One simple scale feature that just tips off the realism of a semi scale F1 to me is the mirrors. I thought I'd show how I've settled on how to make them. The following images are from a couple of models
First a wooden former is made up to a good standard, the better the former is the less work needed further down. I used Rock Maple which can be polished without waxes through fine rubbing down alone. A plywood board with a matching hole plus material thickness is used to simply push heated Polycarbonate sheet over the former to make the shell, there's no need for a vacuum at this scale.
Suitable bolts are heated and bent to act as the stalks, upsetting the head helps to provide an anchor for bonding into the shells.
The mirrors themselves are made from Mitsubishi Mirror, a chrome plated aluminium/polypropylene sandwich. The reflecting surface is on the outside so there's no looking through glass, and it's safe and easy to cut and shape.
The bolts are bonded in using flat steels and a clamp to keep things in line:
Here I've used JB Weld:
I then paint the shells using multiple coats of 2K Acrylic with just a flash off in between, this blends the stalks into the shells and rounds out the edges. It's also tough paint.
The mirrors are then settled on to a bonding filler, I use KwikFill. Here you can also see some threaded collars added. These act as a stop:
Ferrules, roughed up for bonding into the canopy:
For which I use either Epoxy or JB Weld:
To the threaded end of the stalk I fit a lever on to which an elastic band is fitted. In essence then the mirrors are spring loaded. I figured this had to be done as they are just too vulnerable otherwise:
So there you go:
And an earlier rectangular version: