1/32 SCALE WORKBENCH

[blunc]

This '71 TA has been on my workbench for a while but all the great work I've seen in this forum has given me the urge to make a run to finish it...

the current "on hold" status will be going forward from what you see next:

the kit:

doors opened, hinges made. I wanted the doors to move like the real ones so I made hinges from brass U-channel and square evergreen stock, the front edge of the door will open inward just like "real" cars do. The brass U-channel "tension-fits" into H-shaped Evergreen stock so that I can just slip the doors on when they are finished.

a shot of a door skin on the hinges

hand-stitched leather seats, yup...thats glove leather.

the engine bay, molded on hoses and wire have been removed to be replaced with better looking detail, the engine will look a bit small till the rest of the detailing is done.

a 1/24 scale Pontiac motor (slated for a Judge after I get a few more 1/32 scale projects done) posed to give size reference.

I still have some door gap fixes to make but they open and close well at this time. The trunk will get opened/hinged after I get the rest of the door/body work done because I feel it will lose too much structural integrity without the strength the trunk lid gives the body at this time.

The red "snowflake" wheels will get Alclad (most likely), the kit supplied honeycomb wheels look too small IMHO and the kit tires look too skinny and lame so I took eight of the "one-sided" snaptogether tires, cut them in half and made four two-sided tires. I am still waffling on whether I will add LED head/tail lights, powering them without looking kludgy is currently my sticking point.

Thanks for looking.

Edited August 2, 2012 by blunc

[cobraman]

Nice work you have done there.

[Casey]

I can never seem to get my hands on one of these kits....jealous!

Nice to see hinges made and operating like real hinges, too.

[blunc]

I can never seem to get my hands on one of these kits....jealous!

Nice to see hinges made and operating like real hinges, too.

I have been able to get a few of these Monogram 1/32 kit on fleabay...oddly, there seem to be quite a few people parting with the Charger kit but no one selling the TA kit, I got a second TA kit many years ago in case I goofed on any of the parts I'm working on now (and they are a great resource for parts when kitbashing Lindberg/Pyro or snap kits).

Regarding the hinges, I think this design will be my choice for any future "door work" I do on cars that don't have external hinges showing. I've been mulling better ways to hinge hoods and trunks also....just don't have anything to post yet. The current "common" (and very easy) method of bent wire stuck into tubes which are glued to the trunk lid kind of ruins the illusion of being a real car for me, so I want to come up with something that satisfies my esthetic for "working" features on model cars.

[David G.]

Clever work on the hinges. I may have to use that some day.

David G.

[charlie8575]

Neat idea for the door hinges, I might try that sometime.

A full tutorial on your method would be appreciated.

Charlie Larkin

[Johan020]

Killer job on those doors

[blunc]

thanx for the comments, I will get a tutorial up as soon as I can... may be a couple weeks before it gets posted.