Ferrari 641 French G.P. 1990 Alain Prost

At the rate that I build these kits and the rate that I have been buying them, I will never be able to finish all of them. So, right after I'm done with BAR 006, I have to start my next project.

The next project is Ferrari F1-90, more commonly known as 641. The kit TMK 375 is the French G.P. version which the Professor, Alain Prost, scored Ferrari's 100th Grand Prix win.

Hopefully, it won't take me 5 months to finish this guy.

Also, I just bought the kit of the car that won Ferrari's 200th Grand Prix win. It is F2007 at Chinese G.P., piloted by the Iceman, Kimi Raikkonen.

Animals and Ferrari Red

Guess what I got?

 

My animals from Italy are here! A 2 year old Green Rabbit and a 1 year old blue parrot! Sorry Black Bison, 3 years ago, you were not good enough in 2009 to deserve the WC name, and you will not be in my collection.

Now that I am winding up the BAR 006, I guess I should finish the Ferrari 641 first and then decide what should I build afterward. My current project at work will come to a conclusion by the end of next week and I do not have anything lined up yet. So, I will probably have some extra time to play with model cars.

Going back to the Ferrari 641. Which red is the correct red for the car? On TV and on photographs, the car is just red. But in real life, Ferrari F1 machines that I have seen were not exactly red. F310, F399 and F2000 that I've seen looked like they are in fluorescent red with a hint of orange. So, anyone has any idea which red Ferrari 641 is supposed to be in?

Holy Crap!

The BAR 006 project is idled. Partly because I was on vacation and was too busy doing other stuff.
When production is stopped, but purchasing is still going on, the net result is an increase in inventory. In the past couple of weeks, I bought these:
1967 Honda RA300 SRC kit
1976 Tyrrell P34 - Tameo made 3 versions of the 1976 car, the Dutch GP version with a different nose, the Japanese GP version with the roof like thing above the air funnels of the DFV engine. The version that I bought is the Swedish GP version that looks the same as the old Tamiya kit that I put together when I was in second grade.
1987 Williams FW11B - I bought another TMK version and the WCT. The price was just too good to pass. $40 for the TMK and less than $75 for the WCT! I had a TMK version of the FW11B in stock already, but the seller of that kit already started some assembly on that one. This one is brand new and I am going to use the other one as a back up. 2010 Red Bull Racing RB6 - this is by far the biggest find so far. Due to licensing issue, the kit is actually called Green Rabbit. I have been trying to track one down since I learned of its existence. When I saw it listed and it was a "Buy it now" item, it's a no brainer.

BAR 006 11

Next week is Canadian Grand Prix. 12 years ago, I saw Jenson Button in his debut season with Williams. As a half-ass British National, and a long time Williams fan (I mentioned Alan Jones and FW07 was one of my all time favorite driver car combo), I immediately started to root for this young gun. (I even bought the BMW Williams Jenson Button cap and I still have it!). Since then Button drove for Beneton, then BAR, which turned into Honda, and then Brawn which he became the Champion. He moved on to McLaren and Brawn GP got picked up by Mercedes.

It's been an interesting 2012 season, 6 races with 6 different winner. I hope McLaren will do well!

Work resumed on the BAR 006. Even though I do not have any proof that decal softener played any part in my recent decal tragedy, I'll try to use the heat gun (hair dryer method) more and minimize the use of chemicals.

Since Tamiya's clear proved to be too hot for decals, as suggested by a number of people from online forums, I am going to try this:

Mr. Super Clear from Mr. Hobby. I will definitely try it on a scrap piece and make sure it is not going to mess up before spraying on the car.

Side note: My uncontrollable shopping urge continues. I bought a couple more kits. This time, McLaren MP4/23. Since I am going to try Alclad II chrome on the MP4/22 I bought earlier, I may as well do another chrome car. Sounds logical?

Also a Ferrari 643.I was building a Meri one and messed up big time. Mainly because the instruction was very poorly written. Hopefully, this Tameo kit will be better.

BAR 006 4

Got an email from PMI that my PMP exam eligibility will expire by the end of June. Ooops, so I quickly registered to take the test in the end of May. That means I only have about 1.5 months to prepare for it. So, instead of building models, I'll be spending my free time studying. Anyways I have to wait for the 2 copies of F1 Modeling that I bought from eBay to arrive before I really can continue. I need those reference pictures to know where the black parts are painted or naked carbon fiber.

Starting to mount the pieces on tooth picks to get ready for primer. That's all I did this weekend. Not going to spray at least till I come back on Thursday.

My order finally came in. I stopped by Marty's store on Saturday to pick up 2 1990 Ferrari 641, 1976 McLaren M23 and 1976 Ferrari 312T2. I ordered the M23. But at my current pace, I have no clue when I will be able to touch them.

Weather has been nice in Chicago lately. And Holland Bulbs are blooming along Michigan Avenue. Very pretty.

I think I need help

I am not a Ferrari fan. Yes, it has a very colorful racing history. Yes, they made a number of amazingly good looking race cars and road cars. Yes, I did dream of driving one when I was in grade school (who doesn't?). When I started to get interested in F1, it was during the ground effect car era followed by the turbo era. It was a period when Ferrari was not the best on the grid.

So, why am I buying so many Ferrari models lately? Unbuilt ones in stock include: 312T2 (FDS), 312T3 (Tameo Super kit), 312T4 (SRC), 640 (Raccoon), 643 (Meri), F93A (Tameo), 412T1 (Tameo), 412T2 (Tameo), F2000 (BBR version and Tameo). One simple reason is I like building models, but I am not too fond of complex paint schemes. Ferrari, being just one color (except F93), and no complicated livery means that, not much masking and not much decal softener work needed.

Besides Ferrari's, my recent purchases also included a number of Williams and McLaren. Williams FW11B (Tameo), FW14 (Tameo), FW14B, FW29, and a McLaren MP4/22.

And I have 4 more on order: a 1976 James Hunt McLaren M23, 1976 Niki Lauda Ferrari 312T2 and 2 Ferrari 641/2...

I am probably compensating for those childhood years when Mom and Dad (typical Asian Parents) kept me from building models thinking that my favorite hobby would distract me from my school work. Haha.

Black Beauty Arrived

Found this in the mail today! Another one from Tameo's WCT series. Mario Andretti's 1978 Lotus 79. A DFV powered ground effect car. This black and gold JPS livery is a classic.

1000 page views and another successful snipe at the bay

Today, this blog hit 1000 pageviews. I'm not sure how many of these pageviews are from people who really reads my posts, or just stumbled upon here from search engine results. Anyway, 1000 is a milestone.

With a bunch of new kits on the shelf, I was not really planning to buy anything for a while. But then, I was Lotus 79 Tameo WCT kit, I relapsed. It's probably a good piece to sit right next to my Williams FW07B. Afterall, the FW07 was designed based on the Lotus 79 (can't you see the resemblance?).

Red Packet for the New Year

Giving and receiving red packets (usually a red envelope with lucky money inside) is a Chinese New Year tradition. And I am more than happy to found a red package in my mailbox! Meri Kits Ferrari 643! A very simple kit, the casting was done quite well.

Now, what should I build after I finish the Simtek? So many choices...

Arrival

All those kits that I bought before new year started to come in.

All that is left is a Meri Kits Ferrari 643.

First, take a look at the Meri Kits Tyrell 012's instruction sheet:

Look who did the prototype? It was Luca Tameo!

Here are the rest of the Tameo Kits that I got:

TMK012 Alfa Romea 184T

 TMK119 Benetton Ford B189b

TMK121 Leyton House Judd CG901

TMK267 Brabham BMW BT55

Going to Detroit this weekend, won't have time to work on the Simtek. Next Monday is Chinese New Year, the beginning of the year of the dragon. Hopefully, I will make more progress.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Happy 2012.

I thought the Alfa Romeo would be my last kit purchased in 2011.
I was wrong.
Before the year 2011 ended, I purchased 2 more Meri kits from the bay. 1985 Tyrrell 014 and 1991 Ferrari 643. I am hopeless.

 

Tyrrell 014

Ferrari 643

And New Year's day morning, I snatched up 2 more kits from Tameo. Continuing my quest of collecting backmarkers, I grabbed a Brabham BT55 and a Leyton House CG901. So, 2012 started pretty well so far.

Brabham BT55

Leyton House CG901

Brabham BT55 was Gordon Murray's last car at Brabham before he moved to McLaren and helped Steve Nichols to design the very successful MP4/4. Leyton House CG901 was Adrian Newey's design before he got fired by the team in the summer of 1990. Newey joined Williams that same year and the rest was history.

Wish whoever reading this all the best in 2012!

Yeah, it's an addiction

Sigh... Couldn't help myself. I Bought another kit from the bay. Another addition to my collection of also ran backmarkers, a 1984 Alfa Romeo T184. Benetton ditched Tyrrell and sponsored Alfa Romeo in 1984 and 1985. Then the money went to Toleman and eventually Benetton bought Toleman and formed Benetton Formula 1.

My continuing effort to help the Italian economy

Building the SRC kits made me appreciate the thoughts that Tameo Kits put in when designing their products.

Even though I have way too many kits on the shelf that I couldn't possibly finish in a year, I bought 2 more in the recent weeks.

Both are the backmarkers of the 1995 season. Tyrell 023 and Simtek S951. Simtek folded in the middle of the season, but who can forget the purple car with the MTV logo on? I like Tyrell 023 may be because of all the Tamiya marketing of its 1/20 kit back in the days.

I know I'll build the Simtek to Jos Verstappen's #12. But for the Tyrell, I cannot decide whether it should be Mika Salo or Ukyo Katayama.

Bailing out Italy

They arrive! 2 old kits from FDS. A Ferrari 312T and a Ferrari 312T3. They are pretty simple kit with not much detail. It'll be fun to build, probably won't take too much time. Can't wait to build them. But I'll have to finish the Williams FW07 and FW07B first.

For the 312T, I'm planning to build it into the Niki Lauda version. For the 312T3, I have no choice but to make it the Carlos Reutemann version. The body is molded with the air inlets that are on Reutemann's car but not Villeneuve's car.

My way of bailing out Italy

Adding a couple more pieces to my collection

I know I should not. But I can't help it...

Bought 3 kits on the bay.

1. Provence Moulage kit Senna's Ralt Toyota F3
2. FDS Ferrari 312T
3. FDS Ferrari 312T3

The hobby store just got a shipment from Tameo Kits! Not sure what new stuff do they have, can't wait to check them out this Saturday.

(Even though right now, I have way more kits than I can finish)

My Addiction: 1979 Williams FW07

Ooops I did it again.

I went to the store to pick up some paint and ended up with this:

Another SRC kit, another Williams, but this one is a 1979 FW07. May be I should build both at once to save time.

Next Project Preview - Ferrari 312T3

This came in today. Tameo TMK 335 Ferrari 312T3 Canadian GP 1978 Winner Gilles Villeneuve.

Although it is a TMK, I think it's as complicated as any of the WCT kits. I guess the only reason it is not a WCT is that Gilles Villeneuve was never a World Champion. I was thinking about building this after the Williams FW07, but seeing the complexity of it, may be I should build a couple more simpler kits first.

My Addiction: Lotus 97T and Ferrari 312T3

As if I don't have enough unbuilt kits, just added 2 more kits to my inventory. First one is Lotus 97T, the car that Senna had his first GP win. And the other one is Ferrari 312T3 Canadian GP, which legendary Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve took first place the first time in his home GP.

I guess these will have to wait after I finish the Toleman TG184 and then the Williams FW07. That means sometime in 2012? 

Next Project Preview - 1980 Williams FW07B

Even though I am not even half way through my current project building the Tameo Toleman TG184, I've already planned out my next project. It's a 1980 Williams FW07B!

I was only planning to pick up 2 bottles of paint from the hobby store. But here's what I ended up with:

It's an old kit from SRC. I was checking out what Tameo kits the store has, but nothing really whet my appetite. I starting checking out other manufacturers and came across a bunch of SRC stuff. Among them, this Williams FW07 Alan Jones. And I know I have to get it.

FW07 was the first F1 car that got me interested in F1 racing. I was in second grade when FW07 in the hands of Alan Jones kept winning races and the championship. Back then, my dream was to buy a Tamiya FW07 RC car. I saved enough money to buy one, but my mom never allowed me to spend that kind of money on toys (to compensate, as an adult now I spent a lot of money on toys...)

For those not familiar with SRC, here is a Japanese guy's blog that I follow, he just finished a SRC made Lotus 78. Really impressive. Lotus on Alfa & Macchina