| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 15-02-2008 22:06 |
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deane
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Sure thing!
Using Tamiya 2-part smooth type epoxy putty, I have filled in the groove from the resin side trim, removed some hood details that I didn't want, and started covering/removing the headlights.
There are a few dings to fill in, but I think we can just about call the hood and side panels.
If you look at the comix art, you can see the the headlight is centered into the blue pinstripe that hits into the wheel lip. The next step is to remove the resin headlights and insert the headlights from the '53 Ford lower in the front fender. Plus, the front fenders need to have a rounder front edge. |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 16-02-2008 18:57 |
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deane
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I also finished the interior. The dash is from the resin Hudson Hornet kit.
The dash was slightly more narrow than the '53 Ford interior, so I used Tamiya putty to wedge it in place. The gauges are all from MODEL CAR GARAGE. The steering wheel and column were from the '53 Ford, slightly modified to fit.
Fun things arrived in the mail, including the fastback!
Same bat time, same bat channel! |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 18-02-2008 22:08 |
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spencer1984
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Looking good! A fastback through the mail? That I have to see!
As for the tire question: big gangster whitewalls are definitely appropriate for the era, but for some reason it seems like most Batmobiles were drawn with blackwalls until the '50s. I usually decide last, when I can mock up the body with both sets and see what I like better.
The complete history of the Batmobile: BatmobileHistory.com
Scale models of Batmobiles & more: spencer1984.com |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 25-02-2008 22:43 |
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deane
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Lots of work!
I've rounded the front fenders in preparation for the new headlights. They are now the right basic shape and just need a little more rounding. Using the headlamps from the '53 Ford, I'll drill out new holes for the mounting.
The hood was extended so that it will meet with the bat shield that goes up front. My favorite putty is the Tamiya smooth type 2-part. No shrinkage and very flexible. A few little spots to touch up on the hood and that should be that.
The side panels are done and the door panels re-scribed. The whole thing will need primer sealer.
The next step is to finish the front end. The bumper that came with the kit is an atrocious asymmetrical mess, but I'll give it a go. The Bat shield will be fun and it's Easter merchandise time in the drug stores, so there is lots of raw materials.
I just finished "SHOWCASE PRESENTS: The Brave and Bold BATMAN team ups (vol 1)". Looking ahead to some of the great Batmobile designs of the Sixties and Seventies gets me motivated to finish up the GOLDEN AGE.
See you soon!
Deane |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 27-02-2008 21:20 |
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spencer1984
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Beautiful work so far! Seeing it is prompting me to get back to the cave...I haven't worked on a Batmobile model since October 
The complete history of the Batmobile: BatmobileHistory.com
Scale models of Batmobiles & more: spencer1984.com |
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| RE: Smooth... -
Posted on 27-02-2008 22:05 |
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inzo
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Will you be customizing something we have not
ever seen yet???
Also the body work looks great...
What patience...
I would have already been done with the duck tape and
bubble gum for the body work...Then moved onto the
semi gloss home exterior paint job on my Batmobile...
With all the dust stuck on my body paint, it would give
it weathered look...
Now...
Hurry up...
I need my fix...
Edited by inzo on 27-02-2008 22:08 |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 05-03-2008 22:35 |
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deane
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inzo wrote:
Will you be customizing something we have not
ever seen yet???
You mean an original design? Nah. Too many great cars from the comix to make.
inzo wrote:
Now...
Hurry up...
I need my fix...
As of tonight, I now have all of the base models to create the 9 cars of the Atomic, Silver, and Bronze Ages. I've been working on the front fender and Bat shield, so there will be pix this week.
And this is me working fast. Just ask Spencer... |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 06-03-2008 16:34 |
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deane
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The front end of the body is finally done, as the head lamp sockets have been drilled out:
The next step is the front bumper. Turns out, the resin bumper doesn't even fit onto the car! It's too short! So, lots of work getting it to look like the drawing :
and then modifying it so that the thing will fit around the front end. Very tiny drill bits and a hobby saw helped piece this thing apart. Tamiya putty will fill everything back in.
I think some slats of styrene will re-create the front intake vents nicely. After filling in the gaps on the bumper, the next fun thing to work on will be the bat shield.
In the meanwhile, I am pondering just how to add this
to this
It's the big fabrication issue for this build. Do I sand down the fastback so that it rests on top of the Hudson, or do I chop out the rear end of the Hudson to fit the fastback into place?
Decisions, decisions!
HEY! I will be showing a whole bunch of Batmobiles and other cool comix cars at the NNL East on April 12 in Wayne NJ. Grab your stuff and represent!
Hurry Robin, we haven't a moment to loose!
Deane |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 08-03-2008 07:45 |
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spencer1984
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Looking great, The new headlight locations really make it look more like the Batmobile.
How's the width on that fastback roof? I know Fords were really skinny cars, and the Hudsons were pretty wide - just wondering if you'll be able to use it as-is or if you'll have to widen it to fit the Hudson. If you do, I'd say split the roof first and try to line up the edges first. That should let you know if you will need to notch the Hudson roof or if you can just feather the edges.
For strength, I'd say leave the original roof there as long as possible. You don't want to have the new roof halfway in and then have the forward roof pillars snap. You can always go back and cut the old roof out from the inside with a Dremel.
The complete history of the Batmobile: BatmobileHistory.com
Scale models of Batmobiles & more: spencer1984.com |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 14-03-2008 15:36 |
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deane
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A week for the chop shop, Bat-buddies-
A lot of resin dust everywhere as we ripped out most of the rear end:
The Ford is millimeters wider than the Hudson at the B pillar, but not so noticeable. I feathered the sides of the Ford and Hudson in the space between B and C pillars so that the roofs will match up as best as possible- the Ford has more of a bow to it. A tiny bit of work will make them flush.
The rear windows of the Ford were too low when grafted into the new car, so I cut new ones and used putty to cover up the old.
I then started shaping the rear fenders, which will have to recede in order to connect to the new Ford fastback. I created a center line for each fender and then used putty to create an inner fender.
As I see it, the next two big challenges are: 1) create new side panels/C Pillar to connect the Hudson to the Ford, and; 2) create connecting panels between the rear Hudson fenders and the Ford fastback.
The shape is right, but there's a LOT of space back there. Truth is, maybe that's where the engines went for the experimental aquatic conversion. I'm hoping that the enormous fin and the front end will draw attention away from it. |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 28-03-2008 16:22 |
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deane
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Finally, the bodywork comes together: WE HAVE FIN!
Based on the comix art I first posted, I made a 1:1 drawing of the fin and transferred it onto a sheet a styrene. Between a micro hacksaw and a scribing tool, the damn thing finally came alive! Crazy glue and putty got the thing to stay on. A little sanding tonight will round off the edges.
The new C pillars went together very quickly. I used thin ribbons of styrene to bring out the troughs along the roof.
Carefully sized slats of styrene were inserted between the Ford and Hudson to fill in the gaps. I used more 2-part putty to shape the rear fenders.
A little bit of finishing and I think we can call this ready for the paint booth! |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 28-03-2008 16:37 |
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Tartan Jack
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That looks REALLY nice!
Quite removed from the Hudson base. I really like it.
So, what colour do you plan for the base?
Black, grey, or a deep blue?
Sum Nox!
Edited by Tartan Jack on 28-03-2008 16:39 |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 28-03-2008 16:45 |
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deane
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Thanks!
This car will keep the pinstripe found on the early Golden Age Batmobiles, but it will be tone on tone blue, just like some of the images I presented at the beginning of the thread.
I use Tamiya TS-55 Dark Blue for the body. The lighter blue of the pinstripe will go on first. I think it will be Tamiya Blue. |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 30-03-2008 07:44 |
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spencer1984
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Looks great! I can't wait to see the first primer coat; all of a sudden everything just seems to snap together.
The complete history of the Batmobile: BatmobileHistory.com
Scale models of Batmobiles & more: spencer1984.com |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 30-03-2008 14:11 |
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Tartan Jack
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For those that didn't "get" my paint questions . . .
Look again at the pictures in post 1.
The cars are in a black, gray, and blue with different trim combos.
One could legitimately argue all three colours and multiple trim configurations.
-I was curious as to what the model builder was planning, as a scheme was probably in mind.
deane wrote:
I thought I was done. I started gearing up for the Batmobiles of the Atomic Age. Everyone knows that the Forties Batmobiles maintained subtle variants of the car I just built, until Dick Sprang's re-design in 1950, right? I was free of the Golden Age, right?
Wrong. Enter BATMAN ARCHIVES vol 7.
Collecting the DETECTIVE COMICS from 1949, vol 7 has some great stories, including the first two appearances of The Riddler and some beautiful Joker artwork by the legendary Dick Sprang. And that's how it found me. For all of 5 issues in mid 1949, Dick Sprang designed another Batmobile.
The first glimpse of change came with a funky Bathead symbol on the big fin, along with a new bumper that went in front of the Bat shield in front.
By the end of the Golden Age, the red pinstripe was replaced by a blue tone-on-tone look.
Gone are the separate fenders for each wheel, now replaced by a larger overall body type.
Other pictures indicated that the front wheels are open, while the rear wheels remain enclosed in fender skirts.
I am VERY impressed with the conversion.
Sum Nox!
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 30-03-2008 16:09 |
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deane
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Thanks for the compliment!
I am insidiously colourblind, so I'm sorry to have not answered your question. The plan with this 1949 car is to show it as a transition car between the more classic Batmobile of the Golden Age and the "ground breaking" design of the Atomic Age in 1950.
With that being said, I think the yellow bat head symbol on the fin is a "must".
Awesome picture coming tonight, I must say! |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 30-03-2008 20:32 |
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deane
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 30-03-2008 22:24 |
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Tartan Jack
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No, you answered.
Dark blue with light blue side stripe, bat-head oval on tail.
It looks good in a monochromatic tone. Good job with the filler and sanding.
Sum Nox!
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 02-04-2008 06:53 |
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spencer1984
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Looking great! My compliments to you on the driprail - I know from experience how tough it can be to get those to look as nice & straight as you have there.
The complete history of the Batmobile: BatmobileHistory.com
Scale models of Batmobiles & more: spencer1984.com |
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| RE: The Batmobiles of the Golden Age! -
Posted on 21-04-2008 23:09 |
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deane
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Thanks! They're not perfect, but I think they will work.
This is Tamiya TS-15, which will act as the pin strip colour:
I also masked off the exterior windows and sprayed the interior grey.
It's been 14 days, so the lacquer is now properly dry. I will use a 2000 automotive grit and then mask the pinstripe. My usual "Golden Age" colour TS-55 will be sprayed for the main body colour.
I think I need to make a vinyl decal for the yellow bat-head symbol for the bat fin. That way, I can take it off if I don't like it. Gonna have to think about that.
Deane |
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