WIP - 1966 Batmobile - Polar Lights

[Drake69]

SINCE I AM PLANNING ON BUILDING THIS SAME KIT AGAIN, I'VE DECIDED THAT I'M USING THIS BUILD AS A "TRIAL RUN" FOR THE OTHERS. AS SUCH, FEEL FREE TO POST UP ANY COMMENTS, CONCERNS, AND ESPECIALLY DETAILED PICTURES OF THE AREAS IN QUESTION SO THAT I CAN HAVE A MORE ACCURATE DESCRIPTION FOR THE NEXT ONE. THANKS AS ALWAYS!!!

Well, since no one has started one on this subject yet (as it is brand new!), I figured I'd be the first one to delve into the mysteries of this new kit. I already hit a few caveats and will make sure to post them up so that others will avoid the same pitfalls in their builds.

First off, I went through the kit and sorted out the parts, then carefully grouped them as per the instructions. There aren't many parts to this kit, being the more basic of the Polar Lights Batmobiles, but there are some small parts to be aware of, like the spinners. Due to their small size, I decided to mount the wheels onto the tires and attach the spinners so that I can have the entire set put aside for final assembly. The first thing I noted was that the spinners were already decorated and just needed to be popped into the center of each wheel for storage.

It was harder than it sounded.

The first spinner would not go in, and it would seem like a fair amount of force was needed to attach them. I took a pin vise and carefully widened the center hole in the wheel, but it did no good. I then mistakenly thought I could "work" it gently in by soft twists until it seated itself in place, so I placed my thumb on the bat symbol, lined up the peg to the hole, and with very slight motions and gentle pressure got to work.

That is, until my wife snuck up behind me...

After a quick reflex jump I heard an audible pop! emanate from the part...

Bad.

As all can see, the wing broke off from the bat symbol, neat as you please. So, after some choice curses in languages I didn't even know I knew, I clipped off the peg in the back of the symbol and applied glue to the wing in the hopes it will not do that again once I have it on the wheel (Polar Lights will hopefully replace it though, crossing my fingers!). I reported in to the other thread here of my mishap and was prepared to snap off the other three pegs when Futurabat's suggestion of sanding down each peg came into mind. I did this for each subsequent spinner and all are now safely on their respective wheels with the one exception.

Again, I'm hoping PL can come through for me....

Anyway, a last shot of the dash with silver paint on the front area. I haven't decided if I want to BMP the silver dash part or leave it like it is, so for now it'll stay like this. I did apply red highlights to several buttons and dials on the dash and have it looking even better than this pic...

And I came across my second problem. Once I had a pretty detailed cockpit I started into decalling the gyro-compass on the driver's-side dash area with the small round #4 decal, which would then be followed up by the #3 circle decal. The compass was left black as per the instructions, so I did my magic and lifted the decal off the paper and got ready to place it.

Except for the two black marks on the decal, the rest of it is CLEAR.... This means that without any color behind it, it won't show up at all on the compass. Argh.

So, after sacrificing the tiny decal to the modelling gods (THANK YOU PL FOR INCLUDING TWO OF EACH DECAL ON THE SHEET FOR JUST THESE TYPES OF EMERGENCIES!!!), I grabbed the chrome silver paint and painted the gyro AND the radar screen on the passenger-side dash so that the decals will show up under scrutiny.

Letting that dry before trying out the decals again.

Edited June 29, 2011 by Drake69

[Drake69]

Interior is complete except for steering wheel.....

Will also need to paint the chassis underneath to make it look more natural to the car.

[Harry P.]

The inside of the door scallop should be black as well. The Bat-scope is flat black and the knobs on the left are gloss black while the right are silver. I can't seem to find my dashlights photo, but the triangular ones are green (turn signals) and the rest from left to right are red, blue, white, green and yellow. The Bat-beam switch is also gloss black. I hope this is a help.

Geez, what are ya doing, writing a book or something???!!!

[Zoom Zoom]

Careful, Jacen ... Robert didn't specifically ask for your help ...

[george 53]

Ahhh, But he DID appologise beforehand, AND his comments ARE directed at the model at hand. Was that SO hard? You guys crack me up! I LOVE this place!!!!

[george 53]

Hear,Hear! i second that TOTALLY Mark. I have learned a TON of new info on my MOST FAVORITE car!! PLEASE keep this thread going, I'm enjoying this build up!!!!! B)

[Drake69]

Don't break a sweat over it. I've decided this kit is actually a trial run of sorts and am just using it to get a feel for difficult areas. I did hit the net on pics for the interior and stuff and realized that since I've gotten this far in the kit, I'll continue to build it and use it as a benchmark for another one (remember, I'm planning on getting two snap kits, at least...).

The door panels did shock me though. I don't think I've found any pics that show them properly until you posted that one. I WOULD recommend that a full array of detailed cockpit pics be posted out here so that these details can be duplicated. AND I encourage your comments to help me see what needs to be changed in this kit before I build it again.

Question: on the inside of the rollbar/arch, there is a rectangular panel for the bat-canopy (where the upside-down lever is). I'm betting that panel is silver, correct?

[Nate]

Slightly off topic question for Futurabat; do you have a fotki or photobucket with some highlight reference photos that we could use for general reference when trying to recreate the TV Batmobile?

[Harry P.]

And, to steer it back on topic, just a bit...I find the new Polar Lights Batmobile a great improvement over this kit and can't wait to get one.

Well, anyone can see that the wheels on that kit are totally wrong...

[Drake69]

I think that rendition is pretty accurate. Of course, it might be because I've been playing a lot of this lately....

Back on topic....

Had to file down the pegs and open up the holes on the chrome part a little here to get the pipes flush....

Applied glue to hold them in tight once I had them snug. I recommend test fitting the pipes only once or twice, as the chrome gets scraped repeatedly when sliding into the body holes.

Also, just noticed this flaw.....

Yes, that's trim paint that went over from when it was put on at the factory. Wouldn't have noticed it until I started mounting the lenses. A minor thing, flat black applied judiciously will hide it.

And here is the real reason why I can't quickly disassemble the interior to correct the door panels....

I applied glue to the outer seam to fit them tightly against the dash and seat area, otherwise they were extremely rickety. Another glue area I recommend is the front part of the dash where the tab goes into the turbine housing....

These will help keep the interior nice and snug. Ohh, the phone cord to the bat-phone HAS to be glued on, it will not sit on that part at all otherwise.

Edited June 29, 2011 by Drake69

[Harry P.]

I know this is a very small issue... but until this photo I had never seen the Batmobile's door handles! After all these years, I finally see where they were!

But seeing as how the Batmobile is an open car... (did any crime in Gotham City ever happen when it was raining? If so I assume B and R arrived at Commissioner Gordon's office thoroughly soaked!)... why the door locks???!!!

[Drake69]

No additional pics for tonight, just a quick update. Body was dipped in Future and has dried, leaving a nice glossy sheen to it.

I have the bat-canopy in the car now, but it needed a peg shave and very light routing of the holes to get it to fit. Glue has been applied at the pins and around the base of the canopy underneath the body for secure fitment. The underside panel of the canopy is painted silver now (pics to come soon), and the bat-turnaround lever is drying after a quick coat of engine red paint (the lever that hangs down in the canopy...).

Also, I attached the front grilles to the fender with some VERY GENTLE PRESSURE (holes were small...), so I recommend taking your time popping those in. They actually go in at a slight angle after being tucked under the trim lip, so they are a little tricky.Make sure once both pegs are lined up that they go in simultaneously, because if they go in crooked they won't line up right. Apply glue to the pegs sparingly to seal them in place.

Looking at the rear grilles, I decided I wanted to have the parachutes already on to make it easier for them to go on, so I have the chutes already on each grill and they are in the process of drying from again a light touch of glue.

Canopy glass will get the BMF treatment tomorrow, then get installed. Plan on using only fingernail edge to remove excess foil, as a knife might etch into the glass.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Drake69

[Drake69]

Okay, done for tonight and some more pix.

Where she stands now....

Now, another issue has popped up, albeit a minor one. In designing the model, I guess Round 2 wanted to have rear lenses in the car for viewing through the grilles, but they are opaque. The problem is that they are curved outward like headlights, and the rear grill is flat, non-see-through...

And here is where the trouble lies. When the grill/parachute assembly is ready to go on, the back of the grill bumps against the lens, bowing it out...

Additionally, the alignment of the small pegs of the grill don't seem to jive with the larger hole where the parachute peg settles in, and coupling that with the lenses causes it not to sit flush. Again, this is a minor problem as the bottom fender valence SHOULD cover this up and everything ought to smooth out, but the rear lenses are completely unnecessary. Don't bother mounting them unless you plan on adding your own meshed grill, when they would be visible. So, I clipped the tiny pegs behind the grill and relied solely on the larger parachute peg to seat the grilles in, then glued the peg to the back part of the fender accordingly.

This is how they look now....

Will pick this up again in the morning.

[Drake69]

Who says I don't go back and correct my mistakes?

Dash is correctly marked now, with color-matched indicators, white buttons above the steering wheel, and a black-rimmed bat-scope. Steering wheel is on the car now (no pix yet), and also required some trimming to fit into the hole in the column. Front grilles are now painted flat black, rear grilles will be done later the same, and the parachutes will get a coat of semi-gloss black with silver straps. The headlight pieces are now painted flat black and clear orange and will go on after they've had a chance to dry, considering using Micro Krystal Klear to make sure they stay seated.

Steering wheel also has the silver center trim, proper decals applied, AND red buttons on the tips, as per one of the pix of it. Future Shine has been applied judiciously on the dash to highlight the gauges, buttons, and indicators.

Edited June 30, 2011 by Drake69

[Harry P.]

Looks Bat-tastic so far... :lol:

[sjordan2]

At the risk of posting a comment, this is shaping up as one of the best of this car that I've seen.

[Drake69]

Make sure to put in the headlight grilles FIRST before putting in the bottom front grilles. I snapped the left facing front grill at the pegs behind it when I tried to anchor my thumb on it. Not a big issue, as I was able to reglue it on, but it makes things easier when the headlight grilles are already installed. Now I have to wait until it dries before I tackle the other side.

Pictures...

Edited July 1, 2011 by Drake69

[Tony T]

I thank you for pointing out the issues and tips for building this kit.

I looked at my kit, and it appears the red stripe is missing from the left door...just the door, from the door seem forward, and just the left door. Weird. I'll have to practice masking and painting I guess!!

[Tony T]

Thanks for the tip, Jacen.

[Drake69]

Another thing to watch for. The instruction sheet has the wrong decal numbered for the "Bat TurnAround Lever" at the apex of the cockpit. It lists it as "14" (which is associated with the fire extinguisher) instead of "17". And you will need BOTH "17" decals, one for each side.

Now all the front grilles are on the car, no further issues with them. The headlight grilles required NOTHING to get them to stay where they were since they went in snugly at an angle into the headlight recesses. Also, the front headlight bulbs are absolutely useless here as well as in the back because the grilles are completely opaque (once the flat black paint is on), so skipping that step is recommended. I would think you COULD smoke the clear plastic in the front to show up the lights behind them, but I don't think it would look right. Henceforth, a wasted step.

2 questions for Jacen. Is the black canopy bar glossier in the 1:1 car rather than the flat black it's portrayed in this kit? I can use Future Shine on it to "gloss" it up if needed. Also, should the exhaust nozzle be chrome silver or aluminum? I would think aluminum would be more natural due to the entire exhaust system.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Drake69

[Drake69]

Last pix of the night....

Decals applied to arch, red warning lights with silver trim painted on....

Exhaust nozzle painted and mounted with some routing (again!) to the hole in the body...

And something for EVERYBODY to debate on.....

WARNING! EXTREME GLARE!!!!!!

Turbine engine painted metallic grey. Reinforced frame supports painted titanium silver. Outer pans also painted titanium. And exhaust tubes painted flat aluminum. There will be some touchup left to do, but after all is done I'm black-washing the entire assembly with Detailer Black for a hard-life look. Hey, how many times did Batman clean the bottom of his car anyway?

Edited July 1, 2011 by Drake69

[peter31a]

Your Bat is looking mighty fine so far. I really like what you've done with the underside as far as metallizing the driveline & exhaust. I was picturing something like what you've done myself for my Bat. Thanks for sharing this WIP.

[Drake69]

I may have not said this before... but

Thanks for ALL THE COMMENTS, GUYS! KEEP 'EM ROLLING IN!!!!!!

Now, chassis is completely painted....

I used gunmetal for the suspension and inner panels, then a quick brush on of Detailer Black blended everything together. The gunmetal worked WONDERS covering all the over-brush areas, and I was able to achieve a more uniform look to the underbelly. That's FOUR DIFFERENT METAL PAINTS on that chassis!

And since I've dragged my feet for so long, I need to start BMF'ing the canopy glass. Don't get me wrong, I love BMF, but it's tedious and can look like garbage if not done right.

But first, I have to pay attention to the wifey some. She kinda feels neglected after all this "Bat-Work", as she calls it....

[Drake69]

Another update, BMF applied to canopy glass and attached to body...

Used a dental pick to gently widen the holes in the body to allow the glass to snap in easier. Later on I'll brush Future Shine on the glass and chrome to seal it all up. I've also started assembling and painting the beacon light with clear red on top and at the slots, so once it's dried I'll attach it to the canopy apex. Then the "antlers" will go on, followed by a brush of engine red paint at the tops.

Still waiting on the replacement spinner to finish the wheels before I attach the car body together.

[Harry P.]

There will be some touchup left to do, but after all is done I'm black-washing the entire assembly with Detailer Black for a hard-life look. Hey, how many times did Batman clean the bottom of his car anyway?

I'm guessing that he made Alfred do that...