long, earnestly, I have to get it from my bench fast, one way or another to stop the annoyance.

The Top Studio stuff looks very nice, it's the first time, I use it. The manual for the PE is tiny and bad copied though. Placement is therefore a bit of guessing.

I know about the recent 1/12 incarnations, but had the Fujimi kit in my stah for a while.

Model Factory Hiro has produced some tyres for the 1/12 Tamiya MP4/6. I have no idea, if they are still available, but they go with the number P-1158.

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

14 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

One more thing, if you can find the MFH book on the MP4/6, it's quite good for reference photos. 

This book is actually available with one of my retailers. Maybe I will bite. Unfortunately the shipping usually takes two weeks.

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

13 hours ago, monnthebiff said:

Very nice indeed,  Top Studio stuff is just amazing. The quality has to be seen to believe. This will be epic.

Thanks for your confidence Andy, I'm not so sure about the outcome of this build after the frustrating beginning. I start to scratch some planned detail options in my head .

Cheers Rob

[BlrwestSiR]

3 hours ago, DocRob said:

Model Factory Hiro has produced some tyres for the 1/12 Tamiya MP4/6. I have no idea, if they are still available, but they go with the number P-1158.

Unfortunately the MFH tyres are no longer available. I missed out on them both times that they were. 

 

[DocRob]

59 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Unfortunately the MFH tyres are no longer available. I missed out on them both times that they were. 

I read somewhere, that the coming NUNU MP4/4 should have normal AND rain tyres. 

[BlrwestSiR]

1 hour ago, DocRob said:

I read somewhere, that the coming NUNU MP4/4 should have normal AND rain tyres. 

That would be a nice option. So far, it's about $30 more than the Meng kit so I'm probably going to wait and see which one to get. 

[DocRob]

My work with the engine continued. After a lot of cleanup, I sprayed the block with Tamiya LP5 semi matte black and added some details here and there. I thought about using the plating to my advantage, after it caused so many irritations and scratched the black color away to let some details show through in silver.

I think, I will omit wiring and tubing with this build. 1/12 kits are better suited for that, so on with adding engine details. The cover under the cylinder trumpets, was decaled with one of the Top Studio carbon decals, which unfortunately broke and I have to do some re touching.
The engine without the exhausts is more or less ready now.

Cheers Rob

[Peterpools]

Rob

Looking mighty good and the slightly wear though look adds depth and highlights the details. 

[DocRob]

Thank you Peter, I looked at some photos of real engines and they mostly had a slightly used look. That goes as well for the exhausts, which look to be made from stainless steel. I have to find the right color for these.

Cheers Rob 

[Peterpools]

Always seems to come down to spending time online searching for the correct colors but in the end, the finished model will look perfect.

 

[DocRob]

2 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Always seems to come down to spending time online searching for the correct colors but in the end, the finished model will look perfect.

 

No Peter, I will look in my stash, if I had to buy a new jar, it will took me two weeks to get here minimum, that´s too slow, even for my pace at the moment .

Cheers Rob

 

[Peterpools]

Got ya ... shipping seems to be a key factor these days and getting worse. 🚛

[BlrwestSiR]

2 hours ago, DocRob said:

No Peter, I will look in my stash, if I had to buy a new jar, it will took me two weeks to get here minimum, that´s too slow, even for my pace at the moment .

Cheers Rob

 

Makes me happy that I have a hobby shop nearby as well as some that can deliver in a couple days if I can't get out to the LHS.

The engine is looking good. The chrome has sort of worked out in the end as a base coat. I like it a lot. 

[DocRob]

13 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Makes me happy that I have a hobby shop nearby as well as some that can deliver in a couple days if I can't get out to the LHS.

The engine is looking good. The chrome has sort of worked out in the end as a base coat. I like it a lot. 

Thank you Carl, I tried to use the non removed plating to my advantage, after the frustration. I used a toothpick to scratch the black away for silver details and used different coverage layers of black for adding some depth to the mostly black engine. The engine looks more worn on the pics for whatever reason, I´m after a 90% new look with the McLaren.

I can feel your happiness about having a LHS in your area. I enjoyed that a lot, back in my Berlin days. Here, I order stuff sometimes, and when it arrives, I sometimes half forgot what I ordered . Projects involve a lot of planning ahead and a well stocked cave on my island, nothing is more mojo draining than waiting for a jar of needed color for two or three weeks.

Cheers Rob

[Peterpools]

Rob

I feel your pain ... while I live on Long Island (NY), with millions of people, incredible traffic jams, most of my local hobby shops are long gone and driving to one of the few remaining ones in Nassau County is a long and frustrating trip, with no guarantee what I need, they have. Pretty much buy 99% of my kits and supplies online and rarely place an order where everything I need is in stock. I refuse to buy the remaining items from another vendor and wind up paying twice the shipping.

Paint wise, I'm going back to Tamiya being my go-to paint as it is sold by most every online vendor and now as you, before starting a project, I buy and have on hand all the paints supplies I need for the project, otherwise it remains unstarred. Surely takes a lot of the enthusiasm out of the hobby for me - it's almost a full-time job.

Gee, I remember the good old days, a trip to the LHS (back in the 70's it was the Squadron Shop in Syosset) and they always seemed to have everything I needed, kit and all. Paints were Model Master Enamels, Poly S and Pactra; racks were full, the coffee pot always had fresh brewed coffee and loads of guys to talk with. Belonged to a club, local IPMS chapter, which met once a month, with a few competitions a year and the IPMS Region One Noreastcon - loads of fun and the emphasis was on building and no building mistakes, not detailing or accuracy - I surely long for the good old days.  

No internet, no online forums, no pc's and no cellphones and once a month I received the Squadron mail order flyer and actually bought a few modeling magazines.  Models were nowhere as detailed, raised panel lines and we were happy campers.    

Time to get off the old soapbox before I lose my balance and falloff.😉

[DocRob]

Indeed the world has changed a lot, Peter. But to me it´s not all bad. On my tiny island, the problem would have been the same twenty years ago, albeit without the possibility of online shopping . Like you, I miss the stroll to the LHS a lot and I do this, when I´m visiting Berlin. but here there were no LHS and there still are non. The nearest one, a tiny shop on my neighbor island went awol some years ago. 
In general, I have good experiences with online retailers, mostly good prices and service, but like you said, it can be difficult to receive all the goods from one hand. I have lists for planned projects, where I see, what I need and can buy it in advance, when I shop for other things.
I have to plan even more, because we buy VAT free under 150€. The VAT is not the problem, if you shop for more, it´s the fees, which make it unattractive.

On the other hand, to me this is not only about modeling and counts for all other goods, which need to be `imported`, it became normal and is the price for living a bit more remote. I´m willing to pay this price, but sometimes, it can be a pain.

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

This kit is fighting me back all the way. I start to think, I´m the problem and this doesn´t feel good. Oh yes, this should be a mojo restorer feelgood project, Argh .
Like always with my F1 builds, the exhaust assembly was a pain and I didn´t help myself, by adding the PE seals. The engine is not glued into the body pan, I only added it for the exhaust´s alignment.
The exhausts were ´puttied´with CA and painted with AK Extreme Metals colors. First stainless steel, then metallic blue for the shadows and finally with pale engine exhaust for general highlighting. The effect isn´t too visible on the photo, but looks stainless to my eye on the kit.

Cheers Rob

[BlrwestSiR]

The engine is looking nice with the exhausts on. In the pics, they seem a bit bright but you said they're more shaded in person. 

 

[BlrwestSiR]

19 minutes ago, DocRob said:

Indeed the world has changed a lot, Peter. But to me it´s not all bad. On my tiny island, the problem would have been the same twenty years ago, albeit without the possibility of online shopping . Like you, I miss the stroll to the LHS a lot and I do this, when I´m visiting Berlin. but here there were no LHS and there still are non. The nearest one, a tiny shop on my neighbor island went awol some years ago. 
In general, I have good experiences with online retailers, mostly good prices and service, but like you said, it can be difficult to receive all the goods from one hand. I have lists for planned projects, where I see, what I need and can buy it in advance, when I shop for other things.
I have to plan even more, because we buy VAT free under 150€. The VAT is not the problem, if you shop for more, it´s the fees, which make it unattractive.

On the other hand, to me this is not only about modeling and counts for all other goods, which need to be `imported`, it became normal and is the price for living a bit more remote. I´m willing to pay this price, but sometimes, it can be a pain.

Cheers Rob

Here in Canada, anything sent from overseas that's more than $40 CAD (about$30USD) is subject to taxes and duties along with any brokerage fees calculating those taxes and duties. It's that last bit I hate as all the courier companies automatically charge you for that and sometimes it's a ridiculous amount.

If your order is sent via post, there's a good chance the duties and taxes don't get charged as Canada Post doesn't check all packages coming into the country but it might take longer to arrive. 

 

[Peterpools]

1 hour ago, DocRob said:

This kit is fighting me back all the way. I start to think, I´m the problem and this doesn´t feel good. Oh yes, this should be a mojo restorer feelgood project, Argh .
Like always with my F1 builds, the exhaust assembly was a pain and I didn´t help myself, by adding the PE seals. The engine is not glued into the body pan, I only added it for the exhaust´s alignment.
The exhausts were ´puttied´with CA and painted with AK Extreme Metals colors. First stainless steel, then metallic blue for the shadows and finally with pale engine exhaust for general highlighting. The effect isn´t too visible on the photo, but looks stainless to my eye on the kit.

Cheers Rob

Rob

Fully understand and appreciate the 'necessities' of living on a small island - guess it just comes with the territory. From how you have described your small island over the years, all the difficulties in ordering hobby supplies are well worth the time and extra work.

Engine exhaust fit from my limited knowledge and experience in building race cars, have always been temperamental and quite finicky, both to paint and install. Fit looks spot on to me but as with Carl, I'm not seeing the heated metal effect at all.