The forks will be shortened. A new rear wheel will replace the large front wheel. The speedometer will also be replaced with something a little more subtle. The seat will be replaced with a bratstyle seat.
The tank has been completely reshaped with milliput. The old tank is somewhere under there. After milliput was dry the tank was sanded and sanded until it was smooth.
I forgot to take more photos of thr frame during the process, so this is the finished product. I have cut down the frame and added additional 2mm rod cut to size, to support where the scratch built seat will go.
Engine coming along. Copper parts done by painting them in a mix of Tamiya titanium silver, titanium gold and pink, then SMS clear brown and lastly SMS crystal topaz. Its more bronze than copper but I actually prefer the look.
Ordered a custom air filter from a company called Impressed. This is actually a 1/24 sale air filter for a car, but is the correct size for this project.
Air filter connected. This is where the air filter would have been on the original bike, but hidden beneath a big chrome cover. Its now upgraded and exposed.
Big chunky electrical tubing will be replaced with finer tubing. To do this I have drilled 0.6mm holes and inserted brass guitar string to hold the ends of the tubing.
Lines added with a metal ruler, albeit not the most e even. Seat is painted in Tamiya Nato Brown mixed with SMS Flex. Added a wash of Tamiya Light Brown Panel liner, but feel it looked better before I did.
Fuel tank complete. Went for a flat finish on this one. Had originally wet sanded this in 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12000, but the gloss look just didn'tlook
My first attempt at kit bashing. Converting this Virago into a custom brat (bratstyle), or my best interpretation of one anyway. Using two of the same kit so I can get the same size wheel for front and back. I don't really know what I'm doing, so this should be fun lol.