Zenrat's Flying Circus

[PR19_Kit]

Hell yes, those wheels are magnificent! 

Those Parts Box guys, or guy or guyess, do some superb work, I'm really glad you put me onto them, much thanks. 

[JayBee]

My perfect modelling room would have a continuous bench running around the outside with duplicate sets of tools and paints.  I could then spread started kits out around the room and scoot from build to build on an office chair with wheels.

It's gonabe one heck of a big room !

[zenrat]

Sanded back the filler on the F-15 today and then primed it.  I'm hopeful this will be it for PSR and I can begin colours next.
Also some paint on the Royce Armoured Car interior.

[zenrat]

Whilst driving to work this morning pondering why so many SUVs are fitted with snorkels when they go no further off road than the car park at the footy club (best guess - penis substitutes) I got to thinking about the 1/24 Tamiya 80 Series 'cruiser I built a few years ago.
I built it for the Scale Cannonball Run Build Off and all was going to plan until I put the last coat of clear on.  I must have put it on too heavy as the mica red of the plastic it was moulded in bloomed through the paint.  And not consistently either, it did so patchily of course.
Here's some pics.  It's worse on the front wings and roof.  It doesn't look as bad in photos.
Landcruiser 80 Series 007 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
I built it as a vehicle disguised as being from the Centre for Disease Control bearing "Live Virus in Transit" labels and carrying a large fridge in the boot (which I scratchbuilt).  Plan was that no cop would want to go within 100 feet of it and would wave it through any road blocks.
I powered it with a Lexus V8 boosted by a huuuuge intercooled turbo (resin from www.thepartsbox.com).
Landcruiser 80 Series 002 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
After the red bloomed through I took the beauty pics but then just put it away in disgust.
However, I think it's time to "wreckscue" it and today I pulled the body off, removed all the various attached parts and dropped it in to the stripping tank.
I will not be repainting it in CDC livery, will remove the fridge and will change the wheels.  Something like this which I rejected first time I built it as they were too flash for what was supposed to be a government vehicle (not these exact wheels as I've used them on something else - but I have others).
Landcruiser WIP 29-05-13 001 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[scooter]

Whilst driving to work this morning pondering why so many SUVs are fitted with snorkels when they go no further off road than the car park at the footy club (best guess - penis substitutes)

I've had those musings myself...mainly about lifted pickups and Jeeps with the big knobby offroad tires, and never a lick of mud or dirt on their chassis.  The worst offender I ever saw was when SWMBO and I were dating, and whilst heading to her house through the Philly metro area, I spied a lifted dually crewcab pickup with heavy duty chrome bumper...with a winch mounted.  At which point, my evil mind is thinking 1) what an utter prat, 2) odds are that moron has absolutely no idea how to use the winch, and 3) the cable on that winch has probably rusted in place.

[PR19_Kit]

I have similar thoughts when following any of the monster German 4x4s and Range Rovers who slow down to crawling speeds to negotiate the slightest bump in the road. And who probably engage 4 wheel drive AND low ratio for the sleeping policemen bumps that abound in my county!

It wouldn't be so bad but I spent many months of my life installing £5m long stroke, heavy duty road simulators at the factories where they make the things just to ensure that such vehicles could drive over Mt Everest with impunity! 

[jcf]

I saw the reverse that cracked me up, a slammed - and I mean seriously lowered, dually
equipped, full-size crew cab pickup that was painted to match the owner's cigarette boat.

I was there the first time they hooked up to the trailer, which promptly pulled the the rear
end down so far that it was impossible to drive the truck.

The consternation on everyones' faces was a treat.

[PR19_Kit]

There's a guy in Lydney, my town, with a seriously slammed E class Merc 250 of some vintage, and his tyres touch the inside of the wheel arches when it's sitting still in the car park! How the devil he drives it when he or anyone else is aboard I've no idea as the tyres would last only minutes before they were cut clean through! 

[zenrat]

There's a guy in Lydney, my town, with a seriously slammed E class Merc 250 of some vintage, and his tyres touch the inside of the wheel arches when it's sitting still in the car park! How the devil he drives it when he or anyone else is aboard I've no idea as the tyres would last only minutes before they were cut clean through! 

Back in the day it would have had hydraulics (have you seen "dancing" lowriders?) but these days they use airbags which can raise and lower the suspension.  Deflate the bags when parked up for that seriously low look, add a little air when cruising for chicks on a Friday night and then pump them up to a sensible level when actually driving anywhere.

A friend of mine (the person who gave me this kit actually) has driven all over Australia in Landcruisers and reckons that all he ever needed in order to reach anywhere he wanted to get to was to have all the differentials modified so he could lock and unlock them without getting out.  That and knowing what he was doing.

I worked this morning and since getting home have been sitting watching Anime with The Boy (Batman Ninja - not bad).  However he's now switched to playing something violent on the PS4 so I may go down to the shed and poke the 'cruiser body to see if the brake fluid its soaking in has shifted the paint yet.

[PR19_Kit]

Back in the day it would have had hydraulics (have you seen "dancing" lowriders?) but these days they use airbags which can raise and lower the suspension.  Deflate the bags when parked up for that seriously low look, add a little air when cruising for chicks on a Friday night and then pump them up to a sensible level when actually driving anywhere.

Hm, yes, I'll have to keep an eye out and see if I can spot him driving it to figure out how he does it.

A friend of mine (the person who gave me this kit actually) has driven all over Australia in Landcruisers and reckons that all he ever needed in order to reach anywhere he wanted to get to was to have all the differentials modified so he could lock and unlock them without getting out.  That and knowing what he was doing.

I'd have thought that'd be a seriously quick way of wearing out your tyres! 

[Rheged]

My various Citroen estates had the hydraulic suspension which meant I could vary the ride height between 4 and 10 inches ground clearance.  One of them even had a system for lowering the suspension to "just about touching the ground"  and then locking it off so that no one could nick it.  Only problem was if a high pressure joint went bad, there was lurid luminescent HLM (liquide hydraulique minerale) all over the place.....and its very slippery stuff!

[zenrat]

A friend of mine (the person who gave me this kit actually) has driven all over Australia in Landcruisers and reckons that all he ever needed in order to reach anywhere he wanted to get to was to have all the differentials modified so he could lock and unlock them without getting out.  That and knowing what he was doing.

I'd have thought that'd be a seriously quick way of wearing out your tyres! 

Well, no because you only lock them when you need the traction (sand, mud, snow, Pony club car park) and then unlock them again when clear.

[zenrat]

Today I panelled the rear of the '57 Ford by gluing in pieces of 1mm styrene sheet.
57 Ford Del Rio Sedan Delivery WIP 31-03-2019 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
I've been reading up on this kit and there are 15 pages of angry and abusive argument about it on the Model Cars Magazine forum.
Apparently some of the panel lines are "wrong".
Like I care...

I also, while watching the Western Bulldogs beat Hawthorn at footy on the idiot's lantern, drew out the camo pattern on the F-15.
F-15 WIP 31-03-2019 02 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
I'm basing this on a couple of PantherG's profiles.
I later started painting.  It's nice to get back to hand painting camo.  I find it very restful.
F-15 WIP 31-03-2019 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
PantherG listed Federal Standard colours on his profile.  I have the Vallejo equivalent of the Grey used for the underside and one part of the camo and a Vallejo Green with the same name as the darker of the two greens.  I will mix the other Green myself.

[PR19_Kit]

Apparently some of the panel lines are "wrong".
Like I care...

It's not as if you were going to pre-shade them anyway......... 

[NARSES2]

Apparently some of the panel lines are "wrong".
Like I care...

It's not as if you were going to pre-shade them anyway......... 

What do you mean his not going to preshade them ?  Post shading is so yesterday