Andys MG Metro 6R4, Belkits 1/24

[Andy T]

Cheers Jim.

I'm still shying away from those harnesses but I can't put it off much longer!

Zoë is in for surgery tomorrow so I'll either have loads of hobby time because she's grumpy and wants leaving alone, or she'll turn all needy and I'll be running around after her and won't even see my bench
:tears-of-joy:


(I all seriousness, whatever she wants, she'll get)

[scottie3158]

Andy, the detail painting is superb making an already great build pop.

[Tworrs]

Cheers Jim.

I'm still shying away from those harnesses but I can't put it off much longer!

Zoë is in for surgery tomorrow so I'll either have loads of hobby time because she's grumpy and wants leaving alone, or she'll turn all needy and I'll be running around after her and won't even see my bench
:tears-of-joy:


(I all seriousness, whatever she wants, she'll get)

All the best to Zoë, I hope it goes well.

[Stefee]

All the best to Zoë, I hope it goes well.

Ditto from us too.

[Lee Drennen]

Looks awesome Andy. I like all those road lights and the suspension looks good.

[Mickc1440]

Just caught uo Andy, this really is a cracking build

[Allen Dewire]

Hi Andy,

Wishing all goes well today for Zoe. I know you'll take good care of her.

Great progress and you gotta love the skid plate decals. I wonder if they were that color on the real machine. You're a lucky person to get a mask for the windshield too. My kit has none and I've been scratching my head (and other unmentionables) on a way to mask the front and rear windows...

Prost
Allen

[Andy T]

Thanks guys, for the good wishes and for the comments.

Great progress and you gotta love the skid plate decals. I wonder if they were that color on the real machine.

Yes, it's a kevlar composite, looking a little faded in this picture after a hard life:

[Guest]

it's a kevlar composite

That explains the colour of the decals. I was wondering about them, but now you mention it, I recall that all the “raw” kevlar I’ve seen IRL (which, I admit, isn’t all that much ) is this odd, pale yellowish/greenish colour like on the corners of the skid plate in your photo of the real thing.

[Airborne01]

Outstanding is all I can say!
Steve

[Andy T]

That explains the colour of the decals. I was wondering about them, but now you mention it, I recall that all the “raw” kevlar I’ve seen IRL (which, I admit, isn’t all that much :smiling3: ) is this odd, pale yellowish/greenish colour like on the corners of the skid plate in your photo of the real thing.

True, kevlar on its own it that wierd colour, but it is often interwoven with carbon fibre in varying proportions to get the required properties in the final material. I've seen it ranging from a pure beige/yellow to almost black with yellow "flecks"

[HAWKERHUNTER]

Great work again Andy. It's going to look amazing when finished.

[Guest]

it is often interwoven with carbon fibre

I didn’t know that, but it makes sense — best of both worlds type of thing, I guess. That also explains the black in the kevlar part. (I own a PASGT helmet and vest, and the inside of the helmet looks like they used a greenish resin to bond the kevlar, while through the vest’s drain holes you can just get a glimpse of the colour of bare kevlar, which is simple yellowish.)

[Andy T]

The seats and harnesses are now fitted. I have to say that threading the ribbon through all those buckles and clips was one of the hardest things I've ever done in modelling, and they haven't turned out quite as well as I'd hoped due to how easily the ribbon soaked up CA, causing an instant mess. A bit of matt varnish has disguised the worst though and I'm happy given how fiddly they were.





A couple of touch ups and it's pretty much done. The antenna has disappeared from the safe place I put it, so I may have to fashion another.

I've added the external PE clips & clasps, although after bending the upper windscreen clamps to shape they vanished into thin air, so I've substituted them with 1mm strips of tape:



I may leave it at this point for now and concentrate on the D-Day GB, then return to this for the figures, accessories and base.

[Stefee]

That just looks superb Andy and the seat belts look absolutely authentic.
I saw a YT video where the builder just brushed ONE coat of Microsol on the Sabelt decals and they moulded into the fabric and looked superb - your choice.