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Fairmont drag car build - Hanging/hinging DS door 8/10/16


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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry I've been away guys. That's the last time I'm going to say I'll try to post more pics the next day! LOL

Chris, Jim and Bill - thanks for your kind words. I've been plugging away on this as time has allowed and have made a bit of progress.

Here are the semi-finished forward rails with part of the lower A-arms attached.

parallel_front_rails.jpg

I built a jig to get the frame rail spacing uniform front to rear and to match the central frame rail section.

front_frame_in_jig.jpg

This shows the forward frame rails assembled with the front crossmember and the PE foldable tabs I'm using to attach the diagonal portion of the lower A-arms. Because I'm planning/hoping to use this frame section as a master for resin-cast pieces, the A-arm material and RB Motion joints are a bit larger than they would be in 1:1, but I feel better about building in a bit more cross-sectional strength since these will be somewhat delicate pieces to cast.

front_frame_w_chassis_tabs.jpg

I've got everything more or less attached together. There is a bit more filling and finishing that I plan to do around joints but you get the idea.

Forwardrailsandmockuppics009.jpg

Here are a couple mockup shots under the body with a 351C setting between the rails.

Forwardrailsandmockuppics006.jpg

Forwardrailsandmockuppics001.jpg

Forwardrailsandmockuppics002.jpg

This is an interesting detail I discovered a long time ago. The spacing for the shift towers on the 1/24th scale Monogram Glidden Lenco is identical to the spacing of the 1/25th scale Revell pro sportsman chassis. Who'd have figured that?

Forwardrailsandmockuppics004.jpg

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Joe - thanks for the kind words. Given the kind of work you're doing on your own project, it is a real compliment!

Niko - I appreciate your comments. I'm trying to do this as cleanly as I can. It still doesn't measure up to the work that many builders on here do, but it's where I'm at currently.

Hey Tyrone - thanks much bro. It's very much appreciated. I've admired the work you do on all your builds, so it means a lot...

Thanks Dave. Slow progress, but it's getting there. Thanks for your comment about my 351C. Lots of guys these days don't appreciate the "C" engine for it's role in Ford's success in the 70s and early 80s. BTW, I'm going to draw up some lower strut arm mounts. I think your suggestion is a keeper!

Thanks Todd. I know where you're coming from, but I've been a Cleveland fan since they first showed up in Ford Pro Stock, Modified and Comp classes back in the 70s, plus I own a 1:1 Cleveland, so I have an allegiance to them...

Edited by futurattraction
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  • 3 months later...

Slacking off??? What are you talking about Joe? I've been busy! I promise I'll have something posted soon. I have been working on it, just no pics. Our new kitty Emilee makes taking pics a whole lot more challenging than Isabel ever did. I have to put everything away between photo sessions or it'll either be batted on the floor and lost or perforated by her sharp little teeth.

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Slacking off??? What are you talking about Joe? I've been busy! I promise I'll have something posted soon. I have been working on it, just no pics. Our new kitty Emilee makes taking pics a whole lot more challenging than Isabel ever did. I have to put everything away between photo sessions or it'll either be batted on the floor and lost or perforated by her sharp little teeth.

Whoa easy there fella, just playin lol. Can't wait to see the update.

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Sorry Joe. I should have added a smiley emoticon. I was smiling pretty much the entire time I was typing my response except when thinking about how much of a little menace Emilee is... :huh: Sorry if I "sounded" like I was upset. I certainly wasn't. I will post some pics soon - maybe not so much showing "progress" as attempts at progress... LOL

Edited by futurattraction
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Sorry Joe. I should have added a smiley emoticon. I was smiling pretty much the entire time I was typing my response except when thinking about how much of a little menace Emilee is... :huh: Sorry if I "sounded" like I was upset. I certainly wasn't. I will post some pics soon - maybe not so much showing "progress" as attempts at progress... LOL

Nah not taken that way at all Scott.

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Okay. I fell off the horse but I'm gonna try to jump back on. LOL

I may be short of pictures for a day or two, but I'll describe where things kind of derailed. My original plan had been to fabricate forward frame rails and A-arm assemblies that would form the foundation for the front of my Fairmont. As seen in earlier pictures, I got the master made and molded it, but I did a screwy job on the mold. I didn't think it through as well as I should have. In the process of removing the master, it basically came apart in my hands. I thought to myself: If I can't get the master how, how in Heaven's name am I going to get a resin piece out without messing it up. Everything surrounding that particular endeavor stunk.

I then went back and rebuilt the master and made a much simpler mold. I did succeed in at least removing the master without destroying it this time! Here's a casting that came out of the second mold - proof that I didn't mess it up, too! LOL

newstockFairmontandchassispics004.jpg

The good news is that while messing around with all the forward frame stuff, I was at least able to finish putting together the central frame rail system under the driver's compartment.

newstockFairmontandchassispics003.jpg

I will readily confess that to be truly in scale, I should be using .063" material to match with 1-5/8" but one of the compromises I've chosen to make on this project is to use .080" because the extra diameter adds additional strength and cross-section to make it (somewhat) easier to mold and cast. This is especially important to me since I'm hoping/expecting to sell many of these pieces eventually and integrity, both mine personally and my parts' is important. The problem I encountered was, when casting the "bare" forward frame rail, the fragile A-arm attachment points were proving to be a real challenge, plus .080" rail material is better than .063" but it still really doesn't offer much support for the weight of any model, let alone a resin-bodied car. After talking to Ed Fluck and another builder, I decided I really needed to go in a different direction altogether to incorporate more strength into the forward assembly, plus accommodate a stronger suspension mounting system. What I came up with consists of .080" rod formed around some .032" 3003 H-14 aluminum. I was able to draw it out on my CAD program and come up with some working templates. I think - I hope that everything will fit the way it looks to when mocked up by hand. This is a pic of the masters, which incorporate collars made out of 3/32" (.094) tubing, which will provide the mounting point for the upper strut mounts.

newstockFairmontandchassispics002.jpg

Probably better quit for tonight. I'll try to better stay on top of this in the future.

Edited by futurattraction
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Scott ,

Your craftmanship is absolutely remarkable.

You have a tremendous website. I want to express my deepest sympathy on the passing of

Isabel (1994 -2012). She must have given the family much love. I never was friends with a

cat until I met my wife. We have had out cat Fluffy for going on 17 years now. We need to

give her fluid every day with a needle and pills. She still does not hold a grudge, and enjoys life.

Thanks for making a great line of parts.

Ron

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