ICR Workshop

While the clear coat cures over the carbon fiber parts, I decided to focus on the wheels instead.

The first prototype wheel is finally printed.

At the same time, I've been collecting reference photos and studying every detail to recreate the original wheels as accurately as possible.

I originally thought the wheels were painted in a single steel color. After analyzingdozens of reference photos from different angles, I discovered they're actually a combination of two metallic shades, applied in a way that gives every spoke and every face its own character depending on the light.

It's one of those details that most people never notice, but once you see it, you can't unsee it. Recreating that finish convincingly in 1:18 scale is going to be one of the biggest painting challenges of this build.

Alongside the wheels, I'm also designing a custom hub system specifically for AUTOart models. The goal is to integrate miniature bearings while keeping full compatibility with the original mounting points and suspension geometry. If everything works as planned, the wheels will rotate much more smoothly without altering the original construction of the model.

The painting plan is now ready. Time to find out if I can make the printed version look like the real thing.