156 replies to this topic

[Custom Mike]

Since I decided after painting the cab to add the gas filler neck and cap (Heck, after painting everything I decided to go back and get crazy with details), I needed to repaint the cab. Dupli-Color Ultra Silver base coat anyone?





And three coats of VHT Engine paint, color name is Red Fire!







Now onto a modification for the interior. This is me bringing the dash into the current century! I sanded off the kit speedometer, and dug out some PE gauge sets I had for my '32 Ford 5-Window that never got used due to time constraints. I traced the shape of the new gauge cluster on the dash, broke out the Dremel, and carefully removed enough to get the gauges flush. I had to add some filler since I screwed up a bit on the top edge, but it looks fine now, trust me!

Now if I could only find my PE radio faces, I could have some killer tunes in this baby!

 

Edited by Custom Mike, 05 May 2013 - 09:35 AM.

[Edward Gore]

Fantastic details, Mike! Watching and following this build

[Custom Mike]

Thanks Edward, you keep watching, and I'll try not to screw up too badly!

[Road Runner 79]

Thanks guys, it's rolling along nicely so far! Jim, I looked at my PE bolt heads, looked at the straps, and decided real quick that I wasn't even gonna try that, the ones that would fit are way too small for me to work with! Call me a wuss, but I hate losing super tiny PE parts, those babies are expensive! I'll use 'em on a flat surface, but I couldn't even imagine trying to get 'em in those straps!

Next up are the tail lights. For some reason, the Corvette ZR-1 style tail lights were nowhere near big enough for the tail light panel in this kit. No problem, I just added a strip of .010 styrene around the edges, and they're a much better fit. I also didn't like the fact that the attachment pins made them look bad, so I drilled them out to accept more...straight pins! They'll get a dab of Clear Blue to make 'em look like the old "Blue-Dots" once it's all done!

I like your idea with the straight pins for the blue dots ,I've always used the little blue circles from the bag of sequins.

[Jantrix]

Whoa, most impressive work. I'll be following along.

[jcbigpaw]

I'm really diggin this build. Nice details.

[Gluhead]

Nice.

[crazyjim]

Getting better and better. I never said the bed bolts would cheap or easy. That's probably why I've never tried it. They do look good though.

[rmvw guy]

With all this extreme work I can't believe you left the door handles alone. Just kidding. This is very impressive what you have done so far. Wow!

[Shardik]

With all this superb detail goin' on, I'm afraid we just can't let you slide on the bed bolts . The good news is that they are carriage bolts (dome shaped heads), so any .5mm simulated rivets will work. Scale Hardware has them in a variety of finishes with a nice long shank, which makes handling easier. In fact, they very much resemble the straight pins that you're so fond of , only smaller . The bad news is they're $10-$13 for a bag of 100, depending on finish.

Here's a shot of what they look like installed:

Edited by Shardik, 20 August 2012 - 08:03 AM.

[Custom Mike]

With all this extreme work I can't believe you left the door handles alone. Just kidding. This is very impressive what you have done so far. Wow!

Dang it! I knew I forgot something! I always forget to drill out the door handles, somebody remind me next time!

With all this superb detail goin' on, I'm afraid we just can't let you slide on the bed bolts . The good news is that they are carriage bolts (dome shaped heads), so any .5mm simulated rivets will work. Scale Hardware has them in a variety of finishes with a nice long shank, which makes handling easier. In fact, they very much resemble the straight pins that you're so fond of , only smaller . The bad news is they're $10-$13 for a bag of 100, depending on finish.

Here's a shot of what they look like installed:

Johann, those look great, but money is tight these days, so I'll go without 'em for this one. Hey, for my first wooden bed, I'm happy! Maybe I can find something around here I can use to simulate those, because I could use a pin-type piece instead of those tiny PE bolt heads for sure!

Edited by Custom Mike, 12 September 2012 - 06:37 PM.

[Custom Mike]

Now onto a bit of suspension work. I'm bouncing around a bit, but hey, I'm weird, you should know this by now! The kit axle melted on me after being glued, so I cut the rim attachments off. I drilled out the pumpkin, cut a piece of aluminum tubing to the proper size, and drilled some holes in it for the leaf springs. I slid the tubing through the pumpkin, epoxied the leaf springs to the new "axle", and slid my rim attachments into the ends. Now I have a new back axle!

The new back axle, I'm thinking about repainting all of the suspension and frame Black, what do ya think?




And the frame and suspension mocked-up. I'm just not feeling the Silver anymore...


A hole drilled in the frame for routing the brake line to the rear axle...


And a hole drilled in the battery box so I can get the positive side out and up to the starter.


Now onto the brake lines for the back axle. I started out by shaping a piece of sprue for my line junction, I'm getting better at making these little boogers!



Two holes drilled on the axle side...


And the block mocked-up with the line from the master cylinder side. BTW, this kit does not have a master cylinder, either that, or it got lost when this kit was removed from it's box and put in the one-gallon Ziploc bag I bought it in. Heck, I don't even have the instructions, so who knows if what I'm doing is actually correct!


And the two lines mocked-up out to the rim area, so far, so good!

Edited by Custom Mike, 29 December 2012 - 06:09 PM.

[Randy D]

Hi Mike, I think you do some of your best detail work when you start out thinking it's going to be a quick build

The red looks great!

Randy

[Custom Mike]

I agree Randy, what started out as a quick box-stock build blew up on me, and I couldn't be happier. I never plan on builds like this, I think it's better to just let it happen when the mood strikes!

[Alyn]

... And the two lines mocked-up out to the rim area, so far, so good!

Love the details so far, especially the shrink tubing on the tailgate chain (waiting for pic)

On the assumption that you are going for accuracy, the rear brake lines need to have a flexible hose between the chassis and axle. the usual method is to run a single line rearward and mount it firmly to the chassis close to the axle. Then run a flex hose to a junction block moiunted on the axle. Rigid lines go from the junction block along the axle tubes to each wheel cylinder.

example: (you may remember this one Mike)

[jamesG]

I like it so far. I saw that paint the other day, did you have to do anything other than prime and base with it?

[Custom Mike]

I like it so far. I saw that paint the other day, did you have to do anything other than prime and base with it?

James. I used a base coat of Dupli-Color Ultra Silver, but I don't think it's necessary, I just wanted a bit more "pop" to the Red. For primer, I used my old standby, Dupli-Color Primer/Sealer

Love the details so far, especially the shrink tubing on the tailgate chain (waiting for pic)

On the assumption that you are going for accuracy, the rear brake lines need to have a flexible hose between the chassis and axle. the usual method is to run a single line rearward and mount it firmly to the chassis close to the axle. Then run a flex hose to a junction block moiunted on the axle. Rigid lines go from the junction block along the axle tubes to each wheel cylinder.

Alyn, you're gonna make me get accurate now, aren't ya buddy? And after I made that pretty block too, man, you're mean to me! OK, I'll redo the brake lines just for you, but just this once, next time I get to do 'em in a way that is completely unreal!

Edited by Custom Mike, 21 August 2012 - 05:20 PM.

[Custom Mike]

Now here's where I make Pete ( A good friend of mine over on Scale Avenue) happy, I show the seat back he sent me being put to good use...after some hacking on it!

First up tonight, a skull shifter knob! I picked this up from Scale Repro's Plus, along with a 6-cylinder distributor for this build. I hacked off the T shift knob, added a small piece of 24 gauge wire to the skull, and drilled a hole in the shifter. A dab of superglue, and it's ready to go!





Now onto the seat, I really worked hard for this part, believe me! I took some tan leather I got from Danny years ago, and started thinning it for use on the bench seat. This is where Pete came to my rescue, supplying me with a second seat back.


Elmer's Craft Bond, thinned leather, and the seat base, all ready for some work!


And the seat back Pete sent me, with it's piece of leather, waiting for it's turn!


Now the hacking on the seat back happens. To get the leather on the seat back, the arms had to be removed, which is why I needed a second seat back. I carefully removed the arms from the seat back I got with the kit so they could be re-used, then sanded the arms off of the seat back Pete sent me. I wrapped the newly bare seat back in leather, drilled two holes in each arm (And the sides of the seat back), added a pair of straight pins to each arm, and we have a leather covered seat back! I'll put some Detail Master Krome Foil on the arms later, this is just for mock-up purposes, and thanks again Pete!









Nothing simulates leather better than real leather!

Edited by Custom Mike, 31 December 2012 - 03:20 PM.

[plowboy]

And three coats of VHT Engine paint, color name is Red Fire!

Nice project and work so far Mike! Something you may want to consider is installing the filler panel at the bottom rear of the cab, smooth it and repaint it. It's not a seperate piece on the real truck. I don't know why AMT engineered this kit like that. It may have to do with the interior going inside the cab. IMO, the joint at the bottom of the cab ruins the look of this kit.

[Alyn]

Cool looking seat. The leather has a small enough grain to look right in scale. Even the color looks good; like something you've seen a hundred times on old truck seats.

Keep it coming.