Grastens Builds the Loctite Zexel GT-R (TA-04)

[Grastens]

Thank you for the compliments! It seems I have done a serviceable job on what I correctly believe to be some great-looking wheels I do enjoy touring car wheels, and wish I had a stock of such marvellous treads!

But now we get to the bulk of the decals...

It's stickin' time!

I elected to begin applying the decals in sequential order. This is the first time I have used decals to emulate a two-tone paint scheme, meaning that I was unsure to start with if the decals were meant to overlap one another or touch edges. I figured that static models often have an order for decals, so I followed it here.

This meant that the door panels were first:

Nice big decals that line up perfectly with the shape of the door. Easy, right? WRONG.

... All right, maybe it was not that bad; however for future reference one should definitely cut out the door handles. I had forgotten those were not flat on the shell and had quite a time trying to get the decals to stick before cutting out openings for said handles. I ended up tearing the first decal I applied on the shell in the process

Just a scratch!

After the doors were the hood/bonnet decals:

This was as far as I got before other commitments; once back from those I continued and eventually got to here:

This is what I learned:

- Sequential order is for, well, who knows? Since decals for this type of paint scheme tend to meet at the edges, one may as well apply them logically, and group them to ensure they all align properly.

- Nismo GT-R hood vents are by far the worst decals to apply in one piece, even more so than the Martini stripes on the Lancia Rally! This decal MUST be cut into sections to fit - why I never caught onto this is beyond me, and I attempted to line up the decal to fold over many, many ridges on the hood. It was never going to happen, and was the start of a downward slide in decalling quality

(incredibly, glue splotched over the leading edge of the hood while setting the decals down were covered up by the orange/red decals right after, meaning that I had a few more minutes to make another mistake that would be visible!)

- While liberal amounts of window cleaner work to give several tries at positioning decals, do not press at all on them until they are in the absolute final position you desire. This can be difficult; otherwise more spray is necessary, making this the involved and messy process the tutorials claimed it to be. Unfortunately I still had to peel off decals and try again, meaning they will all be coming off after maybe 2 or 3 runs...

- On a related note to the terrifying hood vent decal: never assume that decals are applied in one piece. If without a hair dryer like me, incisions into decals around complex curves can help to ease Tamiya decals around them:

- Next time, just paint the second tone! Decals mean less painting, but more work for a less smooth result than paint. I would have been happier even to mask off the front of the shell and apply the Loctite, etc. decals separately on top. On the next shell, this can happen.

- Spare decals are excellent: I used them when I ripped a front bumper decal. This means I need another set to complete another bodyshell, but it also means I have a second chance at pretty much every first mistake I make. It is the only way the front end is as presentable as it is now!

All this is experience for my next shell, which will be built up someday. My next project has a hard plastic shell.

These lessons got me this far:

The body feels just terrible when running one's hand over it, with decal edges constantly rubbing, but from a distance it looks adequate. I have about 40+ decals to go, but the bulk of the sponsor decals are done - many of the remaining ones are window trim.

This is the hole arrangement for the rear wing I mentioned earlier:

The right rear is awful, but will be hidden - by my subpar decals! I have it planned perfectly

In the absence of a hair dryer, my incandescent desk lamp is proving surprisingly effective at heating the decals. I should have done it earlier... Next time, then, but it is helping me to press down curled decal edges and settle the tire decals right now!

My last final exam is in two days. After that, I will get back to this project! But other exams have not stopped me from getting this much work done over the past days

The windshield base vents are of interest to me:

This is how I pictured the front mesh for the Tamiya Lancia 037 to resemble. It does not need a coat of black (like mine and others) or be left all white; a compromise in the form of a black paint wash or dot stickers helps!

There are fewer stickers than I anticipated in this kit - they must all be on the orange decals, which would make sense.

And so, I am done for the day. I hope to finish it soon - it looks closer now!

[Wild Willy Speed Shop]

umm may want edit post 15....

[Grastens]

umm may want edit post 15....

You mean this one?

What do I do when my professor skips his own class? I go home and build a:

*more photos and things*

Why? Are you my professor? He seriously did not show up for his own class, so I went home.

If I am making a technical error/formatting error/accidental racial slur/faux pas/some other error I cannot yet imagine, tell me; otherwise this is hardly helpful. Please, enlighten me.

[volvotech]

You are not alone. I learned similar lessons applying the decals on my girlfriend's xanavi GT-R. It came with pre-cut decals which seemed like a good idea in theory, but the generous edges made it a little more challenging. And I agree, cutting the door handles would've been wise.

[Grastens]

Well, now I know! That Xanavi shell looks excellent from here regardless

I find it interesting that the later GT-Rs like above had their functioning headlights at the corners of the bodywork, whereas on older ones like the Loctite Zexel GT-R they were placed near the centre of the light bucket likenesses. On the even-older Pennzoil Nismo GT-R they were merely little dots beside the front grille. I wonder what kind of advantages the engineers saw.

Incredibly, my decision to sacrifice my spare decals means I could redo both door panels if I really wanted to! Perhaps... But in the meantime my car's shell looks a little better after some time for the decals to settle and the window cleaner to dry. From about a metre away it does not look bad, which counts as an improvement for me!

[speedy_w_beans]

Don't be discouraged by the decals -- I had similar issues when I was working on a Xanavi Nismo GTR R35 shell. The decals that curl over the top of the window to the roof killed me and I had several wrinkles. It's difficult to get a flat decal to conform to complex curves.

Take your time and learn all you can from this. It usually takes me about 20-25 hours to finish a Tamiya shell like this one.

[Wild Willy Speed Shop]

Sorry Grastens there was a random pic in your thread yesterday that obviously wasn't meant to be there. I thought your account may of been hacked or something. Maybe it was my computer, not sure anyway great work. Brenden,

[XV Pilot]

I too had similar issues with the large decals on my Tom's EXIV shell from years back. Initially I was very disappointed in the finish, but like you, I applied the decals without a hairdryer. However when I got hold of a hairdryer after the event and went over them with that and a soft lint-free cloth, I was able to get rid of 90% of the wrinkles, tighten up the edges, and generally improve things to make myself far happier with the end result.

[ChrisRx718]

I find it interesting that the later GT-Rs like above had their functioning headlights at the corners of the bodywork, whereas on older ones like the Loctite Zexel GT-R they were placed near the centre of the light bucket likenesses. On the even-older Pennzoil Nismo GT-R they were merely little dots beside the front grille. I wonder what kind of advantages the engineers saw.

JGTC cars, much like DTM are effectively what they call silhouette race cars. Underneath they are spaceframe chassis with carbon bodywork which serves only to mimic their road-going counterparts.

Because of these very loose rules and lack of "homologation" requirements the cars are ridiculously fast - faster than FIA GT1 sports cars, which are under tighter regulations and must be based on the road car. Most JGTC cars utilise a V8 engine too - no RB26 lump in the Skylines for example.

It's a properly awesome race series which is seriously under broadcast. I would watch it all day even with the terrible Eurosport commentators!

Anyway, my point being that the silhouette designation of these cars put the emphasis on weight and aerodynamics - so features like lights are often just rudimentary - small spotlights adequate enough to be functional but just fixed to the carbon bodywork - there is no headlight to speak of behind there.

[Incredible_Serious]

Incredibly, my decision to sacrifice my spare decals means I could redo both door panels if I really wanted to!

I have at least a full set of these decals somewhere, with a busted-up body that was never completed.... let me know which decals you have to 'sacrifice', and I should be able to replace them for you, for your next build.

Loving this build thread.... although it's showing me that I'll NEVER decal this shell!!!!

Alex

[Grastens]

Don't be discouraged by the decals -- I had similar issues when I was working on a Xanavi Nismo GTR R35 shell. The decals that curl over the top of the window to the roof killed me and I had several wrinkles. It's difficult to get a flat decal to conform to complex curves.

Take your time and learn all you can from this. It usually takes me about 20-25 hours to finish a Tamiya shell like this one.

I already had my own posterior handed to me by a Lancia Rally's decal sheet, so it was a very familiar feeling... However, I am definitely being far more careful this time around with this shell. I say that from a metre away the shell does not look bad, which is an improvement given that some of my other works need at least 2 or 3!

I am happy to say I am learning a lot from both this experience and from tips from fellow TC members Thanks for all the input, everybody!

Sorry Grastens there was a random pic in your thread yesterday that obviously wasn't meant to be there. I thought your account may of been hacked or something. Maybe it was my computer, not sure anyway great work. Brenden,

Oh yes - I saw that image. I use Tinypic; I had no idea why the link the site gave me to what should have been a photo of the build manual led to that random image. Thanks for pointing it out; just my luck that I noticed it!

... I also apologize if I sounded confrontational earlier; exams do that

I too had similar issues with the large decals on my Tom's EXIV shell from years back. Initially I was very disappointed in the finish, but like you, I applied the decals without a hairdryer. However when I got hold of a hairdryer after the event and went over them with that and a soft lint-free cloth, I was able to get rid of 90% of the wrinkles, tighten up the edges, and generally improve things to make myself far happier with the end result.

I shall work to get my hands on a hair-dryer, then! Everybody I live with right now either does not use one or is bald Already I have noticed improvements using a desk lamp with an incandescent bulb, but a hair-dryer will be less harmful to them. It is as good as they say!

JGTC cars, much like DTM are effectively what they call silhouette race cars. Underneath they are spaceframe chassis with carbon bodywork which serves only to mimic their road-going counterparts.

Because of these very loose rules and lack of "homologation" requirements the cars are ridiculously fast - faster than FIA GT1 sports cars, which are under tighter regulations and must be based on the road car. Most JGTC cars utilise a V8 engine too - no RB26 lump in the Skylines for example.

It's a properly awesome race series which is seriously under broadcast. I would watch it all day even with the terrible Eurosport commentators!

Anyway, my point being that the silhouette designation of these cars put the emphasis on weight and aerodynamics - so features like lights are often just rudimentary - small spotlights adequate enough to be functional but just fixed to the carbon bodywork - there is no headlight to speak of behind there.

Yes - I was just wondering if the headlights at the corners posed an advantage because they otherwise looked vulnerable to incidental contact. But then what was I thinking; these cars run most of the time in lots of light!

The looser regulations have made me a fan of this series, and while a little disappointed that the shared Super GT-DTM rules seem to have come into effect, the cars are still incredible. Priuses with full box-flares always make my day!

I have at least a full set of these decals somewhere, with a busted-up body that was never completed.... let me know which decals you have to 'sacrifice', and I should be able to replace them for you, for your next build.

Loving this build thread.... although it's showing me that I'll NEVER decal this shell!!!!

Alex

Thank you! I think I would appreciate that; will let you know which ones were lost to the cause. I may be interested in acquiring the entire set if you are willing, though, as I anticipate I will be driving this thing quite hard!

With that, I got a bit more work done before leaving the house today. The biggest surprise of the session for me was the ease of application of the side-plate decals (shadow/legality plates?):

A thin edge clinging onto a narrow surface seemed unlikely to me, but I think these trim decals are thinner than the sponsor logos. I had a harder time with those underneath the door than the side plates, and the whole thing made me reconsider my lament about not painting them. It has been evident that a lot of Tamiya's decals have been well-designed.

On a less-related note, the decals have an incorrect exhaust outlet placement. On the real car, the exhaust exit was lower:

Of course, this is due to Tamiya's use of the Pennzoil Nismo GT-R shell, which had the exhaust at that placement:

I see the point about headlights as accessories, since this 1999 GT-R is sporting the 2000 headlight units.

Roof decals went on:

It seems less stock-car-like than the 1998 Pennzoil Nismo GT-R, which actually did have its number on the roof, but it still reminded me of those American racers. Comas' and Masami's names will appear here next.

Rear window vents were added. They still have some exposed edges, which will necessitate a heat source to stick down:

I realize now that on the real car, the Loctite text was painted over the door handles. I pitched the portions I cut from the door handles to get the main decal to lie flat on the shell, and so we have white door handles where the corresponding decals have been applied:

Most of the front half of the car has been completed. Window trim, small accessories, and the rear half make up around 33 decals left to go!

I am presently studying for my last exam of the semester (woops), which is tomorrow morning. After that, I should be able to power through the rest of the build and have a completed car by next week if not by the end of this one!

[ChrisRx718]

What techniques are you using to apply the decals? I only ask as you are doing a sterling job; I can't see any wrinkles or bubbles. I have the rather daunting task of stickering-up a 306 Maxi which is notoriously difficult reading the comments on tamiyaclub - I'm not looking forward to it!

[Grastens]

Thanks! It is not perfect; a cursory glance in person will confirm that But I am using window cleaner, a sharp X-Acto blade and/or scissors, a cloth, and tweezers to apply decals.

To describe it in detail: I spray the area of application with a generous amount of window cleaner (enough so the decal can slide around on the shell), cut the decal, place the decal using tweezers, and then dab it with a cloth at the point where I am aligning the decal, as it will stick there first. The window cleaner is a slippery layer that sits between the decal and the shell; pressing on the decal will displace this layer and cause the decal to stick.

For most of the decals, I have found that I can afford to remove the entire backing this way since the window cleaner prevents it from sticking to the shell immediately; hence if it falls onto the shell wrinkled I can gently lift it off and reapply or can smooth out creases with the cloth. If the decal is sticking prematurely, just apply more cleaner.

In some places, too much of this window cleaner can slow down progress as the decal will not stick properly until the cleaner has dried. This is true for those covering multiple-curved surfaces with a broad edge (a little like the side-plate decals on the main body), but even this is preferable to having to peel off and stretch a decal that has stuck where it was not supposed to.

The entire process is quite messy, so having another cloth under the shell to catch excess cleaner may be of use.

This is the best way I can describe it, for this build is the first time I am using this technique. I am getting good but not perfect results so far; your Peugeot 306 will also benefit from use of a hair-dryer (as previously mentioned) to help decals adhere better to complex curves and seal up edges.

Of course, your best tool is patience, and time is always a great resource to have. This build is the first time I am taking multiple days to decal - that is a result of my present schedule, but elapsed time on this shell would easily be approaching 20 hours once completed. The shell makes that apparent; despite imperfections it has to be my best work

[ChrisRx718]

Thanks, I will invest in some window cleaner. Most off the shelf cleaners contain vinegar though - does the one which you are using? I'm worried about damaging the decals!

Keep up the good work and thanks for the tips

[Effigy3]

Oh, and suddenly I remember why I hate non-adjustable turnbuckles so much!

Already they are damaged, and who knows if I did measure them out correctly? I still have visions of severe rear camber out on the track... The mat ruler says 9.5mm (the correct figure), but I am still wary.

I can't vouch for the quality or usefulness of these Hobbico pliers yet as I have just ordered them, but I've read good reviews about them. You might want to give them a try.

[Cplus]

Decals suck. They really do.

Not looking forward my son/daughter wanting a complex box art!

[Grastens]

Thanks, I will invest in some window cleaner. Most off the shelf cleaners contain vinegar though - does the one which you are using? I'm worried about damaging the decals!

Keep up the good work and thanks for the tips

I can confirm that mine does not contain vinegar:

I remember thinking this eco-friendly one was a good idea since its lack of harsh chemicals would ostensibly translate to gentleness on the decals. I was right, but again, this is the first time I am using this method and so I am not sure which chemicals in window cleaners should be avoided.

You can use warm water with washing up liquid in it as well. Breaking the surface tension helps to reduce bubbles under the decals.

Dorvack.

Yes - the important aspect of the liquid is its application. A spray bottle is best, since it can apply a nice thin layer over a large surface, and it is easy to apply it repetitively to avoid drying.

Earlier in the build, I did use dish soap to good effect; however without a spray bottle it dried too quickly for me to see myself using it on the entire shell. So I went with window cleaner.

Decals suck. They really do.

Not looking forward my son/daughter wanting a complex box art!

I do enjoy it when a complex scheme comes together, but in the meantime it is true that I have dropped more expletives decalling this shell than even playing sports!

But guess what? The end is near! It is almost time to say farewell to the:

Or at least to the build, anyways!

Exams have ended for me. I spent some time playing Gran Turismo 2, driving the Loctite Zexel GT-R's kindred spirit in the ARTA Zexel GT-R:

SERIES CHAMPION

(It was pretty easy with 4WD and 702 hp pushing 2601 lb! As earlier, the JGTC racers here are fantasy cars - and thus wicked cool)

I decided to power through the rest of the build like I did that GT2 championship, with the rest of the decals cut and ready to go:

My knife was getting dull, and it ended up damaging a few of the decals. Nothing that could not be saved, fortunately! Scissors proved more accurate on occasion.

The window surrounds look unusual as decals in their gloss, but are surprisingly simple to apply (except for the side windows) and overlap slightly in the case of the windshield:

The rear window surround needed massaging to fit, but it did:

Not a fan of the flat taillight decals sitting on a complex molding like the taillight lenses, though:

If all goes to plan, though, they will be removed later for real taillights. In the meantime, they suffice.

Onto the other decals - Zexel decals on the flanks are tricky to line up to each other:

Giving credit where credit is due:

This is the last one!

Now for the wing:

Instructions call for black O-rings to be placed on top of the rear wing before inserting snap pins. This is an excruciating step, but once on it is very unlikely this wing will ever fall apart:

And look at that, a completed shell!

[Incredible_Serious]

Bravo!

[Grastens]

Thank you! But wait; there's more!

I guess there is a chassis too, right?

Initial impression - the union of body and chassis:

Hey, body posts are really easy to cut! Let's try it:

Oh yes, that is very nice! Like a proper racing car now...

Thank you for following this build! I have learned a lot about new techniques and approaches to finishing polycarbonate bodyshells, and hope to learn more about them and touring car ownership! I am still wondering where I should take it for its first run... A hair-dryer to refine the decals beforehand may be in order.

Over time, I see this kit being modified, namely with a cockpit, lights, and a better motor. For now, though, I think I will enjoy the end result of the build while eyeing my next project:

You can't hide in there forever, Willy! (oh dear )

I do hope to get driving sometime and give my impressions of the TA-04!

[XV Pilot]

Nicely done!

Hitting it with a hairdryer before its first run is a very good idea. If you wait until afterwards, dust and dirt from the road surface inevitably get under the edges of any decals that have not fully conformed to the curves of the shell, making it much harder to get a neat result.

[Kevin_Mc]

fantastic looking, you've done a great job

[InsaneJim69]

That looks very nice indeed. I got to say when I done my Pennzoil Nismo R34 GT-R the body took ages to decal, but it was possibly one of the most enjoyable bodies to decal i have done alond side my old Mazda 787b body

Great work though:)

James

[Grastens]

Nice, but you may have gone a little short on the body posts if you intend to race it. If not, no problem.

Dorvack.

How do you figure? If it is a structural issue, then I have reason to be concerned; if it is adjustable height as a tuning aid, then I am not too worried. I am unsure if I will ever race. I would like to, but rookie that I am I may take on a TT-02 and try the beginner classes for the sake of parts availability. However, if I do pick up a spare TA-04 or two then it will become my race rig.

Not sure how many people I will beat with a stock TA-04 on a silver can and Ni-MH batteries, but hey, what would happen if you put a Loctite Zexel GT-R against today's Super GT cars?

... Really, what would go down? I have no clue!

Hitting it with a hairdryer before its first run is a very good idea. If you wait until afterwards, dust and dirt from the road surface inevitably get under the edges of any decals that have not fully conformed to the curves of the shell, making it much harder to get a neat result.

It is as I suspected. With the multitude of lifted edges I see on some of the decals, a hair-dryer is now a necessity.

fantastic looking, you've done a great job

Thank you! It is certainly one of my best efforts

That looks very nice indeed. I got to say when I done my Pennzoil Nismo R34 GT-R the body took ages to decal, but it was possibly one of the most enjoyable bodies to decal i have done alond side my old Mazda 787b body

Great work though:)

James

Thank you! Given that I assume the black stripes and body sections are decals, I believe you! I had my eye on that Pennzoil Nismo GT-R back when it was for sale, but I found the Loctite Zexel GT-R more interesting (although not a champion like the Pennzoil car!).

And thank you, XV Pilot, for reminding me about the hair dryer, for I managed to procure one from a friend just before he left for the day. As such, I got to work on the decals.

Had I done it after every decal, I may have even had a perfect paint job - this technique is fantastic!

The front end was where I had the biggest issues, being called upon to line up various oddly-shaped decals over a series of complex curves. The hair-dryer did an excellent job to smooth these further; even the front vents looked mildly presentable!

As predicted, the rear window vent decals sealed nicely around their forms with heat:

The tire decals also seemed to respond well to the heat treatment. The Bridgestone decals still stick up near the B, but the Potenza types seem very well-sealed:

I need to stiffen up that suspension, though, since there will be severe body rub if it ever reaches full compression. Maybe I do regret cutting the posts so short for that reason, but any taller and I would not have been so convinced that I was running a likeness of one of my favourite JGTC cars. Without such movement, though, it runs well, like on a stand:

I am presently mulling over a sufficient place to run it...

[ChrisRx718]

That looks so good. You should be chuffed!

[zomboided]

Looks amazing, and thanks for putting the effort into the build thread too, have enjoyed reading it