56 minutes ago, doggsbody said:

I was just looking back at the cossie's and just realised there is 3 diffrent design type 🤯..

Then l realised 1 of the Q8 badges on the front wing is right at the edge the other isn't, and the rear motor sport and ford badge are the opposite way around, and 1 of them has something holding the front bumper up too.. 🤯 plus the diffrent number plates.

This is why I've found it so confusing to work from 🙁 

There's also the Q8 stickers on the roof, some are right on the edge, whilst some are a few inches in from the top -- the ford motorsport on the rear quarter, there's a couple where the ford badge is first, then on others the ford badge goes after motorsport.......Confused.com.

Also a few decals are not true to scale, being much bigger than the real car so getting them on to look right is frustrating, the lower side graphics Bilstein/RECARO etc are too big, the sun screen for the front screen is 1mm too wide on each end, so what I've had to do is chop off 1/2mm on the sides and chop out 1mm in the middle and re-join back up..... Got to be down to how small the company can print off such tiny decals,  just have to do my best in getting them all on and look good.

The metal roof vents are far too large, whilst they look mint on there own they are far too big  So might leave off.

So confusing with what goes where isn't it, was working from other pics then saw others and thought 'damn & blast' this model maker

This is C94CHK, It's a shame the little kit didn't have the lamp pods, look brilliant,  I've done my wheels white as there's no way I could paint them in the cream colour, being a Humbrol Enamel mix it's too thick so would kill the wheels, so went with white and seen white OZ's on many Sierra's......Also the bonnet vent's on this model I've done them black, there's blue & blacks on others......What a headache.

Also in the kit there's black mudflap material with sizes to cut them out BUT I can't see any mudflaps on the real cars, so do I leave them off ?

8 hours ago, Ian Lanc said:

So confusing with what goes where isn't it, was working from other pics then saw others and thought 'damn & blast' this model maker

This is C94CHK, It's a shame the little kit didn't have the lamp pods, look brilliant,  I've done my wheels white as there's no way I could paint them in the cream colour, being a Humbrol Enamel mix it's too thick so would kill the wheels, so went with white and seen white OZ's on many Sierra's......Also the bonnet vent's on this model I've done them black, there's blue & blacks on others......What a headache.

Also in the kit there's black mudflap material with sizes to cut them out BUT I can't see any mudflaps on the real cars, so do I leave them off ?

Yeah having the spots would have madde it look a lot better. After looking at the decals again l can definitely agree they are definitely 1 massive headache just to look at 🤣 I'd say what you can fit in the positions is definitely a good enough job anything too big would be best left off rather than ruin the look of what you have going. As to the mud flaps it does seem that none can be seen but when you watch old rally vids all had rears if not all 4. But trying to keep it as true as possible I'd go with none or use them as a show piece next to it if it's going on some sort of stand.

As a quick look it seems they varied as to when they fitted the roof scoop for races and the type too ? 

14 hours ago, doggsbody said:

But trying to keep it as true as possible I'd go with none or use them as a show piece next to it if it's going on some sort of stand.

I've decided not to fit the mudflaps, would look nice but look wrong, be like fitting a whale tail on a Sapphire 

13 hours ago, doggsbody said:

As a quick look it seems they varied as to when they fitted the roof scoop for races and the type too ? 

Mind boggling isn't it, could be upgrades later in the time scale with certain models.

On another bugbear the lower front windscreen scuttle isn't sticking to the car,
used jewellers glue and it popped off - Used super glue and it popped off,
now trying another type of glue, hopefully it stays put, if not double sided tape.

I think the fitting of  the roof scoops depended on the location of the Rally.

Were they not purely for cockpit ventilation, so would be fitted at hot venues, and removed for the snow and ice events to reduce drag ?

Cabin vent on a standard Sierra/Sapphire car required the fan to be running, as reducing drag was more important, and I think the later cars had a different bonnet to try and improve it.

My memory suggests that the Capri sunroof gave good vent in the tilt position, but the Sierra caused buffeting when fully open, not that the rally cars had a sunroof to provide cabin vent.

I think the Cortina MkII set the benchmark for cabin vent !

14 hours ago, Paulkp said:

Were they not purely for cockpit ventilation

Yes only for the two in the car, on certain rally cars below the roof scoops on the inside was a moulded unit that air could be directed or turned off, this is such a unit but inside a Lancia Delta rally car.

On a sad note about the car I'm struggling with the fine red lines which go on the bumpers, on the decal sheet the lines just broke up into bits, having got aftermarket fine red lines I thought all is saved, sadly because they are so old when they went into water broke up into bits, going to look in my stash of decals for anything suitable but not having big hopes, so might not have the red lines on the bumpers.

On 9/18/2025 at 11:25 AM, Ian Lanc said:

Mind boggling isn't it, could be upgrades later in the time scale with certain models.

On another bugbear the lower front windscreen scuttle isn't sticking to the car,
used jewellers glue and it popped off - Used super glue and it popped off,
now trying another type of glue, hopefully it stays put, if not double sided tape.

 

17 hours ago, Paulkp said:

I think the fitting of  the roof scoops depended on the location of the Rally.

Were they not purely for cockpit ventilation, so would be fitted at hot venues, and removed for the snow and ice events to reduce drag ?

Cabin vent on a standard Sierra/Sapphire car required the fan to be running, as reducing drag was more important, and I think the later cars had a different bonnet to try and improve it.

My memory suggests that the Capri sunroof gave good vent in the tilt position, but the Sierra caused buffeting when fully open, not that the rally cars had a sunroof to provide cabin vent.

I think the Cortina MkII set the benchmark for cabin vent !

Yeah as you say could have been upgrades over the time period for improvement of air flow n stuff ( bit like my escort as it's called the mk6 here in the uk try fitting bits based on that 🤣 certain stuff wouldn't even be entertained because its eithertoo short or the wrong shape ) n like paulkp says it could be that it would depend on the environment that they was in ? That is a good idea from lancia with the vents. Hopefully you get the scuttle to stick properly given all you've gone through with it already 🤞 ( wouldn't it be possible to use a bit of vynil or electrical tape for the stripe ? ) Possible that 1 or the other might look ok given the mini size required. I don't blame you about the mudd flaps either. 

2 hours ago, doggsbody said:

Hopefully you get the scuttle to stick properly given all you've gone through with it already 🤞
( wouldn't it be possible to use a bit of vynil or electrical tape for the stripe ? )

Scuttle is glued on solid using a product called 'glue & glaze', it's like PVA glue only stickier.

Won over the red lines and done exactly as you've quoted, stuck red vinyl tape onto non stick baking paper
then used a steel rule and a new blade, took five attempts to cut lines less than 0.5mm.....Jobs a good un.

Well I'm nearly at the finish line with it

On fitting the body to the chassis I came across another learning error... the rear inner arches on the body also stops the wheels fitting in, so it was out with the dremel and got grinding be it very very carefully, just a few bits to glue on to which I've no idea how to do NEATLY......2 roof scoop's - 4 tiny catches - 2 wiper blades.....oh and the ford grille badge.

Model is now done, not fitted the two roof scoops as they've been wrongly scaled,
they are just way too big for the roof, so instead of fitting them I've left them off.

19 minutes ago, Ian Lanc said:

Model is now done

What a marathon! Well done, Ian!

3 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

What a marathon! Well done, Ian!

Would have been quicker to build a full-size replica! 🤣

It was only when I saw this picture that I realised how small it really was! 😮

Well done! 👏👏👏 You really must have the patience of a saint.

3 hours ago, Turvey said:

Would have been quicker to build a full-size replica! 🤣

It was only when I saw this picture that I realised how small it really was! 😮

Well done! 👏👏👏 You really must have the patience of a saint.

Might have been easier to glue up a full sized replica, the sheer tininess made it very hard to the point of 'oh god what have I done'' as for the patience factor had to be looked in a book which was titled ''how to resist smashing something up''

I'm a bit speechless to be quite honest - I bought this kit at least 30 years ago in Cologne, (It is priced in DM!), opened the box, looked at it and put it in the "too difficult box" at the back of the wardrobe.

Seeing the quality of Ian's models I did think that here was someone that can do a good job, and now the completed model looks absolutely first class.

Your patience and attention to detail a credit to you,

Thanks (and apologies!!!),

Paul K

 

14 hours ago, Paulkp said:

I'm a bit speechless to be quite honest - I bought this kit at least 30 years ago in Cologne, (It is priced in DM!), opened the box, looked at it and put it in the "too difficult box" at the back of the wardrobe. Seeing the quality of Ian's models I did think that here was someone that can do a good job, and now the completed model looks absolutely first class. Your patience and attention to detail a credit to you, Thanks (and apologies!!!), Paul K

Thanks Paul.

I've shown the model to another guy who loves retro Rally Cars from the 80's & 90's, he then told me he went mad on the 'Racing43' kits and has a load of them, impulse buying he said,  he got loads after watching rallying on the TV, he's not got the skill or patience to even attempt to try and build them, they just look way too hard to build up, seeing the Sierra i've built he got his kit out but then put it all back in the box, the clear window had gone a nasty clear yellow colour and the decals cracked to death, on checking his other kits he wished he'd not got any, most if not all having damp damaged decals.

What a great loss of such kits which I reckon are rare to come by these days, if the company is still going I don't think they'd remake the clear parts & decals for him.

I'm on the lookout for a clear case now to keep the Sierra dust free.

2 hours ago, Ian Lanc said:

I don't think they'd remake the clear parts & decals for him.

In my extensive "forum lurking", I've seen mention of diy printing of decals. Can't find things when you want them, but this is an example from a railway modelling site:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/173030-making-your-own-waterslide-transfers-for-various-uses/

Quite a few suppliers who will do custom design/printing of model decals, apparently.

5 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

In my extensive "forum lurking", I've seen mention of diy printing of decals. Can't find things when you want them, Quite a few suppliers who will do custom design/printing of model decals, apparently.

My mate prints me decals but his printer is just a basic machine,
look fine if the decal is big, he can't do small stuff as the pixels really show up badly.

I've had a few companies make me one off decals, trouble is with many they don't own mega expensive printers, printers that show no pixels in the print, these sort of printers can cost £5 grand upwards, one off jobs can cost anything from £30 to £100, it can be crazy what they charge, better the print the more expensive the bill.

On 9/20/2025 at 12:22 PM, Ian Lanc said:

Model is now done, not fitted the two roof scoops as they've been wrongly scaled,
they are just way too big for the roof, so instead of fitting them I've left them off.

That looks ***** amazing 🫡 the lighter n alone tells how small it actually is, you definitely have a mass of patience and as l said before it rings even more true now at that picture it would have slipped in the bin 😂.. as to the decal printing too when you say about the price of them there is also the learning process of using it to get it right too ( this l know because of my partners buisness, she has had to learn to measure things and then transfer it into a smaller size to fit the item she would be printing onto.. ) your build has been a very nice thing to see and a massively brilliant change to see and follow. Hopefully there will be more to come 😎👍