FINISHED - Delahaye 135 - 1:24 Heller

[CDW]

Here I am laying down Mr Surfacer 1500 black primer on the car body. The final color will be silver. For the fr and rr fenders and a stripe that runs down the length of the body, will use a light color Mr Surfacer 1500 primer with a final color of blue.

 

[CDW]

This top coat is Splash paint, the color is Argento Nurburgring. If I remember correctly it's a Ferarri color. Of course, a gloss clear coat goes on top of it all once everything else is finished.

 

[Canute]

Coming along nicely, Craig.  Is that paint an acrylic or lacquer?

[CDW]

5 minutes ago, Canute said:

Coming along nicely, Craig.  Is that paint an acrylic or lacquer?

It's a lacquer, Ken.

 

[Canute]

Thank you, sir. Looks like a good color for some stainless passenger cars, too.

[CDW]

Take a look at the 2nd photo in my previous post. After I looked at the photo, I noticed something I had not noticed when I sprayed the model. There are a few small specks of something that go unnoticed until closer examination of the model. This is where I let the paint run out in my airbrush cup which caused it to spit. With metallic paints like the silver I am using here, these specks become very noticeable, particularly after a clear coat goes on top.

I know better than to let my paint cup run dry like that, as it's not the first time that's happened to me. But it's worth noting to my friends who may not have experienced this phenomenon before. Always keep your airbrush paint cup filled particularly when spraying metallic paints. 

At this point I will give it a second coat to try and hide the specks.

 

Edited October 31, 2020 by CDW

[CDW]

The fenders show the odd use of multi-colored plastic in construction of this kit. A good layer of primer coat will quickly solve that issue.

Interior is very simple, but will mostly be unseen anyway. The finished body is what I'm after with this kit. Love the art deco lines of it.

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Glad to see you back CDW!  Love the subject you're working on - cars from that period are amongst my favorite.  Sad looking out into the road and seeing cars completely stripped of all that cool style from back then.

 

Nice score on the display cabinet - that looks absolutely perfect!  I've been thinking about what I could get or build to store my upcoming models (assuming I get around to building them) and that one you showed couldn't be better.

[Edwardkenway]

31 minutes ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Sad looking out into the road and seeing cars completely stripped of all that cool style from back then.

Amen to that, cars had bags of character and charm back then. 

Excellent work as always Craig !

[CDW]

Thanks guys. You know the old saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Sometimes it helps to step away from a hobby for a period of time and change up a routine. I used my swimming pool more this past summer than I've ever used it before, plus got a lot of projects done around the house. 

 

[Egilman]

17 minutes ago, CDW said:

.....plus got a lot of projects done around the house.

So, in essence, you didn't stop modeling, you just chose a different scale....

 

Nice work by the way..... gonna be sharp when you polish that body......

[Old Collingwood]

23 minutes ago, CDW said:

Thanks guys. You know the old saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Sometimes it helps to step away from a hobby for a period of time and change up a routine. I used my swimming pool more this past summer than I've ever used it before, plus got a lot of projects done around the house. 

 

We have a  Pool, not an intentional one  - just lots of rain on the patio.

 

OC.

[CDW]

Fenders now have primer and paint. Paint color is midnight blue, another metallic color. For contrast, the final picture shows the color combination used for this model.

 

[CDW]

Here we go with masking for the accent paint. Some of the masking is brush-on liquid masking film.

 

 

Then some painting (midnight blue)

 

 

Then mask removal after pint dries

 

[Old Collingwood]

That is looking Smart  and really tidy paintwork.

 

OC.

[CDW]

While the kit provides the chrome trim strips for the body, it omits the chrome stone guards that can be seen on the bottom of the rear fenders (see box art photo in first set of photos). To simulate the stone guards, have used bare metal foil.

 

[CDW]

Fenders mounted to body

 

[CDW]

Mockup

 

[Egilman]

3 hours ago, CDW said:

Mockup

Now that is very sharp!!!!

 

Another beautiful lady getting ready for an evening on the boulevard!!!!

 

Well done sir....

[popeye the sailor]

that looks really snazzy      great job on the paint!   touching back on the battery arrangement.......I don't think twelve volt batteries were around then,  neither was the ability to regulate amperage as with later cars.  generators were the method for recharging the battery.......the plus here was that the battery could be removed once the engine was started.........can't really do that with an alternator.   early cars were also positive grounded systems.  later systems changed over to the negative ground systems.

[Landlubber Mike]

Wow, that looks really amazing, nice paint job!

Edited November 3, 2020 by Landlubber Mike

[CDW]

Thanks gentlemen. I'm struggling just a bit right now with a couple of pieces that go between the frame and the hood, parts numbers 5 and 6 on the instruction sheet. These parts make a fit between the hood, the grill, and the front fenders. The instructions are unclear on exactly how they fit, and they do not fit without some modifications and tweaking of the several parts to which they attach. The most critical part of it is to make sure the hood and grill fit properly once the parts are cemented in place. I've already glued and removed them for adjustments several times now. Maybe the third time will be a charm. We'll see in a bit.

 

[Egilman]

Craig,

 

I believe that those are the lower hood side panels, I would approach it by cementing them to the lower edge of the hood sides then adjusting them to fit the frame.... Front and rear location would be set by the streamlined grille which they abut in the front....

 

I would temporarily affix the grill to the hood using tape, using tube cement spot glue the panel parts to the hood sides, then test fit to the frame.....

 

All you would have to adjust, if needed would be the side heights to make sure the hood is level, again if needed....

 

Once fitted, remove the grille.... if they are part of the hood, permanently glue them to the hood, if they are part of the frame/body, permanently glue them to the frame then separate the hood....

 

From what I see, that would be my approach... yes the instructions are a bit less than completely clear....

 

Check your reference photos....

 

EG

 

Edit:

 

I found a reference.... I've got two shots...

 

You see the hood, grille and the lower panel, that sets the point of mating.... (all that left is to determine if they are body parts or hood parts....

 

Next pic...

 

The lower body panel of the pic is the part your looking at, so they are body panels and need to be glued to the frame.... Knowing this, I would change my approach and use tape for all temp attachments and use the hood and grille as the locator for these parts, removing the grille before permanently gluing them to the frame.....

 

I hope this helps...

 

EG

Edited November 3, 2020 by Egilman

[CDW]

I think, you're right Egilman. The best approach will be to glue those lower panels to the hood along with the grill then fit it all down against the fenders and frame. I was trying to make it align so the hood could be removable, but I am more interested in the body lines remaining intact than displaying an engine.

 

[Egilman]

I think that is the safest approach brother....

 

She is going to be a beauty....

[CDW]

Hood pieces and the lower hood pieces with the grill are all cemented together. Now I have to find a reliable way to attach the front fenders to the frame so the wheel wells line up properly. Unfortunately, the kit designers were asleep for this part of the kit as there is really nothing to make that happen except for doing it yourself with a method of your own choosing.

These photos are just a dry run and obviously not aligned.

 

[Edwardkenway]

The bodywork looks real sharp! Great job so far Craig 

[Egilman]

Wow! nice work.....

 

That fender and hood assembly is going to be a nightmare, doesn't appear to me to be any clear mounting points except the fender points on the body, the front fender seem to just float with no clear connection point.... (according to the instructions)

 

So my suggestion would be to follow the cowl/hood line, they have to match as they set the body lines-hood position, the rear fender points set the fender location, and devising a place/way to securely connect the front grille... A nightmare in reality....

 

An issue would be the tips of the fenders molded to the body, that joint has to be clean, almost perfect, and will still be the weak point.....

I would make sure their mating surfaces are square and clean on both the body and fender.... the two bumper mount holes in the fender part should line up with the ends of the frame rails if it is accurate....

This will locate the part vertically on the front end... with the bumper supports going thru should be a good locator for the fenders... But checking that the hood lines up with the cowl is where any inaccuracies will show....

 

A beautiful kit,  a real challenge in assembly....

 

I found a build log from 2015 that shows this problem on this exact kit..... (don't know if it is permissible to post such here, if it isn't please delete it)

https://skidsplace.forumotion.com/t2468-1935-delahaye-135-heller-1-24

 

Hope it helps Craig... 

 

EG

Edited November 6, 2020 by Egilman

[CDW]

Egilman

That was a great find on the Delahaye build thread. The poor guy went through the same thing I am going through right now with the front fenders.

I'm going to take the time to read through the whole thread, but I cheated ahead to see what he did with the fenders. Too bad the designers didn't spend the time to work this out. 

I do not recommend this kit for the casual modeler. It will give you a headache. 

[CDW]

This is about as close as I am going to get the fenders/hood/grill to fit. Next will lay down the clear gloss coats, then the chrome bits and pieces, bumpers, windshield frame/wipers, etc., and call this one done.