With all the interior items painted and fitted and the vac form representing the windows in place the base can be screwed to the body shell with the two self taping screws provided.

A small amount of the white metal had to be removed from the radiator ducts so as the base could fit in to the body. Generally the kit fitted together well, although the front axel has to be placed in the chassis before fitting to the body and the rear axel placed in the body shell.

Not a problem when you have been building for a while but could be a potential problem for new builders. If you had super glued the wheels to the axels before checking you would not be able to put the front one’s in without having to remove the dash and refit.

So it’s always a good idea to check the fit of all parts before starting a kit. It will save you time and hassle later.

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The next stage can be to paint in all the detail and fit the ancillaries such as lights and light covers etc. or you can place the decals. I guess it’s up to you which you do first. I’m going to do the decals first this time. As I said earlier if the decals are older than about 5 years, coat them with Microscale Liquid Decal Film to stop them shattering when placed in water. If you're unsure as to their age do it anyway, it will not hurt them but you could stop a potential disaster, the last thing you need is to ruin the decals as they are usually un-replicable.

You will need to be a little more accurate when cutting them from the sheet as you will have to cut as close to the edge as possible other wise the decal film can leave a dirty line around the decals.If the model has been left standing for a while them make sure it’s clean and dust free, you don’t want dust under the decal or greasy finger marks on the model as decals will not adherer to grease.

I always start decaling from the roof down, if you do it the other way round you can damage the decals that were placed earlier but you can put the decals on over a few days so as they are completely dry before the next ones are placed.

My method for decaling, cut decals as close to edge as possible, soak in warm water until decal is easily slid from the backing sheet, place on the model then brush on Microscale Micro Sol or simular to soften the decal so as it will conform to the shape of the model.

During this process you can warm the decal with a hair dryer. Soak with the decal softener as many times as necessary to get the decal to lay flat. When I have achieved this, I then brush on Microscale Micro Set and leave to dry. You can of cause use the hair dryer if necessary to assist this if you are in a hurry. When they're dry to the touch, clean with a lint free cloth and clean water to remove any stains or fluid marks left by the decal sol/set. Do not rub too hard or you will damage the decal. Until it fully dry a good 24 hours in a warm room will achieve this better than the hair dryer.

Dave Eames

Dave has travelled many continents in search of models and built over a thousand himself. He is one of the many passionate collectors of model cars. The 1/43 has become the collectors' scale, enjoyed by diverse enthusiasts from the man in the street, to rock stars and royalty alike.