Build Diary

HRT’s Car of the Future Conversion

Holden’s sexy looking carbon-fibre-and-gold Car Of The Future test car hit the track in 2012. Despite the popularity of HRT, this version was never released by the model makers. So here’s how I made mine (mistakes and all!).

Most of my modelling time is spent building F1 open-wheelers or doing code-3 conversions on Aussie V8 Supercars. This was the first time I’d tackled a closed-cockpit sports racer. It turned out OK 🙂

This is Honda’s first ever Formula One race winner, the RA272 taking victory at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. This is a video of how I built mine.

Here’s another “how to” post, improving one of the quite basic Onyx Indycar models to enhance its appearance, in this case Michael Andretti’s Newman-Haas Lola from the 1995 Indy 500.

Triple Eight Race Engineering ran a VF Commodore wildcard entry at Bathurst in 2013. I don’t believe any of the commercial manufacturers produced a model of this car – so I made my own.

The Iceman, Kimi Raikkonen, was the only driver to manage a win in Ferrari’s 2009 racer, the F60. Here’s the full diary of my build with lots of photos, information and tips.

BYO (Build your Own) F1 Ferrari

Check these out! This guy scratch-built a 1.3-to-1 scale Ferrari F1 model from cardboard. Everything is hand cut and glued.

Supercar Conversion: 2018 Truck Assist ZB Commodore

The commercial manufacturers didn’t make any models of the 2018 TEKNO Autosports Supercars. Here’s how I made the Jack LeBrocq/Johnathan Webb Truck Assist version.

1988 Coloni CF188 (Tameo, 1:43)

This Tameo kit had already been started by the previous owner. I effectively started again, trying out some new paints, a custom colour mix and modifications to fit my own plinth.

Monster Energy-sponsored Supercars have only been produced in 1:18 scale. If you want one in 43rd scale, you have to do it yourself. This is how.

Building Revell’s Dale Earnhardt Chev Monte Carlo NASCAR was not without it’s problems! Here’s the full ‘how-to’ build diary, with photos.

How to build Tamiya’s 1:20 Tyrrell P34 six-wheeler from the 1977 Monaco Grand Prix. Full photo diary with added detail.

Tamiya 20025 - 1990 Williams FW13B (built as Ricardo Patrese)

Here’s the third and final installment of my ‘lost’ models. It startles me that the most recent build on this page (the McLaren at the bottom), was over 20 years ago.

Here’s the second installment of the 20 ‘lost’ models mentioned a couple of months back – Tamiya F1s from the 1980s.

Tamiya 20014 - 1979 Williams FW07 (built as Alan Jones)

Remember the 20 ‘lost’ models mentioned a few months back? Well, here they are again, but this time ‘nude’, with bodywork removed and some comments about each build.

Scott McLaughlin punting around the Gold Coast track giving a demo of Joey Logano’s NASCAR this weekend reminded me I have a handful of NASCAR kits in the stash, including this “Pro Finish” Snap Tite example of Dale Earnhardt’s Goodwrench #3 Chevy from 2000.

Here’s the full build diary for converting a Biante plain white donor VR Commodore to Lee Holdsworth’s 2017 V8 Supercar.

The RA272 was Honda’s first Formula One race winner, Richie Ginther taking victory at the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. This is how I built Tamiya’s 1:20 scale version.