1:24 Road Car Seatbelts PE Set

Photo-etched seat belts for road cars, 1:24

A set of photo-etched parts for the seat belts of a road car interior in 1:24 scale. The designation PE in the name shows that these are parts of etched metal, that is a flat material which is cut, bent and glued.

Why it pays off

The interior of a car model is visible through the glazing, and empty seats without belts give a kit away at first glance. Injection-molded parts have the belts suggested at most as flat relief on the backrest. The photo-etched form, by contrast, is thin and crisp, so the buckles and hardware look like metal even from close up, not like plastic. Because these are the belts of a road car, they suit builds of civilian and modified cars rather than racing multi-point harnesses.

Building tips

• The parts are held by thin tabs; cut them with a sharp blade on a hard surface, do not tear them off.
• Make the bends over a sharp edge or in a photo-etch bending tool; the metal must not ripple at the fold.
• Glue with cyanoacrylate glue applied drop by drop on the tip of a toothpick.
• Wash and degrease the metal before painting and use a metal primer, otherwise the paint peels.
• Leave the buckles and hardware in a metallic shade; the belt itself tends to be dark and matte.

Who the set is for

For modelers who detail the interior of a road car and do not mind working with small metal parts. Try the seating of the belts dry, as every seat has a different shape. The set contains photo-etched parts; the kit, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.