Pico

Andy - about 5000 were built. About 150 still exist. The car I am modelling is the only one in this body style and it "disappeared". I have not been able to find out how it disappeared. Returned to the factory and used to be rebuilt in a different body style? Stolen? Big mystery. Two replicas of it have been built.

Rear.

I think this is going to work.

Brass for bumper brackets.

Designing a body in any CAD software is advanced work, so here is an example of something much easier. I like well detailed tires with sidewall logos. The logo was designed in Inkscape using a font, Cooper Black, that is similar to the Goodyear font. I downloaded an image from Inkscape into SK and intruded the outline of the image through the sidewall and intersected it. Then extruded the mesh of the letters out from the face of the sidewall; giving it an authentic look.

A word or two on Sketchup and organic (rounded) modeling: by the way it makes the mesh, it is very poorly suited to make rounded shapes. Another drawback is that in 2018, Trimble bought SK from Google and started monetizing the previously free software. It now has a free version that has a very limited functionally. To get a version that is equal to my 2017 version would cost $50 a month. Not an option, as there are several free modeling software's available, although learning them can be challenging. The two that I favor are: Fusion, that has a free hobbyist version, and Blender, which is free. I'm leaning more toward Blender, as I watch Bill Geary's "Digital Surgeon" on Facebook each day. Also, I have a course from Udemy on designing a car in Blender. Get both and see which software you feel more comfortable with. The reason I used SK with this body is because it is relatively simple. However, the fenders shape gave me some trouble. For instance, the front fenders are made of 4 files, made using the Curviloft plugin. I had to stitch the 4 files together, which was time consuming and left some rough edges on the print. And that is with a relatively simple shape. I attempted to design the Chrysler Norseman, but that was a bust, so I contracted the design to a digital designer, which worked very well. See the WIP on it. If you don't have the time to learn, hiring a designer though Fiverr is an option; but, beware, their quality and honesty varies widely.

Thanks, I designed the entire model in Sketchup 2017; except for the Woodlite headlights, which will be the subject of a future post. Here is an image of the workspace.

Much better.

Some corrections.

Primer and sanding. A tire in front, showing the intrusion for the whitewall.

Thanks for your kind words, Ace.

That front wheel drive pushes the engine beyond the firewall, into the driver's compartment.

Here are images of the car after the New York Auto Show in January 1931. I'm diggin' those Woodlites!

It's time to go to work.

That's not too many supports. I want everything to form perfectly.

I will soon be fulfilling a long-time obsession...

Completed!

Here is an article on the styling of this car: Car Style Critic: 1935-36 Fiat 508 Balilla Berlinetta Aerodinamica MM

Superb work, my hat is off to you.

Excellent photoetch.

More progress.

Paint finally.

Wheels and it's beginning to look good.

Wheels and tires.

Side decoration upgrade.