1960 Pontiac Bonneville Sports Coupe - Trumpeters kit

[PeterLepold]

Hi

Some people asked whether I would publish an article here about the '60 Bonneville. Okay, I do it. It is difficult for me to write everything understandably in English language but I hope I am understandable enough.

This model I build nearly two years ago, and I need a half of a year to build it correct. Now we start with one of the models, which needs very much work to be over correct.

If you want to have the model in such a way (see picture), then many works you have to do. Much fun :wink: .

First something about the major thing: the wrong roof. The roof is too short, the c-pillar is wrong and the sheet metal between the rear window and the trunk is too long because the roof is too short. Here you'll see a pic with a lot of numbers and lines, thats all the mistakes on that kit.

1. Front upper roof edge too curved (straight must run)

2. A-pillar is too straight (must diagonally to the rear run)

3. Lateral pieces of the windshield trim (trim pulls itself completely around) is missing.

4. Waves, dents in the roof

5. Eggs-arc-shaped from A to C-pillar (edge must candle straight run)

6. Lower back window trim is missing completely

7. C-pillar makes a too strong momentum (nearly straight must run)

8. „B-pillar“ is not a pillar, it is the window trim and on the model too thickly

9.0 Sheetmetal between trunk and rear window 3 milimeters too thickly

9.1 thereby roof approx. 2 milimeters and more too briefly

10. Rising momentum starting from door edge to the rear is missing completely

11. Chrome trim is aluminium in the kit and not bright chrome

12. Signatures to filigran, danger when painting to be course-washed

13. Fins too briefly and too down

14. Hood motorhauben-Sicke too broadly

15. Hood motorhauben-Sicke too briefly (“signature to nearly must run at rear edge from „Bonneville)

16. Signature to filigran danger when painting to be course-washed

17. Radiator grille middle, horizontal prop in the center is missing

18. Decals are limited to only one armature decal, no license plate or dash decals

19. Door handles, rear view mirrors, windshield wipers and some further interior parts not chromed, it is white plastic

20. In the opening trunk the interior is missing

...and much more what I found during the assembly of the Bonneville.

What you need to corrected the roof is a '59 or a '60 Impala of Revell. Why? Easy to explain...! The '59 and '60 Hard Top Coupes of GM used the same roof.

Here a comparison of the roofs of the '59 Impala (on the left) '60 Bonneville (on the right)

I cut out both roofs. First pic of the Impala roof.

After that I cut out the wrong Bonneville roof (and now it is trash).

First adjustment of the Impala roof on the Bonneville body.

Putty work with “Micro Balloons†as stabilizing underground and hobby putty for fine work.

Here a comparison between the old and new roof process, considers also the longer discharge of the C-column. A clear difference.

It continues to go in the “error analysisâ€. Under the change of the roof I got a fright as it for hood adjustment came; I did not think first I correctly measured. But the hood is definitely too long.

Trumpeter arranged the roof too briefly and became by the correction with the Impala roof thereby automatically the hood “longerâ€.

Presented to the comparison Trumpeter hood on the original '60 Bonneville Promo. It goes more clearly really not more. The hood is approx. for 3 milimeters too long (with the kit and with the Promo).

A further mistake emerged. The upper edges of the rear wheel arches are too narrow, something around a millimeter.

At the Promo the correctly arranged wheel arches. Who thinks now that is small stuff, which I'll said that it concerns here extremely mistakes, on a $35 (and more) kit high-praised by the model press, which did not even earn so far 50% of the praise, but much blame acts completely.

Here a picture of an original vehicle at that becomes clear, how the edge of the wheel arch must be “thickâ€.

So that the very thin wheel arch edge at the model is correct, a 0.8 millimeter of Sheetstreifen is bonded, which becomes filled and sanded.

That is no error however an additionally unnecessary work for us model builders. Along the outside “fins†rather deep lines run in the plastic what to be must closed.

The two “borders†on the front fenders I had to compose of plastic sheet stripes, first of all was her at the model not particularly well and secondly was lost through many putties and sanding at the A-pillars.

In the front grille from a plastic sheet stripe I build the missing prop in the center. Pontiac had always interrupted the "noses" in these years in the center, why Trumpeter did not reconstruct this, that is me a mystery (like so much at the kit)…!

The next unpleasant surprise are the seats. The backrests are too high around approx. 3 milimeters, look over the door upper edges rather away. The upper edge of the backrests locked so rather flat with the door upper edge. In the foreground the Promo model, behind you sees the Trumpeter (white backrest) as far to its seat over the door edge looks.

Unfortunately I forget to maked a picture in the original state, but I show the sawing cut here like one best the seat shorten nevertheless. Simply between seat-face and seat-back separate and then at the lower part of the seat-back 3 milimeters material remove.

To the comparison the corrected front seat bank (left) and the still original left rear seat. You sees the difference in height clear. Something putty work was also necessary.

Next part was the bumpers. They foregt the bolts on the rear bumper, i build it from plastic rod.

In the next days I will show you the rest of this kit and what I have done. Until then…!

Greetings from Germany

Peter

[MonoPed]

Very informative Peter, and some nice work to correct it as well!

[Mark C.]

Hi

Some people asked whether I would publish an article here about the '60 Bonneville. Okay, I do it.

Thank you!!

[MrObsessive]

Thanks alot for that review Peter!

I have two of these kits--------one to restore a '59 Bonnie buildup, and the other to upgrade an original '60 Craftsman kit buildup.

Your craftmanship is excellent on this......it helps a lot of guys who thought this kit was hopeless! :wink:

[FASTBACK340]

Awesome Peter....absolutely awesome. Thank you for posting !

[BIGTRUCK]

Wow , thats a fantastic repair/redo Peter ,thats a lot of bench time on one kit......thanks

[Gregg]

Peter, that was superb!!!!

Thank you so much for that.

Would you like to see if we could publish this in Model Cars magazine?

Your article is great, the translation is really good!

Thank you for all your hard work and time.

[Zoom Zoom]

Thanks Peter! The only reason I bought one of these Bonnevilles was after seeing your build chronicle back when it was new 8)

Of course it was $16 on sale so that helped too

[JayVee]

Wow, that Bonny looks stunning! Your tutorial really displays the remarkable craftmanship that went into this project.

[ismaelg]

Wow That is GREAT information. I have no interest on the subject, but it was so interesting and your attention to detail is so intense I went thru it completely.

Don't worry about the language. It was clear enough.

Thanks,

[PeterLepold]

Good morning

First i will say "THANK YOU ALL" for the welcome and the friendly comments about the thread. I'm glad this want to help you build the Trumpeter Bonneville.

Fact is, if the model is cleanly built and you corrects it above all correctly, then you have at the end a very beautiful car. The original '60 Bonneville is a very beautiful car, I love this design.

Peter, that was superb!!!!

Thank you so much for that.

Would you like to see if we could publish this in Model Cars magazine?

Your article is great, the translation is really good!

Thank you for all your hard work and time.

Thank you, Gregg, for this offer. I appreciate it very much and I'm pleased about it. Only one problem I have: After a computer crash last year I lost the most large size pictures of the assembly.

I know, that you need large size pictures for a clear print in the magazines (I write lot of articles for a German model magazin). Perhaps you can use smaller size pictures. Please contact me at mcp-administration@onlinehome.de for more if you want.

Greetings from very hot and sunny Germany 8)

Peter

[PeterLepold]

Another post about the Bonneville.

Here you'll see the finished chassis and underside of the engine/transmission.

Here the trunk interior. I build the trunk interior from plastic sheet and flocked it with black flocking. I'm sorry, no more assembly pictures exist.

Another mistake Trumpeter did. In assembly level 11 Trumpeter means, the upper radiator hose (part A37) is to glue into the hole (red arrow), thats wrong. The radiator hose have to glue into the hose connector right beside it (green arrow).

Here is a picture of an original engine from the '60 Bonneville. You see where the upper radiator hose is very clearly attached; where it belongs. As per Trumpeter the upper radiator hose is there where at the original engine the orangene hose sits.

This hose is missing however in the kit. Exactly the same as the hose, which you'll see under the thick radiator hose (its connection is right behind the beltdrive to see). These two hoses must be made by yourself.

At the model the corrected places at those the hoses to be attached. All water hoses are made of cable sleeves. In order to hold the hoses in their bends/form, a somewhat thicker copper wire is pushed in, so that the hose does not back-bend itself.

Joke at the edge: How does one get all-finest filling- and sanding works??? You engages one of these "boys"….!

The fly had left itself for the investigation of my works at the model…! A small joke at the edge of the many “annoyancesâ€â€¦! The fly had be actually quite a while at the model.

The kit is equipped with functional steering element (long part left), which I do not want to have however because it looks to me like a toy.

Thus the “steering bar†is now trashh and by a real steering gear to see (right) from the spare part crate is replaced.

The brake booster is however really nothing (likewise left), that also by good parts from the spare part crate is replaced (all AMT parts).

Here now the last, somewhat more complex correction follows. The hood ornamentation is completely beside it, first of all too briefly, secondly too broadly.

The hood is also too long (by the roof correction), I shortened it in the back over approx. 3 milimeters.

From an old AMT Promo is made a casting correct ornamentation. To see in the picture:

A: Hood with the wrong ornamentation

B: AMT Promomodel of the Bonneville with the correct ornamentation

C: Silicone casting form

D: Resin casting correct ornamentation

To the direct comparison the casting correct ornamentation to Trumpeter part!

The last financial investment in the Bonneville kit. I removed all of the bad signatures like "Bonneville" and "Pontiac" because these are too filigran, I bought me a “Model Car Garage†photo eatched set for the Bonneville.

The last pic shows the new chrome plated parts (above). The lower bumper is the original chrome from Trumpeter, very bad, it is more aluminium than bright chrome plated.

I let the parts chromed new in a company here in Germany again.

At last some pics of the finished model.

If you have any more question, ask me, I will help.

Greetings from Germany (still hot and sunny)

Peter

[bluemoose]

World class work Peter! Thanks for posting your article.

[MrObsessive]

Now that's what I call a First Class Build!

Peter, I hope you sent Trumpeter pics of your work, showing them what this kit SHOULD HAVE looked like before they decided to tool this from memory (or something). :x

[jbwelda]

wow, right ON!!!

trumpeter should hire you to engineer (or re-engineer) their models.

love this stuff!

[Stingray69]

N :shock: W that is skill!

Thanks for sharing!

[Zed]

WOW...that's incredible ! :shock:

[James Flowers]

you really put a lot of work in making the kit correct. great work. why do model companies make model and do so poorly of a subject awast of are money and theres do it wright or don,t do it

[Guest zebm1]

Great work Peter, but I'm curious, what is supposed to be in tha crate of bottles in tha trunk? Yu going to a party?

Zeb

[JAFFA]

damned!!!!

I myself would never have even noticed most of theese things!!

It kinda makes me feel ignorant and crushes my ambitions of ever posting

any of my shabby work here again....