Straightliner59 Posted November 12, 2022 Share Posted November 12, 2022 I've long needed a Vega in my display case. Now, I have one! This began as a red promo. In order to ensure that the red wouldn't cause my Mulsanne Blue paint to turn purple, I would need to block the red pigment. I remember Bill Geary mentioning that he uses Zinsser BIN primer. I didn't find that, at the store I went to, but I did find Zinsser Bullseye 1 2 3 primer in a spray can. It worked, beautifully! It covered the red plastic in pure white, and didn't attack the sometimes finicky and sensitive promo plastic. I recommend it, and will use it, going forward. The interior aluminum panels, wheel tubs and trans tunnel are fabricated from Maid-O-Metal 36 ga. tooling aluminum. It's nicely malleable, and easy to work, given a little practice. The main floorboard is aluminum flashing. The flashing is much more rigid than the tooling aluminum, and I prefer it, for structural members. The seat is from a Johan Sox and Martin 'Cuda--one of my favorite-ever parts kits. This project saw my first use of Eduard belts. They look really nice, but, they are stiffer to wok with than the wine bottle foil, I generally use. The Lenco shift levers, reverser, shift "towers" and actuator rods are scratch built from various materials. Window net is masking tape. The dash features an aluminum gauge panel, and photo-reduced gauge faces. Roll cage is .060" plastic rod. Chassis detail is minimal. Only the lower sections of the headers and the lower four-link bars are present. I also added the bottom of a fuel cell, and covered that with tooling aluminum. I bent a "loop" of brass rod, to mount the 'chute mount to. I also added shroud lines, release cable and "Remove Before Flight" tag. The tag was made from decals I printed, applied to wine bottle foil. Headlights were drilled out and replaced with reflectors made from tooling aluminum, using a doming block. Lenses are from the parts box. The hood scoop is mostly scratched. The graphics decals were designed and printed using PhotoImpact Pro 13 and an inkjet printer. Contingencies are from various decal sheets. Windows are clear styrene sheet (.005"), windshield is thermo-formed PET. I think that covers most everything. The WIP thread can be found here: Here are the glamour shots. Your comments are welcome. Thanks for looking! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYLIBUD Posted November 12, 2022 Share Posted November 12, 2022 Wow!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted November 12, 2022 Share Posted November 12, 2022 Very nice!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippi Posted November 12, 2022 Share Posted November 12, 2022 Your 77 Vega is a Great looking Drag car. Nice finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted November 13, 2022 Author Share Posted November 13, 2022 16 minutes ago, Zippi said: Your 77 Vega is a Great looking Drag car. Nice finish. hanks, Bob! I appreciate that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemifever Posted November 13, 2022 Share Posted November 13, 2022 Great build. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills72sj Posted November 13, 2022 Share Posted November 13, 2022 That is way cool. I would love to do a Pontiac Astre version of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted November 13, 2022 Author Share Posted November 13, 2022 2 hours ago, Bills72sj said: That is way cool. I would love to do a Pontiac Astre version of one. Thanks, Bill. Now, that would be cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted November 13, 2022 Share Posted November 13, 2022 Very nice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hmann68 Posted November 14, 2022 Share Posted November 14, 2022 Very nicely done!! Clean and sharp job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted November 14, 2022 Author Share Posted November 14, 2022 4 hours ago, Hmann68 said: Very nicely done!! Clean and sharp job! Thanks, Christopher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gseeds Posted November 14, 2022 Share Posted November 14, 2022 Awesome build !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catpack68 Posted November 14, 2022 Share Posted November 14, 2022 Very nice work! I would love to find a 77 Vega👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted November 14, 2022 Author Share Posted November 14, 2022 2 hours ago, gseeds said: Awesome build !! Thanks, Gary! You do some fine work, yourself, sir! 2 hours ago, catpack68 said: Very nice work! I would love to find a 77 Vega👍 Thanks, Scott. Promos are pretty reasonable, on Ebay, generally. Kits are a bit more costly. Promos work great for this kind of stuff, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Colmer Posted November 15, 2022 Share Posted November 15, 2022 Excellent work, Dan. I really enjoyed watching this one come together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted November 15, 2022 Author Share Posted November 15, 2022 8 minutes ago, Scott Colmer said: Excellent work, Dan. I really enjoyed watching this one come together. Thanks, Scott. I'm glad you did! It was a lot of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nacho Z Posted November 15, 2022 Share Posted November 15, 2022 This is just an all around great model! It is just soooo cool! Great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted November 15, 2022 Author Share Posted November 15, 2022 1 hour ago, Nacho Z said: This is just an all around great model! It is just soooo cool! Great job. Thank you, John! I appreciate that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted November 15, 2022 Share Posted November 15, 2022 Great looking Vega! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills72sj Posted November 15, 2022 Share Posted November 15, 2022 I just noticed the wheelie bar casters look like all the hardware is separate parts. Please share! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted November 15, 2022 Author Share Posted November 15, 2022 2 hours ago, slusher said: Great looking Vega! Thanks, Carl. I appreciate it! 2 hours ago, Bills72sj said: I just noticed the wheelie bar casters look like all the hardware is separate parts. Please share! I soldered brass tubing together, to make the actual wheelie bars (they could just as well be made of plastic). I used HO scale model railroad handrail stanchions for the Heim joints. The side plates were cut and filed from aluminum sheet (or, maybe flattened tubing). The wheels were turned from a plastic coat hanger. The caster assemblies are held together with model railroad hex nut/bolt/washer castings. Here are some photos of their construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted November 15, 2022 Share Posted November 15, 2022 Nice work Daniel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewetwo Posted November 15, 2022 Share Posted November 15, 2022 Sharp looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills72sj Posted November 16, 2022 Share Posted November 16, 2022 Most impressive! (and imaginative) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted November 16, 2022 Author Share Posted November 16, 2022 15 hours ago, ewetwo said: Sharp looking. Thanks, David. 2 hours ago, Bills72sj said: Most impressive! (and imaginative) Thank you, Bill! I appreciate it, gentlemen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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