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85 GMC Van 8/9/17 Fixed for Fotki


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Sorry there's no plastic for this update as I've been working on the hinges and there's no photos worth showing yet. I'm sure when I'm done, the 7 bits of tube that the carpet monster devoured will reappear. I've been trying to make these hinges as close to scale as I can and represent the look of the originals well. I think I have both even though the 1/16" tubes are a bit over sized. Anything smaller and I couldn't handle the pieces.

 

So, to check my method, I made a 3D model of the hinge. As I mentioned, the tubes are .0625" diameter. The end tubes are .06" long while the middle one is .09". The green center piece attached to the center tube will be rounded on the outside edge. (I used a new version of 3DS Max and they moved the radius tool!) The brown mounting plates are .015" thick. Everything is to scale in the rendering. There is a photo of the hinges back on page 2 of this thread. It seems a bit complex, but I think the pieces will actually help me assemble it all.

Van Hinge2

Hopefully, the next update will be a photo walkthru of the making of these hinges.

Edited by Foxer
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Foxer gonna be interesting to see how you pull this off. I kinda had the same thoughts on how to make the hinges myself but didn't have the program to lay it out first to see how it would look. I do a lot of Eyeball Engineering. LOL Keep up the great work and can't wait to see more. B)

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Mike this build is looking wonderful! I love the details and accuracy.

I actually started on a 8 lug steel wheel.

Keep in mind this was a test piece, to see if the concept would work, and will be much cleaner on the new one.

Soon as I find my small drill bits I can make the floater hub with RB motion lug nuts. The one on it is a placeholder from a dirt track car (amt)

PB050588-vi.jpg

Edited by RyanSilva
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Mike this build is looking wonderful! I love the details and accuracy.

I actually started on a 8 lug steel wheel.

Keep in mind this was a test piece, to see if the concept would work, and will be much cleaner on the new one.

Soon as I find my small drill bits I can make the floater hub with RB motion lug nuts. The one on it is a placeholder from a dirt track car (amt)

PB050588-vi.jpg

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan !!! There's my wheels! They look really good ... what's the chances of finishing this one for casting before I finish this van? I know, I finish in my dreams! Seriously, I haven't started any work on the wheels as I'm waiting on some proposed tires From Ma's Resin. Are these rims close to 16.5" diameter? I'll defiantly get them from you if you put them on the block.

Edited by Foxer
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I actually wanted them to fit the old satco commercial truck tires (like the ones Ma's casts, and also those other ones from the snaptite duallys)

They measure around 16.05mm which is cutting it close. Its all in the steel wheel, the center I can machine away, its just a matter of finding the right diameter wheel to begin.

This one in the pic is a steel wheel from the front drag steelies in the revell fairlane kit.

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Was no slacking off over the weekend with much work on the hinges and other things. You are going to have to wait on the hinges still, but I got the exhaust modified and mostly done on the interior panels. The V8 GMC exhaust system was weird ... 2 pipes into 1 into 2. I include a GMC Parts drawing of it for reference. I used another exhaust from a junk donor to add the two rear pipes at the rear. The bends you see in the GMC drawing were straightened by Midis! :)

exhaust-system-v8-t320101

Exhaust DSC 7530

The interior panels have been seen here but I got some better lit ones that show all the strips I used to make them. They only need BMF at the top, some paint and handles at the front.

Interior Panels DSC 7363

Front Panel DSC 7365

 

Edited by Foxer
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I actually wanted them to fit the old satco commercial truck tires (like the ones Ma's casts, and also those other ones from the snaptite duallys)

They measure around 16.05mm which is cutting it close. Its all in the steel wheel, the center I can machine away, its just a matter of finding the right diameter wheel to begin.

This one in the pic is a steel wheel from the front drag steelies in the revell fairlane kit.

Those wheels you used are very close ... they even have the 3 "tabs" pressed into the inner ring. I did get some wheel suggestions in my first post on this build asking for kit and part suggestions. All the 8-lug wheels mentioned were deep dish, unfortunately. I also had a zoomed-in photo of my daughter's van wheels in that thread and you can see how close they are.

I was planning to use some wheels from the AMT '50 Chevy 3100 Pickup. They don't have that "3 tab" pattern but were close in size to being correct.

Edited by Foxer
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One thing that is severely bugging me though, is your title which is GMV instead of GMC. :lol: You can go back to the first post, hit edit, and then advanced edit, and change the title.

OMG! All this time and I never saw that! Thanks for the heads up, Jordan.

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Hey, I am sorry I did not catch this posting earlier....Not being much of a truck guy and really not a van guy at all, I didn't really pay much attention......but, having looked at the posting, I am very impressed with what you are doing here.....quality building techniques work great regardless of the subject. Great job so far, I love the details you are putting into this....keep it going! B):D

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Hey, I am sorry I did not catch this posting earlier....Not being much of a truck guy and really not a van guy at all, I didn't really pay much attention......but, having looked at the posting, I am very impressed with what you are doing here.....quality building techniques work great regardless of the subject. Great job so far, I love the details you are putting into this....keep it going! :D;)

Thanks for the comments on my box, Peter. It means a lot coming from Mr. Swoop! ;)

Edited by Foxer
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Foxer,

I can honestly say that you are knocking this one out of the park. I sold these vans over the years, and actually built one back in 1974. I have one of the vintage AMT police vans, as well as a couple of the A-Team Vans, and a Revell Short wheelbase van. I plan to build a 1971 Chevrolet Beauville Sport Van, as well as a work van with dents and the gutted interior. I have several brochures, but looking at your interior panels are giving me a lot of ideas. Thank you for doing this build.

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Foxer,

I can honestly say that you are knocking this one out of the park. I sold these vans over the years, and actually built one back in 1974. I have one of the vintage AMT police vans, as well as a couple of the A-Team Vans, and a Revell Short wheelbase van. I plan to build a 1971 Chevrolet Beauville Sport Van, as well as a work van with dents and the gutted interior. I have several brochures, but looking at your interior panels are giving me a lot of ideas. Thank you for doing this build.

Thank you for the gracious comment, Ron. What you're planning sounds interesting.

And, I've succeeded if I've sparked an idea! Can I stop now and go to another build? ... drats! OK .. I'll keep going. I found the two colors of paint I need for the interior! A GM metallic that has the same sheen as the vinyl and a light blue craft paint for the upper interior. Feel like I'm getting somewhere now! Maybe will be a paint update soon ... ))

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I'm glad to see some are sticking with this build .. ME more than anyone! :)

I see not one photo on this page, so here's some with the interior paint and a tease ...

blue spoons DSC 7366

The left spoon is the paint I'm using. The dash has paint like the right spoon but will be redone.

 

The epoxy of the hinges parts keeps breaking loose and that's what's stalling this more than anything. It seems to be having a hard time bonding to the aluminum tubes. Maybe I should have used super glue, but I wanted the strongest bond so it would last and figured that was epoxy.

Edited by Foxer
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yup .. I rushed it. I know better than this ... applied the metallic paint on top of another incompatible paint. I KNEW I should have primered it before the lacquer. At least the interior panels have no body work and are in the purple pond. The dash I have to sand down.

Cracked Dash DSC 7425

At least Cranky will praise this paint job as it's giving results comparable to the Crackle product he found! :mellow:

 

Between the hinge glue problem and this it's two steps backward. Nothing unusual.

Edited by Foxer
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