1957 Vaillant Le Mans Prototype

[TZ2]

If you are interested in the real history of Le Mans cars stop reading now! However, if you like race cars AND racing comics you might enjoy this.

Project started when I cleared up in the attic and came across a old Michel Vaillant comic album. Folks in the US might not this familiar with these comics created back in the ’50s by Jean Graton, except when they have seen the Vaillant movie of 2003 (if not seen, try to get the DVD, very good racing action…).
The comic album in my hands was one of the very early stories (from 1958) covering the duel between the best European and US drivers.
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For the Le Mans race, Michel Vaillant did some testing with a car which attracted my attention. Although models of Vaillant cars had been made over the last decades, these were all 1/43 scale (a few 1/18 scale models are also available since a few years). Trying to make a Vaillant in 1/24 scale, I remembered a vintage Singapore made toy which I had bought very cheap some years ago. This toy (maybe somebody thought about a Ferrari Monza when doing the original mold) comes very close to 1/24 scale and was made of injection-moulded plastic. Most fascinating was the ultra-long hood, which gave the model a comic-like appearance and a good candidate for the 1957 Vaillant Le Mans.
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[klutz_100]

I love threads like this!
Interesting and different - don't keep us waiting too long for more

[quadzero]

Originally Posted by klutz_100

I love threads like this!
Interesting and different - don't keep us waiting too long for more

I completely agree. Excellent subject matter.

[sportracer02]

Hi Stefan,

a comic-based model, something that cannot be seen too often.

Nice idea

[TZ2]

Trying to get some proportions of the body corrected, I did some re-shaping using plastic sheets and Milliput.
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Original chassis of the toy was used, interior came from a Monogram Cobra 427 kit.
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[klutz_100]

Are you going to drop an engine in there also?

[TZ2]

Originally Posted by klutz_100

Are you going to drop an engine in there also?

No, will be curbside model.
I was thinking about using a V-12 from another kit. However, I am not sure what kind of engines Vaillant used during the late 50s (maybe a V-16...).

[TZ2]

Body had been primered and later spray-painted in French Racing Blue. Grill had been made by using polystyrene sheets, headlights from the parts box. The Vaillant V was made by using a left over frame from a photoetch part and bend to fit the grill. Finished grill was covered with Alclad chrome.
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Main headlights and racing gas cap came also from the parts box.
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[quadzero]

The front looks excellent, that emblem adds a lot of life to it.

[TZ2]

Looking for suitable wheels I came across a set of left-over wirewheels from REVELLs 300SLR kit. Tires came from the parts box, wheel knock-offs will be used from a photo-etch set.
Clear headlightcovers and windscreen have been made from old blisterpacks. I have a lot of these vacuformed blisters rescued from the garbage. In need of clear, curved parts I look for a part which (might) fit. Cut it from the blister about twice the size required, place it over the opening, draw outline with a marker (with NON-permanent ink) and cut the part around marker line. After some more test-fitting, cutting and sanding, this is my method to make clear, curved parts.
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[CeeElle]

everything about this build is brilliant -- the inspiration, the subject, the use of blister packs. bravo!

[klutz_100]

Great minds think alike

I use a similar technique to make hub caps