LaughingIndian

I'd be very interested in the diagrams Mr. Jordan. If you don't want to interrupt Mr. Martin's thread you can PM me if you like.

I like your style, but I got an engine that set me back a few days: Like I said, the kit engine is/was bad without an alternator or distributor and the intake was a simple air cleaner without a carb and the thing looked overly simplified for a model with such a great vented hood. So I grabbed the alt and headers (with added length to the manifold) from a separate buy (Ebay) Camaro engine and altered the intake stack and carbs from my '57 (I got me a 427 'vette that has a blower I can use to replace it). I jammed some mesh in the stacks for a little "texture." I decided to build a distributor from styrene tubes and tree. I used old fly-fishing line for the plug wires (neat green) and fuel lines (painted silver). I then washed with acrylic flat engine black ... I think I better do a little more cleanup after seeing the photo ...

Nice! What are you running it on? Does the ABS clean up easier than resin or styrene?

I too have the long "wings." The box and literature is in Chinese and I bought it as "Bandai/Fuman." Sorry for the confusion . On that note, this kit has adequate quality, the plastic seems strong and very bondable albeit a bit soft. There is some lacquer coating but not too much. The rubber tires are premium quality but with seams. The wheels are chrome and ugly but so wasnt the real car's - see above. The engine is bad with missing parts like distributor and alternator, although I found the block to be salvageable and may leave the molded-on shift linkage on the one-piece block and transmission. There is a lot of detail molded on like the firewall but a good modeler could use as a guide (I may leave it). The nut caps are HUGE and maybe toy-like, but I think they're butch. The chrome is good and doesn't hide too much detail, and I chose to leave it on the valve covers - with some black wash. I haven't gotten to the interior yet but I see the shift lever looks tiny and the brake big. The seats seem bad but I'll give them a check. The steering wheel is two pieces with Chrome spokes and brown colored rim (i guess thats asian wood).The dash has molded wood grain (bad) as well as molded needle and measurements on the instrument gauges! Can't wait. Almost forgot: Some of the better features of the model is the open vented hood (but not properly halved and hinged) that I'm removing (which may seem crazy). The other great feature is the metal "springs" exhaust ports (also not using). The kit is spot on to the actual car, however, that design is crazy (see frame 12 on this site: http://blog.daum.net/_blog/BlogTypeView.do?blogid=0S4Y7&articleno=10&_bloghome_menu=recenttext ) To replicate the original Mercedes SSK exhaust, the Excalibur design uses a block manifold that combines 4 exhaust ports out of the 327 into 3 ports then deflects 90 degrees up with tubes deflecting 90 degrees out, then bending and chrome exhausts sweep into a three tube header along the side of the car! I'll be going a different route ...

Beautiful work Cato. The RR Phantom I Springfield was built just down the street from my office (the Indian Motocyle even closer) and wish I had the ability to redo this kit as that car ... but after watching your work, I think I'll hold off. I mean that as a complement.

... that answers why there's no side wings

... and they're usually on both sides of the windshield Love your "obnoxious thing" Cato. I wonder how many over 40 WOULDN'T want a 427 (428fe) SC

I think that's 1/16 scale. The side wings are for buffering the wind and keeping the toupee on ...

If someone ever tries to sell you what they call a "wide-screen high-definition TV" don't buy it. It would do the rest of us a disservice.

Yeah, I agree about the car being in bad taste, which takes the pressure off of going too offbeat on the kit. I still find myself fighting against a too conservative approach though. .

I like engines ... would you suggest this as an intro into the Pocher world for a novice, whose economic status is closer to the end of the "trickle down" path than the trailhead?

I drove my 2000 SVT Contour cross country down the pacific coast highway and back to Mass in 2003. In Montana I set the cruise control at 100+ mph with my wife next to me and my daughter in the back and a trunk load of our (mostly theirs) luggage. My wife never new it. I still got the car as a short commuter with just 96000 on it. I can't find a replacement for any price. Best car I ever owned.

Now I can measure the intake stack and consider the wheels once again: I'm still likin' the red spoked wheels ...

One of the many good features of the Bandai kit that Im using is the vented hood. But were the kit skimps on the engine, I'm going to "enhance" it, and the the hood will be reduced and opened up. So the vents are coming off:

To get the right fit I figured i have to get the hood and radiator prepped. First the radiator: With metal mesh added: ... and painted. I can't get away from a satin black like the Stutz and rat rod

Not to be an antagonist but I think it could use a couple of French fries and and old McDonalds receipt under the seats ... Just sayin.

My take is that good design is the Balance of the design principles i.e. proportion, scale, tone, color, etc. although these principles do have subjectivity to them in definition and priority. So Harry's correct: to each his own. However, Selling a design to any market requires not only creating a unique style making that particular widget seem "special" and worthy of the price, but also, constantly changing styles creates a market to replace the widget we already have. If Kia built affordable 250 GTOs there'd still be a market for Azteks ... whether us consumers desired that or not. Anyway, I like the wheel-first design ...

Thanks guys, I'm with ya but I want to keep things open to all options for awhile. Next change will be the engine. The Excalibur SSK did eventually use a corvette engine and the model uses that but it's not right so I may just use the block, tranny, and fan. The engine bay is huge and I think I'll use the space: I'll borrow a monogram '57 Chevy velo stacks and carbs but will have to alter the height so it just pops out of the huge hood ...

An "F1 legend" and an "amateur" on the same track describes my ride into work this morning ... not that I'm anywhere near an F1 legend, but you should have seen that geriatric in the Prius ...

Thanks! What's your vote on the wheel choices? I'm still thinking ...

The worst part of looking for stuff is knowing it'll be in the last place ... This is true because we usually stop looking soon after we find it

Too bad about MassCar ... I'm new and was thinking (fantasizing) about taking part someday ... oh well ... I'm not that good anyway

I figure lowering approx 5-6" scale will do it. I figure I can do it without altering the frame anymore than I already did. So a simple block on the rear spring shackles and switching the front spindles will be the plan. First the rear: Elongated shackles Then a block of milliput putty epoxy under the axles Finished with trimmed shackle bolts (I went nuts with the lengths to make sure I got it right in one try) Next the front spindles: Before And after The front end with raised axles on spindles

My first car was a Sparkstøtting ...

Ummm ... WOW!