Codi

Hi everyone, I got the rear cover done. The pieces are NOT permanently assembled just yet. Some I might media blast, others polish. Bolts have to be added too. Next up is the tricky part of the rear end. I have to figure out a few steps to create it but I',m making headway. The last pic shows the rear cover, a titanium rod (for the axles) and an acid etched piece that shows the effect that I am going to apply to the main portion of the axle. I learned that to get a proper etch on it, I need to media blast if first, then dunk it (I'm using Caswell's Aluminum Black-en-it as an fyi then I lightly polish it with my dremel wheel). I think it should look pretty cool when I get it done. Cheers to all! tim In this pic you'll notice that the girdle is not exactly in it's slot.......it does fit I assure you.........

A fiddly exercise I'm sure Ian but you it was worth it no doubt. For me it is always amazing how much time it consumes to accomplish what seems pretty simple, but it's never "simple". The entire car is shaping up very well. cheers, tim

Some really great update pics Charles. REALLY nice! Look forward to your next post as always. cheers, tim

Love the attention to the details you put into the wheelie bars Marcos. Really sweet to see what you captured. This will be fun to watch as well. cheers, tim

Francis - Thank you. I hope to have the entire rear cover completed today or tomorrow. Made some mistakes and had to start over on the pumpkin portion. The main housing with all the support splines will be most tricky. cheers, tim Ron (butter) - Appreciated, I'm glad they're sitting on top of the engine as I have so much time / effort in them. Thanks for noticing. Tim Josh (venom) - My wife won't put my builds on her shelves but she does let me put them on mine. She's just happy the hobby gets me out of her hair. cheers, tim Joe - Thanks as always. Randy - There he is, nice to see you popping in and that you like what you see, progress is slow but it IS progress. How's you Porsche project coming along? Time for a new update...........right? cheers, tim Charlie, For those not following Charlies build, you should make the time. Stunningly nice work. Thanks for the Holiday wishes too and the same to you! Cheers, tim Chris Chabre, thank you too Chris, hope to have some good updates soon and once the rear is done, then it's on to making the chassis itself. I've got a lot planned for it. Cheers to one and all and a Happy New Year! Tim

So it's the day after Christmas and look what I found under the tree.......this thread is so much fun to watch as one never knows what you'll be up to next. Cheers, Tim

Hope you are the downside of your recovery from the "vid" Roger. You really had it bad that is most obvious. On the positive side, your mods and attention to detail are stellar. This is a fun thread to follow & I really enjoy your updates. cheers, tim

Got a big ol' smile on your face about now huh Joe? You should. Well done. Cheers, Tim

Stunning Francis.........I truly mean that. My one and only reservation if it were my build is the fact it's a true roller and has working suspension. I would be so concerned that someone would think it's a "plaything" and would venture to handle it after the fact (and thus break it perhaps)..........well, you get the idea. I do know WHY you did it though, it's because you CAN! I always applaud those that at least try, let alone succeed. A big fan, tim

Dave (comp1839) - you wouldn't want to trust me to even polish the darn thing let alone work on it..........😃 A sincere thanks Daniel. Thank you Francis......I'm certainly enjoying the truck build......great stuff sir. Joe, thank you too, appreciate the comparison to Francis and his work.......he's a heck of a builder. Chris, oh Chris...........come on man, stop with the sweet talk...........how about a NEW post and thread from you?? I'm dying to see what you've been working on. Got something figured out and started for the chassis. I put together a complete 2 1/2" binder full of reference pics / info just for the chassis. I'll draw the chassis up over the Holiday's but also start making some things. The rear end I'm working on is a Ramcharger Dana 60. It's a bit different (magnesium center section as one example) than a standard Dana 60 and I like some of the details. I've included 2 pics of the real deal and a few pics of the 1st piece for it. I'll media blast the whole thing when done for a more accurate magnesium look. (I'll paint it if I have to). To those that celebrate it, A most Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to one and all! Cheers, Tim Pic 1 - this pic is of the 72' Sox & Martin Duster Pic 2 is of the famous (infamous) Mopar Missile 74' Duster.....they included Trick Titanium axle tubes no less. I'll use Ti too for this build. The remaining pics are of the plate itself. The pumpkin portion will be next up. I like the rear cover girdle that goes from end to end. The units were made by Henry's Axles for the Ramcharger's....so being in a Ford, I won't be putting the Ramcharger's logo on the girdle. There are a lot of additional steps / pieces I have to make so this will take a while I'm sure as I want to make it as close to accurate as possible.

Been a while since an update. Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and had the chance to share it with family and friends. Since the engine is basically done other than final assembly (I need to paint the intake first though) I took a detour and made an engine stand for it. The brass portion you see will be painted flat or semi-matte red. The gear reduction box that rotates the engine (it's the small steel box with the wheel attached to it) will remain unfinished steel. Btw, it does not actually rotate and no gears are inside.......in case you thought I was totally nuts. Nothing has been glued or soldered together yet, that's up next. This is how everything fits and balanced just by dry assembly.......super tight. I have pads for wheels for making it mobile ( mine will NOT be on wheels as it will be a static display). 1 brace, a bracket to support the gear drive and the 4 brass spacers over the bolts that attach the stand to the block and it will be complete. I would also like to acknowledge all of the great support I've received on this thread from fellow members of the forum. It's appreciated I assure you. Best regards to all, Tim

That's one jaw dropping diorama Charles. Hope you have more to share with us. cheers, tim

It's a steering wheel................but oh what a steering wheel it is. Truly beautiful. cheers, tim

The whole front end / foot well are nicely done Chris. That's a lot of stuff to cram in there. Keep up the good work. cheers, tim

These cars were almost cartoonish looking back in the day they were so wide. And I LOVED em'. This is fantastic JC and the wheels are a great choice too. Good luck with the rest. cheers, tim