Hi, Ray
You asked:
>Does anyone have any ideas on making some new engine bay valances for >my
1980 Spit? As you all know the originals were a type of cardboard and
>the set on my car have seen better days. I have checked the TRF, Vic
>British and SpitBits catalogs but they do not show any replacements. So
if >anyone has a good idea for a material I could use to fabricate a new
pair, I >would be grateful for the input.
I've done the following on my GT6 and Spitfire. Took about a day from start
to finish per car but I was well pleased with the result and IMHO it looks
a whole lot better than the original cardboard rubbish we used to fit in
production.
Don't know whether you're a model railway enthusiast (like me) but styrene
sheet is just the job. Us real steam guys find it the ideal thing for
making buildings etc!!! Stuff I used was about 3-4mm say 1/8th inch thick
or a wee bit thicker. Being softish plastic, you can cut it with a fret or
jigsaw and if you get awkward corners the saw won't go round, use a hot
soldering iron. I used my original cardboard rubbish as a template and with
the advantage of these modern impact adhesives was able to cut the upper
verticals and lower angled pieces. Then I roughed up both sides with some
300 grit paint flatting paper to provide a 'key', painted both sides with
semi-matt black paint and finished off with two or three coats of matt
marine varnish. Finally, I prettied up the two top edges on either side of
the engines with some neat plastic trim I found in a kitchen furniture
store. Any other form of extruded finishing strip would do - depends how
nice you want it to look.
BTW, while you're in the model shop, get yourself a sheet or two of chewed
cork. It's just the job for making new gaskets to go on SU float chamber
tops!
John Macartney
"Life at Triumph" in print - unique pictures and lots more. See info at
http://www.toolbox.ndirect.co.uk/triumphbook
ORDER LINE STAYS OPEN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 1998.
You can order your book through:
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