Disassembly of a Welly/NEX model

[hamrdown]

Hello, 

New to this group. I have 1/18 scale 1970 El Camino made by Welly NEX. I'm not going for the level of intricacy I've seen in some of the pictures. I just want to change the outside of this vehicle with some graphics. The car is red, and I want to paint the roof, doors and sides white so it resembles the 1932 Gee Bee R-1 and R-2 race planes. I wanted this year El Camino since I graduated from high school in 1974. Now, at 69 this model will be the closest I'll get to it (although I had a PT Cruiser I painted this way. Called it a Gee Bee Cruiser).

 

Enough introduction. How do you remove the body from these models? I did an Ertl GTO for my wife and I only had to remove 6 screws. This model has 4 bosses on the bottom. I assume they're for screwing a base on for security, though mine didn't have one. I took a jeweler's screwdriver and put it into the hole and it doesn't engage with a screw head, slotted or Phillips. 

Can anyone help me get this apart? Pictures for reference. 

Edited February 1 by hamrdown
Duplicate photo

[Mark]

Those bosses are definitely for keeping the model from shifting around in the package.  If you don't see exposed fasteners, you'll have to put some light stress on the chassis to see if it flexes.  Areas where it doesn't flex are likely where it's attached to something.   The chassis might be attached to the interior with glue and not fasteners, though.

You might see if any parts like the fuel tank or transmission pan are separate.  There could be fasteners concealed under those, or under the exhaust pipes, or at the top of the inner fenders.

The Welly diecast, likely being cheaper than an Ertl, probably has fewer screws and more rivets (peened over metal) and possibly snapped together parts than a more costly piece.  You won't know until you dive into it.  The ideal situation would be to track down a damaged version of the same item, that you wouldn't be afraid to break to work out how it is put together.  It wouldn't need to be the exact same car, as the manufacturer probably uses a similar system in all of the cars they produce.

[hamrdown]

Thanks Mark. I looked around a bit, didn't think of the transmission pan or exhaust so I'll give it another look. I actually thought the Welly was a little better than the Ertl. The engine is painted Chevy orange, the oil filter is AC Delco blue, the fan even spins!

Update: Mark, I found screws in the inner fenders. It looks like I pry both front and rear suspension off first. That will also allow me to move the mufflers aside (they're molded to the manifolds, which are pinned to the engine). I will also see if the tranny moves rearward or if it's molded to the block.

Once I get the body off, I'll. need advice on painting. First, I'm going to shave the mirrors and locks, and put in a set of Kindig door handles.🤣

Edited February 1 by hamrdown
Additional details

[Mark]

Getting the paint off of that metal, use household paint stripper as opposed to something you'd use on plastic.  The finish is probably baked on, it might even be a powder coating.  Once it's all removed and the metal is thoroughly cleaned of paint, paint remover, and anything else, the first coat of primer should be an etching primer.  

[hamrdown]

Mark,

I wasn't planning to repaint the entire body. That's why I bought a red model. I had planned a fairly aggressive grit sanding of the area I want to paint white, followed by a white primer, with a topcoat of gloss white. I found 1/32" pinstripe tape to use on the border of the scallop pattern. I didn't want to sand the existing paint down too far as I don't want to end up with a step at the color break. I've done something similar with another diecast. That one started as a white truck. Again, just looking to add the two tone pattern. This work was done 25 years ago in the sleeper berth of my truck during breaks.