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


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Evening gentlemen :)

 

I've worked hard to try to get the bonnets fitted correctly on the body, and my purpose is not reached yet.

 

The spare right half-bonnet fits now perfectly, but the whole hinged bonnet is still a bit resisting my efforts, on the right side only

 

3 reasons for this:

 

- first: the hinged right half bonnet hasn't strictly the same profile that the original part, its vertical part is not strictly vertical, due to the way I built the hinge. Thta is not easily fixable 😬

- second: the fenders possibly haven't be glued at the perfect place over the cabin. The instructions weren't very explicit and there was no marker to place it where it should have been !

- Third: the set of front fenders is slightly distorted.

 

You can se hereunder some pictures where the bonnet seems finally to be not so badly placed.


Could it be an optical illusion ?

Yes ! There is a too wide gap between the cabin and the rear of the vertical parts of the bonnet !

 

51972082685_15e0b4f421_c.jpg 51971856294_233acf3409_c.jpg

 

51971573071_98fff3ce56_c.jpg

 

To do it right, I'd have to completely remove the front fenders, which would inevitably cause some paint damage that would have to be repaired, and then glue them back on, after having fixed the rest of the body on the chassis, on the dedicated triangular elements.
This wouldn't be enough though, I'd probably also have to redo the bonnet hinges.


None of this is possible, I mean I don't want to do it !

 

So, I'll try to file here and there to see if I gain a bit, and I'll see how it goes when I fix the body to the chassis, hopefully it could happen that some torsion occurs and corrects some of the fitting problem.
In the worst case, the car will be presented with the right bonnet folded, and the most interesting part of the engine compartment will be visible.

 

Stay tuned if you like, and thanks for watching (and for all previous likes and comments ) :)

 

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1 hour ago, CrazyCrank said:

So, I'll try to file here and there to see if I gain a bit, and I'll see how it goes when I fix the body to the chassis, hopefully it could happen that some torsion occurs and corrects some of the fitting problem.
In the worst case, the car will be presented with the right bonnet folded, and the most interesting part of the engine compartment will be visible.

 

Stay tuned if you like, and thanks for watching (and for all previous likes and comments ) :)

 

spacer.png Hoping this works out as you've planned.

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4 hours ago, CrazyCrank said:

In the worst case, the car will be presented with the right bonnet folded, and the most interesting part of the engine compartment will be visible.

This sounds like a reasonable backup plan. I know you search for perfection in every case, but it's worth having a plan B, especially if you avoid wrecking the thing you're trying to sort. ☘️

The 2 triangle pieces can be treacherous too, and they help to establish the angle sit of the radiator, and that means the fit of the front of the bonnet. 🤞

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10 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

This sounds like a reasonable backup plan. I know you search for perfection in every case, but it's worth having a plan B, especially if you avoid wrecking the thing you're trying to sort. ☘️

The 2 triangle pieces can be treacherous too, and they help to establish the angle sit of the radiator, and that means the fit of the front of the bonnet. 🤞

 

These triangular parts have been the object of my attention since the beginning of the construction, based on the shared experience of other modellers, and they have already been modified accordingly.

Obviously, I can't guarantee that it will be effective.... wait and see 🙄

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Afternoon, Gentlemen :)

 

The body has been glued on the chassis.

I've had to slightly lower the fenders in order their inner side is been glued at the right place on the triangular parts.

 

I've made some tests fitting, with the spare 2 half-bonnets , to see how it goes when I present the grill, and it's not bad at all.

So, I've tried a fitting with the whole articulated bonnet, and again, it's not bad at all, the right half-bonnet takes place more easily, even if it jams still a little bit, the central hinge remains perfectly aligned with the middle of the tiny section that joins the 2 front fenders.

 

It will be a bit more difficult to fit correctly the grill, but I think I can manage that.

 

51973227526_f184cc9878_c.jpg   51973240991_abdd9cd374_c.jpg

 

51973243026_cfc4e82662_c.jpg   51973810640_1547af5b6e_c.jpg

 

On the last photograph, you can see that the inner side of the vertical portion of the right half-bonnet doesn't come close enough with the front of the triangular part.

I think that this anomaly will disappear when I'd glued the grill, because it is the triangular part which hasn't already got its correct place; fortunately it remains play enough to tilt it outside ...

 

In French, we say "Petit à petit l'oiseau fait son nid" ("Little by little the bird makes its nest"), what means that by dint of patience and perseverance, one ends up accomplishing a complex task

 

So, stay tuned, to see if I'll be fortunate :)

 

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I think it will be very very nice to look at, no matter what! The bonnet raised would make for an interesting view of the engine so that's a win either way. 

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I prepared the grille to accept the insertion of the bonnet centre hinge pin.

 

I've cut off a little bit of cylindrical plastic on the top of the grill, just behind the calendar mascot, drilled a 0.7 mm hole at the rear of this one, and inserted in the hole a short section of 0.6 / 0,4 mm brass tube, glued with CA.

The centre hinge pin (0.3 mm) will thread into the hole of this tube at the front side of the bonnet, and in another hole between the cabin and the firewall at the rear.

 

51973504168_80aa9bbf6d_c.jpg   51972431222_0eecba194e_c.jpg

 

This will also allow me to place the grille perfectly when I have to glue it, both on the junction of the front wings and on the front of the triangular pieces of the frame rails.


But before that, I have to install the steering box, as well as the bars connecting the back of the radiator to the firewall, and on which the bonnet retainers are installed when the hood is open.
 

To be continued :)

 

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Evening guys :)

 

Steering box glued, where I could, because a bad fitting, one again.

The bars connecting bulkhead and radiator have been placed, as well the articulated bars to retain the bonnet when folded

 

51975734406_ec0cc31681_b.jpg   51975807053_d573de26c6_b.jpg

 

51975820003_3a46083d42_b.jpg

 

Please don't pay attention to dust and other stuff which intend to ruin my photos :)

 

The wheels have just been placed here for the photo, but are not fixed definitely !

 

To be continued ...thanks for watching :)

 

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Afternoon gentlemen :)

 

Thanks @JeroenS, @Vesa Jussila, @johnlambert, @Fnick and many others for your kind comments, always appreciated  :)

 

You'll be possibly less admiring seeing the big issue I face for the installation of the bonnet and grill.

 

The bonnet issue has been yet documented a few posts above, and I've to say that the glueing of the body over the chassis hasn't solved it.

It occurred obviously some torsion but nit enough to correct the problem, which definitely is the result of my bonnet surgery.

So, the car will be exposed right  half-bonnet folded !

 

But that's not all!


The triangular parts of the body fixed on the chassis side members are not long enough, or not forward enough, even though I fixed them by inserting their lower lugs in the holes made for them on the chassis rails.
When I pre-position the grille at the right angle after temporarily taping the bonnets, the rear of the grille remains separated from the front of the triangular parts by about 1 mm on the right and 2 mm on the left !
Furthermore, the front grille carrier remains separated from the front inner part of the wings, on the right and on the left, by a gap varying from about 0.3 to 0.8 mm !

 

51977504860_0a053a4616_c.jpg   51977222294_a876927462_c.jpg

 

The problem is identical with the spare bonnet:

 

51977222229_d45d13ea05_c.jpg   51975932407_f793dea0ff_c.jpg

 

Checking the fitting instructions, it is stated that the distance between the rear midpoint of the top of the grille and the front of the cab where the rear edge of the bonnet is located must be 54 mm...OK, BUT the bonnet is 55 mm.


This already creates part of the problem.


I had to turn the problem over and over again, but this phenomenon comes with certainty from an error in the dimensions of certain parts of the kit and not from a faulty assembly on my part.

If the fenders had been fitted further back on the cab, the distance between the rear edge of the grille and the front edge of the triangular parts would have been less, or even zero, but then the bonnet would have been much longer than the required 54 mm. Worst, those 54 mm would have decreased to 53 or 52 m !


No, the truth is that the triangular pieces are either too short or their mounting holes on the spars were placed too far back.


I don't have too many regrets, as a preliminary blank assembly was not possible due to the number of parts to be positioned and held together in the right place.

 

What solution do I have left ?


Once again, plastic surgery, a job I already started, and which consists in visually increasing the length of the triangular parts by a little cheating:

The addition of plastic tiles cut to the right shape, glued on the rear edge of the grille, and which will cover exactly the front part of the triangular parts emerging above the wings, as well as the grille carrier on the right and on the left against the inner edge of the front wings. All of this will be painted and varnished.

if I'm not mistaken in my assumptions, it will only be slightly visible once everything is in place.

 

It is a long, delicate, painstaking and, all in all, rather tedious job, as it requires constant dismantling for adjustment and reassembly for testing etc. And the incessant handling of the bodywork on the wings is a source of risk of breakage or damage.

 

Saty tuned if you like and thanks for watching :)

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1 hour ago, Vesa Jussila said:

I believe that you will master this, looks really a challenge to get it right. I really love these Heller kits, but now I will wait some time before starting my projects in this area.

 

I do think so, too, because I made a good start with this surgery, on the left side:

 

51977199123_02f326b2e3_c.jpg   51977689300_10d5321082_c.jpg

 

51976120732_1742255d0f_c.jpg   51977407799_3c5c83a5b1_c.jpg

 

As you can see, this still requires a little addition of putty, the sanding, priming, painting 2 colors after masking, and then 2 coats of gloss clear.

 

The same job has to be made for the right side, it will be easier because I can use the left side to made a template with masking tape, for the right side.

 

To be continued :)

 

 

 

 

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I was just thinking if anyone was going to be able to sort out that gap issue it would be you, and then the next post you go and demonstrate that you are well on the way to having it sorted out :yes:

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Afternoon guys :)

 

Thanks @Toftdale, @Spiny, @Bengalensis, @rob Lyttle, @Vesa Jussila for your comments, I appreciate that of course.

 

My modified grill is now achieved and fits correctly with the fenders and bonnet. All the gaps are filled:

 

51979639063_32489fe5cd_c.jpg   51979566596_c8f4e71624_c.jpg

 

51979566536_0583c17593_c.jpg   51979566551_648997ea5b_c.jpg

 

The grill has been masked over the chromed parts, because, of course, I've to paint the added plastic parts, and to repaint the blue part of the grill, which has been slightly damaged in two places by the glue I used, despite of my cautious work.

 

51979374933_938d0ea30b_b.jpg

 

Stay tuned for next steps, painting job will begin soon :)

 

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Evening mates :)

 

Painting job has begun on the grill :) Light metallic blue with airbrush, and dark blue with tiny brush

 

51980165838_79faebc30b_c.jpg   51980658215_da32ce2161_c.jpg

 

Tomorrow morning, 2 coats of gloss clear and then unmasking.

Then, if necessary, new masking job and painting again the chromed part of the grill !

 

Have a good night :)

 

 

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Looking at the "before" picture it looks like the gap is too big to ever correct.  Then looking at your elegant solution, it seems almost simple. As do most solutions after the fact.

Well Done! spacer.png

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14 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

An elegant solution.... 😎

For an elegant old lady :)

Thanks for kind words 😉

 

8 hours ago, Prop Duster said:

Looking at the "before" picture it looks like the gap is too big to ever correct.  Then looking at your elegant solution, it seems almost simple. As do most solutions after the fact.

Well Done! spacer.png

Thanks for this kind comment, Steve 😉

I do like "almost simple" !

Yes, finding the solution by thinking was simple, but implementing it practically was not !

 

 

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Afternoon, my Lords :)

 

The grill has been painted yesterday, and clear coated this morning.

I've unmasked the part and got this pretty result:

 

51981527366_a91395041d_c.jpg  51982077740_63826f9812_c.jpg

 

51980521987_ed1daf95ec_c.jpg

 

This could have been better, but, taking in account all difficulties I faced, I'm not unhappy :)

Perhaps a little touch-up of chrome ?

 

To be continued...

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