1953 Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 5

[Raul_Perez]

This year when my friend Bernard (GBK1) came down to spend the weekend with me and my wife for the NNL West, he not only surprised me with a T-shirt of one of my favorite concept cars of all time, the 1953 Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 5, but he also brought along a Fisher 1:24th resin kit of the car!!

While he knows I'm not really a fan of most resin kits, he also knew that the resin kits from Fisher are outstanding!!

The initial cleanup was pretty minimal. A little sanding around the edges was really all that was needed to get this little beauty ready for a good cleaning and a coat of primer. There aren't any pinholes anywhere on the body, but there are a few spots around the edges that will need a little bit of putty before I spray the base color coat.

Here are a couple of shots of the actual car:

I can only imagine what people thought of this thing when they first saw it in 1953!!

Here are a couple of shots of the model after the initial prep:

The PE set includes the steering wheel center, the instrument panel, gauges, radio, wipers and name badges. Bernard also ordered the PE wire wheel inserts from Herb Deek's that will really make this little jewel standout.

There are duplicates of some of the more fragile resin parts, but I had no trouble trimming and fitting the front fender fin inserts. See below.

The only modification I'll make to the kit will be to add a small piece of brass wire to the backside of the rear edge of the window posts on the doors (the ones just in front of the B pillars). That will help reinforce it for handling when I BMF the posts.

This should be a fun build and look really cool sitting next to my Danbury Mint Aston Martin DB5 (James Bond car).

Thanks, Bernard!!

Edited April 17, 2011 by Raul_Perez

[Plasticfanatic]

I am really looking forward to this project, these special Alfa Romeo cars are out of this world!!!....the body looks fantastic and sharp, as usual with Fisher Models, can't wait to see more of this project.

[David G.]

Wow, it looks like a UFO. This will be an interesting build to watch.

[Zoom Zoom]

It's a neat kit, looking forward to seeing your work on it. I don't remember having any problems building it, and you really don't need to add brass to the thin pillar; the body is very strong. I spent an entire evening doing the very fine BMF work around the windows. One of my favorite models of all time

Photo of built kit

[MikeMc]

Wow Raul....lucky guy....one to know Bernard and two to get a fine treat from him out of the blue!!

After seeing Bobs I cannot wait to see this one!!

[Foxer]

I've always loved this car. They had gobs of nerve showing it way back then. The kit looks fantastic especially all the detail. Definably will be watching this.

[Chillyb1]

This just might be the very coolest model I've ever seen on this or any other forum. I'm eagerly awaiting your every update.

[Peter Lombardo]

This car is "soooocooool".....have fun with it. I think I would want one of these myself. I just love the wild wings on this.

[Clay]

Nice one Raul, You will do it justice.

[curt raitz]

Let's see...Raul Perez + resin, this should be fun

underneath all that good guy stuff...Bernard is really evil ya know

[Raul_Perez]

Let's see...Raul Perez + resin, this should be fun

underneath all that good guy stuff...Bernard is really evil ya know

Yes, Bernard is evil, but in a good way

And for those that really know me, they also know that this isn't my first adventure with a resin kit. I also built the resin '55 Nomad gasser from SMBC several years ago.

Here's proof:

I got all of the parts cleaned in bleach to remove the mold release and I'm starting to fit the headlight covers to the body. Once they're fitted it'll be "prime-time"!!

I think I'm going to start with a black basecoat to find any small imperfections. Oddly enough, I'm going to use the same color on the Alfa that I used on the Nomad, but I want it just a bit darker.

Well, back to the bench!!

Later,

[ScaleCentral]

If I remember correctly there were three different colors used on these. Does anyone know where to get the colors? I bought one of these kits from Paul a while back and actually talked him into getting some of his cars back out. So glad I got this one. I'm not much into concepts, but like everyone says this is one of the coolest models around. He has talked about doing some of the other BAT cars.

Nic

[Mike Kucaba]

I have 3 of these Bats and the only color I recall the Bat 5 being in was a graphite. I used Light Graphite by Tamiya . There were 3 Bats 5-7-&9.7 was done in a metallic blue (light) and 9 was a silver. I also ran across a Bat 11? recently. And in diecast I've seen one offered in red with numbers,but I don't know if thats for real or some fantasy.

[Raul_Perez]

After all of the parts were cleaned in bleach I added a small piece of brass wire to each of the window posts on the rear edges of the doors.

Then it was "prime time". It needed a little putty along the bottom edges to clean up a few spots before I spray the black base coat.

Though they barely show once you put the body over the chassis, the Herb Deeks wire wheels are really cool and go together pretty easily.

The kit comes with resin inner and outer rims, but I found some outer rims in my parts box that were the same size and already chromed that I knew would look better than painting the resin ones.

Now it's time for a little sanding and prep before I spray the black basecoat on tomorrow.

Later,

Edited March 6, 2011 by Raul_Perez

[Harry P.]

I have no doubt you'll do a fantastic job on that model...

But geez, that car is ug-leeee!!!

[Randy D]

Raul, Sweet looking wheels!! Looking forward to your finish on this one.

Randy

[ScaleCentral]

I have 3 of these Bats and the only color I recall the Bat 5 being in was a graphite. I used Light Graphite by Tamiya . There were 3 Bats 5-7-&9.7 was done in a metallic blue (light) and 9 was a silver. I also ran across a Bat 11? recently. And in diecast I've seen one offered in red with numbers,but I don't know if thats for real or some fantasy.

I've seen the graphite silver one. I seem to recall seeing one kind of a greenish metallic color and one a light silver or is this possibly all the same car from different lighting sources?

Nic

[Trae]

I've seen the graphite silver one. I seem to recall seeing one kind of a greenish metallic color and one a light silver or is this possibly all the same car from different lighting sources?

Nic

Spot on! I took these pics at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, CA, in 2009.

[sjordan2]

They did an anniversary version in 2008, the B.A.T. 11.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/13/detroit-2009-stile-bertone-alfa-romeo-b-a-t-11-is-not-the-next/

[pharr7226]

This car may be the best example of the influence of the space age on car design that I've seen. Those Herb Deek wire wheels look incredible. I'm looking forward to seeing the some paint on the Bat.

[Zoom Zoom]

They did an anniversary version in 2008, the B.A.T. 11.

http://www.autoblog....s-not-the-next/

I despised that thing in photographs, but I have to say, when I saw it in person, I "got it". That happens a lot lately...anything out of the ordinary just doesn't photograph well, but in person they make a lot more sense. In person this thing was really cool. I don't think I've seen any of the originals in person.

[Joe Handley]

I have no doubt you'll do a fantastic job on that model...

But geez, that car is ug-leeee!!!

It's not bad, but would probably be better is that was stretched over a platform that was a foot or so longer.

[Raul_Perez]

Last weekend I painted the body, so I spent a few hours tonight getting it color sanded and polished.

Time to break out the BMF and get this thing foiled!! There's a lot of really small window trim to take care of.

Tomorrow I'll find some flat red and get the interior sprayed. If all goes well, this one will be done in about a week or so...

Later,

[Jim Gibbons]

Looking forward to seeing this done. I've always been fascinated by these cars. I wish there was a resin kit of the B.A.T.9.

[Raul_Perez]

Here's a few pics with different lighting...

Being a dark gray metallic, I found this one a bit difficult to photograph with the lighting I have. I may try to see if I can get some better pics outside tomorrow.

Later,