Detailing, are you building something that could work as 1:1?

[blunc]

This may sound like a rant but maybe some builders have never thought of using the internet to see what car/truck assemblies should look like. I figure that if they can post on this forum that they have the capability to do a Google Image search for what carb linkage or fuel lines could/should look like and the proper place to connect these details.

I'm not trying to pick on anyone that that attempts detailing...I'm trying to improve...

A hypothetical situation would be if you have entered your latest masterpiece in a contest (if you do that kind of thing) and the judges had to make a decision for the grand prize between your model and someone else supposedly worthy masterpiece, most conscientious judges will give the award to the model that has been detailed to the possibility of being functional as a real car and not a fire hazard if the key was turned.

A quick example (no photos on this, don't want hurt feelings), 4bbl carb fuel lines don't (in real life) get connected to the middle of the side of the carb, that is where the venturi (the big air holes) are, generally speaking... the fuel inlet on any carb is right at the main "bowl" ( the reservoir where the fuel stays till atomized in the venturi), this is the design rule followed by every single carb maker on this planet.

If you have a 4bbl Rochester(a common stock carb on GM vehicles) the fuel line goes into the front face in the middle.

Most Holley and other performance carbs have their fuel inlets on the side near the front (and rear) corners.

Now even if you choose not to detail in a manner that may work in real life I will still applaud your modeling and detailing choices because there are many styles and choices out there and the next artistic masterpiece is always just around the corner.

Edited August 17, 2012 by blunc

[cobraman]

That kind of stuff really doesn't bother me. Is the firing order wrong ? Who cares? I can only speak for myself and I build for myself. I just always try to have a nice clean build, period. If others want to go all out to try and make them more realistic that's ok with me and I will enjoy looking at them. For me the fun is in the building and not the research. I do not not fault those who do hours of research to make their builds more accurate. I respect their devotion and desire to create something better than just an out of the box kit. Maybe I am just lazy. : )

[blunc]

if you didn't build for yourself...you might be lazy.

As I stated in the first post, level of detail is all the builders choice.

[martinfan5]

That kind of stuff really doesn't bother me. Is the firing order wrong ? Who cares? I can only speak for myself and I build for myself. I just always try to have a nice clean build, period. If others want to go all out to try and make them more realistic that's ok with me and I will enjoy looking at them. For me the fun is in the building and not the research. I do not not fault those who do hours of research to make their builds more accurate. I respect their devotion and desire to create something better than just an out of the box kit. Maybe I am just lazy. : )

I have to pretty much agree with what Ray said

Edited August 17, 2012 by martinfan5

[Ace-Garageguy]

Probably because I have an engineering background and build 1:1 cars (and other machines that have to actually function) for a living, I have a respect for function and tend to try to get my models to represent correct real-world practice. However anyone chooses to build is entirely up to the builder, but to me, the difference between a "model" and a "toy", is that a model is a model OF something, even if that "something" is only correctly represented engineering, while a toy takes liberties with scale, function, etc. and is more for pure enjoyment and expression than trying to represent reality. Maybe "miniature automotive-based art" would be a more PC term than "toy".

Most of my builds use suspension that COULD work, visual modifications that would still be able to accommodate a human driver, structural mods that would be do-able on a 1:1, etc. At the same time, I rarely obsess over correct firing-order or whether I've got all the wires on the firewall represented. Detail is a matter of degree and what the builder enjoys.

Leaving detail off of a model isn't a matter of laziness, but a matter only of what the builder finds enjoyable. I ENJOY getting things right, and doing research to be certain I do a fair representation of things I'm not familiar with. If someone else DOESN'T ENJOY going to that amount of effort, that's perfectly fine. This IS supposed to be a hobby, about enjoyment.

All that said, in all honesty, it does kind of bug me sometimes to see models built with obviously very little knowledge of function of anything, and no effort made to find out how things actually work. I think some of those models are the reasons why SOME 1:1 car guys look down their noses at model builders, because it can actually be HARD to get everything to work on a real car that's also built for "enjoyment", and the working out of functional details is part of the pleasure. At least to me.

[Fat Brian]

I do agree that when I really detail something I try to make it look like the real thing. To me it's a waste of my effort to add details that, if real, would detract from the functionality of the vehicle. I try hard not to judge others by my standards for myself but sometimes modifications that are clearly unworkable do bother me.

[Monty]

I've seen things on here that made me wonder whether the builder had ever even been under the hood of a car.

Yeah, I know: "You build for yourself".

[jcbigpaw]

To those that can and do build a "real" scale replica of the 1:1 vehicle I salute you. Personally I build to different levels depending on my mood. Sometimes straight out of the box but usually I'll try to add a visual representation of mechanical correctness but also I feel that if you can't see it why detail it? . I actually quit this hobby at one time because I was young and inexperienced and got mixed up with a group of builders that were into "correct scale color" on 1:25 scale autos with working turn signals and brake lights that come on when you push the brake pedal. To me that is serious overkill but it made them happy. It seriously discouraged me. We all have to find a level that makes us happy and don't discourage those with less skill or experience than ourselves. I feel that my skills have come a long way in the last few years thanks to my brothers here in the forum but I also thank God I don't have to compete against you guys because their is a lot of talent on this forum. Do what makes you happy and keep the faith.

[mnwildpunk]

like other guys on here I build for fun. I like to add a little more detail then what comes on a model. Sometimes it just isn't possible to make parts look exactly as it does on a 1:1 so we have to fudge a bit. I applaud those guys who add ever little detail because my nerves could do something like that. I would never look down on someone who built something that wasn't correct and I feel if someone is looking down on another persons they are taking this hobby to seriously. Part of the fun of this hobby is creativity! If someone wants built a V.W. And jam a

hemi in it I say let him do it. If it looks good I'll give him a thumbs ups. Now on a different note I'm surprised Harry hasn't moved this question to general. Because it's not really a question about a model. But I could be wrong

[blunc]

I do NOT look down on any builder for how they build ( and I certainly hope no one else here does that ), there are times when I don't always find a model quite as exciting to me as others....when that happens I look to see how the basic build skills are exhibited...sometimes I say "nice work" (and I may think to myself..."not how I would have done that, but it's nice work.") and sometimes I may ask the builder for some clarification on what they built.

and then there are some that want to be more competitive and see how their skills compare to other builders....the kind that say (mostly to themselves) "I can do that...maybe a little better." or maybe they think to themselves "I want to build things like that amazing thing I'm looking at."

The purpose of the original post was a pointer for those that want to build more realistic "scale" models, not as a slam to anyone that doesn't.

modeling "fun" for me is to build something that could work as a 1:1 thing, maybe one day a model I built will be in the "Real or Model" thread here in this forum...