A year or so back we started doing something when the race at Le Mans starts each year: we each start building a model, and work on it while we're watching the coverage. The object is to have it finished by the time the race ends 24 hours later. Hubby started doing this a couple years ago, and last year I joined him. It was a lot of fun, and the motivation to beat the clock was a real rush.
So, this year, we did it again. My kit this time was the Fujimi Porsche Cayman in 1:24 scale. It's a curbside kit (which means no separate engine, only what you can see molded into the chassis, and no working hood), but nicely detailed and an easy, fun build. The body was molded in yellow, and since a certain friend's yellow Porsche has influenced me, I stuck with that color. Frustratingly, Fujimi molded the mirrors and rear spoiler in black, and that required two coats of primer (one gray, one white) before the color coat. And still it didn't quite match. Grrr. Oh, well.
The paint is Tamiya Chrome Yellow, from the spray can. I love Tamiya spray paints, which (at least here) harden up quickly, perfect for a rush job like this. I sprayed the body before we went out for lunch, and was able to polish it out that night. The chassis and other parts were also painted with Tamiya rattlecans. The brake calipers should be yellow, but I painted them red for contrast and interest. The interior was airbrushed with various shades of Model Master Leather acrylic, with hand-painted details. You can't see much of it, anyway. I had to make masks to airbrush the black trim around the window edges inside and out. Frustrating, but it worked. The window unit is a big one-piece greenhouse that doesn't fit flush with the window openings, making it all look a little toylike. You could fiddle with it if you wanted, but I chose not to. The clunky window fit is kind of a shame, because the rest of the kit goes together extremely well. It really was a pleasure to build.
Total elapsed time on the build was probably 14 hours, which meant I finished the build with about 10 hours left in the race. It roughly matches what happened with my little Fiat Abarth last year.
Le Mans is always fun to watch, and when you have a project like this, it adds something to it. I can't wait for next year's, both for the race and for the chance for us to do this again with new kits.
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