Tripod Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 As a bit of light relief from not making progress on aeroplanes, I thought I'd make myself a Riley Elf, since BMW haven't got around to it yet. To begin with, here's the bodyshell of the Mini Cooper kit: In keeping with the original, I need to add a small boot and re-shape the nose. So, step 1 was to hack off the tail below the rear screen, taking in the tail lights and bumper. I moved the tail back and re-attached it to plasticard extensions 13mm further back. The rear wings of the 1960s Elf continue the car's shoulder line into a pair of small fins, so I have gone for a similar thing here. I have filled the hatchback shut line and spoiler mounting holes in the roof, as I plan to leave off the spoiler. That should help to set my Elf a bit further apart from the Mini Cooper, if and when I build one. Much work is needed to tidy up the tail. The nose will be a more tricky job to design, as I don't think a copy of the 1960s nose will meet current safety rules or aerodynamic requirements. I'll cross the bridge of the nose when I come to it. Three-Foot Pete 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I like the idea of this, not only good looking but practical as well. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripod Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 I thought the boot lid was a bit low, so I have added an extra sheet of plasticard to the top. This photo shows how it looked after filling the front and back edges: The picture before adding the filler would have been better, but I forgot to put the memory card back in the camera. The longer boot would mean the the original exhaust ended somewhere under the boot, so I have extended the exhaust pipe as seen below: The darker section is the extension. The rear box sits behind this on a block, which takes the tail pipes back to the rear of the car. A quick daub of crimson over the tail to see how the sanding job looks: It isn't as bad as it looks in this photo - a couple of bits of tidying needed, then I'll give it another coat that should look a bit better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripod Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 A bit more sanding, a bit more filling and another coat of crimson, and the tail is looking a bit better: Another round of fill, sand and paint needed, I think. Meanwhile, I have started on the front end. The nose of a real Elf looks like this: I think modern safety regulations require the bumper to be higher than this, so I can't simply copy the existing nose. I think I need to have the whole radiator shell above the bumper. I thought about a split bumper and longer grille, Alfa Romeo style, but then I'd end up with that uncomfortable Alfa stick-the-number-plate-over-to-one-side-as-there's-nowhere-else-to-put-it look. So, I've gone for this: Lower grille unchanged; upper grille filled at the sides and raised in height. The white plasticard will form the slightly-raised centre part of the bonnet. Finally, I've started on the two-tone interior: Still a long way to go with this... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Nice idea. A new MINIvan, or pickup. How about that for another build? And, I wonder if anyone has yet done a choptop MINI sprint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roymattblack Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) Why not let the central grille run under the 'bumper' - in the way Audi now do it... Something a bit like this: (Sorry for the poor quality - it was a quick photoshop bodge...) Roy. Edited February 13, 2015 by roymattblack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripod Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 Pete - a pickup might be fun to do, though I do feel I ought to make a Mini Cooper with one of my two other Mini kits. A Clubman, Coupe or convertible Mini would be good, too. Perhaps I need another Airfix late-November sale... Roy - that was one of my options for the front end. I need the grille to start higher up to get the look I want, and also to increase the area of frontal air intakes, because I have lost the bonnet intake and two thirds of the upper grille. I may pinch your Photoshop idea and mock up a couple of options for the lower intake, once I've done the grille. This is the current state with one coat of paint on the bonnet and the pillars painted black: It doesn't look too bad from ten feet away with my glasses off. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripod Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Elf news: The top grille is coming along, and the painting mostly finished - just needing a few touch-ups here and there: Here's a head-on view with a bit of photoshopping, after the style of Roy's above. It's either this or the full-width Mini part. What do you think? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Spider Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Nice idea. A new MINIvan, or pickup. How about that for another build? And, I wonder if anyone has yet done a choptop MINI sprint? Here's a couple of pick ups I built a while back, And a camper that never got any further than this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggers Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Strangely enough,this looks so right. How about another one as a Wolseley Hornet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richellis Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Nice work, Ive a couple of the Airfix kits in the stash, and had some modern retro conversions in mind for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.e.charles Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Here's a couple of pick ups I built a while back, i wouldn't be the least bit upset if you posted more about the beige pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripod Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 It is completed. I'm still undecided on the need for a thin chrome strip down the centre of the bonnet. For the moment, there isn't one. Here it is from the front: View off the port bow: I was a bit careless removing this piece of clear plastic from the sprue, and ended up with a nasty chunk out of the bottom of the front window. It looked so bad, I had to wind it down into the door with a razor saw and file. Off-side rear view: All good fun, but I think it's back to the aeroplanes next. Miggers - the Hornet was my original intention for this one, with the Elf following as a soft-top, but then I thought how many real conversions there are to do with this kit. Red Spider - I like the pick-ups (especially the old one). Why did the camper van get laid up? It seems to be coming along nicely! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordairgtar Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Very imaginative conversion. I was just wondering as to why you do not use rattle cans or airbrush to do your painting? Not a criticism, but just wanting to know. I do brush work in my interiors as I find it easier to do multi color schemes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripod Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 In no particular order: 1. Idleness, 2. Unwillingness to shell out on spray cans that won't be used much, and 3. The half-hour plus that it would take to persuade my compressor to start working. Having said that, I was thinking as I took the pictures that I might try spraying the next car I make. My brush-painted thinned acrylic finish didn't look too bad in places until I had and extended fight to get the rear lights in yesterday, and needed to touch up most of the red bits. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Looks like and undersized Chrysler 300c.......... Nice work.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Spider Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 The camper got put to the side as the plastic card I used was too thin and wouldn't keep the shape probably. I also had too many other projects on the go, I might get back to it one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidelvy Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 As a former Elf owner I love this idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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