German / Italian Topolino 2025-01

[BarleyBop]

Another little vehicle for the Italian collection, I may give it the Regio Esercito treatment, rather than the DAK.

That be soooo tiny!

I know what you're thinking: "that's not a model, why its hardly even an appetizer!"

Let's see if we can't just make it tasty!

Cheers

 

[Jakko]

I built the Tamiya equivalent (the Simca 5 — IRL that was a licence-produced Topolino) about a year ago, and it is indeed a very small model It'll be interesting to see how this kit differs from the Tamiya one. Opening doors for one.

 

[BarleyBop]

Bath time!
I've tried with and without, just sayin'.

Water, a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, a little heat, sonic shake 'em up...

Then a rinse, air dry.

Yup, and good for cleaning rings, chains and cutlery!

 

[BarleyBop]

 

[BarleyBop]

Now comes the hard part.
And I haven't even started.

I bought the kit on an impulse... saw the DAK on the cover, desert colours, softskin.
Check, Check, Check.

But it doesn't have the sun roof! and I'd rather it be in Italian hands, I mean it was the Italian 'Fix It Again Tony' company after all... (I know, I know, that joke now geriatric)

I feel like a surgeon: "We could operate, Mr. Barley, but the chances of you coming out alive are fairly slim"

 

[Jakko]

The Tamiya Simca 5 kit does have the canvas roof, but it's apparently very difficult to find.

 

[BarleyBop]

Okay, not too late to abort; taped, ready to scribe.
Then cut.

 

[urumomo]

 

[BarleyBop]

He shoots, he scores! Now for the fun part, cut.
I only the internal stresses in that roof don't cause it to warp outta shape when I gut it!

 

[BarleyBop]

After tracing the etched groove for an eternity, and hilighting with a water-based micro pigment pen because I need to see!, out comes my favourite little saw.

... the first cut is the deepest...

... and we're through!

Who says modeling isn't exactly a high intensity sport that will make you sweat buckets!

 

[BarleyBop]

Cut all around, not perfect, but I can square the corners and file the edges.
Tight enough that it is holding in place by itself...

Good night all!

 

[sapper23]

Nice choices so far will be watching this

 

[wjbrandel]

Excellent surgery. The operation was a success.

Good work I like the small saw blade.

 

[Jakko]

For reference, here's a picture of my Tamiya Simca 5 with its sunroof:

 

[BarleyBop]

For reference, here's a picture

Nice! Hope you don't mind if I add it to my reference image folder!

 

[Jakko]

Could I stop you if I wanted to?

BTW, Tamiya missed the entire mechanism for folding the canvas roof. If you're going to add the canvas, you may want to also add the bars that allow it to fold and unfold (which I didn't, because I wanted this to be a quick model, not too involved). I found a forum with lots of pictures of the Simca 5 (and 6 and 8) when building my model. Since the only substantial difference between a Fiat Topolino and a Simca 5 is the grille and badge, I suppose these could prove useful for your model too.

 

[BarleyBop]

folding the canvas roof

Yup, been thinking a lot about that... especially after seeing how much that aftermarket top and mechanism added to my Coloniale.

It seems that my 'process' involves a lot of image surfing, often taking me to walk-arounds of restorations of real vehicles. This really helps me get a 'feel' for the vehicles. And its crazy to see some guy strip down and disassemble a truck into it's component parts, sitting on the shop floor... all that is missing are the 50 foot sprues! These guys are often trying to solve similar problems to me, only 35 times bigger!

Wouldn't it be great if they used AI to improve the search process to help refine search terms; it is still a matter of entering the right search terms - so if you don't know the exact term, the results are crap! It sometimes feels like the result I'm looking for is just outside of the scope of the query. Like feeling for a specific sock when you can't see into a drawer full of socks!

Then I fill up my 'inspiration' folder with reference images that I keep at hand during the build. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to find a book dedicated to a vehicle, which I'll track down if not crazy expensive.
Another great source for vehicle builders, but not always available, are the original User and Maintenance manuals. You might find one of these in some remote corner of the web. Sometimes, the drawings are really good, often the photos are too dark. Even if it is just to identify what a part is, and what it was used for!

Looking at the grille in the kit, the vertical slats are too close together for me to separate or hollow out from behind like the Coloniale, so if anything I might just score a bit for more definition, but its really tight, so likely just a pin wash to give it more depth.

Getting the right material for the folded roof will be a challenge too. The lens cleaner cloth I used for the Tilly will be too thick I think.

Cheers, and Thanks for the link!

 

[BarleyBop]

Sometimes, I walk up to the bench, survey the bevy of accumulated tools and gadgets, the $$ involved over the years, and think: "what was past me thinking?"
Then, there are times like today, when I want to go back and shake his hand!

What possible justification could I have had for an assortment of super rigid and thin Carbon Fibre sanding sticks that would take a grit assortment of self-adhesive papers?

 

[sapper23]

Always nice to have something that works

 

[BarleyBop]

Tamiya missed the entire mechanism for folding the canvas roof.

Yup, got it covered, figuratively and literally, I hope.
from my web scrape photo reference folder (cropped to show just attachment point)

I could go for thin styrene sheet, but I'm gonna see if I can make use of some brass

... stay tuned!

 

[BarleyBop]

Side braces for roof arms, can't install until the body comes together...

Roof track, tried the copper, nope, checked my styrene, nothing thin enough, so Tamiya tape it is, will have to glue in place. Should look better painted. Will see about the rear bottom once I figure out the folded top!

 

[BarleyBop]

.. doesn't seem like much for an evenings work, but I'll take it!

 

[BarleyBop]

So here's the plan:
Approximate the roof mechanism with brass rods, use resin rivets as bolts, finalize and install roof at the end, once the chasis and body pretty much done.

Test

• Flatening of rods
• Drilling of brass
• Drilling of rods

So far so good!

 

[sapper23]

Progress is good .. nice.

 

[GCB]

Impressive detailed work! You never take the easy path!! Keep going.

 

[wjbrandel]

Good progress on it. I like the way it looks so far.

 

[OldManModeler]

Love your skill and dedication!

You're going to put Tony out of business.

 

[BarleyBop]

worked a bit on the little engine that could...

 

[Jakko]

Interesting that the fan is at the back of the engine. I guess that's why there are louvres in the rear of the bonnet?

 

[BarleyBop]

fan is at the back of the engine

Yes, I did a double take when I saw the instructions; the radiator is mounted to the rear and slightly above the engine!

Purportedly, a '39 Topolino: