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BMW 507 Cabrio 1957 - Elvis Presley's one - Based on a Revell old kit 1:24


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On 1/2/2023 at 7:06 PM, CrazyCrank said:

Morning guys :) (I didn't s seen the time pass tonight !)

 

The front shock absorbers are those of the kit, but have been enhanced with some painting:

 

52602859017_26a786d66e_c.jpg

 

I used a very nice chrome (Gravity Color Mac Laren chrome set), sealed with Alclad Aqua gloss

 

Front axle assembly achieved, not without a lot of difficulties, since the instructions are very poor, and the drawings not explicit.

But it's done, and it works

 

52603778755_5bea3cbbdd_c.jpg   52603351571_96ce5075e4_c.jpg

 

52603778630_c9194aa781_c.jpg   52603860983_68f2ff32f1_c.jpg

 

52603607824_803e26c84c_c.jpg  52603778710_d9f892845b_c.jpg

 

It remains to give the front axle a little bit of weathering, because the restored car has already be driven on several roads, and I'll use some road dust pigment and polished metal pigment to highlight the reliefs of the axle components.

Of course, it will be done at the very end of the  build.

 

The chrome exhaust tips still need to be made.
The parts supplied in the kit are of poor quality, incorrect size and are solid, whereas tube is required.
They will therefore be turned on the the lathe in brass rod, then nickel plated.

 

The engine will be placed soon in the chassis 😎

 

Stay connected if you like 😉

 

 

 

Your Attention to detail and 3D printing skill is awe inspiring! How do you decide when/where is enough detail wise?

I'm just wondering if the rear shock may be upside down, haven't found any reference photos, just basing that on how the fronts are located.

I'm enjoying your build.

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9 hours ago, Lvp said:

Your Attention to detail and 3D printing skill is awe inspiring! How do you decide when/where is enough detail wise?

I'm just wondering if the rear shock may be upside down, haven't found any reference photos, just basing that on how the fronts are located.

I'm enjoying your build.

Thank you so much for this nice comment, much appreciated 👍

 

To answer your questions:

- I stop adding details when I technically cannot, and moreover if if new additional detail would impair the legibility and sharpness of the visual appearance !

- regarding the rear shock absorbers, I asked myself the same questions, but in the absence of a reference photo, I had to follow the instructions in the assembly manual.

 

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12 hours ago, CrazyCrank said:

- regarding the rear shock absorbers, I asked myself the same questions, but in the absence of a reference photo, I had to follow the instructions in the assembly manual.

 

 

I hate to be 'that guy', but I had a look and found this - look for Number 131 out of this set and it looks as though it shoudl be the other way up I'm afraid.

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1957-bmw-507-roadster/

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7 minutes ago, Spiny said:

 

I hate to be 'that guy', but I had a look and found this - look for Number 131 out of this set and it looks as though it shoudl be the other way up I'm afraid.

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1957-bmw-507-roadster/

 

Yes Spiny, you're right ! On the picture n° 131 the rear shock absorber is not upside down.

And moreover, it's another type of shock absorber than those provided in the kit.

The car on this website is a II series, when the one depicted in the Revell kit is a I series !

Were there a difference between the series regarding the rear shocks ?...I don't know !

 

Well, what have I to do now ?....

On second thought .. nothing !

Because my rear shocks are glued, and strongly glued...and best beeing the enemy of good, I don't want to risk damaging the rear axle and the wheel arches paint, trying to unglue them !

 

Would this photo be authoritative and my rear shocks indeed mounted upside down, well !, that will be a slight departure from authenticity...I can (and I have to) live with it !

 

You nasty boy 😉  Thank you very much anyways for this finding :)


 

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Hi Thierry, just been catching up on the past 4 pages of your build. Your engine detailing work ... wow. It must be the nicest distributor wiring anyone has ever done!

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11 hours ago, JeroenS said:

Hi Thierry, just been catching up on the past 4 pages of your build. Your engine detailing work ... wow. It must be the nicest distributor wiring anyone has ever done!

Thank you so much for this huuuuuge compliment, @JeroenS, but, regarding my ignition wiring, even if I'm happy with it, it's always possible to do better, and it has already be done so by other modelers !

And I'm not being falsely modest... it's TRUE.....
And fortunately !, because as a result, I can only improve my skills,  and not the other way around  :)

 

 

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22 hours ago, CrazyCrank said:

 

Yes Spiny, you're right ! On the picture n° 131 the rear shock absorber is not upside down.

And moreover, it's another type of shock absorber than those provided in the kit.

The car on this website is a II series, when the one depicted in the Revell kit is a I series !

Were there a difference between the series regarding the rear shocks ?...I don't know !

 

Well, what have I to do now ?....

On second thought .. nothing !

Because my rear shocks are glued, and strongly glued...and best beeing the enemy of good, I don't want to risk damaging the rear axle and the wheel arches paint, trying to unglue them !

 

Would this photo be authoritative and my rear shocks indeed mounted upside down, well !, that will be a slight departure from authenticity...I can (and I have to) live with it !

 

You nasty boy 😉  Thank you very much anyways for this finding :)


 

I must admit that I don't know enough about the 507 to be able to tell the difference between a Series 1 and a Series 2. I was hoping your shocks weren't secure when I posted (I don't know enough about 3D printing to know how secure the joins to styrene are) - if I'd known for certain I'd have kept quiet.

 

For what it's worth, I think your'e absolutely right to leave it as you've built it, whether it's correct or not. The rest of the car is of such a high standard that I wouldn't want to risk damaging it either, and it's not as if anybody except yourself and those you've told will know when it's complete.

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Evening guys :)

 

I've spent a few hours today to prepare, paint, and improve a single part: the water cooling upper duct.


It consist in 2 rubber hoses separated by a roughly spherical piece, connected, on the front to the radiator, and on the rear to the engine block
The whole part was too large to fit correctly between the engine and the radiator, and I've had to make some surgery.
The rubber sections have been painted rubber black, and the middle part semi-gloss black.
As on the true car, I've added fastening collars, 2 on each rubber section, made from very thin strips of Hasegawa Mirror Finish (about 0.5 mm wide).
Not an easy job on a painted tiny part.
I'm not absolutely happy with the result, but you know that I'm too much perfectionist. 
🙄

 

I've as well decided to modify the carburetors fuel supply lines, because the angles of the lines were too sharp, and I wanted them rounded.

A delicate and tedious job, but it was worth the pain.

 

52613314179_19a3e57f11_b.jpg

 

At last, I've glued in place the air filters

 

52613475905_898fd628af_b.jpg   52612546677_8837908544_b.jpg

 

52613053236_d8ed53d795_b.jpg   52613314124_be20cef489_b.jpg

 

Don't think the job is over!


There are still a lot of things to install in the engine bay and under the bonnet:
- first of all, the expansion tank and its hoses
- but also the fuel inlet pipe and its connection to the filter
- the steering,g mechanism 
- and several pipes, once the firewall, currently attached to the body, will be in place ... and this is not for tomorrow!
- and all the rest, which I will spare you the enumeration

 

I leave France next Thursday and don't know what I'll be able to make on this model during the 4 next days, but stay tuned, if you like :)

 

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3 hours ago, Brandy said:

The engine is a pure work of art all by itself!

 

Ian

 

Thanks a lot @Brandy for this huge comment 👍

It's however a shame that the photos I've taken don't do justice to this model, whom visual aspect at the naked eye is definitely far better !

 

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Morning gentlemen :)

 

Today, improvement of the water expansion tank

 

The kit part:

 

52619400745_fa195c607a_z.jpg

 

Mine, after having added a few bits of thin styrene sheet and after priming :


- 1 superior strip (0.5 mm wide)  to increase the diameter of the lid
- 2 strips(0.6 mm) on the middle of the tank, which simulate the routing collars
- 1 plate to close the tank at the bottom

 

52619452238_a2a2111a68_z.jpg   52618967696_ce41c5cd5b_z.jpg

 

Obviously, an expansion tank has 2 hoses,for entry and exit, one at the top, and the other at the bottom.


I've taken inspiration of these pictures, the left one from Elvis restored car, and the right one from another one:

 

52619452458_1bffb950b2_c.jpg   52619400725_2b6492d551_c.jpg

 

And have machined the superior and inferior hoses and connectors, using:


- 0.5/0.3 mm diameter brass tube .
- 0.3 mm steel wire
- Two micro-bolts: 1.0 mm head, and 0.6 mm thread, that I've re-drilled to 0.6 mm
- some 0.8/0.6 mm aluminium tube
- 0.5 mm electrical cable of which I only kept the plastic sheath

 

I proceeded as follows:
- bended a short section of brass tube, 
- threaded and glued two bolts on it, 
- inserted a short section of 0.3 mm steel wire at one end,
- threaded the plastic sheath on the steel wire
- inserted the free end of this set into the hole of the aluminium tube

 

52618456102_44c01884e0_c.jpg   52618967706_95d5ae5250_c.jpg

 

52619452338_da9fc10295_c.jpg   52618967731_95aa9308c5_c.jpg

 

52619400675_588612d712_c.jpg   52619400570_193d6c088f_c.jpg

 

And hereunder is a close view of water lines

 

52618456012_8aae022bb5_c.jpg

 

Now, I'm going to finish the painting job over the tank

 

If all goes according to plan, the expansion tank will be installed tomorrow in the engine bay, and probably also the fuel line, so stay tuned  :)

 

 

 

 

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Evening guys :)

 

While the paint of the the expansion tank is drying, I've fabricated the file supply line which comes from the rear of the car and is visible in the engine bay

 

Ì used:

- 0.4 mm Ni-Cr wire

-3 brass bolts 0.6 mm as previously

- a short section of 0.6 mm brass tube

- A thin strip of Hasegawa Mirror Finish for simulate the collar

- And after market silver braided line 0.8 mm (0.6 mm would have been more adequate butI didn't have it, so...)
 

I took inspiration of this picture:

 

52619793116_53db6d27c7_b.jpg

 

My interpretation:

 

52619790086_8db9a681a0_c.jpg   52620222890_1db5f916ef_c.jpg

 

It remains to fabricate a fuel filter, that will be placed at the end of he braided line, and joined to the fuel pump, and I'm currently looking at pictures of vintage ones and thinking about the method I'll use to make it.

 

Stay tuned if you like ;)

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21 hours ago, CrazyCrank said:

Evening guys :)

 

While the paint of the the expansion tank is drying, I've fabricated the file supply line which comes from the rear of the car and is visible in the engine bay

 

Ì used:

- 0.4 mm Ni-Cr wire

-3 brass bolts 0.6 mm as previously

- a short section of 0.6 mm brass tube

- A thin strip of Hasegawa Mirror Finish for simulate the collar

- And after market silver braided line 0.8 mm (0.6 mm would have been more adequate butI didn't have it, so...)
 

I took inspiration of this picture:

 

52619793116_53db6d27c7_b.jpg

 

My interpretation:

 

52619790086_8db9a681a0_c.jpg   52620222890_1db5f916ef_c.jpg

 

It remains to fabricate a fuel filter, that will be placed at the end of he braided line, and joined to the fuel pump, and I'm currently looking at pictures of vintage ones and thinking about the method I'll use to make it.

 

Stay tuned if you like ;)

Enjoy your visit to Canada!

I find it interesting that the "inspiration" photo shows the car at the time of Elvis' possession and the ignition is distributed by a magneto, while the restoration shows the use of a traditional distributor cap. I'm curious as to why they couldn't restore the original system. Just idle curiosity not relevant to any issues at hand. It certainly would have made it for you to replicate😉

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Evening guys :)

 

Sorry, no more update before I leave France !


I've done and redone 2 times the painting job of the expansion tank, and, as unbelievable it could seem, I'm facing, each time, the same issue: the paint and clear coat are dry after several hours, but, as soon as I touch it with my fingers, the paint peels off  !

 

The processes I followed:
- Alclad Grey filler and primer - 3 hours drying
- Tamiya semi-Gloss black or Gravity color gloss black, or Alclad  gloss black base-  3 hours drying
- Alclad Aluminium: 3 hours drying
- Mr Hobby semi-gloss  clear OR Alclad Aqua Gloss Clear: 3 hours drying

 

I just achieved to clean thoroughly the tank an have given it a layer of automotive Motif filler to soften the surface imperfections.

It will dry and harden 6 weeks before I give it a coat of gloss black as undercoat for Alclad aluminium
Each coat will dry 12-24 hours
And then I'll spray another coat of Alclad aqua gloss, that I'll let dry 48 hours before handling the part.

 

If it still doesn't work, I'll swallow my Airbrush :)

 

See you now in March :(

 

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Sorry to hear of your paint woes, I'm sure you'll overcome and end up with an outstanding addition to your build!

Enjoy your trip to Canada

 

     Stay safe           Roger

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  • 1 month later...

Good evening gentlemen :)

 

I'm back home since yesterday evening 😎

I'm waiting for some replacement parts for my airbrush and can't go on without them, so we've to be patient....

I'll be back soon at the bench to finishing this iconic old lady .

 

Stay tuned for next episode 😉

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