RoR Review 20110118 – Tom Daniel’s Ice “T” Monogram 85-4266

RoR Review 20110118 – Tom Daniel’s Ice “T” Monogram 85-4266

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Figure 1

Monogramâ„¢ 1:24 scale Ice-T by Tom Daniel. This kit is a skill level 2 set. It includes 65 pieces including two-piece Racemasterâ„¢ wrinkled slicks and clear ice cubes. The kit is molded in bright yellow, has a nice chrome tree that is bright and not too heavy. The assembly instructions were easy to follow and the decal sheet has 12 individual decals featuring sharp, clear colors.

Figures 2, 3

The body has some very noticeable mold lines. There was some flashing on the roof line at the front window area. These cleaned up easily with some 600 grit sandpaper

Figures 4

There were three noticeable “sink” marks on the top of the hood. These could be filled with a little putty very easily. For this build they were not. A little sanding with 600-1000 grit paper took care of most of it. Fixing this flaw depends on how far you want to go with it. There are also some of the feature lines are a little sharp. They were given a quick, careful sanding just to knock off the sharp edge. Quite a few of the parts had extra flashing. All were cleaned up before assembly.

Figure 6

The body was washed with mild dish soap and dried completely and sprayed with two nice, even coats of Duplicolor™ white primer were applied. Give them at least 15 minutes of drying time between coats and 2 hours after the last coat. A piece of clean, t-shirt material was used to do a light rub over the primer to remove minor dirt and dust. The body was then tacked off and Testors™ 1-Coat Lacquer 1839m Inca Gold was used for the color coat. Don’t try to do this in one coat. The paint is very heavy and will run easily. Apply two even, light coats with 15-20 minutes in between. Keep the can 8-10 inches away while spraying. The color coat was allowed to dry for 2 hours in a warm area, then given three light coats of Duplicolor™ Crystal Clear, allowing 20-30 minutes between coats.

Figure 7

The back of the chassis was painted with the same color as the body. The front half was painted flat black. On the top side of the chassis, which is the molded wood grain interior, chestnut brown was used. Each area was masked off, painted, then given an hour or longer to dry before the next area was taped and painted (the longer the paint is allowed to dry the better it is). The rear suspension went together very well with no adjustments needed. Mock the parts up, check the fit and be very careful and there should be no problems. A light black wash was applied to the chrome exhaust then wiped off with a bit of t-shirt material. This gave it a little extra detail.

Figure 8

The motor went together without issue. All parts were test fit to make sure it all fit well.

Figure 9

Unfortunately, the rear drag slicks were molded in 2 pieces. The best advice is to glue together, set the wheels in place and give the tread a real heavy sanding with an emery board. The seam will not be invisible, there is probably no way to make it invisible, but it will look better. The front tires were given a scuff with the emery board to match the back.

Figure 10

The front suspension went together very well following the instruction sheet. Do a mock up before gluing to make sure no clean up is needed in the gluing areas. The body was test fit to the chassis and from there on everything was assembled according to the direction sheet.

Figure 11

On the direction sheet it is suggested to paint the ice cubes clear blue from the inside. For this build they were left clear to look a little more realistic. After all, how often do you see blue ice cubes? The choice belongs to the builder.

Figure 12

As always, Tom Daniel’s kits are fun to build. This was a nice model for the weekend builder. It went together very smoothly and was truly enjoyable. This would also be a great kit for a first time builder, a younger builder or a father/kid build. Total time for the build was about 20 hours. Skill level 2 was right on. This kit also gives a lot of room for extra detailing and because it’s a custom you can pick whatever colors you want.

Figure 13

Have fun and keep the glue off the windshield
Tony Gibson