Anorther horrible kit (I don’t know why i do it to myself!), but I really wanted to build this little Triumph TR-3.
Here is the kit - not great, not much detail and to add insult to injury, the windscreen frame was snapped off into 3 pieces…
The whole build was 30 parts - so again, not exactly a lot of detail. British Racing Green looks amazing, I always use Splashpaints for my exteriors, their product is absolutely top notch (primers and clearcoat as well).
I think I made the most of a tough kit…Hope you like it as much as I do!
I’ve included some comparison pics to the original (which I found online) at the bottom.
… and compared to the original. I sent these pictures to the dealer (who is based in Holland) - they were pretty blown away (probably more that someone would bother doing this than anything, but still!)
I can see you put in some quality workmanship there, but some kits are never going to look like a Tamiya result. I think the worse thing about the older classic car models is the quality of the wheels. Just ‘fixing’ them would make a world of difference.
Never saw the Hubley kit before. I built a TR-3 but don’t remember whose kit- I think it may have been a Revell. Owned three of the full-sized ones. Nice little car.
That’s a trip down memory lane, both the car itself and those nasty old kits. Those cars were pretty basic, but a lot of fun. The kits were pretty basic as well, but I remember not much fun. You really made a silk purse out of that one - it’s a really good representation, especially knowing what you had to work with!
Just shows what can be done with a very old kit, skill and patience. What scale is it? If 1/25th or 1/24th, the only thing that I feel that could improve the overall appearance would be some photo etched wire wheels. This does not detract from the fact that the builder has done a superb job in meeting the challenges that have to be faced to vastly improve a very old basic kit.
A company named South Eastern Fine cast in the UK can supply both photo etched wire wheels with tyres included and also white metal.wheel kits where you thread the spokes with thin wire strands. This.may be of interest to modellers wanting good looking wire wheels for their.models.
Nice thing about wheels is that they can be retro fitted to a built up model.
Went to a swap meet today and I almost bought three car kits. An XKE, an Aston Martin DB-4 (I think) by Airfix and a TR-3. I think the TR-3 was Minicraft. Sadly, I was out of money after buying several airplane kits. Your build looks great. You made the best of a mediocre kit. The BRG paint is right on. Well done.
This is really an outstanding bit of modeling. [y] The comparison photos are genius. I did enjoy this as I have a soft spot in my head- ah, Heart for these older kits as they can be brought into the present looking better than ever.
Excellent work. I have that kit in my stash, but a different manufacturer. Matchbox, perhaps. It has a three piece body if I remember correctly. I only wish I could find a kit of my first automobile, a '61 MGA. Oh well, I think you did a great job. Regards, Michael
Nice model and a great paint job. The thin chrome trim along the rain-gutter (the joint along the top edge of the fenders) really adds to the looks of the model. I owned two TR-4’s. Real rust bombs, especially along the rain-gutter.
