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Pro Street Community Build Project


1320wayne

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Sam, I need to tell everyone, I know now why you never attempted this one, you must have known it was gonna be a nightmare!

Another test fitting once it was all done (I think I test-fit this engine a good twenty times throughout this process) shows the pipes are finally where they needed to be!

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Now onto the next engine-related headache, the radiator. The Duster, as far as I know, was never available with a big block, so I should have seen this coming, but I didn't. I got the engine in place, and tried to put the radiator where it belongs...
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Guess what's in the way? If you said the fan, give yourself half a cookie, because the entire belt assembly was also in the way. I hacked the fan off, this baby will never run....
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This is how much I had to remove from the fan shroud to get it to fit, even with the fan gone...
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The heavily modified radiator shroud, smoothed out and repainted. At this point, I also discovered that the lower radiator hose inlet on the engine is non-existent, and no way to drill for one, so another reason this is a Trailer Queen!
SuperDuster171-vi.jpg

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Here's another headache, this one's related to the engine too, the exhaust manifolds are just way too wide for the inner fenderwells of this kit, so I had to do some serious work to get the engine in place without damaging the body or paint.

I started by cutting out the sections of the fenderwells that were the biggest part blocking the exhausts...
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That still wasn't enough, so I sanded on the remaining part that was in the way, thinning it by half it's original width. The left side is where I stopped, then I matched the right side to it...
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A shot from above, now the right side is the one to match, I sanded it down until I got to the dimple for the shock mount...
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A quick test-fitting shows I still have some more to remove....
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And here's where I stopped on it last night, it fits with just a slight gap around the exhaust.
SuperDuster195-vi.jpg

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And the last update for tonight, I promise you can have the thread back now guys. At this point I still haven't tried fitting the firewall in place, so that may cause more issues, we'll see what happens when I get there, hopefully it goes smoothly. I had to abandon the steering shaft and box, they just won't fit around the exhaust either. But it wasn't all bad, I got started on the glass, redoing the window foil, and did a quick mock-up again to see how it all looked, so far it's looking good as long as you don't dig around in the engine compartment!

The side windows had some small holes drilled in them, and a pair of straight pins installed to simulate the window opening latch, then a bit of foil was applied.
SuperDuster196-vi.jpg

And the mock-up, I like the way she sits now!
SuperDuster197-vi.jpg

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Roger, this is being built to it's owners specs, he sent all the parts I was allowed to use, and no exceptions were made except for the front tires and valve covers. I did the bodywork on this back in 2007, sent it off to him, and he never got around to building it, he just gathered the parts and boxed it up. I considered it the best bodywork I had ever done, and bugged Sam until he sent it back to me to build. I wanted headers and straight exhaust, a modified wing, and a few other things, Sam wanted this, so this is what Sam gets!

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Roger, this is being built to it's owners specs, he sent all the parts I was allowed to use, and no exceptions were made except for the front tires and valve covers. I did the bodywork on this back in 2007, sent it off to him, and he never got around to building it, he just gathered the parts and boxed it up. I considered it the best bodywork I had ever done, and bugged Sam until he sent it back to me to build. I wanted headers and straight exhaust, a modified wing, and a few other things, Sam wanted this, so this is what Sam gets!

whatever the client want, the client gets!! glad you got it back.

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Dang Mike! That is looking awesome! Did Sam want a wing on it? If so, what kind of wing?

Wayne sent me a PM about lowering a funny car, but no mention about being able to join this CBP... He's been pretty busy this week from what I've gathered.

thanks. that man is always busy. i guess thats a good thing.

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Dang Mike! That is looking awesome! Did Sam want a wing on it? If so, what kind of wing?

Marshall, it'll have the full-size Superbird wing on it, which I don't agree with myself. The Duster trunk in angled downward, and the Road Runner the Superbirds were based on had a flat trunk, so it leans backwards, and sticks way up over the roof. But it's what Sam wants, so I did it his way. I'm doing a second one for another buddy over on Scale Avenue, with the stipulation that I could do it the way I wanted, which includes getting the wing to look right on the Duster body. I'll post a WIP on it when I get started so you can see how the body work is done, hopefully I can get to it sometime this spring or early summer, we'll see!

Edited by Custom Mike
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Marshall, it'll have the full-size Superbird wing on it, which I don't agree with myself. The Duster trunk in angled downward, and the Road Runner the Superbirds were based on had a flat trunk, so it leans backwards, and sticks way up over the roof. But it's what Sam wants, so I did it his way. I'm doing a second one for another buddy over on Scale Avenue, with the stipulation that I could do it the way I wanted, which includes getting the wing to look right on the Duster body. I'll post a WIP on it when I get started so you can see how the body work is done, hopefully I can get to it sometime this spring or early summer, we'll see!

puttiing the superbird/daytona wings on cars is something i have never done...... but done right, it looks really cool!!! would like to see the other duster you dont mind.....

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well, just a verbal update, no pictures yet. took the pontiac to the club meeting and really gave it a going over..... man, i can really put some crappy models together!! sand marks in the bodu, pits all over, chassis not matching up, terrible paint, just a bad build, i no longer think "light" is over-rated !!

so i sat with a few guys and brainstormed on it. they know what i do when i build and they led me down the nice and simple path. they saidto use a GTO 389 with a single plain 4 bbl manifold and headers from the firebird kit. i am not much of a pontiac guy, but they said that the 400 manifold will work fine on the 389..... will it? i was rethinking it this morning and i am pretty much going to redo the entire chassis. i PLAN on this being a nice street car, but tend to go overboard on things. i am afraid of overdoing the chassis with bracing just for a 389. so i was thinking on maybe using one of the motors from the pro mod kits,the one with the pontiac valve covers, removing the lenco and doing a more streetable trans? go for more of the outlaw type car with full tube chassis, big motor, parachutes and wings but still maintain streetability?

i know most of you will say "build it the way you want!" well as i stated, building it the way i want never happens. the monster in me takes over and it takes on a form only the mad man in the model room knows where it will go. i need a good solid direction and stay on that path.......

signed,

"where is the point of no return"

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Yeah, it does look like the foil from a electric razor, doesn't it? :lol:

I'll be right back, gotta get a quick shave with my SuperDuster!

you know what, just a question, why did you use the DODGE daytona front instead of the PLYMOUTH superbird nose.... just curious.

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Marshall, it'll have the full-size Superbird wing on it, which I don't agree with myself. The Duster trunk in angled downward, and the Road Runner the Superbirds were based on had a flat trunk, so it leans backwards, and sticks way up over the roof. But it's what Sam wants, so I did it his way. I'm doing a second one for another buddy over on Scale Avenue, with the stipulation that I could do it the way I wanted, which includes getting the wing to look right on the Duster body. I'll post a WIP on it when I get started so you can see how the body work is done, hopefully I can get to it sometime this spring or early summer, we'll see!

I know what you mean... It wasn't fun trying to get the wing mounted on my '71 Superbird project...

972678-R1-23-1A.jpg

Looks a little off, but it worked finally.

Edited by Custom Hearse
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you know what, just a question, why did you use the DODGE daytona front instead of the PLYMOUTH superbird nose.... just curious.

It's what Sam sent me to use, simple answer, right?

Marshall, when I did my '71 Daytona, I chopped the wing down, but mounted it to the trunk, Not entirely realistic, but it's not gonna be hitting 200 mph any time soon, so I didn't sweat it. I just wanted it to have the right angle, and to look more like it was supposed to be on the car and not just ripped off a Daytona and slapped on the trunk of a '71 Charger.

71Daytona_19-vi.jpg

71Daytona_16-vi.jpg

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Hey guys, lot's of great progress going on here. Sorry that I haven't been able to contribute as much to this thread lately but my new job (OTR truck driver) is keeping me very busy and out of town for lengths of time that for the time being is preventing me from finding any model building time. I am trying to check in as much as possible but it's not easy.

If anyone new wants to participate then they just simply need to read the listing at the beginning of the thread to see if their project meets the criteria for the CBP. The more the merrier.

Keep up all the great progress.

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i know, no pictures = it didn't happen, but i will fill you guys in anyways. sat down over the last week or so and started gathering up parts for my 62 pontiac. ripped apart what was there and i think i have definitely, pretty much almost decided on a full tube chassis street car. i think i might go with a pro stock aluminum block and heads with a single plane, single carb intake (or a block out of the 67 pontiac goat), cut the lenco off and add a street trans (probably automatic). looks like the rear out of the 67 AMT chevelle, want to leave the front bench. the rear may have to come out or be reshaped. full cage, ugly old man color with an outlaw hood. as low as i can get it, big 'ol sprint car rears, a wing, wheelie bars and 2 parachutes to top off this big ol led sled. oh yea, and wipers and a full exhaust to stay within the rules.

well, that is the plan, now if i can keep all the other projects off the bench and keep my mind on these plans, we should have a winner. i will try to get picts up tonight. having house vs water problems right now so that will have to come first.

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This one's not dead yet guys, I just haven't had time to work on it lately. I did find that the back seat/package shelf is up too high, so I've got to find a way to get it back down, and possibly add a bit to the back edge, but I won't be sure of that until I get it at the correct level. Hopefully I'll have some updates on it this weekend, wish me luck!

SuperDuster198-vi.jpg

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Mike, I think I would cut the package shelf loose from the seat. Then, add the length to the front where you cut it. That way, you wouldn't lose the shape at the rear of it and it will still fit up against the window nicely. When you glue it back to the seat, you could lower or angle it down.

After my Duster project, I doubt if I will ever attempt another one! I would have never thought that a simple backhalf and engine/frame clip swap would have caused so many problems! I've battled fitment issues at every turn! I did have my interior done. But, when I went to put the body on, it wouldn't fit! So, I had to get the dash loose because it had somehow spread apart before the glue set and made the interior too wide up front. I'm just going to leave the dash loose. There's no way it can go anywhere once it's assembled. The quarter windows now have me concerned. I'm going to check everything out before I polish the paint. The more I mess with it, the less details I plan to add.

hehe, don't do that. you should have been warned that, at least for me, on a pro street car, i work from the ground up. get that chassis nailed down with the tubs in place. always make your tubs a hair bigger than the diametere of the tire so you have clearances for the interior panels. i have re-made the tubs on the super bee chassis a few times. i do it to get the bodu low as i can. i have a 69 dart i was scratching a chassis on, here is one chain of events...

- made the frame

- made the tubs

- tubs too tall, body sits to high

- remade tubs body sits perfect

- now engine hits the ground

- raise engine

- engine too high, hits hood

- lower engine back to origional spot

- make new pan

- cage hits tubs

- rework cage

it can be a pain, i know..... oops, then the build you just did all that work to falls to the concrete cause you put it on a stack of who knows what, things bust, parts fly and it ends up in the box like a misfit toys on an island. i will get back on it sooner or later, here is a few shots of when it was last on the bench. once i get back on it, i may post it up here, we will see.

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Al, i should know all about all the issues that pop up when you shove a pro-street chassis under something it wasn't designed for, I used the same chassis on a '99 Eclipse, it was one problem after anther on that one, but I finally beat it! OK, we have solved the problem with the rear package shelf, and it took all day to get it right! I started out by using my panel scriber to cut a groove at the point where the rear seat and package shelf meet. I got the package shelf to about half it's normal thickness, then ran some Tamiya cement to the groove, softening the plastic enough to bend it downward....

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I still had a big gap to the window, so I cut a pair of .030 strips, and glued them to the back of the package shelf....

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Still not enough, I've test-fit it about 20 times at this point, I've gotten really good at getting the chassis into the body by now!
SuperDuster203-vi.jpg

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We have our 3rd .030 strip added, let's see how it looks now....

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Much better, I can work with this!

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A bit of sanding to get the strips to match the package shelf...

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And a quick coat of Flat Black, not bad, but I've gotta do something about that nasty seam!

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