BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Time to pimp them rides!
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mattbacon
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by mattbacon »

The 507 is making good progress as well:

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Chassis pretty much complete now. I did that detail painting and assembled the front suspension. Further reading makes me think there's a bit missing at the back: all my references talk about the rear axle being suspended on longitudinal torsion bars and located with a "Panhard Rod" and a rear A-frame. The Panhard Rod is the diagonal brace running parallel to the axle; the torsion bars are the black rods running along the car attached to the front and rear axles. I see no "A-frame". I need a shot of the underside of a BMW 507...

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First test -- does the chassis sit with all four wheels on the ground? Yes, it does... phew!

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Second test -- does the cockpit sit properly inside the body if it's stuck to the chassis, not the bodywork? Check... it does!

Tomorrow should see the 507 with full engine compartment detailing, and the LFA with all the "bits" attached to the body shell interior...

bestest,
M.
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Last time I used an A-frame it was to lift engines out of trucks ... I don't think that's any help.

Looks great, nice finish, even if the A-frame is missing :)
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Clashcityrocker
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by Clashcityrocker »

The Lexus is an Impressive looking machine, and the BMW looks very nice too.

Nigel
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mattbacon
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by mattbacon »

Didn't do as much on the LFA as I wanted today, but the 507 is progressing nicely...

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These are all kit parts, just with some detail painting.

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I decided that the best way to deal with the chromed windscreen and detail parts, which were covered in flash and injector pin marks, was to strip them, glue into a solid assembly, and then respray them with Humbrol Chrome Silver. And the clear part does fit -- I checked before polishing it!

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Getting the bonnet on and opening was a pain. Both plastic pins on the bonnet ended up being replaced with steel pin segments, and the transverse tube in the frame at the front of the bonnet folds the crossbar above the radiator,. With it removed, the bonnet opens fully, but there's going to be some fettling needed to get it to close fully tight...

bestest,
M.
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

The finish on all the parts is superb !
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Clashcityrocker
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by Clashcityrocker »

Bloomin' Marvelous Work. :grin:

Nigel
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mattbacon
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by mattbacon »

Thanks, guys! I'm really quite pleased to be able to post these: the "fettling" has been done...

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When I left off, the bonnet would open nicely, but hovered open with about a 1cm gap at the back. It would close OK if you pushed it down, but popped back up of it's own accord. Fortunately, I remembered that a while ago I'd acquired some small but strong magnets -- that's one covering the 10cm mark on the steel ruler. Turns out that you can fit one nicely into that silver box at the centre of the firewall. With a magnet in there, and a piece of old knife blade glued to the underside of the wide end of the bonnet, the magnet holds the bonnet closed very nicely. It's strange -- Revell have obviously designed the kit so the bonnet rides high in the middle, to sit flush with the raised chrome grille behind it. It's not warped -- the fit into the corners and along the sides is too exact for that. I can't really see from photos if this is prototypical, but it would be a lot of work to fix, involving flattening the bonnet, reshaping the sides to be straight again, and probably lowing the engine or shortening the air stacks/carbs...

Anyway... on with the LFA now.

bestest,
M.
ShaunW
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by ShaunW »

Tremendous work Matt, that looks first class and a great idea with the magnet!
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mattbacon
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by mattbacon »

Thanks, Shaun... the windscreen is on, now, and I'm glad I did build it up before painting...

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And then time for another test fit of the hardtop.

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Still needs glazing, obviously, but the fit is going to be OK!

bestest,
M.
ShaunW
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by ShaunW »

Lovely, that is going to look really something once it's finished.
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mattbacon
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by mattbacon »

Thanks, Shaun... and here's the next stage.

Wheels on the 507:
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The Lexus is not so photogenic at this stage, but progress is being made. The body shell now has all its grilles etc fitted, and the lights have been painted.

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The retracted rear wing has been carbon decalled (using some of the spare "patch" decal from the Tamiya LaFerrari, which has a better texture than any aftermarket product I won), because I decided that the blue wasn't a good enough match for the body -- one too few coats of the transparent glaze second colour, I reckon. It just goes to show that the only way to be sure with these two- and three-layer colours is to tape the "add-on bits" into window gaps, for example, and spray them all together. For whatever reason, the "extended" wing is a better match...

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And here it is... I think it makes the beast look pretty wicked...

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So... this is the bench tonight. The finish line is in sight, I reckon...

bestest,
M.
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mattbacon
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by mattbacon »

And since I've now put the 507 to sit on a tile so that the wheels set finally in a four-square, "feet on the floor" position, I thought I'd test out the hardtop again...

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...seriously, if someone offered me one of these two cars for real, I wouldn't know which to choose. Nice problem to have, though...

;-P

bestest,
M.
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Clashcityrocker
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by Clashcityrocker »

Both looking very good.

Nigel
ShaunW
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by ShaunW »

Indeed both of these look really excellent. In the world of lottery wins and being given the choice of one or t'other, I think the more classic lines of the BMW would win me over - rag top though as, weather permitting, I like to feel the wind in what's left of my hair :grin:
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mattbacon
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Re: BMW 507 and Lexus LFA

Post by mattbacon »

I think I agree with you, Shaun...

The LFA is finally assembled. It went together as well as I'd expected, though I was surprised to discover that the exhausts don't actually reach the ports in the rear of the body. Otherwise, no issues...

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..and with the pop-up wing popped up:

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They make a striking pair, I think. Last detailing tomorrow, I hope! Home straight, definitely.

bestest,
M.
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