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“In this issue you will be working on your DeLorean’s left-side door, adding various details to the edge, and a handle.”
Contents
Parts
Materials: Everything in this issue is plastic, except for the small D-Ring on the Strap, which is metal.
Magazine
- Drive Time: Model Instructions
- Production Diary: Filming of Part III begins in Sonora, CA
- A Time Traveler’s Guide: Howdy Doody
Build
Door Details
Step 1
Fit the Lock (Front) into the hole at the front edge of the Left-Side Door, as shown:
Step 2
Secure the Lock (Front) into place from behind with one (1) JP screw:
Step 3
Fit the Lock (Rear) post and pin into the holes at the rear edge of the Left-Side Door, as shown:
Step 4
Secure the Lock (Rear) into place from behind with one (1) JP screw:
Step 5
Fit the a Red Lamp Lens into each of these holes in the Left-Side Door, as shown.
There is a mistake here – the middle lens should not be red. On The ‘A’ Car (and all DeLoreans), the front and middle lenses are orange/amber…
… and the rear door light lens should be red, which they did get right:
Therefore, it is time for a Mod Zone! We are supplied with two red and one orange lens, so we need to change one of the red ones to orange:
Luckily, this is quite easy as the lenses are not colored plastic, but clear plastic with transparent paint on them. So, I dropped one of the red lenses in a small bowl of isopropyl alcohol:
After a few minutes, most of the red paint had removed itself, and I cleaned up the rest with a cotton swab:
Next, I pulled out a bottle of Tamiya X-26 Clear Orange paint:
I quickly dunked the clear lens into the paint and wiped away the excess with a cotton swab:
After letting this dry for at least an hour, we can now install the remaining Red Lamp Lens and our new orange lens into the Left-Side Door:
Step 6
The Lamp Fixings 67J and 67L look similar, but have the pin in different places. 67L has the pin centered with the hole and will used in the next step. Part 67J with the offset pin will be used in Step 10:
Step 7
Use this Lamp Fixing (67L) to hold the middle Lamp Lens in place, and secure with one (1) KP screw as shown:
Step 8
Fit the Lamp Fixing (67K) over the rear Red Lamp Lens to hold it in place, aligning the pin and hole, then secure with one (1) AP screw:
Step 9
Fit our new Orange Lamp Lens into this hole at the front edge of the Left-Side Door:
Step 10
Use Lamp Fixing (67J) to hold this Lamp Lens in place, and secure with one (1) KP screw as shown:
Step 11
On The ‘A’ Car at the Petersen Automotive Museum, both door straps are missing (see the door picture above). But, these straps existed in the movies, so I am going to install them on my model.
Push the Strap through the Handle as shown, with the glued end of the Strap to the left, and the D-ring underneath:
Fold the glued end of the Strap up and to the right, while bringing the loop end of the Strap over to the left and through the D-Ring, as shown:
Step 12
Pull the loop end of the Strap completely through the D-Ring, until it is flush against the Handle, as shown:
Step 13
Push this Handle assembly into the Arm Rest, as shown:
Step 14
Secure the Handle from behind with two (2) AP screws:
Step 15
Fit the Door Controls into the back of the Arm Rest…
…and secure with two (2) AP screws, as shown:
This issue is now complete. But, we can add a small decal included in Decal Set II from Mike Lane. This small sticker is printed with some door latch screws and a small ‘A’ on it:
The ‘A’ is accurate and was written on the real DeLorean door by the production crew to indicate this was The ‘A’ Car:
Installing this decal is a simple peel-and-stick process. I think it looks great, thanks Mike!
Thoughts
There was only one small error in this issue (the lens colors), but it was a pretty easy fix. In the next issue, we will tackle the LEDs that light up these lenses. That job is going to be a little more work and will mean more modifications. Other than that, the door is looking pretty good so far!
Next Up
Issue 68 – Interior: Door Panel LEDs/Lower Window/Drive Gears (Left)