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Please help! Before I rage quit this build.


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So everything going just fine, and decided to do a test fit of the whole interior to the body. This is where the issue comes in. The top of the dash board seems too long no matter how good I fit it, and it sits underneath the cowl causing it to raise up. What in the world do I do to solve this issue so it’ll fit properly with it on? Because with it off it fits perfectly fine. 
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Edited by Dpate
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47 minutes ago, ctruss53 said:

I'm not sure I follow.  Can you show the top of the dash, fit in there?

All is good I figured out what I was doing wrong because I’ am an idiot. It’s just the way the underside is made I thought it was suppose to sit up more, but it actually lays down a bit. I be glad when I’m done with this car. 

IMG_1517.thumb.jpeg.7e239b85b9c338cfb9dc74070b8fdc94.jpeg

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12 minutes ago, TransAmMike said:

Ha, so many times over my many years I've fought with something (not only in modeling), put it down, walked away and when trying again it went right where is was supposed to go. ??

True, it’s just dealing with an old age molded kit is just testing my patience. Even though it’s decent for its age it has its moments. 
 

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As long as you don't toss it in the driveway and run it over with your car you're doing fine lol !!  I've had moments with things that made me think of doing that, though never have. Plus that interior looks great !

Edited by Dave G.
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2 hours ago, yh70 said:

get the dremel tool out and make it fit. just take a little off at a time till it fits right.

 

2 hours ago, Dave G. said:

As long as you don't toss it in the driveway and run it over with your car you're doing fine lol !!  I've had moments with things that made me think of doing that, though never have. Plus that interior looks great !

Thanks, and lol no dremel needed thankfully. I ended up getting it solved, but the top of the dashboard is a weird one. It can look right in two different ways, and that’s what was messing me up. Sits nice in low now,  and lines up with the firewall, and looks like it’s suppose to in the front still. 

Edited by Dpate
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We've all had problems like this, or will. This is why I decided to "test build" every kit. Before painting or even priming I put it together using Tacky Glue, which holds well enough and comes off easily. Any problems encountered are corrected and the model is disassembled, painted and rebuilt. Test building takes time, but it's not a race, and may actually save time over having to fix something and repaint. It also prevents a lot of frustration.

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4 hours ago, Sidney Schwartz said:

We've all had problems like this, or will. This is why I decided to "test build" every kit. Before painting or even priming I put it together using Tacky Glue, which holds well enough and comes off easily. Any problems encountered are corrected and the model is disassembled, painted and rebuilt. Test building takes time, but it's not a race, and may actually save time over having to fix something and repaint. It also prevents a lot of frustration.

This is something that you learn to do religiously when you do a lot of kit bashing and modifying.

It's an absolute must in this circumstance, and it must be performed over and over again.

 

My biggest issue now is my tendency to get my tolerances too close while I'm in the engineering phase, and things can fit too tightly once paint has been applied.

I personally have to work on that.

 

One of the advantages to doing some weathering on a build is that repairs can be a lot easier to do after painting is finished if the need arises.

I've already had to address some minor fitment issues on my current project as the build has progressed, and it's been a lot simpler to deal with them when you can just put a little dirt or grease over them. :)

 

 

 

Steve

Edited by StevenGuthmiller
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I am glad you got it to fit for you. I have tried to get better at test fitting as well. Though on occasion I have had to do some trimming on already painted parts. My problem is, while I will take the time to clean up a body prior to paint, I can't wait to see it in color ASAP.

Some good news in the hobby is that we no longer have to live with boogered bumpers thanks to the available "chromes" out there.

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1 hour ago, Bills72sj said:

I am glad you got it to fit for you. I have tried to get better at test fitting as well. Though on occasion I have had to do some trimming on already painted parts. My problem is, while I will take the time to clean up a body prior to paint, I can't wait to see it in color ASAP.

Some good news in the hobby is that we no longer have to live with boogered bumpers thanks to the available "chromes" out there.

True, and based on how the instructions are I doubt I’m the only one that’s made this mistake lol. It’s hard to explain how it’s suppose to be positioned - it’s a feel thing while making sure it’s angled properly. It’s just bad engineering, but this is why I prefer all in one dashboards instead of multiple parts. But it does make detailing a lot easier depending on the kit. 

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8 hours ago, Sidney Schwartz said:

We've all had problems like this, or will. This is why I decided to "test build" every kit. Before painting or even priming I put it together using Tacky Glue, which holds well enough and comes off easily. Any problems encountered are corrected and the model is disassembled, painted and rebuilt. Test building takes time, but it's not a race, and may actually save time over having to fix something and repaint. It also prevents a lot of frustration.

What kind of tacky glue? I always test fit everything just with no glue. In this case it wasn’t a fit issue, but an angle issue lol. But now all that’s left is the steering wheel to get installed, and the shifter, and with that the interior will be 100% done. Once I’m done with this car for my friend I got another one lined up and with a plan. Just got to dig it out the stash. 
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8 hours ago, Sidney Schwartz said:

...Test building takes time, but it's not a race, and may actually save time over having to fix something and repaint. It also prevents a lot of frustration.

One of the things you learn early on if you build real things for a living, where mistakes and re-dos from rushing can cost you a LOT of money.

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On 7/14/2023 at 9:51 PM, Dpate said:

So everything going just fine, and decided to do a test fit of the whole interior to the body. This is where the issue comes in.............

This is the '67 Impala isn't it? I had similar issues:

IMG_5838.JPG.418024f75f486ccc2e254cbcc8bdb6c5.JPG

 

IMG_5839.JPG.4f78ed93246541570dc22aab4a601670.JPG

I don't think I truly discovered it until I tried it with the glass.

IMG_5880.JPG.bc7c3bd6c48029464a816d767901f468.JPG

I ended up shaving of lots of material as seen above.

IMG_5881.JPG.966eb0f4eb96253db675507d92a8f2da.JPG

And trimming off some of the excess glass. Apart from more/earlier trial-fitting, in hindsight it would have been better to trim off the side glass and replace it with clear sheet. Even then I would still have struggled with the front edge of the dashboard, unless I had managed to misalign it that badly?

IMG_6105.JPG.6ca67eda29612b31a493b247e1054d82.JPG

After all of the above, and also some trimming of the firewall, it still felt like the front end wasn't sitting nicely on the chassis and it was more than glue would hold, so I put these wire links between the inner arches and chassis rails. Crude, but it worked.

I got there in the end, still looks good in the display cabinet above me as I write.

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2 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

This is the '67 Impala isn't it? I had similar issues:

IMG_5838.JPG.418024f75f486ccc2e254cbcc8bdb6c5.JPG

 

IMG_5839.JPG.4f78ed93246541570dc22aab4a601670.JPG

I don't think I truly discovered it until I tried it with the glass.

IMG_5880.JPG.bc7c3bd6c48029464a816d767901f468.JPG

I ended up shaving of lots of material as seen above.

IMG_5881.JPG.966eb0f4eb96253db675507d92a8f2da.JPG

And trimming off some of the excess glass. Apart from more/earlier trial-fitting, in hindsight it would have been better to trim off the side glass and replace it with clear sheet. Even then I would still have struggled with the front edge of the dashboard, unless I had managed to misalign it that badly?

IMG_6105.JPG.6ca67eda29612b31a493b247e1054d82.JPG

After all of the above, and also some trimming of the firewall, it still felt like the front end wasn't sitting nicely on the chassis and it was more than glue would hold, so I put these wire links between the inner arches and chassis rails. Crude, but it worked.

I got there in the end, still looks good in the display cabinet above me as I write.

It’s the 65 impala Foose version. The glass is all separate on this one. One of the other issues with the kit was the lower radiator hose doesn’t reach where it’s suppose too. Luckily you won’t even be able to see it once everything is in. Even the upper hose is different in the kit than what the instructions show - which they show installing it wrong also. Even the air conditioner line one end suppose to fit in a hole in the radiator wall, but the hole doesn’t exist so it just hangs under the battery lol. 

Edited by Dpate
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I have old stalled builds languishing in boxes for 20 years. I just took one out of hibernation. Fit quality is something I struggle with. 

Now I go through the assembly in the primer state, before I get to the finish paint and have little options. I look at the glass closely. I fit the interior tub less the dash to see if the tub hits the glass. Then pop the dash in, try it again. 

I also make positive mounting interfaces for almost any major part, so they go back together the same way all through the build. I make sure that the interior tub sits the same. I make up hidden features to aid this. Chassis to the body, I do the same thing. Everything is pinned with 1/32" brass rod or small dowel pins. Plastic rod works too.

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