One Model - Many Options
I have Always had a weak spot for the AURORA AFX F1 cars, Lotus 79, Ferrari F1, Ligier F1, Renault F1, Williams F1, Tyrrell Six-Wheeler F1, McLaren f1 or the Lola T-330. Striving for a close replica in scale h0 seems impossible due to the dimension of the chassis.
All the early AFX Formular 1 models do not match the originals. Still, they have a special appeal only toy cars achieve to the beholder, given you were a boy at the time these cars competed in racing driven by Nicky Lauda, James Hunt, Jacky Stewart, Nigel Mansell and many others.
AURORA AFX had produced several variations of the Lotus over the years using the same body, mainly with the renowned John Player Special livery. MADOM, ESSEX and Candy were other Sponsors for the Lotus. The Candy did not replicate a Lotus sponsor but a close copy off the Lotus by Tyrrell.
Sticker or decals, at one point it had to be decided. Yes, I like the paper stickers and had bought the remakes from various sources. The painted finish of the bodies did not correspond with the paper sticker. Therefor decals were the choice for the remakes. And I had other liveries for the Lotus in mind. One had to be the Red and White Gold Leaf Team of 72 and the Martini of 79. The original labels were scanned and redrawn with the desired liveries, two of each year.
This project had been in the making and still is. I had been on the lookout for originals for a very long time. If any became available, the prices were out of my range. Therefore, I decide to replicate the bodies. The Lotus were only the beginning. Fortunately, I had bought serval cars over the years for a reasonable price. Some came in poor shape and needed some repair.
Chassis had to be cleaned, and parts replaced. Pick up shoes and springs, brushes, rims and tires, down to new armatures from Viper Racing. I wish I had more of an understanding for tuning the G-Plus chassis to give the cars a better performance.
