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OK. Cleared my two previous builds off, a 1/144 Albatross HU-16E and a 1/48 F-16D. Ready to start this.

My intention is to build a model of a specific car, serial number DB4/106/L, a 1958 Aston Martin DB4 Series I Saloon shown at the 1959 New York Motor Show. According to the Bonhams auction page on this car, 149 of these cars were built; this was the 6th vehicle built, and the 4th LHD version. As you would expect, the car was completely hand built. My understanding is the aluminum body was formed on an English Wheel. The aluminum block engine has carefully fitted and built by a single person. When my father had the engine rebuilt, the main bearings all had to be individually measured and ordered--there was no guarantee they were exactly the same size. You had to be careful closing the doors, boot, and bonnet to not deform the body. When closing the doors you couldn't continue holding onto the handle when the door actually closed against the lock lest you dimple the door around the handle. Similarly, the bonnet and boot had to be let go just a few inches above the locks. The most recent sale price for the fully restored vehicle was €293,500.

My father owned this car from the early 1970's until the mid-late 1980's. The engine was a 3.7L straight six, with a 4-speed transmission. That engine had tremendous torque, it was unbelievable how smoothly that car would take off. I was able to run it a couple of times at the Lime Rock track during Aston Martin Owners Club meets during the late 1970s. I might have some pictures of the vehicle, but I need to look through my father's photos.

Here's the starting point

db4-106-l-start_zpsfuz0yrud.jpg

Gotta love those red, black, and chrome parts. I already see that some of the chrome parts, like various engine parts, should either casy aluminum or stainless steel.

Edited by dnl42
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Yeah, I practically fell out of my chair when I found that Bonhams page!

I don't know what my father sold it for all those years ago, but I'm betting it was no more than 10% of that...

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These are the solid "wire" wheels in the kit.

db4-106-l-wheel_zpswbtkqkau.jpg

I found some wire wheels at 3dmodelparts.com. Anybody ever use anything from them?

Also, I want to strip the chrome. Google tells me various things like bleach, oven cleaner, and other nasty stuff will work. But, I also found a Britmodeller thread claiming Coke would work--I'm trying that!

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Yeah, I practically fell out of my chair when I found that Bonhams page!

I don't know what my father sold it for all those years ago, but I'm betting it was no more than 10% of that...

Cars are like that....expensive when new....they depreciate in value and slowly the herd of that model gets thinned when that model hits it's lowest value.....then over time the few remaining examples rise in value. If it was a low production car to begin with and if it had great styling etc...then it may go up in value. All older Astons have seemed to take a big jump in value during the past 10 years.

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I managed to get the original build order for the car from Aston Martin. Apparently the car was originally "Sea Green", as shown in this photo

IMG_8480.jpg

Sea Green 1960 Aston Martin DB4 MK11 577UTO - photo by Retro-Motoring

The car had fully chromed wheels and overriders; this car has neither. I don't recall the car's color when he purchased it, but he did have the body refinished in silver early on. If the car was British Racing Green, like my 2015 Mini Cooper S, I may have gone for the original color. But, I'll stick with my father's choice of silver.

As you can see, there's a lot of car in front of the windscreen.

For the neophyte Aston Martin spotters, the car's key identifying features, present on all Aston Martins to this day, are the side vents, grill shape, and the marque's wing badge.

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Looks like this is where I paint the engine bits. All the white parts were chrome plated. The only chromed part on the real engine was a tube holding the spark plug leads--and that's the black "golf-club" looking thing in the upper left of the photo below. Piling on to that problem, that tube should be mounted to the opposite-side valve cover studs. The only chrome-plated part that was shiny on the real engine was a stainless pipe that atop the inlet manifolds, all the other chromed bits were aluminum.

db4-106-l-engine0_zpsuqtf9lmb.jpg

The water pump and generator shouldn't be on the same side as the Stromberg side-draft carbs. I thought about fixing that, but it would be quite a PITA and I'm not sure what collateral damage that would cause with the engine was placed in the engine compartment. As for the carbs, I don't see the air filters, which should be between the engine compartment side and those carbs. Finally the fuel bowls should be between the two carbs; the kit has the carbs identically configured.

db4-106-l-engine1_zpsqsopxmfz.jpg

So, all in all, it looks very much like the DB-4 engine, particularly if you don't know what the engine looks like. :woot.gif:

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  • 2 weeks later...

I found some 3D-printed wire wheels at 3dmodelparts.com Here are the stripped kit part, the unfinished wheel, and the chromed wheel. I used Mr Color #2 gloss black as a base for the Alclad Chrome.

db4-106-l-wheels_zpstyogqxfa.jpg

I've asked the LHS to get some AMT Firestone whitewalls that will nicely complement the wheels.

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Got the engine done. I left the screwy alternator and water pump alone, but I added the plug wires and chromed tube in which the wire run.

Here's the basis for the plug and wire, a 0.5mm brass tube and 10lb (8 mil) monofilament. I ended up using Blacken-It for the tubes as it's less likely to flake off than paint. The monofilament was airbrushed with Vallejo red. I tried coloring with a Sharpie, but it was too translucent.

db4-106-l-tub-wire_zpsnvtyasni.jpg

Here's the finished engine. The chrome tube was a brass tube that I drilled along the length for the wire exits and belled the ends. I then used Mr. Color #2 gloss black as a base and Alclad chrome.

db4-106-l-motor2_zpsrcpwsh95.jpg

db4-106-l-motor1_zpsrl2dwn22.jpg

Edited by dnl42
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  • 2 weeks later...

Got the tub done. To create the wooden steering wheel rim, I first painted Mr. Color #45 Sail Color, then brushed Burnt Umber oil using a stiff oil brush (same as I do wooden panels on wooden aircraft). Did the same on the shift knob. I reshaped the handbrake lever, as the real article is a chrome tube with a button on the end. Also used Sail Color as carpeting and Mr Color #44 Ship's Deck as the leather.

db4-106-l-tub0_zpspqybovql.jpg

db4-106-l-tub1_zpsemkypfle.jpg

I also painted all the wire wheels. Now need to decide narrow or wide whitewalls from the AMT Firestone Deluxe Champion Tires.

Here's a narrow whitewall on the wheel

db4-106-l-whitewalln_zpsjf4eeaqz.jpg

And the wide whitewall

db4-106-l-whitewallw_zpsgunkmrmp.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

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