afx Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Very nice work on the chassis and interior Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 (edited) Greetings again... Nothing epic this, but for advice from another scale enthusiast I was told that I might strip the very uneven application of clear red on my scarce Jo-Han tail light insert and redo matters for the careful use of Tamiya TS-74 Clear Red aerosol. Worried that I'd fry the original Jo-Han plastic, I hesitated, although it seems Scale Coat didn't harm matters for a quick immersion and clean. I further worried that the application would look more pink than red, although from what is seen below, this fear was misplaced. Also for consulting someone adept at reproducing Jo-Han kit tail lights, it seems he'll be able to do replacement '68/'69 inserts which are painfully rare on eBay and such. Collecting a few will help to flesh out a later '69 RKE/JRT Javelin Trans-Am model effort taking form as a box of parts in the closet. I likewise gathered an AMT AMC tunnel ram which might serve as the basis for a convincing Doug Nash unit seen on the '69 racer. ...this would be Tamiya's TS-74 Clear Red doing it's thing then. Like everything the company does, it's frightfully competent! - Very modest work has been done to simply put the model back on wheels for working up the multi-piece rear axle assembly with a music wire axle that might plug into slightly modified rear wheel backs. These were based upon the old standard kit parts versus the later iterations with the thick plastic axles that came into use. I opted to cut some material from a set of Hurst SS/AMX rear wheel backs and subsequently combined the material removed with some standard metal axle backs that were cleanly rendered for reflecting the use of a then-newish tool. Versus risking off-center or barbarically visible work on the centers to ensure that they could take metal axles, adding material further in atop standard and old-school kit parts ensures proper function without betraying so much was done. Some fettling is required to restore the track measurement to where it should be, while multiple photos of the rear shock installation, the rear sway bar set up as well as the Panhard rod/track bar configuration have been set aside to inform what comes next. Ahead then, albeit only at one-third throttle... Mike K./Swede70 Edited February 21, 2019 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyc Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Here's a thought for tires - may or may not be any good. But.... Carrera 1/24 slot cars have some nice looking tires on them. The Covette GS and Ferrari P330. these may be too big? I really can't remember. I have a couple of these in a box somewhere from my slot car period of a few years ago. But you could possibly master from these? I do love a good Trans Am build. Wish there were more of those in kit form. I can start a project, but something like this one would overwhelm me and never get finished. Thanks for bringing it to life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted November 19, 2019 Author Share Posted November 19, 2019 (edited) Greetings, A thread scraped from the bottom of the sea this - but a new development! I'd wanted to gather another Jimmy Flintstone flared resin shell of the '70 Penske Trans-Am Javelin harboring the intent of backdating an example to create a matching '69 Ronnie Kaplan/Javelin Racing Team entry parallel to my '68 effort. Happily I was able to purchase a $15 shell in recent days, and seen are a few photos consistent with telegraphing modest work performed to come up with the visual rudiments of the thing. Bubble flares would be needed for the back, while the hood bubble would likewise need to be fabricated from scratch. Nevertheless, not hateful as the basis of something: ...the '69 postcard image of a RKE/JRT team car looking into the new season. Soon the flush headlamp fill panels would be disallowed and vanish from the racers. ...seen is the '70 Flintstone shell with new '69 AMX front fender end caps, '71 Trans-Am Javelin headlamp fill panels, a '69 annual kit bumper/grille surround/grille assembly, with further work hidden towards the back. The interior is just a stock '69 annual release part - identifiable from a '68 for having headrests. Some dimensional weirdness is noticeable around the trim end caps, although I hope I can bring the irregularities discerned under control. Mostly the shell is about those nice front flares as well as the discreet and nicely captured panel separation detail seen atop each fender toward the base of the windscreen. For a '69-season project, the rear quarter panels will need work. Hey, it's just me forcing my imperative upon an otherwise fine resin casting intended to create a terrific '70-season rendition. ...not bad at all in profile. The rear quarter panel end cap trim has been carved out to allow fitment of a '69 AMX tail light cluster which itself has been cut free of the '69 annual kit issue bumper given it must be painted body color. Thankfully the 'Javelin' script tail light insert has recently been reproduced, otherwise I'd be toast in this regard. Doing the hood bubble to accommodate the twin Holley Dominator installation will be tedious, but hopefully rewarding. I'm happy to have many photos of it to guide future efforts. Not super obvious for work performed here, but the flared '70 Penske Trans-Am resin shell done by Jimmy Flintstone features the Donohue ducktail spoiler cast as one with the bodyshell, unlike the period kit issue where said spoiler was done as a separate part. For 99% of humanity this would be great, but here it had to be cut out, a new deck lid substituted in, and the quarter panel end caps reshaped to suggest nothing is amiss topside. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 Edited November 19, 2019 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 Very cool, thanks for the updates! I have one of these Flintstone flared bodies so of course I'll be following along on this. Drive on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 (edited) Greetings, Needing a '69 RKE/JRT hood to clear the twin Holley 4500's beneath the blister, I was forced to make my own. Seen is a five-panel assemblage consistent with creating what was needed. It will have to be shrunk a bit for sanding, but better this versus having to add material. Notice too that the project is up on wheels. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 Edited December 8, 2019 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 ...and just a indication of the engine and underhood work intended to be performed, Seen is an AMT Gremlin Pro Stock tunnel ram with difficult to discern 3D-printed Holley 4500 carburetors, cut out front wheel arch shrouds, and a Jo-Han SC/Rambler shell waiting to go under the knife to help matters along. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 Coming along nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 1 hour ago, swede70 said: ...and a Jo-Han SC/Rambler shell waiting to go under the knife to help matters along. Thanks... Good progress! What will you have left over from the SC/Rambler after your harvest? I have one in need of a few parts.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, Snake45 said: Good progress! What will you have left over from the SC/Rambler after your harvest? I have one in need of a few parts.... In the realm of the SC/Rambler, what would you need? I tend to go after the chassis - especially the rear suspension entire, etc. I'll 'double up' on the rear shock mounts to do a staggered installation on Javelin race projects, etc., while the rare funny car releases have a Model 20 rear end that can be substituted in versus the Dana iteration to help things again. In a manner of speaking, I'm trying to keep the model as 'Jo-Han' specific as possible in terms of tools and parts reached for. Oh - and the SC/Rambler cylinder heads are quite a bit better than the usual incorrect earlier Jo-Han AMC V8 issue even if the valve covers were updated and look the business... On another message board I responded to an SC/Rambler inquiry and sent along most of my Rambler-specific spares, while these days no Jo-Han parts or subassemblies however bad are strictly thrown away. At present I'm worked with glue burned and enamel paint-encrusted junk to square away what will emerge as reasoned inner fender/suspension turret detail better than the usual Rebel Machine implant - at least from the topside. I want something I can reproduce and spread across all my intended '68-'72 Trans-Am Javelin builds that isn't too reliant on rare spares. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 Edited December 8, 2019 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 Greetings and thanks for the kind notice... Some indication of how I'll do the '69-specific rear flares. Traced four times over per-side, I'll carve out the resultant pucks from below to match the wheel opening contour, then sculpt the exterior profile before matching the side profile shape to the body itself. Seen is the remains of a junked Flintstone flared '70 Penske Javelin shell which will be carved out to accommodate whatever I work up. If I fail in my efforts, the folly of my attempt will be restricted to what is seen versus risking my evolving work. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitchdup Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 10 minutes ago, swede70 said: Greetings and thanks for the kind notice... Some indication of how I'll do the '69-specific rear flares. Traced four times over per-side, I'll carve out the resultant pucks from below to match the wheel opening contour, then sculpt the exterior profile before matching the side profile shape to the body itself. Seen is the remains of a junked Flintstone flared '70 Penske Javelin shell which will be carved out to accommodate whatever I work up. If I fail in my efforts, the folly of my attempt will be restricted to what is seen versus risking my evolving work. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 loving your work. there is a fujimi arch set that looks pretty close to what you are creating, or the arches from the belkits mk1 escort may also make it easier for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mod3l Lover Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 I have been waiting for this to show back up on here!! Tran-Am cars of all models are a love of mine. And I want to (before I croak) build a Tran-Am `70 Mustang of some sort!?! Likely I will go with a race team that has the nicest colors on the car! ? David S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dann Tier Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 VERY cool build!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 10, 2019 Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 (edited) Thanks for the kind comments and notice... Seen are some initial steps to transplant in Jo-Han SC/Rambler inner wings/fenders. I've failed at this before for cutting things too short, but here I've opted to save as much length from the Rambler parts even to the point of blending where both the radiator support and firewall connect with the panels to be recycled. Notice too I've saved material which stretches forward of the radiator support to better suggest fender stamping detail and to basically have something that will hook positively into place. Work to flesh out and seal the front subframe rails constitutes work to come. Moving along, I'm thinking of doing away with the Rambler hood hinge pockets given they serve no constructive purpose, although it was neat to notice that I could make everything hang together in-place without glue on what I'll term my engineering hack. The last image depicts the '69 sans any work to really integrate the new additions to the firewall profile proper, hence nothing really sits down as it ought. Thanks... ...what wiring harness detail I could remove I did, while the battery mount was cut off entire and matters cleaned up to the degree I could. Latitude exists to file down the tops and reshape them consistent with ensuring the hood fits level and well. ...note the suspension turrets align with the center of each wheel arch. ...clean from below too, without massive work demanded to clean things up underneath each fender top. Yes - I soon reshaped the right suspension turret wall seen forward so that it would match the one on the left... ...with a new seal forward of the radiator support, and the inner fenders/wings quickly set in place sans fine fit work - hence it sticks up in the back. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 Edited March 13, 2022 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 11, 2019 Author Share Posted December 11, 2019 Sorry - almost overkill this... After a bit of trimming near the firewall then. I'll try to do the frame rail overlays/plugs next to help clean things up. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dann Tier Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 Overkill??.....i think its Awesome!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nells250 Posted December 14, 2019 Share Posted December 14, 2019 (sigh) If only the owners of 1:1 Javelins cared so much about correct details... We don't even hit the local shows anymore... the odds of seeing a Javelin and/or AMX that is even remotely correct is so low. Most AMC people are still, so this day, ultra-cheap and only a handful seem to care at all about originality. They don't seem to understand just how much rarer their vehicle is than any dime-a-dozen HEMI. Am I being a bit harsh? YUP. But some of it comes from knowing just how hard it is to find certain parts, what those parts can go for, and then seeing those parts hacked up for "customs", etc. When I owned my Javelin, it wasn't THE car I wanted, but heck, driving around in a big, stinky, loud, purple/blue American V8 was DARN fun. Though all the comments about it being a Camaro or Corvette annoyed the begeebers out of me... If only I had been able to put it back to how it came from the factory: Javelin 401 auto, flat steel hood, probably with a vinyl roof... and HORSEPOWER... (sigh)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 (edited) Thanks for the kind interest... Indeed the struggle to clarify the identity of American Motor's products and product range continues, while more than few have fallen victim to those who would insensitively modify them - or gasp - toss many a good subassembly aside to fit an example with LS power to 'make a real car of it'. Whatever else I might be, I would never do such a thing... Here in SE Michigan happily we have a pretty vibrant AMC scene with the old headquarters as well as the later American Center in nearby Southfield, MI. featuring as local landmarks. Each fall a AMC-themed gathering known as the Greenmead show is hosted by a local marque club, while Facebook AMC groups as well as Vintage SCCA Trans-Am groups flesh out my intake of scenes to tap outside of independent application to inform what I attempt in-scale. If matters are proceeding swimmingly, on occasion contact might be established with those with some relation to the actual topic; i.e people involved in-period, owners past and present, as well as restoration and service personnel of surviving vehicles. While the actual automobiles are scarce, networking with those so-aligned and intrigued is better than it was in the past. Digital archive access in particular has never been so wide, while this teamed to material collection consistent with answering questions that are raised helps to tie in much that otherwise was suspended in air in a research sense. With all said and done, projects such as these I'd typically avoid can be brought into focus and labored upon with reasoned hope of coming up with something reasonably sound bordering on accurate for spec. and finishes employed. Thanks... - Seen below will be some additional inner fender/inner wing work consistent with adding a top layer to front subframe rails affixed as they are to the base of my SC/Rambler panels. The first photo telegraphs how matters appear from the top apart and away from the model, the second image depicts how the bottom ledge was trimmed close to shape of the inside of each suspension turret, while the third and final image relates how things appear when assembled. Surely it's better versus looking into the half-open frame rails which suggested hack work. And lastly, an adjustment has been made to the fill panel atop the grille mating with the radiator support so that it'll not strictly dip where it meets the support proper. Thanks for reviewing this project update... Mike K./Swede70 Edited December 15, 2019 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 17, 2019 Author Share Posted December 17, 2019 (edited) Greetings, Going back briefly to the '68 RKE/JRT Javelin, it was decided to reproduce the inner fender/wing project work on the '69 for cutting off the promo-style round wheel arch detail. Happily the cutting of said arch detail can be achieved without running great risk, hence no great skill is required. Further, the '69 Javelin interior has been 'filleted' to the extent of trimming off the faintly detailed interior side panels so that they might be mated to the unfinished/bare race interior floor otherwise sporting '70-specific trim which in this instance is undesired. When finally wrapped up, these may be glued in place or simply taped into position (as seen below) given there isn't anything truly structural about what they lend to these builds. Given masking the floor off from the cast-in interior side panels to reflect alternating finishes, it's something of a gift to split these items apart. Some fill panel work will be required two times over to complete the profile of each side relative to the other panel work present, although in essence it's clean. The driveshaft and shifter are or will be Revell '69 Camaro items. And just in passing, the cut outs seen along the top of the firewall on this '68 iteration are for the fresh air system worked out by Ronnie Kaplan when the cross ram twin four barrel intake came into use. ...while here would be the '69 interior side panels. A slight cut will be made to distinguish the door panel from the rear passengers compartment interior panel trim, while note that the armrest detail (faint though it was) has been ground out in anticipation of the fabrication and insertion of additional fill panels consistent with what was run in-period. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 Edited March 13, 2022 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nells250 Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 (edited) Greetings and thanks for the kind input and research help besides... Although a little tedious, here would be some effort to shore up the '68 RKE/JRT Javelin Trans-Am project so that it might match the '69 iteration for chassis detail up front and underhood. Barely discernible on the '69 situated forward, the tunnel ram has been filed down between the twin stacks of inlet runners to open things up, while the carburetors have been cut apart from each other (no big issue this) and better positioned besides. Both models are Frankenstein specials for utilizing spares sourced from wherever, with many a shade and/or curious color plastic witnessed across each project. Oh - I did add some material to flesh out the fenders of the '69 effort and continue to struggle to square away the end cap trim to my satisfaction. I'm 'not there' yet, while blending everything and coming back to rescribe the end caps at the proper length and depth will be a pain. Thanks for your review of this dual project update... Mike K./Swede70 Edited December 20, 2019 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Very, very nice. Always a pleasure to see somebody making the effort to achieve historical and technical accuracy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 (edited) Thanks for the kind words... Not glamorous, but these would be the four-layer 'pucks' intended to be the basis for the '69 RKE/JRT Trans-Am Javelin rear flares with material sufficient to allow for as much mass and I'd desire topside, as well as what would be required in the tumblehome area. Sculpting and final shaping these will likely prove to be easier! Mike K./Swede70 Edited December 31, 2019 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted January 4, 2020 Author Share Posted January 4, 2020 (edited) Moving along... Here the four layers of sheet plastic have been glued together, while an initial effort has been made to arrive at a basic shape twice over. Seen in the background is a scrap 1968 Javelin SST promotional model that is being used as a fit surrogate until things are closer to what I desire for overall dimensions. The '69-specific flares look enormous now, but better too large than too small as filing down what is discerned isn't that difficult. Thanks... Mike K./Swede70 Edited January 4, 2020 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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