Cato

No I didn't leave town... I have been working steadily around our life situations but don't have show 'n tell stuff quite ready (although photos taken). I have made 4 brass windshield frames to finally get a satisfactory one to keep. Very tedious making the curved, solder-filled corners and getting the shape bent to match the cowl opening. Keeping the solder from flowing into the channels (so the Lexan rests in the channel like 1:1) has been a major learning curve for me. Shortly I will make frames for windwings and side glass as well as the rear glass. More brass and solder work but no bends. Then hopefully the chroming process. I have also heavily reworked the chopped styrene cowl / windshield surround and removed the beltline as molded by Pocher. Mine will have extensive body massaging as well as a new beltline. Bondo dust has been flying... Because this is such a highly visible area, I have been sweating bullets to get the shapes, planes and proportion right. Time will tell but that's why this all takes me so long. Others more skilled routinely fly through these steps. Things to see soon...

PM sent.

Just FYI, I was not referring to the TDR stuff. And we're all on budgets - which always get blown out the window for special projects like this. So the kids miss a few meals and go to trade school - what's more important???

WOW! Christian IS EVEN SICKER (in a good way) THAN I AM! Mike on a serious note, I can put you in touch with a perfect resin 1/8 Jag six with 3 side draft Webers.

Then I'm a 'blasphemer' of the highest order. Yeah, a small 8-71 installed Bentley style with screens over the Kinsler mechanical injection stacks for the 392 Hemi... C'mon, now you're toying with me - you've probably got it drawn up already, and are bidding on the 'bay.

If?? You've already got a running chassis and a good start on a beautiful interior - it's half-built right now. Jus' sayin'...

Similar to my thinking; the level of problem-solving here has become commensurate with Pocher work. All this effort could have been expended on the larger scale rather than a test or dress rehearsal build. Why go through this twice? I am deeply involved with altering and creating new panels for the Sedanca and your 'Brake will be no different. Possibly even easier than this 1/16 given the size of the parts once you get past the engineering. Making templates, trial fits and out-of-the box thinking are stock in trade for advanced builds such as you contemplate and I'm involved with. Plus you already have many fine Pochers under your belt which you built far from box-stock. I have no doubt you will make an excellent 1/16 Rolls out of this but would have loved to see you working at twice the size.

Of course we are!! Yes, Marvin and Jorge's P I is other-wordly but you can do well with a Sedanca PII base. After all, they did. If you are less strict with accuracy you will still have an outstanding model and be able to detail to your heart's content. Re-think maybe.............

Good man Scott. We need more Pochers on here...

Mike, Superlative and creative job. Has great presence and character without being 'ratty'. Only thing I carp at is the tunnel ram; a Victor junior single or Z-28 dual set up is what I'd have done. But that's just me and it takes nothing away from the model in the least. I'd really love to see you literally take this to the next level; a 1/8 version using one of the Pocher Benz's as a base. You'd knock that out of park...

Try to get outside light from at least two sides. Your eyes don't last forever - trust me...

Doug, where did you get drawings and reference for a '35 LaSalle??

Doug, spectacular accomplishments. Very advanced modeling. A highly unusual subject; I know of no other LaSalle models. Love to see it.

The coordinating cut of the windshield frame. With the addition of a fabricated brass channel (the glass sits in the channel like 1:1) frame for the Lexan windscreen. Pocher omitted this important visual detail. Brass shim tabs will be soldered into the curved corners then this will be chromed after completion as will the side and rear window frames. The straight brass channel shows the new height of the glass. The curved one at top is scrap to allow handling safely. This (minus the opening feature) is what we're trying for. Beautiful Sedanca built by David Cox and Marvin Meit of Model Motorcars:

That's a good thing in this scale. This last one looks like a poor job of coachbuilding - roof sags and looks like the body broke apart. All the horizontal lines are on different planes. The first one seems the best with straight hood, roof, side panels and good swoopy fenders. Tiny tires for carrying loads though...

Sure-you don't have to lace these....you scoundrel.

Side-mount spares too?

Big first step... Here's the first test-fit of the roof cut. What you're seeing; the pie-cut is 13mm at front, 6mm at rear, tipping the roof downward in front. The white stipe under the tape is a shim, needed to get both side of roof exacly the same. The actual bottom edge of the top fabric will be below that; the roof is not that short when completed. The roof center section has not yet been cut, only heated and bent downward to keep the rear window from being too small or moving it. The body is tipped-up at the rear because the center is stock height. It will trimmed about 6mm at the bottom edge. This puts the floor dead flat on the frame again. A sub floor will be created to cover all the holes slotted in for crossmember clearance. So the seats have something to bolt to. Also, the previously upholstered and 'wood-trimmed' side panels will need modification to accommodate the new forward roof slant. And the trunk will need serious sectioning as it now is much too high. That's if I don't make a whole new one with sloped back. See? One change leads to many others: To compliment the proportions of the chop, the windscreen frame is cut 3mm. That meant the completed instrument panel inner frame needed to be cut 3mm also. The IP is showing the finished height of the assembly. The sharp-eyed will note the holes in the completed IP; the new MMC chromed bronze switches will go there to add excellent, accurate detail. The cowl below it shows the fresh cut. It will be joined and the seams filled. Running through the photo is the 3/32" square channel brass that will be formed to fit within the cowl opening and into which the .040 Lexan windscreen will be installed - after the brass is chromed. Making the curved corner bends will be done by cutting the channel legs and soldering in brass fill. The object is a smooth seamless curve, all in chrome. This will make the actual glass opening smaller than you see by 3/16" -not a 'mail slot' but noticeably more correct than Pocher stock:

Ixnay on another spare Eric. I pressed my luck to get 5 done without breakage. And yes, I am strongly considering a sloped-back trunk with soft edges...

MAYBE???

Thank you Bruce...a man that understands.

You're gonna build a fricken station wagon, and I'm crazy... Nice to see you again...

Sentence carried out... Everything just placed, not glued. Empty space on left side body shows cut removed; 6mm x 13mm. Tape at windscreen top shows 5mm cut (to come). Tape on door shows where new lower door top line will be. Coachline removed from rear sections and door will be done also. New coachline for all. The roof does not end at the cut line; about 1/4" lower, close to the new door top edge.

That noise you hear... -is the band saw warming up. GULP...