Tamiya Subaru Impreza 98 WRC

After completing my last build I decided that my next one (this) I would take more care and attention with the hopes of making my best replica yet. So out came the kit and on went the paint. Everything was going well until I started the rear decals, I was actually on the phone so I wasn’t careful or paying much attention, added the micro set without checking, a couple of minutes later I looked and the decal must have slipped. Gutted! It’s £20 for a new kit (eBay UK) but having to start again and then getting a kit which would end up with no decals is just not gonna happen, normally it would go back in the box and on a shelf but then you end up with 5 year builds and £££’s on decal sheets.
So now my best model yet unfortunately won’t be so, anyway pics!

Box Art


Painted and cleared




Slowly slowly upmost care and attention


Dead

That's a shame Ash.

I have a LOT of experience with decals and can say this, you simply cannot afford to become distracted while applying a decal until it's absolutley down and done. But we live and learn.

My advice would be to either live with it or better still strip off the decal, buy a new decal sheet from HERE and start again.

Place to get the decals is second from last in the list. I've dealt with them numerous times and found them to provide an excellent service. No guarantee the decals you need are still being made by Tamiya but it's certainly wirth a phone call.

What ever you decide, it's looking good anyway.

Thanks for the list Al, I’ve been on HLJ and they have the complete kit for £13 and I have things to be shipped but no, 13 on that could be 13 towards the lancia delta which comes out next month, that’s only £22 so I’ll get that instead and kill those decals.

Hello Ash, good to see you back on here. A quick thought. Have you considered giving multiple passed with Microset on the decal. It claims it will eventually lift it and enable you to reposition. I've never needed to try this in the past but It's just a thought.

Hi Mr H, I made it back. Thanks to you tbf, I’ve been trying to get back in since you mentioned it at Christmas but had forgotten my username (stupid I know)
Yeah I tried it, not sure if there’s some trick to it, I put a drop of microset on and covered the wobbly bit but it didn’t seem to do anything, left it on for ages then wiped it off and reapplied but still nothing. Maybe you have to warm it up, I’ll do some googling.

Maybe keep at it with the Microset keeping it soaked and going over and over with a brush not letting it dry out?

It give it a go in a bit when I get back on the decals and report back with my findings later on.

That's a bummer. But like Dave said, Microset would be good to try. I used it once on a decal that I had mistakenly put on upside down on the underside of a motorcycle fender. I successfully freed the decal and rotated it as it should be.

I tried guys but it wouldn’t come off.

I did finish the decals though but it didn’t go amazingly well, probably because once I’d ruined the back I kinda lost my mojo with it but it’s getting finished regardless



Molotow chrome markers are amazing



Slight cracks on the body lines one one side and the other side has a crack at the top where it stuck to my finger taking it off the backing

Hi Ash,

It's still looking good though Sir, maybe do some weathering as if it as just finished a stage...

Andy...

Cheers Andy, that’s what I was thinking but I’ve managed a bodged fix, I had a spare bit of yellow so I chopped it up and stuck it down.. it’s better than a blue line and it’s on the side I won’t see when it’s in the cabinet. The only thing I can’t hide is the slanty U on the back, but again it will be front facing so doesn’t matter.
It’s clear coated now and drying in the cupboard.
Decals didn’t shrink either, so may have overcome that, just need to get better at laying decals down and paying attention.
I’ve got 2 tamiya escort cosworths and I’m reluctant to start them, of the 2 one has good decals (pilot) because you can’t get the decals anymore and I don’t wanna mess it up they have to stay there until I’ve cracked decals and I’m a model god, like you guys.
Dmodels are releasing 2 escorts at the end of the year and I’m hoping someone releases the pilots again, there are museum collection martini livery ones available but £40 is too much.
Another essay by me

I’ve also got a Reji Audi S1 in the cupboard which for me is another gem. But resin and decals and oooo no, I’m not ready for that either

Hi Ash,

I'm useless when it comes to using decals, so I just tend to make the vehicle as the none racing version...

Quite a few years ago I did a Subaru for a lad I knew, he had one and wanted a model of it, I'll have a look in my loft to see if I kept the decals, if I still have them, I can post them out to you if you want, but as I mentioned it's been a few years so can't promise I still have them, but will have a look for you anyway...


Andy...

Guys, as you all know I LOVE doing decals and have a lot of experience using them. I should shortly be painting and then decaling the Alan Mann Escort so I'll work up a tutorial at the same time and post it in the tutorials section.

There really is nothing to fear, only fear itself.

Thanks Andy but it won’t be necessary, I did my bodge and clear coated the body, my fix looks better that I thought and the clear with a bit of polishing should look decent.
I’ll post some pics when I’ve finished the rubbers, can’t do it now I can’t see anything on my desk for all the mess I’ve created but I know it’s there somewhere

Perfection doesn’t exist in my world - although we all aim for those dizzy heights, and I have nothing but admiration for those with the skills and ability to get things spot on,
but even the best of builders will point out their model’s faults.
Even so, it is disappointing when things go wrong.

A guy told the same thing this morning Ron about gods making mistakes and on mine the inevitable happed.

Painted the window rubbers and pulled off the tape bringing some decal with it.
This was after I’d spoken to the above chap who told me I’d messed up and why. Good call he was right, I’d seen that some decals didn’t seem to have adhered in some places and it was visible through the clear, apparently this is because I should have cleared the body before fitting decals. Lesson learnt.
I’m not sad or disappointed exactly the opposite, I would rather mess a build up because I didn’t know something big rather than kill a pride and joy kit for the same reason.
I’ve ordered a new kit and going to do that better hopefully, we shall see.

Didn’t see the point of making another wip, it’ll be pretty much the same as the last one but with some pe harnesses and bonnet catches.




Majority of the paint looks ok but the large areas have some nasty orange peel, not sure if to try sanding it down but I’ll probably make a mess so not overly keen on it.

That's looking good Ash.

Methinks the 'orange peel effect' was caused by by not achieving a proper 'wet' coat. It's a delicate balance between to dry, (orange peel) and too wet (the paint runs) It comes with experience though.

If you still have the old body, why not strip it completley, re-prep and practice your technique on it? Can do this several times.

Cheers Al, I quite fancied a street version with the other one but I’m not allowed, according to powers that be it must stay as is

I love it !
No paint job doesn't have a slight amount of orange peel. Leave it be, it's beautiful!

Thanks guys! I’ve started the sanding process and taped over the decals so I don’t kill them whilst I’m scraping it and so far so good.
I’ve decided to put magnets under the bonnet and on the big spotlight thing for quick removal purposes (not that I’ll ever pull them off, but you know) a cf dash as per the google pic I found with loads of tiny silver switches and I’ve no idea how I’ll mimic them, but I’m not buying any so that’ll be interesting when I get to that stage.
Any ideas how to make switches which you can barely see? They are the toggle type.

I’ll be back when there’s something to report no matter how good or bad

Beg, borrow, steal or as a last resort buy, (washes mouth out LOL) the finest strene rod you can find. Gently nip one end with just the tip of a pair of pliers. Round off the crimped en at the corners. Cut a little longer than you need. Drill the correct size hole in the dash and insert 'switch' painting before or afterwards.

Cheers Al I’ll give it a go once I’ve got the body sorted