Delahaye 135 (Henri Chapron coach builder) by Heller 1/24 scale

[Hamden]

 

Body shell looks great to me

 

   Stay safe        Roger

[JeroenS]

Very good result Thierry! I would leave it at this, considering myself fortunate to have gotten such a result without incidents. 

[Vesa Jussila]

Looks really good! Waiting to see more progress.

[rob Lyttle]

Yes! 

Love the articulated bonnet assembly 😍The whole thing Looks really stylish. 

[Spiny]

I'd agree with Jeroen on this. Half the battle with polishing (for me at least) is knowing when to stop. This looks pretty good to me, and the orange peel is only slight, and only visible really because you have spotlights trained on it. If the body is as fragile as you say, I'd think the balance is heading towards the risk rather than the reward side of the equation if you have another go at sanding.

[Fnick]

I'd agree too that it looks pretty good. To quote one of the design managers of the Apollo space program:

 

"Better is the enemy of good" 🙂

 

Nick

[CrazyCrank]

Afternoon guys

 

Thank you so much to all of you for your kind comments, much appreciated, as usual 😉

 

 At the moment, I've achieved the bonnet assembly.

It remains to cut the right length the central steel shaft between its left and right sides, but this task can only be done later, when I'll install the bonnet between the grill and the body shell. Remember, it must be articulated in the same way of the real one 🙄

 

I've also added some chromed parts on the body's right and left sides and put some Tamiya Dark panel line accent color around doors and trunk lid.

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

Stay tuned for next steps

 

[rob Lyttle]

On 23/03/2022 at 13:36, CrazyCrank said:

It remains to cut the right length the central steel shaft between its left and right sides, but this task can only be done later, when I'll install the bonnet between the grill and the body shell.

Well, I'll tell you CC... I ended up replacing the chrome detail on the top centre of the grill piece with a little bit of Ali tube, so that my central wire could be inserted through the front and eventually reach the other little piece of Ali tube in the bulkhead just under the vent flap. 

But I doubt if that solution would meet with your stringent scale requirements! 😏

[CrazyCrank]

Evening guys

 

Well, I felt a bit sick yesterday, and in fact, I made a RT-PCR this morning....Bingo, I got COVID 🙄... Haven't any clinical sign of severity, fortunately

And I go on with my builds, but slower (if possible) than usually.

 

I've begun today to work on the frame windshield. It's a chromed part of very poor quality, the chrome is flaking of while removing the part of the sprue.

I've stripped of all the chrome in a bth of bleach and then tried BMF chrome: unhappy with it, not reflecting enough.

Then I've tried Hasegawa mirror finish: the shapes are too much  curved to  realize a good job.

At last, I've tried Molotov Chrome sprayed with airbrush: stunning shine, BUT don't cure and still wet after 4 hours drying, so....

 

...it will be Gravity Color  Chrome, and next a coat of Future (according to Barbatos Rex advices on his Youtube channel).

 

 

[CrazyCrank]

Evening gentlemen

 

Not a big progress today:

 

Windshield's framed painted Gravity Chrome, fantastic effect as you could see below:

 

 

It remains t spray a clear coat this chrome, hoping that the shine will not dull too much 🙏

 

As a result of an "accident" over the spare wheel cover, I've redone the painting job, using first an automotive can primer, secondly the metallic light blue, and the a clear coat.

To simplify the process of clear coating, I've used a 1K clear from Mister Hobby, available in cans, but I'd decanted it and used it with my airbrush, and guys, I've got the best result I've ever encountered with a clear, no orange peel, drying fast etc.

The result is simply astonishing, and no sanding/polishing job will be required.

 

 

The chrome "bolts" at each end of the licence plate has been made with BMF Ultra bright Chrome

It remains to add a chrome plated ring around the lid, and I'm thinking about the best way to do that.

 

Stay tuned if you like

 

 

[Noel Smith]

Looking good so far!

[Prop Duster]

Seeing how you deal with each setback and how the corrected result is better than before  It inspires one and gives me hope that some day I to will be able to replicate your results.  

_{in a small aside: I hope before the next century-sigh.}

[CrazyCrank]

Evening, guys

 

Thanks a lot for all kind comments, much appreciated 😉

 

Not a big progress since my last post, due to COVID and also because I've had to take care of my 2 grand-daughters, respectively 18 months and 4 years old.... Very funny and joyful but time consuming as well

 

However, I've put in place the rear window, the windshield and its frame, and the new spare wheel cover.

Having looked closely to my ref. photographs, I've added a chromed strapping around the base of this cover, using 0.3 mm soldering wire, very shiny and flexible.

 

Reference photo of a Delahaye 135 coach builder Chapron:

 

 

My interpretation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

It still remains a big mount of work to do on the cabin.

 

If you remember, I cut out the glass parts of the inner side panels, as I want to replace them with homemade thin transparent plastic windows, leaving the front triangular part closed and the rear rectangular part ajar, so that one can "more easily" examine the inner work.
Easier said than done, and I still have to think seriously about the method I will use.

 

Stay tuned if you like 😎

 

 

[CrazyCrank]

Evening chaps

 

The left inside panel with new glasses and all needed chromed trims is just achieved, and I spent 4 hours to do that "simple" job.

 

The glasses are cut off a clear thin sheet of plastic, normally used to protect the screen of our smartphones. I think it's 0.15 mm thick, so at 1/1 scale, it would be 3.6 mm, and so rather realistic.
The plastic sheet has been glued on the inside of the panel with CA glue.

The chromed plastic part supplied in the kit to "separate" the triangular front of the windows and the rectangular rear, is very poor.
I've replaced it with a 1.0 mm width nickel strap, that I covered with BFM Chrome before glueing it in place with 3 micro-dots of MICRO CRISTAL KLEAR (MCK)

At last, the triangular chromed trim has been made with 0.3 mm solder wire, and glued with MCK.

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

The right panel is ready to glue in the cabin :

 

 

We have fun as we can

 

Stay tuned for right panel step and others to come 😉

[CrazyCrank]

Good afternoon , guys

 

A little bit of progress today:

The right inside panel have been placed and all chromed trims as well.

I've painted roof and interior headliner with a mix of paints which result in a light blue-grey.

 

  

 

 

The next step is to glue strongly the bulkhead / firewall and the dashboard , and then to install the steering column and wheel.

Not a simple job, due to the very few space I've to work in with my big fingers

 

 

[Hamden]

 

Great progress on this one it's been a pleasure to watch this come together. Looking forward to seeing this one completed now

 

          Stay safe          Roger

[CrazyCrank]

Evening, chaps

 

Dashboard in place, and correctly placed 😎

 

.

 

 

View from outside , with temporary LED lighting inside:

 

 

 

See you soon and thanks for watching 😉

[rob Lyttle]

Brilliant upgrade on the side windows, CC. That's a massive improvement. 

I know, I know, you looked at that cover film when you peeled it off your new phone and thought, "Hmmm, I'll hang on to this - could be handy for something one day...." 😅

Some people can only see garbage when they do this! 

 

I know the kit transparencies are very thick - I remember doing the slide type windows on the Heller E-type Jag Cunningham race car, and used something similar for the slider panes because the cut transparencies looked so unbelievably thick. 

Your interior looks fantastic 👍

[Toftdale]

Great to catch up on this thread she's truly a sophisticated lady.  - Andy 

[CrazyCrank]

Thanks a lot, guys, for all kind comments 👍😎

 

The firewall has been glued strictly at the right place.

 

 

And now, the most difficult part of this assembly began.

 

Several friends here and there told me that they had faced difficulties to adapt the bonnet on the body, and to manage this issue, some of them have cut slightly the 2 parts of the bonnet, others have follow a different way, sometimes glueing the bonnet on the body (making it impossible to examine the engine compartment !)

 

One thing is sure: They're right... I knew that all Heller kits are notoriously difficult to fit together, and this one is no exception.

 

So, when I took the 4 parts of the articulated  bonnet  and tried to place them on the body shell, as it is at the moment, the left 2 parts fitted perfectly, but the right ones didn't want to go where it's expected to 🤨

 

Of course, I told me that, having drastically modified this parts in order to make the bonnet foldable, the issue could be a consequence of this surgery, and so, I've tried the same test with the 2 intact parts of the bonnet I've in my second kit: same problem !

So, I've had to cut off a few plastic from the rear of the right front fender,  gently and thoroughly, and now the right part of the spare bonnet takes its place correctly without difficulty .

And, as you could see on the pictures below, it's quite unnoticeable 😎

 

  

 

I still have to modify the front part of the firewall by progressive sanding because, with the hinged bonnet, some small parts I added on the inner sides to make the hinges are bumping on it when I try to install the bonnet, preventing it from closing properly.

 

Not a difficult job, but delicate, with risks to damage the fenders which are very close of the firewall.

It would be painful and a shame to give up now and replace my beautiful hinged bonnet with the second one that is not.
But I don't despair of getting this problem sorted out. 

 

To be continued

 

[JeroenS]

It's a beauty, I'm sure you'll be able to overcome these issues with your usual persistence and thoroughness. Don't rush it!

[Bengalensis]

Beautiful work, as always!

[CrazyCrank]

Morning gentlemen

 

Thanks to you all for kind words 👍

 

Steering wheel and tub placed in the body shell:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

I will continue with the completion of the chassis, which still requires:

- A small repair (a spark plug wire got away)
- The gluing of 2 small pieces of bodywork on the front of the spars, on which the front grill will be glued, and on which the front fenders will be glued too

 

To be continued

 

[JeroenS]

What's that on the inside of the right front fender, in the first photo? Not scratches I hope? 

[CrazyCrank]

6 minutes ago, JeroenS said:

What's that on the inside of the right front fender, in the first photo? Not scratches I hope? 

You've hawk's eyes 👍

 

The answer is NO: before taking the picture, I cleaned gently the paint here and there with a cotton cloth (supplied with Tamiya Modeling Wax) and you you see are cotton wires