Category Archives: NEWS

The DeLorean is BACK!

While I have already finished my own 1:8 scale Back to the Future DeLorean partwork, there are many other builders who were left behind when Eaglemoss shut down back in July 2022.

But now, our DeLorean is returning back to life through Fanhome! And thankfully, they are allowing ex-Eaglemoss subscribers resume their subscriptions from any point!

As of right now, they can only ship to the USA, UK, and Germany. The links to sign up can be found below:

Shipments are expected to begin by the middle of March in the USA, but as early as the end of January 2023 for UK/DE customers. Additionally, Fanhome has said that FREE GIFTS will be included along the way, but they may be different than what Eaglemoss offered.

I have had a great experience with Fanhome so far and am hopeful others will have the same level of service!


UPDATE April 12, 2023:

Fanhome has announced that this build will go LIVE on April 26, 2023 in the US/UK/DE. The payment/shipping process should occur automatically for those customers who have already re-subscribed. If you need to subscribe, head over to the Fanhome website.


UPDATE April 24, 2023:

A new update from Fanhome has been provided:

As you may have seen we have sent out the promised emails with an update for both collections (Eleanor and DeLorean) on Friday to confirm the go live date was moved from the 24th to the 26th of April for builders in the USA/UK & DE.

 

On the 26th we will be releasing the collections one at a time to make sure there are no issues or bugs, payment requests will happen automatically, and you can keep track of your order via our friendly customer portal. If you don’t see a payment request on the 26th please do not be concerned as it may take a day or two to show on your payment method.

 

DeLorean update
We have been working hard to full any gaps in the collection both in EU and the USA unfortunately we still have some gaps which will mean some customers will not go live on the 26th (211 customers in total 207 in the USA and the rest either in DE or UK). We have stock inbound to fill these gaps which have an ETA of 3 to 4 weeks, so anyone affected will only have a short wait before we start processing your first shipment. On the 26th we will email anyone who is affected and provide further information on when you can expect to see your first shipment.

Final Thoughts

It took us over well over two years, but the end of our Eaglemoss 1:8 scale Back to the Future DeLorean partwork build has arrived! While the journey was frustrating at times, overall it was an very enjoyable experience. I especially loved modifying it to be my own unique creation.

As with most of my partwork models, there were some recurring delays in receiving the parts. I even had to go so far as to buy issues from other builders and Amazon Japan as I was not receiving anything from Eaglemoss and did not feel like waiting. To be fair, all of the expected shipments did eventually arrive over the course of 25 months so I have a pile of duplicate issues I will make available to others soon.

I modified this build more than any other I have done because I wanted to replicate the original ‘A’ car as closely as I could. Others have gone even farther, but I think my DeLorean turned out great and I love it!

The total cost of this build, including all of the mods, was well over $2000 USD. Some may find that quite high, but when you consider the final product including the ability to display your DeLorean in any of the three ‘film modes’, I feel you get a lot for the money.

This DeLorean was my first partwork build and I am glad I took the time to get all the way to the end. It was a heck of a learning experience and I collected a vast array of knowledge and tools that have helped all of my future builds.

Even with the ups and downs, the delayed issues, and some sub-standard parts, I am extremely proud to own this model. It is by far the crown jewel of my collection!

Free Gift #4

When I signed up for the subscription-based version of this Eaglemoss 1:8 scale Back to the Future DeLorean partworks build-up years ago, they only included three FREE gifts along the way. However, at some later point, they started offering a fourth free gift and sent me one!

Free Gift #4 is this T-Shirt. While it came nicely folded and packaged, sadly it is not a size I can wear (Large):

The shirt is royal blue and has a silk-screened image on the front with a exploded view of our DeLorean model:

I think it is awesome that I received this last free gift, and I am sure I will find a good home for it with another BttF fan!

Shop is Open!

I have had many visitors ask about the tools and supplies that I use to build my partworks, so I have created a ‘Shop‘ over at my main build site with Amazon links to most of the items I have used along the way. All proceeds go towards supporting my site costs, not for profit. I hope you all find this helpful!

Go to Shop

If you want to build this specific partwork, check out the Fanhome 1:8 scale Back to the Future DeLorean ordering page!

The End?

We just recently finished building up our 1:8 scale Back to the Future DeLorean partwork model. But really, there is still more to do. An entire extension of 29 more issues is waiting for us!

A little ‘Behind the Scenes’ for the header photo

Photography has always been one of my passions and I thought I would try to take a cool picture of my model with the on-board lighting doing its thing. First, I had to shutdown my big soft box lights I use for normal build photos, break out my flashes, and start experimenting:

Next, in order to make the lights on the car ‘pop’ more, I used a longer exposure without the flashes active:

Finally, I combined all of these elements plus some colored gels on the flash heads to get to this. It was just for fun, but I liked it!

Pre-91 Lights Test

Before we attempt the significant steps of attaching the body to the chassis in Issue 91 of our 1:8 scale Back to the Future DeLorean partwork model, I wanted to take some time to test all of my lighting.

This is because I have heard it is a fairly common problem to get the car assembled and then find out some of the lights do not work correctly. And, by that point, we would have to decide whether to leave them broken or take the model apart again to fix them. Therefore, I documented the steps I took to check that my lighting was functioning correctly before we close the car up. We will need to have the parts of Issue 92 and Issue 93 available to complete this test.

I split this page into two parts: Chassis Lighting and Body Lighting. They can be done separately and all wires can be disconnected after each part.


Chassis Lighting

Step 01

NOTE: When connecting/disconnecting any plugs/wires, I recommend making sure the power to the car is turned off!

First, I brought the front of the body close to the front of the chassis and connected Wire 9:

Power up the car and press Switch 6 on the center console box. The under hood (trunk) light should come on, like this:

Step 02

I then retrieved the lighting components from Issue 92 and attached Wires 6, 10, and 11 to the rear of the car. These are the brake lights, engine bay light, and rear/reverse/turn signal lights respectively. The latter two sets of lights worked when pressing Switch 6

… however, the brake lights should only come on when the Brake Pedal is pushed down (triggering the switch contacts behind the firewall):

Step 03

Next, I retrieved the lighting components from Issue 93 and attached Wires 9 and 12 to the front of the car. These are the headlights (four white LEDs) and turn signal lights (two yellow LEDs). They turned on when pressing Switch 6:

Step 04

Then, connect the LED Wire from Issue 91 to the Wire 19 connector at the front right of the chassis and make sure both LEDs light up when you press Switch 1.

I am not using the stock LEDs so I did not test this. Instead, I hooked up my EL Light Mod from Model Modz and turned off my studio lights to take this picture. Everything is working as expected!

If you are not using this mod, you would likely want to hook up your front Flux Band LEDs (LED Wire part 91G in Issue 91) to the front Wire 19 (red/blue) connector. If it works correctly, use this same LED Wire to test the two connectors at the back of the car on Wire 22 and Wire 23. The actual LEDs for these rear plugs will not arrive until many issues from now.


Body Lighting

Step 01

As you will see in Issue 91, I propped the body on its side with some bath towels to get the wires of each closer together:

I then connected all of the body wires to the matching chassis wires:

Step 02

The roof lighting is controlled by Switch 5. Don’t forget you need to rotate the red handle to get that LED to light:

Step 03

The door lighting should also work at this point. They should only come on when that door is opened:

Step 04

Since I am installing the EL Light Mod from Model Modz, I do not have these two Flux Band LEDs installed on the roof. If you do, they should light up when you press Switch 1:, The photo below is from Issue 87 showing what they looked like before I removed them:

Step 05

Finally, we should reuse that LED Wire part 91G again to connect to the plug of Wire 21 to make sure the reactor light works when pushing Button 1.

Since I am installing the EL Light Mod, I did not keep this wire in the car, but this is the original wire/color and how it would eventually route through the body and up on top of the Engine Cover:


Testing Results

Some of my lights did not work during this testing and that is why I wanted to share the entire experience. The front turn signals were dead and the brake lights did not turn on when I pushed the Brake Pedal. After a closer look at everything, I found that I suffered from my own user error. Three of the numbered black plugs attached to the Circuit Board were attached to only one of the two pins, so I had to reconnect them correctly. After that fix, everything worked as expected.

Don’t panic if your lights do not work at first. Check your connections are secure, that no wires/plugs are damaged, that you are using fresh batteries or The Power Mod, and simply take your time. Electrical work can be tricky, but the lighting is such an important part of this model.

I hope this helps other builders get their DeLorean looking the best it can!

At a Standstill

During the build of my Eaglemoss 1:8 scale Back to the Future DeLorean partwork model, there have been occasional delays in receiving issues. Up until a few months ago, these delays have been maybe a month. I understand there can be supply issues, however, this has become crazy! It has been almost four months since I was able to continue my build and other builders have been waiting almost a year. This was even before the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world and screwed up logistics everywhere.

Interestingly enough, after a subscriber reaches about halfway into the build, Eaglemoss will automatically skip any unavailable issues and ship what they have instead. Therefore, each month, I have been receiving various issues with a lot of gaps. Just recently, they shipped me Issue 159… the very last issue of the extended build. They never even asked if I wanted the extension issues. I guess it is nice to see the end, but with so many issues missing along the way, I am at a standstill in my build.

I know that many missing issues may be found on Amazon Japan under DeAgostini and I may end up going that route, but I really want Eaglemoss to fix this. Unfortunately, that means I cannot share my build experiences with my visitors until at least issue 75+ shows up. Until then, I have composed a list of the issues missing from my build and where I end up getting them. I wonder what they will try to send me next month…

IssueContentsSourced From:
75Central Roof Panel, Power Coil BracketsFB - Paul B.
76Front Fender/Trim (Right)FB - Paul B.
77Rear Quarter Panel/Vent (Left)FB - Paul B.
79Rear Quarter Panel/Vent (Right), Replacement Steering ShaftFB - Paul B.
80Rear Quarter Panel Vent/Trim/Lens, Power Coil Brackets (Right)FB - Paul B.
84Engine Bay Center/Left/Right, Support, Bar, Tank/CapAmazon Japan
85Engine Bay Back, Front Body Rear Panel, Engine LampAmazon Japan
86Roof Panel, Emergency Handle/Cable, Silver BoxAmazon Japan
87Upper Control Panels, Keypad, Sun Visors, LEDsAmazon Japan
88Outer Seat Belts, Seat Belt Panels, Interior PanelsAmazon Japan
90Engine Cover Latch/Stay, Air Intake PipesAmazon Japan
92Tail Light LEDs, Engine Bay LEDFB - Arish Q.
95Front Bumper, Power Coil Brackets, Turn Signal Light CoversAmazon Japan
96Valance (Left Side), Door Step (Left)Amazon Japan
97Valance (Right Side), Door Step (Right)Amazon Japan
99Front Power Coil Frame/GrillesAmazon Japan
100Front Power Coil Wiring (Left)Amazon Japan
101Side Power Coil Tube/Mesh/Wiring (Left)Amazon Japan
102Front Power Coil Wiring (Right)Amazon Japan
103Side Power Coil Tube/Mesh/Wiring (Right)Amazon Japan
104Rear Power Coil Junction Box/Filaments (Left)Amazon Japan
105Rear Power Coil Junction Box/Filaments (Right)Amazon Japan
129Plutonium Case Lid Interior/Rod Holder/Padding, Straps, Main HingeAmazon Japan
130Plutonium Canisters/Rods/Lids/Stickers, Alarm ClockAmazon Japan
131Time Circuit Box, LED Ribbon and SwitchFB - Paul B.
132Railroad Tie/Ends, ConnectorsFB - Sean T.
133Rail, Rail ChairsFB - Laurens V.
134Time Circuit Components, Base Plate, Battery CoverFB - Michael M.
135Railroad Tie/Ends, ConnectorsFB - Laurens V.
136Rail, Rail ChairsFB - Laurens V.
137Time Circuit Components
138Railroad Tie/Ends, ConnectorsFB - Laurens V.
139Rail, Rail ChairsFB - Laurens V.
140Time Circuit Components
141Railroad Tie/Ends, ConnectorsFB - Laurens V.
142Rail, Rail ChairsFB - Laurens V.
143Time Circuit Components
144Railroad Tie/Ends, ConnectorsFB - Laurens V.
145Rail, Rail ChairsFB - Sean T.
146Railroad Wheel/Center/Nut/Washer (Front)FB - Sean T.
155Time Circuit Straps/Buckles, Rubber Bands, Pipes
156Railroad Tie/Ends, ConnectorsFB - Laurens V.
157Rail, Rail ChairsFB - Laurens V.
158Railroad Wheel/Center/Nut/Washer (Rear)

UPDATE May 12, 2020: I caved and ordered 9 issues from Amazon Japan. Other than a few sections of their website that would not translate from Japanese, it was a pretty painless experience. I received those issues 5 days later in the USA. I also found another builder on Facebook who sold me another six issues. We are making progress!

UPDATE May 16, 2020: I was able to find another 9 issues on Amazon Japan. I also reached out to the various build Facebook groups and now Paul B. in Australia is sending me Issues 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, and 131. Arish Q. in Malaysia said he can get me Issue 92. Laurens V. in the Netherlands is posting me Issues 133, 135, 136, 138, 139, 141, 142, 144, 156, and 157. If all of these issues arrive successfully, that means I am only missing some of the hood box component issues: 134, 137, 140, 143, 155, and the last railroad wheel in Issue 158!

UPDATE June 6, 2020: Today, I received the issues I bought from Paul in Australia. Also today, I received back issues 75-77, 79-80, and 84-86 from Eaglemoss. That means I have a few double issues and will get them posted up to the parts trading Facebook groups soon.

3-in-One Oil

If you are building any of the die-cast metal large scale models out there, you are probably familiar with the pain around driving screws into metal parts. In my experience, some of these screws have a tendency to bind up, strip threads, or simply snap off. Not only does it cause frustration, but it could cause a long delay in your build waiting for replacement parts.

For a while now, I have read about other builders that were using a little oil on their metal screw threads to help reduce the risk of damage and the effort needed to seat these screws fully. Up until this point, I had taken my time to carefully pre-thread metal screws, but it turns out they were on to something. I recently picked up some 3-in-One Multi-Purpose Oil (from the WD-40 Company) and it has changed everything!

I simply dip the tip of each metal screw into a tiny drop of this stuff and they go right in and without any drama. I should have done this sooner! If putting a little oil on the end of a metal screw is not feasible, you can also use a toothpick or other small tool to apply the oil directly into a screw hole before installing the screw.

To hold the oil, I use this fantastic 4 oz dispenser bottle with a built-in pump and metal lid. I fill it up and pump the lid when I need a little oil to work with. Additionally, it has a nice wide base to reduce the possibility of spills:

I highly recommend grabbing a bottle of this oil (or other similar lubricant). It will surely save you time and headache!