Pack 12 - Stage 95. Cockpit vent pipes.

[Mark, The Master Modeller]

Stage 95 gives us the cockpit vent pipes and we also fit the front body.

Fit the two halves of each pipe together.  They are fitted with a single screw, but I'd also secure the other ends with a drop of superglue.  Mine opened up slightly after I'd installed them, so please benefit from my experience!

Take the chassis and secure the seat belts if you haven't already done so.  I used a drop of PVA to make sure that they stayed in place.

Secure the wires for the headlights with masking tape to keep them out of the way.

Take the front body and tape those headlight wires with masking tape to keep them out of the way too.

I finally removed the front body brace.

It's worth pre-threading the holes for the screws holding the front body.  One right at the front.

One by the grills over the wheel arches.

This is where it starts to get fiddly!  The cockpit vent pipes are definitely challenging to fit!

This first one isn't too bad.  It will go under the dashboard like this.

Fit it to the front vent, but don't glue it yet.  It needs to be able to flex a bit in order to get the front body in place with the pipe going under the dashboard.

Put the front body in place on the chassis while feeding the vent pipe in through the dashboard.

Note that the rear screw posts go behind the fire wall.  It's a bit tricky getting the vent pipe through chassis under the dashboard and getting the back of the front body behind the firewall, but it can be done.  Get the vent pipe in position, then lift the rear of the front body over the firewall and hope that the vent pipe doesn't drop off the vent under the bonnet.

 When you're satisfied that everything is in place, fix the body with 6 screws.  These go in fairly easily.  The front and rear ones are obvious, and the ones by the grills are fitted from under the wheel arches.  You'll need to remove the front wheels if you've fitted them.

The vent pipe can be seen in the corner of the bonnet opening.  I'd suggest applying a little superglue to where the pipe joins onto the vent and it can come off.  Put a drop of superglue on the end of a cocktail stick and place it against the join.  Capillary action will draw the glue into the joint.

Next connect the headlight cables.  Tuck them out of the way so they aren't too visible.

The shortest pipe comes next.  This is the hardest one, but improvising a special tool makes it easier.

Take a piece of brass rod and bend around the pipe into a semicircle.  You will also need a small flat bladed screwdriver.

Put the pipe in place as best you can.  You can now hook the brass hook behind the pipe, press onto pipe with the screwdriver blade, and you can now manoeuvre the end of the pipe over the end of the vent duct in the front body.  Again, glue this pipe to the vent as it falls off quite easily!

The two pipes disappear under the dashboard like this.

The last pipe goes on the other side of the car and isn't too difficult to fit.  The brass hook helps, and don't' forget to glue it in place to ensure it stays put.

This is how it disappears under the dash.

The pipes are just left open under the dash.  Not a brilliant photos, but it's really difficult getting the camera and light under the dash to take a decent  photo.

This completes the stage, and apologies for the dodgy colour balance on the photo.  I hadn't spotted it until after I'd taken the photo.