Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Raptor Hauler - A Big Truck for a Big Man


Raul_Perez

Recommended Posts

Here you can clearly see how much better the front end looks with the front wheel openings moved forward 0.20".

DSC05965-vi.jpg

Wow Raul, thats looking awesome, I need to drag mine back out and work on it some more. What are your plans for the bed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow Raul, thats looking awesome, I need to drag mine back out and work on it some more. What are your plans for the bed?

Thanks, Clay!

The look of the bed will depend on if I stay with the traditional trailer hitch setup that came with the model or if I switch to a 5th wheel design.

If I go the 5th wheel route, I'll make a bed cover that opens from the sides with a large rib down the middle for the panels to hinge on. It'll have the spine shape of the Raptor with a hole in it for the 5th wheel arm of the trailer to hook into.

If I stay with the traditional hitch I will probably build some sort of wing or peak design into the lid, similar to what's on the roof, but maybe running the full width of the bed.

Stay tuned...you'll know right after I do... :)

That front end Really Pops In Primer! B)

Thanks, Bernard. Yes, I like the way that the front wheel opening in relation to the fender now matches the rear fender. With the center of both wheel openings now located forward of the centerline of the fender, it gives it the appearance that its moving forward; even when it's standing still. Combine that with the pie-cut hood and that silly peak on the roof and this one looks like it's in motion! :)

Later,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let us see the model on the computer. Is that how you design all you custom fabs?

Clay,

For this modification, I first took a picture of the side of the truck:

110208RHS01-vi.jpg

I then used MS Office Picture Manager to crop out and save a picture of just the wheel opening:

110208RHSWheelOpening-vi.jpg

That image of the wheel opening was then pasted on top of the original, full sized picture in MS PowerPoint, but moved forward to where I liked the "look". Here are the original pic and the modified pic on top of each other from PowerPoint.

WheelMove1-vi.jpg

Here I used the same method to see how it would look with a chopped top:

ChopTop1-vi.jpg

It's a lot easier to change your mind in the computer than it is AFTER you've taken your favorite saw to an expensive or rare model kit...

No, I'm not going to chop the top...Ed Roth was a tall man and this is meant to be his hauler for the Raptor. :)

Many other people use software packages like PhotoShop to do the same type of work.

I hope this helps.

Hey ol'buddy...

I think a 5th wheel would be a great choice

ya can really let your 'magination go nut's...not a short journey - I know! :huh:

It's a pretty short trip for me...fortunately my memory is so bad that each time I go there, it seems like a new place! ;):lol:

Later,

Edited by Raul_Perez
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are a few pics with all of the bodywork done, except for the bed. This is the first real coat of primer I've applied to the body, so there's a bit of sanding and a little bit of putty work left to do before this one sees paint.

The front wheels are mounted on the new front susupension from the '99 Ford SVT Lightning truck. The rear suspension will also come from the Lightning kit, but for these pics the frame is just sitting on the axle.

DSC05962-vi.jpg

DSC05963-vi.jpg

Here you can clearly see how much better the front end looks with the front wheel openings moved forward 0.20".

DSC05965-vi.jpg

While the primer dries I'll get started on the few mods I have in mind for to the bed to keep the rear of the truck aligned with the "Raptor" theme of the matching show car and trailer.

Thanks for looking,

Hey there my friend :lol:

I keep looking at your truck and seeing small fins on the top of the bed, with tall arched taillights frenched in, going from the top of the fin to the bottom of a rolled pan of some kind. That ol' 50's Barris look.

Whattaya think?? ;) .

I love the whole look of your project. Very cool, whatever ya do.

Just like to add my .002 cents worth :lol:

All the best - Dave :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey there my friend :lol:

I keep looking at your truck and seeing small fins on the top of the bed, with tall arched taillights frenched in, going from the top of the fin to the bottom of a rolled pan of some kind. That ol' 50's Barris look.

Whattaya think?? ;) .

I love the whole look of your project. Very cool, whatever ya do.

Just like to add my .002 cents worth :lol:

All the best - Dave :lol:

I like It! I never thought of moving the front wheel openings forward on these trucks. I am also building a truck-trailer-racecar or hot rod combo (still undecided on what is gonna go on the trailer, probably my Gas-Rhonda mustang funny car in the finishing stages, paint etc.) Truck is a 57 chevy stepside pickup. It was my first attempt at a real nice paint job with letting the paint and primer gas out and wet sanding and polishing etc. I will tell you this, the next one I go full-tilt on the paint with WILL NOT be a stepside! Too hard to polish and wetsand the bed!

Looks great.

Rudy

Edited by Rudy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey there my friend :lol:

I keep looking at your truck and seeing small fins on the top of the bed, with tall arched taillights frenched in, going from the top of the fin to the bottom of a rolled pan of some kind. That ol' 50's Barris look.

Whattaya think?? ;) .

I love the whole look of your project. Very cool, whatever ya do.

Just like to add my .002 cents worth :lol:

All the best - Dave :lol:

Actually, I want the back of the truck to look something like the back of the Raptor, but I like your ideas, too! Maybe I could move and turn the lights I plan on using like you suggest! We'll see soon!!

Raptor09-vi.jpg

I like It! I never thought of moving the front wheel openings forward on these trucks. I am also building a truck-trailer-racecar or hot rod combo (still undecided on what is gonna go on the trailer, probably my Gas-Rhonda mustang funny car in the finishing stages, paint etc.) Truck is a 57 chevy stepside pickup. It was my first attempt at a real nice paint job with letting the paint and primer gas out and wet sanding and polishing etc. I will tell you this, the next one I go full-tilt on the paint with WILL NOT be a stepside! Too hard to polish and wetsand the bed!

Looks great.

Rudy

Thanks, Rudy!

Yes, moving the front wheel openings forward really gives it a more modern look, and makes the overall shape and wheel placement of the front fenders look more like the rear fenders.

Yes, that's exactly why I'm leaving the bed as a separate piece until after I paint it!!

Later,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, I want the back of the truck to look something like the back of the Raptor, but I like your ideas, too! Maybe I could move and turn the lights I plan on using like you suggest! We'll see soon!!

Raptor09-vi.jpg

Later,

WOW !! :lol::lol:

Never seen the back of the Raptor before. That is very cool. This is an amazing theme your caring out through the entire project.

I'm having fun watching it all come together.

dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How are you gonna do the hood? front flip, side flip? back flip. WEEEEEEEE.....ok I'm done. I think.

Probably flip forward, but I have thought of a side flip...

WOW !! :lol::lol:

Never seen the back of the Raptor before. That is very cool. This is an amazing theme your caring out through the entire project.

I'm having fun watching it all come together.

dave

I copied that pic from my post when I finished the Raptor:

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.p...t=0&start=0

No, I'm not planning on building a belly pan for the truck like the one on the Raptor or making a removable hardtop! :lol:

This is being built as the truck Ed would have used to haul the show car around to the local events...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You got skills my friend!!!

This entire build project is just incredible.

Your work inspires me to be a better builder, Thank you.

Excuse me now while I clean the drool off of my keyboard.

Ed

Thanks, Ed.

Here are a few more pics, otherwise know as "what did you do this weekend while you were home with a nasty cold..." :P

The basic bodywork on the bed is finished. A little putty here and there, another prime coat and this one will be headed to the paint booth.

DSC05985-vi.jpg

DSC05987-vi.jpg

Since this one will have a trailer behind it most of the time, I went with side opening covers for the decklid.

DSC05988-vi.jpg

Those big tubs sure chew up a lot of space in the bed. :P

DSC05989-vi.jpg

Here are a couple of pics of the Raptor and the hauler together.

DSC05991-vi.jpg

DSC05995-vi.jpg

Well, time to let the primer dry for a while and get to building an engine, finishing the chassis and figuring out what to do with the interior...

Later,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The back half is totally unexpected - I never would have imagined something like this. But the more I look at it the more it grows on me. I love the hatches. The tubs cry out for custom fit tool boxes... I can't wait to see what you have in mind for all that surface created by that non-tailgate. I'm certain there's nothing out there quite like the Raptor and the Raptor Hauler. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The back half is totally unexpected - I never would have imagined something like this. But the more I look at it the more it grows on me. I love the hatches. The tubs cry out for custom fit tool boxes... I can't wait to see what you have in mind for all that surface created by that non-tailgate. I'm certain there's nothing out there quite like the Raptor and the Raptor Hauler. :(

Thanks, Bernard!!

I like the idea of the custom tool boxes to fit over the tubs!! Hopefully I'll have time to build a set for it before the NNL West.

But, the more I looked at the back of the bed, the less I like how perfectly vertical and flat it was. It just didn't fit with the rest of the model...so, out came the trusty Zona!! :P I pie cut a 0.15" wedge out of it to slant the upper portion of the rear forward. If you look at the base of the cut you'll see the 1/16" hole I drilled to help relieve the stress of the bend.

DSC05998-vi.jpg

Then...

DSC05985-vi.jpg

Now...

DSC06002-vi.jpg

Now the profile the rear edge of the bed more closely matches the profile of the back edge of the rear fender. While I was at it, I also rounded off the top rear edge of the bed a lot more. I like this a lot better... :P

The area in the back is still pretty big, but now it's not just flat and plain. :P

DSC06005-vi.jpg

I still need to reshape the slant of the rear fin to align it with the one on the roof...but that'll have to wait until tomorrow...

Later,

Edited by Raul_Perez
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The modifications you made to the bed look awesome. Scrolling through the thread the first version looked good but at the same time like it needed something. Then I get to where you pie-cut the back to match the fender and it all came together perfectly. Leaning it forward also gives the truck a sense of motion even tho it's sitting still. I also really dig the dual hatch bed cover too, never seen such a thing done before.

Question about the hood: Have you ever considered rounding the rear lower edge? Every other line on the truck is rounded and swoopy and that one hard, right angle really stands out (to my eyes anyhow.) Just a thought...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now the profile the rear edge of the bed more closely matches the profile of the back edge of the rear fender. While I was at it, I also rounded off the top rear edge of the bed a lot more. I like this a lot better... :(

The area in the back is still pretty big, but now it's not just flat and plain. :P

Wow! What a difference! You're right, it's still a rather vast expanse, but now, as Dennis points out, there's some contour and surface development to echoe the rest of the truck. It really brings things together. Instinct and a builder's eye - that's what's it's all about...

Edited by gbk1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...