1955 Renault 4 CV

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Got this in trade, and was looking for a quick build, so I am doing this one as box stock.

[crazyrichard]

these are cool .. just saw a real one for sale over here a week ago .. cool cars

[charlie8575]

Different. Different is good.

Charlie Larkin

[Rossa156]

I believe these also raced at Le Mans! Crazy, but then it's Le Mans.

Rossa156

[ChrisBcritter]

Not only LeMans, but LeMons as well!

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Thanks guys. This is the look I will be going for.

[Speedfreak]

These raced at Le Mans? that's amazing, what year? Very interesting subject Mark.

Edited March 11, 2014 by Speedfreak

[Modelbuilder Mark]

I just love when a plan comes together. Over the last couple years, me and painting just do not seem to get along. So I have this bottle of Cobra Colors paint that looks just about perfect for what I want in the bottle, of course, my own darn fault for not spraying a test piece, but on this little car to my eye there is now way too much metallic. I let it set over 24hr and come back, and it does not look too bad, passable for a quick out of the box build, so I go to shoot on some Cobra Colors clear. Now, the clear has lost some of it's pre-mixed thinner over time, so I add a touch more, and immediately I am spraying spider webs. ARGH! Now, I am only shooting around 10-12 PSI. SO I thin it up some more, and get it to where I can spray. Moving along OK, then Spatter. Crud build up in the tip sends a spit. Well, it is clear, and I think it will polish out OK, but this little bugger will be tough to get to all the areas. Here is where I am this morning.

[Jim Gibbons]

Very cool; I love seeing these different cars being built. I have the very simple Heller 1/43 version. A friend of my brother's drove one of these in college in the early '80s.

[sjordan2]

Hooray for something different! But I must say, I wish you wouldn't go for a quick build, and do all the extra detailing that makes this something extraordinary. From what I can see, though, that's really what you're doing, so I don't think "quick build" applies.

Edited March 15, 2014 by sjordan2

[Foxer]

Nice color .. and I always thought these were cool cars.

I have one waiting for me to finish that I was making into a beach buggy ..

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Not sure what happened to my other response, but...

This has been a really fun build, and when I mean by quick is not taking me months, but several sessions at the bench spread out over 2-3 weeks. I will likely build this one again, and detail wire the engine etc. This one tho is being built for an Out of Box catagory at the upcoming Desert Scale Classic.

Overall the kit builds up really nice. VERY little flash, and due to good design very few seams that need much attention, but there is a severe one on the upper left/rear fender, but that may be a one off issue. SO, I may build another one of these at some point, and really do it up.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Modelbuilder Mark

[Modelbuilder Mark]

This is cool. I love unusual subjects like this. Very nice work so far. Is this a Tamiya kit?

Thanks again everyone.

Lee, this is a Heller Kit, the 4 CV "Sport". The reason I point out the Sport, is I know there are two different kits out there, one I see on Ebay for around $20 to $25, The other around $39, but I got this one in a trade without the box, so I am not sure which one I have.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Well, I got a little more done. I let the paint cure for a pretty decent length of time, so today I sanded it out. Looks pretty good even before polishing it out. I also got some washes on the interior panels.

Edited March 29, 2014 by Modelbuilder Mark

[ChrisBcritter]

SO, I may build another one of these at some point, and really do it up.

Check out Andy Southard's Custom Cars of the 1950s photo book - on page 62 there's a shot of a Renault 4CV like this one, black with a full scallop job in red and silver topped off with wide whites, Olds Fiestas and... side pipes??? Might be something to try with the next one.

[Steve Prideaux]

Great job Mark. It really is a neat kit. I went about it a little differently. I like the color you are using. nice job.

[Hayabusa]

Nice looking Renault, Mark!

Steve, that dragracing-Renault is way too cool The details, stance...just love it!

Edited March 29, 2014 by Hayabusa

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Thanks everyone, and Steve that is a cool little drag car you have there sir!

[Modelbuilder Mark]

light bulb reflection test..

[charlie8575]

light bulb reflection test..

Bright idea!

Looks great, Mark. That'll be a pretty little car when it's finished up.

Charlie Larkin

[Tom Geiger]

Great build so far! Funny thing is that I was looking at these on eBay this morning. I started out looking for a Dauphine kit, or at least a body, because I have a kit that the body disappeared in my mess many (as in more than 10) years ago. I have no idea where it went. Anyway, I was checking the Heller kits out of these. They were the work horses of that era. Pre war Saigon was full of them tooling around as taxis! I do have that PD version, but I did want to build a Saigon taxi!

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Thanks Charlie and Tom. I had some paint problems with the rims, and really that is all that is left. I have had them in the purple pond, and over cleaner, nothing..so today, trying brake fluid.

Yeah TOm, I have seen these things in all sorts of roles, including police and race cars. Here are a few that I came across

[Tom Geiger]

Mark, here's one of the Viet Nam Saigon taxi pictures. There was a whole thing of old Viet Nam photos up on one of the photo sites, it kept me busy for an entire evening.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Tom Geiger

[Modelbuilder Mark]

That is cool Tom. I like manh styles of cars. I see that some folks on here are pretty set to a certain style, or type,and tat is cool for them, but I just have interest in so many different styles, it always keeps me with a fresh subject to model.

[Tom Geiger]

I agree Mark! I like all kinds of vehicles and have expanded my horizons due to my exposure to different things I see in this hobby and on the boards. I do like the unusual and like to replicate old history.

The Saigon taxis were everywhere like gnats! They were in nearly every photo I found. With Viet Nam having a relationship with France in that era, many of the vehicles there were French. There were also a lot of US cars, back in the day when we exported cars worldwide. I would suspect that the Falcon in this photo was US military since I saw a couple of them across the photos. I just missed the tail end of the war and the draft. I was probably the first year that didn't have to register. But my father was a US Army officer and was in Viet Nam in 1962 in an advisory role prior to the war heating up. He was an avid photographer and took everything on slides. I just got 4 of those Kodak rotary slide carrousels at Good Will for $2 each, so I'm hoping to dig into his old archives.

I think it would be cool to build a Saigon taxi. It would be neat to put it out on a show display table and see how many guys remember it from their tour there.