Tamiya - 1:24 Nissan GT-R (diary)

I plan to build the model straight from the box.  Since I have overbuy the model and it is not my most favourious car, so I didn't buy the PE parts which sell separately.

Day 1 [11/6/08]: Spray the chassis. It mainly made up with two colors, s-g black (front and back) and flat aluminium (centre).  To be precise, the back panel should be made of carbon fibre, but I didn't use the CF decal because it would not be seen when finished.

Day 2 [15/6/08]: Assembling the front and back suspension systems, they are simple and required little paint works.  I didn't put on the discs yet because the ones come with the model are too fake and I still haven't decided whether to buy the PE parts.  I also grave the body's panel lines with a sharp needle.  As I look at the engine bay, I can't stand the flat flooring, so I mill it off with the milling tools (pic 1).
pic 1


Day 3 [16/6/08]: Work on the interior, I spray the entire interior with s-g black and the top of the central console with silver.

Day 4 [17/6/08]: Continue assembling the interior, I found the interior looks kind of plain with all black, so I painted red straps to the front seats as suggested by the instruction (pic 2), although the front seat for the white body version should be all black.  I also prime the body and separate body parts with white primer.
pic 2

Day 5 [18/6/08]: Spray the entire body and the separate body parts with super white.   However, the humidity is too high, the moisture condensed to water spots on the surface.  I would make sure the humidity is low when I apply the clear coat.

Day 6: [19/6/08]: Spray the front nose with metallic gray color.  Mill out the solid mesh portion part at the rear bumper (pic 3)
pic 3

Day 7 [20/6/08]: Spray the front nose and the skirt around the car with s-g black (pic 4&5).  I found that the metallic grey I spray at the nose is too light when compare to the real car.  However, I leave it as is.
pic 4pic 5

Day 8 [21/6/08]: Wash the chrome off the wheels (pic 6) the wheel will be colored in metallic grey; assemble the tail lights.

pic 6

Day 9 [22/6/08]: Paint the brake discs (I've decided not to buy the PE parts).

Day 10 [24/6/08]: Covered the body parts with white pearl.  Prime the wheels with gray primer.

Day 11 [26/6/08]: Paint the wheels with burnt iron color.

Day 12 [27/6/08]: Colored the headlight housing.  Hand brush the interior car interior in flat black.  It has been raining whole week this week the humidity is high, which keep me from applying the final clear coat to the body.

Day 13 [30/6/08]: I can't wait for the weather to turn dry for applying the clear coat.  I put a lamp with reflection bulb next to me so that as soon as I applied a layer of clear coat, I can put it under the lamp using the heat from the reflection bulb to vaporize the humidity on the surface and, touch wood, it works. Now I have to wait for a couple of day for the clear acrylic to dry before I do the final touch to the body.  When I inspect the smoothness of the paint work, I found two little indents on the hood, I carefully fill in the indentation with small drop of clear acrylic, hope they don't look obvious after the final touch (pic 7).
pic 7

Day 14 [1/7/08]: Spent most of the day wrapping up the model, including final touch and polish the entire body, put on the metal emblems.  Below are photo of the completed model (pic 8,9,10,11).
pic 8pic 9pic 10pic 11

Modifications:
1. Mill out the flooring in the engine bay;
2. Mill out the solid mesh at the rear bumper and replace with the mesh provided in the model;
3. Get rid of the chrome from the wheels and paint them in burnt iron;