Alright, so today I finally got around to tackling that ‘Taxis 12’ project I’ve had sitting on the shelf. It’s been looking at me for weeks, figured it was time.
Getting Started
First thing, I cleared off my workbench. You know how it gets cluttered. Needed a clean space. Then I opened up the box for ‘Taxis 12’. Lots of little parts, as always. I laid everything out, trying to group the bits roughly according to the instructions. Those instructions… well, they looked okay at first glance.
I grabbed my usual tools – the clippers, my trusty craft knife, some glue, and the paints I thought I’d need. Decided to start with the main body assembly, seemed like the logical place.
The Process
Clipping the main chassis parts from the sprue went fine. A little bit of sanding needed on the edges, nothing major. Then came the gluing. This is where it got a bit fiddly. Holding the chassis parts together while the glue set… yeah, needed some patience there. Used a couple of clamps to help out.
While that was drying, I started looking at the interior pieces.
- Seats: These were tiny! Needed tweezers for sure.
- Dashboard: Had some detail, but decided against painting every single little knob. Just a base coat and a wash.
- Steering wheel: Almost lost this bit, rolled right under the table. Found it after a bit of searching on my hands and knees.
Big challenge: Attaching the wheels. The axles were supposed to just snap in, but one side felt really tight, the other too loose. Had to carefully trim a bit of plastic on the tight side and use a dab more glue than I wanted on the loose one. Hope it holds.
Painting and Details
Once the main body glue was dry enough, I decided to get the base coat of paint on. Went for that classic yellow taxi color. Took a couple of coats to get it looking smooth. Masking off the windows before painting was tedious, always is, but worth it to avoid messy edges.
Added some silver paint for the bumpers and grille later. I’m not aiming for perfection here, just a decent look. It’s more about the process for me, you know? Relaxing, kind of.
Wrapping Up (For Now)
Got the main body painted, the chassis mostly assembled with the troublesome wheels attached, and the basic interior parts put together. It’s starting to actually look like a taxi, which is cool.
Didn’t finish everything today. Still need to do the window parts (the clear plastic bits), add the decals, and maybe some weathering effects later if I feel like it. But it’s good progress. Put it aside carefully to let the paint fully cure. Pretty satisfied with how the ‘Taxis 12’ build is coming along, despite the slightly wonky wheel.
