1975 De Tomaso Longchamp (fixing things)

[Reuhkapelti2]

I built this De Tomaso some years ago using the body of a Nascar Thunderbird as a start. There was a real Longchamp in Finland at that time and it inspired me to build this model. 

The model is mostly scratch built, and time (and me) has done some damage to it. The paint has lost it's gloss (didn't shine much when new either, now sanded) , there are cracks and some parts have come off. The windows don't fit too well and that kind of stuff. The hood has lost the right shape also (almost fixed now). 

I'm taking it to parts, and try to fix these problems to get it look better. Then my De Tomaso Longchamp can take it's place in the front row on my shell again. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by Reuhkapelti2

[vamach1]

Looks like a lot of scratch building went into this.  Is the automatic trans shift selector scratch built?  It looks very similar to the one in a 69-73 Mustang.

[Reuhkapelti2]

Yes everything else but the ring of the steering wheel is scratch built. De Tomaso  used many parts from Ford when making Longchamps.

[Reuhkapelti2]

Some progress here, base coat to show where to fix even more. 

And then I cut half of the side away. Same thing will happen to the drivers side later. 

[Reuhkapelti2]

A bit better I think. Still have to modify the rear section of the side behind the rear wheel and in front too. They are too bulky as was the side skirt before I cut it off and made this new version. It curves more beneath of the body. The whole car looked too heavy. 

I think those special order bumpers that the Finnish owned Longchamp had will come off too and I put more narrow ones instead. We'll see if that happens later. 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Reuhkapelti2

[Brizio]

Nice restoration! I remember seen one, good looking car!

[Reuhkapelti2]

Thanks Brizio! I've seen one too, only once and immideatly had to start building a model of that. It happened several years ago. Now I will try to make this model a bit better. 

I got the front end done (under the bumper which doesn't exist yet) and the rear bumper is getting there. The bumper corners are too roundish, but they will be fixed. 

The exhaust tips are there too. 

[Dann Tier]

VERY cool project!!!!

[Pico]

I remember see this on the Finn model building site - I was following Niko's Ferraris - and thinking what an interesting and challenging project it was. Excellent work.

 

[Bainford]

Cool subject, and cool project. Lots of work here. It's coming along nicely.

[Reuhkapelti2]

Thanks everybody! Today's task was to make the bumpers. I took the earlier shown bumper frame off, it was too thick. Now there is only those narrow one piece bumpers instead, made of parts trees. 

Also the thin window posts are glued, but them being so thin I'm sure they will brake and dissappear many times while messing around. 

[djflyer]

wow - great (re)build of a very little known car.  Have always liked these obscure sports/GT's so would love to know how you made this from a T-bird stocker.

 

[Reuhkapelti2]

Thanks David, if you have the time and interest, you can find the building topic from this Finnish Car Modelling Association site by clicking this link

http://www.fcma.fi/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10168

Lots of discussion in finnish but some good photos too. Please, have a look. 

In the photo above you can see some original red T-bird plastic behind the rear wheel. 

>Ismo<

[djflyer]

I will have to brush up on my finnish it appears!   I dont recognize the body from any of the NASCAR's I have - which kit did you use for the body, and which for the chassis (it looks like a non-race chassis)?

Thanks again - great stuff.

[Reuhkapelti2]

David, after so many years this model was made, I'm not sure which kit T-bird was. I think though, that I used all parts but the body in this Ford Galaxie, also the 27 decals. McDonalds? Jimmy Spencer? But as said, not quite sure. 

The chassis for De Tomaso is taken and made shorter from 90's Chevy Impala police kit, interior tub too but it's mostly scratch. I often mix parts and make my own. Wheels from a Mopar etc. Rear axle from E-type Jag. 

>Ismo<

Edited November 21, 2019 by Reuhkapelti2

[Reuhkapelti2]

Found it, the T-bird kit that gave the body for this De Tomaso and the rest of it was used to build that Galaxie as vintage Nascar. 

[Reuhkapelti2]

My "De Tomato" got some paint. First it was Tamiya red, but the tone was too orange, so I sprayed two coats of Motip red and now I think it's red enough. 

The interior has to be painted in different colour too. That red wine tone doesn't match at all with that bright red body. 

[Reuhkapelti2]

Today I mixed matte white, brown and a drop of yellow paint and got the interior change its colour from dark red wine to this light cream tone. 

The head lights are going to be four round ones instead of two big rectangle shape lences as earlier was. 

[Reuhkapelti2]

Woooah not the easiest nose job. I made the whole grill new, because the earlier one was a bit too narrow for this body. Total 15 pieces in one grill! The front fenders tend to go wider where they should be more straight, but that's something I can't fix anymore. Therefore the front blinckers will be slightly out of 1:1 shape. Maybe it's no big deal. 

 

Edited November 27, 2019 by Reuhkapelti2

[Dann Tier]

Love the progress!!!

[Reuhkapelti2]

Thanks Dann! Today I got the grill and the bumpers chromed and the little grills (louvers) installed and painted black. I needed to make the interior tub higher so it reaches to the side windows. 

Next thing to do is to fight with the new windows and make new front blinckers. 

Edited November 30, 2019 by Reuhkapelti2

[Maindrian Pace]

Coming along very well, hard to imagine that this started as a Thunderbird given how correct it looks now.

[Reuhkapelti2]

Thanks Mike! Today I got the windshield and the rear window cut and placed. Not perfect, but those windows are the best ones I've done so far in my model car body conversions. No glue, just small bits of plastic to give support inside the window frame. 

I'm also trying to fix the front blincker problem with  plastic pieces and some putty. Those corners were shaped quite wrong earlier, and now I'm struggling to get them somehow to look better. I should have done this before painting the body, but I thought they would do fine. Let's see how it goes. 

Got the Longchamp brochure today, that I bought from ebay. It presents the GTS version with the wheel opening flares etc. Oh what a car, I'd take one immediatly into my garage. Only 420 were made, all versions inclueded. 

[Dann Tier]

Freaking BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!.....work of art in motion!!!

[Phildaupho]

Article on Longchamp on Autoweek https://autoweek.com/article/classic-cars/rare-anywhere-de-tomaso-longchamp-was-luxurious-coupe-ford-v8