Been a good 10 days since my last update, but work has slowly but consistently going on as I'm finally on the last lap with the finish line in sight.
The driver's compartment was the last of the sub assemblies required to assemble the full chassis. All that was left to add was the side panels which were previously painted with Tamiya Nato Black. Since this build is a curbside model on Steroids, there's just enough added details to the bottom of the chassis and suspension to make the build have just a little more visual interest to both the builder and viewer. The radiator and fan assembly is just a glue and drop in fit. The driver's cockpit needed perfect alignment and a nudge here and there, but it did literally pop into place.
Since the topside of the sill plates will be hidden from view once the body is attached, I really didn't pay any attention to how it looks during construction.
Next up was getting the shell ready for final assembly. So out came a piece of Micro Mesh #12,000, and a very light wet sanding to just smooth out any high or rough spots in the clear Gloss finish. Then the polishing proceeded with the 3 part Gravity polishing pastes, and finally their liquid wax.
Honestly, this is the best finish I've ever attained to date.
The four main glass pieces: front windsheild, rear window, and both side windows have a rubber gasket between each of them and the body. Nunu supplies these as sectioned decals, but I opted to go with the Decalas masks instead. Each one fit like a glove. I Airbrushed on plain old Mr. Color Matt Black as it will look glossy no matter what as you view them through the glass. After masking, I didn't have a single touch up. Another world record for me.
I still have the two side air intakes directly behind the side windows to install, which are painted, decaled, polished, and waxed. All the lights, lenses, and misc. parts are next, so there's still a fair amount of work to accomplish before i cross the finish line.
And thanks to all for stopping by and checking out my progress to date. It's always much appreciated.
Joel