PROPELLER Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 Well, a new barn find car! After twenty years on a shelf it's time to do something with her. This Heller's kit is something very good but in the same time a nightmare... Why? The real car itself is complex, an engineer car, as this joke said: an engineer car for others engineers! Remember, we are in the 1930' . And the kit looks like that. Over 1000 pieces, three or four parts to do one piece, glued of course... Hopefully, the plastic is very hard, and moulding very fine. What am i going to do with this? It wil be a sort of restauration, but not only! Something like that: It will be a resurrection, only two "coupé" 15/6 were built in the Citroën factory, all disappeared! And not all specialist agree... I' don't care. It will be a 15/6 "coupé"! Some destruction is needed! It's important to note that Heller strictly respected components and structures of the real car! Bravo and thanks! First, I have to secure front and rear axles. All parts The beginning is... front bumpers, of course, it's the first piece. It will be a multi media materials! Dan. 13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codger Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 Dan will make this the definitive build of one of these. Unusual subject, wild alteration of the kit as given, immense problem solving and - BIG ! All the things I love in a model project. Carry on and delight and enlighten us ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mansfield Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 This looks very interesting. The roof on the coupe picture looks a different shape to the original. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwarz-Brot Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 I'm in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 Sounds like a great project, and will be looking forward to reading more! I've been contemplating doing just this to the unstarted one I have gathering dust in my loft. However I'm not feeling brave enough yet to cut it up, and so have been intending to use Heller's 1:24 one as a practice run in order to get a better idea of how and where to cut the bodyshell, and also how best to use the sections of the old roof to make the coupe one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveyb258 Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 This should be another belter....count me in, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROPELLER Posted May 12, 2020 Author Share Posted May 12, 2020 You are welcome guys! Thank you very much for your interest... The front sub-assembly comes to the body like this: (It's a four cylinders, but it's the same assembly for the 15/6, more solid.) At this time it was really a revolution! Not very simple, but is an engineer car, now you know that... We need solidity! Note that all parts glued in the kit, are bolted here: Now, I can trust in this assembly! Dan. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GerryW Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Good grief, another build to keep me away from housework. Gerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codger Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Dan, the technical and structural details you create fascinate me. How did you achieve the pillow block mounts of the anti roll bar - with embedded studs no less? They look like 00-90 threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 That's amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROPELLER Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 Thank you gentlemen! To Codger, it's a 3mm rod threaded on the lathe, turned manually of course with a 2,2mm die. I'm sorry but I am in trouble with imperial mesures, remember I'm a poor french... You can see my homemade tool, very useful for that! We need solidity... Note the high quality of Heller's moulding. A french kits maker (yeah!)... This kit was launched in 1977! Dan. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROPELLER Posted May 21, 2020 Author Share Posted May 21, 2020 After front axle, rear one of course! The goal is to replace as possible all the plastic parts subjected to efforts by brass... Easy to say, but in fact the mix plastic/brass is not really easy! For the moment, rear wheels attachment. With brass pieces of course... Note the grey circle, it was glued! Then, engine mountings verso: Recto! The axle of the rear axle! Solidity first... Ungrateful but necessary work! Dan. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codger Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 If this were a transkit developed by you, it would be a $2000 USD transkit. Brilliant Dan... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpnuts Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 I’m in great start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROPELLER Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 Codger, you are talking about an advance paiement I suppose... Knups, you are welcome! Well, today hand brake. Easier with a bare body. A typical mix Mr Heller and myself: But after that, all is for me! I do love this kind of piece: Settings on the body... Then, let'sgo! Thanks to watching guys! Dan. 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyCrank Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 Another time, Dan, you make our delights 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpnuts Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Amazing skills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveyb258 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Outstanding, as always. Hat's off, Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROPELLER Posted May 26, 2020 Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 Thank you very much gentlemen, always appreciated... Today, sorry but first I have to speak mechanics! For your understanding. I said before it was a very complex car, with many solutions ... complex! Front axle. As the rear one, no springs, only torsion bars with shock absorbers (hydraulics) of course. There, front axle diagram: Heller reproduced all the pieces! Plastic, of course... Brass is needed: With brass, it's better! Dan. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyCrank Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 5 hours ago, PROPELLER said: With brass, it's better! Dan. Yes, obviously Superb work, as always Dan 👍 Your skills drive the quality up...unfortunately for us, mere mortals, we cannot (I can't) keep up 😪 Hats off, my friend 👏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveyb258 Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 18 hours ago, PROPELLER said: With brass, it's better! Much, much better. A pleasure to follow, Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROPELLER Posted May 27, 2020 Author Share Posted May 27, 2020 Wow! You all love this crossbar... In fact for every piece the most difficult is to find the method, the good one of course, may be not really the first ! Here for this beauty (joke), the beginning is soldering two brass sheets, then piercing the four holes, like this you are sure that they will be in the right alignment... De-soldering and re-alignment with two aluminum axle for the biggest holes (solder don't fix them) and soldering with the spacers. Then some folding at the extremities and now you can show on the best forum a piece of art (another joke)... That all folks, thanks for watching and for your kind comments. Hope my "frenchy" english will be suffisant! Dan. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpnuts Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 Superb work again, wish I had those skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROPELLER Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 Thanks kpnuts! Today, front suspension and steering system, yes it's really a system... Now you start to understand the Citroën ways! For 1930' suspensions are really modern: Now, the "system": Last settings will be done with wheels and tires on. You can find the same system on the 2CV, Citroën of course! In pieces: Before that, some brass pieces... And a lot of rod ends: Home made rod ends, how to? Some solder on an aluminum piece with threaded rod... Some cups too... Dan. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codger Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 The rod ends are brilliant. But now what can I say about the whole thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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