1/8 Monogram Jaguar E Type Good Wood Coupe
I built 50% of this kit over 15 years ago. Eventually, the box was too large to ignore.
This is what I always wanted to do to my real E Type. This kits ’reputation’ didn’t disappoint: I see it as a vintage toy kit that always wanted to be a presentable model. For me, that required considerable effort and ‘re engineering’ to get close to the goal. In addition to the GTO style body cues, I re profiled the nose, added RC Brembo Front Brakes, Minilte Wheels, Tire Valves, and Five Point Belts. I widened the tires by sectioning tires from two kits, then scratch built the Bonnet Inner Panels, Intake Manifold, Rear Suspension Brake Lines, Diff Cooler, Coil Springs, Triple Webers, Intake Trumpets, Spark Plug Wires, Aluminum Exhaust Headers, Brake Booster, Throttle Linkage, Bonnet Intakes, Optima Battery, added Resin Spark Plugs and Fluorescent styrene rods for headlight bulbs. As a ‘Track Day’ weekend racer, I deleted the bumpers, front turn signals, wipers, added a low pressure exhaust and cut pressure vents in the rear window. The paint is Tamiya TS60 Pearl Green with Mr. Hobby Clear. The only adhesive that worked reliably on this ancient plastic was E6000 along with many brass pins and magnets to add strength.
Great looking E-type, Clarence @jagmkx
Has it broken down yet? 🙂
Nice work.
The amount of extra work you put into it is simply enormous, Clarence!
The result is stunning!
Thanks guys. As I may have detailed, I started this kit over 15 years ago..life gets in the way...
Broke down Jaguar ... where does that idea come from?))) My family had four Jags (3.4 Mk1, 3.8 Mk2, 4.2 Mk X, XK150S) in Northern Indiana (winters), and while my memory has chosen to see the shiny side..actually they didn't break down much (these were early 60's era Jags) My father was a local Surgeon who also worked ER duty. His 59' 3.8 XK 150 -S Convertible (one of 36 I think?) fitted with Pirelli Inverno tires was often the ONLY car to make it to the hospital besides trucks during the worst considerable winter snowfalls. Having 2 six volt batteries in each inner fender was not convenient:) My personal later years 4.2 E Type did have some issues but when your're familiar with a brand, I think you work ahead of the DNA design issues with targeted maintenance. Note I'm a Toyota FJ evangelist now however...:)
That dam big box was following me so one day I started removing the old hardened masking tape. My rare concern was that my skills had improved enough for the old work to look well just that and finishing it would be a different skill level? But it didn't? So I attacked. Now this kit is the poorest fitting POS I have ever built. The quarter windows simply fell thru the opening in the body? The first windshield cracked just sitting there? Lost time of the far too many hours I spent getting the headlight covers to fit and fussing the door gaps as close to perfect as I can do. Yet there are a number of guys, Karsten Schmidt for one, that make these kits and many others museum grade? http://www.finemodelcars.info What a master builder!
The weirdest parts was painting the Tamiya TS60 Pearl Green (over silver base) and then the clear. Despite my paint booth best practices, I have NEVER painted a car or model color coat without some issue requiring another attempt...however, both the color and the clear went on the Jag without ANY issues? You know if a metallic gets ANYthing in it, the contamination causes the mica to pool by altering the flop and creating a spot that YOU CAN NOT SAND OUT. Then to repair you are now starting to add more mil accumulation than is appropriate? The clear had no trash and no runs either... a model miracle I expect never to repeat:) Virtually every part of the 'toy' engineered kit had to be re engineered to get to a standard of build. The opening doors... I chose Neo magnet buttons to make then sit in place and allow for any needs for future access like turning back the odometer. Cheers