Fujimi 1/24 Ferrari 512s CL 1970 Le Mans.

A Lola T-70 with a Ferrari 512s CL body kit on, from the 1971 movie Le Mans.  

Fujimi's modern reboxing of the ancient 1970s Heller kit. 

Very lucky to own a Model Factory Hiro Joe Honda Ferrari 512s reference book, great pictures. 

This book is essential to building a model of the 512s. Brilliant pictures of details.  

The Renaissance 512s CL conversion kit.  

Includes the resin rear longer body,from lower body nose, and an etch fret, decals and vac form window.  

I shall be building #8, which came second in the film, but in reality crashed after four hours, driven by Clay Regazzoni and Arturo Merzario. 

Renaissance correct tyres and campagnolo wheels.  

Added wheel weights to the campanolo's. 

The rear Coda Lunga body. Not a bad casting. 

Getting the tub ready, and building the wheels. 

First time mock up. 

Fitted all the tub parts, radiators, suspension and the resin rear quarter parts. 

Painted up the tyres and wheels to look well worn. 

An ink wash over the wheels. 

Fitted the foot pedals, and closed off the areas around the fuel tanks and engine bay with plastic card. 

The engine, not great, but not truly awful either. 

Adding etched details to the engine, the electrics heat shield and the Ferrari name badges.  

Painted up the gear box, and added the support bars for the exhausts. 

Starting to add the rear suspension and drive shafts, very fragile, so glued it all with plastic glue first, then a coating of gorilla glue, just to make sure it stays put. 

Dry fit of the electric system. The resin parts are from the Renaissance kit.  

The horror that is the Heller exhaust system. Going slow, building it three pipes at a time.  

Three done on the right side, making a start on the left hand side. 

Painted with hobby store acrylics. To give a bit of a matt lumpy feel.  

The right hand side is finished, all six exhaust pipes attached and glued in place. Dry fitted electric heating shield and parts. The left hand bank of exhausts would be left several months until finished whilst I worked on other projects.  

For a kit from the early 70s, it doesn't look too bad.  

Looking really nice, there is hope in the future.  

Mating up the resin lower nose valance. I'll scratch the splitter bars for the two intakes later. Actually fits quite well. 

Using plastic card to blank off areas of the rear tub.  

Just having a look where the engine goes, as its all a bit ropey where the attachment points are located.  

Back to the rubbish 1/24 Fujimi/Heller Ferrari 512s CL 1970 le mans. I'm determined to finish this nasty little model. One day I would like the 1/12 MFH one. I've already started saving lol ? 

Tarnished scrubbed metal look.  

No one will ever see this view ever again.  

Basic paint up of tub and seating area.  

Just adding weathering to the seats and the basic tub. I'll add seat belts and other bits later. 

A view of the seat that's provided, I was going to scratch build it, but I've got better things to do.  

Radiators and engine bay painted up and weathered.  

Used watered down ink washes of sepia to just show a bit of colour difference.  

Very basic 70s kit interior, of a very basic 70s car.  

Front wheel dry fit test.  

Looks cool, atleast to my eyes.  

Yep, the new wheels and tyres fit well.  

Steering even works.  

Rear wheel dry fit test.  

Back to the engine, fitting the rear support struts, still couldn't bring myself to finish those left side exhaust pipes.  

Chopped up the body for ease of fitting. Dry run test. To see where the problem areas will be. Everywhere lol ?  

Removed the front cowl from the cockpit, just to make my life easier.  

Finally finished the left hand side of the exhaust stack. Yay, little victories.  

Another paintover with washes in the cockpit area. It's looking suitably weathered now.  

Wiring spider 1970 Ferrari V12, trying to plumb in the distributer, alternator and fuel injection systems. Fun so far, wiring up the ignition wires into three's, just like the real thing. 

It's all over the place now, but it'll look good soon. 

Getting the ignition system fitted. 

Drilling holes, pairing and getting everything looking looking tidyish.  

Plumbing spider wiring monster, quite small in 1/24.  

Insanity level over 9000!! Yeah that was fun, six more of eighteen wires to plumb in. 

All done. 

Done the main twelve ignition wires, and the two from the alternator, I'll add the four from the top of it, and only five from the fuel injection system next. Then painting. 

Dry fit of wired up engine. Looks nice.  

Starting to look like a 512s.  

Body dry fit, with wheels, and engine. 

Successful day again, that's it for now, finished the piping around the fuel injection system, just the fuel pump levers and actuators to fit, then that part will look busy enough. As well as a spot of painting tomorrow then I can get the drivers area finished, and closed up, finish the nose, and fit that, then tackle the rear body work. Wish me luck. 

 

Added a teeny tiny Ferrari badge to the tops of the engine block cylinder head covers, and the twelve air trumpets, just painted plastic, I have got turned metal ones but, I'm not quite mad enough to replace them. 

 

I've gone full on insane, opened up the drivers side door, for a bit more interest, I'll scratch build the inside of the door, hinges and hopefully it'll look good.... ? I'll knock up some seat belts too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to working on this pig again this week. 

So much work still to do on this, lots of sanding, shaping and scratch work still to come, like building a real one. Built up the nose, added fillets, light buckets. Nothing fits still lol. I hate Heller kits. But through adversity and pain, we grow our skills and knowledge. 

 

 

 

 

The pig that flatters to deceive. Another day down the farm. Half a car. Added the front bonnet and decals. Added the tyre decals too. I'm going to dirty this one up a lot, as its a model of the 512s in the movie not the real race. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been a fair bit of time since I even looked at this nasty old git. 1970s Heller kit reboxed by naughty Fujimi, masquerading as a new kit lol ? some up to date shots of the 1970 Ferrari 512s CL from the movie Le Mans. One day I'll finish it just to spite it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All things considered, it doesn't look too bad from here. Definitely my favourite area of this kit, the engine. 

Looking suitably busy in the back end now. A few more wires, braces and a bit of pumping still to add, then a paint up to finish. 

Think I am going to have the rear cover open, so the detail can actually be seen.