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DeLorean 1/24 Scale - Restoration |
| Kit: | Ertl/MPC Back to the Future II |
| Pros: | My Favorite Car, most complex model I've ever built |
| Cons: | Almost overworked at this point, few minor technical errors |
| Verdict: | Display for life |
|
DeLorean 1/24 Scale - Restoration |
| Kit: | Ertl/MPC Back to the Future II |
| Pros: | My Favorite Car, most complex model I've ever built |
| Cons: | Almost overworked at this point, few minor technical errors |
| Verdict: | Display for life |
When I hit 25 I was still very impressed with my work, but it was lacking in a few areas. The electrical system was kind of a mess, only some of the lights worked and not all the time, the paint had some pretty hefty scratches in it, and I wasn't satisfied with my engine cover and louvres. It took me 3 years of very low priority work to get it back in shape.
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Repainting an already-finished model is no easy task. The original heavy dose of Stainless buffer & primer wasn't coming off without a fight, so I ended up comprimising a little. I sanded the bad areas and generally made it all smooth again.I dosed it a few more times with the stainless buffer metalizer and then hit it with a coat of sealer. The sealer has a tiny bit of sheen but I took some scotchbrite pad and added some grain. I also mixed a better color for the fascias.
I was most unhappy with the louvres, but I figured while I was removing things why not fix the engine cover and rear quarter glass as well. I didn't attach any of these parts until about 2 years later because of the electrical work and just not being motivated.
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And then I moved on to make new louvres. These were a lot of work! I also introduced rear struts for the louvres, a new feature for this car!
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And later the resoldering/gluing of the connector pins and rear light section. What a mess! I got frustrated and sidetracked a lot, and this took a year or so to iron out. Really once I sat down and worked on it again it only took me a few hours, just getting going on such a mess hurt to think about. I love the second pic in the top row, it looks like someone rear-ended it!
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All the lights are controlled by a 8-pin DIP switch mounted in the passenger footwell. While accessing this a lot I ended up knocking the passenger seat off the tracks. Getting it back on there was quite a challenge. Even moreso was getting the stickers onto the battery compartment behind the seat. I wish I'd have done that while the seat was out but I didn't think of it then. A friend suggested I do a "cave painting" like the workers often wrote under the roof liners. As "The Man" John Z. DeLorean passed away on the eve of my model being refinished I felt it fitting to pay tribute under the driver's door.
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And after all was said and done I had added a bunch of little details like the latches on the side of the seats, all new decals made from scans of real ones, door sill inserts, and a new trunk mat, since I managed to lose the original one that looked so nice for 11 years.
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