I started this one in April 2015, including a plan to cut open the door. The hinge was finalised in November 2016 and I got back to it in late December 2019. So I figured I needed to get moving as it's been on and off the Shelf of Doom for going on 5 years now.
Building the hinge, out of 0.5 mm rod inserted in a 1.0 mm tube, also required building a door jamb.
The challenge continued to be the amount of scratch building necessary, given the poor quality of the smaller resin bits. Some are misshapen lumps, others have hidden air bubbles that lead to failure as you are trying to assemble. And to top it off, I dropped the PE Renault badge for the grille and it has disappeared ... and I don't even have a carpet! The floor is hardwood. Bah.
The rear section is almost entirely gasoline tank, with the filler under a trap door in the roof. This shot also shows the lever shocks.
Yes, the steering wheel is meant to be crooked as the column apparently goes around the radiator, which is mounted between the engine and cockpit. (The wheel should be higher, though.) This just contributes to the cramped cockpit and the general lack of comfort due to the big stiff chassis, lack of front shocks, etc.
So while the kit was a challenge and the build is not one of my best, it is a unique kit of a very interesting automobile. I have flagged the contrast with the Miller before.
Overall it's a big brute and will lurk in the back of the display cabinet where the build flaws won't be so visible... the paint is meant to mimic aluminum sheet (glossy hood and undertray) and doped fabric pulled over a wooden structure (cabin).
Stay tuned! There's lots to come in 2020.
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