Tamiya Fighting Buggy - 2014 Reissue Super Champ

[GreenBar0n]

Thats interesting with that battery. I’ve left the mount out which allows a full size round lipo to fit

Good to know a full size pack fits in there, was wondering what those rubber cone washers were for in this kit, as compared to the SRB kits.

I keep the battery packs small in all my vintage/retro stuff, have the stock M540 in there and feeding it more than 1100mAh in a single go will get it hot. Was going to CAD and 3D print something for this small Zeee pack if the stock holder wasn't sufficient.



I found a great post on TC about painting driver faces, going to try to get that going today.


Might try to paint the white sock around the drivers face this time, like it shows on the boxart.


Never paid attention to that before, and there is a small molded line in the helmet for the white sock.

[GreenBar0n]

First attempt at painting a more detailed driver. Painted the white sock around the face. Has that wide-eyed fear look though.


Not much better at a distance.


What causes that fear in the eyes look is because the eye lids aren't obscuring some of the iris, like when narrowing the eyes during concentration. Will try to take some flesh color, and put a lid over some of that wide-eye, to see if I can get the 'in-the-zone' look.

[Dangeruss]

First attempt at painting a more detailed driver. Painted the white sock around the face. Has that wide-eyed fear look though.

What causes that fear in the eyes look is because the eye lids aren't obscuring some of the iris, like when narrowing the eyes during concentration. Will try to take some flesh color, and put a lid over some of that wide-eye, to see if I can get the 'in-the-zone' look.

Doesn't look bad. Wide eyed but at least not "Deer in the headlights"

Used to paint eyes with a toothpick... small dot of paint on the end of the pick and poke him in the eyeballs.

A really fine brush, or one with a lot of the bristles cut off could make a cool way to lay down some eyelids... might tame some of his Blue Steel...

[GreenBar0n]

Was thinking more of Mad Max [1979], The Nightrider's final moments.

@2:52


Got the helmet in TS-17 Aluminum Silver, waiting for it to dry, then I'll go over the black molding around the face.

[GreenBar0n]

Last coat of TS-15, and went back over the roll cage in X-7 Red.






Will paint the side grills in X-11 Chrome Silver, when the Red dries, then start the TS-13 Clear coats. MCI decals should be here Monday.

[GreenBar0n]

Finished all of the brush work on the body.


Test fit the aluminum top.


It's 93°F outside today, not a good day for spraying the TS-13 yet. Will try for tomorrow.

[Dangeruss]

It's 93°F outside today, not a good day for spraying the TS-13 yet. Will try for tomorrow.

Coming along nicely.

But, I thought you bought a booth setup so you could paint indoors... no?

[GreenBar0n]

Thanks! The indoor cheap paint booth, like the one I got, are more for airbrush paints. The Tamiya spray solvent/lacquer fumes are way too strong for that little fan, unfortunately. About to get back to painting lexan, will use the booth for certain on those.

Looks like I have some more work to do on the eyes, and brows

[GreenBar0n]

Made it through the TS-13 Clear coat today.






The TS-13 is supposed to go on hot, they recommend you put the TS-13 can in hot water before, and during the spray process. It really does allow the product to smooth itself out when warm-hot.

I used two light first coats with 5 minute dry time in between, and then sprayed every last bit of the can on the last coat, turning it in the light to make sure it was covered evenly, just hosed it. Was 85°F out back, and seemed the ideal conditions with 23% humidity.

Will wait a week for the Clear to fully cure, then use the Tamiya polishing 3-compound kit, to make the Clear as smooth as I can get it.

[Dangeruss]

Thanks! The indoor cheap paint booth, like the one I got, are more for airbrush paints. The Tamiya spray solvent/lacquer fumes are way too strong for that little fan, unfortunately. About to get back to painting lexan, will use the booth for certain on those.

Ah, I gotcha.

Clear coat really made a difference, paint looks less plasticky that before. Good stuff.

[XLR8]

Wow, that clear coat is so slick, does it even need polish?
No matter what I do, all my lacquer work orange peels so I need to wet sand and polish. It's such a hassle.
Yours looks like it's already been polished. Nice work!!

[GreenBar0n]

Wow, that clear coat is so slick, does it even need polish?
No matter what I do, all my lacquer work orange peels so I need to wet sand and polish. It's such a hassle.
Yours looks like it's already been polished. Nice work!!

Much thanks! The 3500 grit wet sand before every TS-15 coat, got a lot of the orange peel removed, but using two to three cans of TS-15 and wet sanding them all, gets the surface really even, just expensive to do it this way.

Texture that needs to be polished out.


The Tamiya Compound polish kit is amazing, but takes a lot of work to go through the three grits. The desk lamp halo light, should look like a mirror reflection if all goes well with the polishing.

The MCI repro Super Champ decals will be here tomorrow. Will let this Clear coat cure for a week, and get back to the Rough Rider project in the meantime.