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Pocher Rolls Sedanca


Cato

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I've finally begun my 'bucket list' model, the 1/8 scale, 1932 Rolls. Bought from eBay, it was a 'complete' but open kit. It suffered minor storage damage from dampness (carpet, instrument stickers, booklet and a bit of rust on unplated steel parts) but I managed to source new replacements or fixes for all. After inventory it was only actually missing about 4 screws and a few nuts. I was pretty lucky and a decent price at the time.

This won't be a part-by-part WIP because, at my pace this will take a couple of years to look like something. I will post occasional updates and I really hope to just establish some dialog with experienced Pocher builders or interested parties. I do work on it nearly every day and constantly study references generously provided by Skip and tips from Harry. Several of you have also been gracious with offers of shared experience.

I strongly recommend to any contemplating this to acquire Paul Koo's CD of build photos and notes-it's just invaluable and prevents falling into many of Pocher's 'traps' and shortcomings. The build manual leaves a lot to the imagination to say the least.

Also recommend you build on something like an 8' long counter or door, with power strip and room to organize. Hunting through piles and bags of parts is frustrating.

And bring your patience along as I not-so-jokingly call Pocher, 'The Blacksmith to the Stars'.

BTW-I have built Pocher's Alfa Spyder in the late '70's so I knew what to expect. I do not recommend this K-72 Sedanca as a first Pocher unless you have much scratchbuilding experience. You'll see why as I go along.

My 'philosophy' for this is a very neat, clean build with some of model Motorcar's jewel-like parts added. When you look at their site you want everything but then you're almost bankrupt if you do. I want to lower the ride height as supplied and get perfect alignment of the hood with cowl and grille and the placement of the wheel openings with the tires. Very big eyesores on stock-built Pochers-Koo shows you how.

I'm contemplating their tires (5 @ $40 per), their PE leafspring kit ($215) and some functional chassis parts and clevises. More as it progresses. I hope to have the chassis complete and in paint by late spring.

I have spent the first 3 weeks organizing my tools and the parts in the near phone-booth sized work room. Then de-burring, de-seaming, sanding and mocking the major elements of the chassis. My goal was a straight, plumb, rigid chassis and so far, in mock-up I've done that. But it's tedious and requires not rushing on to get something glued together. Pocher demands many parts to be installed early as their fasteners will be inaccessible when other parts are added (like engine in chassis). So I've prepped and trail fit all these so far. I will then blow it apart and paint all individual parts plus the 26" long chassis and then final assembly. So you're constantly looking ahead and building out of sequence. You get it so on to the pics:

Out of the basement and partially spread out:

http://1Medium_zps791b1316.jpg

The general arrangement-it's BIG:

http://2Medium_zps201956d5.jpg

Thank you Pocher; .095" shim needed to properly place exhaust hanger bracket:

http://3Medium_zps95d5d4d5.jpg

In position:

http://4Medium_zps89faec29.jpg

Crossmembers located:

http://5Medium_zps022ebc9e.jpg


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A thing I like to do is add weight to my models; gives them a nice 'feel'. Here I added playground dry sand to the battery box and glued it shut. Helps balance the car side-to-side with the 7" long steel tube muffler. Also nicely weights the tires.

Please come with comment or critique-all help needed and desired.

http://6Medium_zps0276a5fd.jpg

Edited by Cato
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I am Excited to see one of these go together, looks like my room-only not as discumbobulated!!!

I have a neighbor who restores RR's of this vintage.

Send him over with his spanners! :lol:

Hope your excitement can last about 2 years... :wacko:

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I dont know if his spanners are small enough! do they give you tools with this model?

I would not want to use a spoke tightening wrench on those wheels!!!!

The spokes are another world to get right. IIRC I think Koo devoted 46 pages to that assembly and a ton of pics.

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whats the deal with the fenders on this car? looks like they should be on an earlier sports racer. I believe it should have fenders like the 1/16 Revell RR.

Custom bodies were always the owner's discretion. Rolls only actually built the running chassis.

No one can find where Pocher sourced this style fender so it can't be 'wrong'-anything was done for the owner.

This car is actually a compilation of parts and styles according to the experts who've studied them. I'm pretty comfortable building this as I might have ordered one in the day -but then I'd be an even older crock than I am.... :blink:

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Cato pretty much described what is known about the Pocher fenders. My reference books show similar ones on Rolls PII fixed-head saloons, and this shot of a boattail one-of-a-kind is the only open car version I've seen with fenders like that.

Picture58_zps549d7424.png

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Hey- its a RR- you can have it anyway you want it! with the sporty ''wings'' I would paint it all gloss black. delete the whitewalls and either a black or tan top.

that would really set off the chrome wire wheels. and of course a red leather interior. now that would be classy....[just an opinion]

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Hey- its a RR- you can have it anyway you want it! with the sporty ''wings'' I would paint it all gloss black. delete the whitewalls and either a black or tan top.

that would really set off the chrome wire wheels. and of course a red leather interior. now that would be classy....[just an opinion]

I like that, except for chrome wire wheels. I'd go for painted silver or body color wheels for a more period touch. And if I were to go for black with a red interior, I'd paint the underside of the fenders red, as Harry is doing with the Stutz Bearcat. It's endless what the options are, and every finished Pocher kit I've seen looks awesome, no matter how it's done. Check out these (which I'm sure you're familiar with, but this link is for everyone's benefit):

http://www.modelmotorcars.com/html/museum/rolls/finished/royce_finished_gallery.htm

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Not many RRs of the period had chromed wire wheels. Way too blingy for the typical stiff upper lip Rolls owner. Most RRs were painted in very conservative colors with wheels painted to match. Of course, that's not to say that you couldn't have been some sort of flamboyant 1930's-era extrovert who would have put chrome wire wheels on your car... but the vast majority of Rolls owners back then were a lot more conservative in their automotive tastes. ^_^

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This is the kind of discussion I was hoping for. :)

It IS one of the on-going dilemmas I've been wrestling with-color selection affects the whole presentation.

Chassis color is part of it-I probably won't do gloss black. I AM very sure I'll paint the Pocher wheels. Marvin's wheels are beautiful, but that's $200 I can use on the springs. I think the kit wheels will be very neat if painted. I don't like them left in gray plastic and nickel.

I have been greatly inspired by the finishes and colors you guys are using on your early cars.

Keep it up please guys-I change my mind about every 10 seconds.

Not adverse to a 'committee' build here... :blink:

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Most RRs of the period I've seen had the chassis painted to match the body color (or one of the colors if a two-tone).

Leaning that way with two tone. Finding the right combo (for me) is devilish. Keep coming back to deep maroon with soft cream or yellow. I think there was a GM color in the '50's or '60's called butternut yellow or something similar. My memory is toast...

Also get flashes of all black as Frank suggests but with wheels to match a tan or cream interior.

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Not many RRs of the period had chromed wire wheels. Way too blingy for the typical stiff upper lip Rolls owner. Most RRs were painted in very conservative colors with wheels painted to match. Of course, that's not to say that you couldn't have been some sort of flamboyant 1930's-era extrovert who would have put chrome wire wheels on your car... but the vast majority of Rolls owners back then were a lot more conservative in their automotive tastes. ^_^

I musta been thinking about those cream puffs at Pebble.......

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I'm doing mine in maroon and gray. Not silver, but gray. Veddy British, you know...

WELL GET IT UP HERE!! :angry:

Been thinking about a gray chassis. And a little like my GT-40, things like oxidized exhaust system, light stains at the gaskets, your patented black washes ( :P ) and a few other discrete touches that show a bit of age and use. Like an occasionally driven, older restoration...

Hey-at least it's not blue with white stripes like my Cobra!!

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You can tell by my handle I am a BIG Pocher fan..........I have been addicted to them from the 1st time I opened a box (FIAT) 1975, Frankfurt FRG. I have over the years lost count of the number of them I have had, lets just say a bunch of'em! But I too have been bitten again by a different bug.......the 1/16th bug. The only problem w/Pocher kits......they are huge, hard to display and keep clean unless you have a wall to put that huge display case against, just for them?????

But I have again discovered the wonderful world of 1/16th Old Timers, add as much detail as you want and you can display a whole flock of'em where you would have just 1 Pocher sitting!

As a matter of fact as of today I have added 10 kits to my 1/16th collection, all of them old timers.

Got a Hudson Miniatures 1914 Stutz Bearcat today.......that one was tough to come up with, complete and un-started.

I agree, the smaller ones go alot faster and you are not spending a week putting spokes into a wheel!

Just my 2 cents worth.

Rick B)

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Same here, Rick. For the price of one Pocher you can get a boatload of 1/16 scale kits. I've bought about ten different 1/16 kits within the last month. I've made myself a real backlog!

But my first love is still Pochers. I have built 6-7, and currently have two different Rolls kits under construction. I have a Sedanca with the chassis complete, seats built, needs the body. I have the "Star of India" that I will be converting into a RR woody... er, "shooting brake."

I've built the Fiat, two Alfas, two Mercedes, the Porsche 911 (not a "real" Pocher IMO), and have two RRs under construction. The only one I've never built is a Bugatti. Still looking for one at a price I'm willing to pay. Not going to spend $2500 on one kit.

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I understand the passion for the smaller stuff you guys have-it's beautiful and everything Rick says is true.

In my case however, I'm just not a prolific builder like you guys - and especially Harry-are. In fact, this might be the last replica of any scale (and certainly no more 1:1) that I'm able to do.

But I am throwing everything I've got at it, enjoying it and planning up a storm.

When done, (it, not me) I'll build my last glass case and a table to present it on, where I can see it everyday.

That's my wish and goal.

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