Super Gas '77 Vega--Completed! (11/12)

[Straightliner59]

Rear wheels are Alclad Chrome over cheap, Walmart Color Place Gloss Black spray. I'm happy with 'em! Snake always swore by the Color Place Flat Black, until they quit making it. The gloss works great, too. Lays down, smoothly and dries quickly.

Edited August 10, 2022 by Straightliner59

[geemoney]

wheels look good!

i LOVED that color place flat black too

[Straightliner59]

21 minutes ago, geemoney said:

wheels look good!

i LOVED that color place flat black too

Thank you, Michael! I'm really happy with the gloss black. I never found out about the flat black, until it was gone! I'll probably try the white, on something, at some point.

Edited August 10, 2022 by Straightliner59

[Straightliner59]

I think the rear wheels and brakes are done! They're the most involved set I've done. Wheel studs are .020" brass rod, lug nuts are .040" hex stock, bored on the lathe. I used straight pin points for the valve stems and added Mark Williams tags to the axles. Now, to finish up the slicks (just a little clean up), and get these back in them, without damaging the finish on the wheels. I made a small fixture to align the wheels and hubs, while I installed the studs. It was necessary, as some pressure was required to insert the studs, and to press the lugs over them. 

[Ian McLaren]

Daniel everything looks great the Mark Williams logos are a nice touch that most people miss, well done!

Edited August 11, 2022 by Ian McLaren

[absmiami]

so this is what you've been up to lately

 

very nice

 

...  ..

 

[DustyMojave]

I'm not a Chevy guy, nor much into drag racing. But I like this build.

Maybe in part because an old friend in my little town has one JUST like this, even the red color, hood scoop and wheels! He's a retired UPS mechanic and built it himself about 20 years ago. 4-bolt main small block with a single 4bbl and Power Slide trans, 10,000RPM torque converter. Narrowed 9in on Alston links. Vega front suspension. Runs high 9s in the 1/4.

Of course, being built by Straightliner59, the details on this build are over the top for a curbside!

Edited August 11, 2022 by DustyMojave

[Straightliner59]

21 hours ago, Ian McLaren said:

Daniel everything looks great the Mark Williams logos are a nice touch that most people miss, well done!

Thanks, Ian. Yes, I appreciate those kinds of little details! I know that Francis does, as well. Those are on one of Slixx's "Goodie" sheets. I was just going to make and print some, when I noticed them. I still want to print a small sheet of axle tags--Strange, MW, Summers Bros...If Mark Williams is still in the same place, they're just a few miles north of me!

 

13 hours ago, absmiami said:

so this is what you've been up to lately

 

very nice

 

...  ..

 

Thank you, Mr. Sapiro! I'd been fiddling around with a couple of things, and this one caught my attention!

 

11 hours ago, DustyMojave said:

I'm not a Chevy guy, nor much into drag racing. But I like this build.

Maybe in part because an old friend in my little town has one JUST like this, even the red color, hood scoop and wheels! He's a retired UPS mechanic and built it himself about 20 years ago. 4-bolt main small block with a single 4bbl and Power Slide trans, 10,000RPM torque converter. Narrowed 9in on Alston links. Vega front suspension. Runs high 9s in the 1/4.

Of course, being built by Straightliner59, the details on this build are over the top for a curbside!

Thank you, so much, Richard. I appreciate your kind words! That definitely sounds like a cool Vega. And a doppelganger! I've always loved them, for some strange reason. Running high 9s, it maybe could run Super Gas, at its 9.90 index. Gotta' have those details, my friend!

Edited August 12, 2022 by Straightliner59

[Straightliner59]

I cut a slot in the hump, and made a reverser handle. I am still figuring how I will build the shifter "towers". Linkages should be pretty straightforward. I also did a new pair of slicks. I wasn't completely happy with the first set, regarding the finish. These are lettered with Slixx decals from a drag racing tire markings sheet. They still need to be "dusted up". 🙂

I sprayed semi-flat black on the chassis plate. I'll cover the gas tank with the bottom of a fuel cell from a Johan RoadRunner/Superbird NASCAR kit. I need to add a lower "bar" for each side of the rear suspension, headers (partial) and build the wheelie bars. Then, I can finish the front wheel/tire assemblies, and put it on the wheels.\

As always, questions, critiques and comments are welcome. Thanks for looking!

[Straightliner59]

Got some work done on the Lenco shifter unit. Still a bit of tweaking to do...

[Ian McLaren]

I'm liking the shifter, and the slicks.  Looking forward to the next update.

[Straightliner59]

3 hours ago, Ian McLaren said:

I'm liking the shifter, and the slicks.  Looking forward to the next update.

Thank you, sir. At some point, I'll toss the shifter in some acetone to loosen the superglue, so I can drill the rest of the holes, and generally clean it all up, before paint and final assembly. 

[Ian McLaren]

14 minutes ago, Straightliner59 said:

Thank you, sir. At some point, I'll toss the shifter in some acetone to loosen the superglue, so I can drill the rest of the holes, and generally clean it all up, before paint and final assembly. 

That's a trick I just learned while doing the cowl on the FED, a while being in the acetone loosens the part, two hours and the glue is completely gone, no residue.  Doesn't work nearly as good on plastic though. 

[Straightliner59]

3 minutes ago, Ian McLaren said:

Doesn't work nearly as good on plastic though.

😂 No, it does not!

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Cool shifter Daniel, these Lenco shifters have always impressed me, they scream drag racing and they make a good focal point in any car interior! 😁

I realize you are updating the title of your thread as you progress but I didn't know it was possible to do that.

[Straightliner59]

21 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Cool shifter Daniel, these Lenco shifters have always impressed me, they scream drag racing and they make a good focal point in any car interior! 😁

I realize you are updating the title of your thread as you progress but I didn't know it was possible to do that.

Thank you, Francis. The Lencos really do add some interest to the interior! I made some handles for the levers from small tubing. I am still figuring how I will make the "tower" for each gear case. 

You can edit the title by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of the first post in your thread, then click "edit". There, you can update the thread title. 

[Tedly]

All I can say is "WOW" I sure learned a lot and got a lot of ideas from this thread. Thanks a bunch for the ideas and lessons.

[Straightliner59]

3 hours ago, Tedly said:

All I can say is "WOW" I sure learned a lot and got a lot of ideas from this thread. Thanks a bunch for the ideas and lessons.

Thank you, Ted! I'm getting the "towers" worked up, now. I found some photoetched linkage parts that will work beautifully for the shifter actuators. I used a Dremel circular saw blade in the mill to slot the towers, once I'd shaped them. I couldn't get them cut with a hand saw--it just tore up the tubing. Anyway, I hope to have some photos in the next few days. I'm happy that you've found some inspiration, here! I appreciate you saying so.

[Straightliner59]

Here are the shifter "towers". I shaped 1/16" aluminum tubing, then clamped them in the machine vise to drill them, and slot them using a Dremel circular saw blade. I'm surprised the blade didn't tear up the tubing, given its poor state! I have ten Gyros 120 tpi blades coming that are .005" thick. They should work, nicely. I also soldered some .008" brass wire, to make the t-pins that hold the actuator mechanisms in the towers. It will likely prove a tricky proposition, getting the actuators in place, and slipping the t-pins through them! 

As always, questions, comments and critiques are welcomed. Thanks, for looking!

[Straightliner59]

A little more work done to the shift towers...

I also got a set of Eduard belts to try out. I'll place some Simpson decals over the Sabelt tags.

[MADmodelDOCTOR]

I love Chevies and drag racing! Looking good. Nice job on wheels and brakes.

[Straightliner59]

12 hours ago, MADmodelDOCTOR said:

I love Chevies and drag racing! Looking good. Nice job on wheels and brakes.

Thanks, Ken. Appreciate it!

[Straightliner59]

I have the main cage loop built. I think I have a nice cheat figured out for the front lower bars of the cage and the halo section that should make it a pretty simple installation; key word "should".😄 The cage is .060" styrene rod--it's not quite in its place, in the photos. Once it's sorted, I can finish installing the tunnel, and the bits for the shifters. Then, it'll be on to the seats and dash, and a scratched tach for the dash. I've started kicking around ideas for an appropriately-styled (tacky?) '80s paint scheme. Questions, critiques and comments are always welcomed. Thanks for looking!

[Straightliner59]

The cage is roughed-in! In order to make my life easier, I drilled holes in the dash that I can feed the cage "tubing" through, once it's initially bent. I fish-mouthed, and bored one end of the rod for a pin that inserts into the main hoop. Now, I can secure both ends of the cage member(s), while fine-tuning their fit. Finally, I will cut and fit the header bar. The lower front "tubes" will be built separately, along with the cross tube, which will hang the pedals. No floor plates are required, because the cage is welded to the chassis, rather than bolted (Hey, it's curbside, so, if I say so!😁). Next, I'll get the door bars cut and pinned in place. I welcome any comments you may have. Thanks...again, for looking!

[Ian McLaren]

The interior is coming along nicely and the cage style is very appropriate for the era, I also see the start of some wheelie bars sticking out. I've used the Eduard belt sets in a couple of aircraft, I was very impressed with them