sjordan2

No, the AMT only has the pylon style cross members in front of the firewall. Not a big deal since that's the only space frame detail that can be seen. The 1/16 Minicraft and Entex version has a reasonably complete space frame, and not the less accurate 1/16 Italeri. I don't know for sure about the 1/24 Italeri, but if it's the same as their larger kit, they made the mistake of basing the Gullwing's lower body on their roadster kit, which has accurate but different body dimensions (except for a wrong windshield frame).

Dying to see that comparison. So far the AMT version has been one of the best in any scale, and better than large scale versions. The biggest selling point besides detail and accuracy would be DO THE DOORS FIT FLUSH?

Another dashboard option is to download the wood grain of your choice from the following site, reduce it to a scale that looks right, and make a decal or appliqué. The advantage is that real wood showing 3D grain would be out of scale at anything under 1/8. The pictures are of real wood veneers, not artist renderings. http://www.certainlywood.com/search.cfm The site has hundreds, if not thousands, of veneer samples to choose from. Click on a thumbnail for the type of wood you'd like, then click on any of the thumbnails that come up for a large image that you can download or crop. For example, mirror-finish French Walnut was a popular veneer in the old days (and most classic wood appointments were veneer over a harder wood in 1:1 cars). However, most TC/TD cars I've seen have a low-gloss dash. You can reduce the grain on your computer. Here's one of several French Walnut patterns.

Continually unbelievable. I'd love to see what you would do with a vintage street car.

My only interest in sports sedans is vintage classics, like this 1937 Rolls Phantom III Sports Saloon, issued in 1/16 by Revell, Gunze Sangyo, Anmark and Entex. Here's the original car that was the source of the kit, now in the Toyota Museum in Nagoya, Japan. The next image is of the 1/16 kit, recently offered for sale on eBay. More pictures at http://s827.photobucket.com/user/sjordan47/library/ROLLS%20PHANTOM%20III%20e%20Bay%20modeler%20build?sort=3&page=1&_suid=1422300210001003245851490646601

Most British sports cars of the 60s had the chrome/aluminum around the upper edges, though perhaps not any MG, but it's the running board and rear fenders that bother me.

I've always enjoyed the guessing game of "which Harry is this?" but the last one was a repeat. Hats off for honoring Mr. Guardino, a great actor.

Looking excellent. I'm not jazzed about the non-standard chrome, but this is going to be really nice. Great chassis work.

Another masterpiece, David.

I have provided my sources. Some of them come from Wikipedia, others from the original sales brochure and the Phantom II / III book by Whitaker and Stuckey. I think I've submitted plenty of text here from these sources. If you want to say NO, it's not an actual, pur sang Merlin engine, you may be right, but it's definitely a direct descendant based on that technology and nothing Rolls had ever done. You may be able to list a zillion exceptions just to prove your argument, but most auto technology is evolutionary.

Royce did the basic engineering for the V-12, ready when he died in 1933. The first aircraft use was in 1936. The Rolls Phantom III, produced from 1936-1939, used a variant of the design in its protoypes, code name Spectre. All sources, including the original Phantom III sales brochure, say the car's powerplant was based on the V-12 technology developed for aircraft and marine use. To me, that's related to this topic.

Do you have a link to the carpet supplier?

My source for that statement appears to have been less precise than it should have been and could refer to a restored car. Here's more detail from RM Auctions. By the time the Phantom II ended its limited production run, plans were already well underway at Rolls-Royce for development of newer military aircraft engines. Initially designated PV-12, the Merlin aero engine was Henry Royce’s final design before his passing in 1933, and was originally intended to fill the gap between the company’s upper and lower horsepower extremes. Over a period of various tests and modifications, early issues with reliability were resolved to produce one of the most successful military engines of all time and, quite possibly, the most important engine of World War II. The massive V12 engine displaced nearly 1,650 cubic inches and, fitted with a two-stage supercharger, produced well over 1,400 horsepower. A contract with Packard yielded a Merlin-powered P-51 Mustang, which, alongside the nimble British Spitfires were partly responsible for turning the tide of the Second World War. Over 160,000 Merlin engines were produced and fitted into a wide variety of aircraft and continue to be highly sought after by enthusiasts. While Rolls-Royce’s fabled Merlins have found various, limited marine and automotive applications after the 1940s, few have been as attractive and astonishing as this 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II. Fitted with a Merlin I engine that produces approximately 1,100 horsepower sans supercharger, this particular Phantom II is truly one of a kind. In fact, the only comparable automobile is a Phantom III, likewise fitted with such an engine and presently in the esteemed collection of comedian and auto enthusiast Jay Leno. Chassis 64GX did indeed begin its life as a Phantom II and was eventually owned by one Mr. Stephen J. Langton of England before its sale in the late 1970s to Nicholas Harley in London. In 2000, it was sold by an enthusiast in Oklahoma to the Wiseman Collection, where it has remained ever since. http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=199181 According to copy on the 1/16 Revell kit, "Royce equipped this car with a massive V-12 engine, taking it directly from the company's successful airplane engines."

The Rolls Phantom III had a Merlin-based V12.

When did you post them? A site hosting change after late November resulted in everyone losing posts for a few weeks after that.

The current topic I'm referring to was moved to the off-topic lounge down at the bottom, not Q&A.

Send a pm to Casey. I believe there's a step for resetting IE preferences.

If you look down in the Q&A section, you'll see a current thread on these problems. The typical problem seems to occur most often with the Internet Explorer browser.

I find it semi-amusing when people refer to the 1/16 kits of Minicraft as Minicrap. Almost all of their 1/16 kits originated with other manufacturers like Gunze Sangyo, Academy, and have been issued earlier by Entex, Revell, et al. Minicraft is a mixed bag -- some kits are good, some aren't.

This topic is a year old, so I would doubt that these replies will go anywhere. However, I've heard that Revell tends to follow this forum, so who knows?

One of the toughest parts of Mercedes kits is painting the hubcaps. Any tips?

Spectacular work. Truly looks real.

As good as it gets.

Bada bing!

What's with all the vertical bars on the middle and the sides behind the radiator mesh? Those need to go away. Just put the kit radiator piece behind the mesh.