CabDriver Posted December 7, 2016 Share Posted December 7, 2016 So, I got this dusty old thing on eBay - it's an old Revell 41 Willys - minda complete except for the engine (unless this thing came with a little 4 cylinder engine for no particular reason) but some of it is pretty glued up and nasty. Should be a fun excuse for a scratchbuilding project anyway! Someone inexplicably painted the doors and trunklid (and maybe the hood?) at some point, and smeared a load of glue on the body so that'll need a little tidy-up, and I think I'll end up either scratchbuilding a chassis or doing some serious work on this one to make it decent. Not sure on engine choice, or wheel choice as yet...but here's what I've got to work with... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted December 8, 2016 Author Share Posted December 8, 2016 So, I figured the first thing I should do is work out some parts to use. The kit tyres are pretty much junk, ditto the wheels, the engine was a waste of shipping cost and the chassis has a crack in it's thin frame rail that makes me nervous to consider using it. So, I figured, I'll make a chassis. I'm going to get an idea of how wide I could space two parallel frame rails apart (which will be determined by the rear tyre width, if I want them parallel) and then I can go from there. I found these cool resin tyres in my parts collection - not sure who makes them but they fit the arches beautifully: The stance is pretty good (it looks high from this angle but I'm pleased with it...) Next up, I sketched out an idea for some framerails that would allow me to drop this thing as low as I wanted... Then I scanned it into the computer, and used my vinyl cutter to score some styrene sheet. I'm going to need to score them by hand because of the thickness of the material, but this would give me a pair of identical outlines to follow easily... Some (a lot) of this later.... ...and I've got some rails: Next I need to work out what engine I'll be using, and chop the bits of the interior floor off that will be in the way. From there I can make some braces for the chassis and get the two rails aligned. More soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted December 9, 2016 Author Share Posted December 9, 2016 OK, so today I found an engine in my parts stash (an Olds block I think - possibly even the one that would have come in this kit) and got that assembled so I could work on designing the cross members for the chassis. I want to use the original interior tub (but modified to fit the bigger rear tyres and the resulting 'arches' in the frame, so I made a piece that will allow me to mount the interior tub to the frame rails that I've made: The blue floor part will need some tidying up, and some more work to make it nice, but this at least will allow me to locate it properly on the frame so that everything lines up properly. Next I secured the two frame rails to each other with some bar at either end to keep them parallel, and cut a floor pan. The floor pan is three different styrene sheet parts laminted together, secured to the frame left and right, and there's a three-piece motor mount at the front which keeps the engine in place and also helps secure the other parts On the right of the pic above you can see the front cross member that I made - again, three parts laminated together. This will mount under the chassis and the small hole in the front matches another mounting point on the engine. Here it is in place, with the chassis inverted: And right side up again: The chassis still needs some tidying up once I've worked out what to do with the back, but it's surprisingly sturdy already, especially with the engine block dropped into place. Here it is with the first piece and the engine in place: And a quick test fit to make sure everything's lining up roughly where I need it to. So far so good! Tomorrow, I need to figure out a rear end - I'm planning a four-link of some sort, but I need to dig through my parts and find an axle I can modify, and then once that's done the next job will be manufacturing an independant front end for it - probably from scratch. Fun fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Nice start. Definitely watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EL LOCO Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Looking good......waiting for the finished product. Enjoyingt the scratch building Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drive4th Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Very cool, great work so far keep it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKerry Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 I like what you do with the scanner you have... That is pretty kool.... So do you draw up the design, scan it/clean it up then print/etch it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted December 9, 2016 Author Share Posted December 9, 2016 Thanks guys! Appreciate all the nice feedback!I like what you do with the scanner you have... That is pretty kool.... So do you draw up the design, scan it/clean it up then print/etch it out?Yeah - I can either draw it on paper, making sure it's relatively 'solid' (coloring it in with a Sharpie would've been ideal, so that the machine could see the exact shape easier, but it worked with blue) and then I actually just photograph the piece as I haven't got a scanner. You can draw them out in software too, if you're so inclined - but for a lot of more complex stuff it's easier for me to draw them on paper, to be honest. Then, once you've scanned / drawn / loaded the design into the cutter's software, just hit print (well, cut) and it'll make the bits for you. Like a little waterjet machine, almost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKerry Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Thanks guys! Appreciate all the nice feedback!Yeah - I can either draw it on paper, making sure it's relatively 'solid' (coloring it in with a Sharpie would've been ideal, so that the machine could see the exact shape easier, but it worked with blue) and then I actually just photograph the piece as I haven't got a scanner. You can draw them out in software too, if you're so inclined - but for a lot of more complex stuff it's easier for me to draw them on paper, to be honest. Then, once you've scanned / drawn / loaded the design into the cutter's software, just hit print (well, cut) and it'll make the bits for you. Like a little waterjet machine, almost!that is some kool stuff to be able to do that!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 awsome start !! love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geewhiz Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Great start on this gluebomb!!! You've got a lot of neat engineering going on already so I'll be very interested to see where you go from here!!!???????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fast Floyd 2 Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!! that is Very Cool!!! I'm Drooling here !!! This is a Awesome Project!! I can't wait to see it finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted December 15, 2016 Author Share Posted December 15, 2016 Thanks for the kind words guys! You're all too kind! Sorry for the slow progress, but I've been doing a lot of headscratching here. I decided to do the rear end next, so I can move on to the front with the back end firmly in position. I had a look through my parts boxes before settling on the 'stock' rear end from the kit. it wasn't TOO badly destroyed with glue and stuff I'm going to make a four link rear end, so I wont be using those bars, so I narrowed a TONNE off this thing and called it good enough for mock up. I was worried about the rear tubs that I was planning on fabricating interfering with the wheel position (it's gonna be tight back there with so much tyre) so I worked on them next. I sliced up the kit rear interior parts to assist in making the tubs... And then fabricated some half-tubs for the rear. I wanted to have a little tyre reveal in the trunk so you could see those big meats! The trunk will contain a fuel tank of some sort (probably not the one above because it's horrible) and the battery, possibly with another reveal through to the axle to show some of that stuff off. I want this design to really show off some of the moving parts. It all looks very messy here, but with the body on it starts to look a bit more like I envisaged... All this sheet metal in the back will need some more tidying up, but it's close enough for now so that I can start on the axle. First order of business, and as far as I got today, was to design and cut some brackets to mount on the rear end. I need to find some rod ends for the linkages (any leads on who sells those and doesnt take forever to send them, anyone?) so I can work out the spacing between them on the axle but they look roughly like this: More tomorrow (maybe, if I get anything done ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tradional_rodder51 Posted December 15, 2016 Share Posted December 15, 2016 Have you tried dirt modeler for the rod ends? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted December 15, 2016 Author Share Posted December 15, 2016 Have you tried dirt modeler for the rod ends?No! I'll check them out, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterNNL Posted December 15, 2016 Share Posted December 15, 2016 Looking very good.Nice to see a glue bomb saved and turned into such a righteous ride.I love the computer generated cut out parts.Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 Have you tried dirt modeler for the rod ends? OK, so I took trent's advice and got some Dirt Modeller rod ends (great service - only took maybe 3 days to reach me even right before Christmas), and whilst I was looking at their site I saw these gorgeous PE brass 4 link parts - so I had to have them! I used a centre section of a Revell quickchange rear end and some styrene tube to make a rear axle, shown in progress above, as the original kit axle was too wide of a diametre to easily work with the 4 link parts that I bought. Should work great though! I need to chop the axle to width, once I figure out presciely which wheels I'll be using and the offset so excuse the rough ends, but this should work! Next, to make some link arms! I'll be back in 6 weeks with something finished hopefully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 Actually, before I make the link arms for the rear end I wanted to lock the front end down to make sure the wheelbase is exactly right - it'll be easier to move the rear axle a fraction than the front wishbones. I was going to print some wishbones for this, but then I came across this old white metal hot rod front end - from R&D Unique I think? The parts look like this: So I made some little brass brackets to mount the bottom wishbone to the frame, et voila! More to come once I figure it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 A little more progress...only a tiny bit though! Working on the front end still - I need to find some really small gauge hollow aluminum or brass tube to make the top linkage and to fabricate some shocks, but it's starting to come together... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted January 26, 2017 Author Share Posted January 26, 2017 And another little update - I had to wait for some thin aluminum tube to arrive so I could continue with the front end but it arrived this lunchtime so I got right to work making a couple of bars to finish off the front suspension: It's held together with some micro drill bits right now whilst I wait for some scale fasteners to arrive, but in the meantime I'm going to work on fabricating some front shocks and cleaning up the front end parts gently to remove the flash that you can see in the pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metaldrumm Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Very nice craftsmanship,this is why I love this hobby so much, keep up the great work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Impressive work!David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Dude!! This is crazy!!! That looks like the old Street Demons 41 Willys with it all molded in that light blue possibly? Taking notes for when I build mine. Again.........excellent work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 Thanks for the nice comments guys! It's kinda slow progress on this one - I'm spending 10x as much time working things out as actually building, but I've got some time off planned soon so I'll spend some more time at the bench. In the meantime, here's another shot of the front end (held together with sewing pins right now for ease of mockup) I'm going to start on hanging the rear end soon... I made a little Moon tank using a pen barrel and some resin hubcaps And I've started collecting parts for the engine, including this cool intake setup from The Parts Box in Australia - I might find some nice machined aluminum stacks to stick out through the hood More progress as I make it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fast Floyd 2 Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Nice !!! Loving it !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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