BMW 3.5CSL - 1976 Le Mans (Gosser Beer)

This is a 1:24 scale Arii kit. The basic shape is very good. However, after I attached all of the body parts I noticed that there are a few things that need to be corrected:

1. The chrome body strip is positioned too far up the door (should be level with the door handle not above it).

2. The chrome body strips do not appear on the 1976 le Mans version above the front and rear wings. (I only realised after I attached them!)

3. The rear flared wing mouldings should be curved rather than straight.

4. The moulded in windscreen wiper does not look very good.


To resolve these problems I re-scribed the door body strips below the moulded on ones so that they are level with the door handles and then used some fuse wire to create the chrome body strips which will be painted body colour later.

I removed the moulded in chrome body strips above the front and rear wings by sanding/filing.

I then used a pencil to mark an approximate line for the new curved rear wing before using automotive filler to create the correct shape.

I finally removed the moulded in windscreen wiper so that I can use a P/E one positioned across the windscreen for added realism.

I have also glued the doors shut (it is possible to have opening doors but the fit was pretty poor) and re-scribed the door shut lines and sanded flush.

It has taken quite a time to get this far!

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/9919/dscf2379lo4.jpg

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/6595/dscf2387pv8.jpg

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/7636/dscf2393fu6.jpg

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/1458/dscf2402lz1.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/6461/dscf2410by7.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/2634/dscf2418pm9.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/6900/dscf2421tm5.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/1746/dscf2423md7.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/4811/dscf2427bv0.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/9216/dscf2429ia8.jpg

Very good start! :thumbsup:
I had this kit and never spotted the mistakes, luckily I didn't build it. I'll follow your work closely for it is really well done and it will help me with a future build.

Added some green paint. The colour seems quite a good match to the real thing but doesn't photograph very well. Polishing still to do.

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/5820/dscf2585oh1.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/2040/dscf2587mu0.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/8861/dscf2589re0.jpg

Nice start on a cool car!

That is really green. I like to see this one finished...never seen a model with this livery.

Good luck with your build.

Robert

this BMW CSL is really a very beautiful machine in its time.
no, i'm not referring to this fully mod version but the road car something like a 2002Ti.

good thing you have took some pics of how the body parts are like before assembly. i might just get one & do a proper road version!

does it comes with any engine details, besides the opening doors?
thankx!

Very nice and I really want to have one too. Keep it up and looking forward to seeing your further progress

this BMW CSL is really a very beautiful machine in its time.
no, i'm not referring to this fully mod version but the road car something like a 2002Ti.

good thing you have took some pics of how the body parts are like before assembly. i might just get one & do a proper road version!

does it comes with any engine details, besides the opening doors?
thankx!

Thanks for the comments.

You could possibly do a road version of the 3.0 CSL with this kit but it will take a lot of effort to correct the front and rear wings! The wheels are also incorrect for the road version but you may be able to source them from another kit. The road versions wheels are similar to Alpina multi spoke type.

Below is a photo of the road car so that you can see the differences that you will need to make!

http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/5752/dscf4520lp0.jpg

It is an Arii kit with few details (no engine). I think it was originally a motorised kit so will take some work to make look convincing!

yes, this is the one i'm referring to!
very classic design & wahat a beauty...

thankx for the pic. good luck with your build too!
cheers!:wink:

Great start!
I'm looking for the 1:1 3.0 CSL to buy, and if I find one in good condition, I'd sell my kidney to get one! j/k... but I will give up a lot to get one.

I used to own a 3.0 CSI back over 15 years ago before I got into Italian
cars. It was very nice, but also very heavy. Had a hard time finding a rust free example. Mine had BBS one piece wheels. The best model I have seen
of the 3.0 CS- CSL came from ScaleKraft of S.A. in 1/24th scale.

Tom Tanner/SD

Yeah, CSIs are heavy, that is why they made CSL! it is one of the most beautiful and timeless car designs.

It's looking really good so far!

Mmmm Fantastic.
I dream ever the Calder art version... may be in 1/16 before or later!
I'm tuned!

I would like to know how Tom feel the '80 gtv if you own yet, reliable? fast? how is the alfa V6 engine?

sorry for the quick ot but is ever interesting keep first hand infos ;)

just as requested (alex????) a 1:1 http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/731574.htm

hope it works!

and another http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/690134.htm work needed but cheaper!

last one http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/357113.htm

19,000 Euro is not bad, when you consider it was a special racing version.
You cant touch an old Alfa GTA for less than 75,000 Euro in good condition.

The 1980's Alfa GTV 6 motor has to be the best sounding V6 street car motor ever made! Its even better sounding than the Aluminum block production Dino 206 GT motors(not the racing cars). I bought the GTV6 in the late 1980's almost new, so it was not really vintage when I purchased it.

My 3.0 CSI had the injected motor, so the motor compartment looked almost the same. The CSL is not that much lighter than the CSI and I liked the car alot. Very classy in a German way with timeless lines. I aready had a few vintage Italian cars when I bought the BMW, so the BMW really never had a chance!

Tom Tanner/SD

What green did you use, brand and number please.

All the real cars that were shown if you followed the threads were for sale in British Pounds.

Sorry, my bad. So I think the pound is at $1.61 dollars. Still cheap compared to the Vintage Alfa GTA's. They made around the same amount
of CSL's as they did 1600 GTA's.


Best,

Tom Tanner/SD

What green did you use, brand and number please.

The green I used was a Halfords spray can called Ford Modena Green.

Hopefully future posts on this thread will be about the title subject now rather than real CSL's! (interesting though they are!). Perhaps a new thread should be started for the real thing in the correct forum please!

Hi Viccario,
I 'm going to the construction of the BMW as Gosser #43 and Gitanes #42 as first.What I found photos of Gitanes #42 and there are ribs on the back of mudguards should not be on the Gosser#43 is the same year?http://megaupload.cz/images/lm76-4202.ashx.jpg

http://megaupload.cz/images/lemans1976_18.jpg

Hi Viccario,
I 'm going to the construction of the BMW as Gosser #43 and Gitanes #42 as first.What I found photos of Gitanes #42 and there are ribs on the back of mudguards should not be on the Gosser#43 is the same year?http://megaupload.cz/images/lm76-4202.ashx.jpg

http://megaupload.cz/images/lemans1976_18.jpg

Yes you are right, in some races they ran with the vents above the rear wheels. But from the research that I have done they did not appear to run with them at all of the races.

Perhaps they were added following brake cooling issues? I must admit I did contemplate trying to add them but because I re-shaped the rear wings with car body filler it would have been extremely difficult/impossible to achieve with my skills so I thought I would go with a smooth version!

Perhaps not 100% accurate but good enough for me and it will also make decal application easier!

It is interesting that so few pictures # 43 Gosser of LM 1976. I will probably be get by on the # 42 Gitanes.Don´t have some pictures of # 43?
Thanks

soz chief, your thread, model away......

Hi,
What wheels use? That is what the construction or other? In construction
they are too small and it looks funny then.

Hi,
What wheels use? That is what the construction or other? In construction
they are too small and it looks funny then.

I am thinking of using some old wheels that I have got from an old Airfix Porsche 934 kit but the rear ones are larger like those for the turbo version (they are the tyres I used for the photographs). See the links below for info, these show the Silverstone and Nurburgring round of the championship from 1976. The Turbo version seen at Silverstone has the larger rear wheels compared to the other versions and my Porsche wheels will be similar to these so I am not sure whether I will use them yet!

http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong/Pages/p%201976%20Silverstone%20WMC.html

http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong/Pages/p%201976%20Nurburgring%201000%20km.html

I must admit that I did not realise that the wheels included were too small. Therefore an alternative option may be to use some suitable aftermarket Fujimi wheels or possibly some wheels from the Tamiya Group 5 BMW 320i but that seems like a bit of a waste! Porsche 956/962 wheels also appear as though they may be suitable!

Hope this helps, I am having the same problem so keep me informed!

According to the reference to the 16 inch wheels: www.usautoparts.net/bmw/models/vintage/batmobile. (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/www.usautoparts.net/bmw/models/vintage/batmobile.)
But I seem to still small.BMW 320 Gr.5 me seem nearest.Additional wheels of the Renaissance: 24NIDA Jeu de 4 roues BBS 15 "années 80 :www.renaissance-models.com/mambo/etienne/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=37 (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/www.renaissance-models.com/mambo/etienne/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=37)