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1981 Le Mans in resin

 
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2002p51



Joined: 06 Nov 2018
Posts: 69
Location: Kingsport, TN

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 10:50 am    Post subject: 1981 Le Mans in resin Reply with quote

This all started when I ordered one of the Salvino's Le Mans kit. I know, I know. I bought their Olds when it came out and was sorely disappointed. Didn't learn my lesson and bought their terrible second gen Monte Carlo. But when I started seeing some of the photos and a video of the '81 Le Mans I thought, okay, one more time. Ordered the generic one without decals so it was priced a little better.

Started doing some research and was noticing some things about the body that everybody has been saying. Not going to go over all that again.

This morning I was digging around in my stash for some donor parts and found this that I had completely forget that I had. I bet I've had this for 25 or 30 years!







This is a resin body from "Southeastern Replicas" I can't remember when or how I got it.

Now, I don't have the Salvino's body in my hands yet but already I like the look of the nose and general shape of the front on this body much better.

Here I've placed it over a built up chassis from off my shelf.

[/img][img]

I'm hoping I can make the grilles and a few other pieces fit this body. Then I don't what to with the rest of the kit.
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Tom Birky



Joined: 01 Feb 2018
Posts: 197
Location: Eastern Iowa

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nicely proportioned body. That looks terrific mocked up.

Tom
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Gary66
Board Moderator


Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 310
Location: Kannapolis,N.C.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Then I don't what to with the rest of the kit


Make a thunder bomber.
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George Andrews



Joined: 30 Jan 2018
Posts: 458

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 8:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have one of those bodies. The nose is mostly pulled off a Firebird kit; too much swoop from the center split to the bumper edges. It should be straight from the center split to bumper edges and more subdued IMO. The Salvinos nose looks more accurate to me, though the lower bumper area looks a bit too thick and square. This is just from viewing model pictures already posted here, plus various book pictures and personal photos of 1981 LeMans at Riverside in my collection.
I would like to buy both a Salvinos LeMans and a Monte Carlo flat nose kit, just to have the plastic to work with as opposed to resin. Any suggestions for on-line or mail order ???
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18degrees



Joined: 01 Feb 2018
Posts: 1010
Location: metro STL area, ILLINois

PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 2:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

George Andrews wrote:
I have one of those bodies. The nose is mostly pulled off a Firebird kit; too much swoop from the center split to the bumper edges. It should be straight from the center split to bumper edges and more subdued IMO. The Salvinos nose looks more accurate to me, though the lower bumper area looks a bit too thick and square. This is just from viewing model pictures already posted here, plus various book pictures and personal photos of 1981 LeMans at Riverside in my collection.
I would like to buy both a Salvinos LeMans and a Monte Carlo flat nose kit, just to have the plastic to work with as opposed to resin. Any suggestions for on-line or mail order ???


Mike’s Decals is cheaper than Salvino’s site.
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2002p51



Joined: 06 Nov 2018
Posts: 69
Location: Kingsport, TN

PostPosted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I got my hands on the LeMans from Salvinos today and popped on to a built up chassis from off the shelf. I'll leave it to you guys to make comparisons with the resin body above.



[/img]
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KDM_Racing



Joined: 03 Feb 2018
Posts: 80

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2020 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its good enough for me.
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2002p51



Joined: 06 Nov 2018
Posts: 69
Location: Kingsport, TN

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2020 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I shortened the front end and hood by about 3/32" and thinned the C pillar by reshaping the quarter window opening. I think that made it better.

[/img]
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joe b



Joined: 31 Jan 2018
Posts: 209
Location: New Jersey

PostPosted: Mon Dec 14, 2020 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

how did you shorten the front end?

i notice when comparing the two bodies besides the tweaks you made that first thing the rear deck of salvinos for some reason slants down from the rear window also the top frame of the front window doesn't looks right. too square and rough, it doesn't curve across it's width and the leading edge seems to go straight and level instead of slanting down slightly to meet the window like the resin body does. in fact looking at the side profile of the salvinos kit the roof line at the window edge looks to even flair up slightly. can't say which is correct since there is not a previous plastic kit to compare it to but i am willing to bet the salvinos body is wrong just like every other kit body they have produced including the re pops of monograms kits. i think the people at salvinos does not have a very good eye for detail or just likes to meddle with things when it's not needed, as in messing with the monogram molds that were fine to begin with and changing the roof lines on the grand prix. and tell me why on all the monogram re pops the rollcage sits too low in the body? the top hoop on the roll cage should not be visible when the body is installed, it should be up against the underside of the roof.

joe
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spooker



Joined: 11 Feb 2018
Posts: 437

PostPosted: Mon Dec 14, 2020 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In some of your pics of the Salvino body, the roof looks twisted or warped. Is it?

Brian
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2002p51



Joined: 06 Nov 2018
Posts: 69
Location: Kingsport, TN

PostPosted: Mon Dec 14, 2020 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

spooker wrote:
In some of your pics of the Salvino body, the roof looks twisted or warped. Is it?

Brian


No, I took these photos with my phone not a "real" camera. It has a very wide angle lens which causes some distortion when used this close.
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2002p51



Joined: 06 Nov 2018
Posts: 69
Location: Kingsport, TN

PostPosted: Mon Dec 14, 2020 4:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

joe b wrote:
how did you shorten the front end?

i notice when comparing the two bodies besides the tweaks you made that first thing the rear deck of salvinos for some reason slants down from the rear window also the top frame of the front window doesn't looks right. too square and rough, it doesn't curve across it's width and the leading edge seems to go straight and level instead of slanting down slightly to meet the window like the resin body does. in fact looking at the side profile of the salvinos kit the roof line at the window edge looks to even flair up slightly. can't say which is correct since there is not a previous plastic kit to compare it to but i am willing to bet the salvinos body is wrong just like every other kit body they have produced including the re pops of monograms kits. i think the people at salvinos does not have a very good eye for detail or just likes to meddle with things when it's not needed, as in messing with the monogram molds that were fine to begin with and changing the roof lines on the grand prix. and tell me why on all the monogram re pops the rollcage sits too low in the body? the top hoop on the roll cage should not be visible when the body is installed, it should be up against the underside of the roof.

joe


Here's how I cut the front end. Just used a razor saw and took out about 3/32" and glued the front bumper back on. Oh, and you have to shorten the hood to match. I took it off the back of the hood.




I look at the actual car rather than the resin body. I think with the front end alterations and the C pillar change, this body is pretty close.





[/img][/img]
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hemiman_1999



Joined: 29 Jan 2018
Posts: 296

PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2020 10:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

On the pics of the real car the deck lid is slanted down or appears so, the front end is definitely to long on the kit your method of shortening it is great even something I can do...LOL the C Pillars look much better on the kit you are working on but I think they can still be smaller. To me the rear wheel opens on the Salvino kit look to closed off even for a super speedway car also the front wheels should have a small flair for a super speedway. I remain curious to get peoples opinion on the front grills and headlight doors as well as more views on the body.
I am a scale bigot 1/25th only for stock cars 1/24th for F-1 but with this kit and Gran Prix 2+2 I may start doing select 1/24th for selected cars and display them by themselves especially with the info available here on these cars....
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George Andrews



Joined: 30 Jan 2018
Posts: 458

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2020 9:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

2002p51 wrote:
joe b wrote:
how did you shorten the front end?

i notice when comparing the two bodies besides the tweaks you made that first thing the rear deck of salvinos for some reason slants down from the rear window also the top frame of the front window doesn't looks right. too square and rough, it doesn't curve across it's width and the leading edge seems to go straight and level instead of slanting down slightly to meet the window like the resin body does. in fact looking at the side profile of the salvinos kit the roof line at the window edge looks to even flair up slightly. can't say which is correct since there is not a previous plastic kit to compare it to but i am willing to bet the salvinos body is wrong just like every other kit body they have produced including the re pops of monograms kits. i think the people at salvinos does not have a very good eye for detail or just likes to meddle with things when it's not needed, as in messing with the monogram molds that were fine to begin with and changing the roof lines on the grand prix. and tell me why on all the monogram re pops the rollcage sits too low in the body? the top hoop on the roll cage should not be visible when the body is installed, it should be up against the underside of the roof.

joe


Here's how I cut the front end. Just used a razor saw and took out about 3/32" and glued the front bumper back on. Oh, and you have to shorten the hood to match. I took it off the back of the hood.




I look at the actual car rather than the resin body. I think with the front end alterations and the C pillar change, this body is pretty close.





[/img][/img]

Thanks for posting the pics of Bobby Allison's Ranier Racing LeMans; it confirms what I see in the Salvinos front end. On the actual car, the lower bumper area below the rub strip is not as thick, and the sides taper in towards the bottom. Some work with a California Milling Machine ( a 12" Machinists File Laughing ) and some smaller files, should do the trick there. Nice contrast too, with the fender bulges and openings between the Superspeedway and short track bodies.
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tc



Joined: 13 Jun 2020
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The more I read about these Salvino's kits,the more I am willing to pack up all of my unbuilt kits and take them to Goodwill and let somebody else have them.
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2002p51



Joined: 06 Nov 2018
Posts: 69
Location: Kingsport, TN

PostPosted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 4:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tc wrote:
The more I read about these Salvino's kits,the more I am willing to pack up all of my unbuilt kits and take them to Goodwill and let somebody else have them.


I would agree with you on most of them. But I think this LeMans is workable and I may do one or two more. I have a couple ideas.
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