MENG 1/12 FORD GT40 Mk.ii '66

Number one thing to do..........grab a permanent marker and alphabetically identify the bags of screws, for such an expensive kit I'm amazed MENG didn't do this. Check the bags against the parts list at the rear of the instructions, the number count will identify which is A, B, C, etc.
The reason for this tip: I was assembling the rear suspension whilst waiting for paint to dry, when I realised I was enlarging a screw hole before spotting I had the wrong gauge screw!! The instructions are ambiguous at times.
I also found that pre-screwing before final assembly helpful.
The screw heads seem to be made with tightening only in mind, reversing the screws requires much pressure, be careful not to snap something! 

The rack and pinion steering is crap for such an expensive kit. The pinion cog is a press fit and moves down off the shaft due to the strain of moving the rack. The pinion also jumps teeth on the rack. The steering shaft has a flat for the steering wheel to locate at correct orientation, this goes out the window after the pinion jumps the rack teeth. I tried adjusting the screw tension on the shroud that locates the steering rack and pinion many times, there is no sweet spot. If the shaft turns freely, the cogs jump teeth leaving the steering wheel out of alignment, if it's too tight the rack won't move. After screwing down the floor-pan to the chassis and connecting the tie rods the steering has seized solid. Having already lifted the floor-pan twice (at much fiddling) I'll either leave the steering fixed or drill a hole large enough in the belly pan to access the rack and pinion shroud, with no guarantee the gears will stay aligned. 

The front brake duct tubing are slide moulded convoluted soft rubber, completely useless for purpose. If fitted to air inlet as instructed they deform and stand out straight, they will not bend to the front discs, they fold up, AND NO, filling them with something soft does not help. I'm leaving them off as they also stop the steering from working, which when I think of it doesn't work anyway. 

Useless as a screen door on a submarine! 

Vinyl tube for brake lines is cheap for a kit of this expense, race cars have braided stainless brake lines. 

Very tricky manoeuvring to instal the rear suspension.
The rear brake ducting does not fit if following the instructions. I found that the lower duct tube fowls the coil spring. Connect the lower duct first then the top after floor-pan and chassis screwed together. 

Fix rear brake ducting before floor-pan screwed to the chassis. Soft rubber folds rather than bends. 

 

The use of vinyl tubing seems great at first until the instructions call for specific shaped bends which are impossible to achieve without inserting fine metal wire which is not supplied in the kit. The larger of the two fuel lines would be 36 mm OD in scale, more like a radiator hose! 

I used Tamiya TS93 Pure Blue for the chassis over Vallejo Black Surface Primer 

 

Poly-styrene packing from an appliance and bamboo skewers are handy when painting the large chassis 

 

I found it easier to cut the parts off the sprues and paint using Vallejo Metal Color