Building the Tamiya Ferrari 312T4 1/12 scale: A step by step for newcomers

Formula one

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While writing this note, I'm watching on TV, Michael Schumacher getting the sixth F1 world championship. I still remember those years of disappointment for Ferrari after the T4's victory in1979. I you're fond of histories about the '70s, you'll surely be interested in reading my note about the Ferrari's T era > Here

The Ferrari T4 was also one of the latest 1/12th kits that Tamiya released before 10 years without manufacturing these kind of models, from1981 (when the Renult Turbo was offered) to 1991 with the 641/2 Ferrari. Ten years in which F1 lovers missed the opportunity of building new high quality models.
The T4 together with the Renault were the new technology examples, that Tamiya already showed by that time, with accurate and high quality parts, even though the models lacked (and still do) of important details.

I built this model several times. First, when it appeared in 1980, then in 1991, and finally in 1998, which is the one shown here. So, along this note, I'll make comments about the different changes I would achieve nowadays, or about the paints or materials I'd use, if I decided to construct a T4 again.

The chassis and body are provided separately, this makes the job easier and the modeller will be able to concentrate in other tasks such as detailing and painting the monocoque, as well as getting and acceptable paint for the body.
This note 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.

Before beginning......

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.

wpe6.jpg (31745 bytes)

Once your decision has been taken; if you have some experience in other fields of modelling, you can go ahead with an ambitious project, if not, you could build an out of the box one, the details you'll find illustrated here, are easy to be achieved by using simple tools.

The step by step

Step 1

The construction of this kit is relatively complex, and you'll come across some difficulties from the beginning. Since I'm very experienced in handpainting, I decided to assemble B15, F9, and B62, gluing this whole to the chassis before the painting job, which simplifies this task. Parts B9 may be glued in this stage.
Using a 0,5mm drill, I made tiny drillings (not more than 1mm depth) to B62, as if they were the holes where the bolts of the suspension triangles would be placed.