Mazda MX-5 Miata

I'm breaking out a kit I recently bought for just $16.00 at the hobby shop to build this weekend as it is a long one here.  Ambitious of a project for me since it takes me forever to build anything and that is one of the reasons I'm trying this.  Another objective with this build is to try and curb my obssesive compulsive tendencies (yes I have a few) and lastly if I can achieve that than it should give me a boost in getting back in the groove and complete some of the stuff I started here.  Once this is posted I'm on the hook and have to get to work, good thing I have Monday as well  

The kit and srpue shots...







Alright off I go to the bench to get started.

Looks like a nice kit and will be waiting for progress updates

You'll pull it off NP Denis, apart from being curbside, it apparently doesn't even have a body!!!

Excellent, I look forward to watching this.

Hi Mr S,

Is the engine detailed or is it just the sump etc that shows...

Andy...

Skid wrote:You'll pull it off NP Denis, apart from being curbside, it apparently doesn't even have a body!!!

I thought I had the body pic up when I looked at the preview.  Guess not haha!  There you go...



Last night's goal was to have all the parts cleaned up and the body painted and clearcoated.  Result: Total Fail!
I didn't expect a Tamiya body to take up 3 hours to clean up but this one had some hard mold lines on all corners, windshield frame and some nasty crazing happening on the trunk.  It also came with a round mark to put a Eunos badge on it but this isn't that version.



Regardless of that I was good and ready to go with the paint job.  Testors One Coat system dries really fast and could clearcoat the base an hour after so I went with it and decided to do a fade paint job starting with Inca Gold which laid down perfectly.  I went on with the second colour Bronze and that's when things went sour.

Looks good from afar...



but far from good...



Sometimes pictures make things look better than they are and this is case here.  The spray was very uneven, have so pithing and some spitting that made it on the gold away from the fade area so It's worse than it looks on here.  I'm a bit surprised because I used the same can for another car and it went on smooth. I was ready to accept an ok paint job for this but this is in the disaster category.  I hope to be able to sand it down and fix it up so I haven't thrown in the towel but the odds aren't in my favour here.  

I will update later with hopefully some positive results.

I'm sure you'll tidy up the paint Denis.

The round mark isn't for Eunos badges, it's for the side indicator repeater lights on Eunos Roadsters, I have a Jap import for many years. The Euro spec MX-5 has them too, never seen a Miata so I can't comment on them.

i did this kit about 2 years ago, went together no drama so look forward to seeing how you get on

I also did this kit some time ago. Like Paul, it went together just fine. Also looking forward to seeing your finished product.

I owned a 1994 full size US spec, in red of course. I updated the kit to make it a '94. The Miata was one of the best and most fun cars I ever owned. Had it for 9 years and put 100k miles on it. Almost no maintenance. Lowered it, put bigger sway bars on, put on adjustable Konis, and installed front shock tower brace. Handled like a slot car. I miss it!

I have an original NA 1.6 Pete. I bought it 16 years ago, sweet little car. Still have it too!

The latest chapter in this weekend built...
I sanded the body where needed and looked good to be salvaged until I hit the trunk.  it looked good until the paint had time to flash and dry...20 minutes and saw this...



I just can't seem to catch a break. I have to toss the body in the lake for stripping so I'm packing up this weekend build and will pick it back up another time.  On the plus side I still feel like building so I will put my efforts into my truck.

Damn the Luck. Stay with it I like the fade paint job and the colors involved in it.

A shame about the paint.  I've felt using air brush gives more flexibility, but they can vary and sometimes even different paints from the same company ( same paint type) can react.  Room temp/humidity also can mess with what would otherwise be a perfect job.  No wonder we've all "lost patience and gone crazy" with some models.  Good luck and patience with this one.  When you're done you can feel more pride for having pushed thru the barrier!

Last update on this...I forgot the body in brake fluid and while I was doing some cleaning up around the bench I fished it out. First I found the top of the windshield frame had cracked cleanly right in the middle, when cleaning up the body the plastic felt incredibly soft. I gave it a pull to check the structure and it tore right up, not broke or snap but tore like paper. So I did the right thing and put it right out of its misery and mine. So needless to say this WIP will never see a final product from it but the parts box will be fed.

Al - You can delete this thread and save the space for something more constructive.

Sorry to hear this.

Wow, never herd of this. I have left shells and parts in BF for more then a year and never had this happen.
I will never do that again. Thanks for posting this up Denis.

Shelby wrote:
Al - You can delete this thread and save the space for something more constructive.

Ah nuts! Denis. That's areal shame.

Like Curt, I have never heard of this or had it happen to me. Tamiya plastic too!

Ya it's a little crazy, just about two months to the day. Oh well moving on to clean things up and figure out what I'm going to work on.