Citroen 15-Six "Traction Avant" - 1952 - Heller - 1/8

Hello all,
after lurking around for over 2 years I have decided to start my first WIP and share this with you guys.
The subject is the famous Citroën 15-Six (better known as "Traction Avant").

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/DSC13413.jpg

Heller seems to have a reputation when it comes to quality of their kits, and sadly it is not a good one.

This car was a leader in it's era, not just by the looks of it (don't forget that the first version was introduced in 1934 - the version "7", "11" and "22", and it's appearance hardly changed throughout it's lifetime), but also by the used techniques. The front wheel drive even gave the car it's immortal nick-name...
Sadly enough the "22" was never taken in production because the project was a little over-ambitious: a 3,8L V8 having 100 bhp...

The top version became the 15 "Six": propelled by a 2,8L six-in-line negine producing 77bhp at 3800 rpm. It was a nice and smooth engine, which was also capable of unleashing it's brute power when necessary. The top model even made it as presidential ride ...
The performance which the car was capable of also inspired a different -somewhat less hounest- clientele, so the car has up till today a second reputation of ganster car. Not quite appropriate, since a lot of later fast cars (think 205GTI, Golf GTI, Impreza WRX, and others of the kind) were also used in this context, but noone mentions them as getaway cars by definition.
Production of the "15" was stopped in 1955.

As for the kit: one speaks in superlatives. It has 1054 parts (some are supplied multiple times as it is possible to build more than one version, but still), divided over 38 sprues and 2 sheets of polistyrene. The instruction book has 28 pages and it looks more like a Citroen parts catalogue than a kit instruction guide.
I have the impression that everyone knows the kit, but almost noone has ever dared to build it. The usefull progress reports on the internet are quite rare, and they all seem to mention the same kind of problems:
1. The hinges for the hood and the doors are too weak and need to be reinforced, yet better replaced by stronger ones,
2. The suspension needs strong springs to hold the kit. Even Heller mentions that the kit will need to be set on blocks to protect it against "time". The kit seems just too heavy.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
I decided to just follow the sequence as proposed by the assembly instructions. Due to the level of detail of the kit, I don't think it will be necessary to add lots of extra's to the model.
However, I will try to remove all bolts and buts in plastic, and replace them with barss ones, just to upgrade the level of detail. I bought some hex rods in brass, and I use a mini lathe to turn these bolts and nut heads.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13454.jpg

Soon I found out that the typical Heller fitting problems are also present in this kit. It seems that the plastic is too soft, allowing the parts to bend easily, wausing terrible fit issues. Heller seems to have succeeded in building a great and very detailed kit of this iconic French car, but in all it's effort they have forgotten that a kit of this kind and size needs to engineered accordingly and the materials must be chosen likewise. On the last page of the assembly manual, they mention that supports need to fabricated and placed under the car to "protect the model against time". Meaning it is just too heavy for the used materials...

In the picture you see that the engine block halves do not exactly fit. I decided to correct this from the bottom up, providing support tubes in brass in the carter pan. These will force the upper parts into their place through brass tubes of a slighter smaller diameter glued on the inside of the upper parts.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13458.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13462.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13463.jpg

Same thing for the upper parts, which are forced straight with some hardfoam.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13461.jpg

The oil filler cap was upgraded with an small axle, allowing it to be opened and closed.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13480.jpg

But also this part will need some attention ...
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13483.jpg

I have some parts aligned to show them before assembly of the engine block. Main thing to mention here are the replaced bolts, and some fittin issues, but nothing dramatic like above.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13486.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13495.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13497.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13499.jpg

Finally, I sprayed the engine block flat green, and things now look like this.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13669.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13670.jpg

Page one of the assembly manual is done. :wink:
The block will receive some shading and attention with oil paints later on.

Anyway, be prepared for a loooooooong thread :)
Thanks for reading.

Off to a nice start, the detail in the kit looks good

Love those big scales models but, 1/8 :eek: that's going to be huge.

I love this kit and have had a look at the parts in the box many times but never had enough spare cash at the right time to buy one.
The WIP looks great so far, glad to hear you are going to add some shading and highlighting to the engine.
Will be watching this for sure, you certainly look like you know what you are doing!
Regards and best of luck with the Citroen,
Steve.

What a wonderful thread! I can't wait to see this one come together. And, from what you've shown already I can see you are just the kind of modeler that will succeed with it. It is a huge kit that needs a part re-engineered here and there. Despite it's minor faults the model is an excellent value IMO. It even has scale wiring harnesses! Amazing.

I don't mean to encourage scope creep on something this big, but there were some coach built cabriolets....

Good luck with the build. I look forward to watchin progress. I have never seen this car in 1/8th scale before.

Regards

Hartford

Yowser, this looks interesting. Can you show us a pic of the box contents, it sounds off the hook.

Thank you all for the nice welcome and encouragements on the start of this huge model. I am a kind of a "slower" builder, I take my time to think things through before doing them.
As we go I will try to add some things to the kit, maybe improve a few items as well. It is known that the suspension parts of this kit are not quite up to the weight of the model, so these will have to be reworked.
Oh well, we'll see how it comes together.

... Can you show us a pic of the box contents, it sounds off the hook.
Sure, have a look at these:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13418.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13419.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13420.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13421.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13422.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13423.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13424.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13425.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13426.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13427.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13428.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13429.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13430.jpg

That should give you an idea of what is inside the box.
The manual looks more like a parts catalogue than an assembly guide like we are used to when building our models:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13414.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13415.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/Kit%20review/DSC13416.jpg

What a wonderful thread! I can't wait to see this one come together. And, from what you've shown already I can see you are just the kind of modeler that will succeed with it. It is a huge kit that needs a part re-engineered here and there. Despite it's minor faults the model is an excellent value IMO. It even has scale wiring harnesses! Amazing.

Indeed - the detail is unbelievable. I can only assume that they were trying to match Pocher, but using only styrene. From prior research, the front torsion bars and the steering column are the main weak points. Inserting small springs inside the telescopic dampers may solve the former (iirc, the kit includes inserts for the dampers to set the ride height if required, which then lock the suspension), but iirc the column ideally needs to be remade in a stronger material to stop it shearing when the steering wheel is turned.

I don't mean to encourage scope creep on something this big, but there were some coach built cabriolets....

I've been having similar thoughts about the one that I have! :smokin:


Btw, somewhere I have a two part article / review from a modelling magazine, which covers the building of this kit from when it was launched - PM me if this is of interest, and I can email scans to you :smile:

Some useful reference pics here:

http://www.hymanltd.com/search/details.asp?stockno=4224

Isn't she a beauty? :smile:
These pictures will proove very handy, as the article you supplied. For the moment I am also working on another small project, in which some collegues will help me get familiar with extended weathering techniques, but updates will certainly follow soon enough.

Thank you all for the encouragements and interest in the subject!

We need separate forums for such projects.... I wonder how fast will it take to build this monster...

What an amazing project. You were right about the fit problems but I see you are right on top of things correcting them. Great workmanship, especially the movable oil cap and the bolt heads. Looking forward to more of this.

Hi all,
I have a (small) update for you. An axle on the gearbox cover prooved so weak, that I decided to remove it and attach a replacement in brass. This way I can be certain that it does not break off when connecting the levers afterwards.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13682.jpg

Also the cover of the fuel pump has been discarded and replaced by a turned one. The clear part was so hideous in my opinion that it left no other choice. The Citroën's have been supplied with a few models of fuel pumps, so that the outcome will not necessarily be incorrect. It will just not have the original pump with the clear cover anymore.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13683.jpg

Then the fuel pump, ignition distributor and some levers have been attached, as the gearbox cover, radiator fan and it's drive belt.

Next thing up: I'll try to add some self-produced PE parts to have some smaller thingies a bit to correct size. You'll be updated.

Please note that all drybrushing has been done using acrylics, and shading with oil paints.
Enjoy!

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13687.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13688.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13689.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13690.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC13691.jpg

Amazing build. This kit really is quite a challenge. Best of luck :)

Well, it has been quite a while since last update on this huge Citroen. Apologies for the long waiting.

The promissed etching experiment is taking up a bit more time than I thought it would (but it will be done definitely). In the meantime I took a month off to travel, and I have been finishing up another project to get some things off the workbench.
So here we go with the next step in the instruction handbook: the front suspension engine housing.

First some kind of harness has been assembled. This is not as easy as it looks on the pictures, since all joins are (as we call it in Flemish) "cold weld". That means that you don't have any guidance pins or marks which make sure you do assemble straight, correct and in the right place. Not here: start wrong and there is no way back but to disassemble and start all over again.
Off course this adds in realism, since on the 1/1 car you will never find this guidance aids, but the modern kit builder is not used to work like this anymore.
Here and there it can get a bit fiddly to get your things together, but in the end it is not that bad once you get used to it.
The reward is that you end up with some fine looking assemblies, working just like the real thing!

On the photo's you can see the harness sprayed in some primer for part verification. In addition the suspension arms have been added. These are still to be sprayed with primer before further detailing. You are looking at no less than 60 parts already, and it is still not half-way, this front bay.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15457.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15458.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15459.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15460.jpg


Enjoy!

Nice. Good to see progress being made on this. Is this a pre-build with white glue to test the fit?

Nice. Good to see progress being made on this. Is this a pre-build with white glue to test the fit?

No, the central harness has been glued together. It will need some tidying up here and there, but the assembly is final. The swingarms can still be removed if required.

We finally managed to get something etched !! The result is - in my humble opinion - quite satisfying, considering this is the very first attempt to have have a complete run from design until end product.
I would like to thank my partner in crime and the guy who has bombed us with valuable information, always patiently listening when we asked some stupid questions over and over :grinyes: .

We decided to have a go on something easy to start with, so I have some connectors drawn. The largest (and most oddly formed) part serves as an attachment plate for some springs on the gearbox side cover. It is to be sanded smooth, upgraded with a few bolt heads, painted in green and obviously a bit weathered.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15466.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15468.jpg

The others have been folded twice and then soldered to the ends of a brass pipe. This way I have built 2 pull bars which will connect levers for the gearbox selector. They will replace the nylon ones provided by Heller. Nothing wrong with them, except for the fact that you will not get them straightened because of the material in which they have been manufactured. Also this will allow me to detail the connections a little bit more.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15469.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15470.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15471.jpg

The front suspension parts have been sprayed in matt black, as they should be. Later on they will receive a matt varnish to seal the paint. Nothing special to mention here so far.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15463.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15464.jpg

The self-produced PE-parts have been built in. As explained in my previous posts they form a kind op plate holding springs on the gearbox cover, and the attachments for the gear selector levers. In the pics you will find the additions pointed by arrows and red circles:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15474.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15475.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15476.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15477.jpg


Then on the other side of the engine I mounted the in- and outlet manifolds. The outlet has been painted in rust colours, just like the real thing, which was red rusted before the car even reached it's first buyer.

The inlet manifold is placed in between the outlet, and just above this set of pipes you will see the carburetor, nicely protected by a heat shield.

When looking at the pictures I found a few spots which will need some extra attention, certainly around the inlet. It looks far less dramatic in real, but things will be camouflaged a bit. Not much will remain visible once the engine has been built into the chassis, but still...

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15478.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15479.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15480.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15482.jpg

Wow you are putting a lot of work into this engine! Great work so far!!!

You guys are very kind, I am just trying to build a nice looking model. Being in scale 1/8 it gives all oppurtunity to detail and highlight some aspects of the car. That's all.

Today I built in the waterpump. The "flexible" waterhose did not really convince. It is made out of rubber, but not a good quality of it. I didn't succeed in cleaning the parts decently (2 halves glued together), and the moulded-in clamps were not exactly nice looking either.
So I decided to replace the whole thing. I cut a piece of copper tube to size and fixed 2 AcuStion PE clamps.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15490.jpg

When built in and connected between waterpump and engine block, it looks like this:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15492.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15494.jpg

When looking at the pictures, the "enormous" seam is standing out. This will need to be addressed. It is not as dramatic in real life, as on this macro-photo, but still.
I am also thinking on replacing the belts, as they are too thick, too stiff and tend to break. So I think they will be discarded andr replaced by something more suitable. If I can find something, that is ...

I´m scared just by looking at the sprues! I´ll be following this major project.

I´m scared just by looking at the sprues! I´ll be following this major project.

Don't be scared, it's only plastic. :wink:

I did not understand how the torsion bars needed to fit, since there was no way that I managed to create tension. The building plan mentioned a very specific method in fitting and twisting the nylon bars around before finally having them inserted in the harness. After some thought I found out that I missed a very tiny remark in the instruction sheet, and now they seem to be working perfectly. And yes, it does look and sound horrendous, but if done with care it works.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15509.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15511.jpg

I also replaced the connectors for the shocks by messing bars, since I had doubts about the rigidity of the plastic rods.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15512.jpg


Also I have started work on the floorplate and firewall. Not much to say here, except to keep in mind to work straight, otherwise the overall result later on will not look too good. The firewall needs to be quite strong, by the way, so I used quite an amount of glue to have all the joints well filled.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15515.jpg

This way you have an impression of the shere size of this single part:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15517.jpg

The handbrake, on the other hand, is more fun to do. There is basically nothing wrong with the original parts, but it could be done a bit better ...
So I decided to replace the original twist bar by a self made one. I created two little forks in alu sheet that will enclose both cable shoes. These are the cables that will go to the rear brakes. The shorter cable to the front left side of the firewall will connect to a lever, which at his turn connects to the driver's hand brake pull bar.
For this lever, I did the same thing by bending a small piece of alu sheet. It looks complicated ,but in fact it isn't.

In the next few photo's, you see the original bar, and the self made one compared to each other:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15519.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15521.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15518.jpg

You will ask: "will this remain visible afterwards?". My answer: "Not quite. When the engine is built in, you will hardly notice this detail. But it was fun doing it..." :naughty:

A small update, but quite some work involved :smile:

Since last update the floorplate has been sprayed in black, the harness has been attached and a couple of thingies were added to the engine bay. Let's review:

- The front suspension and engine support were glued to the floorplate. I had to pay cash for the fact that I did not stick for 100% to the building instructions. The handbrake had to be dismantled partially because the front ladderframe needed to be inserted first. The handbrake lever needs to pass beneath the torsion bar ...
- The handbrake lever got a bit of attention and now looks acceptable. A return spring was added as per the instructions,
- the throttle pedal got attached to the firewall. The part was found broken in the sprue, so I had to repair. I chose to replace the broken bit by a copper bar (0,5 mm). The eyelet and end lever were re-used from the original part,
- both engine supports were glued to the side walls. I dry-fitted the engine to check stance and fit, and everything seems to work out just fine up to this point. Fingers crossed for the rest ...

I would like to mention that I chose to lighten up the matt black of the front a little bit by drybrushing it with Tamiya matt aluminium, but the result was in my opinion too contrasting, so I toned down with Tamiya red brown.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15524.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15526.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15712.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15713.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15714.jpg


See you later. :smile:

Fantastic works.

Since last update I have been working on the steering. Considering the weight of the assembled kit, the kit parts were far too flexible in my opinion, and to get some ease of mind I decided to replace the steering rods with copper bars.

This is how I got it done:

On top you see the original part. It's just a plastic bar with connectors at both ends. I cut the connectors loose and drilled them, so I could insert a thin copper bar. This was covered by a larger diameter bar for stiffness and now I have a rigid steering bar of the correct diameter.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15717.jpg

The steering arms click to the slider, which needs a rubber buffer at both ends to stop the sliding bar from running too wide. The 2 halves for these buffers need to be glued together. No problem but for the material used here. They are actually done in rubber, realistic enough maybe, but a real pain to get them cleaned (if not impossible) and aligned properly and neat. So I turned new ones in brass, so this can be mounted without too much trouble.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15721.jpg

A small dryfit:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15723.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15724.jpg

The clutch and brake pedal assembly then: I was thinking about replacing some parts with PE but that would be some overkill. After all most of these parts will hardly be visible after engine assembly, so I went with the kit parts. Only addition are the return springs on the pedals.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15725.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15726.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15728.jpg

Last but not least: this is how the front bay now looks like:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15730.jpg

Enjoy!

Wow! I´m impressed by the amount of work this kit requires by itself. And you´re making it even better, stronger, more accurate.
I´m keeping my eyes on this project.

The kit requires a lot of work by itself, that's correct. But you could easily just limit to that. It can be built without the reinforcements,using fixed springs and so on. You could get away with it, but I just want to make sure that the model which has so much work involved shows correctly once built and does not collaps under it's own weight.
After all, it has a reputation regarding to that :wink:

Yes I know, lots of updates, but I want to show you guys step by step how this thing is coming together. After all, you don't see this one built every day.

All goodies from previous update have been attached to the front bay.

I have been experimenting on making springs that could be inserted in the shock absorbers, but somehow I was unable to find any material that was strong enough to hold the weight and was able to spring back in original shape after it was pressed together. Either it was too soft, either it didn't "spring". :banghead:

Considering the weight of the added extras and the fact that I have no clear view on how the built kit will lean on it's suspension (or make it collapse all together), I haven't taken any risk. I glued the shock absorbers, so they are now fixed. The inside is one massive block of 2 component epoxy glue, so should be strong enough.

After a subtile weathering, the front bay now looks like this:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15731.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15736.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15737.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15738.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15739.jpg

Comments and critics always welcome, good or bad.

I've seen that "thing" last Friday and it is huge.:thumbsup:

Great build, Dominique. :wink:

I have been looking at some parts that need to be fixed to the firewall, and I found them just ... not good enough. So I made my own coil, a reservoir for the Lockheed braking system and the accelerator lever lever mounting.

No problem for the coil and the oil reservoir (basicaly a small jar with lid), these are easy to make on a lathe. Also their supports which were much too thick, and have been replaced with a small aluminium strip. The bolts and nuts of 1mm were added, so the supports can actually be bolted to the firewall. It adds realism, and at the same time you are able to mount and dismantle as much as you like.


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15741.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15745.jpg

The accelerator lever mounting was a bit more fiddly. Because the shape of the parts is not too difficult, I decided to shape it from copper sheet, instead of etching them. The main part is cut in 0,4mm copper sheet, the smaller one which is to hold the return springs in 0,24mm. Between them I added a small part out of a box with watchmakers leftovers to simulate a hinge.
You then solder everything together, and done!

Again everything is bolted to the firewall, and we're ready to tackle some more parts.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15746.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15748.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15750.jpg

Have fun building.

Another step completed today: the firewall has been completed (except for part number 74 which will need to be redone with PE-connectors).

I must say that the guys at Heller's have a strange kind of humour. I found that it is hard to install the big bent part on to the assembly, because you need to decide whether you want to install first, on spray first.
When you spray the part first, you will need to fill and work on gaps between this part and the vertical sidewalls. Either you install it first and complete the installation before spraying paint all over the assembly again, OR face yourself with an extensive amount of masking in either way you decide to do it.

It could be so simple though: install the bent part on to the vertical sides when these sides are glued to the floor. You then have plenty of room and opportunities to work on the parts, since these are the only ones which are glued to the floor and can be spray-painted in one single go. Don't come tell me you were not warned when doing your own Traction :grinyes:

I did things the first way: I sprayed the part, even detailed and finished all work on it, then glued it to the sidewalls and finished the work on filling gaps. Eveything was carefully sprayed with airbrush, although this is not a simple method to do it.

While working on things I replaced the vertical throttle lever by a self-made one in brass. The method of klicking it on to a rod was not exactly realistic imo, so ...

The original part:
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15753.jpg

What I did with it:
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15755.jpg

Once installed it looks like this:
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15757.jpg

Some more pictures on today's status:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15758.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15759.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15760.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15762.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15763.jpg

The big parts now need to be attached: sidewalls, trunk lid and roof.
The building plan suggests a sequence like this:
1. glue the sidewalls against the floorpan, and the trunk needs to be attached to the rear of these sidewalls. The 1:1 car has a one-piece sidewall annex trunk plate, but since the versions before 1952 and 1952 and later differ, Heller provides 2 versions of it.
2. complete the sidewalls with inner details and blinkers and so on.
3. Glue the roof to the top of the sidewalls and the rear.

Personally I have some objections, since the sidewalls, roof and trunk need to connect seemlessly like on the 1:1 car. And there are a few little "issues" that will need to be addressed first before all these parts can be sprayed, finished and mounted.

First of all I will have to make sure that the seems which are not supposed to be there will be filled.

Then the non-fitting parts. These need to be filled, but it is not necessary that all come together seemlessly. A small seem is acceptable, because also present on the real car.

Some parts need to connect, but not necessarily with an invisible seem. At the rear wings for example, the seem remains visible through a small line in the platework. At the front, a lot can be camouflaged because at the same spot there needs to be a small waterdam (or what's the word in English?). So I think I will get past the problem that the sidewalls do not follow the curve of the firewall by eliminating this waterdam and make all fit, then just recreate the dam. Keeping in mind that the hood still needs to fit of course.

We'll see how it goes when we go along the process.
Still with me? Or more explanations needed? :wink:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15765.jpg



http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15766.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15767.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15768.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15769.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15770.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15771.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15772.jpg

This still looks like an extreemly complicated build, But thats what makes it interresting to follow, Looking forward on more body work!

This still looks like an extreemly complicated build, But thats what makes it interresting to follow, Looking forward on more body work!

It's not my easiest one, for sure. But it keeps a man busy, right? :wink:
Thanks for following.

Damn, that's the worst body fitting i've ever seen, good luck on correcting and making all the elements to adjust but I'm sure you'll do it :bigthumb:

High time for an update on the Citroen. A part of the body shell has been glued together, and everything went surprisingly well. One body part keeps the other in shape, so you only need to "insist" a little bit to keep everything in place until the glue has dried. So now both the sidepanels, roof and trunk are glued together. The trunk for the 1952 version has a specific shape, so you need to keep to the instructions carefully to build this version, but if you do things are quite easy to follow.

The fabric for the interior will be done with Tenco Scale Weave. This is very fine woven tissue, which makes it perfect to use in this scale. It will be applied using thinned glue, then sprayed in the correct colour. Due to the size of the model I have ordered 2 pieces of 90x90 cm of this tissue, I hope it will be enough ...

Colour of the interior will be grey, while the outside is the obvious black. This outside base colour will be done using regular spray cans, but the lacquer will be automotive 2-component lacquer, probably DuPont if I can get to it.

In the pics you will also see the rear suspension which has been started and the frames of the front seats.

To be continued !!

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15774.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15775.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15776.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15777.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15778.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15780.jpg

Muy bueno.

Really enjoying seeing this build come together. Many people cosider this kit to be un-buildable, nice to see you proving them wrong.
Regards, Steve.

The kit is buildable alright, it just needs some persuason, let's say :wink:

The cushions of the first (front) seat are now covered with Tenco Scale Weave, and I must say I am very happy with the result.
As a first colour test I sprayed the fabric with a light coat of ordinary Tamiya grey primer. But this was too bright to my liking. So I added a mist coat of Tamiya German Grey straight from the spray can. This was then toned down again with another mist coat of grey primer. The result is so satisfying that I will be using it as the base colour for the entire interior fabric. it needs a little of hightighting and shading to be perfect, but I am close to the desired definitive colour.

Updates to follow soon!

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15784.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15783.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15782.jpg

Update (and about high time it is :wink:)

The floormat has been glued to the floorplate and it was sprayed in the same grey colour as the front seats. So these seats could be put into their supports and attached to the floor. The seats are still able to move front and backwards, by the way. Also I made new back-pockets for them.

Next job: spray and lacquer the body. But that's for next week. First I have a weekend in Southern England to do. I will be visiting the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (see www.LBVCR.com).
You'll be posted when works continue.

Keep on building. :smile:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15840.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15841.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC15844.jpg

Wow...that is one huge kit!! And I thought my 1/12 Countach had a lot of parts!! This will be an interesting thread for sure

Subscribing. Brilliant workmanship and painting. Utterly convincing. Thanks for posting,

ianc

First of all, I wish everybody here a healthy, enjoyable and trouble free 2012, to you and your family.

I was a bit surprised myself when I saw that it was already that long ago when this thread was last updated. I have been busy with a few smaller projects in between, so it is high time that this one got picked up again.

However, it has not been abandoned completely. The front seats received seams, made of solder of 0,4mm thick. The back seats have been covered with fabric, and just need the seams to be applied. Pictures follow when this is done.

The body has been sprayed, finally... I sprayed with ordinary Tamiya grey primer. This primer coat was done a little bit thicker than usualy because I wanted to be 100% certain that all plastic is covered so the later varnish would not be able to react with the plastic. Then a layer of Tamiya matt black went on, straight from the spray can. This coat was smoothened with 2000 grit, and a second coat went on, again straight from the Tamiya spray can.

I then sprayed a layer of DuPont automotive clear varnish. It was left to dry for 24 hours and I polished it with 2000 grit, followed by the complete assortiment of Micro Mesh pads (grits 3600 until 12000). I was not satisfied with the general result (still some light trace of orange peal in some areas) and therefore I polished with car polish.

It is not 100% perfect, but for a first try of the automotive product more than satisfying. I am not going to polish any further on the body because I fear that I will go through the varnish at some point. A second coat of varnish would become too thick in my opinion.

Next step: finishing the back seat seams, and applying the roof and door jamb internal fabric.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16595.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16617.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16618.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16619.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16620.jpg

Each time I open this thread I know I'll be impressed, once again today :thumbsup:

Body looks really nice. Would like to see some shots of the seats. Keep up the good work,

ianc

Thanks guys.

It has been almost a month since the last update, so high time you get updated on this WIP...

The body has been mated with the floorplate. That did not just click together, but needed a little bit of swearing and a lot of clamps to keep things aligned. The main difficulty was that the floor plate and body need to be glued by both edges, and that's always a pain to do. But OK, it got on, so now at least it starts to look like a car :naughty:

Next step was the fabric on the inside of the roof upholstery. I heard from another builder that he had no problem mounting this, but mine was way too small. So I went for a compromise: I left a gap in the front, and decided to work around the rear window with painted masking tape. Mounting the rear window was a real problem, since the upholstery was pushing against the top edge of the window, so it would not stick. But in the end I managed to seal it using a few clamps. Then masking tape closed the gaps between the upholstery and the rear window. Little or none will be visible once the model is closed.
I will have to enlarge the shelf between the rear seat and rear window as well, since also this does not fit with the upholstery.

While gluing the chrome moldings between the floor plate and body in the front door, the lacquer started to react with the glue. It showed some white fog when it got in contact with the glue. I used super glue in gel, but I will have to use epoxy from now on. This will less aggressive I think.
The attempts to get rid of the fume spots caused some lacquer damage, but that will be easily camouflaged with some weathering. No panic.

Until soon, and thanks for following.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16621.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16622.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16623.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16624.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16625.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16626.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16627.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16628.jpg

Looking nice...super glue tip: the glue will fog in places you have touched (oils in yr skin) I've managed to greatly reduce or eliminate fogging if I wipe the area down with a q tip dipped in rubbing alcohol & wear gloves while handling parts. My main problem is actually doing it, lol, but if I'm gluing in a highly visible spot, its worth the hassle

Looking nice...super glue tip: the glue will fog in places you have touched (oils in yr skin) I've managed to greatly reduce or eliminate fogging if I wipe the area down with a q tip dipped in rubbing alcohol & wear gloves while handling parts. My main problem is actually doing it, lol, but if I'm gluing in a highly visible spot, its worth the hassle

It makes sense, although I wonder if the use of automotive polish may have something to do with it as well. But I will certainly keep this in mind. Thanks for the tip.

This is an awesome build!

your weathering of the engine bay look fantastic! do u also build military subjects? 'cause the military guys weather very well.

This is an awesome build!

your weathering of the engine bay look fantastic! do u also build military subjects? 'cause the military guys weather very well.

Thanks. I am very happy with the result on the engine bay myself. But I don't do anything else than cars and occasionally a motorcycle. I try to read about painting techniques and see how I can use these techniques on non-military models. After all, if it works for them, why not for us? :smile:

OK, small update.

The back axle has been finished and mounted, just like the front windshield. No problems this time.

I dirtied up the undertray (well, very slightly at least) as a test. I used Tamiya Red-brown which I stamped on with a piece of packaging foam. Then I sprayed a mist coat of LifeColor Worn Black, and a mist coat of LifeColor Dirty Black. The gas tank has been done just like the engine bay: drybrushed with Tamiya flat aluminum with some red-brown to tone down the sharp aluminum patches.

It is not my intention of showing the car in a way that the undertray will remain visible, I just wanted to see what the effect of these LifeColor black shades would look like, since I used for the first time. It is a nice base for further weathering in my opinion. I will use them again.

Now let's get to work on those back seats.
See you later!

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16629.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16630.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16631.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16633.jpg

I love it. :thumbsup:

Very entertaining thread, excellent work and detail progress photos, thank you, and keep the great work going!

Thanks guys, I appreciate the kind words.

As promised, the back seats have been installed.
They went in quite smoothly, except that the back is a bit tight between these armrests. But apart from that, no problem at all.
I just raised the seat about 1,5 mm to make it fit better against the front of the armrests.

So here are the pictures for the time being:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16637.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16638.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16639.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16641.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16642.jpg

Next up: the dashboard. This will be fun to do!

Gosh that looks good! I love this build. I love these big scale builds, there is so much opportunity to detail the car. And you are doing an amazing job! I love all your fabrication on the little details.

Thanks guys. These large kits are not the cheapest ones, so when you start one you may as well try to make something decent out of it, or at least have a good bunch of fun with it. :)

Update on the dashboard.

The instruments are built up in 2 layers over painted clearparts, each decalled with either gauges and text. The clearparts are partly painted with Humbrol ivory. When mounted one before the other you get a nice depth effect, just like the real thing.

Only, I needed to cut the decal in the back because the gauges for the thermometer and gas level did not align with the remaining clear bits on the top clear part. By shifting the gauges towards the edges, they aligned much better.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16651.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16654.jpg

I added a couple of watchmaker's screws and I think it doesn't all look that bad in the end. The dashboard is dryfitted here, and I think it will work out fine. There are still a few things to add to the dashboard though. More about that later.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16657.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16658.jpg

By the way: looking at above pictures you might think that the gear lever has been mounted upside down, but it isn't. Believe me, I had the same impression, but i checked multiple times, and it seems to be correct this way:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/4224_9.jpg

In above pictures you can also notice that I have replaced the steering column by a self-made one. The kitpart is made out of nylon. Nice for the nylon fans, but completely useless in this context. The kit is intended to build up with working steering mechanism. When using this nylon part, it will definitely sheer when you turn your steering wheel, and the alignment of the steering wheel with the dashboard will be ruined forever.
I don't intend to be using the working steering mechanism, so I don't care about that, but the kit part is also everything but straight. So again; completely useless.
This is my version in brass:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16661.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r225/db114/1952%20Citroen%20Traction%20Avant%20_%20Heller/WIP/DSC16662.jpg

You can see that it fits neatly in the steering housing (everything is still dryfitted and needs to be painted, finished and detailed). We can continue the works ;-)

See ya later!

This thing is just unbelievable