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Click on a link to order
a model or the logo to see the complete range from that manufacturer |
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We have another bumper crop for Le Mans modellers from PM including
no fewer than six of the cars from this year’s race. Ron Peggs
has already built the new cars, but more of that in a moment. |
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The Nash Healey
kit shares similar parts to the 1950 car we looked at in FSW 4/2003
and this in turn originally dates back to 1989. The castings are pretty
much as we would expect from PM these days with good panel engraving
and little flash, though on our sample the inner front wheel arch
on one side was very thin. This will be completely hidden by the wheel,
so should be no problem. The decals are clearly printed and a modest
amount of p/e provides the front grille, pedals and bonnet strap buckles.
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| The Aston is another that has been released previously but this time there have been quite a few amendments, the most significant being the increase in the level of p/e detail and the use of printed acetate for the side windows. The decals are very clearly printed but we have a query. |  |
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| This car was very patriotically decorated but PM have printed the red stripes and, even worse, red sections of the Union Jack in orange! When we queried this with them they referred us to a photo in the book ‘British Cars at Le Mans’ and we can certainly see why they went this route on the decals from this shot, though others elsewhere show a more traditional red. We find it hard to believe that such an overtly British project would have done this to the flag. Does anyone have a definitive answer? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taking a brief break for LM subjects we come to the spectacularly liveried Renault Clio. This is a factory entry in the French Rally Championship and Simon Jean-Joseph won the Lyon-Charbonnier round earlier this year. |  |
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| The kit shares most
of the same parts to the previous Clio releases we’ve see this
year from PM with the exception of the opening panels. The livery
is spectacular with a metallic yellow and grey scheme fading together
using a net pattern. The instructions show two ways of achieving this
scheme but we think something may have got lost in the translation.
For those who wish to two-tone paint, the yellow sections of the net
are provided as decal. We would just paint the yellow and then lay
over the grey decal with the net design showing through. It will all
make sense when you see the decals! If you only ever build one PM
rally car, make it this one! Over to Ron Peggs now for his thoughts on the first of the 2003 Le Mans releases:- Stupendous, magnificent, just over two weeks after the great race, Provence Moulage have issued kits of six of this year’s entries, including the first three finishers and the class winning Prodrive Ferrari 550. Because of the commercial nonsense found in many areas of motorsport these days, Provence Moulage will not be offering the whole grid, the first time in nearly a decade. I only hope the models to be provided by others are to the same high standards that PM continually achieve. (With BBR and Spark filling the gaps, there shouldn’t be too many problems, Ed). In the meantime some comments on these first issues. PM have not improved their wheels since last year, there are no gurney flaps and their carbon fibre decals are just not good enough. I have commented at length before on these matters and leave it to you, the model builders, to decide whether to replace these or use alternatives on your models. For the carbon fibre use BBR decals (BBD014 or BBD015) and alternative wheels are listed alongside each subject. What are outstanding are the decals, which on all of these models are superb with even the finest lettering being accurately reproduced. |
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Click on a link to order a model or the logo to
see the complete range from that manufacturer |
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| PM2829 Bentley EXP Speed 8 LM2003 #7/8 | ||||||||||
| The runaway winners and a model that catches the lines perfectly. The usual crisp mouldings that take only minutes to prepare for painting. The parts cleverly adapt so that the different rear wing configurations are easily achieved. As always I have not attempted to build the rear wings on the bodies before painting. |   |
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| Most of these parts
need a carbon fibre finish anyway and PM have not advised that the
rear wing should be painted gloss black as the Bentley lettering was
black. They also fail to mention that the area below the silver side
flashes is also black, as in previous years. Whilst on the subject
of colours, PM provide a list of colours to be used but do not tell
us on which parts they should be used!! So what’s the point?
Something of an oversight! I painted the wheels green on my model but am now informed that they should definitely be black. PM provide ample p/e panel fasteners and arrows on their decal sheet but not all of the clip locations are recessed and you may need further reference material to accurately locate them all. (Automodelisme (AUTO2003) hadn’t been printed when Ron built these, Ed). The vacforms are very accurate and the whole kit makes a fine model of this years winner and runner up. (Alternative wheel set RENA074) |
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| PM2832 Audi R8 Champion Racing LM2003 #6 | ||||||||||
| A deserved 3rd place for the Champion Audi. Not much to report on this one. Very good standard PM Audi, again only takes minutes to prepare for paint. Perhaps the only weak point being the poorly defined grilles adjacent to the cockpit, soon improved with some pieces of Tameo grille (TMKFT044). |  |
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| Add a few Replicas & Miniatures nuts and bolts (RMC026A) and you have another fine model. The Champion decoration is becoming a mini collecting theme in its own right. (Alternative wheel set RENA074) | ||||||||||
| PM2831 Ferrari 550 Maranello Prodrive LM2003 #80/88 | ||||||||||
| Class winners, class act. It’s
so good to see so many Ferraris back at Le Mans. A class act from
PM too. Great shape, great roll cage, great wheels in this kit so
no need for replacements. Good photo-etch also means that there is
no need to add any extra details. In fact, why not build both cars? |
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| PM2830 Spyker C8 Double 12R Team Orange LM2003 #85 | ||||||||||
| Saving the best until last from these first issues. The Bentley will be a big seller, but even if you don’t collect full grids, get this one. Terrific castings so you are soon into paint and build modes. I hand painted the black areas, instead of using the decals, and used chrome Bare Metal Foil (BMF) for the air intakes, replacing all other silver coloured areas with aluminium Bare Metal (BMFA). This is a slow process but the results are sensational. PM also cross-reference some of the colours to be used. A good model that will take pride of place alongside the winners in your collection. One final note, the seat at scrutineering was red with a black back and black seat belts, information not given by PM. (Wheels used RENA075. These are not strictly correct but the closest available and much better than those in the kit). | ||||||||||
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| Classic Jaguar Miniatures well
made kit of the Lumsden/Sargent lightweight E type that we looked
at last time also contains decals to make a mysterious red and gold
version. After the high profile exploits at Le Mans and other top
drawer events, the car was used with some success by jockey and amateur
racing driver John Carden. The model checks out well when compared
to the only colour photo we could find (in Chris Harvey’s ‘E
type, End of an era’ now out of print). |
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| An interesting and
finely built addition to any Jaguar collection. The signed Le Mans model is equally well finished and each of the fifty numbered pieces are presented on a large display base bearing the signatures of the drivers, Lumsden & Sargent, and the designer Dr Samir Klat. |
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