Automodello - Griffith Series 200 Development

Griffith

Griffith Series 200 Development

CAD Rendition

These are preliminary CAD drawings that are generated using the photographic reference from an original car. It is critical to use an original car that has not been modified so that the bodywork and trim are as correct as possible. At this stage the body is very planar and often shaped with heavier details so that we can remove material in fine tuning rather than add (which is more labor intensive).

The Griffith body shell in these photos begins with the base body construction and moves into the day light openings (glass area) and eventually the trim and features of the car. The complex fender and trim surfaces are added last in order to scale these features in a manner consistent with the full sized car.

When doing scale work, the smaller features have to be somewhat increased in overall scale in order to view these features in correct proportion to the body surfaces. With the Griffith, the hood bulge, vent treatment, fender features, are all scaled accurately but careful attention is given to the fender flares with just a hint of increased scale to give the car a more realistic presence.

As these drawings are shown in Isometric views (not perspective) there is some visual distortion in the front and rear 3/4 views. Wheels and tires will be added in the next round as we make final adjustments to the body work.

Pattern Cut / Body Shape Molding

Here is the first 3D master that is generated from the CAD files. In the old days pattern makers would make master patterns using wood or clay. With the CAD system, changes can be made in the computer file and a new master can be made representing those corrections. At this stage the body is hollow but the trim and interior are not cut. In the next phase, the glass areas will be removed and the interior installed. All master patterns go through revisions and finessing for scaling. It is not as simple as making a small version of a car. The proportions have to be "eyeballed" into an averaging to give the illusion of an accurate profile and contour. This is where the designer eye and a bit of artistry comes in handy.

Shell Master

These are all called "shell master" photos. This is the model in the final configuration with all the trim and features detailed and ready for the tooling that will be used for production cars. The car body is resin and has been hand finished in primer. There are no windows in this master because those are added later in the production process via separate tooling sets. At this stage the model is evaluated for all final fit, trim, and detailing before confirmed for production tooling.

Color Testing

Color testing is done on body samples and then checked against actual car paint chips and sample reference documents to ensure as close a match as possible. With scaling models, even the paint has to be "scaled" in chroma and (when used) metal flake must also be reduced in concentration and scale.

Completed Replicas

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