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1906 Bianchi WIP Finished!


Harry P.

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I started the coach interior by reworking the kit seat. First step was to remove the seat sides... I will reuse them, the rest of the seat goes in the trash...

I found some appropriately garish, over-the-top velour fabric to match the garish, over-the-top look of this car. The new seat parts are just chunks of balsa with the corners/edges rounded over, then the fabric glued on with contact cement.

You'll see the finished seat installed later.

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Here's the finished interior. Not much in there but the seat. I added the roof beams because the body was warped and the sides were bowed in... the wooden strips keep the body sides parallel and straight...

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The red of the interior is really getting blown out by the flash. In reality it's a very dark maroon. The actual color is more like the area in the above photo just above the seat's left side armrest

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One step forward, two steps back...

I made a dumb mistake by gluing the front fenders in place too soon. I had glued them, but I wasn't happy with the paint finish on them. It just wasn't smooth, so I decided I had to take the fenders off, strip them, and repaint them. As you know, cars of this era had the fenders mounted via very thin. spindly fender brackets. On this kit, three per side. So as I tried my best to delicately remove the fenders, five of the six brackets broke. So the fenders are in the stripper, and the broken brackets have been re-glued. I just hope they hold when I re-install the fenders.

Meanwhile... no gas tank in the kit, so I scratched one up with sheet styrene and some styrene rod bent over a candle flame for the filler neck. I have no reference photos of this car, so this is purely a guess...

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I drilled a hole in the top and superglued a bamboo shishkabob skewer into it as a handle for when I paint the tank. Not a problem, as the top side of the tank won't be seen on the finished model (it'll be under the trunk).

 

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BTW... while trying to find references on this car, I learned that the Bianchi company originally began back in the late 19th century as a bicycle manufacturer in Milan. They soon branched out to building cars, too, including the subject of this WIP, but that didn't last long. Bianchi bicycles are still manufactured to this day, and in fact the Bianchi Bicycle Company is the oldest continuously operating bicycle company in the world.

They make some cutting-edge, state-of-the-art bikes, like this one, painted in the traditional Bianchi color. Nice ride...

bianchi-bike_zpsyhht9kvt.jpg

I had a bicycle from them back in 82.  It was all decked out in Italian racing parts.  Top notch company.

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I am really enjoying this one. If you haven't already thought about it may I suggest you consider adding a smoking kit and vanity along each of the rear interior sail panels. This was a common big luxury car accessory.  In my Model 137 Franklin Limousine there is a kit on the passenger side with a cigar lighter and a vanity complete with a mirror for milady on the drivers side.  Just an idea in the for whatever it's worth department.  Please keep us posted. 

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Good idea but too late... already glued the roof on. In fact, aside from a trunk I ordered on ebay, I'm calling this one done. On to "Under Glass." :D

hahaha! you got me! thought i was going to see the finished build here. your modeling skills are a real inspiration, and your "talk through" is very helpful to us novices. 

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