How To

During the building of my Maestros I had to learn a few new processes. This how to page gives details of what I did. I don't say that this is the best or correct way to do things, but if it helps you with your project the times not been wasted. Also if you know I went wrong or have a better method please let me know at ufo@area51b.freeserve.co.uk .

Fly corvette C5 Chassis

This is the first and only Fly car I have. It was purchased because of the hype that is spread around the web about them. They are not available locally but when I was in London earlier this year I found this one on sale at well under half price, less than a standard Scalextric so though I’d have one just to see what all the fuss was about.

Even though I have used this chassis on a scratch built car this is a modification that needs to be done to enable the car to be used. The front mounted motor juts into the space that would be occupied by a single axle so that is not an option (unless you move the motor).

As can be seen above the stop on the end of the stub axle catches on the motor mounts when pushed back

This is what I did

1) Remove the front wheels – they just pull off but the stub axles need to be pushed a little forward as they catch on the motor mounting lugs if pushed straight back.

3) Refit the wheel using your usual lubricant on the stub axle if required. Due to less play the stub axle will require a bit more pressure to start as it will be pushed out of true by the motor mounts. The result should be a wheel that has much less movement and sloppiness.

They now fit neatly under the Corvette arches without catching and more importantly for me they fit under the tighter Porsche arches on my scratch built pickup..

Disc Brakes

There is a current trend with manufacturers to fit brake discs to their cars and I found the open spokes on the C5 wheels really looked as if they could do with this addition.

 This is what I did

1) I cut small discs of plastic card with a cutting compass then used a hole punch to remove the centre. The hole was a little small and had to be opened out with a round file so that they would fit over the hub. I covered the discs with bare metal foil before final fitting and secured with a spot of superglue.

I had planned to chrome these wheels but when the disc brakes worked I decided that they would be better left their natural colour.

Maestro Chassis modification.

Like their smaller cousins the Metros, the Maestro also rides high at the front. This was to use the banked curves from this period. This is a simple modification which not only lowers the front end which improves the look of the car but also makes it a F1 beater -NOT!

First cut off the front tab and put it some where safe - its rather small but could be replaced with a piece of plastic if you do loose it. Fit the body to the chassis and push down until the bonnet rests on the chassis. Tape, clamp or just hold the two together firmly and using a small drill, drill a line of holes through the gap in the numberplate into the chassis. Remove the body and using a drill, knife or files join the holes to make a slot. Glue the tab into this slot.

The front axle now has too much upwards movement. Either glue one end of a strip of plastic to the chassis with the other over the axle to hold it down or use a soldering iron to melt the top of the supports to reduce axle movement, trying to leave just a little play. In my experience the axle has never stuck to the plastic if it melts too much.

F*!d cars also used this chassis with the tubes at the front holding light bulbs - If you are using this chassis you need to remove the lights first - consequently if you want a lighted Maestro this modification is not for you unless you change the positions of the wiring.

Decals

These were simple to do but the quality is not great from a visual point of view. I use an inkjet decal paper and a basic printer. Following the manufacturers instructions once printed and protected by a spray varnish (Halford's Clear Coat) they are easy to apply. They conform well to body curves and only leave a small ridge which may be due to the number of clear coats they recommend you use.

The problem I have found making my own decals is the pixelled nature of images produced by PC paint programs which means that edges are not as smooth as I would like. I'm not sure if it is all the PC's fault or if the DPI of the printer also contributes.

They have turned out better than I expected but not as good as commercial ones.. I really wanted the MG logo on Buzby to be on an angle like the current BTCC cars but the pixels showed up quite badly - they still show on the upright version I eventually used but it isn’t as bad. I have some decals from Pattos and if you look closely at his you can see the pixels so I’m pleased with my results.

Another problem is the fact that printers don’t print white and rely on the colour of the paper to show through. The clear decal papers also seem to assume that they will be used on a white background as they don’t print light colours either. Buzby’s shirt is supposed to be a lighter shade of yellow and although the decal did have a yellow tinge the result is the body colour. I also did some light grey/silver lettering for another model. Looked good on the sheet but disappeared once on the car.

Using Paint Shop Pro I also used the blur facility to try to get a smoother looking edge but this didn't work because like the grey lettering the lighter colours just disappeared. When I can afford it I will have to get some of the white decal paper to see if this will make a difference. It will mean that I will have to trim some decals well to avoid white edges but I'll have better numbers hopefully - then I can redo Jimmy Dean's Porsche.

Another method I have yet to try is to photocopy the image. We have a combined printer/photocopier/scanner so will have to try painting or touching up a PC image to smooth the edges and then photocopy on to the the decal paper.

Nail Polish Remover for paint stripping

There are many reasons for wanting to remove paint from a model but the usual ones are to revamp an old model or when the paint job goes wrong. Enamel and acrylic paints don't mix. Nail polish remover comes in two types, acetone and non-acetone. I have used the non-acetone version which so far has done no damage to any plastic bodies.

Method

Dip corner of cloth or kitchen towel in Remover and work on a small area at a time, i.e. bonnet. You need to work it in well as it takes a little time before paint starts to dissolve. Rub until plastic colour shows and wipe off. Don’t worry if a transparent film is left. This film is very sticky but a rub with T-Cut will remove the film. I use a toothbrush and a scraper to get into corners and door mouldings. When clean give the car a good wash in warm soapy water.