Stage 89. Electrical wires.
This stage is very quick. In fact, I don't understand why it is necessary at all. All that is required is to match the numbered wires and connect them, extending the original wires. I would not have been worried about having a 99 stage build rather than a 100 stage build and having the wires already installed prior to this stage being the same length as they become after this stage.
Stage 90. Left fender grill and front jacking pads.
The fender grill is inserted and secured by a pin and single screw.
The front jacking pads are inserted into the front of the bodywork. The flat sides of the pads are to go to the inside, facing the air intake opening in the centre of the body. They are secured by a single screw from the inside. Note that these pads support the entire weight of the real car, but WON'T hold the weight of this model.
Stage 91. Right fender grill and rear jacking pads.
Stage 91 is almost the same as stage 90. Jacking pads are secured by a single screw, and the fender grill is also secured by a single screw.
With this completed, we get to fit the bonnet and the radiator assembly. The radiator assembly traps the hood hinges and allows the hood to be installed.
With the hood in place, I taped it closed. The catches at the back of the hood can also be used to keep it in place. The bodywork was then turned upside-down and placed on the polystyrene which the body came in.
The radiator assembly is screwed in with two screws - just below the intakes in this picture.
Stage 92. Front left indicator and left rear light and LED.
The front indicator is assembled from these two parts. The connection is keyed so that the lens goes in the reflector in the correct orientation.
This is then placed in the front of the bodywork. This connection is also of a type that ensures it can only go in the correct way round.
The rear light is made up of a red lens, silver reflector, and a black back part. These are pushed together, all can only go one way due to the connectors.
This assembly is pushed into the rear of the body, then secured with a single screw.
The LED is then pushed in from inside the body. I found mine was a little loose and kept coming out. A small amount of "Micro Krystal Klear" around the back of the LED and body solved this.
Stage 93.
Stage 93 is just the right side versions of stage 92. When you have finished this, you have both front indicators and both rear lights installed.
Stage 94. Anti-sway bar and hood support.
The anti-sway bar is installed on the chassis. Bring over the chassis, turn it upside-down with the front towards you. The anti-sway bar should be installed with it angled towards the top of the engine.
With the chassis turned back the right side up, install the hood support clip into the recess in the right fender liner. I had problems with my boot support coming off the place it was supposed to be secured and ended up using a small drop of superglue to fix that in place, and dud the same here. Using a cocktail stick I ran a thin layer of superglue in the recess and placed the support clip in the recess.
The hood support itself gets threaded through a hole on the right hand side of the bonnet opening. This need to be inserted and twisted so that it can rotate in the hole but not come out.
Once you have familiarised yourself with opening and supporting the bonnet, close and lock it. The support can be taped to the underside of the bonnet or the side of the body somewhere.
Stage 95. Headlights.
Take one out at a time. The parts are handed in the pack and this will prevent you from getting the lenses on the wrong reflectors.
The lenses are keyed to go in the correct reflector at the correct angle.
The lenses are secured into the bodywork with a single screw from the inside.
Stage 96. Mirror, windscreen, wipers, boot, and roll bar back tube.
We start this stage with the rear view mirror. This is a single part with an adhesive reflector section.
Unfortunately, I was not happy with how I had stuck the adhesive section down. It was obviously not going all the way to one end and was up slightly on the rim at the other. In trying to remove it to try again, the adhesive split the backing. It looks like this was paper and won't stand up to being removed and placed again.
I removed the material on the main section and scratched it up a bit with my scalpel.
Using a thin layer of "Micro Krystal Klear" again I glued the reflector in place. I don't mind that there is a bit of a gap on the edge furthest away from the connector. This mirror is secured to the bodywork just inside the windscreen, so that edge will hardly ever be seen and having the edge closest to the connector being tidy will look better.
The windscreen is now placed on the body and secured from underneath with 3 screws.
The two windscreen wipers are also installed here. They are marked 'L' and 'R' to allow them to be placed in the correct area. Each wiper is secured from the underside with a single small screw. This is another operation where I included a little MKK glue to assist this process.
Although the parts for this stage include the roll bar rear tube and mount, they are not used in this stage, but are kept for later.
Stage 97. Fuel cap and air filter.
Due to my missing part and paint damage, I didn't do the rest of this stage but will add that once the replacements arrive.
The black part is not symmetrical, there is a thin recess on one side and a much deeper recess on the other side. I installed the photoetch part in the side with the shallower recess.
I bent the two legs on the photoetch and slid them through the slots. They go through into recesses in the walls on the other side, which makes them difficult to bend over again and secure the photoetch. I don't know if the idea is to glue the legs from the rear side (This would actually have been easier, and wouldn't have effected the finish.) but I used my scalpel blade to bend them over.
This part should then be placed in the air intake scoop in the chassis. As I cannot finish this stage anyway, I have left that for now.
These are the parts for the fuel filler cap. The parts are a press fit which allows the cap to open and close.
The cap base is slotted into the collar.
The two pins in the cap can be inserted into the holes at the back of the cap base. One pin is longer than the other, so I inserted that one first, then the other.
The clasp goes on in a similar manner, and the assembly is screwed to the body from underneath.
I may paint the centre of the recess in the body matt black to represent the inside of the fuel filler pipe.
That is all I have completed so far. I'll finish off as soon as the replacement parts arrive. (Well worth the £15 including postage as it is my fault the parts are missing or damaged.)
Current Builds
Eaglemoss: Ecto-1, BTTF Delorean [Installing Mods]
Hachette: T800 Endoskeleton
Agora Models Shelby Cobra 427 [Plate 031]
BanDai 1:5000 Imperial Star Destroyer
AMT 1991 U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge [Installing Mods & Lights]
Finished Builds
Deagostini: R2-D2 [Never getting batteries]