WIP: Ferrari 330 P4. Group build project for FB model site; The Basement Airforce #3 Final

I have been working on my Ferrari like a mad man.  I have not update the blog, but this here update will be the final WIP.  It had been completed.  3 months and 2 weeks later.  The Group Build moderator was nice enough to extend the build for me.  As you all know, the decals of this kit were incorrect. The whole kit was wrong...car was from 1968 Le Mans and decals from 1966 Daytona 24hrs Nard Car....which was a P3 412, not a 330 P4.  ANYWAY...in the end, I built the kit car complete, minus the side view mirrors.  Here we go...

 After first stripping the chrome from the model, I primed with black Tamiya paint.  Then sprayed it with silver Vallejo Air.

Here is the mix I used for the gold color on the rims. 

The rims looked a bit boring, so I used Citadel shade wash on them.  This particular color was perfect for the gold rims.  This product likes to accumulate into the recesses.   

Comparison with a shaded rim and a plain one.  The depth the shade brings out is intense.    

All that is left is to paint the center hub lock silver and shade that too with black. 

Base colors of the underside of race car.

Transmission with washes (Tamiya) 

Intercooler 

Now with washes

Chassis assembled and painted.  Now to add wheels.

NICE!  I like it so far.  Fujimi got a number of things wrong, even some fit issues but hey...

Prepping for the aluminum interior body color 

Masking is a must.  You don't want overspray to ruin the surfaces so any holes or gaps need to be covered.  I dislike masking....like a lot!  LOL

Finished interior color.  Vallejo Air Aluminum.

Now that the interior is complete, time to mask to protect it from the primer and red 

Almost forgot the air fins on the front.  These were etched metal and a real PITA to put on.  Broke one off during the clear coat process!  Putting it back on with little damage was a miracle.  

Mr Surfacer 1000 with leveling thinner 400.  Good stuff.  Next car I will get 1500 or 2000.  This stuff was sandable and goes great.  Very resilient. 

Looking good and acts as a microfiller too.  

Tamiya Flat Red going down. Combined with Leveling Thinner 400 it went down wonderfully.

After a little light sanding

Next was acrylic Alclad II Aqua Gloss.  This helps lock in the paint, allows me to add enamel washes to the lines to add definition and provides a smooth surface for decals.  

After some decals, I wet sanded the aqua gloss.  Then I waited.....3 to 4 weeks for the new #24 decals to arrive......

I waited 3+ weeks for this crap!  The size was good, but the green outline was not solid enough and over a red colored car the green turned brown!  $40 out the fucking window!  The kit cost less.  Pissed off was an understatement.  In the trash the decals went from Fallout Hobbies.  

So back the wrong number I went.  BUT since all the decals were wrong and even the car was wrong, I guess I just shoulda done it this way from day one.   

This decal was in a bad spot.  The instructions show it there, BUT the real car had the rear number over the rear window.  I had to use the hair dryer to help flatten it better and get snug...along with the decal softeners. 

Had to manually cut the decal for this application! Scary.  

On! 

Locking it in with Mr. Hobby Super Clear 3.  GREAT stuff for non-2 part clear coats.  

More masking.  Forgot to take the photo with the full mask, but this was all covered.  I had to cut the tape thin to get it to bend around the lights, then mask off rest. Painted the light housing black, BUT this is NATO Black which is a bit grey.  I added a few drops of black to get it a bit darker.  I thought for the scale the car is in, it looks more real.  

Has to paint the lights a silver color.  Found the Tamiya modelling q-tip to be the perfect size.  Fit between the center nub and the radius of the light, so I just swabbed it in a circle.  perfect! 

Front lights done, directionals dipped in Tamiya Clear

I originally wanted to use the Ammo product, but it did NOT come out as good as I thought.  So I used Tamiya clear product and man was it a hit!  Still the best stuff on the market for this application.

Test fitting....but wait!  oh no....Problem was, you have to put it on from the rear first.   

Starting to wet sand the clear coat.  Here is an example of a wet sanded piece next to one that is not. 

Painfully slow process to avoid rubbing off clear and paint off the rivets and high points...it was nuts. 

Disaster #1.  Busted off! SHIT.  

Fully wet sanded

Dipping some rear lower lights that I almost forgot about!  

Getting ready to mate... :-)

3 Step Tamiya polish is great.  This is the first step.  Examples of 1st step polish and just wet sand. 

Test fit.  Those tank tracks are for my KV-1...hint, model to see next. 

Last time you will see anything good from that window. 

Rear lights.  I like them.  Upper halves amber and lower red with perimeter silver for the metal housing.  

Polished the wind shield with the final step.  No dipping in Future.  

OMG, almost forgot to paint the Ferrari badge! More masking. 

Before the final disaster. This is after step 2, the Fine polish. 

So after the finish polish, step3, I wanted to rinse the compound away from certain parts of car.  OMG, what a mistake,  I used my airbrush to carefully spray but I forgot the window had small gaps.  The water leaked through dragging the compound with it!  stains!!!  No way to open her up at this point with out potential disaster.  I will have to live with it until after the voting on the group build....lets hope I don't destroy it cause with these dirty water marks I cant even enter it into a local show.   

After the final waxing.  Like glass.  Final Reveal in separate update.