[Closed] General Question

I don´t like them.

Maybe this has a connection with my plastic modelling days when I built German planes absolutely clean, like a museum item. On the other side, those "as raced" models looks strange being displayed in a brand new stand or shelf. They needs a base depicting a race track or road to looks "real". To me mass produced "as raced" cars do not depicts correctly all subtle details they must have, very different from a model being done by a modeller.

"Dirty racers" work best with a diorama base and driver figurine.

And they'd better be darned well researched, because you can bet we're going to put our book photos up next to the models to see how you did.

As raced race cars

An interesting question. I have seen a few as raced cars at various shows, i.e. the real cars. It is quite good that some of this decades Le Mans winners have been kept just as they finished the race.

Back to models, I think that as raced models are possibly best left to the hand-built resin companies, although Ixo and Bizarre have done some good variations. The best one I have seen is a BBR model of a Ferrari 430 from Le Mans in 2008. It has dirt and the effect of rain, along with an alternative door that was borrowed from another team. On the BBR web site:
http://www.bbrmodels.it/cataloghi/cat/shopping/product_details.php?product_id=48445

I have a couple of Top Model weathered Carrera Pan Am models and was not pleased.

As stated by others, they need to be really well and subtly done.

Have you considered doing a small dust covered diorama which includes the weathered car and a maybe few people? An example would be the 1955 Moss/Jenkinson #722 SLR with the dented fender, road grime, in the middle of a hay bale protected corner with a portion of a building showing, next to the road, with a few amazed spectators looking on.
I would find some room for that.
Best of luck, Love Minichamps.
Cheers,
Steve

Generally I don't care for the purely dirtied models, though I have 3 Ixo Lancias that were well done for the Japanese Lancia club that way.

What I find interesting are the damaged cars that end the race with all their bumps and bruises. One that's been done several times is the Crockford's BB512 from 1980 that ended with duct tape everywhere and a red engine cover from another entry which contrasted with the Crockford's dark green paint.

There was a partworks series that had a JWA 917K (I think from the 1970 Daytona race) with a crumpled front fender. It was getting big bucks on the aftermarket.

If I´m not wrong this car was only for the series subscription

A collection with only Le Mans winners/racers I guess...

Generally not in favour.

I have a couple of rally cars and a LM winning Audi in my collection that have 'dirty effects' which in all three cases is a much more accurate statement than 'as raced' as the effects really do not capture the correct look of the cars 'as raced'. Given the realities of mass manufacture in China I do not think it is possible to get overly accurate weathering patterns on these cars, as to keep the production flow going without holding up the process the weathering seems to take the form of a once over lightly with the weathering brush/tampo/whatever. Thus missing the correct spray pattern from the wheels or caused by the aero over the top.

Generally something that is better left to the more artisan oriented manufacturers. Mind you I would still buy the occasional 'dirty' model when I like the subject and if the weathering looks real enough.

It's great that we have manufacturers seeking our opinions.

I think we should be respectful of them in our replies.