Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

1/25 comp coupe


jmpsebring

Recommended Posts

Here we go! A couple weeks ago I saw a comp coupe photo on someone's Facebook page. I've always had a passion for them since childhood. (born 1955). So the search started for current day supplies of Drag parts. I've been building F1 and prototypes for the last 15 years. From 1/25th to 1/8th I was searching for everything. I ended up with some 1/25th parts and 1/16th parts. Still waiting for the 1/16th stuff to show, so instead of sitting on the computer looking at Chris's 1/16 funny car WIP, I decided to play with the 1/25th till the other stuff arrives.

I'm starting with the Jawbreaker kit and a flintstones resin body. The frame was a mess being warped and just poorly molded. The body is typical flintstone. It's OK........ I now remember why I switched to Tamiya years ago.

I build on graph paper making it far easier to keep things inline. I made a temp cross beam with a tab glued on to have a way to anchor the frame down to the flat base. Then used a small screw to center the frame. As you can see, being off center shows up instantly. I drilled out the ends of the frame and inserted pins. I used 1/16th tubing to make dead straight rails which will add a precision look (hopefully!) to the finished frame. Once cut to length, they were soldered to a tube. Again the graph paper made everything go quickly. The pins allow all of this section to be removable until final assy. So no worry melting the back half while soldering the front. Of course I had to set the body on the frame. I waste alot of time doing that kind of stuff.

post-9240-0-34917500-1328059670_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-80262300-1328060594_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-04425000-1328060607_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-65421500-1328060637_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-46841300-1328061333_thumb.jp

Edited by jmpsebring
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started cutting the body up in order to slam the thing all the way down. Plus I wanted to move it forward...so I attacked it with a barrel sander in my Dremel. The Jawbreaker had a vital piece of internal tub that needed serious trimming to fit the resin body. Plus at this point, I had to grind out the roof's thickness. Once I had the body on the frame with the tub and double checked everything... a couple drops of super glue locked in the tub and body forever. BTW I did pre-sand the tub.

post-9240-0-26314900-1328062125_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-37896600-1328062139_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-93132600-1328062228_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice work so far, especially hacking up a Flintstone resin - not my favorite pastime... I like the tub and the resultant lowered body position. I'm looking forward to seeing more on this one. Do you find the visit the drag racing world different in any way from your sojourn in the world of F1, Prototypes and Japanese models?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bernard I've always loved cars. At first it was drag racing. I'm from the West Palm Beach, Florida region. My first "real" job was at PB int raceway. Later it became MOROSO and now it's again PBIR. But I also grew up close to Sebring and Daytona. So Endurance racing is another fave of mine. As far as models go...It's not the subject it's the lack of quality. I'm amazed that 10-15 years after Boyd and Foose style hi tech customs, there is no hi tech 32 ford model yet. I don't want to ruffle feathers but the hot rod, drag area has not changed much reguardless of price. Model factory hiro in Japan makes jaw-dropping kits of extreme quality. They are big $$$, but they are complete. Here's a shot of a Ferrari OTB. But I have $200 wrapped up in a 1/16th model and it still won't be as high of quality as a standard MFH kit. I'm not complaining about the cost,just the lack of parts. I can't find 1/25th P/E dragster front wire wheels??!!! REALLY??? There is no 1/16th P/e engine set??

So I have a passion for most go fast things. Cars, boats,etc. I like making my own cars instead of a historical copy of something from history. But I have done that too. I worked in a Porsche prototype restoration shop for five years. Seeing the Daytona 24 hour winners posed on the banking was cool! Knowing that 4 or 5 of those winners I helped restore/maintain is even cooler.

Still nothing in the motorsports world can compete for the shear energy of two fuel cars leaving the line!

post-9240-0-22409600-1328065646_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanx for the reply Jack. I grew up in the Northeast so my roots were in sportscars but I saw my first hot rods when I was in first grade and always followed the drag racing game from as early as I can remember. So, much like you, I seem to have emphasized the other side of the continuum in my modeling, in my case vintage hot rods and drag cars. Like you, it's because they are satisfying and appropriate for the skill set I can bring to them. That's why I asked the question I did, and I really dig your answer. I agree, go fast is good in all its forms. And cost is a crutch when it comes to modeling. You do with what you have/want/can afford/find-a-way-to-get but it's what you do with it that counts. If it takes serious money to provide kits at the Model Factory Hiro level then so be it. I just want to make sure I have the skills that, if I build one, its not a waste of a perfectly good kit.

In the drag racing world, the aftermarket stuff is out there (regarding p/e front wheels, for example, see Machined Aluminum Specialties System 17 Top Fuel Front Wire Wheels - http://www.mas-parts.com/cart/indexframe.html ), as well as the builders in the straight line world working to the highest standards. If you haven't checked it out, look up Straightline Modelers ( http://www.straightlinemodeler.org/ ) which provides an insight into builders who combine the rigor of historical accuracy and the finesse of the super detail builders (the one doesn't necessarily guarantee the other). But historical accuracy is by no means an end in itself - I find it far more important that a model capture the spirit of the builder and his vision than it is a superb replica.

In any case, I'm into my 4th year of my return to car modeling so I have quite a good deal to learn. In the meantime I'll follow along with what appears to be very promising build of one of my favorite styles of drag cars, competition coupes. I completed one last year and it was one of the most enjoyable builds of my 2011.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jack, very cool build!

MAS has changed hands a couple times now.... Don't get me wrong MAS has some nice stuff, but their PE wheels are not the base for accuracy. If you want something that looking like the real thing in 1/16. You should read up on some of the guys posts that are lacing their own wheels either from styrene or scale diameter size SS rod or Aluminum or Brass rod... They look a thousand times more realistic then any 2D PE part could come out after layering the spokes together.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the heads up. I will slow down a little until I get some of my 1/16 stuff in hand. I did get my 1/16 Comp resins body in today!!! Very nice casting, nice master, I'm very happy with the product. :P

Back to this tiny model. I know it's looking rough right now. It's about to get worse. I'm not saying this is the best way to do this...just another way to do this. We all have something to offer.

I cut a couple of strips and pre-bent them over a 1/2" rod to 'help' it conform to the inside wheelwell. They were glued in place. One side was pretty close..the other way off. I bridged the gap with a piece of plastic. I use a fantastic product from AVES Apoxie called Apoxie Sculpt. It's basically A/B epoxie putty. It's a little like soft warm clay. Not sticky to your fingers and easy to mold in and around areas. I bridged the gaps all around the body and wheelwells and let it dry for a couple hours.

It was important to get the new bottom side window line equal in thickness. Also the edge is not square, it's rounded. I used a piece of rod to define the path and create the new wheelwell's outer edge. I got lucky. The gap just happen to be wide enough to countersink the rod to the depth of the bodies outter surface..... :blink: Ya following that!!??

post-9240-0-23579100-1328139139_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-42385800-1328139247_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-91376300-1328139271_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-36866700-1328139298_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Once filled and dried, I cut off the excess, then ground down the outside edge to tidy things up. A little careful sanding and then more APOXIE around the A-pillar and down the front of the body. This stuff feathers out perfectly with their alcohol-based thinner. Also vital to the look was rounding out the bottom corners of the side windows. Visually it makes the modifications look planned & finished instead of just assaulted!

post-9240-0-89232100-1328228083_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-36591700-1328228120_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-20616600-1328228163_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-81584700-1328228176_thumb.jp

Edited by jmpsebring
Link to comment
Share on other sites

More 1/16th stuff arriving! But I don't have this body in 1/16th so this will have to do. This doesn't have to be any super detailed build. Just having fun and it's capturing the look I am striving for.

I started on the forward frame this morning. While it's harder to cut brass, it's way easier to allow solder to fill and contour around a joint. I'm trying to get in the habit of pre-sanding all tubes before cutting and installing. It's so much faster than cleaning up after the build. The Flintstone body is what it is. I sanded off the drip rail over the windows because it was poorly finished. I'm almost to the point where the rough body work is done. Some internal smoothing, exterior sanding and body mounts come next. I need some old school M&H slick tires. I'm out of my element here. I had a set in the 60's! They are gone now. I did find an aluminum moon tank. Always wanted one as a broke teen....but never bought one. Any aftermarket making a good resin slick?

Every time I look at this, all I see is red color on a black frame. If this is an old car, I guess there wasn't alot of choice back then.

post-9240-0-23040800-1328373381_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-53522100-1328373400_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-88848500-1328373414_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-73972100-1328373435_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-54847200-1328373445_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-67816500-1328373462_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-29556200-1328373476_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a very cool image. It'sototally understandable it would get you back to building drag cars. How could you resist? Love the wheel well work on the body.

Some notes on sources for future 1/25 work. Regarding a Bantam body there's are vendors on e-bay I have bought from repeatedly who do fine work and provide an excellent product, thin, clean, etc. Light years ahead of JF and inexpensive. I used one of these Bantam bodies last summer and was quite pleased. Worth keeping an eye out for. My current favorite is gregory23scs.gif. It's all very strange since they seem to offer the same merchandise under different names... Unfortunatekly gregory23scs.gif has nothing on offer at present bit will reappear shortly with a full li neup once again. Bizarre... Here are some pics of mine before it got painted and finished out for my build:

th_DSCF4599-web.jpgth_DSCF4592-web.jpgth_DSCF4594-web.jpg

(Click on pictures for larger image)

Regarding M&H Dragmaster tires the best sources for these are Modelhaus and Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland. Unfortunately delivery time form either of these companies is 6-8 weeks. To make matters worse, Replicas & Miniatures, hands down the finest resin caster on the planet, doesn't even have a web site! And Modelhaus has an excellent site for ordering but it has no images! Replicas & Miniatures can be reached at replmincomd@aol.com . The prorpietor is Norm Veber and he offers a 30+ page catalog that's well worth the $4.00. He offers a large selection of 1/16 scale parts as well. Modelhaus is at http://www.modelhaus.com/ . Look under Parts, Tires, for various offerings. The description for the M&H Racemasters is as follows:

T-291 (1959-1962) two Racemaster Drag Slick tires, 8.00-14 size, flexible black resin; Tires; Price : $4.50

But just as nice is the new Parts Pack from AMT under the new owners, Round2, who are creating new tools for all the old AMT tires. There first release is a set of 4 [airs of Racemasters in various sidewall configurations. Generally available at your LHS and online for around $10.00. Here's a pic:

0mh1.jpg

I'm looking forward to seeing your build progress and learning more cool techniques...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started on the front suspension with no plan at all. The kit's axle was held together with the bodywork, not really attached to the frame. The part itself was horrible. The middle section would never look as round and polished as it should. I tried bending an axle, etc, with no great breakthrough. Then I decided to just use the ends. I cut a couple pieces of brass 3/32nds tubing and soldered them to the end of the fork. I piece of 1/16th alum tubing held them in alignment while soldering with no fear of soldering the tubes together. A piece of tubing will be kept in place with hidden joints, when the parts are finally installed. The outer parts are glued forever. It will allow me to build the radius rods, steering ,etc.

The next big problem was the inside of the shell. It was rough from chopping and grinding and was pretty poor to begin with. I smoothed it out some and brought out a marvelous product. Apoxie Paste, is a must for blending shapes together. It's the worse product ever to apply, being an extremely sticky, gooey paste. I put it in place then cleaned my hands and the car body surface. Once you wet your fingers with their solvent, the top surface melts away allowing you to push and contour the paste into a perfect smooth surface. I also used a wet Q-tip to shape the paste. Once finished, the paste appears continues to pull back and recess itself into the corners (i think) while it dries. Or it's just getting translucent so it appears to be shrinking. Anyway the stuff is like magic. The photo's are right after i finished smoothing out the paste and a final wipedown of the surface.

post-9240-0-55476100-1328460145_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-02412100-1328460159_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-21863400-1328460174_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-86515300-1328460225_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-67477700-1328460231_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-16686600-1328460241_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a very cool image. It'sototally understandable it would get you back to building drag cars. How could you resist? Love the wheel well work on the body.

Some notes on sources for future 1/25 work. Regarding a Bantam body there's are vendors on e-bay I have bought from repeatedly who do fine work and provide an excellent product, thin, clean, etc. Light years ahead of JF and inexpensive. I used one of these Bantam bodies last summer and was quite pleased. Worth keeping an eye out for. My current favorite is gregory23scs.gif. It's all very strange since they seem to offer the same merchandise under different names... Unfortunatekly gregory23scs.gif has nothing on offer at present bit will reappear shortly with a full li neup once again. Bizarre... Here are some pics of mine before it got painted and finished out for my build:

th_DSCF4599-web.jpgth_DSCF4592-web.jpgth_DSCF4594-web.jpg

(Click on pictures for larger image)

Regarding M&H Dragmaster tires the best sources for these are Modelhaus and Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland. Unfortunately delivery time form either of these companies is 6-8 weeks. To make matters worse, Replicas & Miniatures, hands down the finest resin caster on the planet, doesn't even have a web site! And Modelhaus has an excellent site for ordering but it has no images! Replicas & Miniatures can be reached at replmincomd@aol.com . The prorpietor is Norm Veber and he offers a 30+ page catalog that's well worth the $4.00. He offers a large selection of 1/16 scale parts as well. Modelhaus is at http://www.modelhaus.com/ . Look under Parts, Tires, for various offerings. The description for the M&H Racemasters is as follows:

T-291 (1959-1962) two Racemaster Drag Slick tires, 8.00-14 size, flexible black resin; Tires; Price : $4.50

But just as nice is the new Parts Pack from AMT under the new owners, Round2, who are creating new tools for all the old AMT tires. There first release is a set of 4 [airs of Racemasters in various sidewall configurations. Generally available at your LHS and online for around $10.00. Here's a pic:

0mh1.jpg

I'm looking forward to seeing your build progress and learning more cool techniques...

Thanks!! One jumps back in only to find some of the old stuff long gone. I'll keep an eye on ebay for the resin bods. Nice project, I'm beginning to appreciate this older stuff. When I was younger, i just wanted the newest, fastest, cars out there.

Edited by jmpsebring
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This things great!

Jim, if it wasn't for your products and an aftermarket engine, I would not have jumped into 1/16th at all. My kit should be here Mon-tue and I can't wait to see my hubs and wheels from you.!!!! Remember to bill me that 2nd charge for the added front wheels.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes work..or toys in the mail.. stop progress altgether. Every day this week something came in the mail. All of it was 1/16th car stuff. My dragster came in the mail so I cut the frame up. I can ruin a kit in seconds!! The wheels came in and they were stunning. The next day a Revellution funny car arrived and all I could see in that body was a PROMOD Duster in the rough. Shaved off the rear spoiler, and moved the front wheels back to 112" . This might become a full blown model. I saw a front gear driven twin turbo setup online. It will be a cool combo. The 1/16th dragster with the comp resin 23T body is taking shape quickly. I built the frame today, and of course did another mockup for visual stimulation. I swear I made no engine noises. :unsure:

post-9240-0-95821300-1328927124_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-62474400-1328927186_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-36130700-1328927193_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-24398500-1328927202_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look at this cool setup! A gear-driven twin turbo allows you to keep the headers simple and the intakes feeding the intake manifold from the front. It's different, and it would be tough to make exact, but not real hard to make it capture the look. Of course one would need a couple turbo's.....

post-9240-0-44503800-1328967198_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-19711500-1328967247_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-55384000-1328967468_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-13096200-1328967581_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm always struck by the shear size and style of the Sonny's wide bore engines. I really like the valve covers. So I took the 1/16th funny car valve covers and cut them down. I filled them with epoxie putty and let dry. Shaped the cover with nailboards and put on a coat of primer to see if they looked the part. I was happy enough to keep right on going. I then added a .060 strip to widen the heads. Very thin end caps were glued on over ground down ends just to clean up the design. I took the funny cars block and widened it with two .060 strips of evergreen. I capped the top of the block making the head area of little bit wider. A couple of turbos have been temporarily set at their final angle with a bit of epoxie putty. The rest is just stuff to play with as the design continues. It's now a bigger more modern engine for sure. Nothings done...just getting some basic shapes together.

post-9240-0-37278700-1329018546_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-10501600-1329018557_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-81529500-1329018592_thumb.jp

post-9240-0-31582500-1329018630_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look at this cool setup! A gear-driven twin turbo allows you to keep the headers simple and the intakes feeding the intake manifold from the front. It's different, and it would be tough to make exact, but not real hard to make it capture the look. Of course one would need a couple turbo's.....

Those are acctually Procharger superchargers.

Great build, I like it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...