CabDriver Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 On 1/9/2022 at 11:57 AM, Raoul Ross said: Mucho Imprezo! Don't know if you've seen this as you seem to have found a lot of really great 1:1 shots, just thought I'd throw it out there. You can really see the differences between the original and the clone. https://www.drivingline.com/articles/the-mooneyes-dragster-cloning-our-heros-3-of-3/ I appreciate that, thanks Raoul! You’re right, there’s some great reference pics in there! I’d be interested to do some more research and see if there were a lot of differences between the ‘current’ clone and the first clone (which was crashed and rebuilt into second one). Add to that the very early version of the car with the top mounted blower plus another version which ran Revell logos and I could be building these things all year 🤪 On 1/9/2022 at 4:21 PM, slusher said: Really nice work Jim… Thanks buddy! Tiny update, but one of my favorite parts of this build so far…the decals! Finished painting the ‘tins’ and shot them with a coat of Createx clear gloss. That isn’t my favorite clearcoat to polish, but it self levels nicely, protects the coats underneath and provides a good surface for decal application… It’s a pretty tiny decal sheet, as you’d expect… But they laid down BEAUTIFULLY and the white elements covered the yellow just fine - great job Atlantis! I’ll let them set overnight before starting to apply some clearcoat to gloss the panels up a little, but I’m pleased with how it’s starting to look like the car in the pics, finally! I also ordered a photoetch set from Highlight Model studio that has the correct rectangular Mooneyes pedal for the original car, plus a Detail Master aluminum Moontank…I can spin up a tank myself on my lathe but their kit has nice photoetched brackets too so I’m going to check that out and see if it’ll work. More soon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasoncamaro Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 I have this kit and have been trying to find an accurate mesh to use where did you get yours from ? Btw your build is looking awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted January 16, 2022 Author Share Posted January 16, 2022 17 hours ago, jasoncamaro said: I have this kit and have been trying to find an accurate mesh to use where did you get yours from ? Btw your build is looking awesome! I picked this up in Hobby Lobby - it’s actually a little too large of a diamond pattern but it’s closest I could find to at least give the LOOK of what’s in the real car… Today’s little bits of progress…I ordered a pair of Detail Master Moon tanks (and some nice Moon photo etch pedals) to see how they’d work but they’re a little large for this particular build: So, I made as close of a facsimile as I could on my lathe instead: Picked up some Detail Master A/N fittings, painted them with Createx candy acrylic and made the fuel pump: Got the tank installed, and fitted a couple of wire hold-downs: I also ordered some RB Motion rod ends and stainless steel tube for the various linkages on the front end but they didn’t come yet - but managed to get the front axle on, and then airbrushed some heat-staining on the headers, made mounting pins and got them installed too: Next job will be figuring out the pedals so that I can get the floor in place - Highlight Model Studio’s photoetch set has the cool old rectangular Moon gas pedals that match the original car: Once the floor is in I can mount the rear axle for good and start finishing up all the little interior details! More soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 (edited) 49 minutes ago, CabDriver said: I picked this up in Hobby Lobby - it’s actually a little too large of a diamond pattern but it’s closest I could find to at least give the LOOK of what’s in the real car… Today’s little bits of progress…I ordered a pair of Detail Master Moon tanks (and some nice Moon photo etch pedals) to see how they’d work but they’re a little large for this particular build: So, I made as close of a facsimile as I could on my lathe instead: Picked up some Detail Master A/N fittings, painted them with Createx candy acrylic and made the fuel pump: Got the tank installed, and fitted a couple of wire hold-downs: I also ordered some RB Motion rod ends and stainless steel tube for the various linkages on the front end but they didn’t come yet - but managed to get the front axle on, and then airbrushed some heat-staining on the headers, made mounting pins and got them installed too: Next job will be figuring out the pedals so that I can get the floor in place - Highlight Model Studio’s photoetch set has the cool old rectangular Moon gas pedals that match the original car: Once the floor is in I can mount the rear axle for good and start finishing up all the little interior details! More soon! Those pedals look really nice. The texture is gorgeous! She's coming along, beautifully! Edited January 16, 2022 by Straightliner59 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted January 16, 2022 Author Share Posted January 16, 2022 9 minutes ago, Straightliner59 said: Those pedals look really nice. The texture is gorgeous! She's coming along, beautifully! Highlight makes a bunch of really cool Mooneyes and VW photo etch stuff - I wanna do a Beetle just like this one (which features a lot of their photoetch)! @Eero does amazing work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 2 minutes ago, CabDriver said: Highlight makes a bunch of really cool Mooneyes and VW photo etch stuff - I wanna do a Beetle just like this one (which features a lot of their photoetch)! @Eero does amazing work! That is very cool! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) A little more on this little fella this past week… Got the ‘tins’ polished out and ready for installation… Made brackets and mounts for the pedals and got them mounted to the floor, which was the next part to install once the axle was in place: Not that you can see them particularly well, but you’d definitely notice if they WEREN’T there, so… Fun fact: a couple of pics I found showed some variation of the words ‘NO STEP’ on that floor panel, so I added that to mine too…but like the pedals it’s not super visible on the 1:1 OR the model. I know it’s there though… Next step was getting the steering linkages in - another fun fact, one early iteration of this car had the steering box offset despite there being a perfectly good bracket for the box welded to the frame. Why? Who knows, but I did the offset box and angled rod anyway… It’s starting to look like a thing! I ordered some of those nice RB Motion rod ends for this build, so I got linkages made and installed too: RB Motion makes such nice parts! Next job is making the rear hubs and disc brakes - but I did a quick mock-up for my own amusement: More soon! Edited January 24, 2022 by CabDriver 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) Jim are the tank straps plastic and just for looks? You have done some amazing work.. Edited January 26, 2022 by slusher 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Mock up looks great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Lacy Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 This is looking awesome! It’s also a great study in how some of us go about complicating a very simple kit. 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooOld Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 This is some really fantastic work Jim , your modeling has improved sooooo much over the years ! All those little details like the pedals are what will make this one a trophy winner ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Mind-blowingly fabulous work on this Jim! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us. David G. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 On 1/23/2022 at 10:06 PM, CabDriver said: A little more on this little fella this past week… Got the ‘tins’ polished out and ready for installation… Made brackets and mounts for the pedals and got them mounted to the floor, which was the next part to install once the axle was in place: Not that you can see them particularly well, but you’d definitely notice if they WEREN’T there, so… Fun fact: a couple of pics I found showed some variation of the words ‘NO STEP’ on that floor panel, so I added that to mine too…but like the pedals it’s not super visible on the 1:1 OR the model. I know it’s there though… Next step was getting the steering linkages in - another fun fact, one early iteration of this car had the steering box offset despite there being a perfectly good bracket for the box welded to the frame. Why? Who knows, but I did the offset box and angled rod anyway… It’s starting to look like a thing! I ordered some of those nice RB Motion rod ends for this build, so I got linkages made and installed too: RB Motion makes such nice parts! Next job is making the rear hubs and disc brakes - but I did a quick mock-up for my own amusement: More soon! On 1/23/2022 at 11:30 PM, slusher said: Jim are the tank straps plastic and just for looks? You have done some amazing work.. Jim, I always comment on your builds but most of the time you never reply to my questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted January 27, 2022 Author Share Posted January 27, 2022 Thanks everyone! On 1/25/2022 at 12:34 AM, Dennis Lacy said: This is looking awesome! It’s also a great study in how some of us go about complicating a very simple kit. 🤣 No kiddin’ 😂. 22 hours ago, slusher said: Jim, I always comment on your builds but most of the time you never reply to my questions. I’m sorry - I try and usually reply to any questions…if I missed one of yours before just bump it to the top again and I’ll reply! No disrespect intended, and I always appreciate all the nice comments you leave!! Re. those tank straps you asked about, I found reference pics of the car with three types of those straps - either wound compression spring type ones, metal ‘loops’ or what looked like some kind of rubber hose. I went with some bent wire for mine…the spring type were coolest and a guitar strings would KINDA look right to replicate those, but the wire ones were the easiest to replicate in scale, I decided… Tonight’s little bit of progress…getting the wheels on! Not a super exciting process, but these spindly little frames are really easily tweaked and warped so I was worried about everything still being aligned right even though I spent some time early in the build trying to ensure it would go together ok. I intentionally left a little play in the receivers for the rear axle so that i could tweak it a little if it needed it, and ditto the front wheels. Spent a couple of hours just casually playing with it tonight and using some slow-setting CA glue to install a wheel at a time and tweak it to try and make sure the ride height was right and all four wheels touched the ground ok… The camera lens makes the front look a little wonky, but they’re straight in real life, promise… Oh, and I got the ‘chute installed ready for more detailing tomorrow (needs the pull handle and cables and so on…) Got a bunch of little details still to add here but it’s getting closer! More soon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 Wrapped this one up! Had a few little details to add and a little weathering left to do - this build will be part of a set with it riding on a replica of the Mooneyes ramp truck so that'll be a follow-up build later in the year...thanks for looking, everyone! FInished pics here: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 That is one fine looking dragster, great work ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Metallic Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 On 1/3/2022 at 4:39 PM, Daddyfink said: The first version of the Revell Mickey Thompson Attempt 1 kit has that style chute in it! Just in case you want to go down that Rabbit Hole! LOL! On 1/8/2022 at 11:44 PM, CabDriver said: Thanks fellas! @Daddyfink - I didn’t know that kit came with a ‘chute, thanks for the info!! I should pick one of those up… I realize your build is complete, awesome job by the way. Just wanted to clarify, you have to buy the original version of the Attempt 1 to get the chute (pictured here). It was left out of all the re-issues. That is because it is made from vacuum formed plastic. Revell probably didn't see fit to spend the money on it for eventual reissues. The cool thing about that issue is that it also included a trailer especially for that car (and other dragsters of that size.) It was also left out of any reissues i believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Looks good!!! -RRR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absmiami Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Messin around w your Moon Eyes. - hope you don’t mind … 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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