1:20 Lotus 79 - Engine Parts (for Tamiya Kits)

1:20 Lotus 79 – Engine Parts (for Tamiya Kits), Studio27

A detail set of parts for the engine bay of a Lotus 79 model in 1:20 scale. The most important point right at the start: it is neither a model nor a kit. You do not get a car – you get a set of additional parts that are fitted into the Lotus 79 plastic kit from Tamiya. You have to own that already, otherwise the set has nothing to go into. The parts are shaped exactly for one particular kit and will not fit another – if you are building the Lotus 79 from Hasegawa, this set is not for you; Studio27 makes a separate upgrade set intended precisely for the Hasegawa kit. Please check the maker of your kit before ordering.

The real subject: the Lotus 79 Black Beauty

The Lotus 79 is the car that changed Formula 1. It was the first truly workable wing car – a car exploiting ground effect. Its underbody was shaped so that the air flowing beneath it literally sucked it to the ground; at the sides, movable skirts sealed the low pressure in. The result: the car held on in corners with a force nobody had seen before, and it did not need the huge wings that slow a car down. Mario Andretti won the world championship with it in 1978 and Lotus dominated the season. Under the rear bodywork worked the Ford Cosworth DFV V8 – the most successful engine in the history of Formula 1.

Why an engine set is worth it

On Formula 1 cars of the 1970s the engine is a load-bearing part of the car, not a lump of iron hidden under a cover. It is visible. Anyone building a model with an open engine bay wants it to look like a real machine – with lines, hoses, clips and wires. Molded plastic cannot do that: it manages neither a truly thin edge nor a real grille, only a suggested engraving. Photo-etched sheet is as thin as real sheet metal in scale – and that is exactly what decides things at an exhibition.

Working with the set – honestly

• Photo-etched sheet has to be bent – you need an etch bender, or at least a razor blade and good tweezers.
• It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue, not with plastic cement – that holds on neither metal nor resin.
• The original plastic detail often has to be sanded away. It is an irreversible step – think it through in advance.
• It calls for tweezers, a magnifier and patience. The set is intended rather for more experienced modelers.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who build the Lotus 79 from Tamiya in 1:20 and want an open engine bay of real quality.
• Collectors of Formula 1 cars who are bothered by the thickness and softness of plastic details.
• Competition and exhibition builders – the black and gold Lotus is a test of craft and every mistake shows on black paint.

The set holds additional parts only. The basic kit, the glue, the paints and the tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.