Hi all,
As a kid I had Airfix's 1998 catalogue and, as a James Bond book and movie fan, I lusted after the 1/32 DB5 with the wild idea of adding my own cobbled-together Bond gadgets to it. I never entertained any idea of buying any other car model, only a silver DB5 - probably just as well, as 12-15-year-old me wouldn't have done it justice.
Unfortunately I never found the kit and moved on. Now, with the recent re-release of it as a Starter Kit
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi15.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa388%2FZacYates%2Fjust%2520models%2FD44221AD-2DD2-4D06-B8E7-8BFF615DD23D_zpscoi6uty6.jpg&hash=52d2860ad0acf6911b7cb10f9dfd9995223d3c3f) (http://s15.photobucket.com/user/ZacYates/media/just%20models/D44221AD-2DD2-4D06-B8E7-8BFF615DD23D_zpscoi6uty6.jpg.html)
and having found it for almost half retail, I had to get it. Just as well it was half price as it's the 1967 mould and this
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi15.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa388%2FZacYates%2Fjust%2520models%2F3ED34A15-6A22-41D7-8E21-1B94F97DB331_zpsktet2mpt.jpg&hash=b71f7a997fbba62ddbc411dee7ba1a7207b61b44) (http://s15.photobucket.com/user/ZacYates/media/just%20models/3ED34A15-6A22-41D7-8E21-1B94F97DB331_zpsktet2mpt.jpg.html)
is NOT worth NZ$34.99.
So, armed with as many DB5 photos as I could download at work, I got started on my first ever car kit. The aim is to replicate the Goldfinger car with guns extended, tyre slasher out, and a suggestion of the other bits and bobs (except the bulletproof screen - my scribing game isn't up to that). As of this evening it appears thusly:
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi15.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa388%2FZacYates%2Fjust%2520models%2FBCDB7879-594B-4506-B393-F25ABDE8FE49_zpsk2rpqcab.jpg&hash=3deeb68802cd0f0853cf26ce35155ec2e956c57d) (http://s15.photobucket.com/user/ZacYates/media/just%20models/BCDB7879-594B-4506-B393-F25ABDE8FE49_zpsk2rpqcab.jpg.html)
It's hard to see in the photo but, along with the scratched control panel-armrest, I carefully sliced the top of the gear change stick almost off and painted a red "knob" for the ejector mechanism.
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi15.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa388%2FZacYates%2Fjust%2520models%2FB6AA2B8A-2765-4180-897D-954115756498_zps3kpbbouv.jpg&hash=d204e2cff6590d4ad343f8405855ee41fbdf0d77) (http://s15.photobucket.com/user/ZacYates/media/just%20models/B6AA2B8A-2765-4180-897D-954115756498_zps3kpbbouv.jpg.html)
The panel is from a 1/48 P-40 - not close to the real prop, but good enough for a closed-door, 1/32 scaled car. Likewise the rubber boot at the base of the gear stick is from a big Heller Super Frelon chopper.
I'm having fun! Humbrol #11 is not the match for Aston Martin "Silver Birch" I've been led to believe, so I mixed the two included pottles with a dash of Tamiya Sky Grey. I think it's turned out well. You can see the painted body in the background, I'll wait til it's done to share a better pic.
That shows a lot of commitment doing all those mods in 1/32.
The sprues really show their age don't they.
I did a spot of googling and found this;
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vintage-airfix.com%2Fimages%2FBox-James_Bond_Aston_DB5-823.png&hash=71f9e33278cbcdfc2774dcb27b22a0ed511fb0bc)
Which is in the almost correct car scale of 1/24.
The 1/24 scale version of the 007 DB5 had all the working parts too. You could even fire the un-knowing passenger out of the roof hatch with a working ejector seat! :thumbsup:
IIRC it was released in the US under the MPC label too, as I had one of those, and built it too. One of those unbuilt kits could be worth a fortune these days!
The 1/24 is one I'd love to get, but as Kit says the price is rather prohibitive. Looking at a scan of the instructions it's a very nice-looking kit - it even has a pistol and ammo in a tray underneath one of the seats! Doyusha did one a while ago that comes with Oddjob and 007, that would be the one to have I think.
It's actually quite fun - doing the gadgets in 1/32 is a lot like adding detail to a 1/72 kit.
Cheeky bump to say I'm going to try scribing the bulletproof screen and roof panel. Fun times ahead!
Zac, can I suggest you outline the panels with tape and scribe inside that?
It (mostly) worked for me with a recent build, but then I was only cutting lines into the paint for a black wash to highlight the panels, so may not work for your scribing purposes - but the idea is there FWIW.
Cheers
A good idea, but I still chickened out. Rather than scribing I used black decal striping. The build will get finished after Christmas, until then:
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi15.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa388%2FZacYates%2Fjust%2520models%2F2E30B1ED-E6BC-4BB1-9E82-D8E4A5EEA403_zpser8nxwak.jpg&hash=c685d14bf0e6f8a35bc0ae3e112575b1514093b1) (http://s15.photobucket.com/user/ZacYates/media/just%20models/2E30B1ED-E6BC-4BB1-9E82-D8E4A5EEA403_zpser8nxwak.jpg.html)
I've got the Airfix 1/24 kit without the gadgets, it was found in a house clearance sale. I don't think the seller knew the true value for the model otherwise. £5 bargain!
That's maddeningly good value. Great score!
And then?