"Back To The Future" De Lorean 1/24 Aoshima

[Ints30]

Hello again,

Some time ago I started assembling the car De Lorean from the famous movie series "Back to the Future". It makes for an interesting build for me. I have cut out the parts from the grates and cleaned them and fitted them together. The overall fit is very good. The plan is to use real wires instead of the plastic wires shown. I have also searched for video and picture material of how the machine looks like in real life, to make it look more real. Pictures of the contents of the box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom assembled for testing. The bottom has a corresponding lever, which can be used to change the position of the wheels, either straight or inclined, flush with the bottom.

 

 

 

The cabin part is assembled and the alarm clock is also present. The armature wires come from real wires with the correct color.

 

 

 

Back wall panel and technique for making energy.

 

 

 

Assembled as a whole for a sample.

 

 

 

 

Individual pieces still need to be cleaned, and then it will begin to remove the imitation wires from the body and armature, and then install the real wires. They will be permanently attached after painting.

 

 

 

[Fnick]

I'll tag along if you don't mind. I have this kit in the stash!

 

Looking forward to picking up some useful tips along the way! 😁

 

Nick

[Anteater]

I spent an afternoon driving one of these recently (not in BTTF spec). They're basically rubbish but you can feel how a little more development might have produced a decent car. Shame the whole project was built on sand. 

[galaxyg]

I'll follow along too. I also have this kit in my stash.

[kiseca]

I've got the Back To The Future 2 version of this one, so will also tag along for the ride!

 

I think it looks good but the a-pillars have always looked too thick to my eyes. I haven't had a look at the kit to see if it can be adjusted but I expect it won't be possible as the transparent windows will have been designed for the size and shape that the gaps currently are. 

[malpaso]

8 hours ago, kiseca said:

I've got the Back To The Future 2 version of this one, so will also tag along for the ride!

 

I think it looks good but the a-pillars have always looked too thick to my eyes. I haven't had a look at the kit to see if it can be adjusted but I expect it won't be possible as the transparent windows will have been designed for the size and shape that the gaps currently are. 

As far as I can see from my BTTF1, the parts for V2 seem present and the only difference between the 1 and 2 kits are the box and instructions!

 

Once the windscreen surround is painted black, the a-pillars don’t seem any more prominent than on the DeLorean(s) I’ve seen locally, hard to tell the number unless they arrive at the same time!

[Paul H]

Will be following this with interest!  How are you going to create the stainless steel effect for the body panels?

 

I've always thought that Revell's '48 Ford convertible kit (the recent Grease version still has the standard parts) and also their bay window VW bus would be ideal models to display along side one of these.

[Bubbletop]

Just as a minor sidetrack - does anyone know if there is a standard (ie. non-BTTF) version of this car in 1/24 available anywhere or do any of the BTTF versions have parts to do a standard De Lorean...?

 

I will also be following along. Thanks

[kiseca]

56 minutes ago, Bubbletop said:

Just as a minor sidetrack - does anyone know if there is a standard (ie. non-BTTF) version of this car in 1/24 available anywhere or do any of the BTTF versions have parts to do a standard De Lorean...?

 

I will also be following along. Thanks

I just had a look at my BTTF 2 version of this kit. There would be some challenges to making a standard Delorean from it, namely, the standard engine hatch and hatch glass is missing. The glass for the fixed rear side windows is missing. And the biggest challenge is that the wiring that goes over the front and rear wheel arches is moulded into the body. I think it would be difficult to remove that cleanly because of the proximity of body detail and in particular the standard flared wheel arches.

 

The interior dashboard and detail is also all Back To The Future standard. It doesn't look like they are add-on bits attached to a standard base interior.

 

Scalemates has no standard DeLoreans listed from any manufacturer in 1/24 scale.

 

Autoart made a die-cast standard DeLorean in 1/18 scale, available in a variety of colours including the famous brushed stainless steel. They are expensive but they are a world away from Hotwheels die-cast toys. The Autoart models are very detailed models with good fine detail, excellent finish and are generally a very accurate representation of the real thing. Their DeLorean has opening bonnet, boot, a removable engine cover, and opening gullwing doors to reveal a complete interior. The Autoart diecast models are good. I have a few myself because they often look more realistic and more accurately proportioned than their kit built equivalents.

 

But, it's not a kit. You don't get to build it yourself unless you choose to customise it, it's 4 times the price of a plastic kit (if one was available) and it's in a scale that not much else will fit with unless you have more die-cast models. I don't think a die-cast model would find an awful lot of supporters on Britmodeller because it requires no modelling 😄

 

Despite that, if I wanted a standard DeLorean model right now, that's what I'd go for, personally. If you do, keep the box and packaging safe, look after the model itself and it will at worst hold its value.

 

 

[Bengalensis]

22 hours ago, Bubbletop said:

Just as a minor sidetrack - does anyone know if there is a standard (ie. non-BTTF) version of this car in 1/24 available anywhere or do any of the BTTF versions have parts to do a standard De Lorean...?

 

I will also be following along. Thanks

There was a resin transkit in the late 90's for the Aoshima BTF kits to make a standard DMC 12, by a maker called "All American Models". It's incorrectly listed as 1/25 scale at Scalemates, it was for the 1/24 Aoshima BTF kits, I've built it myself. It contained the bodyshell, dashboard, engine cover, rear louvres and possibly some other part, I don't recall exactly now. I bought mine directly from the maker around 1999-2000 and it was very difficult to get it delivered after my card was charged, I think they seized their business shortly afterwards. But the resin parts were quite nice, it did build up well. It's probably very hard to find one today, but with a lot of luck Ebay or such might throw one up.

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/all-american-models-delorean-dmc-12--1300671

[Bubbletop]

Many thanks for that valuable info from you both - I had looked at Scalemates and couldn't see any alternative 1/24 kits for a standard De Lorean.

 

Trawling Ebay for the resin conversion seems like the only way forward.

 

Anyway, back to the thread and sorry for the derail.

 

 

 

[kiseca]

I just re-read the opening post and realise you're intending to replace that moulded wiring from the body and replace it with real wiring, @Ints30 

 

In my previous post I more or less said that couldn't be done. Looks like you're going to prove me wrong! I'm looking forward to seeing your result.

[Ints30]

Greetings after a long time. The construction of the model was delayed a bit because it was Christmas and I was also sick. Now I can work again.  The topic has found an interesting discussion about this model, whether there is also a standard version, which is interesting to read on your own. Time was also spent searching for wires with suitable dimensions. The thicker wire is 1.0 and the thinner ones are 0.1mm. Finer wires are painted with Tamya paints. Three thin and one big black wire should run from the side.

 

On 08/12/2022 at 22:41, Paul H said:

How are you going to create the stainless steel effect for the body panels?

I also looked for a solution to this and AMMO MIG-8217-Stainless-Steel-(ALC115) turned out to be a suitable choice, which is more similar to reality. The regular alclad II was too dark. https://www.pk-pro.de/AMIG-8217-Stainless-Steel-ALC115-30mL_1

 

I managed to remove the pictorial wires from the body nicely, without causing much damage. The bottom wire protection cover had to be recessed on the back side and on the body so that the wires fit nicely.

 

 

 

Some details were also improved a bit, three thin wires go into the white and a black wire goes into the gray.

 

 

 

Somehow I will try to put the whole thing together with wires and then I will have a better overview of what was done.

[kiseca]

Looks great with the wires on!

[Toftdale]

6 hours ago, kiseca said:

Looks great with the wires on!

I agree with that, it looks far superior to the molded in parts - Andy 

[Spiny]

Got to agree with that. It sounds a real pain to sand off the original moulded-in wiring, but initial impressions from your photos are that it's going to be well worth it 👍

[Bertie McBoatface]

It certainly does look better with real wires.

 

Sometimes I have done the same thing in a lazy way by adding real wire on top of the  moulded wiring. It's quite effective. I haven't done  such a big project though, just aircraft wheel bays and similar sized areas.

[Ints30]

Since I didn't like the gaps in the wheel arch between the body and the bottom, they were closed with pla sheet. The result was much better. The gaps in the panel were also made deeper, with earlier models there were difficulties in bringing them out after painting.

 

 

 

 

And added a bit more wiring.

 

 

While the body is waiting for paint, now move on to building the cabin.

[Ints30]

Haven't posted anything for a long time, but work has been going on with the model. The base was painted matte black and then masked to paint the desired areas with silver.

 

 

then the wheel carriers were painted silver and assembled with the bottom.

 

 

some parts attached to the body have also been painted

 

 

It took the most time to make the interior of the cabin, a radio was added, which was otherwise missing, and other details that made it more realistic.

 

 

 

 

I have never painted with this type of paint before, so in the beginning I ruined the result of the paint in a hurry and it was impossible to fix the mistake. I removed the paint from the body and it is going to be painted again, and to be sure, I would cover it with a clear coating. I made test color samples for the spoons and covered them with three different clear coatings from the Tamiya range. The choice was clear coating, semi-clear coating and matte. The use of a semi clear coating would be more suitable, it will change the final result less.

 

 

Until new next posts.

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by Ints30

[Neddy]

Superb bit of masking and painting on the underside, excellent interior too!  I'm enjoying following this build.

[Toftdale]

Fantastic work on the interior - Andy 

[Ints30]

Thank you for the kind words and I am also satisfied with the interior result. A little bit was done today and the fabric of one detail has to be changed, it has to be completely black.

 

 

 

[Spiny]

Got to say that there's either a lot more parts to this kit than I realised or some excellent masking going on here. I suspect the latter...

[Noel Smith]

This model is coming along well and could also sit in the science fiction section on this site besides autos. The BTTF car is a bit of an enigma popularised by the film.

The DeLorean was an interesting car in its day but performance wise unexeptional. Had it not been for the movies it would never have been kitted. The plastic kits are good as intended and I got one to convert it back to a standard car from the factory. There was just so much that would have needed doing that I did not bother and sold the kit on.

The real cars fetch quite high prices when sold that I guess must be due to the film connection making them desirable as a collectable car.

I believe that DeAgostini or someone similar marketed one of those 1/8th scale part series kits of the Back To The Future car.

[kiseca]

The classic car market is moving so fast now that I think just about anything with a vaguely interesting history, or decent styling, or rarity, is climbing in value, particularly as the popular favourite move steadily out of reach for the average buyer and they start looking for the next best thing.

 

DeLoreans's desirability is certainly helped by the movies but even so they spent 20+ years being unloved and doing absolutely nothing on the classic market. Also recently there have been a few docunentaries about the car's history and I think that's driven their desirability up. Or the increase in desirability drove the documentaries.