1/24 McLaren M8C
Model, Text, and Photos by William de Pooter
(with help from Messrs. Moriniere, Fox, and Murphy)
I started with an Accurate Miniatures "Koveleski" McLaren M8B chassis, which I had assembled and painted according to the kit instructions a couple of years ago, but the body of which I had never finished, probably due to the fact that I have to build GPMA contest models all the time.
With the subject of the most recent of these GPMA contests being Canam and Interserie cars, I was confident that it would be a piece of cake to finish it off as belgian Teddy Pilette's 1971 season McLaren M8C. I was going to hit two flies in the same blow, as we Jamaicans call it.
That was until I foolishly asked for some information on the GPMA board, a request that was hastily fulfilled by French Mr. Morinière, who managed to send me just enough pictures of the car to make sure that I knew that roughly every piece that was already painted black should in fact have been metal colour, and vice versa. As an extra favour, he also kindly informed me that the front wheel openings of the M8C are quite different from those of the M8B. The fact that Mr. Pilette chose to put Firestone tires under his car instead of the Goodyears with engraved lettering from the kit became obvious without M. Morinière even having to mention it.
Since I had of course postponed starting to deal with my project because "90 % was done already", and had spent my time investigating German Autobahns instead, I was quickly running out of time - again. I managed to solve most of my colour problems though, partly with paint and partly with bare metal foil, and filing away a bit of material (as much as I could without making holes) from the body sills produced at least from some angles a more or less acceptable shape for the wheel openings. And I filled the engraved Goodyear lettering on the kit tires with slightly less than half a jar of flat black paint.
After painting the body in my secret "VDS racing team red" (the secret part being that I forgot to make a note of my mixture), and applying the stripes with strips of white and blue decal sheet, it was merely a matter of choosing some decals from my varied collection to finish the decoration. The Koni's and the Champions came from UMI sponsor logo sheets, as well as the "written" Shell's on the rear spoiler.
The yellow Shell logos were impossible to find, though (oh, found plenty of them, but never the right shape of course). As was the yellow sticker on the side of the front wing, which I decided to be a "RACING TEAM VDS" sticker, because I found such a sticker to be used on the Team's Alfa Romeo's of the late sixties as well.
Once again, I had to call out for help, and I thought California would be as good a place to start with as any. Boy was I wrong ! Mr. Fox I have to admit produced the decals in no time + about all the colours and sizes I could possibly need, but he cunningly sent them to me just when our local Post Office people started their yearly strike. Luckily your postponing the entry deadline yet again made his foul plan backfire !
I trust I do not have to explain Mr. Murphy's contribution: please see above.
