So, I finally got around to tackling that McLaren F1 2021 project I’d been eyeing. It wasn’t anything super official, just something I wanted to try my hand at, you know? Needed something to keep my hands busy after staring at screens all day.
Getting Started
First off, had to actually get the kit. Took a bit of searching, but found one that looked decent enough. Wasn’t expecting top-tier stuff, just something fun. When it arrived, I cracked open the box. Lots of plastic parts on sprues, the usual deal. Instructions looked okay, mostly pictures which helps because sometimes the wording is just confusing.
Spread everything out on the table. Felt a bit like being a kid again, honestly. Had that smell of new plastic. Checked all the parts were there, seemed alright. Decided to just dive in.
The Build Process
I started with the main body chassis, figured it’s the backbone, right? Snapping the first few pieces together felt good. Some bits needed a bit of cleaning up, flashing they call it? Just scraped it off carefully with a hobby knife. Then came the glue. Always tricky not to use too much or too little.
- Glued the floor pan to the main tub.
- Assembled the basic engine block parts. Fiddly stuff.
- Put together the suspension arms. These were tiny! Dropped one like three times.
Painting was next. Didn’t go crazy fancy. Just wanted the basic McLaren papaya orange. Masking off the parts took ages, probably longer than the actual painting. Used spray cans, did it outside. Got a bit of unevenness on one side panel, but hey, it’s homemade.
Applying the decals was the real test of patience. Oh man. These things are thin and love to stick to everything except where you want them. Used a bit of water and tried to slide them into place. Ripped one small sponsor logo, patched it up best I could. Definitely the most stressful part. You mess up here, it really shows.
Finishing Up
Once the main body, engine, and suspension were together and painted, it was final assembly time. Bolted on the wheels, attached the front and rear wings. Added the little aero bits and bobs. It started looking like the real deal, which was cool.
Stepped back and looked at it. Not perfect, definitely got some glue marks here and there, the paint isn’t factory smooth, and that one decal is a bit wonky if you look close. But overall? Pretty neat. It actually looks like the 2021 McLaren.
End Result
So yeah, that was my little project. Took me a few evenings. It’s sitting on my shelf now. It was a good way to switch off, focus on something physical instead of virtual stuff. Made some mistakes, learned a bit. Maybe I’ll try another car sometime. For now, I’m just happy this one’s done and didn’t end up in the bin halfway through.
