'70 Cuda T/A

[Arjay 396]

Some solid modeling there, JC!

Rawk on!

[Jonathan]

That is beautiful work!

[afx]

Thank guys for the comments and the interest.

Fabricated the fuel cell.

 

[Arjay 396]

Vacu-formed?

Looks nice and tidy!

[afx]

Thanks Roger.  I scratch built the fuel cell from .015" flat stock.  

• Cut strips for the sides and glued them in place
• Added some bits of plastic rod on the inside to reinforce the corners
• Glued some angle or whatever I had lying around along the top edge to give a larger bonding surface and some reinforcement
• Cut the bottom from sheet stock then folded it over the edge or a ruler to create the ribbing 

Edited August 23, 2017 by afx

[Lizz62]

You are like a magician! Very cool.

[Arjay 396]

You are like a magician! Very cool.

Indeed......I could've sworn it was a one-piece vacu-formed part.

Very ingenious!

[2lapsdown]

I'd love to see a tutorial on building a roll cage when you've finished this project. You seem to have mastered the task

 

John

[afx]

Rules of the day required the battery to be installed within the same compartment as it came from the factory. You could alter the position within the compartment but could not relocate it to another (from the engine bay to the trunk for instance). AAR chose to lower the battery location as much as possible, note the location in the lower right hand corner.

Some cutting, grinding and a few choice words finally got the battery, radiator and engine to coexist in this lowered position. 

[AthOz]

That spot makes for a very tight package, they must have placed some weight somewhere else on the car to compensate for those 25 Kgs sitting on the LHF. The X-bracing added to the under body looks like it was molded there, good stuff.

 

[afx]

Thanks AthOz.

Boxed out the inner fender for an oil cooler. Modified a parts box remote oil cooler.

Inner fender before:

 

[afx]

Scratch built header (expansion) tank and bracket.  Modified the radiator to replicate a quick change racing unit.

[afx]

Some of my reference sources.

 

[afx]

Final assembly on the engine:

Dump pipes:

[Phildaupho]

Fantastic work on the engine. It is a beautiful stand alone model on its own right. 

[MeatMan]

Classy build JC. Excellent fab work, and attention to detail.

[afx]

Thanks Phil & Dennis.

Panhard bar:

[Randy D]

Beautiful scratch work going into this one JC !!!!!

That engine bay is terrific and you killed that motor !!!!

Did you use some of that bendable rod for the headers?

Randy

[afx]

Thanks Randy.  The roll cage, headers, etc are all standard styrene rod bent and shaped by hand then heat set to hold the shape.

[afx]

Suspension and engine installed.

Edited September 17, 2017 by afx

[Mr. Metallic]

I love that the mods to make this are mostly scratchbuilt, and you execute it so well. Other then the old AAR parts(and Mustang air cleaner), and the addition of the beautiful Fireball Minilite wheels, there doesn't seem to be much outside sourcing. I'm not going to lie, I plan to use your build as a blueprint for my own down the road(as I'm sure others are as well). Thanks for bringing us along for the ride.

[afx]

Thanks Craig, I'll have my attorney draw up the royalties agreement. 

[Roadrunner]

This is really looking sweet. It seems doubtful that I'll ever have the patience to try something like this, but I do like to see others do it.

[MeatMan]

Top notch work!!

[MrObsessive]

I love what you're doing to this J.C.! I have that hoary AAR kit and now I have reason to NOT toss it out!

You know what happens next don't you?? Revell will come out with this kit next year!