I've loved rallying since I was a kid. Growing up in the with the sights and sounds of Colin McRae throwing that blue and yellow Impreza massively sideways down a narrow forest track at ridiculous speed left a permanent mark. I built most of Tamiya's off road racers in the early 2000s, but a lack of new kits meant interest waned. Fast forward ten years, as a Vee Dub owner it didn't take much temptation for me to leave the model shop with a box full of Polo. So much for an innocent browse on the way home from work...
I decided this was to be more than the dust gathering shelf sitters I'd built previously; there'd be upgrades and alterations from what Belkits intended along with a little bit of scenery to frame the finished car. The kit is essentially built out of the box, but I have added:
- Lots and lots (and lots) of Scale Motorsport carbon fibre decals
- Beautiful bonnet catch pins from Hobby Design
- Colorado Decals Rally Deutschland numbers and sponsors
- Reji sponsor correction decals in the correct VW typeface
- Homemade decals for the classic German WOB VW registration
- Paper seatbelt straps replacing the chunky textured fabric included
All this is set off by a scenic base featuring a distinctive Hinkelstein anti tank block, as seen on the Baumholder military range stages of Rally Deutschland and feared by the rally crews!
Several photos of Seb Ogier's car in Germany showed it running with the mean looking bumper lights, so these were given the carbon fibre decal treatment and installed. The antennae on the roof are all made from stretched sprue and filler as each is a different shape and there are less of them than on the car used on the French rally. Proof that pictures of your prototype are crucial!
A large amount of decal softener was needed to get the rather thick kit decals to bed down on the car's curves and creases, particularly the bonnet and roof stripes. I found it helped to apply the Micro-Set and Micro-Sol under the decal as the front surface seemed impenetrable to them. The Colorado and home made decals responded to the softening solutions much more easily.
Paint is Volkswagen Candy White from a Halfords spray can applied over a white primer. This gave a nice glossy finish and is the correct shade used on these machines, being a very slightly off white. This was topped with Alcad II clear lacquer before a mild polish with T-Cut and automotive polish. These materials may be a bit crude for some, but they worked well for me to give a finish I'm really happy with.
Rally
Deutschland's distinctive hinkelsteins are something I couldn’t resist having a
go at modelling. These concrete anti tank blocks line the roads of the
Baumholder military ranges and many rally cars have come off second best to
one. Constructed from plastic sheet and strip using dimensions
approximated from photos online, Plastikote suede effect paint adds a nice
gritty texture, with a top coat of beiges and greys to add colour. Washes and
streaks from AK Interactive were added, before mosses from dark grey paint and some
Woodland Scenics Fine Turf glued on top for the fluffier green build up.
Hanging basket liner and Woodland Scenics Fine Leaf Foliage provide a base to
bed the tank (and car!) buster in.
A closer view of the five antennae on the roof, three less than the Rally France version the kit intends you to build. The centre trio of aerials are all stretched sprue using the kit bases, blended together with filler. The varying proportions of these was important for me to replicate as it is so noticeable on the real car.
The inset pictures show a close up of the carbon fibre decaling on the front end and the bonnet pins from Hobby Design. These are a work of art, being a model in themselves, folding the parts and locating the pin in the hole. Definitely a very worthwhile upgrade on the flat etched part Belkits provide.
Finally a picture of the finished item, cased up and ready to take pride of place on the shelf. This project has definitely been a milestone for me, rekindling my interest in plastic kits and allowing me to have fun going the extra mile to add extra detail that I can't in the smaller scales I usually work in. I don't know what's next, but there are a few iconic cars waiting to be built, some smaller bits and pieces and some strange items from a galaxy far, far away...
