Tarmac Spec with 1999 Monte Carlo Marlboro livery

Every time I build a new car I seem to find several ways to make it take even longer to put together than the last one.

This is the third commissioned build for Hess, who I did the Impreza 1998 and 206 WRC for. The basic car seemed simple enough - the Evo VI is a single colour with no tricky masking or large curved stickers. Things got a bit complicated when Hess asked if I could do it as the tarmac spec Monte Carlo car. The different wheels and tyres would be simple enough but I’d need to do the Marlboro graphics and Monte Carlo specific door panels and number plates.

On my Evo VII I’d used my vinyl cutter to make the Marlboro logos, but there’s a limit to how small and complex a shape it can cut so it wouldn’t be able to do the logos small enough for the mirrors, or the intricate Monte plates on the bonnet and rear window. I decided the best method would be to get them custom printed as stickers.

This is quite an involving process - firstly the source images are required. It’s not just a case of going on Google images and finding the Monte Carlo logo, it needs to be a scaleable vector file that can be printed at a high resolution without looking blurred. I couldn’t find the correct late 1990s style so I had to take a 1980 logo and modify the shape to the 1999 type, then adjust the 1980 text to 1999. I then needed the “Lineltex” logo in vector format. The only version I could find was in an old format so I had to run this through an online converter first.

Once the graphics are created they need to be printed as stickers. This isn’t something that can be done at home as a printer that prints white ink is required. Having heard good things about Screenprintdigital I contacted them and they were more than happy to assist.

I sent the final sheet over and a few days later it arrived. They looked pretty good (due to the print method they’ll never look as good as Tamiya originals) but when fitting the white door panels it became apparent that the white ink wasn’t thick enough and the red was showing through and tinting them. This is a limitation of the digital printing process rather than anything myself or Screenprint had done wrong. I decided to get them to reprint all the white graphics on white vinyl. The white sheet arrived a few days later and looked much better - no bleed though, just solid whites.

I debated painting the white triangles but I’m not keen on how white painted lexan doesn’t looks as bright as the white stickers. One option was to paint on the outside, but there’s a lot of curves and recesses that I wasn’t sure I could mask successfully so I decided to use vinyl. I scanned and traced the kit “Tommi” stickers then adjusted them to the correct shape.

Further detailing includes Nissan R32 front light buckets with the indicators painted both on the buckets and the inside of the shell. For the rear lights I couldn’t find any that were even close to the right shape. The nearest was the Impreza 2007. These don’t look exactly correct, but combined with the coloured 3D light textures they look pretty good. The intercooler is painted silver with the correct black end tanks. Finally, as well as the bonnet washer jets I added headlight washers.

Details:
• Custom printed 1999 Monte Carlo stickers
• Front light buckets (Skyline R32)
• Rear light buckets (Impreza 2007)
• Rear lights 3D texture (Wrap-up Next)
• Tyre logos
• Matte black door handles
• Matte black roof trims
• Correct matte and gloss window frames
• Rear window heater elements
• Grille and bonnet vents cut out and mesh fitted
• Bonnet vent mesh painted white
• Mitsubishi badge made from styrene and vinyl
• Wheels painted TS white
• MST black wheel nuts
• TT-02D Type-S wide track chassis
• Camber adjustment
• Rear toe-in removed
• Intercooler painted silver with black end tanks
• Mitsubishi logo on intercooler
• Full cockpit set instead of TB-01 driver figures
• Driver sponsor logos from the Evo VII kit
• Vinyl cut helmet logos, printed Marlboro logo
• Michelin and Enkei logos on spare wheel
• Printed co-driver pace notes
• Styrene roll cage with matte black front section
• Exhaust (ABC Hobby) painted silver
• Brembo brake discs and callipers
• Windscreen wipers
• Roof aerials
• Roof transponder dome
• 3D bonnet catches (Wrap-Up Next)
• Intercooler
• Bonnet washer jets
• Headlight washer jets
• Tax disc
• Body lines (Kyosho 0.4mm tape)