London Black Cab by Aoshima: WIP

[customline]

19 hours ago, milo1303s said:

 

Check this one out !!!

https://maxpowermag.wordpress.com/tag/taxi/

I must be using a cheap search engine. Well there ya go! Tubbed and slammed in the weeds. ?

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Do you remember that styrene strip I cut to fill the gap in the top of partition? In looking at photos of actual London Cabs, I noticed that there was almost always a glass panel, a divider at the top of the partition between the driver and passenger areas. And it looks like that gap was meant to accommodate such a panel. So guess what I did?

 

 

So after taking almost an entire build session to knock together a clear partition to mount on the top of the compartment divider, I discovered that there is one provided in the kit! ? I didn't notice any indication of a clear partition in the directions so I didn't think to check for one on the sprue. ?  There is one, I just didn't see it. Ah, well. It will look better than the one I built and I did get some fabrication practice. 

 

If this is the worst mistake I make this year, I'll be doing great!   

Thanks for taking the time to look and thanks for taking even more time to post a comment... if you choose to do so.

David G.

[customline]

I'd say you were the beneficiary of a pleasant surprise, Dave. How often does that happen? ? 

[David G.]

11 hours ago, customline said:

I'd say you were the beneficiary of a pleasant surprise, Dave. How often does that happen? ? 

Nah. I just wasn't paying attention, Jim.

And that's no surprise!  

-D-

[NOBLNG]

30 minutes ago, David G. said:

Nah. I just wasn't paying attention, Jim.

And that's no surprise!  

-D-

Nice work so far David.? I sometimes tend to just dive in and start glueing stuff together without reading the entire instructions or examining all the trees. ?

[David G.]

On 9/29/2024 at 4:45 AM, NOBLNG said:

Nice work so far David.? I sometimes tend to just dive in and start glueing stuff together without reading the entire instructions or examining all the trees. ?

Thank you Greg.

Jumping in like that is part of the fun! 

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

It's been a little while so here's the next update on the London Black Cab.

Filling the sink marks.

 

 

A little paint and a little more work to do.

 

 

Meanwhile... under the hood, a little detail painting is under way.

 

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

David G.

[slusher]

Real nice work David, it’s looking better".

[customline]

Interesting engine bay, Dave. Can't wait to see the air cleaner. At first I thought that cylindrical depression was for a gallon of paint but, after much internal debate, I deduced that it's probably for the air filter ?

[Bullybeef]

Power barn is looking tidy @David G.

[David G.]

22 hours ago, slusher said:

Real nice work David, it’s looking better".

Thank you Carl.

 

19 hours ago, customline said:

Interesting engine bay, Dave. Can't wait to see the air cleaner. At first I thought that cylindrical depression was for a gallon of paint but, after much internal debate, I deduced that it's probably for the air filter ?

The air cleaner. Yeah, this one is pretty much a paint can. A paint can with tubes!

 

19 hours ago, Bullybeef said:

Power barn is looking tidy @David G.

Thank you Bil. Is "power barn" a nickname for an engine?

Or maybe the Cab itself? The Cab does kind of look like a barn on wheels... in an elegant sort of way, of course.  

Thanks,

David G.

[Bullybeef]

28 minutes ago, David G. said:

 

Thank you Bil. Is "power barn" a nickname for an engine?

Or maybe the Cab itself? The Cab does kind of look like a barn on wheels... in an elegant sort of way, of course.  

Thanks,

David G.

Engine bay.

[David G.]

9 minutes ago, Bullybeef said:

Engine bay.

Ah, that makes sense! 

I should have figured that out on my own.  ?

Thanks again for the kind comment.

David G.

[Bullybeef]

3 minutes ago, David G. said:

Ah, that makes sense! 

I should have figured that out on my own.  ?

Thanks again for the kind comment.

David G.

All good sir, it’s a euphemism I picked up from watching Vice Grip Garage years ago on YouTube. Thankfully it’s the only one that stuck in my head. 

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

It's starting to look like this "simple" kit will remain so. Relatively so at least  

Aoshima provided some tubing to use for the battery cables and the PCV return for the air cleaner. I replaced the tubing for the battery cables with some wire. Installing the PCV return tubing is going to require a little more work. There two problems: First, the air cleaner sits too low in the engine compartment. Second, there is not enough room between the air cleaner and the valve cover for the tube to bend without kinking.

 

 

I heated and bent a piece of styrene rod to replace the fitting that the hose attaches to. That way the bend is made by the fitting and not the tube. 

 

 

I was able to find a junk wheel part from the parts box that gave the air cleaner just about the right lift. I also drilled out and replaced the fitting with the bent styrene rod. All it needs now is a little paint!

 

 

Well, after all that work the tube still has a little bit of a kink to it. I could replace it with some wire but I think I can live with this. The tube does look better than it did when I started. Besides, this "engine" makes this kit only about a step-and-a-half away from being a curbside.

 

That's all for this round.

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

Thanks,

David G.

[BK9300]

Your detail painting certainly improved the look of the engine.  Maybe a bit of curved/bent brass rod might help hold the shape of the tube?

[customline]

...or solder ?

[David G.]

19 hours ago, BK9300 said:

Your detail painting certainly improved the look of the engine.  Maybe a bit of curved/bent brass rod might help hold the shape of the tube?

Thank you Brian. That's a great idea, I'll have to check into that. Maybe a piece of 16 ga copper primary.

 

17 hours ago, customline said:

...or solder ?

Another great idea, thanks Jim.

David G.

[slusher]

Looks great David!

[David G.]

5 hours ago, slusher said:

Looks great David!

Thank you Carl!

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Here's the next update on the London Taxi.

I was able to get some paint on the body.

 

 

Unfortunately, the paint crazed over most of the body. The paint on the hood worked well enough; the body, not so much.

 

 

I'm going to give it another coat tomorrow then let it cure before I start color sanding.

 

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

David G.

[Bullybeef]

I’ve had paint do that before, looks like it went on to thin and dried as it hit. I’m sure you will get it correcedt and coated in black lustrous paint. 

Edited October 19, 2024 by Bullybeef
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[David G.]

On 10/19/2024 at 5:20 AM, Bullybeef said:

I’ve had paint do that before, looks like it went on to thin and dried as it hit. I’m sure you will get it correcedt and coated in black lustrous paint. 

Hmmm, you could be correct regarding that Bil, at least in part. The paint seemed to pick up the few casting flaws in the plastic. You know the ones, the ones that can't be seen until some hot lacquer crazes them out on the paint.  

But yeah, the paint certainly could have dried out on the way to its destination. It was about 39 or 40C and very dry when I painted. It was probably a combination of the two.

Thanks for sharing the tip Bil, I'll be more wary of that in the future.

David G.

[LennyB]

David, as you had the hood painted before the body it probably has more to do with the weather then the paint itself.  I’m sure if you wet sand it out and shoot another coat will work out fine.  

[slusher]

David, just an opinion I would go with enamel next time..