What are your pre-build planning methods?

[Jeremy Jon]

Every body does things differently, some people just start building, some are far more particular and make written plans, others make drawings, etc.

I like generally to gather as many photos on the subject matter as I can - dozens or hundreds - and save them in a specially named file on my computer for each project

Sometimes I enjoy making some digitally altered photos - rather simple I admit - in either Paint or Gimp, or other similar basic program, even Sketchup!

Here's one I started playing with about the '79 Mustang Pace car in a resto-mod modern style build, as if I were to build for my own self today!

What's yours?

Edited August 7, 2013 by Jeremy Jon

[ScaleDale]

Builds sort of grow in the back of my mind like weeds. When I'm finishing a project they start to stick out from the cracks when things slow down waiting for paint to dry and stuff like that.

I get a general concept like "I'm going to ProMod a '49 Merc" and just let it float around in there for a while. I look at stuff on the Net to get general ideas and set a direction to work from. If it's something based on a 1:1 like the Pro Stock Mustang that I'm finishing then I really soak up the real thing and dig into details with notes, sketches, digital photos and stuff before I build. It it's more creative like the ProMod, then I stick to a few rules and just wing it from there.

It's kind of like writing, I guess. I have an idea and make an outline, then develop each part of the outline before starting to write the story. And I'm always ready to edit and rewrite as I go. I'm pretty thorough with my outlines and my stories wind up pretty much like I first intended.

I'm one of those process builders who enjoys the engineering aspect of building a model car.

Most of this may not make sense to some of you.

Dale

[Ridge Rider]

I get general ideas of a project but let the project itself and creative juices flow through the build. If I planed better I wouldn't have as many problems or changes as I do but that's not my style. I have many WIP's because of this. I will set them aside till I get ideas or a direction to continue. This becomes a love- hate thing with the model. I love that I don't rush it but hate that I get hung up or burnt out and haven't completed it. This is why I have yet to do a WIP thread, it may take a long time if ever to be done. Speaking of this, I have wondered if there would be interest in a thread similar to work bench Saturdays where you could post pictures of your current project without a full dedicated thread. Or is it redundant as I think it seems to be?

[Watertown]

How do I prepare for a build? First I spend countless days agonizing over what kit I want to build. Then, having selected one, I begin my research of the 1:1 vehicle, (this can take weeks). After I've collected my research articles and images, I begin thinking about what special features I want to include, such as opening trunk and doors, working headlights/taillights, plumbing, wiring and custom exhaust. Then I open the kit, spread the contents out across my bench, stand back and take in the project in front of me. Then,....I quietly and unceremoniously gather up the contents place them back in the box and place the box back on the shelf. I then grab a car magazine and a cup of coffee, find a comfortable chair and begin looking for inspiration for my next 'great' build.

[deja-view]

Reference, reference, reference! Gathering pieces, parts, anything to add detail or realism. Then, even after painting and polishing, I get bogged down in details or hyper-idiotic OCD paralysis that most of them sit for years waiting to be finished.

[slusher]

l collect referance photos of builds and the real thing. Once l decide on a color l start my build. l have a huge model reference folder of every kit l own with build ldeas..

[W-409]

Well it depends a bit. When the idea pops up into my mind, if it is some kind of Drag Car (Usually Stock Eliminator), then it can be built pretty much box stock parts with only a few additions, so I don't need to start the build with finding parts. Then I move to search reference pictures, especially if it is Ford, Mopar, AMC or so. I know Chevy engine details much better, it needs only a little Google Search - if any. Then I move to NHRA and see what class the car I'm building falls under. Then I start building, and during the build process I'm finding also the parts I need. But it's easy to build these Stockers, because reference material is found in the Garage.

If the Model I'm building is a Custom for example, or Hot Rod or any other that can be built without rules, I start by searching the parts I need and looking inspiration pictures from Google or from books and Hot Rod Magazines. Then I start building, and of course I will look pictures for reference, too.

Edited August 7, 2013 by W-409

[Helix]

Heaps of research on the net, looking at photos, saving the good ones for reference.

From there I try to decide what colour by experimenting with plastic spoons.

Once happy with the colour choice, I make a start and of course I always refer back to pics to clarify things....

Cheers

Ray

[mrknowetall]

Research first. I don't do rep stock, but I still gather reference photo's for ideas, regardless of what I plan to build. After that, it's all about tuning up the kit parts for fit.

[Tom Kren]

if I see a car at a show and has that gota do it feeling I start planning on how to do it parts I need kits I need try to get it to look like it but put my touch to it taking lots of pics of the real one and just thinking and building it in my mind and then doing it

[Evilbenny]

  On 8/7/2013 at 5:30 AM, Watertown said:

How do I prepare for a build? First I spend countless days agonizing over what kit I want to build. Then, having selected one, I begin my research of the 1:1 vehicle, (this can take weeks). After I've collected my research articles and images, I begin thinking about what special features I want to include, such as opening trunk and doors, working headlights/taillights, plumbing, wiring and custom exhaust. Then I open the kit, spread the contents out across my bench, stand back and take in the project in front of me. Then,....I quietly and unceremoniously gather up the contents place them back in the box and place the box back on the shelf. I then grab a car magazine and a cup of coffee, find a comfortable chair and begin looking for inspiration for my next 'great' build.

And I thought I was the only one who did this.

[imarriedawitch]

1 - Idea !!!

2 - Take required kits from stash and do a little mocking up to see if it's a viable build.

3 - Make sure I have everything I need.

4 - Build like crazy.

[cobraman]

I pretty much do what Scott said. I have a ton of ideas but they seldom come out as I saw them in my head. I have more ideas than talent I'm afraid.

[Ramfins59]

It usually depends on what type of car I'm building. I was into doing Street Rods for awhile and unless I was going for a particular look, I just went according to what the pictures in my mind's eye. I would sometimes see a particular car either at a show or in a magazine and "sort of" build something along those lines. Lately, since I'm now on a '50's car kick, I google a bunch of reference pictures for each year car so I'll get the details and colors right.

[The70judgeman]

Writing it down and keeping that list in the kit. Getting older is....getting old.

[Blown03SVT]

Jeremy John, I remembered this car when I saw your rendering... the pic on the left is the rendering the one on the right is the final product.

Back to topic... first and formost for me is inspiration, then writing down my build goals, and then executing each sub assembly for trial fit, and potential scratchbuilding and detailing efforts.

[crazyjim]

After deciding on a kit to build and what I want to do with it, I open the box, cut everything off the sprue and sort by body, chassis, engine, and interior. Then I decide the body color which, for me, will determine the interior color and also the color for the engine and chassis parts. Then it's just a matter of throwing everything together.

[Ford guy]

Watertown, on 07 Aug 2013 - 01:30 AM, said:

  On 8/7/2013 at 5:30 AM, Watertown said:

How do I prepare for a build? First I spend countless days agonizing over what kit I want to build. Then, having selected one, I begin my research of the 1:1 vehicle, (this can take weeks). After I've collected my research articles and images, I begin thinking about what special features I want to include, such as opening trunk and doors, working headlights/taillights, plumbing, wiring and custom exhaust. Then I open the kit, spread the contents out across my bench, stand back and take in the project in front of me. Then,....I quietly and unceremoniously gather up the contents place them back in the box and place the box back on the shelf. I then grab a car magazine and a cup of coffee, find a comfortable chair and begin looking for inspiration for my next 'great' build.

Man that sounds like the way I do things, I bet I have 50 "projects" as of today!

Edited August 7, 2013 by Ford guy

[gtx6970]

Are you kidding, If I plan ahead I'll never get anything beyond the ' idea ' stage of things.

I get more ideas from stumbling onto pictures than I do than actually trying to find pictures / ideas.

Most of what I do is vintage drag cars and usually finding pictures is the easiest part of the project

[Jeremy Jon]

Great stories, I always enjoy seeing what others have to say!

LOL great quote Ken! "hyper-idiotic OCD paralysis"

Eric, yes I've seen that car, pretty extreme resto-mod - if it still fits in that category? - it's a great machine, tons of subtle mods done as well

My idea is a little more subtle, and more along the lines of what I'd build in 1:1 for my own self!

The story behind it is, that I 'almost' bought a real pace car edition 79 'stang V8 car as my first car, but it was pretty rusty & needed a bunch of work, instead I ended up buying a straight & not rusty 82 'stang 2.3 turbo car, which was silver but had the GT airdam & wing, and was a sunroof car - which I prefer over T-roof - which I then fixed up, lowered with cobra springs & swaybars, faster rack steering, homemade strut braces and sub-frame connectors, and added black to resemble a pace car coloring, but without the decals, and had the larger (approx. 16") T-bird TRX rims, that was before the available large wheels era!

I miss that car still, but also regret not having bought a real pace car edition, but then back at that time, they weren't as sought after!

Edited August 8, 2013 by Jeremy Jon

[Harry P.]

Google search to find as many reference photos as possible.

[Scott Colmer]

Plan? Well, sort of...

The idea can come from a doodle or a contest theme or a suggestion by someone else.

Example - Tom Daniels Tribute Contest on another forum.

I usually do a drawing or two, especially if there is custom bodywork.

Hosted on Fotki

Next I shelf my current build and promise myself that this will be a quick, low detail build, and that I will get back to the project I shelved within a month.

Then I get the basic parts worked out, still planning on a quick build. This was going to be pretty close to a curbside. Maybe a simple engine.

Hosted on Fotki

Finally, I loose control of the project as I succumb to adding one more neat little part.

Hosted on Fotki

If the project does not stall because of an engineering problem or another project takes its place, it's finished at least a year later. This one was interrupted for what is currently is currently on my bench.

Not so much of a plan as a process.

Scott

[Blown03SVT]

Scott, at least you are honest and admit to the project snowballing, I know the rest of us do it... but hate to admit it

[Tom Geiger]

I believe the first response by Dale pretty much covers it. Of course, it varies by the subject matter and what you build.

Me? I build odd little street rods and light commercial. Recently I've been building some odd trailers and campers. Sometimes I'll start out with a photo of something, or having seen a 1:1 I found interesting. I'll start to paw through my kits and parts to see what I can do. I start to amass parts and hold them up against one another. I may start to cut some stuff up just to see what it looks like. That's the point when I'm off and running.

Once I've got the basic premise of what I want to build and have an image in my head, I'll go research things like engine detailing, interior colors etc to make it realistic. I'll then follow the voices in my head until the object in front of me is the image in my head in 3D. Sometimes I get side tracked, projects veer off course, but eventually I get something built.

Some of my stuff just starts by fiddling with parts and stuff from my junk box. My Dodge van camper was one of those. The body had been used as a paint stand and pretty much spent the last few years in the bottom of my paint booth. One day I held it up to light and I saw a camper. I started to cut windows, and soon enough I had a project going. I don't even remember what I was working on before that, or if that one ever got done. It's a hobby so I'm I let the voices in my head guide me. They haven't let me down yet!

[midwest 1953]

Pre-build methods ? Something gives me an Idea ( MCMs new trailer contest) I daydream about it , going back and forth to work in the car ( which trailer? which dragster? could the sedan delivery pull the trailer? will the engine from car fit in the dragster?)

I spend about a week, studying this in my head..

Then I go to my stash, see what kits I have of the ones I picked out.

Spend next three months searching swapmeets for missing kits.

Open the boxes, lay the parts out, stare at them for 2 weeks.

Assemble the engines and chassis, prep the bodies

Then it sits on the bench another three months while I agonize over colors.

In the end.. build time to make the contest runs out, all the parts go in a plastic shoebox to be finished at a later date..