Revell Trabant 601s Universal

[Tom Geiger]

Like aluminium channels on caravans, the aluminium fades over time, but yes, it's an aluminium channel to hide the screws that hold the body panels on, then a rubber strip is hammered into the groove

Thanks Geoff!  I saved your photo for reference when I get to that point on my project.  Those things we don't know because we've never seen a 1:1 up close!

Back when I was working earnestly on my Trabbie panel I posted on the Trabant board for help.  One guy was pretty helpful with under hood photos and explanations and told me they were having their national meet in Washington DC  the next month and if I went, he'd give me a ride in his Trabant!   That's about 4 hours from me and I meant to go but life got in the way!

[GeeBee]

It was back in 97 or 98 I was contacted by the trabant club over here, I was working as a full time professional photographer back then, these day I only do it part time, anyway I digress, they were having trabants coming from all over the globe and wanted a photographer to cover the meeting, and would I be intrested ?

The meeting was a few hours from where I am, but I told them if they got stuck and I hadn't booked anything else for that date, I would do it, well I ended up doing the meeting, I have all the negatives stored away, but out of all the car meets I have photographed, this one was the most fun to attend, always said I'd make a model of one, the revell kit of the trabant available back then was terrible, I bought one and it sat on the shelf until I sold it on, I'm so pleased revell saw sence and built a brand new kit of it.

 

Edited December 31, 2015 by GeeBee

[GeeBee]

That's the black trim finished on the one side, finished off the inside of the tailgate, fitted the interior panel to it and the wiper motor, 

 

[GTJUNIOR]

Coming along nicely. 

[Dann Tier]

That's the black trim finished on the one side, finished off the inside of the tailgate, fitted the interior panel to it and the wiper motor, 

 

WoW!  your skills get better and better!

[junkyardjeff]

Where can one be bought,I have a crazy idea of a hotrod version.

[GeeBee]

Where can one be bought,I have a crazy idea of a hotrod version.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXEDTW

[GeeBee]

Not a great deal was done over the weekend, I need to get to my spray booth, as a few parts such as the front and rear lamp lenses, bumper end caps and over riders need airbrushing, but the new display cabinet I've bought is sitting in the way, I'm waiting for one of my neighbours to come and fix it up on the wall, anyway because of the way I fixed the roof panel into place before painting the body, I had to modify the hinges, the tailgate is supposed to be hung on the hinges before the roof panel goes on, but as I was going to have the tailgate in the closed position, this didn't really matter, it just means the tailgate had to be glued in the closed position, the tailgate struts were fixed in position at the bottom using a dab of PVA glue just to hold them into position while the tailgate could be fixed into place, and then the struts could be fixed onto there top mounting points, tha tailgate was held into place with Tamiya masking tape while the 5 minute epoxy dried.

 

[GeeBee]

Managed to get to my spray booth earlier, so all the light got airbrushed in either clear red or orange, as normal I used Tamiya acrylics for the job, when the rear lamps have dried they need to be masked up so the red part of the lamp can be airbrushed

[GeeBee]

This one's on the finishing straight now, only a few other parts that need to be airbrushed, got the bumpers masked up and airbrushed in satin black for the end caps, over riders and spot lamps

 

[peekay]

Excellent detailing Geoff.

[GeeBee]

Excellent detailing Geoff.

Cheers Peter, didn't do a great deal today, just the front spot lamp reflectors, which was done using aluminium BMF

[Dann Tier]

Still looking sweet!  cant wait!

[Davewilly]

Coming along nicely!   Nice work on the bumper!

[GeeBee]

Today I got the other front spot lamp reflector done, then airbrushed the front spot lamps in clear yellow, then masked off the rear lamps so the red part could be airbrushed, there's only the window frames to airbrush now, as these are molded into the windows themselves, all the windows will need to be masked off then they can be airbrushed in matt black to replicate the rubber seal, Can't believe this model has been on the go for just over a year.

[charlie8575]

Geoff, this is absolutely fantastic. 

Great job on this.

Charlie Larkin

[GeeBee]

Geoff, this is absolutely fantastic, Great job on this.

Thanks Charlie, I'll get this one finished very soon, done a little today, now I just need to mask up all the windows to airbrush the rubber seal in matt black, then all the small parts like the door handles, window wipers and mirrors can be fixed in place, 

The rear fog lamp housings were given the BMF treatment indside to replicate the reflector, then the lenses on both the front and rear bumpers were fixed into place using Tamiya clear acrylic, it makes great glue for clear parts, after all, have you tried to remove the lid of this if any of it has gotten onto the thread and dried with the lid in place ?, and of course, when it dries, it dried perfectly clear

[Foxer]

she's coming along beautifully, Geoff. I never thought any Trabant was capable of receiving such love!

[1930fordpickup]

I  the hands of a master. Still looking great Geoff .

[GeeBee]

Now the lenses have all been airbrushed, it's time to start fixing them in place, the chrome trim around the front indicator lenses was done with BMF

[GeeBee]

It's getting nearer to being finished ...

Paintwork has passed quality control 

It now has a name

[GeeBee]

Front & Rear Bumpers fitted

 

[Dann Tier]

Outstanding work, Geoff!!

[DumpyDan]

Brilliant car, you have done a great job on this car

[Tom Geiger]

I believe you have built this Trabbie with more care and quality control than any 1:1 made!