AMT Gatorade McLaren--Johnny Rutherford 1975

Modeling Subjects Autos
1

Hi guys,

Been busy as heck, and apologies to all for not being more active here as of late, but I just wanted to share something I’ve been working on slowly–the old AMT kit of Johnny Rutherford’s 1975 McLaren C/D in the Gatorade livery. I always lived this car and the color scheme.

I remember this car brapping around Pocono raceway in the mid-70’s when I was but a young turd. Gatorade was new back then, and I drank enough of it to pee a 55 gallon drum in between races, lol.

A difficult build, to be sure–I made new front spoilers since the kit ones were too short and mounted in a weird way. The engine configuration also has to be tweaked. I also filled and straightened the rear cowling. The decals were, of course, a nightmare, after 30 years. I sealed them with Microscale decal film, which makes them really resistant to bending.I had to paint over the #2 on the front green cowl, as it was yellowed and thin. I also made new rear suspension rods, as the kit ones were molded really badly and out-of-round.

Not much more to say or show–so here’s the pics. The paint is Tamiya WHite and decanted Metallic Green.Masking was done with Bare Metal Foil.

!(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u244/heydoog/Model Cars/100_4668.jpg)

!(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u244/heydoog/Model Cars/100_4659.jpg)

!(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u244/heydoog/Model Cars/100_4657.jpg)

Thanks for the looksee! Comments always welcomed! [:D]

2

Nice looking build you put out there though I have to say that is THE weirdest looking face shield I have ever seen on a helmet.

3

Nice resurrection Karl. [t$t] Outstanding as usual.

Jim [cptn]

4

Did you use the kit two piece tires? If so, what paint did you use? Any problems?

5

Thank you, Roger, and Jim! Yeah, Roger, I did what I could with the helmet–not much you can do with that face shield!? That’s 30-year old molding technology for ya!

Yes, I did use the two-piece tires, and they’re a genuine PITA to assemble and hide the seams! I super-glued them twice, and sanded them smooth both times, then would up painting the surfaces with flat black. That hid the seam pretty well.

The paint (as I said in the post already) was Tamiya White and Metallic Green, decanted on the M. Green.

The engine configuration has the turbocharger nozzle (?!?!) in the wrong place; it’s placement would interfere with the placement of the rear wing. It just doesn’t fit. I moved it and cut it a little. I’ll never get points for accuracy, but who the hell really knows what a 30-year old Eagle Offenhauser engine looks like from memory anyway? [:(]

The suspension rods were too short and out-of-round; I replaced them with styrene rod.

The whole model really doesn’t go together very well. Once again, I was saved by the Dremel in a lot of instances. There’s very little of the actual engine left under the top cowl, although you can’t see it. But I had to grind a lot of it away just to get it to sit on it.

I made new front spoilers, as the ones in the kit are too short and mount funny. That was no small chore!

Not an easy kit, but 30 years ago the standards weren’t what they are today. This kit, by the way, is used as the basic kit for a whole host of other models of this era–the other JR #3 McLaren car, a Bobby Unser car, and I think also another one that lets you build the “Norton Spirit”. Luckily, this is the second one I did–here’s the #3 Johnny R car–so I’m getting better at this model, lol!

Look at the difference in the front spoilers…

!(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u244/heydoog/Model Cars/100_7950.jpg)

6

Nice work, doog. Thanks for sharing…you made this one look good, and I love the INDY/F1 stuff.

7

What are the tires on the first car made of?

They sure as hell look like rubber to me.

8

Thanks, stage-left and Ed!

Ed, the tires are a two-piece plastic affair. You have to glue them together, but they’re not exactly styrene that joins nicely with a sandable seam. They have to be superglued, and it’s a nasty job to get rid of the darned seam.

9

Hey doog… told ya I saw ya here. Looks nice and it has me thinking. Ever since I did my Lotus 25 I have been wanting to d o a more modern F1

10

Hey Marc, thanks a lot buddy, for stopping by the garage and your kind words! [:)]