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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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| Since our reviews
of the first of the 512 kits we’ve had a bit of feedback regarding
both the accuracy of shape and the buildability. There are one or
two question marks over the profile of the rear deck, |
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| which some feel has been better captured by other makers, but there seems to be unanimous agreement that the level of detail and way it all goes together is excellent. The first batch of kits had a bit of cleaning up required around the panel lines but this one is much better, though there is still the odd porous area that will need a little filling. The decals are well printed but don’t feature the silver number background on the driver’s side which is unfortunate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The two BMS Scuderia Italia kits contain what appear to be identical
parts with the only difference being the instructions. The decal sheets
look to include all of the small detail differences between the Estoril
winning #23 car and the 5th placed sister machine, though you might
find the photos in the FIA GT yearbook (ISBN2930354143) helpful for
some of the placements. Otherwise the kit is the familiar combination
of well cast resin and metal, extensive p/e and flat acetate for the
windows. Very similar parts will make the Prodrive car from the Petit
Le Mans ALMS round, which qualified fastest of the GTS cars and finished
2nd in class. For the Olive Garden car from the same race, BBR introduce a new innovation but unfortunately haven’t updated the instruction sheet to tell you about it! Gone are the p/e frames to be attached to acetate windows and in comes what they call ‘BBR rubber-print technology’. Basically the windows have an adhesive rubber gasket printed on that means that there is no glue or fiddly p/e to make a mess with. If we’ve understood their email correctly you simply peal the pre-cut windows from the backing and fit them to the recess on the bodyshell. We will be very interested to see what you all think of this innovation. If it works it will make life much easier for kit builders. The Grand-Am 360 reverts to the more familiar p/e framing and captures the lines of the American modified racer very well. At first glance it looks like just another red 360 but look a little closer and compare with the European race cars and there are a number of quite major differences to the bodywork. |
     
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| At first glance the two hand built Ferraris are stunning. The Boano bodied road car is beautifully proportioned and the two tone paint superbly done, apart from two tiny blemishes on the boot lid. From most angles it looks great but one or two pieces of the p/e detailing aren’t on quite straight. There are no such blemishes on the Breadvan and the build is superb throughout. At Brands Hatch this car featured slight extensions to the trailing edges of the rear wheel arches and these are omitted on the model. A shame, because it’s absolutely flawless otherwise. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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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| The initial reaction
on opening the first of these kits is that this is one of the worst
resin castings ever seen, but then you find the little slip of paper.
The surface is full of lumps and pitting and it will take hours to
clean up, DON’T. |
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| The car ran on the Mille Miglia in bare aluminium and so showed the hammer marks left by the Zagato craftsmen. There are odd small bubbles which will need careful attention and the panel lines are a little shallow but there is nothing serious to worry about. This is a prime candidate for Alclad (ALC001) aluminium paint. Period race reports state that the car ‘...flew off the road into an orchard, its fall broken by a well placed pear tree.’! The bodywork on the road car and American race version is nice and smooth but again the engraving for the latter is very shallow. The road car is cast in a hard grey BBR-style resin rather than the more waxy yellow used from most of the rest of this range and the panel lines are very deep. The kits are overall pretty simple with etched wire wheels and a well defined p/e sheet which includes the front grille, dash panel, body side trims, and side window frames for the very clear vac-formed windows. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Fiats are modelled in similar style but again the panel engraving
will need a little attention. On these it is quite wobbly and it
may be better to fill the shut lines and start again, especially
on the doors. The ancillaries are all well made and, like the Maserati,
the p/e fret includes side window frames. As the built models that
we looked at in FSW 3/2003 show, with a little effort they do build
very well. The Lancia Astura is much better with well defined panel
lines, vents and studs for the tonneau cover, though there are a
few bubbles to fill. |
  
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On this model the bonnet shut line is very generous and this shows
up on the otherwise well finished hand built. |
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| 1970 wasn’t the best year for Ferrari at Le Mans, the Nart car may have finished 4th overall but these four all retired within four hours of the start. The #6 car broke a conrod after just 7 laps while Ragazzoni driving the #8 works car inadvertently took himself and the two Fillipinetti cars out in one accident! |  |
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| The models are all beautifully built and finished with flawless paint and carefully applied decals. The decoration is spot on from all of the race photos that we’ve found but there is a question mark on the Fillipinetti cars. We have a paddock shot of the rear of the #15 car which shows the stripe continuing all the way down the tail of the car. This photo was obviously taken some time before the race as most of the suppliers logos are missing but should the stripe still be there for the race? We would be interested to see a rear end race shot. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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