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Accurate Miniatures Corvette Grand Sport


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This one has been on my bucket list from day 1. The AM kit looks like a good one but one issue I see in many builds is that the car rides rather high.

I don't know if it is by design of issues with assembly but it's a must fix for me.

Instructions are of a different style but not as bad as what I had read on various forums (so far...). However there is a definite lack of part positioning visuals so I am doing a lot of test fitting to figure it out.

I am changing the order of build a bit. To get the ride height I am looking for I want to make sure I deal with any fit/interference issues starting with the interior to body fit. I mocked up the interior pan, door panels and IP and test fitted to the body. Looks ok but it needs something to fix the location better so I glued in the firewall to interior tub and the rear wheel well to the tub and added guides to the rear of the body for lateral location control. A a later point I will need to make sure the glass does not add interference.

 

 

GS wip2.jpg

GS wip1.jpg

Edited by Pierre Rivard
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Next step was to mock up the rear suspension chassis and mate the chassis to the floorpan. Yep, it rides too high. The gap of the chassis bracket to floorpan give me an indication there may be interference (first pic). I located and removed (fancy word for...sanding) interferences between the roll bar support and rear wheel well cutouts and between the chassis crossbar and floorpan where it transitions to the vertical wall behind the seats. I now have a nice snug chassis to floorpan fit and the ride height is much lower (pics 2-3)

 

GS wip3.jpg

GS wip5.jpg

GS wip4.jpg

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The last step of fixing the rear chassis is that it rides higher on one side. This is more an issue of how the assembly of parts does has a single vertical control with the diff/spring leaf unit attaching to the chassis in the center. I spent considerable tine measuring and moving parts until I felt I was level to the chassis measured side to side.

I then proceeded to adding cement to the preassembled  the rear unit mated to the chassis in the following order. Radius arm to chassis, Diferential to chassis, and then radius arms to half shafts and cross links. Check again, adjust and lots of curing time.

GS wip6.jpg

Edited by Pierre Rivard
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Nice work thinking through what it'll take so the model doesn't sit up like a 4X4.

I started one of these some time back, and when I saw the mocked-up ride height, put it away until I had more time to re-engineer things.

I'll stay tuned into this channel for breaking news.    :D

EDIT: One suggestion...look at the thickness of the lips of the fender flares on the real cars, as compared to the model.

I believe you can pick up a little room for lowering the car, particularly in the front.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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Thank you all for the valuable input. I'll take any advice coming my way, especially with this "delicate" kit.

Thanks Bill for pointing out the thickness of the fender flare lips. I'll add it to the list for body work. besides it will help grow the fender opening and hide a bit tires that appear a bit oversized in diameter.

Good point JC on ride height. Ride height is a pet peeve of mine and a race car that sits high looks odd to me. Besides I can always shim it up if I have gone a bit too low. Realism over accuracy I guess.

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Looks pretty close to the ride height in this photo:

Corvette Grand SportAccurate Miniatures Corvette Grand Sport (Revell Boxing) | iModeler

However you can also find period photos with a lower ride height:

GM Heritage Center | Corvette Grand Sport

I too would likely chose the lowered stance.

 

 

Edited by afx
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lower ...

you're on the right track ...

please fill in / complete the base of the chass rails

this feature on the kit drives me crazy ...

oh wait - the whole kit drives me crazy  ...

by the way - I'm convinced that the side draft carbs are too large ...

 

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All great feedback. The problem to me is that the model by design sits too high. Add to this the oversized tires and it looks like a 4x4 toy.

If I am to proceed with this build I need to find a way to mask these issues.

My thinking has been to find ways to lower it as much as possible and then thin the lip of fender flares to improve the wheel opening to tire proportions. If I can't make that work then I  need to find better proportioned wheels & tires. Maybe HRM stuff but to get that in Canada...

So I'm gonna try to make plan A work. All the input from you guys is fantastic.

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So today i tackled the front end. The way it assembles I can't mock it up without some gluing. Cross my fingers.

I started by cementing the lower arms in a horizontal plane. Not quite right but I gotta do it. I then glued the upper A arms without the uprights in.

The plan is to allow the uprights to snap in and out of position so that I can make adjustments to the upright to brake assembly as a way to finesse the wheel position. Eventually the uprights will be cemented to the A's.

 

GS wip7.jpg

GS wip8.jpg

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Now I can mock up the ride height, one side at a time because the front wheel to brake to upright is just balanced in position. That's why I do this with the body sitting on it's side. See pics ob both sides. Looking positive but still some tweaking because the right side sits lower than the left.

I also need to make adjustments to the rear wheels that are toed in. 

That's a story developing with this kit. The parts look good but nothing fits without many adjustments. If you want a nice relaxing OOB project this is not the one.

 

GS wip9.jpg

GS wip10.jpg

GS wip11.jpg

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46 minutes ago, Pierre Rivard said:

...The problem to me is that the model by design sits too high. Add to this the oversized tires and it looks like a 4x4 toy.

Yup. The aspect ratio of the tires is wrong, too tall sidewalls, particularly noticeable on the front.

But what you've got going so far is looking better than I've ever seen this kit built (far as I recall).  :D

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I have two of these kits as well (two GS coupes and the roadster transkit) and yes, the ride height has been a MAJOR turnoff for me building this for years. Every one I've ever seen sat way too high, and there was one in an ad in SA(e) many years ago that I'm surprised got used as it sat up like a 4x4 truck. 🤯

I'll definitely be following this thread as you're doing some very good work in making this sit correctly to your liking, and I can keep the pointers in mind.

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Glad I found your WIP, Pierre. I agree that the ride height is a bit too high on the oob model. I'm glad you're fixing it. If the 3 car above is an accurate miniatures, it also seems that the tires are a bit too large compared to the refence of real cars posted. Maybe with tire decals it wil make them look less large. The stripes and the Firestone decals should help. Can you share which driver and what color the car will be?

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the observation about the tire size is - I think - correct - 

opinions on a source for the correct size tire ?

maybe the resin tires that Harold Bradford makes for the Cobra Daytona ??

would Mr. Obsessive like to weigh in ???

 

 

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1 hour ago, absmiami said:

the observation about the tire size is - I think - correct - 

opinions on a source for the correct size tire ?

maybe the resin tires that Harold Bradford makes for the Cobra Daytona ??

would Mr. Obsessive like to weigh in ???

 

 

I measured the tires and the conversion to 1/1 would equate to 27.2" front and 28.3" rear. Anyone know what the real car tire size was?

Is Harold Bradford the old gent who only accepts phone orders and checks?

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2 hours ago, MarkJ said:

Glad I found your WIP, Pierre. I agree that the ride height is a bit too high on the oob model. I'm glad you're fixing it. If the 3 car above is an accurate miniatures, it also seems that the tires are a bit too large compared to the refence of real cars posted. Maybe with tire decals it wil make them look less large. The stripes and the Firestone decals should help. Can you share which driver and what color the car will be?

Welcome back friend! I am looking at ways to get the car to look more natural and I agree with you that some decal solution is needed to break the tall sidewall appearance.

Despite the challenges I love this car so much that I have a second kit on order. First one will be chassis 004 Sebring 1964.

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4 hours ago, Pierre Rivard said:

I measured the tires and the conversion to 1/1 would equate to 27.2" front and 28.3" rear. Anyone know what the real car tire size was?

In a quick search I couldn't find any data on the tire sizes of the real cars, but today's Goodyear vintage racing tire reproductions for an appropriate 15 inch front tire show diameters of 24.47, 24.5, 26.5, and 26.7 

The size ranges available in vintage tires made today are not as comprehensive as what was available in the period, but any of those numbers should reflect diameters that could have appeared on a real one.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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