Muncie

Good to see this kit back in the line-up. it would be tough for R2 to cover all of the possibilities from GMC and Chevrolet, but I'll live with it. I had a 2000 Sonoma ZQ8 that I bought new in late 2000, sold it last spring almost completely worn out at 350,000 miles. 2.2L four with 5-speed manual - with the ZQ8 suspension, it thought it was a sports car, but it would also haul barkdust. Only options on it were the ZQ8 package, deluxe interior (which included an extreme radio upgrade) and tinted back window. If my memory is correct, ZQ8 also included different transmission ratios so performance was good. It was very inexpensive to operate. Sold it a year ago to the son of a fellow co-worker who brought it back to life.

Save it for the memories and start with something better. Memories are important - if you fix it, the thing that you remember is gone.

Awesome story that makes the model unique. Very cool! Your model looks so good!, Very accurate to the way that they rolled out of the factory. Your build and changes to the kit are all well done.

WFT until about 1975 when the sales agreement with White expired. FLT from then until 1982/1984(?) when there were enough changes that the FLA COE replaced the FLT. Later on, the FLB replaced the FLA. The AMT kit is a WFT. (White Freightliner tilt cab. it is what was later referred to as the 61 series raised cab. Unfortunately, the 61 series COE was only good for 350 HP, maybe 400 in some applications. The engine tunnel was too small for the larger radiator and air intake system required for more horsepower. The 71 series stretch cab had a larger tunnel and could accommodate more horsepower. But people still wanted more horsepower, so Freightliner came up with the Powerliner. {(It would be an FLP but I don't think anybody calls it that) 2000 square inch radiator. 400 horsepower minimum, could handle the big Cummins, Caterpillars, and Detroit Diesels with up to 600 horsepower. Depending on how accurate you want to be, it is not an easy conversion from the kit. more details on the Powerliner in this link. Truck History: 1973 Freightliner Powerliner - Its Massive 1150 Cubic Inch Cummins KTA Made It The First 600 HP Diesel Highway Truck - Curbside Classic

Looks really good, I enjoyed following the build. Be aware, there is no known cure for salt fever, and you've got it. OK, so what did it run on the first pass?

Good to see you here Chris. I believe, at last count, that considerably more people have climbed Everest than have a red hat from Bonneville. A red hat is awarded for setting a record over 200 mph. Blue hat for 300MPH. A tradition that goes way back.

I'm going with your call on the rusty bumpers. I Ilike the idea of breaking up the colors with black or more chrome. But if left alone, they will l have that much rust.

Cool stuff, thanks for posting. Good timing, it's just a couple of weeks until we start seeing things live on the road

Ryan, Good call - thank you for the clarification on the catch can - I was unsure if GM ever used one. I left it hoping someone would fill in the information. Adding a catch can does look like a popular modification... per the internet

Appears to be a catch can for the crankcase ventilation system. It's used to separate oil out of the PCV system and keep it out of the intake manifold where it can cause drivability and other performance problems. More explanation courtesy Summit Racing Oil Catch Cans Normally, the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve uses intake vacuum to relieve the pressure inside your crankcase, but that can result in oil mist and other blow-by contaminants building up on the valve and pistons, especially in direct-injection engines. An oil catch can (sometimes called an air/oil separator) is installed between the PCV valve and the intake, where it removes contaminants and allows only clean air to return to the intake manifold. Some have a reservoir that needs to be drained regularly, while others are plumbed to return the oil to the crankcase.

No salt this time. Way cool! On the top and inside, it looks like great for cruiser and road trip. Underneath, all business. Love it!

This is going to be cool. Awesome! Thank you for posting the information and photos. Lots of good to knows and really shows the diversity in the cars that run at Bonneville. The model looks great.

Live your life, have fun, enjoy the show, have good thoughts and safe travels. We will require a report.

The 1/16 scale Revell Crower 8-port injector has more detail with some of the linkage, but it's 1/16, not 1/25. It might be a good guide to fabricate some of the parts. There may be a photoetch sheet with some of the linkage parts.

sorry, toothpaste is for teeth. Different brands have different abrasives - some are coarser than others and will absolutely destroy model car kit clear plastic. A lesson from the school of bad experiences. In another case of misusing a product for an unintended purpose, I've had good luck polishing model car kit clear plastic with Meguiar's cleaner wax. The finest abrasive that I think I've ever used for anything. It was an old bottle so I'm not sure if they changed the formula since then or if they still make it. Always use a clean spot on a good microfiber cloth. Careful, too much pressure on the polishing cloth will leave micro cracks in clear plastic. Test and practice with whatever you choose.

Excellent! So many well done, cool details - needs just a touch of salt on the tires and an SCTA crew sticker on the windshield because we all know where this one is going!

Try Slixx Decals, they carry competition resins

so, did you build the giant pair of tweezers? I'm looking at that and can't tell the difference between the truck and the model... I keep having to do a brain check to figure out which is which.

experiment and test - whatever you decide to use, try it out on a piece of chrome that you don't care about. The abrasives in toothpaste (and some auto polishes) vary quite a bit from brand to brand. I've tried toothpastes that that turned out to be much more abrasive than a good auto polish. I kinda gave up on toothpaste so it stays in the medicine cabinet.

Sorry, nothing much to contribute, but I'll just drop this line from the Saturday night drag racing screamer radio ads, "UNDER LIGHTS WE HAVE 240 GORDIE BONIN (pause, followed by extra emphasis) AND YOU KNOW WHY WE CALL HIM TWO FORTY!!! When he came to the line, I always headed for the lights. Looking forward to watching your project. 1976 gatornationals from the petersen archive, search 1976 NHRA Petersen Digital Archive the second search for "1976 NHRA" yielded 55 pages, 240 images per page, some work turned up something that may be worthwhile... I gave up about page 12, but there are more there. 

couple thoughts... Magnetic sheets work great. Sign supply stores have the magnetic sheet on rolls, some will cut the rolls and sell what you need. Long ago, auto parts stores around here would keep a few decals behind the counter or near the register just to hand out. Some may still do it. Not always... and probably less often now because most companies started charging for decals.

The Lindberg 1/16 scale Serpent kit probably has the same chassis, and it has a few extras. It may be easier to find and a better price.

I'm surprised the Auto Cutter from Auto World hasn't been mentioned yet. Basically, it's a pencil type soldering iron with an Xacto blade tip. Kind of evil but with a little learning and practice (let it get real hot and just use the tip of the blade) it could make a good cut for customizing work. It looks like there are a couple of threads around here about it.

Well done, it's got the look.

Vacuum operated power ashtray - A GM dealer installed accessory in the mid-fifties, A square funnel under the dash sucked up the ashes and deposited them in a jar under the hood. There were even aftermarket kits that fit anything with a little work. photo from ebay -