Harry P.

Welcome aboard, Chris!

The car looks like something out of a Disney fairy tale movie. Because I can't find any photos or even any written info on this car, I'm thinking it was a one-off, custom-bodied car that's sitting in some museum somewhere. Like so many Japanese kits of this era (the '70s), it's motorized. I have no idea what the Japanese fascination with motorizing model cars was all about, but for some reason they thought it was desirable. I'll be building this kit minus the motorized stuff... I don't see any reason to have a motorized model. The engine is a generic version of a big old four cylinder engine typical of the period, but it's not very realistic, and made so that the electric motor can fit inside. Since I have zero photos of the engine of this car, I'm going to glue the hood shut and call it a day. The only part of the engine that will be visible is the bottom of it, so I disassembled what the previous builder had started, cleaned up the parts, rebuilt the engine, and painted the whole thing a metallic color. I'll do some black washes on the oil pan and make the bottom of the engine look presentable, but nothing more than that...

I've been on the lookout for this kit for years... finally found one at a reasonable price on ebay (reasonable because someone had already started it; the engine and part of the chassis was already built). It's a 1901 (more on that later) Bianchi, in 1/16 scale. Like so many of these old Japanese 1/16 scale kits, they have been released under various brand names and box art over the years... I happen to have the Bandai release. This is the box art... As you can see, the box art is an illustration, not a photo of the real car. And there is no model year listed. Which brings me to the question about the actual model year. This has to be one of the most mysterious cars I've ever tried to research. After many searches online, I managed to find only one image of the real car, this one, on a site that covers the history of Bianchi. They list it as a 1901... Virtually all other mentions of this car online refer to either the 1/16 scale model kit, or a 1/43 diecast... and all of those call this a 1906 Bianchi. So not only couldn't I find any info or photos of this car, I couldn't even get a definite model year. EDIT: Thanks to Christian (Junkman) for the model year. It's a 1906.

I wish Hornby would produce some new Pocher classics. I'd pay whatever they asked to get one. There are so many possible subjects... a Duesenberg... a Cadillac V16... a Packard... a Pierce-Arrow... so many possibilities!

Thanks, guys, for the nice comments. Bill... yep, I am a pretty fast builder. If I actually had worked on this model "full time" (8 hours a day, 5 days a week), I think I would have finished it in a week, tops. As it is, I worked on it here and there, when I had the time.

Remember... don't post any hints or answers here. PM me with year, make, and model. The answer: 1963-65 Autobianchi Stellina

Wow! Super clean and sharp. Did you open up the doors and trunk? I don't think the kit comes that way.

Cabovers are still very popular in Europe, in fact they're probably the most commonly seen big rig style.

Julia Roberts' head on Kat Denning's body.

Watercolor is probably the hardest painting medium. Yours look great.

I just got in from shoveling about 10 inches of "joy" that began falling last night and didn't stop until this afternoon! The weather guys say it was the largest single November snowfall we've had in forty years! Oh goody...

Nah. He had a wife for that!

They were optional. Actually they were part of the "Comfort and Convenience" option package that included the mirrors, power seat, cupholders, upgraded stereo with subwoofer, dual-zone climate control/AC, and floor mats. This one wasn't optioned that way...

Looks nice and clean to me!

No photo here either.

Sounds like they got a good deal. Price paid seems more than fair.

I love the "out of the box" color combo. You see this car built a bazillion times... any time you can add a unique twist to it to make it all yours, that's a good thing!

Since we don't have an "Under Glass" section for "other models," I'll just add the finished photos here at the end of the WIP. Questions, comments, critiques, and suggestions are welcome.

It's hard to see in the photos, but there is a load of coal in there. It would run on coal or firewood... either. Or both. Even old newspapers. Whatever burns. The point was to feed the fire that heated the water that created the steam that drove the pistons.

This week's car is a 2007-present Citroen C5. Who got it right (some first-timers in the winner's list)... Matthijsgrit GeeBee Matt Bacon Maltsr dw1603 ChrisR 花火 (Hanabi) Badluck13 Dominik GregK chunkypeanutbutter Richard Bartrop

I really like that. It's almost surrealistic, definitely a very different and unique take on the subject.

Old school, baby! Nice work.

I'm not sure I'll be trying to turn it over at all. I'm afraid that the stress on those thin piston connecting rods and assorted bits would surely cause something to break or one of those tiny glue joints to snap. I don't want to try making it "work" and then trying to fix broken pieces!

A few more details added... the bell (using chain supplied in the kit) and the control levers on the right side that were used to shift the tractor between forward and reverse by sliding the drive gears into different configurations... And the water hose used to fill the water tank (from a cistern, a well, or even a nearby pond or stream). The kit supplies a length of vinyl tubing for this, but the tubing is very shiny and very stiff... it would have been pretty tough to loop it around the hose rack. Instead, I used some rubber tubing I found at Hobby Lobby in the jewelry aisle. It's very soft and flexible, and has a perfectly flat finish. I assume it's meant to be used to string beads onto for making necklaces... but despite what it's "supposed" to be used for, it makes perfect 1/16 scale rubber hose. The belt is a paper strip painted to look like leather, and the brass buckle is from the kit...