Cato

I disagree; the classics are the better, more rewarding experience based on my Roller experience. No going from one box to another, build after build. It kicks my butt to stretch farther than anything other than the Cobra. Hope you come over to the classics. The Roller's been 14 months with at least as many to go I think. I'll be lost when it's 'done'. OTOH, this project has been 27 years. Could have been in and out of all manner of muscle or exotics in that time but this obnoxious thing has been my all. I'm like that I guess.

Less shiny looking: On your topic; I suspect you will be disappointed with the 40. I had the TR (NIB from '91) and was lucky enough to sell it. Cracked plastic bits (like the 'screen frame and 'screen), different shade, orange peel-laden panels. toy like suspension, wonky interior bits, yada yada...A big diecast which is an insult to diecasts.

Why didn't you think of me?

You get a 'like' for that Joe...

Planning and a little work... Using tracings of the actual door and rear panel, I sketched-up a design I could live with for the cabin decor: Shown here is the proposed top and windscreen cut. The side panel is actually made of 5 parts; .020 styrene (twice), .015 ply, .010 leather and .007 paper (wood). Reason being that having made the rear seat wider than Pocher's, the panel needed to be thinner on the lower section. The wood portion was built up for strength and a realistic thickness and overhang for a wood trim piece. Although not this way, I've seen 1:1's with wood trim in the area below the top like this. The wood is part of the sweep of the door wood cap from the IP rearward. I'm relying heavily on the fact that all these cars were made to order so I'm pretending to be rich and eccentric in 1932. Yes, I made both sides: Tucked in place, it's starting to take shape:

Don't tell Jordan........................

Yeah Scotty - subtle like that one...........

Ahhh-not exactly. It will be very subtle...

Stepping off the gangplank... A non-visual update; not much gluing or such to show you in the interim but a lot of re-evaluating and planning. I have in fact designed on paper the interior door panels of leather and wood and made the rear interior panels next to the seat. But a great deal of mental wood-burning. I have been influenced by the work of a couple of very advanced, professional Pocher builders. I have awakened to the fact that these classic models can be extensively accurized and modified if you plan ahead and are unafraid to hack up expensive plastic. I learned I could get closer to the 'look' I envisioned for the end product from the day I opened the box. That vision was for a low, jaunty and classy looking Continental tourer in the 'Grand Style'. Well I got the low part already by lowering the suspension and body work. So now, I'm getting much more aggressive with alterations to get the look. After a lot of thought and study, I will remove the top from the coach and cut material from it to lower its leading edge. I will also chop the windscreen an equal amount for a compatible roof line. I'll scratch a chrome windshield frame, something not provided in the kit. The last major mod, which I'm still contemplating, is to lower the cowl which lowers the rear of the hood line (the 1:1 was flat) and aligns the cowl and hood louver tops in a straight line. This last is no parlor trick and requires removal of my previously attached, finished firewall and much panel alteration of the hood bits. Also interior and rear body mods too. Not for the faint of heart and I might chicken-out. So I'm probably nuts to go this far with what's a nice model OOB. But I'm a sucker for that 'look' I described and although probably adding months (+) to this opus, nothing less will satisfy me. And if I junk it up, I have only myself to curse. It is not lost on me that this hobby which we all say we do for relaxation has been a non-stop challenge to keep pushing past my limits. Got away with it so far and that instigates me more. I'm learning that that's what Pocher classics are really about. Crazy...

Bad boy Booted by BBC today. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3010167/Top-Gear-presenter-Jeremy-Clarkson-sacked-BBC-internal-investigation-concludes-did-attack-producer-steak-dinner-fracas.html

I'll put it this way: In 1995, I repaired a broken cast iron bolt boss in the oil pan rail of an engine that sees 7000 RPM and is bathed in 250 degree oil. After it cured, I tapped it to hold the bolt that gets torqued to 25 LBFT. Should be OK in your plastic model car I think...

Your detail was most appreciated by me when I did my 1/16. I think you will have the best Tammy SL build in the world but fear we won't see it.

If you dip it, yes you could if you can sand it circular again. Can fill holes with it and redrill any size you want too. Just work quickly with it.

I have taken well-cured Future off clear windshields with a brief soak in slightly warm Windex. Comes right off with a rinse. As Harry says, you may not want to (or be able to) do that on the model. Easily removes acrylic craft paints.

JB Weld.

A few are hung-up on the red wheels Harry. They just don't 'get' it. "I painted the wheels red, just because I like the look of the red wheels against the wide whites and the body color. Not "factory correct," but it's my model, so I do it my way! " The wheels are no more obnoxious than the matching lipstick red of the interior. In fact they coordinate beautifully. They both add to the jaunty character of the car. I sense that Harry was going for an 'in the day' presentation of the car as driven in the first years of its life; not an over-restored lollypop of today. The gloss seems very commensurate with how they came. I think, like me, Harry builds models how he'd like his 1:1 to be, if he owned one.

I just noticed you're back in the furniture business; did you fab that beautiful black trunk? Where did the silver filigree latches come from you sly dog...?

Thank you Ken. 46" is amazing and a museum piece. Makes my 26" Rolls Royce tiny. Beautiful work. Post more and better pictures although I know it's hard to photo something that big. The detail photos would be fine. BTW - did you scratch build all the blocks in the rigging or are they included?

Alex, did you abandon this build or just us? Hoping for an update as a LOT of useful tech info came out of this thread. As you can see, I stole er, borrowed your idea for faux wood burl. Except instead of adhesive shelf paper, I used printed photos of the pattern I wanted and glued it section by section. Then acrylic clear. Please continue with the build; there's lots of great experience here to share:

I think that Future is the key to an 'in-the-day' original enamel finish look. That you brush it is slightly amazing. Isn't dust a factor? Your great skill is getting the absolute most out of what you're given without need for over top super detail. You use an 'economy' of build effort because you get things right first time. Plus your aesthetic choices are inbred; all your schemes are visually delightful and usually novel. Like a graphic artist might do.

Those that have ordered; when are these scheduled to arrive? Any news from your retailers?

Length Over All...

No I understand about these. I started a kit of 'The Flying Fish' schooner in the '80's. Had to buy replacement sheet to make my own planks. Left it when I started my 1:1 project. I ask again, what scale is this? What is LOA? I can see the difficulty factor now and your obvious great skills.

Alan, That's Ray Barton's Dart. Tony Bartone raced Chevy's with doors up to Jim Dunn's TF/FC. Good job on the Dart.

You are denying the rest of us the benefit of your insight and workmanship. You freely share your knowledge. I've hounded you on all the classics you have (to no avail) but would quit if you just share your build on this one.