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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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| One
thing that we can usually be sure of with ABC is that their hand built
race transporters are finished to a high standard and this latest
one doesn't disappoint. The overall quality of the build is very good
with excellent paint and carefully applied p/e details. The cab is
also well appointed complete with bunks for the crew. There are plenty
of Scuderia Centro Sud models out there which would go well with this
as part of a diorama scene. The basic shape of the elegant Bertone-bodied Jaguar has been well captured and overall the standard of finish is pretty good. The metallic green paint has a fine grain and an even finish, there's plenty of p/e trim and the interior is well detailed.  |
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| The kit of the pretty
Stola modified Porsche Boxster checks out well with the real car photos
included in the instructions and with care will build a handsome model.
The built version that we looked at in FSW 8/2003 shows that particular
attention will be needed for the body-coloured p/e headlamp trims,
but otherwise it all looks pretty straightforward. |
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| There are several kits of the
Ferrari 360 on the market and most agree that BBR's multi-media kit
is probably the best. So it's no great surprise that Arena are using
these parts for their latest Ferrari challenge subjects. And what
subjects they are! Both cars appear to be from the French Ferrari
Challenge and we don't have any idea how they faired, nor do we care,
because these are two of the most attractive liveried cars we've seen
for some time! The Marver car features a bright green spider's web
over a dark blue base colour. Two sets of decals are included for
the web in case of disasters, but just one for the simpler sponsor
decals. The response we got when we showed this car on our weekly
subscriber email was phenomenal! |
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| We've seen other
cars with a Pain Pallais livery before and again this will look great
when completed with the red and gold loaves of bread highlighted on
a white background. Both can be found in our colour pages this issue.
The 308 is a pure Arena kit and is again well cast, this time in a slightly more waxy yellow resin rather than the brittle grey BBR formulation in the other two kits here. Topolino is the name the Italians use for Mickey Mouse and his happy face is featured on the roof of the otherwise fairly plain white car. In typical Arena style there's a good level of etched detail and fairly poor instructions. We know that these kits do go together well and we can tell you that this car finished 6th on the Rally Monza. |
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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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| Provence Moulage aren't the
only ones producing kits of subjects from this year's Le Mans grid
and JPS have beaten them to it by a couple of weeks with the yellow
Saleen. Feedback we've received on previous versions of these cars
from JPS has been good and we have no reason to doubt that this will
be a simple build. As usual from JPS the paint finish on the body
is very good and there are just a few small parts to paint and assemble.
Decals are clearly printed by Virages and there are even two sets
of wheel centres included for the different styles used during the
race. |
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| We've seen the two older subjects as unpainted kits by another manufacturer recently. Both kits are well proportioned and the decals capture the decoration superbly but the dark green finish on the de Cadenet is not quite up to JPS' usual standards. No such problems with the blue Matra which will again be a simple build, whichever of the three team cars you choose to build. | |||||||||||||
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| The first thing we noticed about these three when we opened the boxes is how well finished they are, the next is how much of a difference a colour scheme can make to the look of a race car. The blue and white Mobil 1 sponsorship gives the appearance of a much sleeker machine, especially when viewed from above. Not that this helped Paul Tracy in the 1992 Indy 500 where his engine cried enough just before half distance. T |  
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| he previous year the Penske's were rather more successful with Rick Mears reacting fastest to the final yellow flag laps and winning his 4th 500 from Michael Andretti. Fittipaldi wasn't quite so fortunate when his transmission failed after 171 laps. Both of these cars were finished in the famous white and orange. | |||||||||||||
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| A very simple kit of the pretty
white and blue Fiat driven by Vimercati at Imola. The only reference
we have for this car is the picture that was included with the built
model of the same subject released by RSM (FSW 5/2003 p20) and the
kit looks pretty good. |
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| You might want to tidy up the panel engraving before applying the two-tone paint but otherwise the castings are clean, the decals well printed and the few ancillaries are very well made. | |||||||||||||
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