Ferrari F12 TDF Building Guide — Part 2: Body Preparation

Alpha Model AM02-0095 · Build by Break Wong

First Primer Coat

A thin mist of gray primer is the body shell's first real health check.

After washing the car body and parts clean with dish soap, start by applying a coat of gray primer to the body shell. This makes it easier to inspect for surface imperfections and facilitates sanding and leveling. Be careful not to apply the primer too thickly — a light coat just enough to cover the original resin color is sufficient. An overly thick layer will not only dry much slower, it will also make sanding more difficult.

Deepening the Panel Lines

Deep, crisp panel lines do the panel-liner's job before a single drop of wash is applied.

Use a 0.15mm scribing chisel to deepen the panel lines. Although the panel lines on the body shell are already quite clear, we still manually deepen them further. This enhances the three-dimensional appearance after completion, and it also gives you the option to skip the panel-lining step entirely, relying instead on natural shadows to bring out the texture of the recessed lines.

When scribing, apply pressure gradually from light to heavy: first lightly run the blade along the panel line a few times, then slowly apply more pressure. For curved areas, use an angled scribing chisel — with a straight chisel it is easy to slip over the edge, which means unnecessary rework. Also pay close attention to the angle of the blade to avoid turning curved lines into straight ones.

Sanding and Leveling

After using sandpaper to sand and level the entire car body, it is essential to follow up with a flexible sanding sponge to remove the coarse sanding marks. A few more passes with a fine-grit sanding sponge leave the parts with a smooth surface, providing optimal paint adhesion. Once sanding is complete, apply another coat of primer to double-check for any remaining imperfections.

Full Primer, Inside and Out

Apply gray primer to the entire car body, including the inside, to unify the base color. If dust or other particles settle on the surface during spraying, wait until it is completely dry, sand it smooth with 2000-grit sandpaper, and then reapply the primer. Once the primer application is fully completed, carefully inspect the surface for imperfections — a 3000-grit sanding sponge gently buffs out any tiny dust spots to smooth the surface.

The Sky Blue Undercoat

White paint is picky about its undercoat — a blue base is the secret to a deep, refined white.

Since we are painting a white version this time, I chose to use Sky Blue (Mr. Color C34) as the base color. Using a blue undercoat allows the white to achieve a much richer and more refined color depth. If you use a white or gray undercoat, the topcoat ends up looking either too dull or overly bright, resulting in a far less desirable finish.

The White Topcoat

Spray White (Mr. Color C1) over the blue base. White is a color with weak opacity, so pay attention to applying even and sufficient coats when spraying — build the coverage gradually with uniform passes rather than trying to hide the base in one go.

Masking and the Black Pre-Coat

Mask off the front windshield, side windows and wheel arches, then pre-spray Black (Mr. Color C33, matte black). Note that you must also spray the interior of the body shell black at this stage — with the shell still an open tub, the inside is easy to reach, and doing it now saves a difficult masking job later.

Paint, Clear Coat & Decals

Ferrari F12 TDF Making Guide — Part 3: Paint, Clear Coat & DecalsAlpha Model AM02-0095 · Build by Break Wong

The Racing Stripes

Twin stripes over bonnet, roof and deck — the F12tdf's signature look, laid down in silver and black.

The livery sheet offers six stripe options; for this build I used the silver-and-black twin-stripe set — decals D90, D91 and D92 — running centrally from the bonnet over the roof and onto the rear deck. Apply them with plenty of decal setting solution and align each section across the panel gaps so the stripes read as one continuous band. Take your time here: these stripes live under the clear coat, so any silvering will be sealed in forever.

2K Clear Coat

Apply a 2K clear coat to the exterior of the car body. Here I chose Glasurit (BASF) No. 666 clear coat. After applying an appropriate thickness, wait 3 to 5 days for it to fully cure before sanding and polishing — that long, patient cure is what gives the finish its depth and hardness.

Wet Sanding and Polishing

Progressively wet-sand using 2000- and 3000-grit sandpaper to level the surface. Pay close attention and constantly check your work to avoid sanding through the clear coat, especially along panel edges. Finally, use a polishing machine to polish the surface to a mirror finish.

Matte Black Accents

With the gloss surface finished, the matte black (C-33) areas can be picked out: the three signature gill vents cut into each rear quarter panel, and the inner sections of the front splitter. Mask carefully and keep the edges razor sharp — matte black against gloss white is an unforgiving contrast.

Headlight Assembly

The headlight units are built up in layers: the PE60 eyebrow trim on top, clear lenses R98 and R99, the silver reflector bowls R68 painted in K (silver), and housings R19/R20 finished in F (C-92 semi-gloss black). Assemble the lamps before the front bumper goes on, checking the seam against the fender from every angle.

Carbon Fiber Trim

The tdf wears carbon fiber everywhere the eye lingers. The bonnet vents PE9 and PE10 are wrapped in carbon-fiber decal; the front bumper receives the PE2 carbon-fiber grille with its prancing horse, the PE52 carbon front splitter and the PE12 carbon windshield cowl. Decals D61–D68 and D78–D81 cover the remaining carbon flaps and aero parts. Use decal softener generously on the curved surfaces and press the weave into every recess with a cotton swab.

Side Markers, Badges and Fuel Cap

Along the flanks, PE45 is painted E (C-49 gloss clear orange) for the side reflector and R106 carries the red marker; the front fender gets its prancing horse badge decal above the D29/D30 carbon side vents, with R86 in clear orange for the side indicator. The R45 fuel filler cap is finished in K silver.

Rear End, Exhaust and Diffuser

The tail is built around the R24 panel with its D55 carbon black strip and the PE54 prancing horse. The round taillights R33 and R34 pair K silver reflector bowls with F black outer rings. Sub-assembly [A] is the exhaust cluster — D70–D77 with PE43/PE44 carbon-fiber tips, where R100/R101 are painted D (C-47 gloss clear red) to recreate the red glow of hot exhausts, joined by R35/R36. Sub-assembly [B] is the diffuser, with D34–D50 carbon sections and R108 finished in F. Note that R97 needs its mounting holes opened with a hand drill before fitting. The red taillight lenses R95, R103 and R104 are painted C-47 clear red, and the photo-etched metal license plate reads "YY 83118".

Don't forget the hand-drilled holes for R97 — mark the dimples on the body first, then drill at low speed to avoid chipping the fully cured clear coat around the hole.

Interior Fabrication

Ferrari F12 TDF Fabrication Guide — Part 4: Interior Fabrication

Alpha Model AM02-0095 · Build by Break Wong

Dashboard

Black carbon, machined metal and a wall of instrument decals — the cabin's first impression is built on the dash.

The dashboard is built around R46/R47, with the air vent assemblies R70/R71 picked out in K (silver) to represent the machined-metal D94 vent details. Large areas of the dash face are wrapped in carbon-fiber decal, and decals D105 and D109–D122 cover the instrument markings and button faces. The metal Ferrari and F12tdf badges are applied last, while PE11 in F (C-92 semi-gloss black) adds the carbon-look trim panels.

Steering Wheel

The steering wheel combines R54 with the R38 grip sections finished in G (C-13 semi-gloss neutral gray). The D94 metal paddle shifters sit behind the column, decals D104 and D108 mark the red Manettino control buttons, and the prancing horse takes its place at the wheel's center. The steering column itself is R32 in F with PE37 trim in F.

Door Panels

Door panels R16 and R17 use the interior color N for the upper sections — remember that N is C-92 semi-gloss black mixed with C-2 gloss white at a 6:1 ratio. PE56 carbon-fiber trim in F runs across the panel, while PE4, PE3 and PE57 in C (C-33 matte black) represent the speaker grilles. Door pulls D13–D18 attach to R64/R65 finished in F, with R61/R62 also in F for the lower hardware.

Seats

The bucket seats R11 and R12 carry the tdf's boldest interior scheme: F (semi-gloss black) for the central insert, G (neutral gray) for the side bolsters and headrests, with C (matte black) for the center of each headrest carrying the D93 prancing horse. Decals D82–D87 supply the vertical white stripes that run down the seat centers.

Rear Bulkhead

Behind the seats, the rear bulkhead D51/D52 with D57–D59 is fully wrapped in carbon-fiber decal, with R5 finished in C (matte black) for the shadowed structural areas. Seen through the model's rear glass, this textured black panel is what the eye will catch first.

Seatbelts and Pedals

The harness rails R60/R83 are painted K (silver), the buckle hardware R82 in C (matte black), with the PE65 metal buckles attached over black fabric-style seatbelt material. Down in the footwell, the drilled pedal faces R43, R55, R76 and R44 are painted K silver over the PE27 (C) and PE28 (F) carbon-fiber foot mats, with decals D114–D116 marking the red buttons on the console. The R25 dead pedal is finished in N interior color.

Side Trim

The seat side trims R13 and R14 are painted N interior color, with PE13 and PE14 in F (semi-gloss black) carbon finish following the lower sills — small pieces, but they frame every photo taken through the open door.

Cockpit Final Assembly

With all sub-assemblies finished, the cockpit comes together: dash and wheel into the tub, doors taped in position for dry-fitting, seats on their rails and the belts draped with the buckles set at natural angles. A final check from above through the windscreen opening confirms that nothing clashes before the interior is set aside to await the shell.

Wheel Fabrication

Ferrari F12 TDF Fabrication Guide — Part 5: Wheel Fabrication

Alpha Model AM02-0095 · Build by Break Wong

Brake Disc Preparation

Gloss black rims, drilled iron discs and Ferrari-yellow calipers — the wheels are where this build's color finally pops.

First, cut off the raised details on the brake discs and sand the surface smooth — the real car's discs are vented iron with a flat face, and the molded-on detail reads poorly under paint. A small trick to save masking time: you can spray-paint the parts directly without cutting them off the sprue, since the nub marks will be hidden after assembly.

Discs and Calipers

The PE36 photo-etch outer ring in F (semi-gloss black) is bent around the disc edge using tweezers — anneal the curve gently so the etched band follows the disc without kinking. The disc face itself is painted K (silver), while the vent slots and center bell take M (C-28 Black Iron) for the dark, heat-stained look. The caliper bases R31 are painted C (C-33 matte black), and the caliper bodies R39 are finished in C-4 Gloss Yellow, with the FERRARI decals applied over the yellow before a light clear overcoat. R41/R42 complete the yellow caliper set, with R79/R80 in F for the brackets.

Brake calipers in Ferrari red are a classic look — but the tdf left the factory with yellow calipers behind black wheels, so this build uses C-4 Gloss Yellow to match the real car.

Wheels and Tires

The multi-spoke wheel faces are painted A (C-1 gloss black) — the correct code for these dark rims — with the D96 decal adding the yellow prancing horse on a black field at each center cap. The soft resin tires carry molded Pirelli P ZERO lettering, including the 315/35 ZR20 rear sizing; a dry-brush of light gray over the raised letters makes the branding legible without a paint wash. Note that the front and rear rim pairs are different widths — R1/R3 are the narrow fronts and R2/R4 the wide rears — so keep them sorted by axle from the very first priming pass.

Final Assembly

Ferrari F12 TDF Building Guide — Part 6: Final Assembly

Alpha Model AM02-0095 · Build by Break Wong

Bringing the Painted Shell Together

Every sub-assembly is finished — now the painted shell, the detailed tub and the running gear finally meet.

With the body fully polished and all exterior sub-assemblies painted, final assembly begins on the cutting mat. The painted shell sits ready alongside the carbon side skirts, the glazing parts and the completed wheel sets; dry-fitting every component before any glue is applied is the rule from here on, since the mirror-finished paint leaves zero room for repair work.

Carbon Side Skirts

The side skirts R26 and R27 are first wrapped with their carbon-fiber decals — D53 and D54 for one side, D56 and D60 for the other — pressed soft over the full length of the parts. Once the decals are set and clear-coated, the skirts are glued flush along the lower sill line, using the fender edge as the reference for a straight seam.

Windshield, Wipers and Roof Trim

The glazing goes in following the manual's sequence: Step 1 sets the windshield into its aperture, and Step 2 mounts the wiper blades over the cowl — thin PE parts that are easiest to handle with fine tweezers and a dot of CA glue. Step 3 adds the R23 roof trim piece finished in F (semi-gloss black), which closes the seam at the base of the windshield.

Side Windows and Mirrors

The side windows follow: PE38 frames the door glass in F, PE40 trims the rear quarter window in F, and the mirror assemblies R52 in F are mated with their carbon-look housings — R81 carries decal D66 and R90 carries D65 for the woven mirror caps, with PE47 completing the mount. The yellow-striped rear wheel is offered into the arch as a stance check during this stage.

Wheels On

The four wheel-and-brake assemblies are mounted onto the chassis, taking care to keep the narrow front pair (R1/R3) and wide rear pair (R2/R4) on the correct axles. With the body married to the chassis, the wheel stance and the gap inside each arch are checked — the drilled silver discs and yellow calipers should sit dead center behind the gloss black spokes, and the rear deck glass — with its louvered yellow heating elements — is fitted into the rear screen opening.

Rear Deck Badge

The final exterior detail is the Ferrari script on the rear deck: the metal sticker from the badge sheet — the same sheet that includes the F12tdf script and the AM02-0095 identification plate — is burnished onto the silver tail panel between the stripes, sitting just above the louvered rear glass.

Completed

Ferrari F12 TDF Building Guide — Part 7: Completed

Alpha Model AM02-0095 · Build by Break Wong

The Finished Model

White paint, silver stripes, black carbon and yellow calipers — the finished F12tdf, ready for its studio shoot.

After the final detail is glued in place, the model gets its moment under the lights. These studio shots show the completed build from every angle: the gloss white bodywork against the dark backdrop, the twin silver-and-black stripes running nose to tail, the blacked-out roof and the aggressive aero of the tdf package.

Front and Rear Details

Up close, the work of the earlier stages all comes together: the clear-lensed headlights over the carbon grille with its prancing horse, the orange side markers in the bumper, and the front splitter hugging the ground. At the back, the red circular taillights frame the carbon black strip with the Ferrari badge, the "YY 83118" plate sits below it, and the diffuser fills the space between the twin exhaust clusters with carbon weave.

Cabin and Details

Through the glazing, the interior finally pays off: the gray-and-black buckets with their white center stripes, the carbon dashboard with its silver vents, the yellow prancing horse on the steering wheel boss and the red Manettino buttons. The polished metal fuel cap on the rear quarter and the prancing horse shields on the front fenders catch the light in every exterior shot.

Builder's Notes

That completes the Alpha Model AM02-0095 Ferrari F12tdf in 1/24 scale. It is a deeply detailed but forgiving kit — the accurate body shell and deeply engraved panel lines make it a fantastic first resin supercar, while the carbon decals, PE hardware and metal badges give the finished model a high-end display presence. The biggest takeaways from this build: wash every resin part before priming, take the panel-line scribing slowly on curves, give the 2K clear coat its full 3 to 5 days to cure, and pre-spray the shell's interior black while it is still an open tub.

Thank you for following along — I hope the build was useful and that your own F12tdf turns out even better. For more scale model builds and workbench updates, look out for Break Wong's other Alpha Model builds and follow along as the next one comes together.