Straightliner59

Thank you, Tim. If this is anywhere near as successful as your altered, I will be ecstatic! Over the past three years, or so, this whole hobby has become much more zen-like, for me. I wish I'd figured out that part, you know, 45 years ago!grin

Having finished installing the uprights/diagonals on the second side of the chassis, I did a little cleanup, then installed the torsion bar. I shortened the upper chassis loop, then soldered it and the lower piece in place, before installing the rear upright. A little more cleanup, then I will make the torsion arms, begin work on the front axle, and redo the motor plate. Thanks for looking!

I got the uprights and diagonals installed on the other side of the chassis. Thanks to Roger's guidance, it went much more smoothly than the first one. My soldering is a little rough, but, it'll clean up! I'll be making a new wing, because I m not happy with the veneer I used--it has a paper backing, that messes with the finishing of it. I'll also be reworking the motor plate, to correct its profile. Thanks for looking! Qs and Cs always welcome!

Thank you, JC. I had a terrible bout of frustration, installing the uprights and diagonals on the left side of the chassis, so, I took a couple of days break from it. I installed the diagonals for the right side of the cockpit area, this morning. I'll get the rest of the right side done, over the weekend. Then I can move on to putting the chassis together. As you can see in the comparison photo, I need to shorten the upper rear chassis loop. Otherwise, I think it compares quite favorably to the real car. I've included a couple of shots of an engine I started fourteen or so years ago, that I may use. If not, I'll do up the unpainted one in these photos, and use it. I am considering installing studs for at least one of the heads, so I can open one side of the engine. Should I do that, I will likely make pistons for that side, and fit them into aluminum sleeves, for the cylinders. Thanks for looking! Questions and comments always welcome!

I'm about out of words, Tim. FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC!

I bought this thing two years ago, and have yet to even hook it up and try it. I am curious, as to how small of items it can cut out. I am thinking of using it to cut white decal film, for backgrounds to apply under decals printed on clear film. I've had pretty decent luck printing decals with my inkjet printer, but, it would be so much more versatile, if I can use the Cricut to cut white backgrounds to the same shape as the clear film. I think that's a clear description of what i want to do. Thanks!

Thanks, Steve. Okay, I finally have this right, and got the "Riceman Stamp of Approval". Next step is to install the frame uprights and diagonals, then I can move on to straightening out the rear chassis loops, and installing them, and the torsion bar and bottom cross tubes and diagonals. Questions and comments are always welcome!

Now, a couple with the chassis and axle at their proper elevations.

Thanks, Kurt. Glad you're along for the ride. I dug out some parts to stand in for the blower and manifold, and did a quick mock up. I think I'm on the right track (no pun intended).

Thank you, Greg!

No doubt about the latter two! As for the first, I reckon we'll find out! I've "known" Roger for quite a while, now (almost 20 years), and he never ceases to amaze me, with is knowledge. An example: When I submitted my plan made from the composited images to him, the first time, I had gone pretty much Stuckey back-half (roll cage included), RCS front-half. Roger said "Make the roll cage 3" taller. When I did, the roll cage height matched exactly, the height of the Popular Hot Rodding drawing! All I could do was shake my head!

Thanks, Lee. I had a small setback, but, it's fixed, so I can move forward after work, in the morning. Thanks for the video link!

Thank you, Chris! I hope to have at least the back-half of the other side done, before I go to bed, in a few hours. Thanks for looking!

Thanks, Bill. Here's hoping I can pull this one off!

Thanks, JC. I hope it's a relatively smooth journey!

Hahaha! I am ready. Armed with the new plan, I have one side of the chassis soldered together. I set the engine/motor plate assembly on top of it, and held a slick in its approximate location. Already, the iconic look is forming.

For over twenty years, I have been pondering and preparing to build a replica of The Surfers dragster. I have now been educated by one Roger Lee as to why my two initial attempts to build the chassis were not right. Turns out that the things I'd read, and heard about the chassis, over the years, didn't provide the whole story. The plans from the old Popular Hot Rodding article are only useful for the front-half of the car, and for the roll cage, itself. The back-half, previously unbeknownst-to-me, was actually a copy of the chassis that Rod Stuckey built for Karamesines (not, as is most commonly written, an RCS/Frank Huszar chassis). Roger provided me a plan for that chassis, along with a couple of notes regarding the chassis. The car was front-halved by RCS, and they moved the differential uprights forward four inches--so, that's where that all came from. Armed with the two drawings, I used my favorite photo program to scale the drawings to one another, gave one some transparency, so I could see what I was doing, and overlaid them. I then imported that composite into AutoCAD, and drew the attached plan, using only the sections of each drawing that were pertinent to the Surfers car. I submitted the new drawing to Roger, and now my chassis drawing is "Riceman certified"! I'm about to head out on a couple of quick errands, but, I'll be melting solder, later this evening. I mentioned that I have been planning this project for many years. I wanted to make this my best piece. I have several new things I want to try with this project, not the least of which is to complete a project with a brass chassis, and an aluminum body. Now, I have done a body in aluminum, and a couple of "playing around" chassis, and I feel confident that I can put it all together!

Nice work! Nice job capturing "the look", too. Very nice piece!

It's always nice to get the girl!

Textures, details and surface finishes that “scale” in miniature have always impressed me. Not that I’m not regularly blown away by spectacularly glossy paint jobs and super-detailing, but building a model that looks “real” and “natural” to the eye is a challenge that I take on from time to time, usually in combination with a project that’s otherwise fairly technically straightforward. As I approached the middle of summer which would see me away from my workbench for a month or more I decided to take on a simple project which I could complete in a few weeks where I would focus on this naturalistic approach to modeling Beautiful work, Bernard! Your finish work is one of the things I enjoy most about your models. They look natural and real! Thanks for sharing your work with us.

Nice save, Snake! There's a certain satisfaction to resurrecting a glue bomb. I've saved three old, original Monogram dragsters (Slingshot, Long John, Sizzler). They are some of my favorites in the display case.

My old friend Mark Brown used braided fishing line for all of his small diameter braided fuel lines.

That guy took the power from a room in his house, to fetch those plug wires!

Absolutely stunning! No more words!

That, sir, is awesome! Easily the best scale "Frankenstein" I have ever seen. Beautiful, beautiful work.