Straightliner59

Thank you, Ira. Thanks, Dennis. It's what I enjoy, most! Thank you, again, my friend! I'm using the mill more frequently, now. I used it to drill the holes in the mag cap. I thought the freeze plugs would be a nice, simple enhancement. They worked out, pretty nicely, I think!

My sentiment, exactly. It's a fulfilling, yet unfulfilled pursuit, and it's never dull.

I have no Pintos. I have Vegas. And Monzas. There's not a lot left of the '74, in there. Front Bumpers and grille. I cut the body apart, because I was going to do a Super Gas car with it, about 35 years ago. somewhere along the way, the rest of the body pieces disappeared. The '72 promo, the blue '71 and the bare white '71 (broken window pillar) all live in the '71 box. The Ziploc bag on top of the pile contains a resin Pro Stock body I bought, a few years ago. The tan resin body is a The Goodstuff Kammback funny car body. It's slightly nicer than AMT's!? I also have three later model promos. The Grump car is, of course, the latest reissue. I don't have as much, on the Monza front--the two '75 Promos and another that will become one of Grumpy's Monzas (in the Ziploc). In the other bag is an AMT gluebomb I bought for the chassis. Not pictured is an unbuilt AMT Monza 2+2, in its latest iteration. The Spyder kit is just that.

You're right. You saying that reminded me of just such a conversation on the Standard 1320. In my defense, it was over twenty years ago!

Molding and casting is definitely the way to go--especially for doing modifications on a kit that isn't cheap! I'll be looking forward to your project, too!

The aforementioned decals. I think they came out, pretty decently...

Speaking of a lack of safety--two of those photos are of the car that Pete Robinson was killed in. These old photos are a great inspiration for new projects--since we're all struggling to find something to work on! ?

Yep. Prices can vary, wildly. I tend to look around, for kits. Most of my standard tools and supplies--I already know where I'm going, for those.

Sure, but molded-on is not always better! Besides , what's the fun, in that?! I?

Yeah, it's pretty funny, given there are a whole bunch of them that are very reasonably priced!

Always happy when I can help!

Those look great! I really, really need to learn to use my Cricut! So much potential.

Mag is done, except for a little touchup and some decals I am working on. Mag cap is painted Humbrol German Purple (HG53?). Plug wires are ancient MSC Products.

I am not a fan of patina, but, I love what you've done with the car! Did you use a Cricut to cut the vinyl? Nice work!

A nice, simple detail can add so much to a model! Thanks, Mark.

Thank you, Mike. I appreciate that!

K&S makes stuff called "shim brass" that would work, beautifully, once annealed!

It should work just fine, in any scale. Have fun!

Glad to be of help, when I can! The best thing about the AMT chassis, is that everything can be replaced with other parts--differential, rear suspension, etc. Agreed about the prices, too. Even built-ups aren't particularly cheap.

Thank you, my friend! I even managed to use my mill to index holes in three different parts, and have them align! That's something of an accomplishment, in itself, for a trigonometrically-challenged individual, such as I. I am pretty happy with the wheel. I started work on the engine by installing aluminum freeze plugs.

I thought this might be an interesting detail to add to the engine for my supermodified racer. It's the kind of detail that will probably never be noticed. It's also the kind of tiny detail that might put a model over the top, in a closely-contested...uhh...contest. I just wanted to see if I could do it, what it would look like. That's why I do most of this silly stuff. It's what I enjoy! Pictured here are the tools and materials used to make and install the freeze plugs in the Small Block Chevy from Monogram's Don Edmunds Supermodified kit. Unfortunately, I forgot to include the plastic rod and drill in the photo. I used a Micro Mark punch and die set, but, any punch will work, so long as you can retain the discs. Select a punch to create a disc slightly larger (say .040") in diameter than the holes you drilled. The pin punch should be about .020" smaller than the discs you make. A small hammer will suffice, here--we aren't looking to kill anything! The material I used to create the freeze plugs is Maid-O-Metal 36 ga. tooling aluminum. This material is nicely malleable, and is slightly softer than the aluminum from disposable baking sheets, although, those would work just fine, in this application. Begin by drilling out the molded-in plugs. Select some plastic rod that fits snugly into the holes you just drilled, and cut four pieces (in my case--circumstances may vary) approximately 3/16" long. Insert them, one at a time, into their respective holes. Here, I used my thumbnail as a simple depth gauge to push them about .030" deep, into the holes and cement them into place. Set it aside to dry. Now, punch some aluminum discs. It's always a good idea to make extras, while you have the tools out. Now, center the pin punch (brass or steel rod will also work) on a disc, on a cutting mat, and tap it firmly with the hammer. You should end up with something like this: All that's left to do is to insert them into the holes you drilled earlier. The lengths of rod inserted earlier provide a solid backstop for the newly-formed freeze plugs, making installation a breeze! Before I paint the block, I will dab tiny bits of petroleum jelly (how's that, for old-school masking agent?!) on the plugs. Once the paint is dry, a quick swirl of a cotton swab will expose the metal beneath, creating realistic-looking freeze plugs for your next project.

Okay...here are (L to R) the MPC Monza chassis, the AMT Monza chassis, and the MPC Vega chassis (1971). I'm not sure what else needs to be said, other than, if you're building a Chevy "H-Body", after the body, itself, AMT's Monza chassis is the best platform to build it on. Malcolm, you might be onto something. I may have to see if I can do that, the next time I buy some rubber. I have at least three projects I would like to use it under. The only replica stock model I have ever felt inclined to model is a Cosworth Vega. With all the scratchbuilding required to accomplish that...

I was figuring to, as soon as I have the time. We might as well cover this thoroughly, while we're at it!

It's not possible for this MPC chassis to be a Monza. It's from a '71 Vega annual. It's also identical to the '72 Promo I have. MPC's Monzas (both'77 kit and '75 promo) are laid out the same as AMT's, but with the same molded-in features as their Vega--rear suspension, exhaust, and what there is of a front suspension. You are certainly correct about the Vega's front suspension. What the heck were they thinking?! I have MPC "H-Bodies" out the wazoo!

Sorry to hear about Michael. I loved Motor Racing Replica News. Your work, sir, as always, is fantastic! I hope that I have as much success with my engine! Keep up the great work.