CabDriver Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 (edited) I guess this counts as a light commercial, right? I've had this thing on my shelf for probably 10 years now... ...and while I've never much liked the box art for this issue, but I did enjoy the Li'l Hot Dogger that I just build so I pulled it off the shelf and started to think what I'd do differently to make it a little cooler. I definitely don't dig the gold chrome pieces, or those cheesy MPC front tires but the earlier issues of this kit had a cooler box art that inspired me to get going on it: First up, I did some digging thru my parts boxes and found some better front tires: Not sure what these are from, but they beat those kit tires anyway! They're about a scale inch bigger than the originals, but I have a plan for that anyway... Before starting on anything else I did the traditional first step of any build, gluing the engine halves together: This kit comes with a Ford SOHC, which I'm looking forward to putting together - more on that later when I've actually done some work on it. I needed to get the block together so I could mock it up in the frame for the next step, so I got it as far along as I needed anyway... Like all these big long kit frames there were some nasty sink marks along the outer edges, so I got them flat with my homemade popsicle-stick frame-side-sander: There were some prominent ejector pin marks in a couple of spots too, so I just cut a replacement piece to cover them up to save trying to sand in that awkward opening: Much better! The bed needed the same attention, so I did the same to that too: I wanted to drop the front of this thing in the weeds to give it a more aggressive look that how it comes out of the box: So I sliced off the spring perch and moved it up about 8 scale inches: Now we're talking! Before... And after: A quick mock-up of the chassis to make sure the rear suspension would still assemble and have all the wheels touch the ground: And once I knew that was going to work a quick mockup of the cab and tank to make sure that was all still going to fit ok too: More soon! Edited June 24, 2019 by CabDriver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stavanzer Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Very Nice! I like the Front End trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Good start!!! I like this kit and even repro'd the original tires a few years ago...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High octane Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Your Gasser is lookin' good. I had built one of those kits several years ago and was happy with the way it turned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted June 28, 2019 Author Share Posted June 28, 2019 On 6/24/2019 at 7:12 PM, Dave Van said: Good start!!! I like this kit and even repro'd the original tires a few years ago...... Ohh, interesting Dave - I have another of these that I picked up on eBay a few years ago and it has a smaller set of black rubber/resin tires and 4 larger diameter ones too, seemingly made from the same material. Maybe they're yours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 2 hours ago, CabDriver said: Ohh, interesting Dave - I have another of these that I picked up on eBay a few years ago and it has a smaller set of black rubber/resin tires and 4 larger diameter ones too, seemingly made from the same material. Maybe they're yours! Sounds like them.......are the rears BIG?? I sold 50 sets of them......Seled in poly bag. Thx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted June 29, 2019 Author Share Posted June 29, 2019 On 6/28/2019 at 4:12 PM, Dave Van said: Sounds like them.......are the rears BIG?? I sold 50 sets of them......Seled in poly bag. Thx Yeah, the rears are maybe a quarter-inch bigger than the regular slicks that the ones that came with my eighties-issue of this kit...I put them aside as I figured they might be something rare or cool and they definitely didn't look like MPC put 'em in there: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Van Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 That's them!!!! Very cool to see them!!! thx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 Haha, amazing! What a small world! These big rears are SO MUCH cooler than the ones in the current kit box. I kinda don't want to use them because they're so cool - I figured I'd never seen a set before and might never see a set again so I put them aside for something REALLY special Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelbuilder Mark Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 Nice mods, and good tire choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted July 21, 2019 Author Share Posted July 21, 2019 Thanks Mark! Got some paint on this thing and started some assembly, so I figured it was time for an update...went with Createx pearl blue for the frame and engine (to kinda replicate the original box-art car): Looks pretty with some clear over it! I went with a mix of kit-chrome and various metal finishes for the engine parts - with an aluminum finish for the valve covers to match a 1:1 Ford Cammer engine like this kit has: I drilled out the kit's magneto so I could wire it with some Detail Master wire: And used some micro o-rings and some wire sleeve to make plug boots: I also added those photoetched Ford badges to add a little detail: Elsewhere, I removed the molded-in shocks from the front axle: And replaced them with some aluminum ones: The front headlamp lenses were missing from my kit, so I hit the local Chinese dollar store for some Googly eyes: Sliced the backs off to make dome-shaped lenses: And glued them in place with some Elmer's...the one on the right has been done, the one on the left hasn't yet. Adds a surprising amount of detail! Whilst the glue was drying on those, I primed the tank for the back and hit it with a little Squadron filler to fill the seams (it's such a big part that I wanted it to be as perfect as I could get it...): And gave the tires a good scrub with some 80-grit to get them round, and take that gloss off: And then got the wheels mounted in there: More soon, soon as I've done more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted August 9, 2019 Author Share Posted August 9, 2019 I didn't want to try and stick the decals on those chrome side panels that you're meant to put them on - there's no way they WOULDN'T look bad, I didn't think - so I decided to put them on the side panels underneath the tank: I'll need to modify the chrome rail now, but I'd rather do that than have foggy decal-edge over a chrome panel anyway...here they are, still wet: And I hacked up the original decal's 'NO SMOKING' signs... ...to make these for the back of the tank...this vehicle DEFINITELY stops for burnouts A little clearcoat and they looked pretty good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted August 9, 2019 Author Share Posted August 9, 2019 I gave the interior panels a coat of Createx dark blue and then gave them a wash to give them some depth, and shot them with some hairspray for a semi-gloss kinda leathery look: And it's starting to look like a thing! Just need to assemble the cab and add all the doodads and it's pretty much there! More soon, soon as I've done more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted August 10, 2019 Author Share Posted August 10, 2019 A little more on this one...I wasn't super happy with the chrome on the headers/exhaust system, but I really didn't want to strip it and rechrome it and have just that one piece be a different shade of chrome to the other bits... So, I gave 'em some header wrap! I know you'd normally wrap the ENTIRE header, but I figured at least it adds a little detail and distracts from some of the lumpy chrome anyway... Then, flocked the floor, messed with the shifter a little and got the assembly on the cab started... Starting to look like a thing now! Just need to add all the remaining little doodads and whatsits and I can call this one done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 Coming together nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 Wow awesome work and the mods really make it pop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazeguard Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Great job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKerry Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Very KOOOOOOOLLLLLLLllllllll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumpyDan Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 Love it, thanks for all the pictures really enjoyed watching you put this together. How do the wrapped side pipes look on the Gasser? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 Nice work! Love all the little changes you made. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James2 Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 Very CooL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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