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My story with MFH’s 1/12 scale kits began when, at some
point, several rare resin models were sold off and replaced with Hiro’s 1/12
kits. Later came the MFH Builds
Facebook page, which provided a few kits as sponsorship, further expanding the
collection. Although the Beta was the first model built from the Japanese brand
in this scale, the 037 —my favorite rally car— was the very first one acquired.
This tutorial aimed to share the experience gained during the
build of this beautiful yet challenging model, particularly for less experienced
modelers. Unexpected issues were encountered along the way, and rather than
concealing them, their solutions —at least the ones that worked here— were
included. It was hoped that this account would prove useful to others.
The Kit
And so came the moment to begin the build. When the kit was
purchased, a newly acquired ultrasonic cleaner was tested on some of the white
metal parts. However, inexperience and the eagerness to start with the test fits
led to two or three critical mistakes —drill holes made with the wrong diameter
for the screws intended to be used— which meant that some corrections had to be
made from the start.
Aside from that, the kit reflected the characteristics of the
brand’s early releases in this scale: a high parts count and an emphasis on
detail rather than ease of assembly. In more recent releases, Hiro had shifted
toward a more user-friendly approach—though, of course, at the cost of some
detailing and absolute fidelity of reproduction. In this kit, the metal
components were far more numerous (Hiro now relies much more heavily on resin
parts), as were the photo-etched ones.
Naturally, there were many details that had to be
added—especially considering the endless amount of photographic reference
available for this car. Because of that, the build turned out to be even more
complex than that of the 33TT12, requiring quite a bit of research and, as a
result, progressing at a slower pace.
Below is the kit’s content (the photos were taken at the time
of purchase, so they are not studio shots).
Construction
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The first thing done at the start of the build was to
test the ultrasonic cleaner for the very first time—it was brand new at
that point—and then to begin the initial fitting trials. Naturally,
nothing lined up properly: the screws wouldn’t hold the parts securely,
and anything at hand was used to make things work.
All of this happened despite already being an
experienced modeler, with several multimedia kits completed, though
clearly not yet prepared for the particular level of complexity this one
demanded. It proved challenging from the very first test fit onward. |
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Conclusion: Nothing replaces hands-on practice and real
contact with the work itself. You don’t become a modeler by watching YouTube
videos or reading magazines —only actual bench time helps you improve.
I was fortunate to have chosen the Beta (see my other
tutorial) as my first attempt with this type of kit, since its difficulty
increases gradually and doesn’t throw you into deep water from the very first
step, as the 037 does. The lessons were learned the hard way. I know this may
not be entirely relevant to this tutorial, but I mention it in case it helps
someone else.
This tutorial is offered in PDF format to be read or
printed using Acrobat reader, contact our webmaster >
Here
Includes more than 430 pics, here we show only the text
pages.
Esta Nota es ofrecida en formato PDF, el cual puede ser
leído o impreso usando el Acrobat reader, contacte a nuestro webmaster >
Aquí
Incluye más de 430 imágenes, aquí solo mostramos las
paginas de texto.
Big size photos are only available in our PDF
format.
Support us ordering our notes in PDF >
Here
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