Dodge A100 Van

[BBodyBlues]

First time trying a resin body. I don't know of any other manufacturer, so I think it's a Jimmy Flintstone. I'm opening it all up, so the first challenge will be to correct the gaps in the doors. Closing the gaps in styrene plastic is easy: simply cement on additional plastic and shape. With resin, I'm a little leery of gobbing on 5-minute epoxy as a filler. I've had that stuff easily separate from the styrene. If I mixed my own resin, could that be used as a filler? Bondo?

I'd like to use the resin doors, since they have the Dodge script. Is anyone aware of a photo-etch set that would provide this script?

Chris

[Foxer]

I'd definitely use Bondo as he body filler.. that's what it is. I use both the one and two part versions depending on the job.

Interesting about that door script .. never knew the van had that. Sorry I don't know where you'd find one. Maybe start at model car garage.

[MGL]

I just ordered this body but since, as Tom Gieger pointed out, the hinges on the van are so much nicer than the truck kit, I am going to leave the doors closed. I will be following this build, can't wait to see where you go with it.

[Mopar - D]

Very interesting build I picked up one of these a couple years ago but still have not started it. Looking forward to see what all you do with this. Do you have any colors in mind for it.

[Foxer]

If you run into troubles on the hinges here's a working photo of brass pins I used on a pickup .. left the plastic and just drilled out for some pins. The pins haven't been trimmed here so I can take the door on and off while I build.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Foxer

[Nitrozilla]

I've got this too and mine is a Flintstone. It's actually my next project after the Charlie Allen build. It will be a support vehicle painted to match the car and hauler.

Good to know there is a hinging fix.

Check in Tips, Ticks & Tutorials. I believe there is mention of a guy in Canada that makes all types of scripts in PE.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Nitrozilla

[BBodyBlues]

Thanks for the replies. Just to set expectations - my last model took me about 2 years to complete. This may take a while.

I've seen several vans, and A100 builds in particular, on this site, so I'll be mining for tips as I go. If you see me doing something and you have another way of doing it, I'd appreciate the feedback.

I'm going to try to keep the hinges in scale by trying flat stock brass or aluminum (cut from a can). The trick, I think, will come in being able to cut the material with scissors but have it strong enough to withstand some movement.

Here's some Bondo glazing putty, hopefully setting up properly.

[rsxse240]

You will find that the air dry red glazing putty will be more brittle than the 2 part stuff. I would test some tamiya 2 part clay type for adhesion to the resin and use it if it sticks well. That stuff is great. Another way would be to use some ca adhesive and glue a thin wire to the perimeter of the door as a substrate and then any type of filler or even building up the ca and shaping it would work. Also, I have used the "cat hair" fiberglass reinforced bondo for areas that need more strength but it is really difficult to work with in smaller areas such as ...well...anything to do with modelling.

Edited April 4, 2015 by rsxse240

[Foxer]

Thanks for the replies. Just to set expectations - my last model took me about 2 years to complete. This may take a while.

Mine's been in progress longer than that, so just do what you want to do .. eheh.

I've seen several vans, and A100 builds in particular, on this site, so I'll be mining for tips as I go. If you see me doing something and you have another way of doing it, I'd appreciate the feedback.

Here's a kink to my pickup build .. a few things I've tried to up the detail

I'm going to try to keep the hinges in scale by trying flat stock brass or aluminum (cut from a can). The trick, I think, will come in being able to cut the material with scissors but have it strong enough to withstand some movement.

Good idea on the hinges .. will be keeping an eye here to see what you do.

[crowe-t]

Chris, To correct the gaps, you can also use CA to glue on small strips of styrene around the doors and then sand/file to shape.

I've always liked these old vans and can't wait to see more progress.

Mike.

[Tom Geiger]

I'm watching! I recently advised someone not to open up the panels since the resin body is fairly thick. So prove me wrong!

This is a Jimmy Flintstone body. I recently finished mine and really enjoyed building it!

A few things to watch.. the doors are thicker than the kit parts so you will need to take some depth out of the inner door panels. Watch for the relationship between those and the seat positions.

Second, body to chassis fit. You will need to take some plastic out of the chassis edges to accommodate the thicker body as well.

[BBodyBlues]

Thanks for the feedback. It's much appreciated.

Mopar-D - I haven't decided on a color yet. I think it will be dictated by what images I can get for the outside of the van. Right now it might be black or white.

Foxer - Thanks for the hinge advice. I'm going to try to use the resin doors since they have the stock Dodge script. I have a rough idea of what I want to do, along a similar line to what you did. And yes, I saw your build you started in 2011. I won't feel rushed.

Nitrozilla - I'll look for that PE guy in Canada, thanks. He could come in handy.

rsxse240 - Actually, the glazing putty was the 2-part stuff, and it came right off. I have aspirations of sculpting some parts, not necessarily for this build, so I'll keep the Tamiya putty in mind (I was thinking Sculpy, the kind the military modelers use).

crowe-t - I've had so-so luck with CA glue, including a couple of early ideas on this body, but I did what you suggested. And I think it works! See the images below. Medium CA with an accelerator applied. More CA to fill the gaps. And it stood up to shaping and sanding!

Tom - I've seen your build & it looks great. This being a resin body, I expected and encountered areas of more and less thickness. The front doors were the hardest around the wheel well, it being curved and having a lot of over-flow resin from the extra plastic used to cover the gap to the chassis. Aside from that, once I poked a hole, I could then switch to a #11 saw blade and carefully finish the line. I bet a PE blade and some patience would work wonders. The thickness in the door panel itself was taken care of by scraping away the unnecessary resin a little bit at a time and matching up the kit interior door panel as a guide. It's close, and I'll likely need to fill the gaps with something later. You are correct in that replicating those nice hinges in a reasonable scale will be a trick.

I really want to build out the interior of this van. Being in my early 40's, I wasn't really conscious in the late 70's and early 80's of anything outside of my Matchboxes and Hot Wheels. So I went on line and picked up a couple of reference materials. Neither book has a dedicated chapter on the subject, but apparently, judging by the photographs and illustrations, a bikini-clad woman is an essential accessory.

[Tom Geiger]

I was around for the van craze! Everyone wanted to customize an old van. Even junkers were selling for big money. While you'll see great show stopping customs in those books, most of the finished products looked like this! You know how that goes!

I didn't put a lot of detail into my interior because first, the real van I was replicating looked like this, plus you can't see much through my windows anyway. My original thought was just to black out the glass.

[Mopar - D]

Looking real nice are you going to open the back and side doors so you can show your interior details? Don't for get the beer cans

[Model Brain]

Very cool A100. I'll be watching! Even though the interior is looking like the insides of a M.R.U. lol just kidding.

Edited April 18, 2015 by Model Brain

[mustang1989]

I like all the accessories!!! Freekin cool!!

[Longbox55]

This was at a local show a couple of years ago.

[BBodyBlues]

Jarius Watson provided a tutorial on how to lose your mind create the type of hinges I need on this van.

2 down, 10 more to go.

[Mopar - D]

Chris wow those are tiny hinges that are going to really make your van stand out.

[BirdWatcher]

Great start on the hinges...Where could i find the hinge tutorial?

[mustang1989]

Great start on the hinges...Where could i find the hinge tutorial?

I'd be in for that!

[BirdWatcher]

Wish someone would fix the doors and cast it, the door problem kind of keeps me from wanting to do multiple builds of this kit. I did the same thing with the door too.

In progress

[IceMan Collections]

I'd be in for that!

X2

Great job on those hinges. Your eyes crossed yet?

[BBodyBlues]

For whatever reason, I can't post the link. But it's within the How-To articles of MCM's website.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/door-hinges/

[Custom Hearse]

Nice work. Looking forward to seeing more.