blunc

I'm still that kid. , and sometimes I make things better than when they started. When you add in a degree in digital electronics, you're the guy that gets to fix the cheaply manufactured things your spouse buys...

well, I guess we just can't have nice things around here.

I have used the term "parts changers" in the past when referring to service people that can't seem to fix a problem. There will always be people out there that know how to troubleshoot a problem and there will always be people out there that replace parts till the problem goes away, unfortunately there will be more of the latter because practical knowledge of systems and raw talent is disappearing. The apprentice/mentor system needs to return in a big way rather than the under-paid (or not paid) intern system. Raw mechanical talent will always show itself... the kid that takes his toys apart and is able to put them together and have no parts left over is a prime candidate to nurture/educate into an engineer. The kid that sits in front of an xbox all day may turn into a programmer but most likely will be taking your order at a fast food joint. I gotta end this, it's getting too depressing.

Sounds like ASE certification standards have gotten a bit loose. Or maybe they only passed the ASE tests for computerized vehicles.

This is an R&D lab, you'd think anyone that has the title "engineer" (and most likely gets paid double what I get) would know or be able to figure out how to use thesaurus and/or spell check in a word processing program.., but maybe not. I constantly get slapped in the face by illogical things in my work place done by people that should know better. I have an unfortunate lack of respect for some of the senior staff/coworkers, exhibited incompetence tends to do that to me.

I sometimes tilt at the windmill of proper nomenclature in the specs and work flow guides where I work. There is an engineer here that has decided to use "carboy" just because he can't (or won't) spell the word "reservoir" or "container", I recently suggested he use the word "tank" and then he got snippy and substituted the word "firkin". I decided it's not worth my time after that. This dingbat can't even remember to chain up bottles of compressed 100% hydrogen, I just hope I'm not around when his boobie-traps go off.

I think it really IS 100% real beef...beef lips, beef intestines, beef ligaments, and other kinds of beef by-products, otherwise they would not be allowed to make that claim. I also think they will just say that the "fish fillets" are made from what they call "white fish". Most likely, if pinned down, they will probably tell you it's made from cod of some form.

yup, a few things to kitbash with, but they will wait till I finish a few in the other end of the scale spectrum. got a few 1/32 scale projects to finish up first.

now THAT is a well appointed engine bay!

hmmm, let's see... 85 Camaro (minus body, donated to a friend for RC use) 85 Corvette 32 ford, x2 Golden T Street T (glue bomb) Big T Big T (glue bomb) E-Type Jag, x2 Tall T Most of these were acquired back in the '80's and '90's when sales were good and ebay wasn't stupid.

I kinda figured you'd make your own scriber.

roll the wire around a straight rod of whatever diameter you think will look close to scale appearance then cut or bend to desired length the "pig-tails" I added to the master cylinder on this 1/32 scale '34 coupe were rolled around a needle then carefully inserted to a hole I drilled with my smallest drill bit.

Todd, I'm fairly certain that I am not the only person here that enjoys seeing your WIP posts, but., is it really that hard to post trucks/pickups in the same pickups thread section that other builders post in? have you considered that most of the other truck/pickup WIP posts tend to get moved to the trucks section anyway but it requires a site admin/moderator to do so? I try to remember that this is a free site, no one gets paid to do the house keeping (as far as I know). I think it would be considerate of all site members to try and make it easy for the people that maintain this site to enjoy it too. (I won't be responding to any more comments regarding this subject in this thread but will respond to private messages should anyone care to send any)

that is some excellent work! if you choose to stretch your skills further, put brake lines on your next build and you will have close to the full spectrum of detailing areas.

While Anton is correct that this WIP belongs in the section created for trucks (hot rod trucks or not), I think the admins will resolve this issue when they have the time. You may also notice (if you look) that this particular Workbench section is for showing in progress CAR projects.

I suggest attaching the body sides to the top piece, making sure the body lines/features align with the top section. as long as your glue joints are strong, you should be able to spread the body enough to get it to fit onto the fender piece.

wow, I had no idea they were selling those kits with such deformed parts. all if the 1/32 "lindberg" style kits I have are vintage Pyro or Life Like brands with few exceptions. the firewall on the '34 coupe should not be angled like your photos show. when I built my '34 Ford coupe, I assembled the body totally while occasionally checking the fitment on the fender/chassis piece. don't remember if I used the kit interior pan but I think the seat got cut up to make a rumble seat.

the ribbon I have seen used (and most commonly supplied it seat belt kits sold "aftermarket") has a weave that makes them look like common seat belts but I think thin strips of masking tape work just fine after painting or using a magic marker.

hollow-core engine blocks filled with "upsee-dasium"

good job switching out the engine bay wiring, much gooder. I would like to suggest something that's fairly easy to add but gets overlooked many times... the power brake booster vacuum line, just attach it to the booster in an appropriate spot and position it to look like it's going to under the back side of the carb (the most common spot to grab "non-bank specific" vacuum). the hose would be the same size as the PCV hose. for the seat belts, I have seen the following used: cut strips of masking tape that is painted, very small ribbon or piping (can be purchased at Micheal's, Jo Ann's or Hobby Lobby or just about any sewing/craft store).

sheer madness sheer creative madness.

I didn't mean to insinuate anything by including the comment about engine bay wiring and engine bay hoses, I apologize if that's what you thought I meant. I only included that comment because not all builders are not as familiar with engine bay elements, whether they work on cars or not. For example, some people only do car audio, that means they can say they work on cars but their experience may be limited to from the back side of the firewall to the rear of the car and have no idea how things should look under the hood. When I'm doing battery cables, I consider what type of engine they will be connected to and how much current will be required. A standard four cylinder of current gen cars can get away with smaller cables (unless they are running a 5000 watt stereo), a hi-compression V8 may require anywhere from 450 cold cranking amps (unlikely but it could happen) up to 800 cold cranking amps. These kind of amperage demands require thicker battery cables...and can look as thick as fuel lines or bigger. This info is a generalization and can be taken with many grains of salt but it IS what I have experienced. If you can find some pix of Nova engine bay wiring, you should be able to replicate the look without damaging what you have already completed.

you could achieve smaller wire by removing the insulation from multi-strand wire and separating the strands. various kinds of household wiring can be used this way...dead appliance cords and speaker wire are fairly common. paint or markers can be used to color as needed. your engine bay wiring would have looked more in scale if you had removed the colorful insulation. in my experience, the battery cables look visually larger than most engine bay wiring unless the wiring harness is a large bundle with strands coming off the main wire run. Engine bay "wiring" should not be confused with engine bay hoses. your work on this build is great, some elements are throwing off the illusion of "looking" like the real thing.

If you have a Micheal's or Hobby Lobby in your area, remember to make use of the 40% or (if you're lucky) 50% off coupons to get modelling supplies, both stores sell model building supplies and model kits. It seems that Hobby Lobby actually has better selection of model kits and building supplies/tools that Micheal's does.

well, the frontal shape of the belly pan seemed rather manta or hammerhead shark-like, then you decided to put the headlights in the outer aero-pods and it seemed like a "no-brainer". looking forward to see what your paint scheme will be.