Toyota Celica GT4 - Tour de Corse 1991, Marc Duez
The Toyota Celica GT4 was built as a model to compete with the Lancia Delta Integrale, which since 1987 dominated the World Rally Championship with iron hand. Derived from front-wheel drive Celica coupe which was added a turbo engine and four-wheel drive. Its debut was in the Rally of Corsica in 1988 and continued its participation in other races the same year showing both its potential and its fragility. Since 1990 the car´s reliability problems were resolved, resulting in victory for Björn Waldegaard in the Safari Rally and the drivers world championship to Carlos Sainz the same year. The following year was the last year in which he competed and was replaced in 1992 by the Celica 4WD, after a world title and 12 victories.
During its last year as official Toyota car, belgian Marc Duez competed with one of them at various rallies, some of them belonging to the 1991 world rally championship. In the Tour de Corse had a great performance with his co-driver Klaus Wicha being 4th at the end of the race. This is a photo of the car during the race:
In 1991, EXIN began the manufacture and sale of the Toyota Celica GT4 with Repsol colors (reference 8332), decorating of the car participatin in the World Rally Championship in 1990. Years after left to manufacture, was reissued the model for the Altaya "Rallyes Míticos" collection decorated like the first but with "mud effect". Reproduction of the car was quite good, as most of the EXIN model, and very well finished off.
I start from Altaya collection model to make the Marc Duez´s Toyota Celica decoration, sponsored by the oil company Fina. This is the model:
Unpaint it was simple after immersing the body in isopropyl alcohol and rub some.
Originally, the chassis was attached to the body by a screw at the rear while in the front body itself embraced the chassis without screws. To independent chassis and body completely, I cut the chassis part that was inserted into the body at the front and hit two evergreen rod pins with bicomponent glue to the chassis. Thus, the body went to join the chassis by three screws:
The body needs a few changes to reproduce the chosen decoration: opening a hole for the fuel cap,...
...expand the width of where it fits the car registration,...
...and open a hole in the roof to make the entry of air into the cabin.
I didn´t want to change the headlights to let them raised, I wasn´t sure that the result was good. Once made those few changes, gave the body a Vallejo white primer coat to continue the work.
With the primer completely dry and the few flaws of the body covered with Tamiya putty I gently pass waterproof sandpaper to match the surface and applied the white paint of the bodywork, Duplicolor spray. Two coats of paint were enough to left the body ready for decoration.
Apart from the decals, car decoration is limited to paint the glass rubber and the bottom of the rear lights with Vallejo black. For the rubber on the glasses, first masked with Tamiya tape cuted into thin strips before paint with black Vallejo by brush:
Thus were the rubbers after removing the masking tape:
Decals were purchased to Calcas de rally . They are very good quality and very complete, with all the logos well defined and sized. Also are very well placed on the sheet to know its position in the body:
Their placement hadn´t any difficulty. As always there are large decals we must be little careful when placed, as in this case with the lateral stripes, for example. Moreover, the work was a breeze.
After letting dry the body after putting the decals, varnished it as I usually do with two coats of "Bosque Verde" wax varnish by brush and two more coats of acrylic varnish Vallejo spray.
While the paint dried, I finished the car interior, first roll cage:
Then the rest of the interior as I´ve done it before, painting the drivers, backets, dashboard and putting the seat belts and a fire extinguisher.
Moreover, although there aren´t pictures, I painted the headlights and front grills, cloned from others in resin, like the gas cap, cloned in resin and painted with gray enamel.
After letting the body dry started the problems. I don´t know clearly what the exact problem, I suspect that the spray varnish (Vallejo) hasn´t react well with white paint (enamel Duplicolor) and has yellowed greatly. It was a jug of cold water because I was very happy with the outcome of the paint and decals, but that´s what it is and I will not do anything about it.
The fact is that every once very dry and the car assembled looks as follows:
It´s been a pity the problem with the varnish that has tarnished the work a little, otherwise satisfied with the result.
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