Ace-Garageguy Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 (edited) Starting a new, semi-box-stock build of Mickey Thompson's Challenger One, but in the original, non-supercharged version, without the hood scoops. I think it's a prettier car, and I'll probably be doing it in bare aluminum, as it was first presented to the press, before paint. I'll be back-dating the body, removing and filling the scoops, replacing the blowers with Hilborn injection, and changing the nose to the earlier configuration. The real one..... ...and the chassis, so far. This is a particularly 'challenging' build, keeping everything square and aligned right. I built one when I was a kid and made a horrible mess. Let's see if I can do a little better now....... Edited February 8, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Looking forward to watching this on. I built or should I say "tried" to build this many , many years ago. It wasn't pretty. : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie427 Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Great start Bill. This will look fabulous smoothed out and in bare aluminum. Good luck with a kit that's bound to be challenging. Add me to the list of kids that attempted this kit and was found lacking in the skills or patience to get it done right. I'll be watching with great interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunajammer Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I'm going to guess you've learned a thing or two along the way ( ) so I know you'll do a sweet job. It already looks pretty nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 (edited) ooh yes cool and i can imagine that construction being a challenge really cool build , something i love to do myself in the future (cars like that) Edited November 4, 2012 by crazyrichard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the interest. There's a lot to this model. The one I'm building is the re-release before the current re-release, it has some old-tool issues, but I still love this kit. Got some black SEM self-etching primer on fhe frame. It's a little fragile to take the usual scrub with Comet, but I got lucky and the super hot SEM primer bites this particular plastic just enough for good adhesion, but doesn't craze it. There's some re-work necessary to get the roll-hoop entirely accurate, so that end isn't fully primered. Edited November 4, 2012 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I will follow along with this one as well. I have one in the stash for that sometime in the future build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKcustoms Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I'll be following this one! I have a glue bomb of this kit that's waiting to be restored, maybe this will be the inspiration I need to get it done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Can't wait to see more indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MachinistMark Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 One of my favorite things ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 GREAT START ON A TUFF KIT!!! I'll be watching this build... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie427 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) A few pics of the '59 car, Edited November 5, 2012 by doggie427 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie427 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) And a few more in the bare aluminum finish. Edited November 5, 2012 by doggie427 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie427 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) Bill, do you have a '59 Pontiac push car to finish off the diorama ?? Edited November 5, 2012 by doggie427 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the pix, Wayne. There are a couple I didn't have and I appreciate it. That mocked-up chain-drive transfer arrangement didn't make it to the running version of the car if I remember correctly. Power went from each engine into a conventional clutch, then into a side-shifter LaSalle gearbox, and from there into a Cyclone quick-change with one axle blanked off (4 clutches, 4 gearboxes and 4 quick-change rear ends). Engine synchronization was by very careful adjustment of hydraulic throttle linkage. And no, I don't have a '59 Pontiac, but I've kinda been watching the glue-bome listings for a starting place. Edited November 5, 2012 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pharr7226 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Nice start to the project. I didn't know that you could use self-etching primer on plastic without crazing it. Did you use any special application methods to prevent it from crazing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 Nice start to the project. I didn't know that you could use self-etching primer on plastic without crazing it. Did you use any special application methods to prevent it from crazing? I got lucky on this one. I've had some really bad crazing on some plastics, none on others. Two that crazed horribly were the light-gray 38110 AMT '53 Studebaker, a fairly recent Revell '70 Chevelle and a Corvette C5-R. This older Revell Challenger H-1281:200 kit is molded in metallic blue plastic. I sprayed some test sprues VERY wet first with no reaction, and the frame came out just like I wanted it to. All I can say is be sure to experiment on sprue from the kit you're doing, first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie427 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) Great job as always Bill. Would this shot be from winter '59/'60 between the two Bonneville sessions ? Still injected but extra cooling/intake holes around the front wheelhouse. And maybe you'll have to kitbash a wagon ? Edited November 5, 2012 by doggie427 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 I think you're right about those dates. I've also got a shot of Challenger on the cover of Hot Rod (on the salt and still injected) showing it in the very light baby-blue that's on the dragster in your wagon shot. It would have been pretty fine to have lived on that street growing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie427 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) It would have been pretty fine to have lived on that street growing up. I think growing up almost anywhere in So.Cal in that period would have been heaven. Edited November 5, 2012 by doggie427 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Kron Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Great project. I always thought the injected Challenger, along with the Summers Bros. Goldenrod, were the very peak of the big car, wheel-driven LSR form, truly stunning automobiles with their slingshot driver's position. I''m looking forward to not seeing those scoops any longer and enjoying the full expanse of that endless blue hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 Started filling the underside of the hood before removing the scoops....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluhead Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 You have a knack for picking projects that interest the heck out of me. Love that you're backdating to the non-supercharged version...so sleek. I'll be watching this one closely, too. My attempt (cough) on this kit was rather abysmal, but that was a long time ago now. I'm looking forward to taking another stab at it with it being reissued again. I have this nagging urge to model it in bare aluminum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plasticfanatic Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Now, this is something I will look forward to see the progress and finished model, truly a beautiful car and even more in the slick top configuration that you have choosen to replicate. I to have this kit, build one years ago, fit was terrible and some of the body panels where warped...so you can imagine how it turn out in the end. Got another kit to build again, as is indeed a beautiful and historical speed record car. Please keep us posted of your progress, you have here another project fan!!! Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 (edited) I appreciate the interest in this build. This is without doubt one of the more challenging kits out there, and the deeper I get into it, the more respect I have for Revell being able to produce this without CAD back in the '60s. It is quite an accomplishment, and the kit underscores Mickey Thompson's mechanical genius like nothing else can. I've glassed the underside of the center body panel with two plies of very fine model aircraft cloth and epoxy resin. This will keep everything together and aligned while I remove the scoops. The limited bonding area around the periphery of the styrene inserts isn't sufficient to trust during the cutting operation. This is a trial of the technique I'm working on to represent raw aluminum bodywork. I don't want to use Alcald as it's too regular, and straight buffing-metalizer doesn't give exactly the effect I'm after. I realize now that part of the reason I made such a dog's breakfast of this kit when I was young was my lack of understanding of the functions of the parts represented. Though this is a GREAT kit, it takes some massaging and light modification to get it to all work like it's supposed to. For example.....the steering shaft location in the center of the car isn't really illustrated very well on the instructions, and there are no locating tabs for most of it. Test fitting showed that it has to be installed slightly offset at the front, in order to hook up correctly to the steering linkage on the front axle. Although the steering box and shaft are correctly molded to allow for this, the instructions don't mention it, and nothing will fit right in front without the offset, as shown. There is also a hooya in the lower frame rails at the bottom of the photo. This is introduced by the locating tabs on the bellypan being just slightly too close together in this area. They will be modified. Part of the refit of the car to its earlier configuration involves substituting different front-covers on the engines. The Cragar chain-drive covers for the blowers performed this function on the later version. The chrome front-cover shown is from the Revell Pontiac engine parts-pack, but it doesn't fit the fabricated oil pans on the Challenger engines. I'm looking for photos of the injected engines to get this detail right. Edited November 19, 2012 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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