Sanctuary........Logan's Run Solar Car....

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 11:25 am

Hi everyone and thanks for looking in.

So my GB is going to be a little different to the rest...different as in it is totally scratchbuilt and of a subject that is rare and unloved and mainly forgotten about and left in 1977/78.
My build will probably go from good to bad then hopefully all come together in the end, and maybe spark some interest and nudge some memories of childhood TV time....Oh and of course.. the heroine of this TV classic was a 1973 playboy babe.

"What is this?" you ask... Well I have a couple of Youtube links and some die-hard fan pages to link to so you can judge for yourself. I even found a Resin kit available in the USA for $100, but some garage kits can be a little hard to work with but I'll link to that too...

So Fellow Plastic Sniffers I am going to have a go at building the SOLAR CAR...... a 20ft long hovercar from the TV series
Logan's Run..

Based on a film released in 1976 of a book by author William F Nolan, confused Sandman Logan 5 makes a break for freedom with Jessica 6 from a domed city in the wastelands of America in the 22nd century. Pursued by fellow sandman Francis 7 Jessica and Logan discover the Solar car in the ruins of what "I think" is Washington Hall in the state of ( in the series ) Greater Washington.
Discovering its solar abilities Logan sheds some light on the car and after a run in with Francis, escapes through a hole in the wall and heads off across USA in search of a fabled Sanctuary, a paradise where "Runners" go to live out their lives..

CBS released the first series in the Autumn/Fall of 1977 only running for 14 episodes before being canned. CBS were known to do this with many Scifi series and still do to this day...
Logan's Run Aired in the UK early 1978 on ITV on a Saturday evening but bad planning meant it clashed with the cult Dr Who on the BBC( Tom Baker and K9 era ) so lost viewing figures.

Well as promised I'll post the links and Youtube clips to wet the appetite and nudge some memories.

http://www.snowcrest.net/fox/logantv/index.htm

http://space1970.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05 ... eview.html

A couple of fan based blogs and websites with shedloads of info for the Logan's Run Virgin out there.
Here is the Series Intro followed by the pilot promo..

...And lastly an Ebay link to the resin kit... I have found no other kits or builds so far but I am always looking out for them.

Just as a piece of info the original car was built by Dean Jeferies Auto Styling in Hollywood along with the Sandman Groundcar.
Unfortunately it got sold on and turned into a white Blobby car for another production..

I will return later with some start pictures etc...

Thanks again for looking in... wish me luck...

McLeod · Post by **McLeod** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 12:15 pm

Certainly one of the more obscure subjects there, a very ambitious project, looking forward to seeing it come together

Post by **Lee** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 12:44 pm

I LOVED Logans Run when I was a kid and still do!

REALLY looking forward to see how this goes......

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 1:50 am

Hahahha!!! One of my favourite Sci-fi's
Yes I remember it... and proudly too.
WHere the hell did you get the idea to build this one.. wow... right out of nowhere.
I will enjoy watching this come together.
Wappy you've put a smile on my face.

Excellent!!!

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 10:11 am

Yes.........

That's made me smile knowing at least there is more than me on here that enjoyed watching the mini skirted Jessica jump around in a really cool car .

...and I have been looking for a kit or toy from the series for many many years...

So after finding the episodes on line and grabbing screenshots..( no not of the miniskirt!! )

I built a cardboard prototype to work from, then found the kit on eBay and thought "I can scratch build that"....
Fingers crossed I don't let you down..

I'll put up some pictures later..

T3hGuppy · Post by **T3hGuppy** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 11:11 am

Is it done yet?

Cool subject I remember seeing the film.
I'm too young to remember a TV series though

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 1:40 pm

So.......
as the saying goes..... from a pile of plastic bits..... something beautiful will grow..

Well hopefully..

I uploaded some pictures of the plastic waste and styrene sheets I will be using over on my "Do I...or don't I " post.
I had been searching for the TV series or any builds from it for many years but never considered building anything until a couple of weeks ago when I found some sites and images that got me thinking..
A couple of rough sketches where produced along with a cardboard Prototype...
Pics now...

as you can see... the prototype is rough, made with cardboard and loo roll tubes and lots of stickytape.
...but it gave an idea of scale and ease of build and the starting shapes for the plastic cutting.

Will get some more pictures up later..hope this has got your interest?

Thanks everyone for having a look, wish me luck..

Post by **Lee** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 1:44 pm

If you want to get the scale right try the iModelKit iPhone app, it's free and wos the scales out for you

DC87 · Post by **DC87** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 1:51 pm

This is going to be fun

, the cardboard test looks good, it seems you have the right shape and technique for the curved parts. Are you going to use clear sheet for windows or leave open?

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 6:33 pm

:Atomic::
I bow the boldness of your build Dude.

You are... the Master.

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 11:15 pm

Back again for a quick update..

DC, the windows are gonna be clear plastic sandwiched between an inner and outer skin.. ( you'll see )

Coen...

don't bow just yet...

right as the saying goes...

So on with it...

a quick paper template to mark up the flat upvc board and the plasticard..

Then I cut some bits and bobs for the tail and support wall and the floorpan..

While I was marking up I used the template and the cut upvc board to mark out the plasticard ready for cutting..

....Ta-Da... main walls and inner upvc together and main doors cut out. ( the main walls do get adjusted later as I have worked on them today )

Can you guess what i'm using for the curved wall pieces?

Glued and clamped for an hour or so until they set solid...

..and to finish off some Modellers card from the artshop cut into strips to give the floor some boarding effect..

Right that's it until tomorrow...Don't want to bore you with pictures of plastic bits....

Any questions or comments are all welcome..
Thanks for looking in.

T3hGuppy · Post by **T3hGuppy** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 11:27 pm

Great work so far dude.

EpoxySniffer · Post by **EpoxySniffer** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 12:27 pm

Great stuff mate, I am watching this with interest. Logan's Run was a childhood favourite of mine. I think it deserves a remake like they did with Battlestar Galactica.

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 8:03 pm

Thanks guys, I will keep at it.... a lot to catch up on with the deadline not far away now....

So as I posted yesterday I am gonna lat the floor to give it a steel nonslip texture so lets see if I got a picture to show what I mean, but before I do lets see about building an Interior...

..... Yes an inside too !

So I take some old window reveal cladding and some flat fasciaboard and off we go.....

The beginnings of seats made from the curved edged piece of cladding..

Dashboard edge..

Ta-Da... dash..

Seats ...

Okay lots of filling and details etc.. to add but you get the idea...
How about a rear wall under the back window? I'm using some old Pinstripe to give it a texture, I will use the same on the seats too..

Center console next I think ! Well the plans first...

Now the build..

Now detailing....

Oh..... and here is that floor shot I promised at the beginning...

I think you must have had enough for today....

Comments and questions welcomed guys...

Thanks for having a look, much appreciated.

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:20 pm

Holy Brad Pitt!
Ok, now this is coming together so that it's beginning to look like something special.
Oh My... Dude. You are the scratch man today!

T3hGuppy · Post by **T3hGuppy** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:23 pm

Wow so much done so fast. Really top quality work dude.

Post by **Lee** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:40 pm

Awesome....

Scruffy · Post by **Scruffy** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:04 pm

Sweet! Awesome work!!

DC87 · Post by **DC87** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:16 pm

Superb, that interior is going to look really good. Great work on those seats

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:45 am

Thanks guys... I'm about 3 days worth of work in front of what I'm posting so I can tell you DC the interior is looking rather nice now....
As a quick tease I have just finished the sliding doors...

...and will hopefully get some primer on the inside as I cannot build up until the interior is finished so I may need to adjust for fitting..

Will put some build pics up later as I am posting from my tablet and its a pain trying to work 2 screens for posting image's.
Thanks again for all your comments and interest guys.

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:17 pm

So who wants some more build pics ??

Okay so as I mentioned a couple of posts back I am going to use an old gluetube cut in half to make the side curved edges..

I skinned the edges visible on the seats and decided to fill the sides against the inner walls.

Rear window being glazed as I mention earlier by sandwiching a piece of plastic cut from an old flavoured water bottle..

Can you guess what this pile of wire and cocktail stick will become?

Ta-Da.......

Dashboard detailing now and I have a screengrab showing a central monitor type screen so......

Lego piece and styrene later..

...and we gonna need some steering wheels and in the program the main cabin is equipped to be driven left or right handed
So 2 steering wheels to match the 2 joystick lift and forward/reverse controls on the center console...
An old £1.00 shop meccano set and im liking those wheels...

Minus the tyres..

Remove the IPM..

and some styrene circles later..

Mark and drill for the steering wheels...

...and add some thin styrene strips to add dash greeblies to....

And that will do for tonight me thinks...

Any questions or comments are more than welcome guys.
Thanks for coming by for a look.

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:43 am

I'm actually incapable of speech at the moment.
Between you and DC, my head is a buzz with styrene bits and snips.
Way to build man.

spruecutter · Post by **spruecutter** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:52 am

I like your use of found materials in this build, inspiring.

DC87 · Post by **DC87** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:31 am

Nice work, those levers look ace.

Very enjoyable so far

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:04 am

Okay fellow modellers lets see where this post takes us today..

Coen... hope the buzzin has stopped dude..

Sprue... cheers my friend but I always look at everyday items as add-ons or parts for whatever I am working on..
And DC...

dude I think we got Coen spinning out with the scratching and chopping of plastic and putty...

....but back at this little build and I can tell you I have impressed myself over the last day or so with all the bits and bobs going on... you'll see over the next couple of days I promise...

Anyways for those of you with primary school age kids, like me they are always bringing things home they have built at school. Mine use a product called Hama beads.. little plastic bits shaped like the old gun caps from when you was a kid..
These..

Well I got a use for a couple of those later but for now I will carry on cutting up fasciaboard for some bits for the side..

Clamped and sanded to a nose shape for some detailing later..

Circles for the side curved pieces to blank them off front, middle and rear..

Back inside and some more detailing on the dash..

and a couple of my daughters ( she's 11 ) nail art sticky gem things....

as you can see... I borrowed spares...

I decided to recut and work the inner and outer walls as I felt I had miss-cut them and after studying some screen shots noticed the inner walls under the triangle side windows had various buttons and things on a panel area. I also decided on having some doors and to maybe cut-out for them to work...

You can see I have adjusted the angle of the front window and cut the panel and door recess on both walls...

....and heres that rear window glazed and attached to the rear wall ..

....and angled as in the original..

Now back to those beads and my use for them....
The dashboard in the series has revo's and speedo's and things mounted on it so lets make a couple....

Seat striping next... I mentioned I was gonna do this when I was using the pinstripe on the rear wall... well here goes..

...and finished all 4 seats...

I will finish for this post and go work some more on the detailing..

Hope your still enjoying this build. Let me know if i'm beginning to bore you..

Thanks for dropping by for a look, all comments good or bad welcome guys, I know its a little rough compared to the usual type of build on here but I promise it will look something like when i'm done..

Happy modelling..

DC87 · Post by **DC87** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:35 am

Simply amazing - I don't think you need worry about it looking something like the real car as so far it looks like its going to be better than the original. This is on par with some of the stuff that's in Thunderbird's with the skills you have shown this far.

What is that tool/knife in the 2nd pic for cutting circles as I have been using scissors and a sanding stick so it would make my life easier?

Maybe you could dress as another kid and sneak into your children's school to ''borrow'' some more materials

or teach them to take more stuff for you

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:41 am

Rough!

This is fastenating!
I love all of this scratch building. I'm learning tonnes Dude... I don't know about the other fellas but I'm lovin this!

T3hGuppy · Post by **T3hGuppy** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:23 am

I carn't believe how fast this is coming together

great stuff

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:35 pm

Here ya go Dc..... I found you one on fleabay like mine..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/26116862 ... 80&ff14=83

My only word of warning would be the thing is prone to start and adjust on its own as you go round and round so with styrene try and make the cut /score on the first pass then bend and break the circle out or if needed make a couple more passes slowly to avoid the spiral cut effect I always end up with mate..

Coen trust me its still rough, my cuts ain't straight, I got glue everywhere and I still got to ruin it with some paint...

...and guppy the build itself is pretty simple and I just seem to click an idea how to build it up... I even dream about a build when I start..

Also I don't have a job to go to as such so apart from the odd hour where I have to generate "family" time my build can pretty much go from wake up till 1am......
.. Or at least I can fiddle with an idea and drop on and off bits as I want all day....
Anyway thanks for the comments guys will keep up the posting till its finished..

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:13 pm

Grrrr....

Getting frustrated cos I can't get the weathering effects in the cockpit on the seats and buttons and dials I want.......

T3hGuppy · Post by **T3hGuppy** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:01 pm

wappynutter wrote:Grrrr....
Getting frustrated cos I can't get the weathering effects in the cockpit on the seats and buttons and dials I want.......

What sort of effect you going for dude?

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 11:36 pm

Its okay guppy, just having a moment...
I have started the spraying and painting stage of some parts so I can think about closing it up..
Okay...... Ford Nimbus Grey Metalic is my chosen colour.... I had a can in my paint stash.

Lovely colour but you have to remember the undercoat/primer effects the top colour..

The cabin/cockpit is white primer and a couple of light coats floor, walls, ceiling, doors, dash.
Seats are matt black..
so buttons and raised detail on dash and wall control panels all nimbus grey... raised panels are picked out in chrome which is a shade lighter than already on. Now I can paint all the button effects with acrylic red, blue, yellow and white fine....
But.... do I pin wash around the panels including the dash or will it be better to leave alone and only mucky up the floor with a dark acrylic wash?
And the seats? Do I leave matt black as they are a ribbed plastic/vinyl finish in the original ( 70s styling ) or do I dust them with pastel chalks or wash them with a sepia/dark wash to give an effect?
These little details are something I don't usually have to worry about as I have never done an interior in anything before.

Yes its my first, never done a cockpit or any real weathering apart from the odd dark wash over a build to "scruffy" it up..
So what do you think? Any and all advise greatly received...

Thanks for any input guys...

Scruffy · Post by **Scruffy** » Sat Aug 10, 2013 6:28 am

wappynutter wrote:
odd dark wash over a build to "scruffy" it up..
Thanks for any input guys...

Easy now, I hope I'm not THAT weathered

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sat Aug 10, 2013 2:34 pm

Still hard at it....

Busy pegging in walls and adjusting as I put it together....
Sanding, trimming etc....

Post some pictures laters......

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sat Aug 10, 2013 3:38 pm

Scruffy wrote:
wappynutter wrote:
odd dark wash over a build to "scruffy" it up..
Thanks for any input guys...

Easy now, I hope I'm not THAT weathered

Nah..... Then again my weathering isn't THAT weathered... Just a wash of dark acrylic that's all they get...

Wish I could work at weathering as good as you guys on this forum... ( have you seen Paul's king tiger?)

Out and about till later so suffering withdrawal symptoms while sat at the wife's Aunts..

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 12:33 am

Okay just a quick post tonight before bedtime....

I mentioned earlier that I was going to attempt sliding doors as the real thing and detail the buttons on the wall panels so I will post just that..
Firstly the doors... and I decided to create a runner above the door and a runner/ floor piece on the step to hold the door in place.

...and the runners..

I will make a start on them buttons using 1mm plasticard on a 0.5mm panel backing like so....

Door handles while I wait for buttons to dry...

...and repeat for the other side now...

...tis done...

Random piece of black conduit...

can you see where i'm going with this??

A quick grey primer on the seats while I was bored....

Another jigsaw puzzle......

side windows...

Now the glazing bottle ...

and that's it for tonight folks....
Need to upload some more pictures as I aint got no more to show you for now....

Take care my friends.... enjoy the rest of your weekend..

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 1:12 am

You're going to need a new desk by the time that you're done all this Buddy, all that slicing and dicing will take it's toll.
The pay off will be worth it though.
Sliding doors... cool.
Next you'll be modelling half naked 70's babes out of Milliput.

McLeod · Post by **McLeod** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 12:44 pm

Speechless - that is coming along brilliantly.

I often get ideas in my head about projects like that, the problem is I seem to be missing the connection from the ideas to my fingers lol, although one of my dreams if I ever win the lottery is to build a Tiger 1 that I can sit in and drive lol

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 2:56 pm

Brilliant, keep it coming

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:41 pm

Coen I'm telling you mate, I am like so glad I was too young in the 70's to worry about naked women..
Even now I'm like "why the matching afros?"

Have you seen the Heather Menzies photo-shoot?

..and my milliput skills are rubbish...That's DC's forte..

McLeod, thanks dude....... and good luck winning the Lotto.. will look out for you in your Tiger when I am down your way..

Thanks and don't worry Paul hopefully you'll like this when its done..

Catch you all laters..

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 11:19 pm

Well I am still hacking away at bits of plastic..... You should see it now..

I have come so far it'll take me a week or so to catch up.

Right windows on the side..... stupid angled things.... all triangles...

Lets have a go..

Bits of lat to use as a press while the white glue sets..

All clamped so wait a bit then.....
...Ta-Da..

Plastic glazing as well....

Inside view....

Think I best start priming these bits up...

Yeah cheap and nasty £1 shop rattle cans...Geez I'm tight.
Coated..... well its a start..

Inside white, outside grey to give a tonal difference for the top coat.

Dry now so a quick flash with the silver inside. The walls and dash will get the same..

This is the paint but as I posted earlier it stopped working after the insides were complete...

Floor next..

All together minus the dash...

While its nice and I am outside I will coat up the chairs with a matt black finish..

More £1 cheap stuff//

Dash and console too then....

That will do for today................

More soon, thanks for taking a look.

DC87 · Post by **DC87** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 12:11 am

Going to have to look through my thesaurus for alternatives to great and amazing because I am going to be writing them allot watching this build.

Coming along wonderfully, you have handled those windows really well given the awkward angles and shape

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 12:12 am

Wow... great progress Dude.
Am I to understand that you're actually a few days ahead of these pictures?
Ok... that kills me... the need to know... aaaaaahhhhh!!!!

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 12:24 am

Thanks guys.... I have had to adjust the windows and make up some right awkward front pieces to make them right...

And yes Coen I am about 4 or so days in front of what I am posting...

Its ready to close up the insides and I am at the roof and front windows and bonnet in real-time.

Will try and get some more pictures up over the next couple of days....
Stay with me , it does get better I promise..

Thanks again for your kind comments guys.

Post by **Lee** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 2:09 am

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:11 pm

Okay as promised I will get some more build pictures up..... Keep munching that popcorn Lee...

So a couple of posts back I teased you all with some 3/4 conduit well its build time.

These slices are gonna make me the 4 fans at the rear. 2 on the boot/hood and 2 where the rear lights would be..

I re-worked the side windows slightly and made up the front glazed part..

They may get some more adjusting to fit yet...

Back to those fans and in order to build them I had better back them first..

...and I am going to have to scratchbuild the fan part as well ( this is a scratchbuild after all )....

So the centres are made from styrene tube ( an old Mcdonalds balloon stick ) and 8 blades from 4mm square styrene stock..

Glue up the 8 blades at an angle ( like this / ) to the balloon stick and.......

Stick them in the now dry conduit slices and.....

Build some more...

And then there was 4.....

I need to work on the side curved pieces so rack my brain for build ideas...
Gonna go with the 4 half round 8mm thick fascia board circles from the post ages back...........................

But while I work on those lets have a quick "bits" shot.....

and buttons on the inner walls after the raised panels are painted in a different silver..

A start on the boot/hood where the fans and a couple of raised panels detail...

and the panels at their correct height...

The fans need some centre caps and a way to pin them in place so I recycled the polytop pins that held the window capping in place ....

Drilled a hole like so... ( windows sat waiting in the background )....

then did this with them...

Right next post I will sort out those sides and work some more on the cockpit/interior maybe.

Thanks again everyone for dropping in, having a look and leaving comments...they are much appreciated and encourage me to keep at it even when the brain is struggling to find a solution to the scratchbuilding problem at hand..... Surely kits out of a box all numbered and pre-moulded with instructions are easier?????

Oh well it'll look something like in the end I promise....

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:14 pm

Thats some fantastic work, keep it coming

T3hGuppy · Post by **T3hGuppy** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:20 pm

Loving the fans

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:31 pm

Thanks guys.....

It get better once the painting and putting together of all the little bits starts..
Being a few days in front of my own posts I can actually say that I am impressing myself with the way this is coming along..

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:14 am

Remind me not to leave... well anything at your house... and no... you can never borrow my lawn mower.
Not after I've seen what you do with perfectly mundane materials. Nothing is sacred.

Most magnificent work Dude.
I'm stunned as me arse because of it.