By Lars Wahlström | 09.01.2023 13:27
In 1977, as a Christmas gift from my brother, I got a model kit of a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray in 1/8 scale. The kit was made by Monogram, but the same kit was later also released by Revell. There were editions with the body in both red and blue plastic. I noticed quite immediately that the detail level was low, lower than many models in 1/25 scale. Not even the doors were operable and the chrome-plating quality was really poor. Comparing with the French Heller's super detailed 1/8 model kit of the Citroen B15, which I built earlier, the Corvette was toyish and a real disappointment for an experienced modeller. But I decided to take it on anyway.
By Geo Tziafas | 07.07.2023 10:55
In the following tutorial I will share with the reader, many photos and explanations about the construction of the Alfa 33TT, I hope it will help and guide, for those who want to build this magnificent MFH kit, but this experience is valid for other similar kits of the same brand. This tutorial, very descriptive and with many good photos, can also serve as a general guide for other MFH kits in the same scale.
By Ricardo Gonzalez | 06.05.2023 18:09
When I saw this Tamiya kit, I felt like I could do something special by adding aftermarket detail sets and doing a bit of scratch-building. My goal in writing this tutorial is to share with the reader the work I've done, not only in assembling and super-detailing the model but also in showcasing a customization by changing the look proposed by Tamiya.
By Geo Tziafas | 05.08.2023 12:23
Starting a Hiro kit build is essentially starting a game of chess. Each move affects the next and the slightest mistake may cost in fitting or detailing issues. In addition, as in the famous board game, the more moves (test fits) you are ahead the better you can predict the way they will interact with each other and the less likely it is to be checkmated during the final assembly.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2023 11:11
Therefore, I finally decided to modify the Tamiya's T4 kit in order to build my T5 model. I would like to make it clear that I am not criticizing Protar kits. I have built many of them in the past and they are very useful for me at the present time. In addition, you can build a T4 from a different point of view, at a different time and enhance your collection.
By Mario Covalski | 03.01.2022 11:26
Since I built my first Tamiya 1/12th kit, a certain number of years ago, around 30, I was fortunate enough to build many times the same models in different stages of my hobby modeling “career”. The Tamiya Wolf WR1 was released in 1978, after a good campaign of the 1977 season considering it was a small motor racing team. On those times Tamiya owners were F1 fans and in less than a year this incredible kit was already into the market Of course this kit have been superseded by newer technology, nevertheless, it still astonishes us. As soon as it appeared, I built two, with both versions of decals; at the beginning of the ‘90s, I built the third and finally, in 1998 the last one I put here for your consideration.
By Mark Laird | 03.28.2021 10:54
I wanted to build the Revell 1/12 Ferrari F2002 for a long time, but I waited until I got extra detail parts, to somehow superdetail it. So in addition to the kit, I procured the Brain Fawcett correction kit, Marlboro decals and the Scale Motorsports super detail kit. The Brian Fawcett correction kit has accurate resin brakes, wheels, spindles, valve covers, additional engine parts, a new transmission and suspension parts all in Resin.
By Fabrice Marechal | 02.22.2021 14:14
Probably this has been for many years one of the most desirable kits in 1/12 scale. This article aims at leading the reader into the building process, solving several problems of the kit due to the lack of details or wrong represented and plastic injection problems lacking of the necessary quality of a kit in this scale.
By Roger Knight | 02.22.2021 14:13
The model is based on the 1966 LeMans winning car (almost - more about that later), which finally, after some years of trying, ended Ferraris 6 year dominance of the classic race. The GT40 first appeared at LeMans in 1964 with 4.2 V8, basically the same engine that took Jim Clark to victory in the following years Indianapolis 500 but at LeMans it proved fragile.
By Mario Covalski | 06.01.2020 11:51
This article aims at offering an illustrated guide, with pictures, explaining step by step the tasks that should be done, how to and the reasons, it’s basically a visual guide, based on the construction of two MG models: the 2002 Ferrari and the 2003- GA.
By Ricardo Gonzalez | 05.05.2020 13:26
I decided to build, superdetail and customize this Tamiya kit, due to this subject beautifulness. A stunning futuristic motorcycle where great part of the engine and other structures are exposed which allow modelers show all those details we spent many hours on without the frustration that later will be hidden under the fairing. Thus, it’s possible to present the built model showing all the work made without having to separate the body to appreciate all the details added during the construction.
By Mark Laird | 03.09.2020 11:36
I got this model back in the 90s for less than 100 US dollars. Although I do not have the “Perfect Parts” detail set for this model, I purchased the Thunder Valley Essentials detail set, which is two photo etched frets, a resin airbox, aluminum funnels, a pack of different pieces of aluminum, clear tubing and shrink tubing....
By Mark Laird | 05.13.2019 13:54
For years I wanted to build the 1/12 Bandai STP Turbine car. It is very unique piece of Indianapolis history, but the price that they were bringing was just more than I was willing to spend. I was lucky enough to find a complete kit on eBay for 200 US dollars. It was a “Buy it Now”, so I purchased it, and waited for it to arrive.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 04.01.2019 11:15
During the last 40 years, many kit manufacturers have put into the market a lot of versions of the Mini, from the legendary Austin Mini in the 60s to the “Mini” from BMW. This article is devoted to the 1/12 Tamiya Rover Mini Cooper 1 3i. This Japanese and world- famous brand among modelers for their top-quality products, offer a wide range of 1/12 models; unfortunately most of them, discontinued. One of the main characteristics of those Tamiya big scale kits, was the great deal of parts and details for example the 1/12 Porsche 934 Turbo, released in 1976, one of the most emblematic kits of the brand, comprising over 400 parts.
By Mario Covalski | 01.13.2019 22:51
Chevron presented us some time ago a conversion kit, that allows us to transform the Tamiya's 1/12 Tyrrell P34 1/12 scale in its 1977 homonym. In this note I will describe which were the problems I found in building this complicated and compound kit, and the way I solved them.
By Fabrice Marechal | 05.12.2018 11:39
Certainly, Italeri offer us a kit that, once finished, is really a beautiful and shocking model due to its size, we are not accustomed to seeing a Fiat 500 in 1/12 scale. There is very little to be changed or improved to make the most of it. Unfortunately, some construction steps are not easy to understand and instructions are not always clear. In this respect, Italeri did nothing to facilitate the modelers’ work, and assembling the headlights, window frames, bodywork, etc., are a bit complicated. I built the model almost out of the box, enhancing the painting and assembling was correct and error free as far as possible, and I think it will be an excellent guide for those who want to face this project, having in advance the difficulties you’ll have to face and a good painting guide.
By Mario Covalski | 05.01.2018 12:37
Two years ago when I decided to build all Ferrari's "T" era cars in 1/12 scale, I only had few options. One of the most conflictive models was the 312T3, so many were the differences regarding the Tamiya's T and T4 models that it seemed impossible to start from them. I decided to get all the T3 information I could, pictures, diagrams, etc, it was not so much what I could find but enough to realize the difficulty this project would carry out, having a 1/20 Tamiya's 312 T3 was of great help in this stage.
By Mario Covalski | 04.18.2018 10:59
In May 2001 I wrote a brief preview on the Protar's 1/12 Alfa Romeo 179. This wonderful Formula One was one of the few cars in modern F1 history which chassis and engine were the same brand. Is this model really difficult? This is the key question for this model, and the answer is NO. If it were a Tamiya model, that is to say the same matrix but injected with Tamiya plastic and having the quality control of this huge Japanese company, I would say that this is one of the most delicious models I have ever built. Unfortunately, it has some flaws, mainly due to its poor quality than to the work of the Protar craftsmen.
By Mario Covalski | 04.16.2018 15:26
This article will be useful to anybody who wants to pursue this project, I decided to write it in the form of an instruction manual, following the steps set forth in the Tamiya's instruction manual, but also indicating all modifications to be made in order to insert the "Perfect Parts" metal parts, along with suggestions and advice on my experience with this model on every stage of the construction.
All general recommendations on the use of CA and handling of metal and photoetched parts can be found in the previous articles.
By Mario Covalski | 03.01.2018 14:44
This article aims at leading the reader through the assembly process of a Tamiya Datsun 240Z in 1/12 scale. On next pages, I’ll explain the different techniques I used for the construction of the models, and though some of them are obsolete, they’re still very useful for beginners. Although this article is focused to novices, I think that even will be useful for advanced modelers to take ideas and several recommendations, if they have not built this kit yet.
By Jose I. Hernandez Diez | 12.13.2017 12:43
Tamiya have been offering high quality motorcycles kits very detailed and good presentation. If you add to this the modern detail sets, the result will be a superb museum piece that will look striking in any showcase, this is the case of the of the Yamaha YZR M-1 (#14104) to which I added several aftermarket. The aim of this article is to share with readers my experience in the construction of this model with these extra sets, so here I will basically refer to their use.
By Ricardo Gonzalez | 11.05.2017 10:40
The Ducatti Panigale is to my liking one of the most spectacular motorcycles of the past decade. Thanks to Tamiya we can have a model of it, both were the reasons why I decided to build it trying to get the most detailed model I could , taking advantage of the fact that as it was a mass production model, it would be possible for me to get a lot of references. Not only I built and superdetailed the model, but also made a slightly and own customized version, a real Panigale, as I would like to have. The aim of this article, is to show with pictures and their comments the work accomplished as a guide and to give ideas of the details that can be added or showing in some cases how to do the different tasks.
By Keith Christie | 09.12.2017 11:41
Tamiya introduced this kit after the success of the 1/12 masterwork series of models. This is the second in the series released in December 2012 after the Ferrari Enzo. This article is devoted to novices so as to help them to build, which is perhaps, their first 1/12 model car.
By Omoto Kouzi | 05.18.2017 12:35
This is an outstanding work from our friend Omoto Kouzi. We hope you enjoy the pictures and encourage you to build a Tamiya Williams. We have a tutorials about the kit, not so detailed but good guide enough for newcomers.
By Omoto Kouzi | 05.15.2017 11:56
This is an outstanding work from our friend Omoto Kouzi. We hope you enjoy the pictures and encourage you to build a Tamiya McLaren 4/6. We have a tutorials about the kit, not so detailed but good guide enough for newcomers.
By Mario Covalski | 05.01.2017 11:23
My first motorcycle models, during the 70’s, were Tamiya’s 1/6 scale models. The parts were big but the building sequence was almost identical to the 1:1 scale models. Beginning with the 80’s I discovered the new scale for motorcycles (1/12), and found out that almost all of them used the same method to build the frame: first paint both halves and then glue them with the FINISHED engine in between. Something similar to airplane models, first you have to finish the cockpit and then you have to glue it between the fuselage sides and then paint everything; the difference here is that in our case (motorcycles) we paint the frame halves before gluing them.
By Mario Covalski | 04.18.2017 11:09
I wanted to add to my F1 1/12 scale collection the 1976 T2. Several years ago I built a Protar T2, but as the result didn't satisfy me, I sold it. Sometime ago I bought another Protar T2 with the intention of modifying and/or detailing more the parts if necessary. After studying the kit very carefully, I understood that this was not possible, at least for me. Then.... what can I do?. Some months ago I had the opportunity of buying several Tamiyas 312T, for different projects I had planned and as I had still one left, I decided to use the T as base and some parts of T2 that I could not make, adding other necessary details. I anticipate you the end, to arrive to what I wanted, the Protar and Tamiya's parts used needed several changes. In the following note I explain you, which were the involved modifications and how I made them.
By Ricardo Gonzalez | 03.20.2017 11:06
By Mario Covalski | 06.01.2016 10:31
During the 80’s decade Tamiya offered what was going to be their last kit in their superb collection of 1/12 F1 models, the car was the Renault Turbo RE20. After that, the modelers had to suffer a drought of 10 years, until we had the chance to see a new model in this very well known collection, the Ferrari 641/2, which was issued in 1991. This is my second attempt with this kit, the first was many years ago, and I only remember that it was “a little bit complicated”. So, I want to begin this note with three concepts which are: 1) this is a very complex kit (I will say why later), 2) objectives, and 3) planning.
By Fabrice Marechal | 04.04.2016 19:41
This article aims at sharing my model construction which was built out of the box adding a personal touch, removing the chrome from plastic parts that look so unreal, and some details that advanced modelers will be able to reproduce.
By Mario Covalski | 03.01.2016 16:56
If this is your first 1/12 kit (it would be better it were not), I advise you to take a decision right now: if you will build it following literally the instructions, if you will add the suggestions provided here, or if you will intend to superdetail the model, trying to copy to the utmost the details that can be seen in the offered pictures.
By Ricardo Gonzalez | 12.22.2015 13:47
By Alex Nahooy | 12.15.2015 11:14
The Derek Gardner designed Tyrrell 007 made his marks true the ’74 and ’75 seasons.In expectation of there new P34 challenger the first 3 races of 1976 were raced by the final and revised version of the 007.
I would liked for MFH to have made the ’75 version,but by making the ’76 version MFH could use more parts of the Tamiya P34…resulting in this beautifull transkit ;correct rear wing and support,rear radiators ect.Most of the rear end parts of the 007 indeed come from the Tamiya donor ( Engine,gearbox,suspension and rear wheels).
By Antonio Busciglio | 07.28.2015 10:56
This article is about the assembly and detailing of the Tamiya Honda NSR500 from 1984, using the awesome Hobby Design detail set and other aftermarket stuff, such as rivets, bolts heads and so on. The model is a recent release from Tamiya, and the detail of the kit is astonishing. Given the very peculiar characteristic of this motorcycle, as the fuel tank placed below the engine, and the exhausts infront of the driver’s chest, I decided to show the cowling not placed on the chassis.
By Mario Covalski | 07.01.2015 11:38
Among the articles I had in mind to write about, there was one that headed my list, and without any doubt, It was about the Brabham BT44. By the end of my youth, I saw this beautiful, simple and successful car, running in Buenos Aires, driven by Carlos Reutemann, one of the most expert F1 drivers of the last 30 years. The purpose of this note is to show simple guidelines following the instruction manual steps, recommending some details that can be applied to improve even more the original Tamiya kit.
By Robert Hughes | 06.01.2015 12:17
On the 7th of September 1975 Nikki Lauda would drive into the record books with a well driven 3rd place at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The race was won by Team mate Carlos Reutemann but all eyes were on the number 12 of Nikki Lauda because finishing 3rd was enough to secure the Drivers Championship for 1975. All of Italy rejoiced at Ferrari's first driving title since John Surtees in 1964. I had this Tamiya 1/12 scale model in my to do pile for quite some time and considering that 2007 was Ferrari’s 60th anniversary year there could be no better time to start work.
By Roy Fitzsimmonds | 04.01.2015 11:49
he large scale Airfix Bentley is a great model, if sometimes a little hard to find nowadays. There are often a few on eBay but you need to be patient to get one at a good price. I’ve seen them go for as much as £100, and as little as £35. I paid £45, which is a pretty good deal. First off, let me say that this isn’t a super-detailing article in the truest sense. I haven’t gone overboard, machining various bits in ally or brass, or re-making pieces in high tech workshops, but there are lots of fairly simple things you can do that will vastly enhance this model. Everything I’ve done can be done by the average "Joe Bloggs" at home.
By Thomas Halvarsson | 03.01.2015 14:12
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 12.17.2014 19:41
Nowadays, There are not a great many 1/12 car model kits available. Perhaps, you may find some, from Doyusha, Fujimi, Tamiya, Monogram, Revell, around the Internet. From my point of view, the 1/12 scale has some disadvantages with respect to the 1/24 scale, these models size and the apace they take at the time of being displayed either in your house or at exhibitions; besides one must be extremely careful with the details, since they will be more visible.
By Guy Golsteyn | 11.28.2014 10:50
Before opening the box, I advise you to take some time to admire the beautiful artwork decorating the box. True artists produce time after time gorgeous illustrations at the Tamiya factory, reflecting a perfect image of how beautiful a model you will find inside. On condition that you are willing to invest some time and effort of course. And to help you I will try to guide you through the building process to achieve this goal.
By Guy Golsteyn | 10.14.2014 12:21
I intended to build this Ducati almost “out of box”, meaning that I won't execute any sophisticated conversions or intensive super detailing. First of all this kit is already pretty good detailed, in spite of its age, and furthermore it's not a racebike, but a classic streetbike from the ‘80s that has never heard of carbon fiber or electronic devices. The only exceptions I will allow myself are the wiring which I will replace by thinner wires to add some realism, and the joint screws at the cowling exterior...
By Mario Covalski | 09.13.2014 18:53
In December 2004, I published an article about the 1/12 Tamiya Caterhams, based on two customized models I had built during 2004. By then and since 1993 that this kit was released, I had eight custom built Caterhams and with variants on the original subject manufactured by Tamiya. It’s not my intention to repeat all the introduction you can find in the note published in 2004, I invite you to read it > Here. Now, after three years, I decided I would finish some projects I had started, and in this note, I will share with you all about them with the help of good pictures. Though this is not a high technical content article as the one written in 2004, where I explain how every detail was accomplished, I hope it helps to encourage scale car modelers to build some of these beautiful kits.
By Keiichi Aoki | 07.31.2014 11:58
In 1970 when I was a little child, my parents bought me the 1/12 Tamiya Gold Leaf Lotus 49B. After 44 years and accidentally I discovered the model kept in an attic at my parents’ house. Fortunately, no part was lost, but obviously quality of construction was very poor, with no major modification and barely painted as well; remember I was a child who didn’t have neither a micro drill or other tools which are considered basic nowadays. Besides, many of the suspension parts even existent, were broken.
By Martin Klein | 06.17.2014 11:20
The Honda RC166 is the first historical racing bike of the 60’s that Tamiya ever made. This era of racing was full of technical innovations and so the RC166 is a 250cc 6 cylinder 4 stroke engine with 4 valves per cylinder and double overhead camshafts.
By Ricardo Gonzalez | 05.23.2014 13:18
This article aims at sharing my experience building this model. Nowadays, there’s a lot of aftermarket available that can be added to a Tamiya Yamaha, but this also involves time and higher level of skill. The model shown here looks detailed although it received additions that a not very experienced modeler could achieve. Along this article I’ll only explained what is considered as “extra details”. The rest will be found in the instructions indications.
By Mario Covalski | 04.08.2014 11:25
One of the biggest challenges for a modeler who builds motorcycles in 1/12 scale, is to modify a wire wheel and make it look realistic; specially without having to buy an aftermarket kit. Anyway, there are no kits for this kind of modification (except for one of the Acu-stion for the Tamiya XV1600 kit), so it's not possible to get one. So any modeler attempting to do this task must rely in his/her ability in order, to get a good result.
By Martin Klein | 04.01.2014 12:14
After building the Tamiya Honda RC166 I decided that this great bike needed company in my showcase and took out the Gunze (Mr. Hobby) Honda RC110 kit already waiting for a long time in my stash. This kit is sold out at the hobby shops but still available from time to time at a well known internet auction platform.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2014 11:35
By Roger Knight | 02.17.2014 10:28
When Mario asked me if I would consider writing an article on a project I agreed and then thought, which project would be most interesting… You see the vast majority of my models are very high value large scale Ferraris which although fabulous to build and make fantastic models are not particularly interesting to write about. There’s a lot of scratch building, adding nuts, bolts and some reshaping involved but using none of the skills you are not already familiar with so what might be of interest to a discerning and highly skilled readership…? I was helped when a client commissioned a fairly challenging model giving rise to the sort of project that may be interesting. This commission was for an exact replica of his own 1972 Porsche lightweight Carrera in 1:12 scale.
By Yi-Hung Tsai | 01.31.2014 10:38
There are two 1/12 Diecast Mercedes Benz SLR model car products at present. One is the CMC’s SLR, super-detailed and costs 2000 USD, the other, produced by Motormax at a low price 100 USD but poorly detailed. Everybody loves the CMC’s SLR by the splendid details and the spectacular atmosphere it blows, however, when the price is told, nobody would dare to dream to own such an expensive model anymore, and the only word left is “WOW”. So, the second choice, certainly, will be the Motormax’s SLR for its low price but regrets and disappointments appeared.
By Keiichi Aoki | 12.17.2013 21:27
My regular modeling has to do with AFV models, but at a certain time I felt “captivated” by the sleek lines and shapes of car bodies; but as an AFV modeler, I usually look for super detailing both out and inside the model. Because of that, F1 racing cars best satisfy my quest for super detailing in every model I build. That takes me to the fact that a sleek body must be mated to a chassis and engine-transaxle combination with a good deal of detailing. Current F1 cars don’t fit in that “category” due to the aerodynamic body that covers all the innards. That is why my choice went towards old cars, so I chose the HONDA F1 RA273 which raced in the 1966 Italian Grand Prix as my first “incursion” in F1 modeling.
By Mario Covalski | 12.10.2013 10:26
For those who are motorcycles´ lovers, every Tamiya´s new release is full of expectations …and excitement. The Hayabusa Yoshimura couldn't be the exception, after the success, her "sister", the factory version, had. The goal of this article, is to make comments step by step with photos of the parts and assemblies about some modifications or additions which I'm sure, will be useful, specially for beginners.
By Roman Kepinski | 12.01.2013 11:00
Yoshimura designed and produced an "up grade" kit for the Suzuki Hayabusa. I am not going to tell the whole story about this incredible bike (everyone can read it on the Yoshimura web page) ...just how my experience went with assembly and detailing of this Tamiya model. Tamiya and quality are synonymous, you hear it everywhere...it is the same with this model. My first step was checking out the Yoshimura web site for ideas, reference, and suggestions on how I might want to build "MY" X1 - on one hand I was fascinating with the X1R, on the other I wanted a street bike...resulting in this custom, "MY" X1.
By Hugh Rockwell | 11.25.2013 11:30
I purchased at HobbyLink Japan a set of Studio 27 Nurburgring decals and had planned to build the car in that silver livery but when I was looking through old Excellence magazines for reference, I found an article on a 904 which was privately campaigned by Ben Pon in 1964-65. His cars were finished in a bright orange in honor of his home country, the Netherlands. I decided that would be a good livery for the 910....
By Mario Covalski | 11.16.2013 10:52
Modeler Site’s editorials are in general very well received and read by modelers, but the one issued last month ( Go on buying... though…) seemed to bring a greater effect than the usual, because of the incredible number of emails sent by readers, making comments about it.
By Mario Covalski | 11.01.2013 11:02
One year ago, I wrote a note concerning the problems I encountered while building the 126C2 in 1994. That kit was all metal and it didn't allow for greater adding or modifications. This article aims at showing all the details I have added in my latest version of the amazing 1/12 Protar / Revell 126C2
By Mario Covalski | 10.30.2013 11:22
Three years ago I bought Chevron's conversion trilogy for the Ferrari 312T to T2 '77, the Tyrrell '76 to '77, and the M23 '74 to '76.
Within a year, I built the two first kits and let the McLaren for the "proper" moment (inspiration, motivation, etc.).
A few months ago I had the opportunity to convince a Japanese modeler, Mr. Kenji Yagi, to translate a few pages of the instruction manual for me. This translation is available with the PDF version of this tutorial.
By Mario Covalski | 10.24.2013 13:47
In 1976 Tamiya releases for sale, a Ferrari 312T reproduction in 1/12 scale. With representative features for that time but with details that even today amaze those who confront its construction. With very few addition and very good information we can achieve a nice model that has nothing to envy the most recent Tamiya's kits.A small Japanese company, Chevron models, manufactures a handmade kit to transform the Ferrari 312T into the last and curious 312T2, that highlights for its water radiators and air exit position.
By Christian Franke | 10.23.2013 11:54
Doyusha offered both in the 90s and later only the Monte Carlo’s, making finally the San Remo Rally with the Pirelli team livery.
I’ve been trying to get this kit but it’s discontinued although still it’s possible to find it from some online stores/shops and on ebay. I bought one that had been partially built, which involves double work, missing parts, etc. This article aims at sharing with pictures the experience to rescue and old odd kit, improving it to the best of my skills.
By Mario Covalski | 10.14.2013 10:54
If you’re a Ferrari fan in 1/12 scale and want to add a F40, F50 and Enzo to your collection, you’ll find nothing good to build. There two kits available of the F40: one from Protar/Revell and the other from Monogram but in my opinion, none of them are worth the effort. Thus there’s no other solution than resorting to the diecast Tamiya and Kyosho have been offering. Without entering into details, the Tamiya Enzo and the Kyosho F40 are acceptable but not the Tamiya F50 1997 release.
By Mario Covalski | 10.11.2013 21:07
By Mario Covalski | 10.02.2013 11:21
I have been building the 1/12 Caterham from Tamiya since 1994, right now I don’t remember how many of them I have built but think I did 14 of them. Some were sold other remains in my showcase. In fact I built more as I use to disassemble the old ones and with new techniques and / or inspiration I make new ones, always letting my imagination fly freely.
By Mario Covalski | 09.23.2013 12:46
In 1993 I had in my hands the 1/12 Ligier kit by Heller; I was about to buy it but the decal sheets were too old and in bad condition. Since that moment, I've always had in my mind the idea of building a model of the JS11 (which impressed me when I saw it in 1979), and detail it as much as possible, because these Heller kits are really poor in quality and inaccurate. So, a few months ago, while I was talking with an importer, I saw the box in his office and the idea came back back to my mind. Needless to say that a few hours later I was examining the kit in my house.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 09.15.2013 12:15
During many years, I thought that Tamiya was the only manufacturer of Japanese 1/12 car kits. And, until the arrival of the Internet, I used to go to local hobby stores to purchase the kits I wanted. Then, surfing the net, I found sites as Modelersite where I discovered lots of new things and brands, other scale models, and above all, different ways of seeing and developing this activity.
By Gennaro Zappa | 09.13.2013 11:50
Kawasaki had high expectations for 2006 Season. The new Ninja ZX-RR was a motorcycle that had nothing to do with its predecessor. New inline four cylinder engine, higher speed, and torque. New clutch re-designed as well as the gear box to provide more power.
By Mario Covalski | 09.05.2013 13:36
My objective when I built the PM4/2 was to have a depiction of that car, with the quality aspect of Tamiya's McLaren MP4/6 kit, due to the similarity of both cars, and the building materials. The purpose of this note would not be to tell you how I built the model, because this kit has been discontinued more than ten years ago, so it is quite difficult to get one. I don't think it is reasonable to write a thorough note on specific details; so I will concentrate in general detailing that can be applied to other models with similar characteristics... and quality.
By Mario Covalski | 08.26.2013 21:01
When I began building this model, my aim was to build it "out of the box" with minor and easy to do modifications, and make it look colorful. The building is quite simple, the only real problem is in the chassis. The car's body is in fact the monocoque, it is painted in white and orange colors; the challenge was, building the whole chassis with the two previously painted parts. After giving it a good thinking, I decided to paint the two body/chassis parts and build the rest in a later stage.
By Mario Covalski | 08.13.2013 11:49
This article aims at providing the beginner a complementary guideline, apart from the Tamiya instruction's manual, including photos of a detailed and quality enough model to encourage him/her in what we could call a hard and laborious work.... facing for the first time with a Tamiya's box.....with a 1/12th inside.
By Nicolas Perez Fiorentini | 08.02.2013 11:07
The model I built represents the motorcycle in the first five races of the 2004 championship. In this model I added all possible scratchbuilt details, no etched parts, resin ones…etc. In the article below, you will have a clear explanation about how I made and added every new part, cable, electronic box,…etc
By Mario Covalski | 07.23.2013 18:53
The first Catherham from Tamiya coming to my hands at the end of 1994, was the “Cycle Fender Special” (10202), since the “Super Seven BDR was out of stock, and it was impossible for me to get it from the stores I used to buy kits. From that moment on, my affair with which, I think is the best scale car kit ever produced, began. And here my comment: probably, you have seen better detailed kits, or even superb models limited editions.
By Mario Covalski | 07.23.2013 11:27
If you reach for the first time to my articles related to the Tamiya Caterham in 1/12 scale, perhaps you’ll surprise yourself with the model I show you this time, but let me tell you that I’ve been building these kits since the first release in 1994. I’ve built 14 models to date, some of them were sold to collectors, others are in my showcase and a couple waiting to be recycled. The article is based on showing the reader how a model can be recycled for its use, converting it in a different project from the original.
By Mario Covalski | 07.16.2013 10:29
If you have some Tamiya’s catalogue of the early ’90s, you’ll notice they showed four 1/12 F1 kits, the six-wheeler Tyrrell, the Ferrari T4, the Renault Turbo …and the Lotus 78 from John Player Special team, a tobacco company which had been sponsoring Chapman’s cars for some years. The Lotus 78 was the first car with ground effect, very successful in 1977, and like all the Colin’s products…a masterpiece, in regard to design and technological advance..
By Martin Ulreich | 05.23.2013 10:19
This winter I tried to do a row of 3 RC211V bikes, one of them detailed with the corresponding top studio kit and some more stuff. There was some learning curve associated to all that detail, at least for me, but also a lots of fun. A big issue was the handling of Alclad treated parts, it is very easy to damage the metallic look of the paint. In the meantime Alclad offers a water based sealer that shows promising results and should help here.
By Mario Covalski | 04.09.2013 12:27
On 2005 Tamiya offered the Ferrari Enzo for their already built series. Although the models were offered like die-cast, just the motor, floor and other chassis parts were made of white metal, other parts were plastic and a gorgeous painted ABS body. I obtained the model on 2001 in an auction at eBay for a ridiculous low price. I wanted the red but the low price immediately made the yellow as my favorite color. My first impression, when I received the terrific packaging, was little disappointed. The engine and brakes were poor detailed and crude painted, although the carbon fiber texture, interior and fabric seat belts was well represented.
By Mark Jones | 03.18.2013 11:46
I started this original issue Monogram Camaro back in the ‘90s. I was swapping in a Big-Block 427 to replace the kit's Small Block 302 and putting a C4 Corvette front suspension under the front end....
By Mario Covalski | 03.05.2013 18:35
In 1976 Kawasaki launched the model Z750, a smaller sister to the Z900, adapted to the requirements of the Japanese market.
To my knowledge, the Z900 was an improved copy of the Honda CB750Four and, as it was common to Japanese manufacturers, each new model included several versions in order to cover the requirements of the Japanese police. This model was inspired in a small picture from the '70 decades. the picture was showing a Z750 model, perhaps a 1978 version, for the police, with the color and characteristics of the Japanese Police.
By Mario Covalski | 01.12.2013 18:54
In 1993, when I discovered the 1/12 Tamiya Caterham, I absolutely fell in love with the kit and let me confess that after 15 years, I still feel the same. I've built 13 models based on the 10201, 10202 and 10203 Tamiya kits. Since the kits are so pricey, some of those models were sold to collectors and others were disassembled in order to build new versions. Speaking about this kit, last year in particular was quite intense since I built five models, combining parts, aftermarket...all in all, creating something new from the same parts. The one I'll show you here, was the last of that series, with a vintage look, sport style and some extra details that a car being on the leading edge of technology might have nowadays.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2012 14:39
When I built my first Tamiya's McLaren MP4/6 in 1992, I thought it was the most advanced kit of its time, with an amazing level of details which I could barely follow, and very complex in its building process. Today, after not many years, we have a great realm of information on this car through a lot of pictures, and the Internet. All this pictures shows us that the kit is very well engineered and it has a high quality; but, if you are looking for realism, then there are some missing details, which are very noticeable in the pictures.
By Christian Jung | 10.01.2011 11:00
The Protar Ferrari B2 kit is based in the 1971 car. So, if you want to get an acceptable 1972 version for your Ferrari collection, you will be forced to scratchbuild some new parts. Besides looking the Protar box you’ll realize that there are some parts really out of scale, especially the tires and the rims which look like truckwheels. Fortunately the body seems to be well shaped.
By Mario Covalski | 01.01.2011 19:48
It has been several months now that I wanted to write an article on 1/12 scale motorcycles for beginners, explaining the basic concepts that are taken for granted in the articles on superdetailing. I built my first 1/12 motorcycle fourteen years ago and if you believe that having worked with 1/12 Formula 1 cars will guarantee success… you are wrong.
By Christian Jung | 05.01.2010 10:56
In 1972 Protar produced their first 1/12 F1 scale model, the Ferrari 312 B2 1971. Protar was well known for their fine motorcycles models, but their F1 models weren’t of the same quality. A year before Tamiya released the predecessor of the B2, the Ferrari 312 B from 1970. The kit from Tamiya wasn’t of the same quality as their later 1/12, but it was much better than the Protar one. The first look on the Protar box shows that there are some parts really out of scale. Especially the tires and the rims which look like truck wheels. Fortunately the body seems to be well shaped, so it’s worthwhile trying to improve the kit.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2010 11:39
By Keiichi Aoki | 02.01.2009 11:59
This is not a building work for a brand new kit but a restoration work I built over 30 years ago. The Lamborghini Countach LP400 or LP500 models were released by several manufacturers including Tamiya which offered the 1/24 scale model just recently. However if you look for a big scale kit, Tamiya only offer a 1/12 radio control kit which doesn’t replicate neither interior nor engine. The kit I built is an Otaki 1/12 scale with cockpit, full engine, open doors, and retractable lights, etc. Doyusha as well as Testor offered the kit coming from the same Otaki moulds.
By Joel Rydh | 09.01.2007 11:46
In recent years we’ve seen more and more of interesting and colourful liveries in MotoGp. In my opinion this is much welcomed as it is something that has been standard in the 250 series for quite some time. The teams behind Valentino Rossi has been ahead of their time in many areas, including art work, racing remembered liveries as the 2001 Mugello and 2003 Valencia ones. In 2004 I think we saw a break through with full season liveries of this kind, when the Pramac Ducati team entered this lovely magnolia scheme.
By John Horst | 04.01.2007 18:56
By Hugh Rockwell | 04.01.2005 11:53
By Mario Covalski | 12.01.2004 19:01
By Thomas Halvarsson | 12.01.2003 12:06
By Mario Covalski | 05.01.2003 15:20
By Paco Porres | 09.01.2002 11:08
Tamiya offered a long time ago a kit of the MS11 model, which had an excellent quality although the model is 33 years old. The curious thing here is that in the original "box art" of 1969 we can see the car driven by Jackie Stewart (huge mistake), but in the new release in 2000 the pilot is Jean Pierre Beltoise.
By Mario Covalski | 09.01.2001 15:12
By Mario Covalski | 08.05.2001 11:15
In this note, I'll try to explain the problems and solutions adopted for the building of the Ferrari 412 T2, from "Museum Collection" in 1/12 scale, which I've reviewed a few months ago.
By Ricardo Dacoba | 05.01.2001 20:56
By Mario Covalski
By Mario Covalski
By Thomas Halvarsson
By Mario Covalski
By Thomas Halvarsson
By Domenico Laudiero
By Stuart Benford
By Alessandro Prini
By Mario Covalski
By Stuart Benford
By Tsaibau
By Roman Kepinski
By Rafael Zambrino
By Oliver Yvanes
By Mario Covalski
By Dan Parrat
By Jose Antonio Solbes
By Nicolas Perez Fiorentini
By Tony Allen
By Mario Covalski
By Mario Covalski
I made my first review of a kit a few years ago, and I remember that I said that reviewing a kit was something more than a simple description of all the parts that you look at when you open a box; you have to "transmit" a sensation and "project" and opinion, as a logical conclusion.
By Mario Covalski
By Stuart Benford
By Mario Covalski
By Paco Porres
By Mario Covalski
By Tony Allen
By Tony Allen
By Steve Desarzens
By John Tinay
By Nicolas Perez Fiorentini
By Christian Jung
By Tony Allen
By John Horst
By Hugh Rockwell
By Dan Parrat
By Paul Adams
By Rafael Zambrino
By Dan Parrat
By Akiyoshi Kishino
By Earl Petrikin
By Mario Covalski
I know that we're talking about kits that were manufactured 25 years ago, but oh God... what kits! I think that modeling in general has lost a lot without kits of these characteristics. There were attempts from Hasegawa, Fujimi, and Otaki in the big scale (1/12), trying to present kits with the same quality, not to forget Doyusha, but none of them had the "life" of Tamiya's Porsches; maybe there is an exception, the Lancia Stratos manufactured by Otaki for Nitto; this kit is currently marketed by Doyusha, but we'll talk about this model in a future note.
By Mario Covalski
By John Horst
By Gergo Marosi
By Gergo Marosi
By Mark Jones
By Dan Parrat
By Mario Covalski
Looking at racing motorcycles, under the point of view of the real machines, I'm not an expert, that means, I'm not thoroughly informed about world championships, and I'm not a fun of these mechanical wonders as well.....just I feel pleasure when constructing these kits, straight from the box. However, I know that the 211 is a real new, because of its engine, and races won (which I guess this model follows getting with the 2003 version).
By Thomas Halvarsson
By Michael Schneider
Some time ago, Automobilminiaturen offered a wide tire for 1:12 Revell choppers. I intended to use it on a “mean“ Suzuki Hayabusa. The tire wouldn’t fit in the kit rear swing, so I decided to make a one arm swing bar.....
By Keiichi Aoki
During the years that Honda participated in the F1 championship with their own cars, there were different types of cars depending on the year. Moreover, chassis design was different depending on the car number. So, if you want to build an accurate replica of one of this cars, first you’ll have to choose a particular competition number of the car, and then study all the details carefully. For my model, I chose the number 18 car which raced in the 1966 Italian Grand Prix. This car is fully restored and displayed in the HONDA museum located in the Motegi race course park, in the Ibaraki prefecture, about three hours car ride from central Tokyo. I visited the museum and took a lot of pictures to make my model more accurate. Here I will explain how I built it.
By Tony Allen
By Roman Kepinski
By Mario Covalski
By Mario Covalski
By Mario Covalski
By Dan Parrat
By Tony Allen
By Mario Covalski
By Mario Covalski
By Domenico Laudiero
By Thomas Halvarsson
By Domenico Laudiero
By Roman Kepinski
By Roman Kepinski
By Mario Covalski
By Thomas Halvarsson
By Hugh Rockwell
By Nicolas Perez Fiorentini
I wanted to build the “early” version of the M1 2005 which ran the first four races of the 2006 Championship. This version has a completely new cowling, nose, tank, rear cowling, rear fender, etc, and until mid of 2006 there was no transkit. Building this version would allow me to build the 2007 one that used the same cowling for nearly half 2007 season with minor modifications. Studio 27 launched the transkit that captures the lines of the late version of the 2006 model that has the same Tamiya seat and tail and modified tank...
By Gary Smith
By Roger Knight
A client recently acquired a Lotus 24 and commissioned a 1/12 model of the car. This example has over the years been ‘modernised’ to comply with modern safety requirements with higher roll over bars and fire equipment, seat belts etc but otherwise is pretty much unchanged since the early sixties. The car original was raced by Reg Parnell Racing, a privateer entrant from that period and is still painted in the Parnell colours of dark blue, red noseband and white wheels. It is fitted with the 1.5 BRM engine.
By Stephane Simard
By Roberto Ghedini
By Steve Sutherlin
By Mario Covalski
By Earl Petrikin and Stu Benford
By Brian Limage
By Tony Allen
By Stephane Simard
By Mario Covalski
By Christian Jung
By Javier Alba