# Go, Speed Racer, Go! Mach 5



## Trekkriffic

*Here he comes
Here comes Speed Racer
He's a demon on wheels
He's a demon and he's gonna be chasin' after someone.

Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer, Go!*

This is my build of the _Polar Lights_ Mach 5 race car kit which I bought some years ago. The box is slightly crushed in one corner on the underside but the contents were in good condition...

Box cover:

IMG_6987 by trekriffic, on Flickr

Underside:

IMG_6992 by trekriffic, on Flickr

The car was featured in the 1967 anime cartoon, _Speed Racer_...


SPED_Racrr by trekriffic, on Flickr

Speed Racer Intro:






The car is a marvel of engineering and comes equipped with several advanced gadgets including: a robotic flying homing drone, spinning saw blades that slice thru obstacles in front of the car, automatic jacks for boosting the car up off the ground and short distances thru the air, a special bulletproof canopy and periscope for underwater travel, and many more. 

I've always loved the sleek look of the Mach 5 when I watched the show as a kid so was delighted to see this model appear on the shelf of my LHS.

Opening the box, one is greeted by a slew of white and chrome plated parts:


IMG_6988 by trekriffic, on Flickr 

Parts are included to build the car with either the regular window or "Aqua Canopy" for underwater excursions. You also get a periscope:


IMG_6991 by trekriffic, on Flickr

For a relatively small (1/35 scale) kit the model has some neat features: 
Rubber tires with chrome plated rims that spin on their axles (a must for vrooming around the room after completion); a moveable steering wheel that turns the front wheels; a compartment with door that lifts to reveal the Go Home flying drone; a rear engine compartment with lifting hood; four automatic jacks that insert in holes on the underside of the chassis; a clear open window or closed canopy as mentioned above; and chromed extender arms with saw blades for the front of the car. It would have been nice if the kit had included figures of Speed, Spridle, and Chim Chim but you can't have everything I guess.

Moving along, one of the first things I did was soak the chromed parts in Super Clean to remove the chrome plating which I thought was too heavy and toylike:


IMG_6993 by trekriffic, on Flickr

After about an hour the parts were clean so I rinsed them off and set them aside to dry:


IMG_7003 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic

After washing to remove any mold resdiue the parts were primed on the trees using Duplicolor lacquer automotive primer:


IMG_6999 by trekriffic, on Flickr

The cockpit parts are painted dark red using Testors enamel spray. The car body, chassis, and front and rear hoods are sprayed with Tamiya white fine surface primer:


IMG_7000 by trekriffic, on Flickr

The steering wheel, homing drone, and other small parts are sprayed with Tamiya Bare Metal Silver. The drone will eventually have silver wings and beak with a white body. The steering wheel itself will be painted red with a silver hub. The pedals are flat black with aluminum enamel footpads:


IMG_7005 by trekriffic, on Flickr

I cut sections of adhesive backed vinyl for the floor of the cockpit to add a little more detail:


IMG_7004 by trekriffic, on Flickr 

Stay tuned! More to come!


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## DCH10664

Does this model have the engine in the rear of the car ???


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## Trekkriffic

DCH10664 said:


> Does this model have the engine in the rear of the car ???


Yep! There's a turbine and left and right engine parts, two mufflers, an oxygen tank (for underwater travel) and an inspection panel. You also get a prop rod to hold the rear engine cover open:

Instruction sheet detail:

Mach 5 Instruction Sheet Detail by trekriffic, on Flickr

Parts after painting:

Mach 5 Engine Parts Painted by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic

Did some drybrush detail painting on the centrer console using Testors aluminum enamel:


Center Console Detail Painting by trekriffic, on Flickr

Here you can see how the cockpit parts go together. How cool is the little Go Home flying robot? 


Mach 5 Instruction Sheet Detail by trekriffic, on Flickr

Here are the inner and outer wheel hub parts and brake discs sprayed with Tamiya gloss black. Also the saw blades. Next they'll get a coat of Tamiya silver:


Black Undercoat by trekriffic, on Flickr

You can see how the parts for the wheels fit together in these instruction sheet details:


Mach 5 Instruction Sheet Detail by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 Instruction Sheet Detail by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## DCH10664

The Mach 5 with a rear engine ?? That's strange. I don't remember ever seeing the rear compartment open. 
But it seems to me that I do remember the hood of the car opening backwards.


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## Trekkriffic

DCH10664 said:


> The Mach 5 with a rear engine ?? That's strange. I don't remember ever seeing the rear compartment open.
> But it seems to me that I do remember the hood of the car opening backwards.


I watched Part 1 of the "The Race Against The Mammoth Car" episode this morning and they were referring to it as the trunk. 
There was enough space back there for Spridle and Chim Cim to hide in. And the door opened from the back not towards the front like the model. 
Also, at the start of the episode you get a look at the underside of the chassis and you can see what look like exhaust pipes running beneath the cockpit. 
Then, later in the episode, officlals inspect the car and you get a view looking up and out from inside the compartment where you can see mechanical parts of some kind. 
So I'm a bit confused myself as to whether the engine is in the front or the back of the car in the cartoon.


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## Trekkriffic

Trekkriffic said:


> I watched Part 1 of the "The Race Against The Mammoth Car" episode this morning and they were referring to it as the trunk. There was enough space back there for Spridle and Chim Cim to hide in. And the door opened from the back not towards the front like the model.


Mystery partly solved. The engine compartment cover has a smaller door built into it. It's the trunk door and it opens from the back whereas the larger engine cover door opens from the front directly behind the seats. And there might be enough room for Spridle and Chim Chim although they'd be sitting pretty close to the hot mufflers so I doubt it would be very comfortable:


Rear Engine Compartment Door by trekriffic, on Flickr

The fit is very good:


Rear Compartment Door in Place by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## DCH10664

It seems that the makers of Speed Racer are tripping over their own feet. I just watched an episode of Speed Racer "The Great Plan". On YouTube, on Part 1, at about 16:40 it shows Speed with the hood up and the engine is clearly seen. Then he shuts the hood. On which you can clearly see the big M. 
Certainly not the first time a show has tripped up. But it's good for a laugh :tongue:


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## Trekkriffic

DCH10664 said:


> It seems that the makers of Speed Racer are tripping over their own feet. I just watched an episode of Speed Racer "The Great Plan". On YouTube, on Part 1, at about 16:40 it shows Speed with the hood up and the engine is clearly seen. Then he shuts the hood. On which you can clearly see the big M.
> Certainly not the first time a show has tripped up. But it's good for a laugh :tongue:


I watched that episode last night. Yep. He's definitely working on the engine and it's in the front. But it might niot be the cartoon producers who are confused. Based on the episodes showing the motor in the front, the exhaust pipes running from front to back underneath, and the space in the back being referred to as the trunk I think it's more than likely Polar Lights got it wrong. 
Also, I doubt there would have been enough rom for Spridle and Chim Chim to fit if there was an engine in there.


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## DCH10664

Trekkriffic said:


> I watched that episode last night. Yep. He's definitely working on the engine and it's in the front. But it might niot be the cartoon producers who are confused. Based on the episodes showing the motor in the front, the exhaust pipes running from front to back underneath, and the space in the back being referred to as the trunk I think it's more than likely Polar Lights got it wrong.
> Also, I doubt there would have been enough rom for Spridle and Chim Chim to fit if there was an engine in there.


Well I don't know if Polar Lights is the first to make this mistake about the hood. But they aren't the only one. I have a Johnny Lightning Mach 5 that has a hood that opens opposite of how it opens on the cartoon. With the hinges being near the windshield. And I have a American Muscle 1:18 diecast that has the entire front end tilting forward for engine access.

But in any case, I've always liked the Mach 5 and it brings back some good childhood memories. I've got two of the Polar Lights models, that you are building, in my stash. So I'm glad to see someone of your skill level building this. Maybe I will learn something that will help me when I get around to building mine.


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## Zombie_61

Trekkriffic said:


> ...Based on the episodes showing the motor in the front, the exhaust pipes running from front to back underneath, and the space in the back being referred to as the trunk I think it's more than likely Polar Lights got it wrong...


I concur; Polar Lights got it wrong. I watched Speed Racer a lot when I was younger, and I don't recall ever seeing or hearing any references whatsoever to the Mach 5 being a rear-engine car. Any time Pops, Speed, or Sparky worked on the engine it was in the front; the trunk was reserved for Spritle and Chim-Chim to stow away.


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## Trekkriffic

Some pics from last night's progress...

Got the seats, seatbelts, handbrake, pedals, and stickshift glued into the cockpit:


IMG_7020 by trekriffic, on Flickr

Installed the engine components in the rear:


IMG_7025 by trekriffic, on Flickr

The rear engine cover is held up by the prop rod:


IMG_7023 by trekriffic, on Flickr

The cover in closed position behind the firewall:


IMG_7019 by trekriffic, on Flickr

Exhaust pipes out the back:


IMG_7021 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic

Well the fear of all modellers struck yesterday morning... My cat got out into the garage for about a half hour before I ushered him back into the house. 
I quickly inspected my workbench. Surprisingly only a few things were amiss. The Mach 5's cockpit had been knocked from the workbench and scooted around the concrete floor but it was easily located in front of the workbench on the adjacent wall. It survived unscathed thank god. The hatch for the Go Home robot went missing however and was knowhere to be found. After a half hour spent looking under workbenches and cabinets I still couldn't find it so I ended up making a new one from scratch using styrene sheet and brass rod. When I was done it looked as good as the kit part had from my recollection...

Cover with brass hinge on the inside of the car body:


Replacement Hatch-Inside by trekriffic, on Flickr


I'm satisfied with the fit from the outside:


Go Home Robot Hatch-Outside by trekriffic, on Flickr

Having survived the breach in feline security, I sacrificed a young sprue tree in thanks to the modelling gods and moved on by doing some work on the instrument panel. 
The instrument panel lacked any detail for the gauges so I masked them off with round bits of masking tape while the part was black. After spraying with grey primer followed by dark red, I removed the masks to reveal the black gauges underneath-two larger ones in the center for the speedometer and tachometer and two smaller ones flanking them for... well, your guess is as good as mine. 
Then I cut arcs of white decal from my leftover Leif Ericson window decal sheet using my exacto blade and placed them on the gauges with a brush and my fine-nosed tweezers. I used SolvaSet to make them stick down tight. I also made the indicator needles the same way. Later on, after sealing with Future, I painted red "danger zones" at the end of each arc.:


Decals on Dash by trekriffic, on Flickr

A little blurry in these images but you get the idea. Instrument panel buttons were painted too using a fine brush:


Dashboard and Instrument Panel by trekriffic, on Flickr


Cockpit Dash and Instrument Panel by trekriffic, on Flickr

So I need to attach the door panels, steering wheel, and rearview mirror and the cockpit will be done. 

Thanks for reading!


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## DCH10664

As Robin would say : "Holy Cat-tastrophe Batman !!"

Great job on the dash !! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Trekkriffic

Thanks DCH!

Here's the latest...

The "Go Home" flying robot's body was painted white. I clipped and filed the edges of the wings so they are more tapered like in the cartoon:


Go Home Robot by trekriffic, on Flickr

The disc brakes were glued to the two front uprights/spindles. Here's the tie rod with the discs and uprights/disc brake assemblies pressed on:


Tie Rod by trekriffic, on Flickr

One thing I wanted to mention about the instructions: the illustration shows the disc brakes oriented with the detailed textured side facing the inner wheel half and the blank side facing away from the wheel; this seemed the opposite of how it should be so I installed the disc brakes onto the front uprights and rear axle so the textured detail would be visible when viewed from underneath the car. If you follow the illustration the detail on the disc brakes would be covered by the inner wheel halves. 

Anyway, moving right along...

The wheel halves (having been sprayed with Tamiya Bare Metal Silver over Tamiya Gloss Black) were pressed together (no glue needed) then the rubber tires were stretched over them. The tri-pointed "knockoffs", as the instructions call them, were sprayed with Tamiya Bare Metal Silver:


Wheels and Knockoffs by trekriffic, on Flickr 

The recessed "M"'s in the knockoffs were painted with Testors dark red. Any excess was wiped off with a white microbrush tipped in thinner:


Wheel Knockoffs Painted by trekriffic, on Flickr

The assembled chassis:


Chassis by trekriffic, on Flickr


Chassis by trekriffic, on Flickr

One thing to note. I had to insert the steering rod into the slotted steering rod plate on the tie rod before inserting the uprights (with the wheels pressed onto the spindles) into the hollow cylinders that the upright pins slide into. The uprights are not glued in since the front wheels turn left and right. The right angled hook on the business end of the steering rod inserts thru the tie rod plate inside a box in the chassis. If you glue the front suspension top cover in place before trying to insert the steering rod you'll have a hard time getting the steering rod into the box that the tie rod plate moves left and right in. There's not enough clearance for the steering rod to wiggle into the box and then be twisted this way and that so it slides into the slot in the tie rod plate with the cover in place beforehand. So after making sure everything is lined up with the steering rod inserted into the tie rod inside the box and the lower upright pins inserted into the hollow front wheel bracket cylinders in the chassis you then glue the front suspension top cover in place so the upper upright pins are captured in the cover bracket's hollow cylinders on each side. Then you glue the passenger compartment in place. I call it the cockpit. I turned the steering wheel afterwards and both front wheels turned left and right in unison. Pretty cool!

Here's the car ready for gloss coating prior to decaling. 
I brush painted the knockoffs on the wheels with Testors chrome silver to provide a little contrast with the bare metal silver of the wheel hubs:


Mach 5 Ready for GlossCote by trekriffic, on Flickr

The passenger compartment looks pretty nice. I think adding the gauges to the instrument panel makes a big difference. I glued the rearview mirror in place on the dash and just press fit the bullet shaped side mirror into place over the right fender. The fit was tight enough so no glue was needed. I trimmed and peeled round and rectangular sections from thin adhesive backed aluminum foil sheet and stuck them down to make the mirrored surfaces themselves:


Cockpit by trekriffic, on Flickr

Decals next! Then I'll attach the windshield.

Oh, before I forget, there's one other thing I forgot to mention in my previous posts about the instructions: The iillustration for the engine compartment shows the hinge bracket for the rear engine cover in the wrong orientation. The hinge pins should be towards the back of the car not closer to the front as the illustration shows. So flip it around before gluing it to the cover or there will be an impingement and the cover won't lift very far.


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## DCH10664

Of all the things from childhood that I sometimes look back at and give a little chuckle. The Mach 5 isn't one of them. For a car designed so long ago. And to have been designed for a cartoon. 
You have to admit that it's one sleek and wicked looking car. And has stood the test of time. Although they have tried to improve on the design in various cartoons and comics, I don't feel they ever topped the original.

Great job on the flying robot ! :thumbsup: I've seen some altered versions. But yours comes closest to the original.
And I agree, the gauges do make a big difference ! :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

This is just plain cool. I haven't seen anyone do this PL kit justice, but you're doing a fine bang up job on this.


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## Trekkriffic

Thanks guys! After posting this I realized I'd forgotten to paint the air intake scoops on the rear fenders just behind and above the doors and the underbelly scoop under the nose. 
Those black intakes are very noticeable in the cartoon.
So I've masked off around these and sealed the tape edges with Future. 
Once that's dry I'll brush on some flat black.


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## DCH10664

Maybe I'm over analyzing this thing. But I'm just wondering,....If you have a air intake scoop under the nose of the car. Then the obvious conclusion is that it is intended to help cool the engine in the front of the car under the hood. And if the engine needed more air to cool it than what the front scoop provides. It would make more sense to have extra air intakes somewhere on the front of the car. Not toward the rear.

But the car does also has what looks to be two air intake scoops on the rear fenders. So what is the purpose of the two rear intakes ??? One possibility is that they are air intakes for the purpose of cooling the rear breaks. Now maybe I'm stretching this a bit. But maybe the turbine in the trunk area is actually part of an underwater turbine propulsion system.
And the rear intakes are not "air" intakes. But rather "water" intakes. For the purpose of taking in water and shooting out the turbine. Much the way a jet ski does.


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## Trekkriffic

I suppose it's possible the rear turbine was involved with underwater travel. In the episode linked below at about the 3:40 mark you see the Mach 5 start it's engine up in Lake Icy Chill. 
Bubbles and what appear to be jets of water exit the exhaust pipes, accompanied by, of all things, the sound of a flushing toilet! The car travels along the lakebed, up the bank, and leaps out of the lake onto the highway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzUksivnNyQ

As relates to the model, there are two circular housings on either side of the turbine along with an oxygen tank. Might there be impellers connected to the turbine pushing jets 
of water out the exhaust pipes thru the mufflers? Water from the scoops on the front of the fenders? I also note that the mufflers intake pipes are connected at a 90 degree angle from the sides of the engine comparment not up from underneath the car as you would expect if the engine were in the front of the car. Perhaps they are connected to the round impeller housings somehow thru pipes in the rear wheel wells? Or perhaps there is some type of a Y junction we can't see for allowing both exhaust from a standard air breathing engine in the front of the car and water from the turbo impellers to enter the mufflers depending on the circumstances:


Engine Compartment by trekriffic, on Flickr

Anyway, if there was water shooting out the back there must have been intakes for it somewhere so what you postulate concerning the scoops in the rear fenders may be correct. 

Here are pics of the painting of the scoops, be they for air or water intake:


Forward Intake Masked by trekriffic, on Flickr


Forward Intake Unmasked by trekriffic, on Flickr


Rear Intakes Masked by trekriffic, on Flickr


Rear Intakes Unmasked by trekriffic, on Flickr

There was some paint bleed but nothing that a little thinner, a microbrush, and a cotton swab couldn't handle. No wories about marring the hard whiite lacquer on the body using enamel thinner either.

Oh, forgive me but I keep remembering things I forgot to mention in my previous posts, when I attached the lower chassis to the upper car body I noticed large, long posts along the centerline in the front and rear of the upper car body with holes in their centers. These were aligned with recessed, countersunk holes in the bottom of the chassis. What were these for I figured if not for screws? So I did apply some glue to the other pins that mated to sockets in the car body but, after snapping the chassis into position, I took some small phillips-head machine screws (these were ones that came included with the DC power jacks from Radio Shack for mouting the jacks in panels) and screwed them into the two screw holes on the underside using a mini screwdriver. They really tightened up any small gaps between the chassis and body in the front and rear of the car. The instructions make no mention of screwing the chassis and body together but it worked really well.


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## DCH10664

Watched the link you provided. And one thing is for certain,...That's definitely the sound of a toilet flushing !!! :tongue:
It's so obvious, I can't believe I never noticed it before.


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## Zombie_61

Trekkriffic said:


> ...In the episode linked below at about the 3:40 mark you see the Mach 5 start it's engine up in Lake Icy Chill.
> Bubbles and what appear to be jets of water exit the exhaust pipes, accompanied by, of all things, the sound of a flushing toilet!


Oh great googly moogly! Now I'll never be able to watch that episode again without hearing that "toilet flush" sound effect. :lol:

Brilliant work on your Mach 5! Of the few kits that have been produced over the years, in my opinion Polar Lights was the only one that nailed the dimensions and contours of the Mach 5's body, and you're definitely doing this kit justice. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Trekkriffic

Thanks Zombie! Funny thing was, when I first watched this scene I didn't catch the toilet flushing sound. After 2 or 3 viewiings though it was pretty obvious.


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## Richard Baker

My stepson loved the live action movie and I have started to show him the original cartoon it was based on- I have season one on DVD so far. 
The Mach 5 is one of my first supercar loved when growing up- it did things I wished all cars could do and looked cool too- you are doing a great build up on it for sure!

BTW- I think that front intake is not an intake at all but where the two saws extended from- the 1:18 diecast replica I have has them coming from there...


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## Trekkriffic

Richard Baker said:


> BTW- I think that front intake is not an intake at all but where the two saws extended from- the 1:18 diecast replica I have has them coming from there...


Ahhhh! That makes sense. They have to extend from somewhere.

I loved Speed Racer and the Mach 5 to be sure but I think my favorite actual super car as a real little kid was .... Supercar!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8m9Z010pM4

I had this Remco Supercar toy as a 5 year old that would travel in preset patterns across the floor using these plastic discs. It was my favorite toy for a long time: 

supercar toy remco by trekriffic, on Flickr

When I was a little older I kind of grew out of Supercar and the Mach 5. Then the '66 Batmobile was my favorite.


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## Trekkriffic

Bad news! The decal for the hood, the Big M, started disintegrating before I even slid it off the backing paper. I noticed it cracking in multiple locations in time to stop and leave it alone. Once it dries I'll use it to create a mask using Tamiya tape. What a pain! I sprayed the rest of the decals with GlossCote. I'll also give them a coat of liquid decal film. I don't know if that would have made a difference or not with the M decal but figured it was worth a try with the others. I've had this kit for over 10 years so this is not a total surprise; Polar Lights decals were notorious for fragmenting, at least in their early days. They seem to be providing better decals with their newer kits.


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## -Hemi-

Isn't Polar lights bringing back a lot of these older ones? This might even be a new release for all I know but its nice to see the past models resurfacing!!!!!!


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## Trekkriffic

-Hemi- said:


> Isn't Polar lights bringing back a lot of these older ones? This might even be a new release for all I know but its nice to see the past models resurfacing!!!!!!


There's some copyright language on the underside of the chassis showing Polar Lights 2000. IIRC I got this model not long after Polar Lights issued it so it appears I've had this model for over 10 years at least.


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## -Hemi-

I realize that 2000 was 14 years ago, but wasn't "Speed Racer" from WAY before that too? I'm meaning didn't Polar Lights get or take one offs from a say 70's or 80's era models and are to bring them back?

I'm unsure of all this, I just recall reading somewhere that MPC, Polar Lights and some others were to bring back some of those long lost TV characters and even cars much like AMT-Ertl did with the Dukes of Hazard but more geared towards Science Fiction then TV Automobiles, under the Polar Lights, name, which is now owned by Round2 Models...


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## Trekkriffic

-Hemi- said:


> I realize that 2000 was 14 years ago, but wasn't "Speed Racer" from WAY before that too? I'm meaning didn't Polar Lights get or take one offs from a say 70's or 80's era models and are to bring them back?
> 
> I'm unsure of all this, I just recall reading somewhere that MPC, Polar Lights and some others were to bring back some of those long lost TV characters and even cars much like AMT-Ertl did with the Dukes of Hazard but more geared towards Science Fiction then TV Automobiles, under the Polar Lights, name, which is now owned by Round2 Models...


Yes. Speed Racer goes back to the 1960's as an American anime cartoon. As far as the model being a reissue of an earlier kit I can't say. I certainly don't recall ever seeing a Mach 5 model kit on the shelves prior to buying this kit. At least not at any of the stores I frequented.


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## Trekkriffic

Over the weekend I laid down some Tamiya tape and taped the "M" decal down on top of it using scotch tape and traced the decal outline on the Tamiya tape using my exacto knife:

The notorious "M" decal:


Bad Decal by trekriffic, on Flickr

After laying the mask down onto the hood I brush painted the M using Testors flat red enamel:


Masking the "M" by trekriffic, on Flickr

After the enamel dried I wet sanded the M using fine grit sanding film until the brushstrokes disappeared; it also eliminated the ridge that you get along the edge of the tape. 

Over on SSM, there was some discussion about getting scale figures of Speed, Spridle, and Chim Chim in 1/24 scale. This led to the discovery that the scale shown on the box is wrong. This model is NOT 1/25 scale by any stretch. To demonstrate I posted the picture below showing the Mach 5 between the 1/24 scale Johnny Lighting diecast Batmobile model on the left and the 1/32 scale Polar Lights '66 Batmobile on the right. As you can see, the figures in the 1/32 Batmobile would fit perfectly in the seats of the Mach 5:


Size Comparison by trekriffic, on Flickr

Anyway, coating the rest of the decals with Glosscote and liquid decal film allowed me to apply them to the doors and rear fenders of the model without too much incident. One door decal tore slightly along the edge and folded over on itself. I tried using a brush to flip the offending tear back into position but it just broke apart. I was able to touch up the gap in the decal using flat red enamel; the color was a perfect match thankfully. 
After drying overnight I sprayed the Mach 5 with Glosscote today to seal the decals. Once that dries I'll give her a coat of Testors semi-gloss lacquer. After that I'll glue the windshield in place using canopy glue and call her done. 

Thanks for reading!


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## DCH10664

Just found this on Wikipedia. Has references to the true scale of the model. And a possible reason for the rear engine.

"The company Polar Lights is currently manufacturing two 1/25-scale (according to the box) model kits in standard "glue" and snap-together variations (though the scale of the model inside is closer to 1/32). These can be built with or without the waterproof bubble canopy at the modeler's discretion. The kits feature a homing robot and separate jacks; and a rear engine (possibly a tip to NOW comics, which illustrated the engine in the rear)".


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## Trekkriffic

DCH10664 said:


> Just found this on Wikipedia. Has references to the true scale of the model. And a possible reason for the rear engine.
> 
> "The company Polar Lights is currently manufacturing two 1/25-scale (according to the box) model kits in standard "glue" and snap-together variations (though the scale of the model inside is closer to 1/32). These can be built with or without the waterproof bubble canopy at the modeler's discretion. The kits feature a homing robot and separate jacks; and a rear engine (possibly a tip to NOW comics, which illustrated the engine in the rear)".


Ahah! That's some good intel there DCH. I was mistaken in my previous post by the way; the box indicates it is in 1/25 scale not 1/24. I edited my post accordingly.


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## DCH10664

By the way,....Thanks for the tutorial on painting the big "M". I've got two of these in my stash. And I'm sure when I get around to building one of them, my decals will be in no better shape than yours.

Nice looking Batmobiles you have there ! I'm a fan of most of the different versions of the car. But especially the 66 ! Very nice. :thumbsup:


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## Trekkriffic

DCH10664 said:


> By the way,....Thanks for the tutorial on painting the big "M". I've got two of these in my stash. And I'm sure when I get around to building one of them, my decals will be in no better shape than yours.
> 
> Nice looking Batmobiles you have there ! I'm a fan of most of the different versions of the car. But especially the 66 ! Very nice. :thumbsup:


I've got several Batmobiles in my collection. Should take a pic and post them.


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## DCH10664

Trekkriffic said:


> I've got several Batmobiles in my collection. Should take a pic and post them.


Yes. Please do ! The Mach 5 is the first car I've seen you build. Didn't know you had done other cars until I seen the Batmobiles !


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## Trekkriffic

Today's update...

I didn't like the corkscrew style of the kit provided automatic jacks so I decided to make new ones from scratch using brass tubing:


Tubing by trekriffic, on Flickr

I used 5 sizes of tubing to make a telescoping jack:


Tubing Lengths Cut by trekriffic, on Flickr

All I used from the kit part was the foot and the bracket at the top:


Completed Automatic Jack by trekriffic, on Flickr

I have to be careful to make all 4 legs the exact same length so the model will sit level. Once I have the other 3 jacks done I'll prime and paint them using Tamiya bare metal silver spray.


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## Trekkriffic

Well the Mach 5 is finished! I'll be taking pics and posting them this weekend.

Also, I was comparing the size of the 1/32 scale Batmobile with the Mach 5 again this evening and noticed the tires on the Mach 5 were much larger in diameter than those of the Batmobile. So then I compared the Mach 5 to the 1/24 scale Batmobile and the tires on the Mach 5 are just a little smaller. So I am retracting my earlier statements about the scale of the Mach 5 on the box being wrong. I now do believe it is 1/25 scale. The Batmobile is just a much bigger car to begin with.


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## Zombie_61

Trekkriffic said:


> ...Also, I was comparing the size of the 1/32 scale Batmobile with the Mach 5 again this evening and noticed the tires on the Mach 5 were much larger in diameter than those of the Batmobile. So then I compared the Mach 5 to the 1/24 scale Batmobile and the tires on the Mach 5 are just a little smaller. So I am retracting my earlier statements about the scale of the Mach 5 on the box being wrong. I now do believe it is 1/25 scale. The Batmobile is just a much bigger car to begin with.


Exactly right. The Mach 5 is supposed to be a smallish sports/race car, approximately the size of a 60s-era Corvette, while the Barris Batmobile was nearly 19' long.


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## Trekkriffic

Well I didn't get to take pics of the car today. I spent about 3 hours making this though using yellow poster board and red masking tape...


IMG_7093 by trekriffic, on Flickr

The finished checker board:


IMG_7095 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## DCH10664

Trekkriffic said:


> Well the Mach 5 is finished! I'll be taking pics and posting them this weekend.
> 
> Also, I was comparing the size of the 1/32 scale Batmobile with the Mach 5 again this evening and noticed the tires on the Mach 5 were much larger in diameter than those of the Batmobile. So then I compared the Mach 5 to the 1/24 scale Batmobile and the tires on the Mach 5 are just a little smaller. So I am retracting my earlier statements about the scale of the Mach 5 on the box being wrong. I now do believe it is 1/25 scale. The Batmobile is just a much bigger car to begin with.


You may very well be correct about the scale of this model. After all, we never really seen the Mach 5 in a side by side comparison to any real vehicle to get an idea of it's size. And you have to consider that it is a two-seater. And designed to be a race car. Which means keeping it smaller and lighter. While having a big engine would make sense.

You also have to consider that Speed Racer was made in 1966. And then came to American TV in 1967. Now I have no proof that this car was ever considered when the Mach 5 was designed. But take a look at a 1966 427 Cobra and compare it to the Mach 5. It's a two-seater that's small and light. With a big engine. Both cars are long in the front and short in the rear. And IMO the lines of two cars aren't very different.
And I'm betting that a 1/25th scale 1966 Cobra would be right in scale with the Mach 5. What do you think ??


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## Trekkriffic

DCH10664 said:


> You may very well be correct about the scale of this model. After all, we never really seen the Mach 5 in a side by side comparison to any real vehicle to get an idea of it's size. And you have to consider that it is a two-seater. And designed to be a race car. Which means keeping it smaller and lighter. While having a big engine would make sense.
> 
> You also have to consider that Speed Racer was made in 1966. And then came to American TV in 1967. Now I have no proof that this car was ever considered when the Mach 5 was designed. But take a look at a 1966 427 Cobra and compare it to the Mach 5. It's a two-seater that's small and light. With a big engine. Both cars are long in the front and short in the rear. And IMO the lines of two cars aren't very different.
> And I'm betting that a 1/25th scale 1966 Cobra would be right in scale with the Mach 5. What do you think ??


Looks pretty close to me. Just extend the nose a bit but the Cobra wouldl appear to be a good starting point for designing a Mach 5:


speedracer-e1299015752392 by trekriffic, on Flickr


1966_ford_shelby_cobra_427_rep_braselton_100151493269602249 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## DCH10664

I think it's at least a possibility that the Cobra may have had some influence on the basic design of the Mach 5. But I'm positive you have the scale right.

How's the auto-jacks coming along ?? You're right, the cork screw looking jacks with the kit look all wrong. On the other hand, in the cartoon, they didn't exactly look to be telescopic either.
But on the cartoon there were many times when the Mach 5 was shown raised up so high. That it would have been impossible for the jacks to have been a solid rod. Because there would not have been room for them to retract up into the body. Therefore the jacks would have had to of been telescopic. And the same is true of the periscope.


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## Trekkriffic

DCH10664 said:


> How's the auto-jacks coming along ?? You're right, the cork screw looking jacks with the kit look all wrong. On the other hand, in the cartoon, they didn't exactly look to be telescopic either.
> But on the cartoon there were many times when the Mach 5 was shown raised up so high. That it would have been impossible for the jacks to have been a solid rod. Because there would not have been room for them to retract up into the body. Therefore the jacks would have had to of been telescopic. And the same is true of the periscope.


The jacks are done, except, I might go back and paint the feet black; right now they are all bare metal silver. You are right in that the cartoon never showed them as telescoping (not that I'm aware of anyway) but I decided they had to retract into the frame somehow. So I leaned towards practicality rather than cartoon accuracy.


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## Trekkriffic

Today I printed off some images I found on the web. I plan to mount them to heavy construction paper and use them in the photos.


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## Trekkriffic

DCH10664 said:


> I think it's at least a possibility that the Cobra may have had some influence on the basic design of the Mach 5. But I'm positive you have the scale right.


Thanks! I cropped the images then measured with a ruler on my laptop's screen and resized as needed so the diameters of the tires matched before saving the images.


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## Trekkriffic

Here's a standee of Speed I made using an image printed off the net glued to some heavy construction paper with craft glue:


Speed Racer Standee by trekriffic, on Flickr

The backside:


Speer Racer Standeee Back by trekriffic, on Flickr

The mostly scratch-built automatic jacks. I used MM Titanium metalizer to brush paint the feet:


Automatic Jacks by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## apls

Looking forward to see the end.


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## Trekkriffic

*Here's a teaser pic for you guys...*


IMG_7105 by trekriffic, on Flickr

*More to come!*


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## DCH10664

WoW !! As if the car alone wasn't wicked enough ! I can't wait to see the final pics with the standee and checker board.

And by the way,... The auto-jacks look perfect. That's how they should have looked in the cartoon to start with. :thumbsup:


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## Trekkriffic

Here you go! I took over 30 pics today... 


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic

Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr

Saws!


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic

Automatic Jacks!


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic

Go Speed Racer! Go!


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic

Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr

Homing Robot!


Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr

You can see all the images in my Flickr! album here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157644325573286/


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## DCH10664

The pics are fantastic !!! I love how you got a lot of the same angled shots that we were used to seeing of the Mach 5. And some new angles as well.
The checker board and standee are perfect. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Now if you just had the Shooting Star and the GRX beside your Mach 5, it would be sweet.
I know someone did put out a model of the GRX. But I'm not sure if anyone ever put out a Shooting Star model or not ???

Anyhow, great build. I've enjoyed watching it. Thanks for sharing. :wave:


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## scottnkat

nice job!! love it!


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## Zombie_61

DCH10664 said:


> ...I know someone did put out a model of the GRX. But I'm not sure if anyone ever put out a Shooting Star model or not ???


A company called Streamline (or Streamline Pictures) released resin kits of the Mach 5, the GRX, and the Shooting Star way back in 1994, but the kits are long out of production and the company no longer exists.


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## Chrisisall

Hey Trek, my Son was getting rid of old toys last week and he gave me his old Mach 5 which I immediately tried to accurize... I trimmed the windshield & removed the silly blue paint on the lower half... and the more I worked on it the more I realized it was never gonna look perfect...








..so I did a search of Mach 5 images & found your post. I never knew a kit this good even existed! I ordered one on eBay for $20! Thanks man! My inner Spritle is psyched!!!!


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## Richard Baker

Speed Racer changed the shape and proportions of the car from scene to scene, I have several, including the 1:18 diecast, and none match well what I think is the 'correct' vehicle.


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## Steve H

Richard Baker said:


> Speed Racer changed the shape and proportions of the car from scene to scene, I have several, including the 1:18 diecast, and none match well what I think is the 'correct' vehicle.


That's exactly right. While Tatsunoko had establishment sheets for the Mach 5 (or, properly, the Mach-go which is a pun on so many levels I'd take too much time explaining  ) the car was treated like it was a character, subject to the same rules of elasticity ('Sock' and 'stretch' and all that) so it looked the most dynamic at any given time. And don't forget, this was all hand-drawn animation. Sometimes you get a key cel animator and in-betweeners that didn't draw cars as well as other things. 

But stuff gets goofy over time. When licensees seek to develop products misunderstandings and confusion result. For example, that 'light blue' lower half you sometimes see is nothing more than a 'shadow line', not an actual color change. 

The car has very complex shapes in its construction, for all that it was hand drawn. It's almost as if the senior design staff had no regard for the animators.


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## Chrisisall

Well, I did a LOT of visual research last night, and MY Mach 5 is this:










The Polar Light model comes closer to this than any toy or diecast I can find. And I can always accurize what I feel is off (for _me_).
Lots of wiggle room on this one!


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## Steve H

Chrisisall said:


> Well, I did a LOT of visual research last night, and MY Mach 5 is this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Polar Light model comes closer to this than any toy or diecast I can find. And I can always accurize what I feel is off (for _me_).
> Lots of wiggle room on this one!


If I might suggest?

Dig around for pictures of Gran Prix and LeMans cars from the late '50s to the early '60s. This will help inform you of the mindset of the people working the designs.

Think of the practical aspects. The head rest is clearly designed to have a roll bar incorporated. The Engine is shown to be in the front of the car (because otherwise you have no place for the extending bubble top or a place for the kid and the chimp to hide  ) and so on. 

The one flaw in the design you'll see is the overhang on the rear quarter panel that prevents quick wheel change. I can imagine there's a hinge that allows that overhang to flip up to give full access to the tire which could be represented by a thin line. 

No shoulder harness! It's lap belt only! Yikes! 

There's an elegance to the Mach 5. The gloss white paint risks it looking like a toy, this may call for subtle 'pre shading' painting, slightly darker white to help define the various curves. 

blah blah blah.


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## Chrisisall

Steve H said:


> If I might suggest?
> There's an elegance to the Mach 5. The gloss white paint risks it looking like a toy, this may call for subtle 'pre shading' painting, slightly darker white to help define the various curves.


Oh yes, no gloss on this baby. Satin white or possibly no white paint at all if the white of the kit looks right. Might do a super light gray on the underside. 
Elegance is key to the Mach 5.
The live action movie destroyed that IMHO. :freak:


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## Trekkriffic

Hi Chris. Your son's old Mach 5 looks pretty good after your redo. Wish mine had a Speed figure like this one; I made do with a cardboard standee. Thanks for resurrecting my old thread. It was a fun build.

Mach 5 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Chrisisall

Trekkriffic said:


> Hi Chris. Your son's old Mach 5 looks pretty good after your redo. Wish mine had a Speed figure like this one; I made do with a cardboard standee.


Yeah, that figure adds a lot... too bad it's TOO BIG! LOL. I'm getting a 1/32 pilot figure to change into Speed. It'll be the hardest part of the build for me.:grin2:


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## Trekkriffic

Chrisisall said:


> Yeah, that figure adds a lot... too bad it's TOO BIG! LOL. :grin2:


Ya think? I always considered Speed to be bigger than life!


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## Chrisisall

Trekkriffic said:


> Ya think? I always considered Speed to be bigger than life!


Yeah, but if Speed's head is above the back of his seat deploying the bullet proof canopy would knock him out & he'd crash...:grin2:


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## Trekkriffic

Chrisisall said:


> Yeah, but if Speed's head is above the back of his seat deploying the bullet proof canopy would knock him out & he'd crash...:grin2:


:grin2:


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## Chrisisall

Okay, I *just* finished mine, I used a 1:32 standing pilot figure because he had the best helmet, then the nightmare of not only making him sit, but also_ fit._ It worked out though. The lines are really great on this kit!


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