Honda RA273 1967 1/12

[paddy]

Hot on the heels of my MS11 1968 F1car from MFH comes this. Could there be a bigger contrast in a similar subject? While the method of construction, the detail and the materials differ widely , I wonder if they can compete , side by side on display with 60 years between launch dates?

So this is Tamiya’s first ever “big scale 1/12” model released in 1968. It’s a 1967 Honda 1500cc V12 Formula one car RA273. Cutting edge at the time of its release both as a racing car and a model. By todays std’s its rather under engineered with not a huge parts count and has the obligatory fret of chrome parts that even now, 60 years on, manufacturers still insist on putting in the box to boost sales of household bleach. I can’t be sure, but I very much doubt that this car had any chrome on at all. The challenge here will be to make this look like a model of a famous racing car and not a plastic toy car. To that end I think the legless driver will have to sit this one out and certainly the recommended “Racing white” Tamiya colour that is anything other than white. The Racing white looks like you painted it white and lacquered it with a low-quality wood varnish 20 years ago and the lacquer went yellow. Looking at pictures of the original in the Honda museum it’s not a modern bright white but neither is it a yellow white. Its hard to pin down a colour in a photo as monitors and personal setting give a huge variation, but it doesn’t look to far off my own car which is Audi Ibis white.

Anyway, the plan is to strip the chrome and either use a metallic paint of replace parts with alloy or stainless, add some detail if practical and generally set my self up for a very public fall if it all goes wrong

an original in the Honda museum

and another in the Fuji museum

 

[paddy]

I think the problem i need to solve is there is a lot of chrome type struts on the suspension. The kit has a Chrome fret but its not great and of course you have you problem of the attachment points to the fret and damage to the finish. There are also problems like this

you can see the bracket at the top of this rear engine mount. The suspension arm is held in place by a pin in the bracket. This all wrong, the suspension arm should be bolted to the engine bracket, the pin is a Tamiya addition so the suspension arm is held in place and can still move.

You can also see here that the pin at the top left should be a bolt to hold the shock absorber but Tamiya in those days used a C sectiion clip like on the chrome part to snap together parts

Thinking caps on chaps

 

[paddy]

If i use a bolt to hold the shock then the suspension arm will foul the head. The reason being the entire bracket is the wrong shape , its on the right lines and will look ok but its a representation rather than an accurate part. This opens a can or worms because if i alter one part i will have to alter half a dozen more to suit. I could try making a pin and drilling it and fitting a much smaller head to the pin and make a fake bolt. That way it would add a little detail which the whole thing lacks and it would make a nice model but its not ever going to be correct. The kit looks like its designed to have working suspension which seems a bit pointless and it may pay to fix it in position because its going to be the pivoting of parts that causing the problem because the pivots etc are all way over size so they are strong enough to bounce under the load of the springs.....Hmmmm more food for thought.

 

[moon puppy]

Pulling up the tool box and

 

[Sharkmouth]

Well @paddy, welcome to my World! You know The Fixx!

You see dimensions in two
State your case with black or white
But when one little cross leads to shots, grit your teeth
You run for cover so discreet, why don't they
Do what they say, say what you mean, and baby
One thing leads to another
You told me something wrong, I know I listen too long but then
One thing leads to another

 

[paddy]

Truth is dont care because .......................................I'm a lumberjack

 

[Sharkmouth]

Oh dear! I won't be judgmental though... It is Pride Month in the US and if a lumberjack wants to wear women's clothes and hang out in bars, well that's OK! I'm from, the generation a tranny was something that broke down in cars. No eyebrows were raised when one went to the garage and stated, "I think my tranny screwed me!"

 

[Rhino]

Oh dear! I won't be judgmental though... It is Pride Month in the US and if a lumberjack wants to wear women's clothes and hang out in bars, well that's OK! I'm from, the generation a tranny was something that broke down in cars. No eyebrows were raised when one went to the garage and stated, "I think my tranny screwed me!"

You're a couple of days late for the month you mention, sir. The World Naked Bike Ride is ended.

 

[Sharkmouth]

You're a couple of days late for the month you mention, sir. The World Naked Bike Ride is ended.

So, I can open my eyes now? June is over?

 

[Kitchen Modeller]

1,500cc? This trick introduction by Paddy is to flush out the F1 petrol heads and confuse the hell out of Ai bots .

I see what you mean by simplified parts Paddy. I took a look at photo's from my Joe Honda 1967 book and thought I'd share one period photo that shows the pinning of the rear shock, and gives all the readers here an insight to what Paddy is trying to overcome and the task at hand.

I have a suggestion for a colour. Mr Color 316 which is FS17875 on the jar. It's a (slightly off) gloss white. I've noted a few Japanese modellers use this colour, having colour matched it with a Honda Museum car I believe?

What a stunning rear end. Just love those exhausts....