GB 09 MP4/2c OR JS11

[bossy122]

This will be GB 09 build # 3a or 3b, as i'm not sure which - if either - will be finished.

Build 3a is Protars 1 24 Mclaren MP4/2c, which Alain Prost drove to the 198 6 World Championship, thanks to Nigel Mansells tire exploding and sending him to the greatest DNF ever ( in my opinion ). One of my personal "greatest sports moments ever" to go along with Aaron Boones home run...you know the one and David Voleks OT winner to eliminate the vaunted Pittsburgh Penguins in the '93 NHL playoffs. And somehow only one of those do the masses ever mention....but I digress.
The reason this one may not be completed is the decals. They looked to be in fairly good condition, what with the paper being blue. But when I went to apply the tiny dash decal, it took a good 10 minute soak and then me sort of scraping it off the paper with my Xacto. It stuck to the piece, but one can only imagine how fun the larger ones will be! I'm leaving scanning/ copying as a last resort.
3b will be Tamiya's 1 20 Ligier JS 11 with Jaques Laffites # 26 car. I've started this kit before and got tripped up by some very bad paint and those AWFUL axhaust pipes ( Dear Tamiya, on the off chance you ever decide to produce something new with a Cosworth engine, PLEASE retool that thing! The bloc fits together poorly and those pipes are HORRIFIC! ).
I've started both kits. I figure i'll finish the cowling of the Mclaren and see what the decals do or don't do. The thing that really struck me was how thin Protars plastic is. When I painted the underside black it really shown through quite badly. Idiot ( that's me) bought himself some gray Tamiya primer, covered the thing then wasn't too surprised when the white did'nt look so good. So I had to go back and buy the correct primer and do it all over again!
I got a serious modeling itch the other night and started the Ligier. I got the bloc together and started the tranny, lots of painting, now for the assembling!

[Jeff]

the MP4/2C looks good, will be nice to see it finished - hope the decals work out!

[bossy122]

A little update. It took a LOT of paint but the Mclarens cowling is done. Now we'll see what the decals want to do!
The JS11 was going along fairly well....until. First, Tamiya got me with the exhaust (again!) I'm looking at the instructions and cannot help but notice the piece that groups the 4 pipes into one is a lot smaller than the one I have just glued the pipes into, "Isn't that odd?" I thunk. then a while later as I'm getting ready to paint some other piece I find the smaller "couplers" hanging on the tree! To say I was not very happy with this revelation would be an understatement! I pry them damn things apart and put the correct pieces on - though they still fit together horrificly - and I go about affixing the gearbox to the engine.
And of course, a while later I dry fit that bit to the chassis and find that the thing is nowhere near level. Is it me? Seems like all of my Tamiya F1 kits never have a level rear end. One rear wheel is always higher than the other! Anyway, more prying, more cursing. I've aced the guides on the gearbox. I figure i'll attach the engine to the chassis and then reaffix the gearbox. Oh, bother.
OH! I'm sure this question has been asked here before, but did Ligier change shades of blue from the '79 season to the '80 season? I have recently published pictures of the '80 car and it's a darker blue. But I see video of Depallier's victory in Spain of '79 and it's the sky blue. What's the deal?

[bossy122]

I got ahead on the JS11, so barring a complete disaster with the decals, this should turn out to be GB project #3. My Mclaren's still there waiting in the pits, as it were.
A couple of pics from the last couple of days for your consideration...

As mentioned before, I found it better to attach the motor to the body and then attach the rear.

[bossy122]

And finally, the JS 11 is fini. What a test of patience this thing turned out to be! Besides dealing with the chrome plated parts that I hate with a passion, the decals on this one were tricky to say the least!
I put the side pod pin stripes on more like JPS decals and then realized what i'd done the next day! Fortunatley I had a spare set of decals and went about redoing the pinstripes. I got all the major markings on and got very excited about almost being done, little realizing all the little markings yet to go!
In case anyone is interested I used Tamiya TS 44 Brilliant Blue for the body. I had the car painted with their French Blue (as the cars look in OLD print and/or film), but went back and covered it with the 44. Looks much closer to pics of this car printed more recently.
Speaking of that, I thought it funny that whomever painted the box art went with the lighter shade of blue. And I got a good sized chuckle when looking at the decal guide, in the small print it reads, " Sometimes we can't see 36". A small Loctite sticker. My one decent side pic from Argentina '79 showed it, so basically this is Jaques' winning ride from Argentina '79. Qualified for this years GB because of the number 26! (The skirts on the real car look a lot wider than Tamiya's......don't tell anyone )

[CBartholomew4677]

I dig the Ligier, looks good!! For saying you may not finish, you certainly made good time in finishing.
Cheers.
Chris

[bossy122]

It wouldn't let me post this with my last post, but I wanted to show this pic as well.

[Jacques]

Your build looks really cool.

Can you tell me what type of decal you used on the Ligier, the one from the box ? or another version ?

[JamesB]

Well!! happy to see I am not alone about the TS44!!
Nevertheless, it's the same color that most makes agree to use on the Lemans Matras, right? Anyway it looks much better like this.
I add to the question on the decals. For the quality of white, looks like Indycals...

[Dede]

Colour looks great, the TS-44 blue looks spot on, and the white decals covered well with no sign of the blue colour beneath so they must not be Tamiya decals, Are they Indycals??
I might re-paint mine TS-44 and use Indycals...

Dede.