Airfix 1/12 Bentley Blower

[Bugatti Fan]

It's been an interesting voyage following your thread Francois.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with the Pocher Rolls Royce restoration project.

[oldrevellfan]

wonderfull model !

[François]

I did a bit of work on the display case lights. A lot of wiring to do but so far so good. 

I first tested my connections to make sure that all 6 lights were functional after parallel hook up.

Then I started the final wiring with soldered connections. In lieu of shrink tubes to cover the exposed wires (not enough space) I poored some transparent glue in the jonction boxe to cover the wires and keep then from moving. 

[François]

I completed the display case today and with that done, this build is now 100% finished. I just need to decide how to position the car in the case. My original idea was to display the body on the cart I made so the all the mechanics I added on the frame could be visible. I have to test both configuration and see which is best. For now,  the body is on the frame and it sure looks good. Here are a few pictures. 

This was my original idea 

 

the real case with body on frame

All window panels riveted

And to finish it off, a little video

 

[Kaenned]

Wow François! What an incredible achievement. The dedication, attention and patience is unbelievable in the truest sense of the word. A model car, deserving of a feature in a car magazine. Well done!

[absmiami]

You have my permission to carefully pack this beauty and drive it over the border to a show or contest to be determined - just give us lots of notice - we sure would like to see this - or maybe we’ll all just come to Canada - and line up outside your fr door - waiting for admission - pl serve pop corn …

[François]

Thank you absmiami. Every good word that you all have said means a lot. I really would like to expose somewhere but I just don't know where.  There are very few model shows in Canada and close to none in Québec.  Going south would be an option.  

Salted and buttered the pop corn?

[François]

I'm pretty close to having the final setup in the display case.  I've positionned the car and the boby in a way that I think shows them off properly.  My only concern being, is it too busy.  I'm not sure about the mirored floor.  I'm exposing on August 4th at my local hobby shop it' not an official meet, it's more of a combo model car/ real antique car day. So I'll bring the Triumph Tr6 along with a few model. I'll be able to see how the bentley in it's display case is received. 

[absmiami]

Light salt and light butter por favor …  there are several IPMS shows in the Northeast - including one in Buffalo  - and a little farther down - you could consider the NNL shows - such as the NNL east - and i think there is an NNL show still in Cincinnati ??

[Zippi]

Man....that is a killer display there François. A real Quality build.

[LaughingIndian]

Thank you thank you! 

This is amazing … what a great presentation … 20 pages of free entertainment! 

I think you’re right about the mirror … so much to see it doesn’t need another angle … maybe a brick or concrete floor with stains — not from your Bentley of course ?

hey, you’re so creative, how ‘bout a puddle reflecting just a bit of the undercarriage?

im not worthy to speak more …

Edited July 1, 2024 by LaughingIndian

[Big John]

Looking back at the photos of your 1:1 subject car the floor is neutral gray epoxy paint with a few wear marks and tire tracks.  Maybe a few water stains around the sprinkler risers?  The mirror does kind of confuse the overhead view. that ll said, this has been an exciting build and great share!  Thank you again for the adventure, looking forward to the Rolls custom roadster.

[François]

Thanks for the feedback,  I do like the idea of the greyish floor with a few tire marks and a small miror under the engine to show the rotating crank shaft. I'll play around with it a bit. I added a turntable under the case and passed the lighting feedwire thru the center so it can easy rotate a few turns. I also made a second electrical box to house the lighting potentiometer. Should be cool. Pictures to come later this week. 

[Bugatti Fan]

Well Francois, it has been quite a path to follow looking at the progress on this incredible model.

Looking forward to following your next modelling adventure !

[François]

I played around a bit wirh the case floor. I found a light gray cardboard to act as tla concrete floor, I added a few oil stains (it's a british car, they leak) and some tire tracks. I also added a cast iron floor grate. The idea with the grate is to have a water puddle under the radiator/engine block area that will drain towards it. The water will be made with a very thin flexible plastic miror.  I'll position the puddle so that the engine can be seen without the need for a full mirored floor. The puddle in the pictures is only a test,  but the rest is pretty much final. I also finished the lighting control panel,  I used a hand wheel in lieu of a knob to ajust the intensity. 

Many thanks to LaughingIndian and big John for the inspiration.

 Nameplate not fixed yet

 

Edited July 5, 2024 by François

[Big John]

I like the mirror as an oil spill headed for the grate (and an environmental disaster.)

[TNT]

Crazy good work. A lot of the old european cars had wood frames, has to be a pain to rebuild one. The black n red really sets it off. 

[François]

Thank you!

Big John,  l like to thing that the miror is more a water spill from the radiator.  Less harmfull... as long as it's not prestone!! The spill is just a first test,  the shape is wrong.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Outstanding model!

[Big John]

Must be clean water, if it were prestone you would need a chartreuse mirror.

[LaughingIndian]

On 7/5/2024 at 4:44 AM, François said:

I played around a bit wirh the case floor. I found a light gray cardboard to act as tla concrete floor, I added a few oil stains (it's a british car, they leak) and some tire tracks. I also added a cast iron floor grate. The idea with the grate is to have a water puddle under the radiator/engine block area that will drain towards it. The water will be made with a very thin flexible plastic miror.  I'll position the puddle so that the engine can be seen without the need for a full mirored floor. The puddle in the pictures is only a test,  but the rest is pretty much final. I also finished the lighting control panel,  I used a hand wheel in lieu of a knob to ajust the intensity. 

Many thanks to LaughingIndian and big John for the inspiration.

 

 Nameplate not fixed yet

 

great switch! 
 

the puddle works showing the undercarriage … maybe feather the edges with the same media as you did the oil stain?

I thought you’d like the canadas anyway …

[Armando]

Hi Francois,

First of all, I have to say that I am amazed by your incredible work on the Bentley: I can only join the others in complimenting you. I am working on the same kit and I do not pretend to reach your result but, as an amateur modeler, I think I can do a good job even taking inspiration from yours. So I have a couple of questions for you: where do the battery cables go? Where do the fuel cables go? I imagine they are connected to the carburetors but where, exactly? By the way, where do the three small pipes that come out of the carburetors go? Last question: which cable is it the one you tied together with the two fuel ones and where does it go? I really hope you will read me and have time to answer me. Congratulations again.

 

[François]

Hello Armando, 

Thank you very much for your interest in my Bentley project.  I have to check before answering your questions,  I really don't remember so I will get back to you. In the meantime,  you could check this link which is my photo album of this project from start to finish, it might help.  Bentley blower build album

[Armando]

18 hours ago, François said:

Hello Armando, 

Thank you very much for your interest in my Bentley project.  I have to check before answering your questions,  I really don't remember so I will get back to you. In the meantime,  you could check this link which is my photo album of this project from start to finish, it might help.  Bentley blower build album

Thanks a lot, Francois!

I already know your project page, I'm looking and studying at it since I've started the kit: otherwise, the number of my questions would have been so much higher! 

[François]

Armando,  here's what I found out. 

As you probably know, most of what I did on this model was not in the kit but rather based on my ref car and the pictures of it that I had. So some features are accurate (the ones I could find pictures of) and some were left to my imagination (when I didn't have any info). And sometimes,  I had to do certain thing in order to accommodate my own selfish need.

First, the easy to explain one. The 2 fuel lines coming from the fuel pump are hooked up to the 2 brass tubings that are under the carburators. 

Next, what comes out of the carburators. You have 2 brass tubings circled in bleu (the ones hooked up to the fuel lines) and the other one, circled in red, would be the throttle rod. Let me know if these are the three tubes you are talking about.

Next, the battery cables. This is where it get a bit complicated.  

The 2 battery cables are made to look like the are connected to the starter motor but in reality,  they stop at the jonction circled in red

The cables connected to the starter are actually real electrical wires hooked up to a miniature gearmotor hidden inside the started housing (that is part of my own selfish need).

So the cables you see running alongside the fuel lines are the gearmotor wires and they go all the way to rear of the car and are connected to the control box. 

Now I imagine that you are not as crazy as me and don't have a hidden gearmotor to energize so from the battery you could go directly to the starter.  I'm not sure if this is how it should be but that's how I would do it.

Please let me know if this info helps and if you need into other information. 

I don't know if you have followed my current project but here is the link just in case. It even crazier then the bentley. 

Good luck with your be bentley ans sent some pictures. 

1/12 scale Hydra coupe scratch built