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Talbot Lago Record 1950, 1:24 scale, by Heller


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Thanks, guys for your well meant advices...

 

I've made a little document research on the Internet and have found that metallic paints have been invented in 1930, but have been used on car's body only since the 60's

 

SO, my Talbot Lago will be painted "French blue", Tamiya TS10

 

Edited by CrazyCrank
moya TS10
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Well, yesterday evening, I've scratch built a new handbrake lever, in order to get more accuracy with the real car.

 

Indeed, the plastic stuff provided by Heller to figure this part is ugly and unrealistic :

 

48873435593_aea2b20720_c.jpg   48873446958_f01f94ee1f_c.jpg

 

Hereunder, my interpretation of the handbrake lever:

 

I've used  two brass rods, the longer of 0.8 mm diameter, the shorter of 0.6 and have soldered them

A tiny bit of plastic card has been used to fabricate a base for the lever .

Two holes have been drilled on it:

- a 0.8 mm one through which will cross the lever

- and a 0.2 mm one, which will receive the 0.2 mm rod (steel piano wire) I've decided to used to simulate the operating part of the lever (the shaft  pushed by the switch button on the top of lever)

 

48871408256_c602201fee_c.jpg

 

The 0.2 mm steel rod has been glued with a tiny drop of cyan on the bottom of the 0.6 mm rod, and I got this:

 

48871408346_9542c3fd77_c.jpg  48871604262_36bfaa14bb_c.jpg

 

To fabricate the lever's bellows, I've used a tiny strip of paper, rolled and glued it to get a "cylinder", that I've painted with Heller mat leather.

 

48871408316_183859ba98_z.jpg   48871408356_08e2b1870e_z.jpg

 

48871408391_5d0ae03b79_z.jpg

 

The lever has been glued in place with cyan on the cabin's floor.

 

48871408506_8488a5d90f_c.jpg   48871604427_3976cccd2a_c.jpg

 

And finally, the bellow has been glued on the lever's base with PVA glue.

 

48870882133_2d73b9fd72_c.jpg

 

It's certainly imperfect, indeed even inaccurate (after some consideration, I believe that the top section of the lever is longer), but I'm quite happy with it :)

 

Stay tuned if you like, and thanks for watching :)

 

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Hi gentlemen :)

 

Cabin has been glued, and not without difficulties, on the frame.

The mounting brackets of front fenders have been glued and painted satin black.

During these operations, the steering wheel's shaft has detached and I've had to glue it another time.

More annoying, the clutch pedal has detached and broken in 2 parts, that I've had the chance to retrieve. So, I've to repair it and fix it another time on the driver's mat. It's not a big issue :)

 

 

48877639421_ba155a5169_b.jpg   48877107103_79ed55db02_b.jpg

 

48877640736_498b564668_h.jpg

 

48877107518_fede88a66e_h.jpg

 

48877107588_428b527236_h.jpg

 

48877655661_e931eabd36_h.jpg

 

48877655166_31f685691a_h.jpg

 

48877718976_dd17a2a410_h.jpg

 

t remains to finish the front axle and suspension, and then, we'll move on to the serious stuff 🙄

 

Stay tuned if you like :)

 

Edited by CrazyCrank
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Front axle assembled, after several issues.

 

For instance, as these tiny parts of 30 years old plastic are very weak and some of them have broken, I've had to repair them before assembly.

But finally, all's OK, and works fine :)

 

48882573072_8726abede8_c.jpg

 

48882573097_6bd1f39bfd_c.jpg

 

48882384111_9ddfa317f4_c.jpg

 

The clutch pedal has been scratch. built and glued in place.

 

Now, I have to paint and install the steering wheel:

 

According to my ref. photos, there is, behind the steering wheel, some switches:

- On the left, two levers : I don't know their assignment 🙄

- On the right, the gear lever.

 

48805080883_bc29f4ca15_b.jpg

 

I would like to make them..but I don't know if I can do it ....I'm going to try....let's go 🤔

 

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14 minutes ago, CrazyCrank said:

....I'm going to try....let's go 🤔

It's gonna be interesting.....! 

I think the gear change lever is about to appear..... 

 

Interested to note that the car in your refs is right hand drive. 

I was kind of surprised that the Heller Delage D8 kit I built is right hand drive too, and the linkages mean that it can't be changed even if wanted. 

What's the reason for this? 

Do you know why the car in the refs is right hand?? For export to UK? 

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Until the 1950s there was a belief among more sophisticated car owners in Continental Europe that right hand drive conveyed the cachet of a British connection, so large numbers of European car manufacturers built their top-end vehicles with right hand drive. Somehow I don't think that belief that could possibly become the case again.

 

Maurice

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8 hours ago, mdesaxe said:

Until the 1950s there was a belief among more sophisticated car owners in Continental Europe that right hand drive conveyed the cachet of a British connection, so large numbers of European car manufacturers built their top-end vehicles with right hand drive. Somehow I don't think that belief that could possibly become the case again.

 

Maurice

Hi all

 

Another explanation in French, following This link

 

Abstract  of this web page (sorry for my bad english)

Since  the beginning of XXth century, all cars, in france, England and other countries had their steering wheel on the right side.

Main reason: the handbrake lever was initially placed outside of the car, and, as the majority of people are right hander, this lever was placed on the right side of the car, and so, the steering wheel too !

Then the automobile has changed: the cabins were closed, and this needed to place the handbrake lever inside of the car, generally at the centre. So, this needed to move the steering wheel on the left, to allow the right hand of the driver to pull the hand brake lever.

Since 1932, the volume carmakers, as Renault, has achieved the change.

BUT in France, the luxury cars manufacturers went on with the right side driver, for instance Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, and later Talbot.

On the race cars it's logical, because, most cars circuits turn on the right, and so, the driver beeing on the right, the weight was better distributed for the cornering  stability.

On others cars,  they were oftenlyexpansive, frequently owned by rich familes who employed a driver.

Situated on the right of the car, he was nearer the right rear door, once the car parked, to open this door , Madam side, and help her to get out of the car.

Likewise, placed on the right of the car, the driver didn't disturb Monsieur, installed at the rear on the left side, and avoiding to obstruct his view.

 

If it can help ?

 

 

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Preparatory work for the steering wheel switches...

 

I've continued my searches on the Net, and found what the left levers serve !

 

The upper on : for the car horn

The lower one: for the headlamps 

 

48890754932_72ed50c7ae_b.jpg

 

As I've already written, the right switch is used to select the gear on the Wilson gearbox:

This gearbox had a reverse gear, and 4 speeds.

It was a very peculiar gearbox: you could preselect the speed with the lever, at the right of the steering wheel, and then, to shift the speed, you only had to press quickly the clutch !

 

48890625356_edf7ccdbef_b.jpg

 

This photo has been taken on a Talbot Lago Baby T15, but the levers have the same function on a Talbot Lago Record T26 and many other models of this car builder.

 

I've made the central part of the set of switches, with a 3 mm brass rod drilled 1.6 mm, which will be pulled over the steering axle:

 

48890859677_aee9abbe0f_c.jpg

 

 

The left and right stands of switches have been cut in a 2 mm thick brass plate.

Shapes have been drafted on my CNC milling machine, and later the parts have been manually filed  to get these pieces:

 

 

Right stand:

 

48890146968_c2b197e6df_c.jpg   48890146658_42f56b1d1e_c.jpg

 

48890146923_148dbaa7a4_c.jpg   48890859727_375281c4eb_c.jpg

 

48890146683_36cf7c0bd4_c.jpg

 

It remains to drill a 0.5 or 0.6 mm hole in the groove to this stand, at the neutral position, and then to fabricate a lever for this switch, and fix it on the stand

 

 

Left stand:

 

48890147023_4c0581781f_c.jpg  48890146808_939cbc92b5_c.jpg

 

It remains to drill two 0,5 or 0.6 mm holes in the groove on this stand, and then to fabricate 2 levers for this switches, and fix them on the stand

 

The 2 stands will be soldered on the central part...the whole set will be nickel plated  and glued in place on the steering axle

 

I don't know exactly where am going with this step of the build, either if I can achieve it correctly or not, but it's an exciting challenge

 

Stay tuned if you like

 

 

 

 

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Well, a little progress this evening :)

The two stands of switches have been soldiered on the central part, and the whole set has been cleaned ...

I've to polish it now, before Nickel plating.

 

48892380781_7156b4bdc7_b.jpg

 

And a quick try with 0.4 mm brass wire to simulate the shaft of the levers:

 

48892380776_8c4229b48f_c.jpg   48892380641_baa818d6c1_c.jpg

 

48892460351_bae81ca573_c.jpg

 

Stay tuned for the next steps and thanks for watching :)

 

Edited by CrazyCrank
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Steering wheel and scrachbuilt left and right switches in place this early morning :

 

48894195112_f48d727059_z.jpg   48894195077_88f41304e8_z.jpg

 

48894195032_f93b68ce13_z.jpg   48894009626_cf5332aa5f_z.jpg

 

48894195172_4cc452cbc9_z.jpg  48894009556_c1690a16c6_z.jpg

 

48894009566_eac1e36f68_c.jpg   48894194547_4208ee9c6d_c.jpg

 

Nothing's perfect, indeed, but I'm happy with the result, and also I've won my bet :)

 

Next challenge, the dashboard, with, if possible, the car antique radio 🙄

 

At the moment, the assembled pieces count is the following:

- OOB parts:  80

- Added scratch built parts: 57

 

Stay tuned if you like and thanks for watching :)

 

Edited by CrazyCrank
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Maybe not perfect (in your eyes, I myself wouldn't complain about the levers), but a very good addition to the interior anyway. Now, I'd like to see that nice blue paint on the body!

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22 hours ago, CrazyCrank said:

It was a very peculiar gearbox: you could preselect the speed with the lever, at the right of the steering wheel, and then, to shift the speed, you only had to press quickly the clutch !

When I was a lad, the municipal buses had a similar arrangement. The driver selected the next gear in advance and just dipped the throttle to change up (or down, I think). We knew them as 'pre-selector' gearboxes.

 

Cheers, Alan.

Edited by Alan R
typo!
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Looking really convincing. That goes for the whole interior, btw
You manage to bring on s lot of detail, which is not a simple thing in this scale. 

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For those in a hurry ( @JeroenS 😉) : I've achieved to sand and correct all imperfections and all inaccuracies of the body, and sprayed on it the second layer of Alclad Grey Primer and Filler, at 20 psis, and reduced flow of paint.

 

The result is rather good, needing however a final sanding with Tamiya sponge 1000, then 2000 then 3000, in order to smooth the surface.

And after that, perhaps a third and final layer of primer and new sanding !

Before spraying and after sanding, I'd accentuated the panels lines with a Tamiya engraving blade 0.1 mm

 

Hereunder the actual result:

 

48910623727_9a15e5f369_c.jpg  48910417211_36fac761ac_c.jpg

 

48909885578_06921b8e02_c.jpg  48909885568_c450a2be17_c.jpg

 

The question now, I should even say "the dilemma" is: should I stick now the horizontal chromed strips on the body, before painting it French blue (having beforehand masked the strips with tape or Maskol ), or should I stick them once the body is painted (running the rig of ruining the paint with glue) ? to be or not to be ?....

 

Thanks in advance for any advice, and stay tuned if you like :)

 

 

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And with the bonnets:

 

48910760247_fdb83671be_b.jpg

 

48910022753_cf9d32595c_b.jpg

 

48910760357_cb82aec019_b.jpg

 

I would have liked to open the louvres, but really they are so small and so thin that doing this, it's beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'll get a disaster....so I therefore abstain !

 

Thanks for watching :)

 

 

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That looks great already, I can't wait 😉 .... Regarding the strips: depends on your masking skills I guess. I am terrible at masking so I myself would probably tack them on later. Maybe with pva glue.

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50 minutes ago, CrazyCrank said:

Plastic, my dear Harvey

 

In that case, my friend, I would be tempted to replace them with some nice, polished ally or nickel :whip:.... you don't have to worry too much about the masking being perfect because any paint seepage is far easier to remove from metal than plastic.

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1 hour ago, harveyb258 said:

 

In that case, my friend, I would be tempted to replace them with some nice, polished ally or nickel :whip:.... you don't have to worry too much about the masking being perfect because any paint seepage is far easier to remove from metal than plastic.

Another challenge ?

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2 hours ago, CrazyCrank said:

My thread will be silent during a week, because of holidays.

I leave tomorrow for Morocco :)

 

In that case get a refreshing rest and we'll be here. But Dan and Harvey undoubtedly have the ideal solutions, and I'll suggest a respectable alternative. Molotow chrome air brush sprayed on primed plastic is a nice compromise. Best 'chrome' finish now available besides chrome itself.

EDIT: IMO, the louvers are just fine and the plastic wheels let the project down far more than them. But the car itself is smashing. And YES to the gray !

Edited by Codger
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