# Blade Runner Police Car No 27



## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Thought I'd start a build thread for the Police version of the car here. Anything relating to the Sedan I'll continue to post in that thread.

So first a breakdown of the parts....

Boxart...










Bodyshell has sprue struts that require careful removal from the windows...










Floorpan is in one piece...










Bumpers, cladding and mirrors...these all need painting black...










Interior parts...










Chrome sprue...much of this I'm going to de-chrome and paint...


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Some great detail on the parts....










Roof parts....










Roof lightbar....all chrome although the frame should be black....










Roof light lenses....










Wheels and axles...










Decals....










Tyres...


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

I started by carefully removing the sprue from the bodyshell....










I also chose the parts I wanted to remain chrome....










...the rest were dunked in some household bleach to remove the chrome....










The rear engine bulkhead was attached, parts fit is excellent...










The dashboard assembly is just three parts....










Dashboard assembly and engine compartment test fitted to floorpan...










Underside of floorpan features some nice detail...


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

There are some minor ejector marks to fill on the rear bulkhead in the cabin...










I also hollowed out the end of engine part C21...










The rear bumper parts are in two pieces which Fujimi tell you to attach separately to the bodywork. This would leave a seam on the corner and also I intend to paint these prior to fixing. I therefore cemented them together...










...by removing the location pins (circled) from the rear part, the bumper assembly can be slid on from each side...


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

Great, thank you for sharing.


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Aside from the two monitors on the dash and a couple of panels on the centre console the interior was looking a little bare so I dressed it up a little with some spare etch....





































I'm not planning on lighting this kit as I'm looking for a quick build....


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

miniture sun, I'm curious, how long did you have to soak the parts in bleach to remove the chorme plating?

hal9001-


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

hal9001 said:


> miniture sun, I'm curious, how long did you have to soak the parts in bleach to remove the chorme plating?
> 
> hal9001-


About four or five minutes in neat bleach stripped it right off, then just rinsed under cold water.


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Actually, speaking of lighting, this kit poses a real challenge to anyone planning to do that. The interior isn't a problem as you could easily light the monitors and consoles...an upgrade set would be useful if you're reading this Paul...at a push the headlights and rooflights are possible, however the front and rear lights attached to the bumpers are very thin and are not actually connected to the bodywork.
In the movie the Sedan drives with the orange bumper light lit at all times, I don't think they are indicators, more likely anti-collision lights...


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

miniature sun said:


> ...an upgrade set would be useful if you're reading this Paul...


I'm working on it! (Current project is the 1/350 TOS Enterprise supplemental PE set. Then comes the BR car  )


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

I feel like a kid on Christmas morning! Talk about out of the gate running....


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

> _Current project is the 1/350 TOS Enterprise supplemental PE set._


This is a helluva year for modelers. Thanks, Paul.


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Paulbo said:


> I'm working on it! (Current project is the 1/350 TOS Enterprise supplemental PE set. Then comes the BR car  )


Cool....I'm planning on another one of these that will be lit :thumbsup:


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## Hunch (Apr 6, 2003)

Paulbo said:


> I'm working on it! (Current project is the 1/350 TOS Enterprise supplemental PE set. Then comes the BR car  )


I'm guessing then that you already have the big E ? If so, how great is it and are there grid lines?
Sorry to derail your exelent work miniature sun, its coming along nicely. By the way, did you get your HT name from the XTC song? Just wondering...


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Hunch said:


> By the way, did you get your HT name from the XTC song? Just wondering...


Well spotted...:thumbsup:


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Hunch said:


> I'm guessing then that you already have the big E ? If so, how great is it and are there grid lines?...


I believe that mine's the same generation test shot as shown at Wonderfest and in the new SF&FM articles. To my eye the grid lines are not outrageous, but Jamie had said at WF that they were working to get them even finer.

BTW - I got mine so I could design Polar Lights' photoetch set. The reason that I'm calling mine a "supplemental photoetch set" is that it will not include anything in theirs (per our agreement).


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Meanwhile, back on the bench I'm busy painting all the various subassemblies and getting ready to start weathering.
One oversight on Fujimi's part is that they supply a clear part for the centre of the rear bulkhead in the cabin but not for the triangular sections on either side meaning the cabin would still be open to the engine...



















I'm planning on fixing this with some clear acetate and styrene strip once the white gloss of the engine compartment is fully cured....


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Some progress on the interior....

The passenger compartment was given a wash of dirty black over the grey primer basecoat then drybrushed with various shades of grey enamel...the various panels were then picked out in black and aluminium. The seats were sprayed grey, masked, then sprayed matt black. The various switches were first painted matt white then Tamiya clear colours used to give the impression of being lit...




























The engine bay was given the same dirty wash then drybrushed with matt white. The various engine and fan components were painted and weathered separately before fixing using CA glue....



















I may add some more hoses and cables to the engine area to busy it up a little more.

Underside is matt black, drybrushed with a little grey and khaki then parts picked out in aluminium...


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

The satin chrome wheels were painted on the faces with matt black enamel, left for ten minutes, then the paint was rubbed off with a dry paper kitchen towel. This left the paint in the recesses giving a nice worn look....










I've now test fitted the bodyshell minus the windows to check what part of the body is visible inside the cabin....looks like just the pillars and roof will need painting grey....the fit of the body onto the chassis is exceptionally good...




























More soon....


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Looking at the interior again I think I need to add a little more detail such as seatbelts and some personal clutter...maybe some donuts...:thumbsup:


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

You could scatter some of the BR magazines on the dashboard & floor

http://contourmagazine.com/2012/06/17/fake-magazine-covers-from-bladerunner/

(jk)

Nice & speedy work so far!


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Looks good so far but I concur, needs to look busier. Are you going to add a figure?


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

electric indigo said:


> You could scatter some of the BR magazines on the dashboard & floor
> 
> http://contourmagazine.com/2012/06/17/fake-magazine-covers-from-bladerunner/
> 
> ...


Thanks for the comments and the link :thumbsup: ...may try printing some off


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Xenodyssey said:


> Looks good so far but I concur, needs to look busier. Are you going to add a figure?


I was thinking of trying to scratchbuild a standing police figure if I can find enough references....might have to watch the movie again....


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

electric indigo said:


> You could scatter some of the BR magazines on the dashboard & floor
> 
> http://contourmagazine.com/2012/06/17/fake-magazine-covers-from-bladerunner/
> 
> ...


What a bizarre but fabulous link.


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Approaching completion.....the bodyshell is still loose on the chassis so I can dress up the interior a little more, and there is some touching up to do on the window surrounds....

I've applied all bar two decals and most of the exterior components, it's basically just missing the wing mirrors and the piece at the bottom left of the windscreen....



















It doesn't show up too well with the flash but the black bumpers were subtly weathered using very dark greys to give some definition. These parts still require a coat of matt varnish after decalling...



















The front and rear lamp assemblies were first painted the appropriate orange and red using Tamiya clear colours then attached using Humbrol Clearfix adhesive...










The nose section is shown as bright silver in the instructions but I elected to paint it matt black which was then drybrushed with aluminium. I then picked out various components with gold and some colours...










The red and white decal on the roof was the most difficult to apply....not only do you need to locate the colour break exactly over the scribed centreline, but the silver edge has to be aligned precisely with the moulded edge of the part. I used Microset and Microsol to shrink it down over the kit detail...


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Tape has been used to hold the wiper blade to the glass and a tiny drop of Clearfix applied to ensure it remains in contact with the surface...










Still need to sort out some black decal stripes for the vents on the pillars....
overall though this has been a lightning quick build by my standards...:tongue:


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Wow, that came out really nice.


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## Buc (Jan 20, 1999)

Nicely done!


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## Maritain (Jan 16, 2008)

Very well done, bravo!


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## Seashark (Mar 28, 2006)

Well done, indeed! 

Your build and review has convinced me get one. :wave:


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Thanks for the positive comments folks....

Well I'm just about finished for now aside from some minor drybrushing when I get a fresh tin of white enamel tomorrow....my current batch has developed a slightly yellow tint, not sure why....

Anyway, I've attached the wing mirrors...remember to angle the passenger side mirror further towards the driver....and fitted the metal plate to the corner of the windscreen along with it's decals. I've still got to add the black stripes to the window pillars but at the moment I've got no suitable decals....might have to wait until November when I go to the IPMS show at Telford...

All the decalled areas were given a coat of matt varnish and I applied a dark pin wash to all the panel shut lines. I've added some weathering and chipping here and there as I figure something as rugged as a police car would still be made of steel and would take a battering in the acid rain-drenched streets of LA. Also it looks too toy-like if left a pristine white....

Here are some shots I took outside this evening in slightly fading daylight....


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

That was really fast. I like the dry brushing textures and the light weathering, the overall appearance is very convincing.

Just some things I noted from the pics on this page:

- The "bar" at the endue of the engine cover seems to be silver, as well as the lower side area at the front of the rear wheels.
- There are some red and blue dots (lights?) at the front area.

These things might be added to the car after the shooting.

This shot looks like right from Mead's drawing board:


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

electric indigo said:


> Just some things I noted from the pics on this page:
> 
> - The "bar" at the endue of the engine cover seems to be silver, as well as the lower side area at the front of the rear wheels.
> - There are some red and blue dots (lights?) at the front area.


Thanks for those pics...I agree on the engine bar and the lights at the front...also notice that the triangular panels on the sides of the engine compartment are black also.

I'll sort these out while I'm waiting for the paint to dry on Deckard's Sedan :thumbsup:


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

miniature sun said:


> The red and white decal on the roof was the most difficult to apply....not only do you need to locate the colour break exactly over the scribed centreline, but the silver edge has to be aligned precisely with the moulded edge of thec part. I used Microset and Microsol to shrink it down over the kit detail...


Well it looks like _you nailed __it_!! I would normally not have any interest in a kit like this, but after seeing your build I may just have to buy one of these.

Darn good modeling job miniature sun. :thumbsup:

hal9001-


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## clactonite (Dec 16, 2006)

What hal said. Had very little interest in this and was put off by the price but after seeing this I am trying very hard to resist ordering one. You have done a spectacular job on it!

Clactonite


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Thanks for the praise guys :thumbsup:
Although it is relatively expensive, you certainly get your money's worth in precision plastic...the kit virtually falls together and the decals are top quality.
I wonder whether someone like JT Graphics might consider a sheet of decals for this featuring the missing pillar stripes plus alternate numbers and license plates?
I'm pressing on with the Sedan now....everything is primed and drying ready for the Crimson/Bronze exterior and Tan interior....


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

I want to chime in on how excellent a job you're doing, MS! I think, looking at the kit, there's an aspect of the future Mead and Scott missed. Look at all the 'retrofit' equipment and stuff hanging out. Can you imagine any of that remaining intact on a 'real' car in today's society? I'm not even talking about theft, just how people seem to enjoy mucking things up for the sake of it. 

I think one interesting thing would be to take current LAPD police car markings and put them on this kit. Extrapolate a little, say '911' instead of the big '995', and let's not forget the traditional 'to serve and protect' somewhere. That might make an interesting decal set I think.


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

Steve H said:


> I want to chime in on how excellent a job you're doing, MS! I think, looking at the kit, there's an aspect of the future Mead and Scott missed. Look at all the 'retrofit' equipment and stuff hanging out. Can you imagine any of that remaining intact on a 'real' car in today's society? I'm not even talking about theft, just how people seem to enjoy mucking things up for the sake of it.


I think cars like this are already dated in the movie's timeline, and people wouldn't be interested in the hardware any more - except when you end up in the wrong neighborhood, where little kids will climb on your car and steal the air condition.


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Thanks to the link provided by Electric Indigo, I've added some small changes to the finished car....

I've painted in the red and blue lights on the front....I first painted them matt white then gave them two coats of Tamiya Clear Red and Blue....



















I've also painted the triangular panels on the rear quarters matt black. I'm still undecided whether to paint the rearmost 'bar' above the engine opening Aluminium to match the real car as I quite like it white....










One thing I have noticed is that Fujimi got the colours wrong on the rear light cluster...the end light on each side of the rear of the car...ie the ones closest to the doors...should be orange, not red, but it's too late for mine now.....


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

> _.should be orange_


Orange clear-coat on top, perhaps? (turn signal red?)


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## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

What a fantastic job you did on this......:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Hunch (Apr 6, 2003)

Yes, you did a GREAT job on a kit that is very cool. If I did not have to get the Big E soon I'd pop on this. I DO have a spinner in the stash at least (couldn't pass THAT kit up).


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