Marlin Roadster 1:10 (and 1:1)

[tymill]

Finally took some pictures of a completed project that I've been working on over the winter - building a scale-ish model of my Marlin Roadster kit car.

I've had the real car for many years as my sole vehicle, and it's one of a very few original MK1 Triumph-based cars. Marlins kits are still in production today, but have moved on to much more refined and advanced "donor" vehicles - starting with the Marina, then the Sierra, and now the older 3-series BMW.

Anyway, I started the project by looking for an old holiday buggy to chop up on ebay, and eventually found one that looked to be in seriously rough condition, but would be perfect. I got it for £45 inc shipping, and it actually cleaned up very well - the chassis was in perfect shape and even the gears were fine. (exposed gearbox!)

In any case, after a weekend or so of head scratching, mock ups with cardboard, cutting, filing, sanding, gluing, and fiddling I'd fashioned the heavily-modified body. Sheet styrene was primarliy used, as well as lots of other random bits like cut out discs from the bottoms of a coke can to simulate the headlights...

I've since put in a 540 motor and with its spool rear axle and smoothed-down rear tyres, drifting is actually great with this car now. Not so sure I'd try that with the 1:1 one though...