205 T16 Build

205 T16 Build

This is an illustrated build of Racing 43's 205 T16 Evo2. This particular kit could depict either the 1986 Acropolis Winner or the 1986 Tour de Corse winner. I chose the Acropolis version as Kankkunen was driving this particular car. I hope that this section will give you an idea of the level of detail in these models and of the care and attention with which they are built.

The first step is to clean up the parts in the kit.

cleaned chassis

This is the chassis following a clean up of the mould lines and removal of any significant imperfections.

cleaned body 1

This is the body shell following a clean up of the mould lines and removal of any significant imperfections

The next step is to spray the body shell. Each body panel is given a primer coat, which is then sanded down to remove any minor imperfections. A second primer coat is then applied, followed by 3 or 4 colour coats with much sanding between coats.

This is the front part of the body shell having been given it's final colour coat.

The remaining parts are now painted and assembled onto the chassis. Each component is painted, given a shading wash and then highlighted to bring out the detail.

chassis assy 1

This is the chassis during the initial construction stages. The handbrake, extinguisher, gear level and rear bulkhead are all attached at this point.

cleaned body 1

The results of the shading wash can be clearly seen on the seats.

chassis assy 2

The engine/drivetrain assembly begins. The use of dry brushing techniques helps to bring out the detail of the castings.

chassis assy 3

A nearly complete chassis assembly. The roll cage is in place as are the seats. Seat belts with photo etched buckles have been added and the interior decals are in position.

Rear view of the chassis assembly. Note the small piece of mesh over the air filter as well as the detailed dashboard and driver's foot rest.

The window frames on the body shell are now masked and painted and the decals are applied.

The body shell is now given several gloss coats to protect the decals and give a showroom shine to the finished model. The final assembly stage is to fit the windows to the body shell, the wheels to the chassis and mount the body on the chassis. Small parts such as windscreen wipers, mudflaps etc are now fitted and a final clear coat is applied - gloss or matt as appropriate.

The completed model is now mounted in a display case to protect it. This model is mounted in the larger diplay case with a wooden base and perspex cover.

A small label detailing the car's make/model, year, driver and championship is added to the base of the display. The labels can be customised to reflect any information the customer may wish.

Hopefully this page gives you an insight into the amount of detail in these models. Obviously the kits do vary in complexity, some are less detailed and some have so much detail as to be almost scale replicas of the real cars. Regardless of the kit's complexity, all models are built with the greatest care and attention.

info@miniaturemotorco.co.uk

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