550 Maranello

Now for the fun bit: take a Viper chassis, mark it with a set square and cut it in half, glue some square plastic rod or tube in the back half as shown , measure the new wheel base carefully, fix both halves in position with blue tack, glue the front on one side only, with a small amount of superglue (always use the gel type for this operation), wait until the glue is dry, offer the chassis to the body just to make sure the wheelbase is correct. If everything is OK, glue the other side of the chassis. If the 2 halves have moved, split them up carefully (You can buy superglue releasing agent in hardware stores) and start again.

Trim all the excess material until the chassis fits properly inside the body, fit the rear wheels only, measure and cut two new posts (short plastic rods) and screw them to the front mountings of the chassis.

Drill the chassis above the rear post, because it is not level at that point, you need to glue a small packing wedge to it. Screw chassis and body together at the rear only. This will show you the position of the new front posts. To make sure the wheels are central, use cardboard packing around them. Leave in place and apply epoxy resin to the new front posts with a cocktail stick through the front wheel and motor openings. Leave to set for a couple of days, gently undo the screws, remove the chassis and apply more epoxy around the new mounting posts, use card to plug the gap in the underside of the chassis.

Finish the kit as per instructions. Use primer and then a blast of Vauxhall "Flame red", only from Halfords or Hycote, (the best car paint with the best nozzle on the can), when dry, always T Cut the paintwork very gently. If you want to go mad, open all the vents and fit meshing in them, use black Bare Metal foil around the windows, chrome on the mirrors, drill out the exhausts, replace with thin metal tube, etc.. The normal stuff.

	Ferrari 550 Maranello by Joel Thura.
	A current Top Slot release is the awesome Ferrari 550 which has recently started to appear in GT races. Top Slot make very high quality resin kits, you simply have to add a commercial chassis and wheels, usually Ninco or Fly.

	Top Slot recommend a Fly Venturi chassis, and the mounting posts in the body have been designed accordingly. I thought that fitting a rear engine chassis to a car with the engine in the front was tantamount to sacrilege. So I decided to fit a Viper chassis instead, the only modifications are 2 new front mounting post in the body just back of the original ones, you can use the existing rear post.
	Now for the fun bit: take a Viper chassis, mark it with a set square and cut it in half, glue some square plastic rod or tube in the back half as shown , measure the new wheel base carefully, fix both halves in position with blue tack, glue the front on one side only, with a small amount of superglue (always use the gel type for this operation), wait until the glue is dry, offer the chassis to the body just to make sure the wheelbase is correct. If everything is OK, glue the other side of the chassis. If the 2 halves have moved, split them up carefully (You can buy superglue releasing agent in hardware stores) and start again. Trim all the excess material until the chassis fits properly inside the body, fit the rear wheels only, measure and cut two new posts (short plastic rods) and screw them to the front mountings of the chassis. Drill the chassis above the rear post, because it is not level at that point, you need to glue a small packing wedge to it. Screw chassis and body together at the rear only. This will show you the position of the new front posts. To make sure the wheels are central, use cardboard packing around them. Leave in place and apply epoxy resin to the new front posts with a cocktail stick through the front wheel and motor openings. Leave to set for a couple of days, gently undo the screws, remove the chassis and apply more epoxy around the new mounting posts, use card to plug the gap in the underside of the chassis. Finish the kit as per instructions. Use primer and then a blast of Vauxhall "Flame red", only from Halfords or Hycote, (the best car paint with the best nozzle on the can), when dry, always T Cut the paintwork very gently. If you want to go mad, open all the vents and fit meshing in them, use black Bare Metal foil around the windows, chrome on the mirrors, drill out the exhausts, replace with thin metal tube, etc.. The normal stuff.

	There it is, a front engined Ferrari 550 Maranello.