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'71 Vega project!!!!


cruz

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Wow Cruz, this one looks like a tough one, I am getting a headache just looking at the stuff your'e doing to this thing. If I could build like that and have my way I would keep the outside Vega look intact and surprise them with the Buick engine. Do they make any photo-etch detail sets for the Grand National? You could put the GN badges all around the car and paint it all black, this way you can go all GN.

Once upon a time, someone made PE for the GN but they are LONG OOP. I saw one once on Ebay but didn't win it.

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Okay guys, I promise this will be the last change on this build. I will have to go w/ Bill Geary's suggestion and incorporate a Rotary engine on this thing. :blink:

After putting together the Grand National engine I was having troubles with the oil pan being too close to the ground and since I want this thing in the weeds that became a problem. I can bring the model up and make the stance a bit higher but I don't want to do that.

Some people suggested that I install a scoop on the hood but I want this model as stock and quiet as possible on the outside so that option is out the window. I started working w/ the Rotary engine and I am starting to like it, it will definitely be unique!!! ;)

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This is more or less what I'm going for, this is just the block (or cylinder if you will) of the engine.

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This is a souped up version of a 1/1 Rotary engine.

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This is coming along nicely. I am looking forward to seeing it come together. It's been fun to watch. Great stuff!

My high school car was a Bug Eye Sprite with a ported rotary. It was a blst, but not exactly quiet.

Just as an FYI...

There are three types of porting that can be done to a Wankle (rotary) engine

1) A regular street port which simply ones up the the existing L shaped ports that start on the outside and the make a turn into the combusiton chamber. These will show 4 induction ports on the plates like yours does. My Sprite had this.

2) The next is a bridge port where a second port is cut into the plate after the second leg of the L that faces the combustion chamber. Depending on the size of the second port, these are barely streetable, but fast as He))! They also have a wicked lope. I've ridden in a couple of theses.

3) The port style is the perfial port. The L ports are sealed up and holes are cut directly into the chamber. The souped up pic you have is of a perifial port. I have never heard of one of these being able to run on the street. You would have to have a pretty exotic fuel arrangement. I've never heard one run.

Let's see how wild you get!

Scott

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Neat, IIRC GM had been working on a Rotory until the first gas crunch hit and were going to be putting that in the Monza (and the Pacer was also going to get that motor too IIRC), so this could be the phantom type "swap that could have been" in this little car :lol:

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I have taken advantage of the little bit of time I had this weekend and Acladed several parts and put together others around the engine!

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This is the front bumper and scraped grill, I am happy with the results!!

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This is the intake manifold and the small velocity stacks, was gonna go with the previously shown Holley carb set-up but thought it was a bit out of scale.

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Here I added the oil filter, oil filler tube and did a mockup/install on the engine bay to have an idea how it will look sitting in the engine bay. I also installed the intake manifold and stacks!!

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Wow, looks just like the rotary engines my boys have around my way. What are you doing for the exhaust system? Are you putting headers or something? This is really an awesome build, I am glad you decided on that engine, makes it even more unique.

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Wow, looks just like the rotary engines my boys have around my way. What are you doing for the exhaust system? Are you putting headers or something? This is really an awesome build, I am glad you decided on that engine, makes it even more unique.
Thanks Jay, I too am happy I opted for the Rotary engine! For the headers, I was going to use solder like a lot of the guys do here to make them out of scratch but I prefer using Wire Form, it is slightly harder to bend than solder but soft enough to be easily bent. It's sold @ Michael's just in case someone wants to know.

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This one is actually thicker than the one I use, it's just that it still has the brand name stuck to it just in case you guys need the info. I also had some K&S brand tubing for the installation of the header collector at the end. Also, it's cool if you have a tube cutter, you want these cuts to be clean!

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Took me several tries before I was able to make the correct bends. I have another Rotary engine in my stash so I used it for mock-up purposes, didn't want to take any risks and mess the other one up specially after Alclading some parts on it. Found out that it is better to do your bends with the wire form installed on the engine first, from that point I was able to be more easily creative.

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I will install the headers at the point where the engine meets the bay, I will need the flexibility of the moving headers when accomodating the engine block at that point. Here is more or less how it will look at the end.....

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Still have to do a little bending here and there but that's at least an idea of what I want to achieve. Thanks for looking!!!

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Completed a bit of the interior, used embossing powder for the carpet and some other details like a P/E CD and a Detail Master shifter knob and gauge set. Painted everything w/ Testor's semi gloss black enamel paint. The bucket seats are from a '69 Revell Camaro that I had in my parts box, the ones from the Vega kit were molded in place and I wasn't too crazy about them.... :P

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I think the shifter knob is slightly out of scale but my excuse is that this is Bill Geary's Vega and he needs that big knob for those huge hands of his when at the track!!! :lol:;):lol:

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