Converting 3 Tamiya Brabham BT50 into BT49 versions

Models in progress... including non-F1 models.
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Emersonsquirrel
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Post by Emersonsquirrel »

That's really fantastic work JM! :lol:

I think you've done a great job of modifying the nose :wink:

The only thing I'm slightly puzzled by is the reference to shortening the chassis for the BT49 version. My recollection was that the original BT49 suspension was pretty much identical to that of the BT48 and that the wheelbase was lengthened as a result of adopting the swept forwards suspension replicated in the BT50 kit from Holland onwards in 1980. Was there a change to the chassis as well, or am I missing something? :?

Looking forward to seeing further updates!

ES
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Post by roly01 »

Yes,

Going very nicely indeed.
Is there a change of seeing the BT49 chaccis without the body.
This one
Image
Just wanting to know/see how you changed the front of the chaccis.
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Post by JM »

Emersonsquirrel, for the chassis lenght I took a look at the AMD resine body and as I could not really see the difference in the suspensions I took this route to modify the wheel base. As said before, maybe not the perfect solution but it will do for me.

Roly, here is a pic of the chassis without cowling. It's not very good photo so I did not show it in the first place. But now I have glued chassis and cowling together so there's no chance to take a better one. To modify the chassis I glued a piece of plasticard as seen at the upper left side on the nose and then filed it to the final correct shape. Of course had to do the same to the chassis. Hope it gives an idea how I did it. The lower chassis it an unchanged one from the Tamiya BT50.
Attachments
nose_modification.jpg
Last edited by JM on Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Tormentor »

He JM, any progress ?

Started my own conversion BT50 to BT49D, used some of your pics here as a manual how to solve some problems. But for the biggest problem i have'nt found a solution - decals?
Is there a BT49 decal sheet available somewhere, or do we have to print our own decals?

:?:
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Post by JM »

Hi Tormentor, progress is really slow. I kind of slow down my modelling efforts a lot when it towards summer.
Regarding decals I got myself the Studio 27 decal sheets for the 1981and 1982 Brabham BT50 versions. Will combine them with my decal sets for the AMD BT49 transkits and the decals from the original Tamiya kit. I'm planning to improvise around the engine cover. There I will cut some bits and stripes from the original decals to the correct shape and fix it somehow.
I have not found a BT49 decal sheet except for the one which is included with the AMD transkit. But these are simply thought as complimentary decals to go with the original Tamiya's. They do not include the blue surfaces and stripes.
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BT49 conversions finished!

Post by JM »

Today I finished my three conversations of Tamiya’s Brabham BT50 into BT49 versions and the AMD BT49 transkit. Furthermore I finished some improvements to my 1979 BT49 conversion I did some years ago.
Last step after the modification steps shown at the earlier posts of this thread was obviously decaling. As mentioned before I used a mixture of the original BT50 decals of the Tamiya kit, decals of the AMD BT49 transkit and Studio 27 decal sheets for the 1981and 1982 Brabham BT50 versions. These include all necessary markings except the blue areas and stripes around the engine cover. For that I cut the blue rear wing decals (I sprayed the wing elements) and used surplus stripes as I had more decal sheets than kits. This improvisation shows if one looks close. It’s certainly not perfect but it’s good enough for me.
For the engine covers I used Mr. Model’s stainless steel wire mesh (size 60) which was folded according to the required shape and brushed them white for the BT49D versions.
Here some group shots of all BT49 versions together:
5xBT49-1.jpg
5xBT49-2.jpg
5xBT49-3.jpg
5xBT49-5.jpg
Last edited by JM on Sun Jan 19, 2020 6:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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BT49 Canada 1979

Post by JM »

BT49 Canada 1979
I did this conversion about five years ago without a lot of references (I think I had about 5 reference pictures, most in black and white). So not all shapes are quite right but I cannot change the chassis anymore without doing a lot of damage. What I did change were the skirts. I cut off the kit’s skirts and fixed the PE parts provided by the AMD transkit. Furthermore I changed the front wheels fitting a pair of wheels from the Tamiya BT46 kit as I think they were used at least for practice at the 1979 Canadian Grand Prix. And the kit represents the car which was left by Niki Lauda after Friday’s practice.
BT49-1.jpg
BT49-2.jpg
BT49-3.jpg
BT49-4.jpg
BT49-5.jpg
Last edited by JM on Sun Jan 19, 2020 6:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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BT49B Long Beach 1980

Post by JM »

BT49B Long Beach 1980
This is the chassis where I modified the front end according to the references. As this represents the car which Nelson Piquet won his first Grand Prix with I placed a driver figure in the kit.
BT49B-1.jpg
BT49B-2.jpg
BT49B-3.jpg
BT49B-4.jpg
BT49B-5.jpg
BT49B-6.jpg
Last edited by JM on Sun Jan 19, 2020 6:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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BT49C Las Vegas 1981

Post by JM »

BT49C Las Vegas 1981
Here is the AMD transkit representing Nelson Piquet’s Las Vegas 1981 title winning machine complete with head support fixed at the right side of the roll over bar..
BT49C-1.jpg
BT49C-2.jpg
BT49C-3.jpg
Bt49C-4.jpg
BT49C-5.jpg
BT49C-6.jpg
Last edited by JM on Sun Jan 19, 2020 6:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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BT49D Brazil 1982

Post by JM »

BT49D Brazil 1982
This is the kit representing Nelson Piquet’s winning car from the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix (though he was disqualified later which started another round of the FOCA-FISA war, remember that?).
BT49D-NP-1.jpg
BT49D-NP-2.jpg
BT49D-NP-3.jpg
BT49D-NP-4.jpg
BT49D-NP-5.jpg
BT49D-NP-6.jpg
Last edited by JM on Sun Jan 19, 2020 6:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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