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| Within the review pages we try to give a balanced 'first view'of new kits, hand-built models, books and videos. Our aim is not to set the world to rights but to give collectors who cannot visit GPM an idea of whether the models on offer are accurate and of good value. We also try to give a little background to the cars. Our aim above all is to try to ensure that when you receive a model or book or video through the post from GPM - that you know in advance whether it has any 'hidden' snags or problems |
 Click
on a link to order a model or
the logo to see the complete range from that manufacturer |
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 James
Hunt abruptly called an end to his driving career after his Wolf
retired on the 4th lap of the Monaco Grand Prix with drive shaft
failure, at Long Beach the shafts hadn't even lasted one lap! Keke
Rosberg was drafted in to the squad to replace him from the next
round in France but didn't have much more luck during the rest of
the season, retiring in Italy with engine trouble and failing to
qualify in Canada. Chassis WR8 & WR9 were sold to the Fittipaldi
brothers at the end of the season and reappeared in slightly revised
form for the first half of the following year. |
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 Rosberg & designer
Harvey Postlethwaite went with the cars and Rosberg lined up alongside
Emmerson for the races. The kit offers the option of Rosberg's 3rd
place in Argentina or Emmo's 15th in Brazil.The kits all share similar parts as you would expect as they are variations of the same design. If you are used to Tameo kits, the larger castings may look a little rough but there is nothing that a few extra minutes during clean up won't fix. The smaller castings (and there are lots of them!) are rather cleaner and include a well detailed engine. There are several sheets of excellent looking photo-etch in each of the kits and in the Wolf versions this even includes large sections of the top bodywork. Wheels and tyres are sourced from Tameo and the decals are for the most part clearly printed, though one or two of the smaller logos are a little faint. All of these components are complemented by nice clear CAD-drawn instructions which include a colour guide with Tamiya paint codes for all parts. The end result will be very fine models that will be right at home in any F1 collection. |
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 Original Miniatures released the kits of these subject back in the
early summer last year (FSW 5/04 p22) and we said then that they
were well thought out and checked out well with photos in the kit
instructions. The hand builts may have been a while coming but they
have been well worth the wait. The paint finish has just the right
level of gloss and the odd blemish here and there that is perfectly
in keeping with a competition car of the era. The detailing has been
careful applied and the decals have been neatly cut into the door
shuts where necessary. A small touch but it's these minor details
that make for a very good model. |
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 This little Citroen Dyane based pick-up truck has been neatly made
as a very simple kit. The resin castings are very clean, requiring
minimal paint preparation, and it will be a straightforward built.
Decals are included for a Michelin support vehicle and there are
even four large truck tyres to pose in the pick-up bed if you wish. |
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Click on a link to order a model
or the logo to see the complete range from that manufacturer |
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 Harry Schell drove this modified Ferrari 375 in the Monzanapolis 500 and finished
13th overall. MG have done a good job of capturing this unique subject and this
hand built is generally well finished. The masking for the painted white stripe
on the metallic blue bodywork is neatly done, the detailing to the suspension
and other visible mechanical parts is very precise and the overall look of the
model is excellent, if perhaps a little too clean! |
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 Jacques Lafitte put in several strong performances during the 1976
season with the slightly unusual looking Ligier JS5 and the best
of these was a second place in Austria. Crisply cast resin parts
capture the shape of the body and rear wing very well and are complemented
by a number of cleanly cast metal ancillaries and machined wheel
rims. Other manufacturers may have made the rear wing in photo-etch
but p/e is included for suspension wishbones, radiators and several
small finishing touches. The instructions are clearly drawn but a
simple reference to 'Ligier blue' could be more revealing. We would
use Ford Electric blue. |
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 The parts in this kit are the typical well made combination of resin
white metal and photo-etch that we are used to from MG and at first
glance the shape looks pretty good. The p/e wire wheels are in kit
form, which some modellers may find fiddly (suggest BBRR33 wheels
with the kit tyres if this is the case) and there are a few other
areas of modification needed too. The instructions show that the
stub exhausts will have to be cut to fit with the longer side pipes
provided but the photos of the real car included also show that the
crisply moulded louvres on the sides of the car are far too few in
number. |
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 With the exception of a few photo-etched details, the tyres, decals
and vac-formed windscreen, this kit is entirely white metal. The
main castings are very clean and will only need a small amount of
flash removal before paint preparation. Although the shape is that
of a normal 166 Barchetta, for his record breaking attempt at Montlhery
Luigi Chinetti had a hard tonneau cover and wrap around windscreen
fitted. The end result was three class records for 1 hour, 200kms
and 200 miles, all at over 200km/h. Something a little different
for both Ferrari and Speed Record collectors. |
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 These well finished hand builts capture the spirit of the long tail
Alfas as they appeared in the gruelling 8 lap Mugello race (each
lap of the mountain circuit was over 66 km). The basic body shape
looks pretty good and the decoration is well positioned, but the
vac-form windscreen is a little generously proportioned. There is
little to choose results-wise between the cars as they all retired,
Bianchi/Giunti on the first lap in car #33, de Adamich/Galli in #26
and Davis/Dini in #16 both two laps later. |
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