MrObsessive Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Here I go again! I'm diving into what may be one of the most difficult kits ever to come out of a mold to build! A little history on the Turbine Car: Back around 1961 into '62 Chrysler decided to expand on it's Turbine research and build a number of Turbine Cars for the general public to test and evaluate. The Turbine Cars' bodywork was designed by Elwood Engel who was once a Ford designer. Thus the resemblance to the then current 1961-63 Thunderbirds. Bodywork and interiors were done by Ghia of Italy. 203 (or thereabouts) persons were chosen by an accounting firm to be the "test drivers" for a period of about 90 days. The only maintenance being the car was to be kept clean at all times. At the end of the test period, (January of 1966?) the cars were either to be returned back to Ghia, or Chrysler had to pay an enormous "duty" to keep the cars in the states, or they had to be junked! Chrysler did come up with the tax money to keep 10 of the 55 cars that were built...............the rest were turned into scrap metal!! :cry: To check out more on this interesting car..........just go to the Turbine Car site. Johan's '63 Turbine Car was one heck of a kit when it came out originally back in '64(?) but having built one myself years ago.............I soon learned why I didn't (or haven't) seen any on the contest tables or even at NNL's! :shock: Here's the box art of Johan's Chrysler Turbine Car. I'm not sure when this kit was issued, but it is a reissue as the original had boxart that was drawn, (Gold Cup Series?) and was originally put out around 1964 or so. My, my, my!! What lovely flash we have here! :shock: I have since taken an exacto blade and cut all that mess away! Johan got the body lines pretty much right on the money with this one...........but there's obviously a LOT of work to be done! The rockers will needed puttied in and sanded.........I may tuck them in a little further as they seem a little "narrow" for the chassis. I plan to use acetate for the windshield and rear backlight..........of course these will need cleaning up also.......:roll: I'm going to give these hinge pins the boot and fashion my own pivot hinges. I remember building this kit over 20 years ago, and the hinges didn't survive the first year after it was built. I took a pencil and marked off about where the hinge pivot point will be. Meanwhile the doors themselves need to be thinned down a bit..........they seem a little thick to me for "scale appearance". Yup, just as I thought the chassis is a little narrow for the body, I'm gonna do some widening, and reshape those rockers somewhat to avoid the "empty" look when looking at the car from the bottom. The body is very slightly warped..........but no more so than other models I've done with opening doors. This'll get fixed as I adjust the body and get the chassis the way it should be. Color? I'm gonna use the same Sunset Orange paint as I did for the 'Vette! That is a very close (if not exact) match for Turbine Bronze (although Chrysler 1966-67 Turbine Bronze is NOT the same). Besides, the can I got for the 'Vette cost almost 30 bucks so you best believe I'm gonna use every last pigment! Thanks for lookin' and stay tuned.........it's gonna be an interesting build! :mrgreen: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 i had this kit once; a reissue of unknown vintage. what i couldnt get over was all the flash on the *small* parts...so much so that one (at least *this* one) couldnt tell where the flash ended and the part began. so...im interested to see what you can do with this mess, uh, i mean kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonoPed Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 This one is gonna be cool to follow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertw Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 I really look forward to following this build. Bought one of these when they were first issued and started but never finished it. rob w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Masciave Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 It just so happened that a customer of my dad's barber shop was one of the chosen to take possession of one of the Turbine Cars . I'll never forget when he drove it by the shop and as a kid seeing and hearing the car for the first time,what a wild ride i thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob paeth Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 If anyone here on this site is into building 1/16 scale, how about this idea ? Take the tailite section of the turbin car, separate the two ends, turn them to a verticle position and use them in any of the 1/16 Chevies, the Nomad. the '55 or the '57. I little fender modification is necessary but they make the wildest looking tailite design. bob :shock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAFFA Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Cool i had never heard of theese cars! and the design looks great! how much for one o those kits?? looks old... looking forward to seeing your progress your builds always turn ut nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Peterson Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Just make sure you get the wiper motor right on this one, 'kay, Geary? I dont' know if I can take all the drama that will ensue if you don't! This build may just be the highlight of the year to watch in progress. And I can't wait 'til you bring it to a meeting once it's done and spool up that turbine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Hearse Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I've seen many of your builds in magazines, and now I get to watch you build one! I will definitly be keeping an eye on this post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zebm1 Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Bob I like tha way yur mind works. And Bill, yu've mixed colors before haven't yu....yu just need a little more red in yur vette paint. Zeb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luis Ayala Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 WOW!!! May the force be with you Bill!!!!!!! Just kidding :wink: I am sure this will be one more of your exelent builds... :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted February 2, 2007 Author Share Posted February 2, 2007 I figured I might as well start on what may be the toughest aspect of this model..........hinging the doors! This update focuses on one side as obviously the other side will follow suit as well! This went along pretty smoothly...........I just wished I could have known these techniques back in 1985 when I built this model last! I took the cutters and cut away the original hinge here................good thing I marked off where the hinge points were as I'd surely forget! I then took my Dremel Moto tool and grinded away at the too thick door, to a thickness which is more in scale at the trailing edge of the door. I don't want to make this too thin as it can become a problem when painting and polishing.................the edges will be hard to keep paint on. Hmmmm.................Johan molded the inner door panels as part of the door jamb. While this is expedient from a manufacturing standpoint, in 1:1 it's not realistic as your door jamb is part of the door skin, and the inner door panel is a separate piece as part of the interior. I simply took both sides of the exacto blade and cut as best I could the inner door panel away. Here's the separated door panel..............later I will build the door panel back up with sheet plastic to more closely match the contour of the door jamb. To build up the hinge area I got some plastic rod which closely matches the circumference of the original hinge area. Yes, there's a method to my madness as you'll see! The rod was glued in with Ambroid Pro Weld and was left alone to sit overnight. Once I let things sit overnight, I test fit the area over where the door would have "trapped" the original hinge over the body. To deepen the area, I ground out a bit more of the channel in the door with my dremel. Hmmm...............fits pretty good.........I think though that I'll grind out just a scooch more so everything fits flush. Since these doors pivot (as opposed to the swing out type), they will need something to pivot on................I took a #75 drill bit and used the pin vise to drill holes in the plastic rod area. Mind you, this is all eyeball engineering........I have no scientific precise measurements to tell me exactly where the holes should be. :wink: I placed the door jamb inside the body, and then marked off on the body hinge support approximately where my "hinge pins" will rest. The hinge support is evergreen plastic square rod...............I can't remember the size-----I try to pick something that looks in scale. Here's what I use for hinge pins.................simple brass rod (about .020 dia.) Just bend them at right angles to hold the door jamb in place. So far so good................the door jamb swing open and closes without any binding.............almost........ I'm gonna have to cut away some material at the leading edge of the door jamb hinge area. When I try to open the door, the "excess tabs" push the leading edge of the door jamb outwards..........obviously, that won't work! :shock: The trailing edge of the door jamb when fully shut................I may replace the tab that Johan molded in to keep the door shut with some type of catch. This may be a watch pin (ala my '69 Charger Daytona) or some other contraption I can fettle together! Inside of the door jamb hinge support.................when everything is fully painted and detailed, these pins will be epoxied in the holes. When the epoxy has fully dried (overnight) then I'll simply cut them away flush too the hinge support. Then I can put in the rest of the interior with the kick panels, etc. Here's the door "skin" up against the door jamb. There's a faint horizontal crease on the door that doesn't quite line up with the rest of the body. Using the method I did with the '05 'Vette..............I'll redo this crease to make it more in line. The door is fitting pretty well, as I mentioned above, I want the leading edge of the door to fit just a scooch tighter against the hinge area/interior door jamb. Note that I still have to cut away the tabs that were sticking out and causing the binding. Just a little bit of binding was still occurring, so I got the Dremel and ground some plastic away on the hinge support. I tried to "round them" so when the door opens there is some clearance to keep them from pushing away from the support. AHHHHHHHHH!! Much better since I cut those tabs away! No pushing out, no binding............everything looks honky-doory! One thing to keep in mind when hinging doors, is you want to make sure your hinge support is exactly vertical and not leaning either way. If the bottom of the hinge leans to the inside of the door, it'll make the door appear to be "hitting the curb". If the bottom edge is to far to the outside of the body, the opened doors will look like "butterflies", and look just as peculiar. The door jamb here looks to be nice and level, although I have to account for the fact that the body is very slightly warped. As time goes on, I'll be checking the opening and closing of the doors for a fit appearance. I'll try and finish up the drivers side door, and then move to the other side throughout the weekend into next week------then I'll try to clean up the other body flaws. :shock: Stay tuned! :mrgreen: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62rebel Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Bill; i found the same itchy spot on the AMT 56, 57 ford and 58 impala doors; that the inside panel was molded as part of the door shell, and took a similar approach by cutting them off the "frame", cementing the frame in place to the door skin, and installing the inner panels later on. this greatly simplified creating customized interiors for me, and eased doing the fine detail work on that great '50's trim. if i were a little more ambitious i'd create some working window lifts... but i'll leave that to YOU! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGTRUCK Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Bill , I have one of these also , but I would rather move a 4th floor condo in the snow than build it....I'll sit back and watch as you mold and sculpture it into a showpiece . I opened up mine and the body didnt have as much flashing as yours , but it did have a tweak in the roof and loads of flash on the front seats and most of the engine parts....I'm really gonna enjoy your updates........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonoPed Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 That just too cool!! Great stuff, Bill!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 wow bill that is impressive. ive never been able to even visualize how to do realistically opening doors but youre making it look easy. just like a high diver makes it look easy though... maybe i will have to try this on one of my upcoming builds... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTRACING Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Nice work!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zebm1 Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Veeeery Interesting :wink: Kinda like peering over Michelangelo's shoulder on tha sly, like being a fly :shock: on tha ceiling. Not changing tha subject Bill, but is your '55 Ford a Sedan? Zeb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannyclub Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Awesome work bill! Will be watching this one closely. I have a few of these to. Manny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Kren Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 good luck on the buildbut i know you can do it i have seen your work BTW will the windows roll down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted February 3, 2007 Author Share Posted February 3, 2007 Is your '55 Ford a Sedan? No, mine is a 2 door hardtop Victoria............It's on hiatus now due to the rear trunk trim and the grille. I got a beat up Franklin Mint diecast that might work for the rear trim, (it's 1/24th though) and I also have a Boyd's Orange Crisp '55 Ford wagon diecast for the grille. I have another build planned after I finish the Turbine Car (Revell's Dodge Magnum wagon) then I'll get back to the Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sno_man80 Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 WOW!! Talk about detail an patience. What are you using for puttie as a filler?? I often see after people cut the doors out I see a body filler, what is it?? Greta job, I look forward to watching the rest of the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zebm1 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Shucks, I waz hoping it waz a sedan, because tha window reveals are a dble complex curve. I'm building a custom 56, chopped top 2 dr sedan out of tha same model. But I'm also desireous of a stock 2 dr sedan. Oh well.... Maybe I'll get mah '56 done as yu get yur '55 done. Zeb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted February 4, 2007 Author Share Posted February 4, 2007 What are you using for puttie as a filler?? Hi Scott, I use Dynatron Putty-Cote as a filler. It's a Bondo Product and can be found at some auto body supply shops, and it's a two part mixture. What's nice about it is that it has some plastic in it so if you need to attach some styrene trim.............it will bond with the putty using liquid cement (Ambroid Pro-Weld is what I use). Thanks for asking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Hearse Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I'm DEFINITLY watching this!!!! This is great stuff to learn about, and I'm definitly learning! I've always wondered how to make realistic door openings. thanks for showing this build here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.