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

[CrazyCrank]

Afternoon gentlemen

 

Yesterday and today morning, I've redrawn and 3D printed the fuel chute, and also designed and printed the filler cap, on Fusion 360.

 

The first 3D print came out nicely but, while testing the fit, I noticed that the fuel cap was too wide and didn't look realistic, so, I modified slightly my drawings:

 

  

 

 

Hereunder the result of the second 3D printing, very clean and nice

 

  

 

I've of course glued in place the chute, The cap is juts put on it for the photo, but I'm going to put it aside for now; it will be painted differently, and will be glued later.

 

 

Furthermore, I've finished to improve the bottom of the trunk, and primed all the chassis with an automotive grey filler primer, to reveal defects, that have been fixed immediately afterwards

 

  

 

 

It remains to add in the trunk:

 

1/ on the top of the fuel tank:

 

- the fuel gauge

- the fuel pump and supply line

 

2/ On the bottom of the spare wheel housing:

 

- The holding straps of the wheel

 

As on this ref. photo:

 

 

 

Stay tuned if you like and thanks for watching

 

[Brandy]

Lovely, precise, work as usual. I love the working hinges that you put into your models.

 

Ian

[Pouln]

Up to the CC-standard, I would say. Well done!

[CrazyCrank]

Thanks a lot, @Brandy and @Pouln for your kind comments 

 

Well, I've just achieved to design the housing fuel pump and its top section.

On the photos below, you'll see the copper fuel lines that I've drawn, but I'm not going to 3D print, since they will be made of real 0.3 mm copper wire.

 

  

 

  

 

A groove will be dug above the fuel tank to accommodate this part and the fuel lines, but not above the level of the tank, so that the floor over it will not be wobbly.

 

See you soon for the Fuel gauge design

 

[Neddy]

Blimey, I get tired just watching this, it's quite exhausting!  Your usual amazing ingenuity and skill in what amounts to micro-engineering has me on the edge of my seat.  Wait for me to replenish the popcorn and catch my breath before posting the next installment, will you? 

[CrazyCrank]

1 hour ago, Neddy said:

Blimey, I get tired just watching this, it's quite exhausting!  Your usual amazing ingenuity and skill in what amounts to micro-engineering has me on the edge of my seat.  Wait for me to replenish the popcorn and catch my breath before posting the next installment, will you? 

 

OK Neddy but we have to synchronize our breathes and other datas. I can share mine with you via airplay if you own any Apple device... 

[CrazyCrank]

Morning guys

 

The 3D print of the top of fuel pump  came out nicely but the 2 holes were not visible and some details were missing.

I so redrew the stuff and I took opportunity to modify slightly the design and to add the top of fuel gauge.

 

[

 

The slicing has been done and the 3D print is on the go

 

 

Meanwhile, I've cut on the fuel tank top a housing for the fuel pump:

 

 

I'll cut the fuel gauge's on later. And I'm currently working on the holding straps of the spare wheel 

 

See you soon 

 

 

 

[CrazyCrank]

Very nice print indeed. 

 

A little try in place on the chassis before painting them separately and place wiring

 

 

Now, let's finish the holding straps...

 

Stay connected

[CrazyCrank]

Good evening gentlemen

 

Fabrication of the straps:

 

I used:
- 0.4 mm Nickel-Chrome wire fo the buckles
- 0,4 mm brass tube, flated on an end, to make the barb of the belt buckle
- Paper-leather to make the straps

First, I did the central ring where attached the 2 rear straps and the front fixing one

 

Then, I made the belt buckle and its barb (functional )

 

I glued 3 straps around the centre ring

 

I glued the belt buckle  on the front strap

 

And I fastened the belts to give an idea

 

  

 

And, for attaching the 3 holding straps, I needed to install 3 movable buckles in the wheel housing, so I made them:

 

- 0.4 mm Nickel-Chrome wire

-  A section of about 1 mm length  of 1.0 x 1.0 mm styrene square rode, that I drilled 0,5 mm in its centre

- Tweezers and a lot of patience

- The square rod is trapped in the metal wire before it is shaped

- And the buckle can spin around the plastic rod

 

  

 

  

 

And the same for the 2 other buckles

 

 

With the straps just pu to see out it comes out:

 

 

It just remain to cut the straps at the right length when I attach them, at the very end of this build 

 

Time came for serious - and risky - things, now:  cutting of the river door and fabrication of its hinges and of all the parts that will connect the tub to the body at this level.

I've still to sleep on it to choose the best and safest way to do that

 

Stay tuned if you like

 

[Neddy]

(Pops a couple of tranquillisers, tops up popcorn and waits...) 

[Pouln]

Ah, the doors. I suggest that you glue (instead of tape) the struts preferably even before you make the cuts. And I think it helps if you create multiple triangles in all directions between these struts and the remaining body

[Neddy]

Certainly the bodyshell needs considerable bracing before any major surgery - but I guess you're WAY ahead of us in that direction already!

[CrazyCrank]

8 hours ago, Pouln said:

Ah, the doors. I suggest that you glue (instead of tape) the struts preferably even before you make the cuts. And I think it helps if you create multiple triangles in all directions between these struts and the remaining body

 

Thanks for the advice Poul.

But if I glue a squadron of struts before door surgery? I'll have the same issue when time come to remove them: the strong handling risks to break the body at its well known week points.

So it's not the way I'm going to use !

 

4 hours ago, Neddy said:

Certainly the bodyshell needs considerable bracing before any major surgery - but I guess you're WAY ahead of us in that direction already!

Thanks Neddy.

Sam answer than for Poul advice.

 

In reality, the only safe method I see actually is to glue the tub in place under the body, what will reinforce it definitely  and prevent any risk of breaking when I'll cut the doors.

The instructions  ask to complete the tub and to glue it on the chassis, and AFTER, to place the body on the chassis.

I've thought countless hours to "how to" and made countless tests to see if it was possible to place the tube in the body first, make then all the needed jobs (cutting the doors, connecting the doors apertures to the tub, modifying the doors, fabricating the hinges, painting job etc).

 

And I keep confident, at about 97,61 % ( ) that yes, it is possible.

 

Furthermore, the kit depicts a BMW 507  - 1 series , and Elvis Presley's one was a 2 series.

 

I've already listed and given you some differences between the 2 series, but there is another one, very important , which concern Elvis's BMW:

The rear part is absolutely different and a surgery has to be made here, to be the closest as possible of the true car.

 

Let me show you the differences:

 

Here is a 1 series: (Photos found on the Youtube channel of RMP-Styling.com and other websites)

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

As you can see, there is no room under behind the seats. A partition wall is situated just there, and  the car cover housing is placed behind a wide metallic and painted part of the body placed just behind the seats

The cover of the car's cover is maintained on the body with 12 eyelet locks

 

Hereunder now various photos of a 2 series:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

As you can see, there's a large space behind the seats, and the car cover mechanism is placed into it

The cover of the car's cover is maintained on the body with only 9 eyelet locks

 

 

So surgery has begun, on the tub:

 

This is the parts supplied by Tamiya (tub and bulkhead)

 

 

Hereunder the actuel state of the operation: I've cut off the excess part of the tub top.

 

 

It remains to trim it until I reach the black curved line

 

 

 

And its only then that the addition of new panels will  be possible  

 

Stay tuned if you like

 

 

 

 

[CrazyCrank]

Good evening guys

 

And the "dressing" of the part of the bathtub that I cut out yesterday and threw away started...

 

The bottom:

 

  

 

  

 

 

The left side:

 

 

The unavoidable gaps between the different walls have been filled with Tamiya Light curing putty, which also strengthens the bonding, and I can assure you that despite the thinness of the rear edge (about 1 mm), it is now very rigid on the left side.

 

 

 

The others was will follow, but it's a lot of work because of the curved wheel arch for the sides, and the truncated cone shape for the rear part.

 

I spent no less than 5 hours to achieve this poor little job !
You have to feel your way around, do multiple blank tests, check each time that the bathtub will fit correctly the shape of the inner side of the body etc.

 

Stay connected for new episode 

 

[CrazyCrank]

Afternoon guys

 

The new rear part of the tub is now achieved.
3 layers of putty have been applied and sanded.
It remains some slight surface imperfections, more visible after I've sprayed a primer coat.
To achieve a perfect surface state, I just ordered a new spray can of thick primer filler.

The one I had, in use, turned out to be empty, and spat out only propellant gas, which causes the speckled appearance of the grey surface that you can see in the last pictures  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

Once the last coat of filler will be sprayed and sanded, and the surface state satisfactory, it always won't  be possible to glue the tub on the body.

Indeed, I've first to 3D design and 3D print a new dashboard, and as I guess that several tries will be mandatory before getting a perfect thing, I'll have to test fit the 3D prints on the body to check if they fit correctly with the body, the doors and the windscreen frame.
This attempts will be easier ro realize if the tub isn't glued on the body.

 

So let's go for some hours on Fusion 360

 

 

[Pouln]

Looking great, Thierry. Btw, are you sure that those pictures of the series 1 show the car as shipped from the factory. To me it looks like a restoration non-standard setup, but I may be wrong (I did not investigate this). 

[CrazyCrank]

25 minutes ago, Pouln said:

Looking great, Thierry. Btw, are you sure that those pictures of the series 1 show the car as shipped from the factory. To me it looks like a restoration non-standard setup, but I may be wrong (I did not investigate this). 

 

Thanks for your kind comment, Poul

 

Regarding the restoration, RPM-Styling is a Hungarian brand which restores value-cars.
They have already restored 5 BMW 507 series 1 among the only 27 that were built

I'm not sure of anything, but just look at the pictures below, taken from their website, and you could see another 1 series which has the same features than the first I showed yesterday

 

  

 

  

 

 

And hereunder are two more (I don't know who restored them ), the first one, as it raced in the 1957 Mille Miglia, and the second one, with its hard-top, but with a window that allows a perfect view of the interior, especially the rear, and which was exhibited at the Rétromobile show in Paris in 2013.

 

  

 

 

So I think that this look is the factory one for the BMW 507 series 1

 

Friendly

 

[Pouln]

I guess you are right

[Brandy]

I'm surprised you didn't 3d print the rear of the tub, but it's nice to see a mix of old style (plastic and filler) and new style (3d printing) modelling!

 

Ian

 

 

[CrazyCrank]

17 hours ago, Brandy said:

I'm surprised you didn't 3d print the rear of the tub, but it's nice to see a mix of old style (plastic and filler) and new style (3d printing) modelling!

 

Ian

 

 

 

I  didn't 3D design it because the shapes are very complex, and that I would have wasted more time and money (UV resin is expensive) printing multiple drafts than I did with "the old method". 
Moreover, puttying would have been unavoidable to filling the gaps between the cut tub and the new rear part...and it's the toughest and tedious job !

 

CC

[CrazyCrank]

Evening gentlemen

 

Not a big progress since the last post, but the tub rear is just achieved and the surface state satisfactory 

Of course, it remains some little imperfections that my iPhone 13's camera highlights, but don't forget that all this part of the tub will be carpeted !

 

  

 

  

 

I've been very busy with family since past Sunday, so, I haven't worked on the new dashboard. This will start in the next days  

 

Today there was an exhibition of many old and semi-recent cars at the "Fête de la Locomotion" in the town's park of Richelieu's City (founded by the Cardinal Duke of Richelieu in the 17th century) and I went there for a while with my family
I was lucky enough to be able to admire and photograph (not always from very close, alas) some of these vehicles and I will create a post in the dedicated section of the forum, which I invite you to visit.
 

Stay connected if you like

 

 

[Neddy]

Dashed decent of the Cardinal Duke of Richelieu to have founded a park for the use of the Fete de la locomotion, don't you think?  I wonder how he knew... 

[CrazyCrank]

2 minutes ago, Neddy said:

Dashed decent of the Cardinal Duke of Richelieu to have founded a park for the use of the Fete de la locomotion, don't you think?  I wonder how he knew... 

 

I guess it's because he owned and his expected courtiers owned too a lot of carriages and coaches ? 

[CrazyCrank]

Evening guys

 

Very busy since a few days with the 3D design of the new dashboard.
I finally achieved to obtain  the right curves and dimensions, exactly the same the the kit part what is mandatory to get a correct fit in the body.

 

However, I have some expected  print issues !

It's a well known problem that the 3D resin print has the bad tendency to shrink and bend several hours after UV curing.

The larger and thinner the part, the bigger the problem !
 

The just 3D print thing, before curing, has the same dimensions than the drawing.

But after curing, from the first hour, the part shrink and bend, slightly first, and after 24 hours, this is much more important ! To such an extent that the part is no longer usable !

It seems to me, according to my first observations, that this phenomenon is less marked if the piece is left to dry on its base with its supports.

 

So I am making a comparative table with Excel on this phenomenon, measuring the size at the exit of the printer tray, the presence or not of a curvature of the straight lines after drying, the size after UV curing, the size after drying on a base or not after 1 hour, 2 hours, 12 , 24 and 48 hours for prints at different scales:
- 100, 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105%.
And I also measure, in case of curvature of the piece, the size after manual reduction of this curvature, on the piece dried 24 and 48 hours.

In the end, hopefully, I'll  obtain with all these prints, at least a draft that will perfectly fit the curve of the windscreen frame (a mandatory condition to mount this kit).
I will then have to make the last small improvements and rectifications, and to add the fixing-g brackets

 

All this is very time consuming, which explains my silence for several days
 

Some pictures of the 3D drawing, in its actual state (far to be achieved and complete).

Please note that this is not the final design, which still needs to be modified to better match the real thing.

 

  

 

  

 

See you later for the results of all my tests 

 

 

 

[Pouln]

The dash looks good to me, although I did not compare it to the real thing.

What is the thickness off the material after printing?

I indeed see this warping happening with very thin printed items. Strengthening at unseen places tend to remediate this.