Slow but steady progress has brought me to 4 hubs and a cockpit, so it's actually starting to look like a race car.
As usual these kits require lots of fiddling but provide lots of detail.
The flat 6 detail includes plugs, fuel rails and the alternator drive belt.
These engines had water-cooled cylinder heads and air-to-water intercoolers, Porsche having concluded there was an upper limit on power output from an air-cooled engine. However, I suspect there remained some air cooling of cylinder barrels.
I've left the exhaust tips for when this is all in the chassis, to be sure it all lines up with the holes in the body sides. A couple of other bits will also wait to ensure it all lines up properly.
Rear upper suspension components including coil-overs are done and attached to the gearbox. The cockpit cell is next, with associated front suspension components.
Coil-overs, anti-roll bar and lower A-arms are complete. Hubs and upper A-arms are next. There are a lot of sheet metal parts that are made by bending photo-etched sheet, including the shock towers.
Once the front suspension is complete, cockpit cell, engine and gearbox get glued together and inserted into the floorpan.
Stay tuned, progress is being made.
This one is now complete. The Fleetline bodywork is classic and the shape, also used by Cadillac and Bentley around the same time, is all too rare. The mild custom treatment is suitable, I think, with the lead sled treatment taking the extreme end of the custom spectrum. Let's go to the hop!
What's next? There are some interesting projects bubbling along in the background, as well as a couple of classic Porsches (917, 962C) still on the bench from Model Factory Hiro. Stay tuned!
AMT's '51 Bel Airs are frustrating kits.
On the one hand, they include a lovely rendition of the venerable Stovebolt 6; with a custom crossflow head and fuel injection (Styleline), or a pair of Stromberg carbs (Fleetline).
Some fooling around with stance was required after I lowered the rear a bit too far, but after it was too late to really do anything more with the front. I didn't really like the gasser-style nose-up attitude, so it will sit up on its fat tires a bit higher than I would have liked.
As I frequently do with early '50s stuff, I painted it with a matte airplane colour (AS-8, US Navy Blue) with a coat of gloss to shine it up a bit. It will partner on the shelf with the resin wagon and lead sled I built some time ago.
