1937-39 Opel Admiral Kabriolet Updated 9/21/14

[mike 51]

any updates, Art?

[imatt88]

I heard ICM was going to tool up its 1/35th version, but I didn't realize it was out already..

I plan on getting this and the Mercedes, because its something completely different. I love it!

Great work!

Cheers, Ian

[Art Anderson]

Harry called it an off-beat car, but it really is not! In the day of this car, Opel was wholly owned by GM (since 1929), and the Admiral followed US General Motors practice. The chassis is very much like a '36 Buick, the engine is the '37-'52 Chevrolet 216 inline 6. Here's the chassis, finally on wheels--after all my hassles with the kit, all four wheels touch the 1/4" plate glass which is my preferred building stage!

More to come, as this project is moving along rapidly now!

Art

[Art Anderson]

Finally the chassis is coming together, and all engine detailing is finished (plug wires, fuel and vacuum lines to the carburetor, corrected ribbing on the valve cover (the kit comes with a breather in the middle of the cover, but reference searches show this engine Opel Admirals both with, and without that breather (early Chevy 6's simply had a few small louvers in the front of the valve cover with a sheet metal baffle behind them). The spark plugs were done as if they had rubber boots covering them, not unusual back then, so that was telephone wire, with just a short section of the insulation remaining, wired according to the firing order. Brake lines are running from the frame rails (where they were pretty much hidden from view inside the channel section rails), with the rear brake crossover line yet to be added.

The best thing? This model, for all the complexity of the chassis assembly (some 23 parts --each frame rail is three parts!--in frame and suspension), with it's Dubonnet Knee Action front suspension system, borrowed directly from Chevrolet and Pontiac, both of which offered this same suspension. Incidently, this is the only kit I've ever seen having Knee Action as originally offered by Chevy 1934-1939.

Some pics:

[Art Anderson]

Another pic:

And, one more:

[slusher]

Looking great Art..

[TFchronos]

Very nice work the chassis and engine look great.