‘D’ Type Auto Union Conversion.
by Revell
A model I finished some time back is the ‘D’ type Auto Union. It is a re-release of an earlier kit and has been around for some time. The scale is good and the whole thing is quite unique in 1/32 scale static kits.
Once again, the car is an ebay auction win and including postage was about AU$28.00 from Germany.
The kit itself is a mass of detail, engine, gearbox, suspension, lift off front and rear covers, much of which had to be discarded in order to fit a working chassis.
First task was to assemble as much of the body as possible to give an idea of chassis dimensions. The assembled body was then primed in flat grey and any flaws removed. The chassis was made from square brass tube as per some of my earlier open wheelers, the motor was a Sukatsu from patto’s, the guide is a spring loaded Ninco guide and the gears are old MRRC Brass bevels with a ratio of 3:1, Wheels and tyres are from the kit! But more of that later!
The car runs with its weight on all four wheels and it was important to incorporate a few conducive innovations, As mentioned before, the chassis is made from square brass using a tried and tested layout.
The rear end curves up from base level, round the rear axle tubes and onto the rear engine plate giving a very sturdy rear end, The motor is held in place with a front engine plate and towards the front, the independently rotating “Wixle†is mounted atop two brass strip springs which allow the front wheels to independently flex upwards.
Getting back to wheels and tyres, I first fully expected to have great difficulty in getting something to work. Thoughts were that the donor car was going to be a Pink car Bugatti or the like! On opening the kit I was pleasantly surprised by the tyres supplied. They looked the part and had that dry, tacky feel of silicone rubber. Hmmm, I wondered? I completed the chassis and reinforced the kit wheels and drilled a concentric 3/32 hole through each. The wheels and tyres were lightly superglued to the axles and at the next opportunity were tested at Garry’s on the two lane board track.
Joy of joys! The tyres are perfect; they have heaps of grip (for a tyre that width) and behave predictably in corners and down the straights!! Without further ado, the wheels were then fully painted and assembled, the axle holes were reinforced with 3/32†i.d. tube, and with glued tyres, were incorporated into the model.
Retaining enough body detail was the next task, The motor was clear of the cockpit which allowed me to put a full length driver in but the chassis caused a small loss of depth to it. The dash comes complete with a set of coloured decals and the steering wheel spokes were finished in “Bare metal foil†and clear lacquered. The driver was taken from a scrap Airfix C type Auto Union and finished the cockpit detail off a treat.
From experience I knew that the kit windscreen was not up to the task, one inadvertent roll was sure to see the whole thing snap of so it was abandoned. A new screen was fabricated from two 1/16†brass tube uprights. The sides of the upper tube were filed away to reveal slots that would take the clear plastic screen.
The body was painted in acrylic flat grey and then flat aluminium. After the decals were applied and left to dry for some days, the whole body got two coats of clear and was left to cure for a week or so. Other incidentals were finished. The grille got a coat of bare metal foil as did the fuel cap and rear view mirrors. The exhausts were part of the engine and were greatly undersize so two new sets were made from 1/16†brass tube and glued in place.
The brake drum back plates from the kit were bored and mounted on tubes attached to the axle bearings and so give the wheels a stationary back plate to revolve around!
At first, I thought the scale was a bit optimistic but after tracking down some dimensions on the internet it proved that it was only marginally bigger than 1/32. Less of a deviation than some makes like Ninco for instance! The Sukatsu 200 motor performance falls somewhere between an NC1 and a Scalextric Mabuchi. The finished model is a delight to drive and although it may never be raced in anger, will give me many hours of pleasurable leisure driving on board and plastic tracks alike.. As with all the models I have made, there seems to be something new incorporated every time. This car is no exception.
