289 replies to this topic

[Futurabat]

Nice builds guys. I've been down with the flu lately so I haven't been posting much anywhere. I'll be back soon with more progress.

[Tony T]

I picked up the deluxe kit today...wow...the PE looks great, the tires are great, has Batman and Robin unassembled...and it's all moulded in white! Very strange to see a white Batmobile!! So many variations are possible, I may have to buy a few more of this, the glue and the snap to make several!! Now, will need to research what parts go with what season, the movie car, etc...at least I can build the glue one way and the deluxe another to start!! (I also have a Futura kit and a resin transkit that I can put to use, too) I can see the possibility of me building nothing but '66 Batmobiles in 2012!! I think before I start on the 1/25 scale kits, though, I'm going to build 2 of the 1/32 scale kits (one for me and one for a friend) to get them out of the way...I've also got about a dozen other projects I want to work on!! I love having this problem though!! Kudos to PL for putting these out...now if they could have done the same for Herbie...

[Futurabat]

Tony, guys-

Don't hesitate to ask any detail questions you might have about the differences between the seasons. I guarantee you I can tell you anything you want to know.

[W-409]

Finally I have the cab without paint. It was pretty hard job to get paint off... Next I need to start looking for rear tires, need to ask some help, but here are two pictures from the cab.

[Tony T]

Tony, guys-

Don't hesitate to ask any detail questions you might have about the differences between the seasons. I guarantee you I can tell you anything you want to know.

Oh, I'm sure I'll be asking!! Thanks!!

[Dirkpitt289]

Done, enjoy pics. Its not correct but way i like it










More pics: http://public.fotki....s/batmobile-66/

Maybe I'm the wrong person to be saying this but you would have to point out the things that make this build wrong because from where I'm sitting it looks like the Batmobile to me.

[Tony T]

Beginning my Seeing Double Dual 1/32 BatBuild...


One is for me and one is for a friend who asked me to build his!

[Futurabat]

Back at it. Here's my wheel/tire setups for my Bat.

[Tony T]

Nice...looks great with the valve stem.

[Futurabat]

Thanks Tony. I've gotten some engine work done but i'm not totally satisfied. I may pull a redo.





Note the gap in the exhaust headers. I think a rebuild is in order.

[Lunajammer]

[Futurabat]

So Mike, is this a project you plan to bring to the thread?

[Lunajammer]

Sorry, I guess I was pretty vague. Though I've been tempted on more than one occasion, and as you can see still am, I'm not entering at this time. I came across the Vette in my research and couldn't help thinking of this thread. Hopefully someone will be inspired to do something like it. I'd love to see it.

[Futurabat]

So would I...that's why I asked.

[Michigan Madman]

Well, yesterday the Deluxe kit crash-landed on my doorstep.
Hopefully I'll have something worth showing off before too long.

[Futurabat]

Cool! Just jump in where you can. We left a light on for ya. I need to get back to mine but i've got a little side project going right now. I'll be back soon with more of my Bat though.

Edited by Futurabat, 04 January 2012 - 09:54 PM.

[Michigan Madman]

Just a few of my initital observations on the Deluxe kit-

I only have a few gripes, and I'll get them out of the way first.
One is the wheels look to be just a little bit too small in diameter. Not sure if they are or not, but they do look a tad small to my eye. The wheels themselves are beautiful, however, and the chrome plating is top notch.

I'm REALLY not happy with the Ford engine- detail is a bit soft, and the way they engineered some of the parts is questionable at best. Same story on the stock FoMoCo-based suspension pieces, not so much the engneering, but the soft detailing in that case. But you guys knew that, right?

But those minor gripes are more than offset by the balance of the kit.

For one thing- this car is HUGE. I guess it never hit me how big the car is- it dwarfs my AMT '60 Lincoln kit. And those '58-60 Lincolns were the largest unibody cars ever produced! The styling really belies what a large (and particularly long) vehicle the Batmobile truly is- it looked downright svelte as the Futura, but when it was changed into the Batmobile, the styling changes made the car look even more sleek.

After being disappointed with the stock Lincoln V8, I was very pleased to see the turbine. Yeah, it's a bit simplified, but the engraving is great and it looks like it will be a breeze to paint detail with metallic colors and some mild washes. That's the engine I'll be using, of course.

I did a double-take when going through the intructions... an included photoetched saw blade is mentioned! I had to look, but sure enough, if you look at the lower right-hand corner of the photoetch sprue, you'll see a serrated edge, just below the bonus Batman logo.

Decals and accessories (the umbrellas, mostly) are included for the version depicting the car after it was hijacked by The Penguin, there is even a short piece of stiff wire for attaching the umbrella. I'll be doing the Penguin version, because I know everybody else will be doing the various versions of the Batmobile, but so far nobody has mentioned any intent to model the car as driven by the Penguin. That and I can use the leftover Batman logo decal for another Batman-related project.

Oh, I did get a chuckle out of the instruction sheet. "Paint is not required to complete this model, but it is an option for the builder." All-white Batmobile, anyone?

Edited by Chuck Most, 05 January 2012 - 09:44 AM.

[Futurabat]

Just a few of my initital observations on the Deluxe kit-

I only have a few gripes, and I'll get them out of the way first.
One is the wheels look to be just a little bit too small in diameter. Not sure if they are or not, but they do look a tad small to my eye. The wheels themselves are beautiful, however, and the chrome plating is top notch.
The plating is nice, and yes I think the wheels are a touch too small myself but consider this. Most 1/25th scale kits are not exactly 25th scale. This one is dead on 1/25th. So maybe...just maybe...all the other wheels are too big? Most guys I know ae swapping them out with the Fireball 500 wheels or from the '64 Ford Thunderbolt kit. The wheel wells are about 2mm off from front to back.

I'm REALLY not happy with the Ford engine- detail is a bit soft, and the way they engineered some of the parts is questionable at best. Same story on the stock FoMoCo-based suspension pieces, not so much the engneering, but the soft detailing in that case. But you guys knew that, right?
I feel the same way about this engine. My main gripe is that a portion of the headers are molded into the heads themselves so theres a gap in the exhaust manifolds that's annoying to fix. Assemble the heads and manifolds seperately from the block. (this is for guys using the Ford engine) You'll have to brush paint the manifolds, but pre assembling them affords you the chance to blend the pipes together with some gap filling glue. I also really hate how chintzy the alternators and steering pump are. I swapped in a pump from a Revell '68 Charger as well as the lower alternator, and added the support arm from a second alternator to the kit one for the top


But those minor gripes are more than offset by the balance of the kit.

For one thing- this car is HUGE. I guess it never hit me how big the car is- it dwarfs my AMT '60 Lincoln kit. And those '58-60 Lincolns were the largest unibody cars ever produced! The styling really belies what a large (and particularly long) vehicle the Batmobile truly is- it looked downright svelte as the Futura, but when it was changed into the Batmobile, the styling changes made the car look even more sleek.
I totally agree.

After being disappointed with the stock Lincoln V8, I was very pleased to see the turbine. Yeah, it's a bit simplified, but the engraving is great and it looks like it will be a breeze to paint detail with metallic colors and some mild washes. That's the engine I'll be using, of course.
The turbine is a minimalist design allowing for massive potential in the scratchbuilding and detailing area. I love it...and i'm a guy who's against fantasy engines.

I did a double-take when going through the intructions... an included photoetched saw blade is mentioned! I had to look, but sure enough, if you look at the lower right-hand corner of the photoetch sprue, you'll see a serrated edge, just below the bonus Batman logo.

Decals and accessories (the umbrellas, mostly) are included for the version depicting the car after it was hijacked by The Penguin, there is even a short piece of stiff wire for attaching the umbrella. I'll be doing the Penguin version, because I know everybody else will be doing the various versions of the Batmobile, but so far nobody has mentioned any intent to model the car as driven by the Penguin. That and I can use the leftover Batman logo decal for another Batman-related project.
Keep in mind, the figures and Penguin's umbrella are PVC so use the apropriate paint.


Oh, I did get a chuckle out of the instruction sheet. "Paint is not required to complete this model, but it is an option for the builder." All-white Batmobile, anyone?

Embarrasing carry-over from the snap kit instructions!

[Michigan Madman]

Another thing I noticed.... where are all the mold lines? I can't see any on the body at all! Sure, a few very light sink marks here and there, but nothing bad. I'm also pretty pleased with the way the front and rear splash pans and the rear upper body piece fit- a clean, precisce fit that will need minimal bodywork to look good. Only minimal flash, too. This might be the best molded kit I've ever seen, to be honest.

[Futurabat]

You have to look for the mold seams they're very faint. In front on the leading edges of the headlight covers. On the outer edges of the wings. They do away with one drag over from a razor blade.