MFH 1/12 McLaren MP4-4 VER f 1988 Rd.14 Spanish GP

[Hawkmoon]

This one has been in the stash for way too long now and now since I have the correct advertising decals no better time to build it. The motor has fully working pistons but once the engine is assembled they cant be seen moving but still I think its a nice touch. The car itself is from the 1988 season where Senna and the car virtually won every race making it and him the most successful GP car and driver of all time.

The car is typical of a multimedia kit from MFH with cast parts in white metal and resin along with a full etch set. The wheel hubs are turned aluminium anodised black and rubber slick tyres are provided. There is a full set of carbon fibre decals in the kit along with some advertising decals but the Marlboro decals are not included and have to be bought as an aftermarket item. I have the MFH MP4-4 In Detail book for this kit and also zero paints for the body work and kevlar yellow and carbon fibre grey paints for the base colors for the carbon decals to be mounted on.

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[Tay99]

Cool, great f1 car, I will follow along as I’ve a few 1/12 MFH kits but haven’t the nerve to start them yet.
Good look with the build

[Gary30]

This is definitely a unicorn build! I can’t wait to see you do it justice

[barryf1fan]

Great choice, Hawk!! Would love to try one the MFH kits, but don't have the skills. Looking forward to the build progress with this one. Sub'd

And yes, such a dominant driver in a dominant car... this and the Williams FW14b are two of my fav's (I like'em ALL ). Please detail as much as you can, someday would like to try one of these, plus I just like following along.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Holy doodles you are in for it !
What a treat to watch this unfold

[Mpfiend]

This is going to be epic.

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks for looking in and your comments everyone

[Kevthemodeller]

Oh this is going to be good

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks for looking in and your comments Kev

[Hawkmoon]

The build starts as with all the MFH kits I have built with the construction of the engine this being a six cylinder beast made by Honda. The engine overall was painted a semi gloss black along with several ancillarys so most of the construction can be done without paint.

First off for this kit is the construction of the main crank shaft with the six pistons attached. This assembly is fitted inside the main block after being prepped and you can move the pistons by inserting an allen key into the crank shaft , you can see the tops of the piston heads in the first two pictures. Then the clutch and engine mounts are prepped and assembled along with the two cylinder heads. the cylinder heads are not one piece affairs but are made from 6 parts each. You can also see in the pictures that etch cylinder head gaskets are also provided.

Still loads of detail to add, more soon.

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[Tay99]

Great start, don’t forget to add the grease and oil lol

[Hawkmoon]

Great start, don’t forget to add the grease and oil lol

Thanks for looking in and your comments Tay

[Hawkmoon]

They say a coat of paint can transform things and I think this may be one of them. The engine was assembled as far as it could be that needed the same color paint and then sprayed with Tamiya Lacquer Semi Gloss Black. There are still more parts to be added to finish off this part of the build but they are painted different colors.

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[Tay99]

Great start. What are you using to glue the metal parts together CA or epoxy ?
Thanks

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks for looking in and your comments Tay. I have been using semi thick super glue on the metal parts.

[Hawkmoon]

More detail added to the engine and also still some wiring to add but I have that on order. I also started on the inner monocoque by drilling out some holes in the metal plates then gluing them to the resin part. Lots of holes still to drill out on this and the other parts.

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[AlanS]

Looking forward to following the build, and learning as you go

[Tay99]

Looking good, what do you think to the kit so far and the general fit, I know its not your normal plastic kit just wondered on your thoughts.

[barryf1fan]

Looking good, Hawk !!!

[above my pay grade!]

[digger303]

I like the colour of the valve covers I thought that was spot on.

[Hawkmoon]

Looking forward to following the build, and learning as you go

Hi Alan

Thanks for looking in and your comments are most welcome, any questions just ask we are all here to help if we can

[Hawkmoon]

Looking good, what do you think to the kit so far and the general fit, I know its not your normal plastic kit just wondered on your thoughts.

Hi Tay

These are my thoughts and im sure there will be people that may not agree with what I say and that's fine my opinion and your may differ but I still think there worth every penny. Ok to me MFH kits are the next generation to the Pocher kits of old, both were in my eyes 'advanced builders models' for builders/modelers with a few years experience with building models that relish a challenge.

The kit in my eyes is typical from MFH the high quality white metal and resin castings will need a clean up to remove casting stubs/lines ect but these are minimal in size and easily removed, yes you may need to realign some parts to get them to fit correctly but white metal parts are soft and can be tweaked slightly out of shape in transit. The instructions always say to test fit and adjust before gluing things together and the test fitting usually has apart that covers an iffy fit.

The main reason I like MFH is the quality of casting overall its more crisp and sharper than plastic models I guess this is because MFH use short run molds to get the high detail where say Tamiya or any other kit maker may lose some detail as its a volume production mold.

Take your time with these kits and they will reward you with something special dont sit and dribble over the contents wishing you had the confidence to take it on, do it and be rewarded in the model and the satisfaction that that baby is yours.

[Hawkmoon]

Looking good, Hawk !!!

[above my pay grade!]

Happy your looking in and enjoying the build Barry and yh there not cheap but dropping hints for a birthday or xmass may pay off someday

[Hawkmoon]

I like the colour of the valve covers I thought that was spot on.

Its the new Tamiya Lacquer semi gloss black on the heads its got the edge in my opinion on the old acrylic one as it looks more realistic in my eyes

[Hawkmoon]

The clutch has been painted and weathered then work continued on the Monocoque all the holes were drilled out then a coat of white undercoat went on. After the undercoat was dry the ends were given a coat of Kevlar yellow and the central section a grey carbon backing. This again was left to dry and then the carbon decals added to the Monocoque . Lots of rivets to add tomorrow

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[Tay99]

Nice job on the decals . Thanks for the response to the question.
Just been looking through the stash deciding what to build next after I finish the Porsche GT1.
Might have to start one of my MHF kits.
Keep the updates coming great motivational build.

[Hawkmoon]

Nice job on the decals . Thanks for the response to the question.
Just been looking through the stash deciding what to build next after I finish the Porsche GT1.
Might have to start one of my MHF kits.
Keep the updates coming great motivational build.

Thanks for looking in and your comments Tay. Whatever one you choose it will be worth it and just ask if your unsure

[Kevthemodeller]

Great looking carbon fibre

[jmurphy18]

Looking good Hawkmoon!

[barryf1fan]

This is already in the "Holy Crap, that's awesome" zone. Gonna learn a lot from this one.

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks for looking in and your comments every one

[Hawkmoon]

More done, the inner monocoque tub was painted and then the carbon decals added [ when the seat is fitted the grey at the rear cant be seen] then various parts were added. The main mono has had rivets fitted but more will be added later in the build. Also the front shock absorber/steering rod assembly was made up and fitted. There are two pictures showing the tub dry fitted in the mono one with flash to show carbon detail better. The last pictures show the peddle set up/ seat and tank. Im not happy with the tank so will be redoing it.

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[digger303]

Dab hand with the decals.

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks for looking in and your comments Digger

[barryf1fan]

Man!! That's a lot of rivets. And that's just the central monocoque section....

Never attempted a scale this large, do you find it easier, because of the larger sizes, or more difficult because with bits being bigger they have to be properly done?? Not sure if that makes sense... I hope you get what I'm asking. I would think that with my skill set, and the larger scale it would be harder for me to "hide" my plethora of mistakes.

Anyhoo, loving the carbon work so far. Do you have some photos that you are going off of or just "making it up as you go"??

[Hawkmoon]

Hi Barry

In a larger scale like 1/12 for instance the car is twice as big as a 1/24 so you will need extra space for them. MFH kits provide lots of detail although there is scope to add more if you wish where a Tamiya or any other kit maker in 1/12 although good they can cry out for extra detailing in certain areas and thats why people who like adding extra detail love them. Yes there more work with paint and assembly but there easier on older eyes to construct and assemble. All I can say here is if you come across a Tamiya 1/12 you like buy it and have a go.

The instructions provide a full breakdown of where each numbered decal is to be placed on the car so decal 55 and 56 will be placed on either side of the front nose of the monocoque for instance. I also have the MFH McLaren 4-4 in detail book which helps as it is packed with pictures of the whole car. These in detail books are snapped up very quickly when they are issued and are rarely republished so if theres a car you like and MFH bring out a detail book buy it because when you do think about getting one they will be sold out.

[barryf1fan]

Hi Barry

In a larger scale like 1/12 for instance the car is twice as big as a 1/24 so you will need extra space for them. MFH kits provide lots of detail although there is scope to add more if you wish where a Tamiya or any other kit maker in 1/12 although good they can cry out for extra detailing in certain areas and thats why people who like adding extra detail love them. Yes there more work with paint and assembly but there easier on older eyes to construct and assemble. All I can say here is if you come across a Tamiya 1/12 you like buy it and have a go.

The instructions provide a full breakdown of where each numbered decal is to be placed on the car so decal 55 and 56 will be placed on either side of the front nose of the monocoque for instance. I also have the MFH McLaren 4-4 in detail book which helps as it is packed with pictures of the whole car. These in detail books are snapped up very quickly when they are issued and are rarely republished so if theres a car you like and MFH bring out a detail book buy it because when you do think about getting one they will be sold out.

I had no idea about the detail books - that is priceless info, thanks!!!

And I did. Picked up a Tamiya 1/12 Williams FW14B for a really good price (~$112, w/Baccy decals) and will have a go someday, hopefully I'll be confident soon enough.

Really enjoying reading through and following along this build.

[Hawkmoon]

No problem Barry get a few more spray jobs under your belt and then bite the bullet on something that scares you and I bet you will do just fine

[Kingdan]

Nice carbon and rivet work mate

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks for looking in Dan and your comments

[Hawkmoon]

The tank was resprayed and looks better now, the lower cockpit and upper cockpit were joined using the provided screws and the seat has had the seat belts fitted. The seat is dry fitted for now as there are wires ect still to be fitted. You can see how the flash has bleached the blue release buckle on the seat belt the darker color is more true to how it really looks.

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[Hawkmoon]

The tank was added to the peddle box plate and then more rivets were added to the side of the inner chassis. The front suspension is next up with the wish bones added along with the nose bulk head and brake resevoirs.

Lots of prep going on for the front wheel/steering right now should get some more done for tomorrow.

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[Tay99]

Looking good hawkmoon, how many drill bits have you got through, i lost 2 so far.

[Carpcatcher]

Looking great so far!

I must say, I really fancy a go at building this kit myself. I had a search on the web for some pictures of finished builds and this model displayed with the body off and on stands, next to the car, looks amazing. So much to look at!

Certainly a big project, that your going to do an amazing job with. Will almost certainly be a valuable guide for me if I build this, in the near future.

Looking forward to more.

[Hawkmoon]

Looking good hawkmoon, how many drill bits have you got through, i lost 2 so far.

Hi Tay

Thanks for looking in and your comments as for the drills these kits seem to eat them I think I am down 6 now . The holes that need to be drilled are very small on some of the parts which can lead to breakages. From previous experience I always have a good stock to compensate.

[Hawkmoon]

Looking great so far!

I must say, I really fancy a go at building this kit myself. I had a search on the web for some pictures of finished builds and this model displayed with the body off and on stands, next to the car, looks amazing. So much to look at!

Certainly a big project, that your going to do an amazing job with. Will almost certainly be a valuable guide for me if I build this, in the near future.

Looking forward to more.

Thanks for looking in and your comments Carpcatcher there nice kits with some challenges but the results always make you smile

[Twokidsnosleep]

That carbon Fiber is awesome
Coming along gangbusters

[Hawkmoon]

That carbon Fiber is awesome
Coming along gangbusters

Thanks for looking in and your comments Scott. front wheel hubs are next on the menu

[Hawkmoon]

The front wheel hubs and brake calipers were made up and any etch ect added. Then after assembly the brake lines were added to each hub. The hubs were then fixed in place and the steering and suspension rods added.

The peddle box was fixed in position and two plates with rivets attached to the cockpit outer. The two front air scoops to cool the brakes were painted with carbon grey as was the front inner nose section. I have started carbon decaling the air scoops and the nose section will follow. The last picture shows the nose section in place.

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[Tay99]

Looking good mate, what did you paint the disc with, I have some of the zero paints carbon fibre paint which I use for carbon discs.