Roger Zimmermann

Nice store room!

Hi Don! Nice to see you here...I don't remember what I had as vacuum with my China pump. It should be around 26 or 27", but I'm at about 1400' above sea level; I did not go to the sea to check the output! Anyway, enough vacuum to have a bubble free rubber mix! Your method to put pressure at what ever product you are preparing is interesting; however I don't intend to buy a pressure tank...It can be that you are using this system at your job. Usually, I'm doing "copy/paste" to the various forums I'm showing my adventures. Of course, with the comments/questions, there can be one more picture to explain someting. However, as a general rule, the initial content is the same.

I see that the battery from your Riviera is under the rear seat, like other cars from GM. I believe this started for the MY 1992 on Seville/Eldorado models. My Cadillac DTS still has the battery under the rear seat.

The luggage rack emblem is now ready. I'm not sure if I will be able to polish it more for plating. Due to the shape, it could be wise to let it plate with nickel instead of chrome. With the chrome, the outer ring will be shiny, but the chrome may not reach the second ring nor the sides of the numbers. The plater will tell me... Now, I can continue with the various rack's hinges.

Thanks Pat! Indeed, I intended to write that rather small parts are difficult to work on them just held with the fingers; I hoped that this word would explain it. I don't know if everybody understood my meaning of that word! Anyway, the shrinking vocabulary is not affecting only young people: in the US, there is an older guy who has about 500 words at his disposal...

Me too, if only it was not so difficult to do!

The emblem for the luggage rack I'm doing now is a perfect example for a 3-D printer. I don't have one and never will, so I had to be creative to shape the various parts. I did first the ring which will be inserted into the rack, then the "V". As I did an error, I had to begin a second one...Then came the question: how can I do both numbers? I began with the "1", taking a bit brass much larger than the finish item. I adjusted that cube on the V by filing a groove and then by reducing the cube's dimension till the "1" emerged. Of course, it could not stand alone on the V because the base was small and irregular. It was then the turn for the "6" by using the same process. The holes for that number were drilled with a 0.4 mm bit and a very thin file removed the unneeded metal between the holes. Fortunately, the "6" had a larger base and could be silver soldered on the "V". A fixture was made to temporarily attach the "1" to the "6" and was also silver soldered. Fortunately, both numbers are pointing in the right direction; the space between them is just a bit too wide. Of course, the numbers are not protruding as much as on the pictures; they were that tall for ease of manutention. This will be corrected before the ring will be soldered.

Finally, the larger grille from the rack is finished. I put a light coat of primer as raw brass is getting oxidized rather quickly. Now, the fun will begin with the hinges and other small details. The attached pictures are showing both sides from the grilles; some finishing will be needed for the final paint.

Well, I hope that the bumpers will reflect the original ones as even with many pictures, nothing replaces when one can see in person the thing to replicate. This was one of the experiences I had with the Mark II while doing the wood form for the body. I had to see the real car several times to have the shape more or less correct. With bumpers made with brass, an impact test would be a disaster! I can put my other models on the head or tail without harming the bumpers; this will not be possible with this model...

When the brain is disconnected, damages will happen! By doing the second part for the package tray, I was certainly dreaming: I assumed that the elongated holes have the same dimensions on both parts. When I wanted to begin the inner holes, I saw that something is not right, the space between the inner holes are too large. By looking at the various pictures I have from that package tray, I saw that the holes for the larger part are indeed wider and the space between them are the same on both parts. At first glance they all look the same, but not if measured. This is one picture from an original tray and below both parts I did. I simulated the inner holes with black paint; the wider space between them is obvious. One more part for the horror museum!

If you could restore your Buicks, this project will not that difficult. Those cars are rather similar technical wise...

I'm amazed at the work you have to perform on a car which is usually not problematic...

I began with the smaller part from the luggage rack as the larger one is more complex. I did the base on which four apertures were done. The, inserts were pushed into the apertures and soft soldered. The inserts on the attached picture will be used for the next part. A much thicker piece of brass could have been shaped to look good when extended, but without the details at the back.

Thanks Alex, nice to see you here again!

The last small part was added on both bumpers. They are now ready, but don't have yet the finish for plating. I'm now beginning the rear luggage rack. Easy part? Not quite because both sides are visible. A stamping would be great, but the tooling too complex for just one piece. I will have to be creative...

Well, Randy, you did not miss a lot from my side: I was busy with other things. Fisher or Fleetwood (bodies are different) put the trunk rack for cars which had the spare wheels in the front fenders. Obviously, the cars with the spare wheel at the back had no trunk rack. That's the scenario I suppose correct, but there can be exceptions... Time is flying! After vacation, transmissions overhauling (Hydramatic 1956 and 1960), I found the time to continue with the front and rear bumpers. It may not be quite visible on the pictures, the metal is not flat but gently convex. The supports were done with spring steel, allowing for some flexibility. I have however the impression that those bumpers were more for the look as really solid; maybe I'm wrong. The screw in the centers is there until the real parts are done. In between, I had a good contact with Paul Ayres who is restoring a 1933 convertible, the same body (V-8, V-12 and V-16 has the same bodies, only the front end is different) as I intend to begin once. As those cars had a lot of wood in the body's construction, it would be fun to make the floor with the same material: easier, not so heavy but will create a lot of dust!

Thanks for asking, Martin! No panic: 2 weeks vacation, 3 1956/60 transmissions to overhaul with some difficulties, one '57 steering gear overhauling are taking some time! I was not totally inactive on the scale model, but I have nothing to show for the moment. Just maybe an answer people asked many times: what kind of body? My choice is a Fisher convertible coupe like on the atached picture. Someone from the Cadillac club is restoring the same body which will help somewhat with dimensions and details. Patience, patience!

Incredible how the Avanti is looking small compared to the other two vehicles!

Super Alex, many thanks! You can see how estimates can be inaccurate!

Either the girl is tall or the Mini very low! The car is looking like a larger toy...Nice pictures!

Depending with what you are looking at the forum, the numbers I wrote at the drawing above my sketch cannot be seen. I'm attaching now just the drawing from above with two dimension I'm not sure: 6 1/4 at the front and 9" at the rear. For the rack width, I have to believe you: you have the real car, I have just a small replica!

That's correct, Alex, I got the bumper dimensions with the air filter dimensions. Again, thanks for that! I sent a PM on August 13, asking if my estimates are correct. Those dimensions are about the distance between the front bumper support and the bumper bar at the middle of the car and the distance between the rear of the body and bumper bar. I have many pictures from both locations but none which are right from above to facilitate some calculation. The second attached drawing is, I hope, a better explanation about the discrepancy between your 40" for the width of the rack and the result of my construction with all errors which are included. I'm just amazed that I could do an error over 1.3" which is translating at the scale by 2.75 mm (or a tad over 0.1"). The brace rod supporting the rack is attached inside the clamp for the trunk rack and bumper, as called in the parts list, and must be parallel to the rack. On the other side, I understand that the manufacturer from the coffer as pictured choose an easy dimension and not something odd. It is attached from the underside from the rack? It's looking good! Is the pictured car above your car? Once you sent me pictures from a red car, showing the tire chain box. However you did not write whom belong that car!

Alex, thanks a lot for the dimensions which are very welcome and pictures. I have however a doubt about the width over 40": according to the shop manual, the distance at the rear of the frame is between rivet's centers 36 1/4". The frame itself is at the rear about 38.2". the supports for the rear springs are riveted on the side of the frame and, according to my calculation, the bolts to attach the rear bumper are at 39.8". The supports I just did are offset compared to the bumper's bolts. I short, "my" dimension for the rack will be 41.3". My explanation may be difficult to understand; tomorrow I'm making a drawing explaining my concern better. The supports on which the front rack is hinged on are different depending the body style. Maybe I right if I'm doing the supports shown in the attached picture. The pictures car must be a 5-passenger sedan if I'm able to interpret the parts list correctly! By the way, it seems that you are not looking at your PMs. Recently, I asked for two dimension confirmation for the front and rear bumpers(I explained in the PM why I was unsure about those dimensions). I did the support bar for the rear, I will soon begin the secondary for the front.... Anyway, thanks again for the help!

It took probably three more time to set the dimensions from the caps than to made them. That's what happens when I have no dimension to compare with what I want to do! Anyway, I think I got it more or less right. Those caps are setting the width of the luggage rack, but not its length. Maybe Alex D will chime in... When I did the frame, I was not aware of many details and did things without to care too much. This lack of comprehension is biting me now: there are four treaded holes into the rear cross member; those holes are needed to attach the front hinges of the luggage rack. Those holes have two flaws: they should be for 0.8 mm screws and not 1 mm as I did. The second error: they are not parallel to the car's axis, this can be noticed by looking at the latest pictures. I will have to rework those four holes soon...

Usually the grain 280 is good enough for part getting some paint. However, most of the parts which are assembled (or not) on the frame are far from be ready for paint, therefore the sanding marks are are seeing. Depending of the part, I'm using also the 400 grain. When I needed decals for the Mark II, I found somebody in Switzerland doing that; he got the job. Somebody from the Scale model forum offered to make the decals; when I needed them, he just never answered! Like you, I have no intension to get into that business. Too much to learn and machines to buy. Between the many trouble I had with two 1956 Hydramatic transmissions, I found some time to begin the bumpers. Except with some basic dimensions Alex D. gave me, all is done with comparisons against some (hopefully) given dimensions. I bought recently over the net 1932 drawings from a V-16; this was a waste. The drawings are inexact, therefore not helpful at all. The chromed bumpers are attached to the bars screwed to the frame. Those bars are made with spring steel; they can resist to some brutal encounters...On the other side, the rather thick brass I'm using will not have the same characteristic! there is a curved bar which is missing now at the front; I'm letting it open until I may have some basic dimension to get the bumper itself right. The rear bar is attached to the frame with a very nice casting which is acting also as a support for the luggage rack. Thanks to many pictures I have from this casting, I should get it right.