Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

1/8 scale woody


Harry P.

Recommended Posts

I've been having some medical issues... a really bad case of conjunctivitis (pinkeye)... doc says I can't wear my contacts until it clears up. Without contacts I can't see the computer screen, so I can't post. And the only "backup" pair of glasses I have are over 10 years old, and while they are better than nothing, I really can't function very well with them. But I have been able to keep building, even without contacts or glasses, and I actually have a TON of progress to show you guys. But I still need some time for these old eyeballs to get back to normal before I can spend any time on the computer. Stay tuned. I will be back eventually.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ironic thing is, I had just gotten a routine eye exam and a brand new pair of contacts, then this whole pinkeye thing came along and threw everything out of whack,

I will definitely try to post some progress photos tomorrow. These old glasses aren't much help, but they at least make it possible for me to post.

But I miss my contacts! :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not to preach Harry but you've got to watch pink eye and sanding / cutting debris on your workbench.

Picking up tools with styrene / basswood crumbs on fingers is a direct route to itchy eyes.

Been and go there too often...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still fighting pinkeye... :rolleyes:

I've been waiting for the lab test results since Tuesday, the opthamologist just called to apologzie for the delay. Nothing he can do about it, though.

Oh well... I do have progress. The mounting hardware for the springs are all plated metal pieces. Obviously none of these parts would have been plated on the real car, so they each had to be painted black. Same with all the brake linkage parts. A tedious process for sure...

40_zpshfqe1kp9.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The springs on this kit are real, individual spring steel leaves, just like the real car. They are covered with rubber "gaiters" that were meant to keep grit and gunk out from between the leaves and preserve that quiet RR ride. Here are the pieces for one of the rear springs all laid out and ready to be assembled...

12_zpswfjm49u0.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The kit floor pan is shaped to accommodate the stock body and trunk. Since my model will have a custom body and no trunk, the entire rear part of this piece will have to be reworked...

3_zpsbi8zevko.jpg

The first step is to cut away everything that I won't need...

5_zps6uzhwmbg.jpg

Now I'll have to extend the floor rearward and finish those remaining partial wheelwells.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a note of caution in the rear suspension. It is very easy, by slight misalignment of the lever arms, to build a twist into the rear. When it's on its wheels, you may notice one corner of the body higher than the other and mistake it for a warp.

When I got them all planted square, a drop of CA on each pivot and fastener held the setting.

I had hair like the Wolfman when I started this .....

Edited by Cato
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the chassis finished, and it sits nice and flat on all fours, no problem. The lever arms kind of interfere with each other once the clevises are attached, but I did manage to get everything together and in relatively the correct place.

But as far as making the brake system functional, as Pocher would have you believe is possible...HAH ! No way on Earth that the braking system can be built to actually function.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43_zpsksycpgbl.jpg

Given the extreme complexity of the chassis, it's amazing that it went together as well as it did. I did run onto a few problems, though. The battery box interferes with the driveshaft's rear U-joint. The fix was easy... use a razor saw to cut off the front mounting tab and glue the tab further to the left, which in effect moves the battery box to the right (the rear of the box slides on a chassis crossmember, so no further changes needed there).

Also, the driveshaft's front U-joint interferes with another chassis crossmember. Can't move the crossmember, as it has connection points for the brake rods, and moving that crossmember would throw off the whole brake assembly. Can't lower the engine/trans, as it's already bolted in place. So I drilled out the front of the U-joint off center and inserted a short length of styrene rod to fit into the rear of the trans. That means the driveshaft now sits slightly lower in front, off center to the trans mounting point, but you can't see that when viewed from below, only if you look at the side. And once the fenders are installed, you won't be able to see it from the side. So it's fixed! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To build the body, I need a solid reference point that I can take all my measurements from. Now that I have the chassis finished, I temporarily bolted the floorboard and fenders to it. Everything fit perfectly, all mounting holes lined up and the floorboard and fenders all were in correct positions. The cowl (which I cut away from the rest of the body as it's the only part of the kit body I will use) also fit perfectly.

Holy cow! A Pocher first! :lol:

Ok, so now that I know that I can reliably base my measurements off the floorboard, I can finish up the floorboard revisions and be confident that everything will align correctly when I am ready for final assembly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The rear fenders are shaped to meet up with the kit body and trunk. I don't need them to do that, so I have to remove the unnecessary parts of the fenders. Fenders before (left) and after (right). I also ground away the raised ridge that runs along the centers of the fenders, as they would get in the way of the woody body panels...

11_zpsikidxqas.jpg

And here is a shot of the floorboard with wheelwells and rear floor made of sheet styrene. I made new fender mounting flanges out of sheet styrene and glued the fenders in place. Also, the kit body has a thin strip that runs from cowl to rear fenders below the doors. The fenders, kit body, and floorboard piece are all sandwiched together in final assembly, but because I am only using the kit body cowl and not the rest, I have to make up that missing "layer" of thickness between fenders and floorboard, otherwise the fenders would mount too far inwards. A strip of styrene the same thickness as the missing body strip was glued to the floorboards to make up for that missing body strip.

44_zpsaqif7rg8.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a shot that shows what I'm talking about. I only need the part of the body ahead of the white line, so that lower "strip" of body had to be replaced with strip styrene in order for the fenders to mount in the correct way...

6_zpsqvqgbulp.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beautiful model to start with, beautiful work as always.

...But as far as making the brake system functional, as Pocher would have you believe is possible...HAH ! No way on Earth that the braking system can be built to actually function.

To get it to actually function, as in 'stop the car', wouldn't you have to train a rat or other critter to depress the brake pedal? Anything about that in the instructions? ;)

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...