Jaguar SS100 Roadster by Western Models

AUGUST 2016

My summer vacation is near, and so I want to build a "smaller" model car to be ready just in time ! The Jaguar SS100 Roadster is one of the more simple models by WM. There's one original photo, reportedly a publicity photo by SS/Jaguar from 1937:



Wikipedia describes that the hood mascot was indeed designed in 1937, already in its second version, so I think I will have to make this detail, too, for my rebuilding...

Model as I got it:



Disassembled and stripped:



"cleaned" underside:



The louvers are made quite exactly, but it's always difficult to work "around" and furthermore they are so very finely made that they are easily destroyed when sanding...:



...so I decided to make the bodywork "naked":



Doors newly scribed:



...bonnet as well:



Dashboard looks a little bit crude:



...getting rid of it:



Seats seem a little bit tooooo long, don't they?:



...but be careful when removing, there are holes under them:



...after filling the gaps with solder, the seat pans can be milled off:



I hate those "look-throughs" in the chassis:



...much better now, as well the exactly positioned and soldered axles:



To be continued...

That's right, the MOY was indeed one of the better Matchbox models, but - as you already mentioned - much too big! And in my opinion, the classic white-metal models are really better to build than the heavy-fixed Matchbox cars with the lots of plastic parts, so I decided for the WM .

The headlights unit is o.k.:



The radiator with its mesh was made very well by WM, I leave it almost as it is. The headlights were milled out and got lenses and steel mesh, as well as wire bezels around:



The folded hood includes a kind of persenning, but I want to have the luggage compartment open:





This calls for a shutter to hide the fixing screw:



And now the photo-etch designs are on my schedule...

Always trying my best, Mr Wayne!

Hope you don't think I'm lazy :oops: The simpler the model, the more photo-etch parts have to be designed, as it seems :? Meanwhile I should have made all necessary parts, and I hope I will etch the parts by the end of the week at the latest:

hmmm.... and after having done that perfectly, both for upper and lower film, I realized that I made the hubcaps too small :evil: and had to redo both films :evil: :evil: :evil: Today they let me out of the padded cell...


And this was not Bruce Wayne anymore You see, I'm more the Doris Day fan type

Etching was quite successful, although it was quite arduous (always learning new vocabulary with google ) this time to get through with this...:



New vents are mounted:



And window panes are fitted:

I think competition cars are very attractive, but they don't match exactly the layout of my collection. I try to keep my collection "concentrated" on coachbuilt and/or luxury road cars from 1930 to 1939, for US cars up to 1942. I often wondered if I should collect all the gorgeous record cars by Western Models or other racing cars, but I feel that I would have to go deeply into the history of car races, and that's not my business, I suppose...

Today I managed to build the windshield (yes, that nearly took all the day... :? ):



... and made some leaf springs, as the Jag is a little bit naked underneath:



They're made from brass strip and burnished.

And wait for the gimmick with the windscreen

It's simply necessary - otherwise I would become a severely criminal... :mrgreen:

Me, too ! Thanks! It's really amazing what you can do with an actually simple technique - try it!

Nice to hear ! Once in a time I will design a 1930s diorama for photographing - hope that'll be fun!

First layer of primer has been applied, just to show how everything turns out. The parts will then be sanded and retouched again and then sprayed a second time with primer:



Although I meanwhile decided to make wheels from scratch, I still have several ready-made wheel sets in my parts box, and so I'll take this time the last set of TinWizard wheels. Of course I add some photo-etched parts to make them unique :



The center pieces are made of brass, and as I - of course - need silver parts, I dunk them into liquid bright tin:





Voilà:



Finally the completed wheels:

Well, that's the following point: The painting! I am still experimenting with different techniques, paintings and so on... To achieve an even, glossy, thin and covering layer is one - perhaps the most difficult step in model building :cry: Yesterday I tried all day long a way to make a really good metallic painting, and I really hope that it will work with the Jaguar!

After first priming and retouching, a second layer of primer had been applied:



The car shall get a silver painting, and I will use AlClad paint to get a really ultra-fine metallic effect. You know, our cars are a in 1/43, and so - actually - also the metallic particles should be minimized by 1/43... Normal metallic painting is much too coarse and spoils the impression. The next step now is to apply a glossy painting, matching the desired metallic colour, so I've chosen a light gray. This is only the first, very thin layer as a preparation for a second rich layer:



Furthermore I sprayed the black parts, not so very difficult :

That's exactly the way I do it, too. Nevertheless, even then sometimes everything works on the scrap model, but fails at the "real" model... :cry: Anyway, today I airbrushed the second coating and I am quite satisfied with the result:



There are very small blemishes which I would sand and polish if the car should stay in gloss lacquer. The AlClad metallic paint shows the particularity that it doesn't stay fix if there is the slightest remaining of anything on the basis paint. Therefore I let the body now as it is, without touching or cleaning, and will spray on the metallic tomorrow. I already tested this on a scrap model, and if the basic paint is absolutely free of any remainings (even of wash benzine), it stays absolutely solid.

The interior already got its brown leather finish with matte paint, polished on seats and doors:

The farther, the better ? Painting has been completed, the AlClad "Bright Silver Candy Base" had been sprayed on in several, very thin layers, and finally a layer of AlClad Clear Gloss:





It's not the usual "silver", but I love the very fine and elegant luster which seems to be very similar to the original metallic paints visible on the period pics.

Time to finish the tiny parts, today the steering wheel:

jager: we missed each other by a few seconds, didn't we...
Tom & Julio: ...and of course the steering wheel can be turned

Interior has been painted brown:



...gear lever, handbrake and pedals are mounted:



persenning:


(what a mess to fix the "pipings"... :evil: )

And the licence plates with taillights:

The dashboard:



The running boards:



And the tail (please pay attention to the strap holders of the persenning ):

I hardly dare to admit that I wasn't convinced at the beginning, because the Jaguar SS100 is - in my opinion - not so very exciting. But: In Germany we say "Der Appetit kommt beim Essen", the appetite increases while eating

Thank you, very kind!

Well, I think I've found the right technique to do it. Perhaps I should make a small tutorial "how to", shouldn't I?

:oops: You know, I can't deal with compliments...

Haven't you already done so a week ago? That Rolls looks great, your way to make the Spirit of Ecstasy is brilliant ! But I think there's only one small photo, show more of your work, please!

Well, and now, my friends, the Jag is completed. It was a fine day today, and everything has found its place . As always, have a look at the preview:





Some nicer photos will follow later. Tuesday is always my busiest day in a week, so give me some time, please

Thank you so much!

No, they are "bald". This is because I used the standard wheels and tires made by TinWizard, they're "born this way". I usually rub the tires with finest steel wool to make them a little bit less glossy, that's all. In the future I will more often (or even everytime?) make my own tires, with some profile on the treads.

Hope you'll be satisfied with the following pictures!

That was my first idea, too. But: I found no single vintage photo with a coloured dashboard, but the following one:



So I think it's reasonable to have it done this way .

And now, as the grand finale for this time, the slide show. Lay back and enjoy!

Thank you so much for your kind comments and your support! It's always a pleasure to entertain you with my tinkering. And yes, the suitcase is self-made. The LV-design can be made with a graphic programme quite easily and this is better than using a photograph, because you cannot multiply such a photo properly. Some photo-etched and gilded hinges and handles, and the luggage is ready! Perhaps I'll make a complete set step by step...

Although I've already started the next project, I think it's better to postpone the new topic until I'll be back from my summer vacation by the end of September. Have fun with your model cars, so long, guys!