Cato

Fair warning... In an abrupt change from interior work, (anything to avoid making those seats!) and after exhaustive research, I learned I could get exactly the look I was after from the finished car. All I had to do was hack, drill, saw and sand on my sweetheart. Now you may be sick of this opera by now but I've just added more months to the project. I will supply No-Doze to any still riding along. This view, taken months earlier shows the arrangement of the body panels to each other. Note that the brace rod between radiator and firewall rises at the rear to meet the firewall. Well that ain't the way they were: that was Pocher's solution. The entire hood top line was flat from front to rear. Having followed Pocher and Koo got me to this point. Now research has taught me that the body can be channeled, the floor lowered, and the windscreen and top chopped. Not for the faint of heart however. This knowledge came to me by studying the fantastic custom models of David Cox at his site: http://www.detailedmodelcars.com/ Yes, this will still be a classic Rolls Sedanca, not a rat rod, Blastolene, custom or low rider. Just a lot more how they REALLY looked. I've been working through the alignments and architecture for some time now and plastic and metal have been sacrificed and the camera clicking. I will soon post the idea for any I haven't already alienated.

Lovely build. Best door fit of any SL in any scale. Only nit; not sure if it's camera angle but the nose looks a bit 'pancaked' to me. Skip?

Somebody send an EMS team to Jordan's house.....

First class installation and presentation.

'Scuse me...comin' through! Second one done... Literally took half the time. Nothing glued yet awaiting paint on the jambs (soon). Front window channel not yet covered while I ponder how much to cut the windscreen:

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=100532

Look no further than Mr Jordan.

Nice work. Small correction; your closed side is actually the starboard side.

P II production; Aug 1929 to Oct 1935. courtesy Raymond Gentile. For your user fee Mike, you must purchase a Pocher Rolls (either of the 3 types) and start your project of converting one to a Springfield. As a WIP right here...

Rolls Royce anything welcomed here...

I don't know if you can blend clear now. But a future tip is to add 2K clear to your touch-up coats in increasing levels of clear. That will get you close.

The theme continues... Having committed to the carpet, 'wood' and leather, here's a place they all come together; the door panel. As is my usual practice, I'm terrible at fabric and leather and struggled a great deal. As I said earlier, I've got to do two or three tries to get a perfect final, usable piece. I forgot how many of these I made and chucked. There are panels of different thickness which is very important when working leather. When you wrap around edges, you've got to account for that thickness when laying-out the parts. And constantly check you didn't make the door so thick it won't close. I'm bad at this. Here are both doors, inner and outer. Note that I whacked off the rear door pillars which hold the glass track. I learned that many Sedancas didn't have them. Just as well because Pocher supplies warped ones: These are all the elements; wood door cap, pleated center side panel with foam surround, and piped carpet on the lower edge. Templates are made of all the correct shapes for doing again on the other door (shudder). The small holes on the white backer panel (.010") are for the window winder and latch handle which are on the way from MMC. The leather-covered parts will be drilled to match after final assembly.Each of the parts is glued to a backer of either .010", .020" styrene or .015" ply. That's why some are slightly curled from the stretching of the leather: The intended unit. Now don't yell, they are just placed together. So they're a little curly and there are some gaps. Trust me, these all fit perfectly together without gaps and lay flat when adhered in place. Edges tuck under other edges with no rough edges. There is no tension because they are all so thin. I'm sure the leather pros have much simpler and neater methods but I was making this up as I went along, having no prior experience. The front door pillar is not yet covered with wood but will be. A word here about the 'paper wood'. I whined a lot earlier about cutting corners by not using real wood veneer like the pros. But I have since come to LOVE this method. It's a huge timesaver, gives the look I was after and is easier to cut than anything else - it's photo paper. Get the Kodak brand, semi-gloss finish and when your pieces are done, shoot with acrylic clear. Plus I have a never-ending free supply by just printing the photo over and over: Having viewed dozens of RR model and 1:1 interiors, I struggled to choose a pattern I liked. I knew it had to have pleats to coordinate with the seats. So I just sketched out what came to mind as seen a few posts back. After I made one (and discarded) I realized something gave me the idea and there was a 'logic' to my choice. You see it here; the hood side panel and cowl louvers have the same angle as the door cut line. The pleats had to follow that angle, mimicking the louvers. A happy (for me) accident and the lines harmonize for me: Another happy accident about using the paper; it's very structural. Here the door cap is seen with the 5mm return to the outer edge. It was simply scored on the back and folded to give the appearance of a massive, one-piece wooden trim cap. Of course I had to measure and cut a zillion times to get the angles and shapes right. I urge any big scale builders to try printed paper when wood is called for in your project: Now the bad news is, I've got to do this all over again for the passenger door...........

Very nice Bruce. Alclad over that blue works well on a racecar. Don't forget to plumb those calipers with braided line...

Thanks Angelo. Didn't think it was off topic. Which is why I'll never be a mod.... EDIT: Just realized that Robert may not think to look in the lounge for his thread.....................

Because they can. The Kirkhams built Larry Ellison's totally billet aluminum Cobra. Chassis, suspension and engine. They sell a billet oil pan for conventional FE's with o-ring seal to block and pan bottom is the drain.

I attempted to help Robert (old'n slow) who asked about a thread he'd seen but could not remember where. His thread was titled 'Short Term Memory Loss'. He was asking about the 'Opinions needed' thread. Where is his thread with my answer and why is it gone? I don't know if he saw it.

Here you go Robert: www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=100559 Would help if topics were more descriptive. STML is better than the alternative my friend. Now where did I put my Exacto...?

Fascinating history in proximity to you. A friend's dad was a famous Indian racer (may have been a 'factory rider' IIRC) in '30's and '40's. I took it as such and thanks for that Mike.

Build in a vent for a big spray booth; don't scrimp on that.

Understood. But I will tell you, my Rolls sat in basement for a year before laying-out. I spent that time studying, visualizing and planning my look and soaking-up the 'culture' of how these get built and modified. You can do that too while your 'life stuff' goes on. Sure, kid time is important. But mine are adults and the closest I have is 'grand kid time'. I hear you about a classy workshop. It's my one regret. However, I got this far in my home office, on a drafting table and two card tables. PIA yes, but it can be done.

I get you and a sensible approach. But I have seen enough of your work to tell you this; you have enough skills so you can build a very credible big classic with diligent reference. Nobody's first one is as good as their second one but you will have an amazing thing to look at even built close to box-stock. Much more visually rewarding than the sports car series. And all the Koo how-to and online advice you can get will lift you above that level. But you seem to like doing less-time consuming builds more frequently and I understand that. Many enjoy a shorter attention- span project I have provided 460+ photos and text and I'm sure Harry is an even better source of advice (he's built 6 or 7 I think to my 2) so there's plenty of hand-holding if you need it. Which I doubt. Rant over.......

Warpath? You ain't seen nuthin' if she finds the charges for all the plastic you bought in the last 2 months..................

Went from a very nice mild 428 in the early years to the Sideoiler seen here. Very serious 550 HP in 2650 pounds.

And they are glass or Plexi, so they can be SEEN through...

A. Who makes the 1/12? B. Avoid red wind wings and bolt-on wheels.