Corvette Sting Ray Official Build

[Mark A]

Hi All,

 

This is my second Official Build for Agora Models. This time, it is the lovely Corvette C2 “Sting Ray” in 1/8 scale. With the split rear window, and classic styling, this is a beautiful car, and based on the first parts pack, will be an amazing model to add to the collection.

With the published builds I do, I try to focus on potential problem areas, however this kit is SO easy to assemble that I really don’t have a lot to say in terms of problems I had with these first parts.

Stage 1, building the front body panel.

Following what seems to be the standard approach to a build-up car model, we start with the front clip. The grill fits nicely into place and is secured with 4 well hidden screws. We next insert the turn indicator housings into place, followed by the amber lenses themselves. There is a notch in the housings that makes placement easy, and secure.

After the lenses are placed, it is time to move on to the license plate holder. This part is marked L and R, WHICH IS AS YOU VIEW THE PART. The guide mentions that if you are building one of the limited edition kits, hold off on installing the plate at this time, since you will be getting your personalized plate at a later date.

Stage , 2 Mounting the front bumpers and license plate.

In this stage, we install the front bumpers, and mount the license plate holder to the assembly from Stage 1.

This stage is somewhat tricky, as it is like trying to wrangle a basket of snakes into place. I found that loosely screwing all the parts together first, then tightening it all up at once seemed to be the best way to get it all together. (see pic 7 in the build guide) Patience is the key here! The bumper bracket for the right hand side is placed next, and this locks it all into place. Finish the assembly by securing the tabs on the bumper to the nose of the body from stage 1.

Stage 3, the Hood.

In this stage the hood from stage 2 (bonnet for all you non-American types) is assembled along with the reinforcing structure. There are also 2 very sexy looking sets of adhesive “vents” that get placed onto the hood.

The hood latches are quite fiddly to place, and the springs are easily tweezer launched, so exercise caution here. I had to sweep the floor trying to find the one I had sent off into space. The hood reinforcement falls into place, and is secured with BM screws. Turn the hood over, and insert the vent panels into place. You will have one shot at this, so take care in ensuring that things are properly lined up!

Stage 4, the first wheel.

This is a supremely simple stage. Unlike other car buildups, you do not need to use boiling water to fit the tire into place, as the two halves of the rim are screwed together after the tire is fit into position.

Stage 5, the fuel injection unit.

This stage results in a very attractive assembly. All the screws are well hidden and the Corvette logo is well done, resulting in an eye catching bit of color.

Steps 13-16 are a bit fiddly, and a good pair of tweezers or needle nose pliers are handy. The smaller of the two bits of pipework is fitted into place first, followed by the larger part. Take care not to break the larger piece while fitting it, it won’t be able to withstand a lot of forceful handling. I used Tamiya Extra Thin cement to ensure a good bond, and also to “lubricate” the part during assembly so as not to place too much strain on it while I was assembling it.

 

Stage six will start the motor!