Citroen 2CV early roadgoing
Seeing as there's not a slot or slotable 1/32 scale version of this iconic, quirky car around at the moment, I thought I'd have a go - and, also, try resin casting for the first time.
Using references from Wikipedia, Google images, a Heller 1/43 kit, a couple of odd-scale diecasts and several visits to the real thing owned by a neighbour for comparison, I made this master for the body, and an interior insert. The shell master was made from a lot of heavy-guage plastic card, strip, sprue and various fillers, plus assorted bits from the spares box, topped off with Humbrol primer, then an acrylic grey, and Klear to shine it up.
Fairly minimal interior, just some door panel lines. I've built in chassis mounts to take a PCS32 chassis.
To the left is the interior master before painting, plus driver under way. To the right, sprue for the fiddly bits for the early version, bumpers, lights, dash, wheel trim etc. As you can see, made from bits & bobs from the spares box, plus plastic card & filler. The pink wheel trims - reprints, see next frame. There's also a sprue of bits for the later version.
Top, masters for the solid bits for both early and late 2CV's. Bottom, rubber moulds made, to do resin casting.
Top, master for the CLEAR bits i.e. lights for both early and late 2CV's. Bottom, rubber mould made, to do clear resin casting.
Top, mould being made from the master driver, plus an initial resin cast. Bottom, mould being made for body shell.
Now we're getting there ! At the back is a shell popped in resin (and I also popped the fiddly bits sprue). At the front, shell cleaned up - and also headlights, taken from the fiddly bits sheet sprue.
OK, all the bits ready. Chassis done. Shell cleaned up, headlight bowls and rear-view mirror already added. All the other bits along the front, including window glass cut from 20 thou clear sheet. The bits just need a wash and a final touch-up sanding, then on to paint / assemble.
Wheels painted light grey, with black/dark grey detailing. Dashboard added to interior, all painted & Bare-metal foiled; door panels made from stick-on paper labels, painted. Matt enamel paints used to do seats in a denimy-grey, and driver done.
Aaaaaaand - FINISHED! Shell shot with grey Humbrol primer, topped with a custom acrylic blue ( white, mid-blue, a bit of black, and purple ). Darker shade of same for panel lines, shading in grills etc. Metal foil for the chrome. All topped with Klear acrylic floor polish to gloss it up. windows fixed in with canopy glue. Headlights - foiled inside, with a dab of yellow paint in the middle for the yellow bulb. My clear cast headlight lenses added, with a wipe of silver round the edge for the chrome trim, and also the high-up indicators on the body side - clear orange paint. Roof done with matt enamel, mix of dark blue and black.
'Tail high' stance visible here. That's why I used a modified Scaley Metro chassis, rather than the PCS32 one that the body is set up with mounting points for - the PCS32 hangs a bit low underneath in comparison.
Front and rear - grill lowlighted in black. Windscreen wipers made up from scraps of plastic card, superglued on to the stubs, and the blades anchored to the windscreen with a wash of Humbrol glosscoat. Blades brushed with silver enamel. you can - just - see the yellow inside the headlights. Number plates made up on a computer, printed on paper, covered with clear tape and PVA'ed on.
Nice new Mabuchi motor, for some whizz. And it definitely does steer , courtesy of an MRRC Ackermann steering unit grafted on to the Scaley Metro chassis.
I also want to make both the early and the later versions of the 2CV, so I've taken a resin pop of the early one (as at the back), and modified it to make a master for the later version, as in the foreground here. Key differences are a new bonnet & grille, new vents between the bonnet & the front wings, indicators on the front wings, front door handles changed from front to rear positioning, and the extra side windows behind the rear doors. To the right, a possible chance to use the later version mould I made, and the front spoiler ? Also, to actually use the PCS32 chassis, as this car is lowered.... Perhaps a lightweight interior from plastic card, plus rollcage? Fatter tyres at the back for traction ( yes, I KNOW it's supposed to be front-wheel drive )? And definitely a chance to experiment with making decals !