CrazyCrank

You've done an incredible job

Absolutely stunning, Gorby ! My jaws on the floor !

I'd thought to intend that solution, but, behind the frame, there is already a groove, in which the windscreen will be stuck later on, and the plastic here is very thin and very brittle. It remains very few place and material to try to cut a groove, even if it is very thin and shallow, so I prefer abstain ! On the pictures below you can see what I mean. I've put some liquid white primer where the cracks are situated, and you can see them, magnifying the photos. At the moment the repairs seem beefy, but I'll have to be extremely cautious while sanding or polishing Thanks for any critics and advices PS: How many bodies ?...two of course, one for the busy days, and another for special occasions

Evening, Gentlemen Having heard siren songs, I've begun to clean up the wrecked body, and to fix the cracks. Cleaning it's easy, repairing cracks not too difficult, but the issue is that the repairs are very fragile ! As soon as I handle a bit too hardly the body, the windshield framing cracks again, in the way I predicted, pity So, I'll continue to try to work on it, to see if I can get an acceptable stuff after priming, painting, sanding and polishing, but without having too much illusions... And, since I don't now where this venture will lead me, I've polished the painted body with Tamiya compounds. Let's see the result by yourselves: Stay tuned for new steps

You're certainly right @mustang1989

You're a wizard @rob Lyttle ! Because it is exactly what I've planned, once the Talbot is finished

Evening Gentlemen I've retrieved a wreck from its bath of brake fluid ! After having scraped off all varnish and paint, I've noticed that the plastic of the body hadn't been melt, as one could fear, by this aggressive liquid, but had been , all the contrary, hardened, and that it became weaker and brittle. If you take a look at the photos below, you could see 3 big cracks: 1 on the body forward the front side of the trunk lid, and 2 on the windshield frame Admittedly, it's very possible to fix them, BUT, It's quite certain that, later on, during the sanding job on primer, blue paint, and during the polishing job of the paint, one or more of these repaired cracks will crack again ! So, I've to admit that it's no longer worth it, pity That is why you won't see this scale model with an opening trunk. Wait and see

After polishing with Tamiya compounds (what hasn't been yet done on the body), I use Carnauba Turtle Wax

Evening Gentlemen I am cursed ...On step forwards, two steps back Bonnets are painted, clear coated, polished and satisfactory Trunk lid has been sanded, polished and primed, and is waiting its blue coats I was sanding my second main body, the one with the opening trunk lid, and which had already received the clear coat. I had already removed the orange peel aspect with 3000, 3500 and 4000 grits, when I noticed that, while sanding, I had passed through the clear and the blue paint, on some thin areas, as sharp edges of the bonnets , and grille. One could then see the grey of the primer ! Stupidly, I decided to spray a bit of Tamiya TS 10 over these areas... - That resulted in fixing the issue on all places... - Except nearby the grille, probably because I sprayed too much closer of the body: there, there was too much solvent, and that reacted with the clear coat, producing a chipped paint. Then, the clear coat stripped by itself , and all the work was and is damaged ! I'm now used to disappointments, so, I've decided 2 things: - 1/ I have to try to strip off entirely the Clear coat and the paint, and then, redo the job of sanding, polishing, painting, sanding and polishing , and eventually clear coating, because all the work that have been made to get a opening trunk is worth it. - 2/ In the event that I fail to reach this result, I have NOW to try to get an acceptable result with the first body, the one with closed trunk, quit to moderate my ambitions . That's why I've soaked the damaged body in different liquids , as caustic soda, Ammonia, without any success, and then, following the advices of some tutorials on modelers websites, I've used brake fluid. YES, BRAKE FLUID Of course, I've first made a try over a residual plastic sprue, in order to ensure that this agressive product wouldn't melt the plastic....it wasn't the case, fortunately. This evening, I've controlled the effects on the body, and all the clear and the paint has begun to detach from the plastic body... I let it react until tomorrow evening, and then, I've good reasons to believe that I could retrieve a clean plastic body, fingers crossed ! Nevertheless, I've worked on the first body, taking time to sand it even more carefully, with 3000/3600/4000/6000/8000 and 12000 grit (Alclad mesh), and , as surprising as it may sound, even before polishing it with Tamiya compounds, I've got a good result. So much that I wonder if I have to clear coat it ? - Arguments for: If I put the decals (Trunk and grille) without clear coating, this will be visible, and will provide an imperfect result - Arguments against : The body's paint of pre 70's cars wasn't clear coated, only polished. Best is the enemy of good, and if I clear coat, the risk is high to return to the same difficulties and issues than previously, so .... Nothing decided at this moment. Hereunder some pictures of what I got with the first body, only with paint sanding: The difference in terms of shining between the bonnets, which have been clear coated before polishing, and the main body, which have not, is very subtle, not to say invisible ! Thanks for watching

No pictures ! Alpine Blue is the obvious choice

After a complete sanding of the trunk lid, I've made a try, just to see the result It had been sanded with 400/600/800/1000/1200/1500/2000/3500/4000/6000/8000 and 12000 grit and had recovered a perfect surface And then, I've polished it with Tamiya compound. You can see by yourself what I got: Finally, it would have been a good alternative to get a pretty body, BUT, the color of the plastic part is not the same that the one of the main body and bonnets with French blue paint, and it's obviously essential to get an homogeneous color. So, next steps for the trunk lid: Grey primer, sanding, Blue paint, sanding, polishing, Clear coating, sanding, polishing, waxing: a true mantra

Morning Chaps First results of my sanding job. I've spent a lot of time to sand and polish the bonnets and the trunk lid Conclusion: Not too bad for bonnets (very few micro-scratches), but disappointing for the trunk lid, where you can see a lot of micro-scratches. Those one do not disappear after long steps of sanding (all grits of Alclad mesh) and polishing. In fact, I think that the scratches are in the paint below the clear coat. I thought that I'd sanded the paint correctly before(last stage very long with 8000 grit), but in fact, not enough. Moreover , in day light overall, you can notice on the trunk lid,, nearby the right hinge, a grey zone. I think that I've sanded the paint too deeply and that that grey color is the primer one, seen by transparency, through a too thin blue layer ! So, I've decided to sand completely the trunk lid to com back to the nude plastic part, and to redo the job for it. I hope that this issues will not appear on the main body ! Stay tuned if you like

Evening Gentlemen Thank you to all of you for your constructive criticism and comments It's very difficult for me to wait some days before sanding and polishing the body, but I've no choice. But, even if I've in my stash numerous 1:24 car kits which wait I pay them attention, it's out of question to begin another build before this one is finished ! Having listened the good advice of some friends here (Hello ! @Codger), I've ordered a Molotov Chrome refill that I hope to. receive next Friday... So I'll be able to test Codger's method to spray it on a blue base coat, in order to be "amazed by the result" For me, the good result for a chromed part is situated between the one I got with AK True Metal Chrome, and the OOB Heller's Chrome. I would hope to obtain this one spraying Molotov Chrome I'm too reflecting on how I've to do to scratchbuild a retaining system for the bonnets when it's opened, in reference to some photos of engine bays of Talbot Lago T26: At 1:24 scale, it's a new challenge I'll be delighted to share with you Stay tuned if you like (and even if you do not )

Thanks four this comment, @Spiny Fortunately, I've them : Alclad Micromesh 3600-4000-6000-8000 and 12000... They are in the "starting blocks"

Anyway, you shouldn't ask to a seventy years old car to show a paint as shiny and scratchless finished as if she just come out the manufacture spraying room, do you ?