After further consideration, perusing my reference library, and a strong bourbon, I came up with an amended cunning plan!

The quarter windows are a neat fit inside the door frame, and pivot open. "This would look good with both quarter windows open!" I says to meself.



So, out with the ruler and razor saw again.



I will trim and thin down the quarter windows to fit into the door frame, paint the bottom and front edges chrome silver, and use a bit of wire to make a handle.

Cheers, D

D,
Now there's a great idea. I use to love to keep open my side quarter window especially while driving. They not only looked cool opened, but they deflected the air as it moved around the windshield so it didn't continually slam into your arm that had to be hung across the open drivers side window, and allowed you to keep your cigarette lit at the same time. Those little items were deemed necessary while cruising with your "Chick", or looking for one.

Joel

Cunning plan revision 3. The quarter window sections from the windscreen are thick and slightly curved and too much work to fettle into what I need. Enter the unused side window parts. Thinner, flat, and much easier to measure and cut to exactly what I need, and I also still fit the OOB rule for the build competition.



Cheers, D

D,

Sure looks like you've got a handle on those side vent windows.

Joel

Open quarter windows will be a super cool touch. One is tempted to say, you've got your work cut out for ya

Not quite Joel, that was the next step!
Quarter windows masked, whittled down some chrome sprue to make the little "T-handles" to suit.



I will scrape and trim them down a bit further, but they will look the part.




My mum used to say "You don't have to be crazy, but it helps!" It appears that I'm a fair way down that track about now


Cheers, D

D,
Those handles look great.

Joel

Hi Damian,

I admire your bravery and creativity with those wind wings - really a good idea! Very clean too -

Cheers
Nick

Thanks Joel, Nick.

I finished the quarter windows. They look very heavy and rough because I had to use kit parts to hit the OOB rule. I think I will rebuild them from thin clear sheet and wire handles once this weekend is done.


Front and rear glass, headlights, front grille and tail lights are fitted.



Getting close now, this will be the first kit I have actually completed in quite a few years.

Cheers, D

When you get to the business end, and try to get everything to line up and play nice, you find out how well you have actually done when you think that you are taking a lot of care! A bit of bending and twisting, half a bottle of CA (including application to my fingertips), reattaching a couple of parts a couple of times, the odd profanity, but it's done






I will look over it again tomorrow night and see if I need to touch up a couple of spots, and probably add a bit more pin wash here and there, but it's about as good as it will get before the show on Saturday.

Things I've learned in this build:
1. Look closer at the body before priming, double check those mould lines and flow lines are really gone. Double check again AFTER priming, there are a couple of faint lines that really annoy me.
2. Don't mask and paint the chrome so early in the process. I couldn't cut and polish the paint evenly so it didn't get done, and the constant handling wore off a bit of the chrome trim so I had to remask and respray the side trims.
3. Test fit over and over, and look harder for potential trouble spots. The body fitted nicely over the chassis and tub assembly, until I put the rear glass in. The thickness of the rear glass interfered with the rear parcel shelf and made it very difficult to get the bottom pan to fit up inside the body.
4. Molotow pens are great for touching up chrome parts, first time I've used one, but go LIGHTLY, that stuff just flows out like red wine if you press too hard.
5. Make sure you put a fresh blade in the Xacto to trim masking around body mouldings. There are a couple of places where the not-so-new blade pulled the masking up very slightly, but enough to get a bleed underneath. Brush applied touch-ups are never as good as the airbrush finish.

I will get some better photos outside in natural light, and there will be a bunch of photos of the other builds at the show on Saturday.

Cheers, D

Looks fantastic, Damian. Very well done.

Jim

D,
Simply outstanding !! Looks great, and that modified Windshield turned out great.

I'm with you that one can't test fit enough. Every work session I've test fitted and didn't run into a single problem till those 5 radiator pipes that run from the Radiator to the block.

As far as the brand new Exacto blade for trim work, I have a knife dedicated for just that purpose. I find it easier to have 4 knives always ready to go at a moments notice, since I'm lazy and knowing me, I'd push the current blade past it's prime, and usually I pay the penalty for it.

Joel

That's a beauty for sure, Damian! You did a great job here. Followed your work more or less silently (yes, I'm always around you guys somewhere ....). Like you, I also do a lot of test fitting before glue joints the party. And usually I mask my aircraft more than it's necessary, but it pays in the end. Well, most of the times ....

Okay, now I wait for some photos in the australian autumn sun.

Again, well done!
Torsten

Gorgeous build mate. The open vent windows is a brilliant touch. Gotta try that myself.

Many thanks for the positive feedback guys, I really appreciate it.




A little touch of inspiration born from poorly fitting parts can lead to a new habit forming. I can see myself doing this on every build. The kit clear plastic scales out to about 30mm thick, so I will definitely be rebuilding these quarter windows from some thin clear sheet and wire for handles. Quick and easy to do but something I haven't seen anybody else take the time on.

Cheers, D

What? You don't like the AMT bullet-proof glass?

Jim

Now there's a safety feature that makes sense! A bullet-proof quarter window while I'm cruising around with all of the other windows open!

I've actually often wondered why the clear parts are so much thicker than the other parts in these car kits

Cheers, D

Stunning work Damian.
The quarter windows modelled open really do set the car off.
Andy

Hi Damian,

Your Chevy looks great - really nice build!

Cheers
Nick

Thanks Andy and Nick, your feedback is very much appreciated.

We had the display today, it was a great day and there were some amazing builds put together. I am putting together a feature with a bunch of images which should be live soon.



Cheers, D

Edit: 1951 Bel Air Single Kit Group Build Feature is now live!

Windows are thick because clear plastic is more brittle; any thinner and it wouldn't survive the molding process without cracking.

Nice one Damian!

It looks spectacularly good!

All the best

Rowan

Thanks Lee, I knew there had to be a good reason.




Thanks Rowan, much appreciated.

Cheers, D

Hi Damian - your dedication to this build certainly paid off! Looks fantastic

Cheers
Nick

Hi, D.!

Just caught up with this build. Very nice indeed!
Most of the lessons you've learnt are valuable for me as well. Thanks!

I've read also the full feature and the participation was absolutely tremendous! For some reason the feature doesn't have its own thread and I found fit to leave a little comment here.
The builds you have signaled out as the most interesting ones show great creativity but doesn't really appeal to a "purist" like me. I don't want to take credit from this guys, but for sure I would not overlook the dark gray (anthracite gray?) one. The winner was well deserved, no doubt!

Taking the risk to become redundant, I have to call out your "trick" with the vent windows as being awesome - I may try it myself in some following build.

I'm glad to see you involved in such event and thanks for sharing!
Gabriel