Return to the BUILD
“In this issue, you can add more parts to the dashboard by following these step-by-step instructions.”
Contents
Parts
Materials: All of the parts in this issue are plastic.
Magazine
- Drive Time: Model Instructions
- Production Diary: Returning to Whittier High School
- A Time Traveler’s Guide: Cafe ’80s
Build
The Dashboard
I decided to do a little paint work on the dashboard parts before I began this issue. The first step was to use some black Vallejo Game Color Black Wash on the vents and speaker grille of the Dashboard itself. Washes are meant to be brushed into crevices and then wipe off the excess. I just wanted a little depth to these parts of the dash:
Be careful wiping any kind of thinner on the dash. I think these parts are painted and you may remove the base paint. This was my completed part:
Next, it bugged me that the cooling ducts that feed into the doors were not the right color. This is one of the real ducts from The ‘A’ Car:
These rings should be a black rubber gasket, but the model has them matching the dash color:
Therefore, I masked these ‘ducts’ off and airbrushed them with Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black paint:
This is the final result. Much better! Now, we can complete the issue.
Step 1
Place the Shelf (44B) into the recess on the driver side of the Dashboard:
Step 2
Secure these together from underneath with two (2) FP screws:
Step 3
In a similar way, position the Shelf (44C) into the slots at the bottom of the passenger side of the Dashboard:
Step 4
Secure these together from underneath with two (2) FP screws:
While this completes the issue, there is one small mod to do! Thanks to Mike Lane and his Decal Set II we have a tiny VIN plate to install. There is even an indentation in the dashboard for it, but they left it empty. Let’s fix that with Mike’s simple peel and stick decal that adds a nice touch:
I think Mike even got the VIN correct! Here is a picture of the real plate on The ‘A’ Car:
Thoughts
This dashboard represents a big step towards what will become the Doc Brown inspired interior. This was a short issue, but the mod work added quite a bit of time. In the end I hope it will all be worth it!
Next Up
Issue 45 – Dashboard: Instrument Cluster, Speedometer, Black Boxes