1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II – The Abysmal Minicraft Kit Reworked

[Plastheniker]

The good about this kit is that all dimensions of the body are correct and that the present kit manufacturer is honest enough to show a photograph of the model on the box cover (even if it is obviously retouched.).

 

The rest is disastrous even if you consider that the kit dates back to 1960. After more than 60 years of modeling this was one of the crudest kits I have ever encountered.

• Already the box cover showed two striking shortcomings: the wheels were way too small (rather 1/32), in contrast the radiator mascot was way too big (appr. 1/16). Built with the kit wheels the model would resemble a dachshund – a long body on very short legs.

• Casting quality was terrible. F.e. the lateral chrome mouldings disappeared completely on both sides near the windscreen, and I had to make a new radiator mask because the kit part had numberless surface irregularities.

• Calling fit poor would be euphemistic. There were huge and varying gaps between the main body part and the two halves of the bonnet as well as the boot lid. Fortunately there were no opening doors, rescribing all door gaps was sufficient. The shape of the wheel wells had not much to do with the shape of the fenders.

• The interior was really unique: It consisted of only 3 parts, namely steering wheel, dashboard and all the rest (floor, door panels,front/rear seats and rear window shelf) cast as one big single part. For the first time I saw that there were no gaps between seats and door panels. Any interior details or instrument decals? Forget it!

• No glass parts for headlights, foglamps, taillights, moulded wipers and doorhandles, no mirrors, no boot lid handle, botched windshield area, omitted chrome moulding on the lower edge of the body, no license plate carriers, no decals and …..

 

The list could be continued endlessly.

The kit consisted of appr. 30 parts, 19 of these 30 parts were unusable and discarded.

 

Somewhere in the forum I saw a topic “Are model kits toys?“. IMO this one is.

It is no kit as such. I suppose that it was designed originally as an inexpensive toy meant to be assembled by children easily within one or two hours.

 

 

 

[Jim B]

Beautiful Rolls.  Very well done.

[1959scudetto]

Once again an extraordinary model from you, Jürgen. I don't want to know how much time you have invested here.

As I didn't want to spend much time on a miserable kit, I bought instead a Franklin mint diecast of a Bentley with the same body a few years ago for cheap money.

[titino]

Excellent work Jürgen, congratulations.

[Matt Bacon]

Oh my word! That’s the best built one of those I’ve ever seen or am likely to see. Though I think it’s more a fantastic model “inspired by” the kit rather than built from it… Well done indeed. I do find it odd that despite well over a century of being “the best cars in the world”, as far as I’m aware that kit and the SE Finecast Silver Ghost are the only 1/24 Rolls Royce kits (unless you count the very fine rendition of the Merlin in Airfix’s Spitfire, Hurricane and Mustang superkits…)

best,

M.

[karbuildr]

Very nicely done.

[Maindrian Pace]

A scratch building tour de force, I wasn't expecting much considering the starting point but the end result is the nicest build of that kit I've ever seen. Love the gray color too, adds a touch of understated elegance.

[lordairgtar]

You made yours very well. How did you deal with the under hood blob of an engine? I looked everywhere for a 3D print of the proper engine but no luck. I have decided to make better head lights too. Yours look great. For a better body, locate the first issue of this under the Hubley brand. Molded in light blue and seem a tiny bit crisper. The later ones seemed to be very misaligned at the front edge of the door and it's transition to the hood atrea. I will probably rob one of my early Monogram kits for the Spirit Of Ecstasy ornament as those are closer to scale. I lengthened my body 1/4 inch in the middle of the rear doors to create the long wheelbase version and redoing the glass trim as the rear doors of the long version have wing windows at the rear of the rear doors.

[PappyD340]

Super nice Rolls Royce, well done!!

[Kah puts]

Silk purse from a sow’s ear ! Such patience, I commend you 👍

[happy grumpy]

Great job on a less than good kit. Obviously, you put a lot of work in that project and it paid off. I guess you proved the old axiom wrong. You really can polish a .... ! 😉

[ChrisR]

Looking great.

[beeRS]

The kit sounds truly awful! Well done on turning it into such a beautiful model. 

[70 Sting]

Nice!  Interior looks awesome.

[Plastheniker]

 

Thanks for the response!

 

 

22 hours ago, Matt Bacon said:

Oh my word! That’s the best built one of those I’ve ever seen or am likely to see. Though I think it’s more a fantastic model “inspired by” the kit rather than built from it… Well done indeed. I do find it odd that despite well over a century of being “the best cars in the world”, as far as I’m aware that kit and the SE Finecast Silver Ghost are the only 1/24 Rolls Royce kits (unless you count the very fine rendition of the Merlin in Airfix’s Spitfire, Hurricane and Mustang superkits…)

best,

M.

 

Not forgetting two rather simple Phantom kits by Mongram from the sixties(?) and the excellent but inexpensive Phantom II (Maharaja's delight) that seems to be still available.

 

 

20 hours ago, lordairgtar said:

You made yours very well. How did you deal with the under hood blob of an engine? I looked everywhere for a 3D print of the proper engine but no luck. I have decided to make better head lights too. Yours look great. For a better body, locate the first issue of this under the Hubley brand. Molded in light blue and seem a tiny bit crisper. The later ones seemed to be very misaligned at the front edge of the door and it's transition to the hood atrea. I will probably rob one of my early Monogram kits for the Spirit Of Ecstasy ornament as those are closer to scale. I lengthened my body 1/4 inch in the middle of the rear doors to create the long wheelbase version and redoing the glass trim as the rear doors of the long version have wing windows at the rear of the rear doors.

Mostly I build my models curbside with bonnets glued shut because I want them fit and sit as perfectly as possible. Therefore the ridiculous one-piece engine of the Minicraft kit was no problem for me. I am sure that I drilled out the kit fog lamps, but I can't remember if I drilled out the headlights, too, or if if I replaced them. I took the mascot from Italeri's Phantom II kit.

[slusher]

Beautifully Done!

[Rattlecan Dan]

Very nicely done in spite of the difficulties encountered. You've captured the look of dignity the auto always seems to exude. Nice show.

[Pierre Rivard]

Only in the very best hands (like your's) can this miserable kit be salvaged. I have great admiration for what you have achieved here. Incomprehensible that there are no good kits of this fabulous automotive brand.

[Kromolly]

Stunning model!  One would never guess from your results that this kit had problems.  Very nice.

[Dann Tier]

Beautiful!

[ZIL 111V]

WOW! Nice work on such an old basic crude kit, great looking on the outside & also superb interior detailing for such a "toy car kit". Remember getting the exact same kit in the ENTEX boxing, 40+ years ago. 

[Plastheniker]

Thanks for the latest replies!

 

At the beginning of this topic I left a gap for a picture of the mentioned Minicraft box cover but then I forgot it.

Despite the retouching the sortcomings remain obvious.