Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

1/18 scale custom fantasy Nascar Convertible Division


ibj40

Recommended Posts

The subtleties will kill you on a build like this.

Both the chassis donor and the body donor are, more or less, Plymouth B-bodies, and both are Ertl.

So, what could go wrong?

When I initially bolted the GTX body onto the Roadrunner chassis, there was an interference that did not allow the hood to close.  As a matter of fact, it stuck up at about a 30 degree angle.

WTF, Over? (I worked with a bunch of ex-Air Force guys for a while).

If you are familiar with this era of diecast, hoods, doors, and trunks (when they open) all have dogleg hinges.  One would think that if you've seen one hood dogleg, you've seen them all, especially if the models appear to be identical.

In my case, the doglegs of the GTX body donor were thicker than the doglegs for the Roadrunner, and would not clear the Nascar chassis cowl air induction.

So, I swapped hoods between the two models, and, Eureka!

A few progress shots follow.

50692216027_f891c03059_b.jpg

50692213992_fe5f383079_b.jpg

50692132151_552a9b5d11_b.jpg

50692129221_ec6ef997fd_b.jpg

One thing I am going to half to solve is whether to simply drill two holes and allow the roll cage to tie into the package tray, or carve out slots in the package tray to allow the roll cage bars to attach back to the donor interior.

50691384648_ed825237aa_b.jpg

 
 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, I took a step back from this one, and pondered my options.

Here is the set of models that I have access to for this project.

50743949443_5821b8ae7d_b.jpg

The top one, of course, is the body donor, the next two are a Toys R Us exclusive Nascar Superbird and the initial potential donor, a Petty Roadrunner.

50744794817_51ca0e0732_b.jpg

50744685816_c5eb2db042_b.jpg

50744798382_3c8d0ffd05_b.jpg

Well, just the other day, I was able to score another TRU Superbird, and upon delivery, I got this.

50744788727_54c3b573da_b.jpg

So, in a lemon/lemonade funk, I decided to take it apart and see what it looked like as the chassis donor.

One thing about the Ertl Superbird mold is that you have to remove the rear wheels in order to access a screw in that wheel well.  I was able to acquire a tool that helps in removing those wheels, and with little bit of effort, was successful.  The issue is that the rear axle has a mushroom head with a slot, and you have to compress that slot to get the wheel to pop off.

Looks good from the top.  I particularly like the black interior against the red exterior.  If I am lucky, no painting on this one, only decals.

50743945723_dfab37cecb_b.jpg

Before I put the wheels back on, I made a test fit.  Looks good from the side, as well.  Getting excited about this build.

50744681091_dd023a58ed_b.jpg

So popped the rears back on to get an idea about stance and rake.

50744690926_015c83a52e_b.jpg

50744692801_4873763964_b.jpg

Now that I have a clearer definition of the body/chassis donor relationship, the build can continue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the Superbird, there's an extension of the under tray to support the nose.

50750757988_8e14e2fe9f.jpg     50751492146_58458074f7.jpg

I had to remove this much of it to get the original test donor body to fit.

50751407896_7b0d8ffe16_b.jpg

Here's our new body donor, straight out of the box.

50750676268_a93c082ff6_b.jpg

Chassis ready to be recycled.

50751418201_7f5d56bfb9_b.jpg

Underside of the body.

50751420451_a644d868d1_b.jpg

Knew it wasn't going to fit, but just for frame of reference.

50751532032_69e40a238c_b.jpg

I know from playing around with the original body donor, that these tabs will interfere.

50750691518_9955f98f0e_b.jpg

So, a little bit of Dremel later.

50750693123_d158b30024_b.jpg

Test fit again, but still some interference that I was expecting.

50751537737_e26c492c59_b.jpg

I knew a couple of other things would have to be removed and/or eventually modified, such as the dashboard and the hood (due to the discrepancy in the dog leg hinges noted above.

50751543712_fdfd3dfe5c_b.jpg

With those two elements removed, we now can proceed to see what needs to be put back on, and to what extent it will need to be "adjusted".  On of the thing I will do is see if the dashboard from the Superbird will help.  Can't use the Superbird hood, though, as I am going for a no-repaint solution.

50750703153_e4f85417cf_b.jpg

Stay Tuned!
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

Been looking at this one on my bench for too long, so thought I would concentrate on it for a few days.

One issue to deal with is that the body donor chassis has front inner fenders and the chassis donor chassis does not.

When you set one upon the other, you see the gap.

50751543712_fdfd3dfe5c_b.jpg

However, the donor Superbird chassis does have a front roll cage bar around the engine compartment.

50878049132_32c9d5b129_b.jpg

However, it makes the body sit too high, as the only place it supports is in front of the radiator.

50877239633_6c1b1de833_b.jpg

If you remove it, the body sits way too low, and we start getting into our clearance problems with the hood.

50877241503_8c33ea2fc7_b.jpg

My solution was to remove the front hoop, and make it adjustable.  I added aluminum extensions to the hoop supports, and placed pins in the chassis locations.

50877238143_737134d986.jpg    50878051832_cb4f5a6497.jpg

This way I can adjust the height and get the body rake correct.

For ease of construction, I have used a similar pin and hole attachment for the firewall.  Previously it was glued in, now it is removable.  I will permanently install it at the final.

50877243548_9ebffcf53b_w.jpg  50878059907_b3af6f5abc_w.jpg  50877246008_6e417631e0_w.jpg

Next I will take up creating a tonneau cover for the rear of the cockpit.

50877937486_990f4d7496_o.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

So I am back on this one, as the Camaro project rests in pieces.

I have been working on getting the front roll cage hoop modified to allow the body to sit correctly on the chassis.

I added an extension to the nose of the chassis, made out of a piece of styrene angle.

Posted Image

Posted Image

Then I fabricated some connectors out of aluminum tubing to stabilize the mounting points.

Posted Image

Here's the hoop mounted to the chassis (temporarily).  Once we go final, all the aluminum will be gloss black to match the chassis.

Posted Image

Posted Image

Had to relocate the radiator filler neck.  Here's how it looked before, and after.

Posted Image  Posted Image

So I thought I was in pretty good shape, until I sat the body back down on the chassis. With the front hoop installed, it just doesn't want to fit right. There is interference between the hoop and the diecast radiator bulkhead. As you can see from this set of pictures, it was like the Tall Man from Cornwall.

https://www.youtube....h?v=omkPQGeEnqw

Posted Image

Posted Image  Posted Image

So the bulkhead had to go!

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

And now, without it, the body sits way too low.

Posted Image

So I fabricated a hanger out of brass angle.

Posted Image

Posted Image

And thar she sits!

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Decals shipped today, so going to wait on anything else until they get here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, one step forward and two steps back!   >:D

Well, my piece of brass angle just didn't want to stay in place, so I drilled a couple of 3/32" holes and pinned it in place with a couple of #00-90 brass machine screws.

50993880207_d9bd503f2d_b.jpg

50993881627_1f6cca884c_b.jpg

Plus, as you can also see in these pictures, the plastic angle holding the front of the engine hoop interfered with the bumper, so I had to cut it back quite a bit.

However, now the bumper fits.

50993761291_d2dccc9930_b.jpg

But the hood doesn't, as the heads of the screws hold it up too high.

50993759931_b41a69e84e_b.jpg

So, me and Dr. Dremel went to work.  First, I tried to relieve the area right above the screw heads with an 1/8" drill bit, but that didn't work, so got out a cutting wheel and went to work.

50993770216_42cb007d3b_b.jpg

That's got me close, but still a little bit more needs to be shaved off.

50993185218_b30c8c4a85_b.jpg

Stay Tuned!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Getting back on this one after a hiatus of sorts.

After I mocked up the tonneau cover, I had to figure out both a way to install it, and how to replicate how they were installed on the real racers.

You can see from these pictures (of which there are few in sufficient detail), it looks like they may have attached them with snap-type fasteners.

51127158275_09689a94db_b.jpg

51126099104_bb234e6976_o.jpg

I searched all over for something I could use.  I thought about photoetch, but couldn't find anything in 1/18 scale, plus attaching them was going to be a PITA.

Then, one night, it hit me!  Sewing pins!

So, I drilled a pattern of holes in a final cover, and since my workbench also doubles as a bar stool, I proceeded to use it as a pin cushion.

51127134925_85033e64ef_b.jpg

The question then becomes how to install the cover onto the car.  The convertible top is attached to the model with two screws.

51126376286_b7f8a6f9cd_b.jpg

51126290448_b943861e9a_b.jpg

51125765432_0669a68fce_b.jpg

So, in lieu of drilling a couple dozen little bitty holes for the pins, I'm fabricating a mounting plate that I will glue to the tonneau cover, and use shortened screws to attach.

51126079709_c6bd3579a0_b.jpg

My plan is to then paint it Gloss Black and stick the pins through, hoping they will be captured by the paint.  Then turn it over and trim the ends of the pins flush.

51127136000_0c307bc74d_b.jpg

51126325536_6a8b35a041_b.jpg

Then I can get back to the body/chassis mounting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Or . . .

I went looking for some thinner styrene, since the current one is almost 1/16" thick.  Then I found some of the resources I have on my shelves from prior builds.

51130283329_c84374ba86_b.jpg

51131196560_3ff6d27bd3_b.jpg

Now whether I paint it, or leave it natural.

51130073681_f4183e00d8_b.jpg

51130074361_100f4bf1c0_b.jpg

51130263414_16355913f8_b.jpg

Edited by ibj40
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following the creation of a cardstock template, and then two or three prototypes in the self-adhesive aluminum sheet, we're making progress.

51145904799_0f582e7b0b_b.jpg

I agreed with the idea that it needed to be painted.  To make sure that I accommodated the countouring, I bent the cover first over the body, but didn't remove the adhesive back.

51145906004_312a82fd46_b.jpg

From the cardstock template, I also located the holes for the "snaps", so that I could pre-drill both the cover and the body.

The bad news is that when you are working with diecast models, the manufacturing process is not necessarily your best friend.  The molding/casting process requires thickened areas, as opposed to (no offense to the majority of you guys) plastic or resin, where the thickness is pretty consistent throughout.

However, I have a solution, so I have pre-drilled all the holes.  You will see in some of the following pictures that some go all the way through, where others are into very dense areas of diecast.

51145906729_0be677cc63_b.jpg

51146234770_674b62e9dd_b.jpg

51145910284_9925b64473_b.jpg

51144453052_9c10efd419_b.jpg

To support the tonneau cover at the front, I fabricated and installed a piece of styrene angle, to ensure that the front of the cover didn't droop.

51145127641_ce62be6076_b.jpg

51145350293_37a9cc75e4_b.jpg

Here's a detail of a sewing pin that I have cut to length, and inserted through the cover into a pre-drilled hole.  In this case, the hole goes all the way through, so I will cut off the excess from the inside of the body.  For those that don't penetrate, I will need to cut them to the precise depth of the pre-drilled hole.

51146237740_818e30455b_b.jpg

Once I have all the pins cut to length, I will remove the protective cover, and expose the self-adhesive and fully install.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...