1962 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II by Minicraft Models: WIP

[David G.]

On 6/26/2023 at 1:14 PM, Lunajammer said:

I really like this photo. I mean... a lot. As an art photo, there's room to enjoy interpretations of what we're seeing.

Thank you Mike. It's really just a happy accident, but I'm flattered that you like it so much.

On 6/26/2023 at 11:41 PM, Bugatti Fan said:

Mentioned earlier was the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot being way overscale.

I have heard of ship modellers making diminutive crew figures by twisting very thin wires together and using acrylic artists paint straight from the tube to sculpt around the wire. I would imagine that a very fine filler like Magisculpt, much loved by figure modellers could be used similarly.

Or maybe even some of the acrylic based decorating paint from a match pot could be used on something so small as it can be built up and shaped by brushing around the wire frame and left to harden off before finishing off with a touch of silver.

I had come up with a partial plan to do something like this but hadn't done any research yet. Now I have a more clear direction when I start to look into it. Thanks for your suggestions Noel.

David G.

[Pierre Rivard]

OK David, I take a 6 week break (doing my bit to support the tourism industry...) and coming back I catch you right on the edge of the cliff!

No seriously this is one hell of a project. The kit is as bad as it gets but the subject is splendid. It's one of these you look at thinking easy low count part quick build... but oh no, we must make some improvements...and here we go!

My kind of project and I will be rooting for you all the way. Go for it man!

[David G.]

Thank you so much Pierre. It seems as if you have some experience with this kit.

Upon seeing the contents of the box, those were my feelings almost exactly. Very much a "What have I gotten myself into?" moment.

Again, you're exactly correct Pierre. The subject matter is the main reason that I decided to bite the bullet and build it in spite of its wretched condition. If this were a kit of almost anything else, I most likely would have put it back in the box for some future Post Apocalyptic project build.

Thanks again for your kind words and encouragement.

David G.

 

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

I was able to take a break from all the other things going on in my life and get some work done on the Rolls.

The chrome on this kit is abysmal. So now it's gone.

 

The first to be "rechromed" are the hubcaps as they require the least prep work and would be the easiest to strip and refinish if necessary. I think these will do. The "chrome" is Rustoleum Metallic Chrome from a spray can.

 

Just some quick and simple detail painting for the chassis plate.

 

The same for the interior. Just a quick and simple paint job using a a basic shading technique to add some slight visual interest. I may do more later. But for now,this is it.

 

That's all for now, thank you for your time and attention.

David G.

[Pierre Rivard]

Welcome back David.

That chrome needs a lot of TLC... but salvageable except the headlamps. You might want to get aftermarket units as these are so prominent on this car.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Pierre Rivard

[Anglia105E]

Nice to see you back on this one David G.  . . . There is a lot you can do with this very basic kit, and as you go along you can make decisions about how far you want to go in terms of details. I noticed that Pierre mentioned the headlamps, and it is true what he says. The headlamps will be the difference between a ' toy-like ' look, and a more realistic ' 1:1 ' look . . . You have wisely chosen to re-chrome the Minicraft parts that need some decent chrome. The Revell version of this kit does have much better chrome, but parts like the hub caps and radiator grille are grey plastic anyway.

Have you had any thoughts on the engine? The two bonnet / hood panels do open, but the top view of the kit engine is crudely represented.

I am happy to see someone building the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, so I shall follow your topic with interest.

David W.

[David G.]

21 hours ago, Pierre Rivard said:

Welcome back David.

That chrome needs a lot of TLC... but salvageable except the headlamps. You might want to get aftermarket units as these are so prominent on this car.

Thank you Pierre. Upgrading the headlights is certainly under consideration. Right now though, my main concern is getting the body to where it looks like something  worthy of the name plate. Once I'm there I'll look into other upgrades and improvements.

16 hours ago, Anglia105E said:

Nice to see you back on this one David G.  . . . There is a lot you can do with this very basic kit, and as you go along you can make decisions about how far you want to go in terms of details. I noticed that Pierre mentioned the headlamps, and it is true what he says. The headlamps will be the difference between a ' toy-like ' look, and a more realistic ' 1:1 ' look . . . You have wisely chosen to re-chrome the Minicraft parts that need some decent chrome. The Revell version of this kit does have much better chrome, but parts like the hub caps and radiator grille are grey plastic anyway.

Have you had any thoughts on the engine? The two bonnet / hood panels do open, but the top view of the kit engine is crudely represented.

I am happy to see someone building the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, so I shall follow your topic with interest.

David W.

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement David. My plan at this time is to build this one as a curbside with the bonnet / hood glued shut. I think I can get a much better fit and appearance for it without the considerations of keeping the clunky opening mechanisms operable. 

The headlight upgrade is sort of floating around in the back of my mind while I'm beating the body into shape. I'll likely do something to improve them, I just don't know what yet.

Thanks to you both for your time and feedback, 

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, my bench time of late has been sporadic at best. So I do what I can, when I can, as I can.

The second sanding and filing session reveals some gaps that need filled. Time to grab the baking soda!

 

 

On this side, there are just a few pin-holes. I should be able to fill these in with putty.

 

 

The front is coming along quite nicely. It's time to start thinking about paint colors.

 

 

I'll be using DupliColor Champaign Pearl... and maybe black If I decide to two-tone it. I think I've decided on using the black primer under the gold.

 

That's it for this round. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to post a comment.

David G.

[slusher]

Very nice color choice!

[David G.]

3 hours ago, slusher said:

Very nice color choice!

Thanks Carl, I'm glad you like it.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Thank you all for your patience with the stately pace at which I'm progressing with this build. But it is a stately automobile, so I guess that that works out.

I got the hood sprayed with the primary body color I plan on using. And of course, the body work continues.

 

 

Here's a closer shot of one of the major problem areas. I finally have the transition area smoothed down enough to where I can start planning the panel lines.

 

 

The other side is coming along too but a bit more slowly.

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to post any comments or suggestions you may have.

David G.

[Anglia105E]

Hello David G., . . . That area of the body between the windshield A-pillar, the bonnet / hood, front wing and the front door is so difficult to get right.

I can see that you are dealing with this challenge and having some success too. It is a real shame that Minicraft / Revell didn't pay more attention to this area of the body, which is otherwise pretty good.

The paint colour is just right for this Rolls-Royce.

David W.

[David G.]

Thank you for your kind comment David.

Considering the prestigious subject of this model kit, I want to give it its due. Moreso than the company that produced the kit, apparently. As far as I know this is the only buildable rendition of this car in this scale, which is a shame considering the historical and cultural significance.

Thank you again. My choice of color is inspired by an actual car I encountered in, of all places, Cottonwood, Arizona. As chance would have it, I saw this car on a trip just a couple of weeks after I bought the kit at the Desert Scale Classic in Phoenix.

 

If I remember correctly, the owner told me that this particular car is a 59. But my understanding is that there were only minor differences among the model years produced between 1955 and around 1965. In any case, it is certainly of the same era.

 

I continue to marvel at all the little coincidences that life provides.

Cheers,

David G.

 

[slusher]

Very nice color, David!

[Anglia105E]

On 10/1/2023 at 2:07 PM, David G. said:

Thank you for your kind comment David.

Considering the prestigious subject of this model kit, I want to give it its due. Moreso than the company that produced the kit, apparently. As far as I know this is the only buildable rendition of this car in this scale, which is a shame considering the historical and cultural significance.

Thank you again. My choice of color is inspired by an actual car I encountered in, of all places, Cottonwood, Arizona. As chance would have it, I saw this car on a trip just a couple of weeks after I bought the kit at the Desert Scale Classic in Phoenix.

 

If I remember correctly, the owner told me that this particular car is a 59. But my understanding is that there were only minor differences among the model years produced between 1955 and around 1965. In any case, it is certainly of the same era.

 

I continue to marvel at all the little coincidences that life provides.

Cheers,

David G.

 

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I was produced from 1955 to 1959 with the straight-6 engine and single headlamps, then from 1959 to 1962 the Silver Cloud II had the same body  including single headlamps, but the engine was a V8, and from 1962 to 1966 there was the Silver Cloud III which had the same body apart from double twin headlamps, and V8 engine.

You are correct . . . The Minicraft / Revell kit of this iconic motor car is the only one available in 1:24 scale, and you will also see Entex, Masterkit and Hubley versions of the same kit, all from the same moulds. Hubley kits were moulded in blue plastic, Masterkit were produced in South America, and while kits were produced in grey plastic, some were in white plastic and the most common in black plastic.

I cannot understand why such an important motor car on the world stage has not been made available in kit form by more manufacturers.

David

[David G.]

22 hours ago, slusher said:

Very nice color, David!

Thank you Carl.

17 hours ago, Anglia105E said:

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I was produced from 1955 to 1959 with the straight-6 engine and single headlamps, then from 1959 to 1962 the Silver Cloud II had the same body  including single headlamps, but the engine was a V8, and from 1962 to 1966 there was the Silver Cloud III which had the same body apart from double twin headlamps, and V8 engine.

You are correct . . . The Minicraft / Revell kit of this iconic motor car is the only one available in 1:24 scale, and you will also see Entex, Masterkit and Hubley versions of the same kit, all from the same moulds. Hubley kits were moulded in blue plastic, Masterkit were produced in South America, and while kits were produced in grey plastic, some were in white plastic and the most common in black plastic.

I cannot understand why such an important motor car on the world stage has not been made available in kit form by more manufacturers.

David

David, thank you for the information. I can always count on you to help fill in the details.

It's rather strange but it seems to me that, aside from the Jaguar, there is a sore lack of British automobiles represented in kit form. Tough Revell's recent issue of the newly tooled Land Rover kit is a welcome addition. Now if we can just get a decent vintage Rolls-Royce.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

I've been grinding away at the body work on this Rolls and the progress is slow. But progress there is.

Here's another feature that I cannot let pass. The horrible representation of the fuel door. It shouldn't be represented by raised panel lines, but by panel gaps. I've sanded off the offending raised (and misaligned) lines and will attempt to replace them with some appropriate gaps.

 

 

Using a panel line scriber, a photo-etched micro saw and a few cuss words, I managed to get an acceptable outline scribed.

 

 

Shooting some primer showed that the initial gaps were a little sloppy. So I added some putty and allowed it to cure so I can, hopefully re-scribe them a little more cleanly.

 

 

There, I think that's got it. It's not perfect but at some point one has to stop fussing with a thing before it gets screwed up. I think this is that point. Now, on to the boot.

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to post a comment or two.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello everybody!

Feeling encouraged by the results I've been getting with the repairs of some of the more serious flaws, I'm finally getting to a point where I'm beginning to feel good about this build once again. 

Good enough to begin addressing some of the more minor problems, like the fit of the boot lid.

Unsurprisingly, the fit of the boot lid is less than optimal. The gaps are uneven and it just doesn't fit well.

 

 

Since the body seems to be mostly straight and solid in this area, I plan to make the adjustments to the boot lid.

 

 

The first step is adding some styrene strips so I have something to work with.

 

 

Followed by some filing, sanding, shaping... and more styrene.

 

That's it for this update. Now that most of the heavy work is done on correcting the bodywork, the rest should go relatively fast.

As always, thanks for stopping by for a look and please feel free to comment.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

While waiting for the boot lid to be worked through its processes, I decided to redirect myself to a little side project.

In every photo I've seen of a Rolls from this era, there are lovely burled wood service trays on the front seatbacks. This model kit doesn't include them. So while I was waiting for the cement to cure on the styrene strips I added to the boot lid, I thought I'd quickly knock together a set to go in this car.

I had the styrene and cement out anyway so why not, right?

 

 

A little measuring, trimming and gluing and a short time later, I had these knocked together.

 

 

I tried doing a woodgrain paint scheme on these but I just couldn't get it to work the way I wanted. I can do better so in the Purple Pond they go!

 

 

My mistake the first time around was trying for a woodgrain pattern when I should have worked toward a burled wood look. Starting with a base of Tamiya Light Sand, I then used washes of Tamiya Flat Earth and NATO Brown acrylics. I think they look much better.

 

Hopefully I have more soon.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to let me know what you think.

David G.

[Pierre Rivard]

Beautiful work David, and I love the color you chose. That Rolls is my all time favorite. You are literally making something out of nothing.

I'm rooting for you man!

[Steve H]

Lots of great work here as always David. The service trays are a nice touch. Ueschi makes some beautiful burl wood decals if you are interested , they have many types of wood grains actually. Your paint work looks great, just offering another idea that you might find useful. 
 

Cheers, Steve 

[David G.]

14 hours ago, Pierre Rivard said:

Beautiful work David, and I love the color you chose. That Rolls is my all time favorite. You are literally making something out of nothing.

I'm rooting for you man!

Thank you Pierre. I hope to have more color shot soon. 

10 hours ago, Steve H said:

Lots of great work here as always David. The service trays are a nice touch. Ueschi makes some beautiful burl wood decals if you are interested , they have many types of wood grains actually. Your paint work looks great, just offering another idea that you might find useful. 
 

Cheers, Steve 

Thanks Steve. I had considered decals for the wood but the service trays will difficult to see once the model is assembled. Also, considering the overall quality level of the rest of the kit, I felt this would be good enough.

I do appreciate your advice though, thank you.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Here is a small update of what I consider a major accomplishment.

These areas are nearly done. I'm getting down to what I call the "Pinhole and Trim" stage.

 

 

I'm quite pleased with the outcome so far and I believe the patient will make a nearly complete recovery.

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment.

David G.

[dino246gt]

Those door to fender to cowl seams looks SO much better now! Nice work!

 

[David G.]

20 hours ago, dino246gt said:

Those door to fender to cowl seams looks SO much better now! Nice work!

 

Thank you Dennis.

David G.