A really good idea based on this "SKETCHPAD" I found in an American magazine...
An AMT model kit with an ALLISON engine and an old JOHAN kit that might have ended up in the trash. A 1/24-scale resin propeller from a SPITFIRE... The idea is set...
First, the car will be disassembled, the chassis will be refurbished, and it will be repainted aluminum on the rear section of the body to give it an original look...
Assembling the engine is fairly simple, and its size is quite substantial—that's the appeal of the kit...
The propeller is sanded and cleaned, and then the blades are adjusted in their housings using small brass pins...
The documentation is very helpful for the various hoses and wiring. The engine block is painted Humbrol satin brick red...
For the paint job: the pot in bright red and the blades in matte black...
At this stage, assembling the engine frame is straightforward—just a few Plastruct parts, a bright red paint job, and adding details like the large bolts...
Next, we begin outfitting the completely stripped-down engine compartment—which, however, reveals an extremely sturdy structure (with holes drilled in the bulkheads for a professional look)—to accommodate the engine and its enormous fuel tank...
Finally, the propeller housing is repainted in satin black, and the blade tips in matte yellow. A lot of work went into the chassis, where the original wheels were replaced with FORMULA 1 wheels to give the whole thing that essential racing touch...
Before repainting the body, I cut out the rear fenders and then installed fender flares shaped with EVERGREEN and TAMIYA MEDIUM and FINE putty...
Painting
In the end, the rather unattractive “Roots” bodywork was repainted in a yellow-orange shade over the aluminum, which gives it a truly stunning look...
To finish things off, a sexy and decorative "touch"—thanks to the sheet of road accessory decals from ITALERI...
The hood has been repainted in matte black, but since I didn't think it looked aggressive enough, I drilled holes in it, then cut it out to make room for a large air intake...
We are nearing the end of construction...
The interior has been redesigned, with additional reinforcements, higher-quality seats and harnesses, a massive oil sump with its cables and hoses, and the replacement of all the thermoformed windows...
Assembling the chassis to the body, upgrading the "front" engine, finishing the hood, and permanently installing the ALLISON...
The model gets a bit of "weathering" to make it look more realistic, and on the windshield, the little finishing touch of the "DRIVER WANTED" sign...
This monstrous machine will be featured in a salt lake-style diorama with 2 to 3 figures (driver/mechanics) and a PICK-UP tractor...That's a little crazy, don't you think? ...
