Revell 1:24 2022 Corvette Stingray Z51 Coupe (Part 8)

 

Nearing completion! This is the stage in the build where I need to be careful as I get a little too excited to see everything completed and I begin to rush.

I also learned more about the Tamiya Polishing Compounds that I used last week. Apparently, I didn't use them enough to get a better looking shine. And there are new Tamiya Polishing Compound Sponges that can greatly assist in achieving a better shine.  

I will remember this for the next car build, at the moment I'm pretty satisfied with the build so far. So now it's a matter of putting the parts together and cleaning this Corvette up.

First I added the sun visor panel and painted the buttons with AK Interactive Scarlett Red (AK110870)

For the rearview mirror, I first painted a layer of Mr. Color 104 Gun Chrome and then painted the rest of the black by hand.

In the previous post, I painted the rims with Tamiya X-10 Gunmetal. I've now added the small Corvette emblem decal to the middle and given the parts a gloss coat using Mr. Color 46 Clear. I then cut the tires off of their sprue and fitted them around the rims. There are 2 sizes and the wider tires go on the back of the car.

 

Now it was time to begin assembling the body. I started by attaching the rear door to the car. This is fitted with a window bracket on the inside.  Next, I was able to glue the rear window in place using very light drops of Mr. Cement S. I used this instead of Tamiya Multipurpose Cement as I wanted a more secure fitting to the door.

If you use a cement like Mr. Cement S you need to use it sparingly, if you use too much glue it can fog up the clear part, and there is no way to really recover the part. I held down on the window a bit while the glue dried as I found there was a slight warp, and the little bit of pressure I added helped to correct the shape.

I added the interior tub to the car body. At this stage you are going to want to pay attention to how all of the interior edges meet up with the edges of the car body. As well you need to pay attention that the 2 plugs at the back are level and not uneven as this will cause a fit issue later on. 

I glued this in two stages, first I glued the front pegs with Mr. Cement SP and once they had dried enough I moved to the back of the car to securely glue the plugs to the back. This ensured a tight bond and kept everything level with the exterior. 

I flipped the car around and everything looked tight and even. I added some extra glue to the forward section where the windshield wipers were going to to placed as this part isn't that strong and it could be pushed through if you aren't careful enough.

I'm also really pleased with how well the Mr. Color 58 Yellow Orange complements the exterior Metallic Orange.

With the inclusion of an Ontario licence plate in the decal sheet I was inspired to create a new one. I went online and found a licence plate generator, and then I took a picture of that and scaled it down onto Photoshop.  I then printed it onto some glossy photo paper cut it out to the correct shape and glued it to the back of the car. 

It didn't come out as defined as I had hoped, so later on when I get myself some better equipment I'll print a new slightly bolder plate. It could also be my printer, it's a sort of hit or miss when it comes to printing with photo paper.

I glued in the front windscreen with more Mr. Cement S. The capillary action of the cement meant I didn't need much. I really like that these windows are added from the outside to a very thin frame around the car; it makes things a lot easier. Also, I can add pressure to the window without it falling in, as you'll soon see.

The floor was now added to the car body. It's a very nice fit, but it was a bit tricky to get the curved body around the wheel hubs. But with some careful pushing and rotating the car body comfortably slips in place. 

The wheels easily fit into the sockets around the disk brakes. I was concerned that pushing them into place would take a lot of pressure, potentially damaging parts around the hub. But that wasn't the case, and I'm really pleased with how well all of the colors complement each other.

One last part was added to the engine, and that was the engine cover. These could be painted either Red or Black, and I thought that the red would stand out nicely through the rear window. It was painted with Mr. Color Red 05, and the optional silver decals were placed on top.

I'm still disappointed with how little of that beautiful engine is seen through the opening. I wish that Revell simplified the engine details more and focused more parts to the interior section. This would have made masking the interior a lot easier.

And with the model nearly completed I sadly discovered a scratch on the windscreen. It was really only noticeable at certain angles but we can easily fix this up if we go back to the Tamiya polishing compounds. 

I started with Tamiya Polishing Compound Coarse (Red Cap) and with a cotton bud I moved the paste in small circles. I applied some pressure, but I was careful not to press too hard and crack through the plastic. A cracked windscreen is the last thing I wanted so close to the end of the build. You can see how the Coarse Compound has left a small foggy patch, and that the scratch is now completely gone.

Next was Tamiya Polishing Compound Fine (Blue Cap), and I applied this just as I had done before with the Coarse Compound. After a few minutes of polishing the foggy patch was completely gone and you could easily see through the window again and you'd never know that it was repaired. 

Lastly, I applied Tamiya Polishing Compound Finish (White Cap) This time I covered the entire windscreen as I noticed there were many tiny scratches. I think this happened when I had the clear parts stored after the black outline of the window was painted.  I moved the paste in a circular motion and worked it into the plastic for a long time doing my best to get it cleared again.

I never expected these clear parts to be so fragile, and this is something to keep in mind when you are working on this kit. 

To clean and brighten up the windows, and the headlights I've used Novus 1 Plastic Cleaner. This is an amazing product that will really polish up your clear parts. I use it all the time, you just add a few drops to a cotton bud and brush it onto the clear parts. Then use the dry side of the cotton bud to polish it up to a squeaky clean finish.

For cleaning the interior as well as a general clean up of the rest of the car I used a Tamiya Anti Static Brush. I've had a dedicated cleaning brush for years, and it pales in comparison to this Anti Static Brush. This thing is a miracle worker at getting rid of dust and small debris from the model, while also being incredibly gentle on delicate parts.

And just like that, I've completed the Revell 2022 Corvette Stingray Z51 Coupe!

This is a very fun kit to build. I've mentioned this before but this Corvette is a complicated shape with a lot of sharp angles and Revell has done a fantastic job replicating it at a smaller scale and having some very clever engineering and design with the parts breakdown.  

It's not a perfect kit, but pretty close. I wish that the white styrene wasn't so florescent and bright. This plastic hid a lot of small seamlines and other details that I just couldn't see until the parts were primed. 

I'm also not a big fan of how fragile the clear parts were and that they were so easy to scratch. I've had mixed results with Revell and their clear parts, and though the clarity was a huge improvement from past protects, they were very thin and easily scratched. 

I never had any real issues with building the model, the parts fit was good enough that I think a modeler of any skill level could put this model kit together with little to no fuss. 

I also really appreciate how many different options Revell included for parts and decals. This will allow a lot of creative freedom and unique builds for the modeler.

I'm really grateful to have had the opportunity to build this car. I've been wanting to build one for years now and I just needed that push!  Over the years I've built up a small collection of car models but never really had the nerve to start them. Now that this Corvette is done I'm feeling a lot more confident and eager to take on more projects.

This car is far from flawless, but I learned a lot, and I'll be able to apply those skills to future builds and improve on them. As much as I love building Aircraft and Sci-fi subjects, they can at times become routine, and branching out and trying something outside of the comfort zone is the perfect thing to get your brain moving again and find new creativity.

The New Year is quickly approaching, and this might be just the right time to set a New Year resolution to try something completely different. Whether it's a car, plane, ship, Gundam, or Warhammer miniature, try something out of your comfort zone, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how much fun you are about to have.