Cadillac Eldorado 1959
Gunze Sangyo 1/32 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz kit - the kit floorpan has been adapted to take a rear motor, and MRRC Ackermann steering unit for the front.
The kit instruction sheet shows what the original floorpan looked like.
The original kit wheels were used, and tyres - sticky enough to go well as slot car tyres.
The steering unit has Revell braids, and Scalextric spade connectors and wires. The kit wheels have been mated to Airfix Mini slot car wheels, for rotation.
The Mabuchi motor / sidewinder cogs / axle have been cut as a complete unit from a Scalextric New Beetle, and reversed so the motor ends up being hidden in the boot / trunk.
Here's the kit body. It's been slightly modified to take a scratched hard cover for the folded roof ( kit came with a soft tonneau-type cover ). The final pink body colour has been tested on this.
3-point chassis-to-body mounting points have been added. A section of copper foil has been epoxied inside the boot as a heat sink, where it will be over the motor. And more pink paint tests !
This is the kit interior, with some extra detailing, and painted up in cream, dark purple (carpet), chrome, black etc.
Torso, head, arms and feet/boots come from a female civilian figure in a WW2 military vignette set ( 1/35th ). The legs are from a slot car driver. Sunglasses have been scratched on, and the hair done with Milliput 2-part putty. At this point, finished with a matt white enamel undercoat.
Finished!
The body was primed with white enamel. The pink paint is a custom mix, made from Vallejo acrylics ( white and true red, obviously ), glossed with several coats of Klear acrylic floor polish. I used half a sheet of Bare-metal foil doing the chrome ! The chrome has been protected with a coat of clear enamel varnish.
Here's the lady driver painted up ( matt enamels, white shirt, blue jeans, brown cowboy boots ), and in place. With red 'catseye' sunglasses, lipstick and nail varnish !
Three small tweaks.....
Firstly, after some usage, it became apparent that the car was nose-light due to the weight of the sidewinder motor behind the rear wheels, so solved with a chunk of lead glued under the bonnet / hood.
Secondly, I didn't like the screws visible on the front wheels, so re-engineered to hide them by bringing them in from the back of the wheels instead, and rebuilding the hub cap centres.
Thirdly, I properly whitewalled the tyres !