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Interior-Chassis and Body assembly help


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Okay I've only gotten 4/5 of the way done with my second model, and I'm trying my best at not letting it turn out like my first one, (heh...). And the thing that I can never get is putting the Body onto the Interior/Chassis. With my first model, the body lurched to the side, and didnt fit right, and then I made the mistake of using glue (big mistake...). So far I've test fitted my model-in-progress, and it's doing the same thing.(don't worry, I haven't tried glue)

So I'd like to know if I'm missing some simple, obvious thing, or I need some skill to attempt this once again. (Please note I'm only 13 =))

Anything helps! Thanks,

The Cheese

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O K I very briefly looked over that kit and it is a good kit and engineered well .from what I can see it looks like the chassis should go in front first then the rear . usually when the body is on crooked , there is a part in the wrong place.carefully look at your model to see if you can see the part that is holding up the show, if you can that should give you an idea as to what has to be moved .the final assembly is always the trickiest part of the build because if you made a mistake this is where it will show up. the body to chassis can give even the most talented builders a challenge because often times it requires moving the chassis up down side to side pulling here pushing there sometimes all at once .the best advice is to just work slowly and think about how the parts are going together if it doesn't go one way try the opposite.hope this helps and if you actually waited this long kudos for your patience . keep building and post some pics I always like seeing new work. and by all means keep asking questions.

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I've built this kit a couple of times, and yeah, that interior is a tight fit into the body! Wait till you build a Revell '06 Mustang... THAT one took me four attempts to get everything stuffed up in there the way it needed to be!

It's probably a bit too late in the game for this particular build of yours, but did you catch all the molding flash along the edges of the body and interior sides? Sometimes, there may be a tiny little ridge of flash along the surfaces where the top edges of the interior panels contact the door sills on the body. This is a pretty small ridge we're dealing with, but on a model car, small amounts can make the difference between an easy build and a big ol' pain in the arse! I always lightly sand the top outer edges of the door panels on a model with a multi-piece interior like the Starliner.

I'd also check and make sure that the interior side panels are good and tight up against the backseat and dash, and that the panels are as close to perfectly vertical as you can get them. I built an AMT '62 Pontiac Catalina awhile back (the Catalina's interior is designed in a similar manner to your Starliner's), and had a bear of a time getting the interior/floorpan to settle up into the body. I finallly noticed that the passenger's side door panel was not setting right up against where it glues to the backseat, and that little amount it was off (about .030") was causing just enough interference to prevent the interior from fitting into the body. After I'd adjusted the fit, it was still a pretty involved process to get the interior in, but much easier and a lot faster than the first few attempts!

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Wow thanks guys, I would have never thought of the flash causing that. I mean, I painted the interior before I could catch that there, but I'll definately get under the body. Thanks again for all the info =)

I'll definately post up some pics of it finished, and take note I'm going for a drive-able junker =P

Thanks,

The Cheese

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, gotta 'nother question. If I install the hood hinges, then I can't close the hood, and I wanna be able to switch from open to closed hood in the future. Is there anyway to fix this? Or will I have to take pictures of it without hood hinges and the hood on, then install them later? I'll be happy to explain this again if this doesn't make sense.

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Okay, gotta 'nother question. If I install the hood hinges, then I can't close the hood, and I wanna be able to switch from open to closed hood in the future. Is there anyway to fix this? Or will I have to take pictures of it without hood hinges and the hood on, then install them later? I'll be happy to explain this again if this doesn't make sense.

It doesn't look like there is an easy way to convert the hinges so you can close the hood and have the hood propped open. My best suggestion would be to get a second hood paint it up and add the hinges so you can have the option . otherwise I think it would be totally acceptable to leave off the hinges and just remove the hood when displaying the engine .Remember when you're starting out keep it within your comfort zone and if you want working features plan ahead I think it may be too late for this build but there is always the next one to try out a new technique however keep it to one or two new techniques per model so you can learn what works and what doesn't for that particular part of your build. hope is is helpful good luck !

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Ugh yet another problem. There are gaps between the body and the floor pan! I was going to post pictures but it looks like I gotta use photo bucket or something like that, which is fine by me; I'm not complaining :lol: But could someone help me on how do post images?

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Ugh yet another problem. There are gaps between the body and the floor pan! I was going to post pictures but it looks like I gotta use photo bucket or something like that, which is fine by me; I'm not complaining :lol: But could someone help me on how do post images?

You want to check this thread here.

BTW, I know you're new here, but you'll want to put your name in your signature area...............dem's the rules here so we know who we're talking to................:lol:

HTH!

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YESS! okay lemme get some more up to show what I mean.

Pictures052.jpg

It's just sticking out, and I know im not done yet but will that be fixed when i actually put it on?

Pictures049.jpg

Still just gaps, how do I fix that?

Pictures051.jpg

Even gaps there too!

Pictures047.jpg

Just looks a lil' pushed out to me.

Pictures045.jpg

Pictures046.jpg

How's my bottom look? heh. still gotta do some touch-ups. Does anyone know if a light spray of Dull-cote is okay on the bottom and body & wheels?

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You want to check this thread here.

BTW, I know you're new here, but you'll want to put your name in your signature area...............dem's the rules here so we know who we're talking to................:rolleyes:

HTH!

Thanks. BTW I love your article about door opening and hinging, I hope to do it myself one day =D

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Those little gaps on the bottom don't look too bad to me, but if you really want to get rid of them, I'd suggest getting some styrene strip. If your local hobby shop doesn't carry it try a model train shop. It comes in a variety of thicknesses and widths, I'd suggest a variety, maybe .010" to .040" which would be under $10 and provide enough to shim a dozen or so models.

As far as the bumper & grill sticking out that is going to be a matter of finding the offending bumps causing it to stick out and sanding them off.

I like what you did on the bottom, it is a nice mild weathering job just right for an un-restored old car.

Edited by Aaronw
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Those little gaps on the bottom don't look too bad to me, but if you really want to get rid of them, I'd suggest getting some styrene strip. If your local hobby shop doesn't carry it try a model train shop. It comes in a variety of thicknesses and widths, I'd suggest a variety, maybe .010" to .040" which would be under $10 and provide enough to shim a dozen or so models.

As far as the bumper & grill sticking out that is going to be a matter of finding the offending bumps causing it to stick out and sanding them off.

I like what you did on the bottom, it is a nice mild weathering job just right for an un-restored old car.

Thank you very much! :D What about the dull-cote, would a light spray be okay?

Edited by The Cheese
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