johnlambert Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 39 minutes ago, Spiny said: I'd never notices until I saw this pic, but the A110 makes a pretty little car without the bubble-rear window, definitely shades of the original Lotus Elan although with a longer rear deck in this photo. Good work on sorting out the fit issues, it's always a nervewracking moment when you fit the body so that was a very foresighted move testing and fixing now rather than when everything is in place One of many things I've learnt from my short time on here is the value of dry fitting and testing before permanently fixing parts. There are certainly similarities with the Lotus Elan (which was launched a year earlier than the A110). I decided to do a test fit with the front and rear screens. These drop in from the outside so the sprue has to be carefully trimmed and I'll have to be careful not to clog up the apertures with paint. Cleaning up the joint between the sides and the dashboard. I think it's a better fit but it's hard to mock-up and trial fit without gluing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Mansfield Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 13 hours ago, johnlambert said: One of many things I've learnt from my short time on here is the value of dry fitting and testing before permanently fixing parts. I couldn’t agree more! Better to sort any issues now than right at the end 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 I haven't done much on the Alpine recently, so I decided to do a little more today. There isn't much that I need to do except for the rather big job of painting the body. It suddenly occurred to me that I don't want any blue plastic visible through the windows, so I'll need to paint the inside of the roof and window frames. Reference picture here - not mine It looks like the roof lining is white and the pillars are satin black, except for the chrome frames of the quarterlights. This means I'll need to prime and paint the inside of the body and I'm tempted to fabricate some sun visors from styrene sheet. Before any of that, I want to remove the raised lettering from inside the roof (why couldn't it have been moulded somewhere that it would never have been seen? Scraping away with a sharp blade helped remove the worst of it. After sanding down, you can still see the letters but you can't feel them. I also had a look at the interior tub. Glued with PVA just in case it has to come out again, but the mating surfaces were cleaned up first. Dashboard dry-fitted. I thought I might have some good weather for spraying but by the time I'd got everything ready it started to drizzle 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiny Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 That's starting to look really good now, it's coming together very nicely. Just a word of warning, I've had the same thoughts having filed off raised lettering (I can see it but can't feel it so it'll be ok) and once primer and paint were added the text became extremely noticeable again. Fortunately on mine (Mustang - the first car I did on returning_ it was underneath the car so in a less visible location, but it might be something to watch out for. A quick rub down with 180grit sandpaper followed by 400 then 1000grit should do the trick and leave you a decent surface for painting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pouln Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 On 5/25/2020 at 10:56 AM, johnlambert said: Thanks for those pictures, I don't always strive for 100% accuracy with the colour choices for my cars, but I do prefer them to be plausible. You have also gifted me some nice reference pictures for doing the body details. Incidentally, any idea what the beige coupé is in the first picture (the car just to the top right of the Alpine)? I'd guess it's a Ford Taunus of some description, it's certainly not something I recognise. Nice car and nice work on the model. You asked what car the beige coupe is. It’s indeed a Ford Taunus 15M Coupe. My father at that time owned a 20 MTS. That car had flawed design /major issues and was canceled I think within one year. Apparently they knew, because they had a next generation 20 M series waiting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR2Don Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Very interesting with all the issues you're finding. Will help me when I eventually (I know I keep saying that, but many more critical things are intervening) get round to attacking all three of mine (Two Tamiyas, one Heller). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share Posted June 27, 2020 I had an opportunity to get the spay out today. One small flaw in the bodywork just on this wheel arch, maybe a little filler needed? My rubbing down inside the roof has removed the "Tamiya" moulded letters in the headlining. I'll probably give the inside of the roof a spray of flat white to represent the headlining. I'll mask over the inside of the roof and windows before spraying the body. From memory the inside of the windscreen and door frames is black vinyl, which means satin black paint on the model. I've not seen any pictures of the inside of the "C" pillars so I don't know how they are finished. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Looks like good progress. A small correction on the rear arch and some fine sanding and soon you can paint 👍 The headlining continues down over the C-pillars to meet the side panels/rear shelf. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 A quick update on the Alpine, to show that it hasn't been forgotten. Rubbed down for another coat of primer. The crack is still visible. Then I remembered that I have some filler primer from a car scratch repair kit, I hope this will do the trick once it's sanded back. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyCrank Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Hi @johnlambert I don't know if my strength of vision is declining, but it seems to be another crack at the top of the right windshield pilar ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 55 minutes ago, CrazyCrank said: Hi @johnlambert I don't know if my strength of vision is declining, but it seems to be another crack at the top of the right windshield pilar ? You're right, there is, it's been glued but I hadn't spotted that it needs filling too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 19, 2020 Author Share Posted July 19, 2020 A little more progress on the Alpine. Spraying some colour, because of the shape I've sprayed from below. I'll give this a day or two to dry before painting it the right way up. I just hope I can get a decent finish this time. It's Halfords Fiat Broom Yellow, and I quite like the colour. While the paint was drying I put some clear paint on some of the lights and also glued the dashboard back to the interior. I just hope it all fits together. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 Well, I've thrown some more paint at the Alpine. It looks quite pale in the photos but that's just my phone compensating for the low light. When the paint has dried I'll try and get some photos in better light. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pouln Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Looking really nice, John. I like the colour a lot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 21, 2020 Author Share Posted July 21, 2020 No progress today, but I wanted to get a better picture of the colour. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pascal Posted July 21, 2020 Share Posted July 21, 2020 Not a fan of the color, but nice paintjob John. Sincerely Pascal 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR2Don Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Nicely done. If my memory is anything like good, I'm sure that Renault competed them in yellow, so I'm OK with the shade. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klubman01 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Looking good. Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 2 hours ago, MR2Don said: Nicely done. If my memory is anything like good, I'm sure that Renault competed them in yellow, so I'm OK with the shade. Indeed they did; from 1975 most works cars where yellow with black and white stripe decorations. Some of the best looking liveries in my view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pascal Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Some eye candy : 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 23, 2020 Author Share Posted July 23, 2020 Being an idiot I forgot that I was going to spray the headlining before painting the body. I just hope I've masked up well enough, I think the Tamiya fine primer is probably close enough to the headlining without over painting. I'll mask up the roof and C-pillar to paint the other pillars with some satin black paint. Then it'll be the tricky process of painting the chrome trim on the outside of the body and having a go at the metal transfers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share Posted July 24, 2020 Tense times as I added more masking and sprayed some black paint (Halfords matt black). The moment of truth when the masking came off... A little black on the inside of the body where it will be hidden by the interior but fairly neat job. Not too bad from the outside. Chrome trim on the windows should help tidy things up and is one of the next steps. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pouln Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 Well done. I assume that the pillars that show some overspray will be chrome painted? next time if you want to keep the pillars clean, you might want to try liquid masking. molotow has some nice masking pens just like the chrome pen they sell. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted July 26, 2020 Author Share Posted July 26, 2020 This is where I get nervous, masking and doing chrome/detailing. Well, there's some chrome trim, just letting it dry and we'll see how it turns out. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan R Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 I remember doing this on my BMW 750i! You really have to make sure the masking tape is burnished down! Fortunately for me, I did and very little remedial work was needed. I love the Molotow pen. Cheers, Alan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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