Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Tamiya 1/24th Scale Lotus Super 7 Series II x 2.
As most here will know, for the last few years I've been plagued with severe, progressive Rheumatoid Arthritis, and more recently, Osteo Arthritis too. Due to the precautions in place because of the Covid pandemic, I haven't been able to receive the treatment I would normally get every 12 to 18 months, which has resulted in me experiencing severe "flare up". with very painful and severe restrictions in movement, particularly articulation of hands and wrists, with very stiff, swollen and painful hands, fingers, wrists and upper arms, as well as similar problems in shoulders, knees and feet.
Consequently, I haven't been able to do any modelling recently, although a temporary course of steroids has eased things a little, allowing me to attempt at least some work. But I've found that trying to work in 1/48th scale, even the fairly simple "refurb" on the "633 Squadron " Mosquito, is very difficult, awkward and, at times, quite painful - I just can't physically handle the small parts, or hold the model securely, and even picking up parts or tools is a protracted, clumsy, frustrating and difficult task.
So, rather than go totally crazy ( I'm part way there already ! ), I decided to attempt something that I hope may prove easier to handle, in a larger scale, although I expect it will still be a bit of an uncomfortable and partly frustrating journey.
It's many years since I've built any car models, so I very recently purchased some 1/24th scale kits, these being two of the very nice Tamiya Lotus 7's, and a couple of Ford Escort rally car kits, to do as replicas of the Mk.I and Mk.II cars I used to own and rally in the 1970's and 1980's , which will be covered in separate threads eventually.
The Lotus cars will be built "side by side" in this thread, and I hope will finally see a long-held desire come to fruition, as I intend to modify both kits slightly, and finish them in the colours worn by the Lotus Formula 1 cars, in the late 1960's and up to the mid 1970's, as "road going " vehicles one might see on the highway., which will be described later in this thread.
The Lotus 7 was a classic, now iconic, sports car, designed by Colin Chapman, and in production, by Lotus Cars, from 1957 to 1972.. ( Incidentally, the Lotus factory is on the site of Hethel airfield, in Norfolk, UK, a former 8th USAAF B-24 base, and the runways and taxi track are used for car testing by the company.)
The design was then "taken on" by Caterham Cars, a long-time Lotus dealership, and re-named the Caterham 7, still in production today, but with many modifications and up-rated engines, including the powerful Coworth BDA twin cam power plant. and was, and still is something of a "cult" car, retaining the look of the original.
Both models will be modified, and some kit parts, such as wheels and seats, replaced with suitable resin or "spare" items, and no doubt a little scratch-building will also happen here and there.
The Colour Schemes
The colour schemes will be the main visual difference, compared to the "average" Lotus 7, whether it be a model or the real thing, and these will be based on two visually attractive schemes worn by the Lotus Formula 1 cars in the period already mentioned.
Traditionally, Formula 1 cars had always raced in "National Colours" ( or sometimes in manufacturer's colours, if a private entry ), such as French Blue, German Silver, Italian Red, British Racing Green, and the orange of New Zealander, McClaren, to name a few.
However, in 1968, things started to change, and commercial sponsorship of an increasingly expensive sport started to appear in a big way when, instead of just a few advertising "stickers", the entire car would be finished in the sponsors colours.
The first of these major sponsors was Imperial Tobacco, one of who's brands was Gold Leaf, and Team Lotus became Gold Leaf Team Lotus, with the Lotus 49B F1 cars (and eventually other Formulas too) wearing the red, white and gold livery for the first time, at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1968.
This livery was retained, though various Marques of Lotus F1 cars, up to the end of the 1971 season, when Imperial Tobacco decided to launch a new cigarette brand, and specifically combine this launch with continued sponsorship of the Lotus team, in a completely new colour scheme, for the 1972 Formula 1 season, a move that, apparently, had a huge impact on the sales of the new brand, which saw instant success - remember, this was long before anyone even seriously thought about the harmful effects of smoking, or a ban on cigarette and tobacco advertising, in an age where the majority of adults smoked.
The new brand was John Player Special, and from 1972 until 1978, the Lotus cars appeared in the striking black and gold colour scheme, as John Player Team Lotus, and like the new brand of cigarette, they too were very successful.
The Models.
Although both models will be built more or less "out of the box", there will be very noticeable differences between the two and, as previously mentioned, some modifications and enhancements will take place on both. The colour schemes, although strongly influenced by those of the F1 cars, are not intended to be strictly accurate ( the shape of the Lotus 7 wouldn't allow this anyway ), but more of a "concept" scheme, the sort of finish a private owner might like to have on his or her car, and in the case of the Gold Leaf colours in particular, something I would certainly like if I owned a Lotus 7, as I've always liked the look of it, and remember being very impressed by this "different" car, with Graham Hill behind the wheel, when I first saw it, a a teenaged motor-sport enthusiast at the time.
The Gold Leaf Team Lotus model will have the front wings (fenders) removed, to be replaced with individual, scratch-built "bicycle style" mudguards, and a full roll bar added, along with a driver's racing seat, the kit provided alternative parts for the "Aeroscreen" twin wind screens, and a few other modifications, to represent a road-legal "Clubman" race car. The kit wheels and tyres will be replaced with wider, resin "alloy" wheels and racing tyres. Decals have been sourced for the Gold Leaf logos etc, intended for the F1 Lotus 49B.
The John Player Special model will retain the looks of the "standard" Lotus 7, with the flowing wings and full windscreen, but again, the wheels will be replaced, resin seats added, and a few other small modifications and additions made. Decals have been sourced for a JPS F1 car, although only a few of these will be suitable.
As both models will be shown in this one thread, each will be identified accordingly and, no doubt, there will be some "jumping about" between the two, depending on the progress. at each stage of the individual builds, and I'll try to ensure that each is clearly identified.
Both versions need some preparation, and planning for the build sequence before construction begins and, unlike the average aircraft model, the main painting has to be done before construction can begin, although decals and small details can be done at a later stage. This painting, particularly for the three-colour scheme for the Gold Leaf example,
will probably be slightly tricky, as the body consists of three parts - main body, bonnet (hood) and nose cone - none of which can be properly joined until the suspension and steering etc are fitted.
The pics below show the colour schemes which have inspired this project, along with some initial work required in order to utilise the "add- ons" etc, and the captions should explain this.
Apologies for this rather long introductory post, but I can assure you it has hurt me more that it has you - after typing this lot, my wrists, shoulders and neck are hurting like hell !
Back soon, after a rest, with a bit more info etc.
Pic 1. Box art from the latest (2020) release of the Tamiya kit, which now includes some PE parts, and adhesive seat belts, the latter I will no be using, replacing them with suitable fabric
Pics 2 and 3. For those unfamiliar with the colour schemes, this is what the Gold Leaf and JPS cars looked like (pic source, the Internet, in Public Domain).
Pic 4. The kit seat bases and "backrest", typical of a "standard" Lotus 7, temporarily in place. The passenger seat will be retained on the Clubman racer version.
Pic 5. The resin seats intended for the JPS road version proved to be too wide for the narrow cockpit..
Pic 6. Simple solution - saw them in half, trim and sand back to make them narrower, and then re-join them. This resulted in a lot of pain, stiffness and discomfort for some hours afterwards !
Pic 7. Comparison with original and modified seats. The joints have yet to be filled, but will be covered with "flock paper" anyway, to represent the fabric texture.
Pic 8. This shows that the seats now fit. Grooves have been filed and sanded on each side of the seat base, to allow clearance for the harness lap straps.
Pic 9. Both resin seats suitably "converted", and awaiting clean-up, painting and "upholstery".
Pic 10. The Gold Leaf version will retain the Lotus passenger seat, but will have a separate racing seat on the driver's side. This was sourced from the "Belkits" Escort Mk.1 kit, and suitably modified to fit. (the Escort will have resin seats fitted when built).
I'll be back when my neck, shoulders and wrists have recovered, meanwhile, I hope you have found this interesting, and I look forward to, hopefully, producing a couple of interesting, and slightly different models.
As most here will know, for the last few years I've been plagued with severe, progressive Rheumatoid Arthritis, and more recently, Osteo Arthritis too. Due to the precautions in place because of the Covid pandemic, I haven't been able to receive the treatment I would normally get every 12 to 18 months, which has resulted in me experiencing severe "flare up". with very painful and severe restrictions in movement, particularly articulation of hands and wrists, with very stiff, swollen and painful hands, fingers, wrists and upper arms, as well as similar problems in shoulders, knees and feet.
Consequently, I haven't been able to do any modelling recently, although a temporary course of steroids has eased things a little, allowing me to attempt at least some work. But I've found that trying to work in 1/48th scale, even the fairly simple "refurb" on the "633 Squadron " Mosquito, is very difficult, awkward and, at times, quite painful - I just can't physically handle the small parts, or hold the model securely, and even picking up parts or tools is a protracted, clumsy, frustrating and difficult task.
So, rather than go totally crazy ( I'm part way there already ! ), I decided to attempt something that I hope may prove easier to handle, in a larger scale, although I expect it will still be a bit of an uncomfortable and partly frustrating journey.
It's many years since I've built any car models, so I very recently purchased some 1/24th scale kits, these being two of the very nice Tamiya Lotus 7's, and a couple of Ford Escort rally car kits, to do as replicas of the Mk.I and Mk.II cars I used to own and rally in the 1970's and 1980's , which will be covered in separate threads eventually.
The Lotus cars will be built "side by side" in this thread, and I hope will finally see a long-held desire come to fruition, as I intend to modify both kits slightly, and finish them in the colours worn by the Lotus Formula 1 cars, in the late 1960's and up to the mid 1970's, as "road going " vehicles one might see on the highway., which will be described later in this thread.
The Lotus 7 was a classic, now iconic, sports car, designed by Colin Chapman, and in production, by Lotus Cars, from 1957 to 1972.. ( Incidentally, the Lotus factory is on the site of Hethel airfield, in Norfolk, UK, a former 8th USAAF B-24 base, and the runways and taxi track are used for car testing by the company.)
The design was then "taken on" by Caterham Cars, a long-time Lotus dealership, and re-named the Caterham 7, still in production today, but with many modifications and up-rated engines, including the powerful Coworth BDA twin cam power plant. and was, and still is something of a "cult" car, retaining the look of the original.
Both models will be modified, and some kit parts, such as wheels and seats, replaced with suitable resin or "spare" items, and no doubt a little scratch-building will also happen here and there.
The Colour Schemes
The colour schemes will be the main visual difference, compared to the "average" Lotus 7, whether it be a model or the real thing, and these will be based on two visually attractive schemes worn by the Lotus Formula 1 cars in the period already mentioned.
Traditionally, Formula 1 cars had always raced in "National Colours" ( or sometimes in manufacturer's colours, if a private entry ), such as French Blue, German Silver, Italian Red, British Racing Green, and the orange of New Zealander, McClaren, to name a few.
However, in 1968, things started to change, and commercial sponsorship of an increasingly expensive sport started to appear in a big way when, instead of just a few advertising "stickers", the entire car would be finished in the sponsors colours.
The first of these major sponsors was Imperial Tobacco, one of who's brands was Gold Leaf, and Team Lotus became Gold Leaf Team Lotus, with the Lotus 49B F1 cars (and eventually other Formulas too) wearing the red, white and gold livery for the first time, at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1968.
This livery was retained, though various Marques of Lotus F1 cars, up to the end of the 1971 season, when Imperial Tobacco decided to launch a new cigarette brand, and specifically combine this launch with continued sponsorship of the Lotus team, in a completely new colour scheme, for the 1972 Formula 1 season, a move that, apparently, had a huge impact on the sales of the new brand, which saw instant success - remember, this was long before anyone even seriously thought about the harmful effects of smoking, or a ban on cigarette and tobacco advertising, in an age where the majority of adults smoked.
The new brand was John Player Special, and from 1972 until 1978, the Lotus cars appeared in the striking black and gold colour scheme, as John Player Team Lotus, and like the new brand of cigarette, they too were very successful.
The Models.
Although both models will be built more or less "out of the box", there will be very noticeable differences between the two and, as previously mentioned, some modifications and enhancements will take place on both. The colour schemes, although strongly influenced by those of the F1 cars, are not intended to be strictly accurate ( the shape of the Lotus 7 wouldn't allow this anyway ), but more of a "concept" scheme, the sort of finish a private owner might like to have on his or her car, and in the case of the Gold Leaf colours in particular, something I would certainly like if I owned a Lotus 7, as I've always liked the look of it, and remember being very impressed by this "different" car, with Graham Hill behind the wheel, when I first saw it, a a teenaged motor-sport enthusiast at the time.
The Gold Leaf Team Lotus model will have the front wings (fenders) removed, to be replaced with individual, scratch-built "bicycle style" mudguards, and a full roll bar added, along with a driver's racing seat, the kit provided alternative parts for the "Aeroscreen" twin wind screens, and a few other modifications, to represent a road-legal "Clubman" race car. The kit wheels and tyres will be replaced with wider, resin "alloy" wheels and racing tyres. Decals have been sourced for the Gold Leaf logos etc, intended for the F1 Lotus 49B.
The John Player Special model will retain the looks of the "standard" Lotus 7, with the flowing wings and full windscreen, but again, the wheels will be replaced, resin seats added, and a few other small modifications and additions made. Decals have been sourced for a JPS F1 car, although only a few of these will be suitable.
As both models will be shown in this one thread, each will be identified accordingly and, no doubt, there will be some "jumping about" between the two, depending on the progress. at each stage of the individual builds, and I'll try to ensure that each is clearly identified.
Both versions need some preparation, and planning for the build sequence before construction begins and, unlike the average aircraft model, the main painting has to be done before construction can begin, although decals and small details can be done at a later stage. This painting, particularly for the three-colour scheme for the Gold Leaf example,
will probably be slightly tricky, as the body consists of three parts - main body, bonnet (hood) and nose cone - none of which can be properly joined until the suspension and steering etc are fitted.
The pics below show the colour schemes which have inspired this project, along with some initial work required in order to utilise the "add- ons" etc, and the captions should explain this.
Apologies for this rather long introductory post, but I can assure you it has hurt me more that it has you - after typing this lot, my wrists, shoulders and neck are hurting like hell !
Back soon, after a rest, with a bit more info etc.
Pic 1. Box art from the latest (2020) release of the Tamiya kit, which now includes some PE parts, and adhesive seat belts, the latter I will no be using, replacing them with suitable fabric
Pics 2 and 3. For those unfamiliar with the colour schemes, this is what the Gold Leaf and JPS cars looked like (pic source, the Internet, in Public Domain).
Pic 4. The kit seat bases and "backrest", typical of a "standard" Lotus 7, temporarily in place. The passenger seat will be retained on the Clubman racer version.
Pic 5. The resin seats intended for the JPS road version proved to be too wide for the narrow cockpit..
Pic 6. Simple solution - saw them in half, trim and sand back to make them narrower, and then re-join them. This resulted in a lot of pain, stiffness and discomfort for some hours afterwards !
Pic 7. Comparison with original and modified seats. The joints have yet to be filled, but will be covered with "flock paper" anyway, to represent the fabric texture.
Pic 8. This shows that the seats now fit. Grooves have been filed and sanded on each side of the seat base, to allow clearance for the harness lap straps.
Pic 9. Both resin seats suitably "converted", and awaiting clean-up, painting and "upholstery".
Pic 10. The Gold Leaf version will retain the Lotus passenger seat, but will have a separate racing seat on the driver's side. This was sourced from the "Belkits" Escort Mk.1 kit, and suitably modified to fit. (the Escort will have resin seats fitted when built).
I'll be back when my neck, shoulders and wrists have recovered, meanwhile, I hope you have found this interesting, and I look forward to, hopefully, producing a couple of interesting, and slightly different models.
