BMW M3 E30 - 88 SPA 24 Hours Winner

The model chosen to start this Blog is a kit from the NUNU/BEEMAX brand, one
of the newest brands on the civil scene, headquartered in Macau, this brand is
dedicated to the production of competition models, scale 1/24, in the categories
of Rally, Tourism, GT, Formula. Let's now look at the model, the BMW M3 E30
was all the rage in the late 80s and 90s in several Tourism championships,
spread all over the planet, it was an affordable model, a natural successor to the
enormous BMW 635 CSI, which was basically a beefed-up family car, too big for
some winding circuits, the M3, based on the German brand's 3 series and
designed specifically for the tracks, corrected all the previous problems and gave
BMW a competitive weapon to face the competition in the following years. The
model presented in this article represents the winning car of the legendary 24
Hours of SPA, driven by the Altfrid Heger / Dieter Quester / Roberto Ravaglia
team and is one of the several versions of the M3 that NUNU/Beemax has
launched in recent times to make the most of the base and respective molds. It is
a very well designed kit, which captures the lines of the original model, with a
very detailed interior and with a moulding quality on par with the most
renowned brands, without the annoying injection/ejection marks that are visible
when finished, the decals are probably the best on the market in this segment,
well dimensioned, with excellent printing and easy to apply, even for those who
are afraid of applying these large “sheets” (I am talking in particular about the
huge stripes that cross the model diagonally).

As cons, I can only point out two small details that are interconnected. Anyone
who is used to building 1/24 models and picks up the body for the first time will
immediately notice that it is large, slightly larger than models of the same scale,
and the remaining parts follow these dimensions (with the exception of the rims
and tires). The model is actually closer to a hypothetical 1/23 or 1/22 scale. The
rims and tires, on the other hand, are well-sized, in the correct scale, and make
the finished model look like it has wheels that are too small, when exactly the
opposite is true. It is a design error that does not compromise the final result in
any way for the less demanding, but it forced me to add an excellent set of 3D
printed wheels and rims, improving the entire set.



Construction begins with cleaning the parts, with light applications of putty
where necessary and subsequent sanding. All parts were sanded, tested and the
first pre-assemblies were made on those parts that will be painted the same
color, such as the roll-bar in the cabin or mechanical components in the rear.
lower part of the chassis. Once this was done, all the parts were primed with
Tamiya white or grey paint and were later, after rectifying some less visible
errors before the primer layer, painted in the colours listed in the instruction
manual. In this part of the article, it is worth mentioning that a few years ago I
was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects the
joints of the hands and wrists, causes debilitating pain and prevents me from
using an airbrush as I did before the disease appeared. As a result of these
limitations, I had to adapt my painting technique and after many unsuccessful
attempts I managed to adapt to spray paint in a can, which I still use today. At the
same time, I decided to get around the limitations by purchasing a trigger
airbrush to practice another hand position and to use this tool again. For now,
after some training I still do not feel ready, but I hope to achieve it soon. After the
paint had dried, I started decorating the elements that make up the bodywork,
then applying glossy varnish and letting it cure for a few weeks, while I
assembled the chassis and cabin. As I said before, the decals did not present any
major difficulties, and only required some attention to align the bodywork
stripes perfectly, which, if not done, would compromise the entire final assembly.
It is worth noting that the sheet does not contain the “BASTOS” tobacco decals, as
a result of the existing anti-smoking laws. I managed to get around this problem
with the help of the manufacturer of the 3D rims, who immediately offered to
help, having designed and printed an excellent sheet that allowed me to
complete this model as accurately as possible.

Decals in place, it's time to varnish. Varnishing decaled car bodies and leaving
them shiny is one of those processes that has to go well the first time, there's no
chance of repeating it if the varnish attacks and damages the decals. In this
process, I always use what is, in my opinion, the best glossy spray varnish on the
market today, I'm talking about the excellent Mr. TOPCOAT B-501 GLOSS from
Gunze.

Water-based, very bright, with the advantage of being self-leveling, not requiring
subsequent polishing to correct and/or level the surfaces. It is very safe on any
type of decal and I have never had any adverse reactions to them. I cannot say
the same about some options available on our market that are real shots in the
dark when it comes to varnishing decals. I am talking, for example, about the
feared TS-13 from Tamiya.

Let's move on to the chassis, which is relatively easy to build, since NUNU chose
not to put an engine in, leaving only the lower part of it and the gearbox visible,
molded in a single piece together with the chassis. Here I spent some time
detailing the parts with light washes, a bit of dry brush here and there, and some
wear marks to give it a certain realism and highlight the contrasts between the
different tones. I confess that I'm not a big fan of the idea that says that a car
model only has to be painted or clean, that washes are dirt exclusive to military
modeling. No, nothing could be further from the truth!! A car model also has
shadows, life, contrasts, and these characteristics have to be included in the work
we do. A model without visual effects is a lifeless toy, without realism.

Chassis finished, only the cabin is missing, here comes the detail that we want to
be visible from the outside, I am talking for example about electrical wiring and
hydraulic pipes that cross this space, such as the fuel supply and return pipes
that connect the tank located in the trunk to the engine compartment.
We must not forget one of the most important details of any competition model:
the multi-point seat belts, very different from those we use in everyday life. For
the belts I used the excellent photogravure set from STUDIO27, which contains
the various buckles, fabric strips and decals from various manufacturers (Sparco,
Sabelt, Stand21, etc.) that allow us to make practically any version that exists in
real life. With the assembly of the seat and the belts, the assembly of the interior
is practically finished, with only the tubular structure of the safety cage and the
interior door panels remaining to be placed. Once this is done, it is time to glue
the chassis to the cabin/cockpit, using the pins located on both parts to avoid
basic errors.

To finish this set, all that's left is to put the wheels on, which, as I mentioned
before, are too small for the slightly incorrect dimensions of the rest of the set.
To correct this, I resorted to new technologies and used a 3D printed correction
set by the Italian brand KMP, which has become famous for manufacturing
accessories for competition models, correction sets or complete transkits for
converting existing models.



KMP has several models of rims for the BMW M3 E30 and this batch includes the
BBS E50 rims that were part of this version. The set is made up of several
independent pieces that, when combined, allow the assembly of the four sets of
wheels for the model. These pieces are printed with excellent definition, and the
different layers of printing are not noticeable. We must be especially careful with
the painting process because the fitting tolerances are in the order of hundredths
of a millimeter, so we cannot overuse the paint or subsequent varnishes. I have
attached a photo where the difference between the dimensions of the kit rim and
the replacement KMP rim is quite noticeable. I think the image is quite
enlightening.

Once this last step is complete, all that remains is to close the model, joining the
bodywork and bumpers, which have been lightly polished for a smoother finish,
place the mirrors, windows (in this model, unlike what is usual in the segment,
the windows are independent and placed from the outside) and their respective
wipers, other metal accessories such as the antenna or the bonnet locks and
that's it. Summary: this kit from NUNU/BEEMAX is a very attractive model, with
a cheerful decoration, which does not present any major difficulties in its
construction.

Pros:
Excellent molding, no visible marks or seams
A good base for many options and decorations, in the Tourism or Rally category
Excellent quality decals
Ease of construction
Very precise and complete instructions
Value as a historical piece, as it is one of the icons of motorsports
Cons:
Somewhat exaggerated dimensions of the model
Small rims compared to the rest of the set
Little or no detail in the engine compartment
Lack of decals, due to the anti-smoking law
I hope you enjoyed it, it was a pleasure to collaborate with this 1st
edition of the DM Universe Blog, I hope to be able to continue contributing in the
near future!







PEDRO COSTA
FB page “Kostinha’s Scale Models”