Revell (Germany) 1/12 Vincent Black Shadow Series C
This would be called an interesting build. It took one month and felt like a poor return on time and effort invested. Even with performing work on individual components (i.e engine, frame, wheels) during the same session, it required a lot of setting of single components (i.e. footrest, shifter, brake lever, kickstart) each evening and waiting overnight for the glue to dry before continuing on. Stay away from C.A. cement as it tends to frost the chrome and do diabolical things to Tamiya clear or black paint that might be near it while drying. Trying to get the tank (5 pieces) seamless required the use of Tamiya putty and multiple primer coats to highlight where more work was required. The wheels were laced in piano wire which helped add realism but I did not put down the red and black stripes on the rims as I wanted to allow the spokes to stand out and I doubt that I could have achieved a truly straight pinstripe line. The arc of the fenders do not match the wheels and I'd rather change the plugs in an old Fiero than try and get the wheels to line up properly on this one. One thing that did help was the use of a box of business cards. I'd shim these under such things as the footpegs to just the right height on the upright model and leave it to dry overnight before proceeding with the exhaust pipe, which would receive the same treatment. These cards normally can be had for a song from either order cancellations at a printing company or a car dealership due to high turnover. The liberal use of Tamiya tape to cover chrome parts during assembly is highly recommended to avoid marring the finish. Assemble the fender stays to the fenders before attaching to the frame or fork to allow you to better align them. Prefit everything before paint or assembly. You can also create a lens for the ammeter by dabbing several heavy layers of Tamiya clear over the decal until it takes a convex shape resembling a lens. The use of Tamiya clear red allows the three section tail lights lens to stand out. Be prepared for a character builder and the opportunity to expand your vocabularly if you wish to emulate the example shown on the box top of this kit. This kit is not for beginners or someone looking for an easy build.
