Straightliner59

It doesn't look like a lot of progress, but, every time I have to take it apart and reassemble it, it takes at least an hour. That's due to the three sections of the tierod wanting to go three different directions, and the fact that it operates with very little friction, so, those sections don't stay where I want them! Trying to pin it back together is something akin to attempting to shove a piece of cooked spaghetti up a wildcat's ass! Anyway, it's getting closer to being ready for paint on the chassis, and getting all the fasteners trimmed and cleaned up! As soon as I can safely turn the chassis right-side-up, I can double-check the stance--exciting stuff!

Not so far, and I've been using this for many years. The casting material somewhat encases the insulation, holding it securely.

Thanks, guys. I hope this method comes in handy! Ray, I like the idea of representing spark plugs. They're a frequently overlooked detail that some engines (especially flatheads!) require.

I haven't made a lot of visible progress on the Malibu, but, I just posted a tutorial/how-to for pre-wired distributors, here:

I mentioned this in the thread for my 1975 NHRA Modified Production '70 Malibu. It's a quick and easy way to make pre-wired distributors using readily available, and fairly inexpensive supplies. Begin by assembling the tools and supplies required (chefs call it mise en place). The first photo shows what you'll need. I got my mold putty through Amazon. It's made by Alumilite, so it's likely that Hobby Lobby has it, as well. You'll also need acrylic nail sculpting compound. It's a two-part system that is available from Sally Beauty Supplies, or, the Kiss brand is available in Walmart (at least those with larger cosmetic sections). The rest is stuff you likely have on-hand. Items include X-Acto knife, tweezers, sanding board or sandpaper, phone wire (or equivalent sized vinyl tubing), your choice of scale plug wire, a dropper for the acrylic liquid, a spatula to transfer the acrylic powder, super glue (I prefer a gel type, for this application), and a distributor with pronounced "lug" detail. Begin by mixing equal parts of the mold putty. A note about the Amazing Mold Putty--it's non-toxic and food safe. That's always a good thing! Once the putty's mixed, press the ball onto a flat working surface, insert the kit distributor, top down, and wait. The putty will cure in 15-20 minutes (to ensure a quicker cure rate, I usually pull a desk lamp down near the mold, to provide a bit of extra warmth to the reaction). Now is a good time to cut the wire insulation into lengths of about .100". You can also cut your plug wires now, too (just be sure to cut them long enough, so that they'll fit your engine of choice.). Once the mold has cured, remove the kit distributor from the mold, and check the mold for imperfections. Bubbles aren't a problem with this putty, so, your mold should be ready to go. Now, begin inserting the wire insulation into the depressions inside the mold. Be sure they are aligned properly--they should plug right into the holes. Continue until all the holes are "plugged". Next, draw a small amount of acrylic liquid into a pipette or dropper, and flow it down the inside edge of the mold, until it covers the bottom of the mold. Follow the liquid with a small amount of acrylic powder. Repeat this process until the mold is topped off. Wait...the acrylic resin will cure in a few minutes. Again, the lamp can help to speed the reaction. Pull the new distributor from the mold and inspect it. If it's satisfactory, grasp the distributor with pair of tweezers, and work it back and forth across an abrasive surface (sandpaper or a sanding stick), rotating it in the tweezers every few strokes, to keep the bottom level. Once it's sanded flat and smooth on the bottom, the distributor is ready to finish, and add plug wires to. Paint the cap to represent the brand you want it to be (Accel, Mallory, etc.). When the paint dries, dab the tip of a length of plug wire with super glue, and slip it into the hole in the end of a piece of the wire insulation, which has become the nipples on the cap of the distributor--and they all have a perfectly sized hole for the insertion of the plug wires! Insert all nine plug wires (for a V-8), attach the cap to a distributor base, and mount it to the engine. Now, simply run your plug wires home and you're done! For a minimal investment in materials and time, you can create a mold that will provide many distributors for wiring, without the difficult and often frustrating task of drilling all those holes without blowing out the side of a distributor, and ruining it, and wasting all the time you spent on it, up to that point. Hope you all find this helpful and informative! Comments and questions are welcome!

The Malibu is an option package for the Chevelle, I believe.

Thanks, Dennis. I enjoy working with brass! Sometimes, as in this case, it was all that would really work.

Thanks, Roger! I always loved MP, even though i am mostly a dragster guy. Way back in high school, I built an MPC '68 'Cuda, using the same '75 rule book I'm using on this one! Anyway, regarding the distributors: It's important to begin with one that has well-pronounced detail around the sides and at the top. Once it's cleaned up, I mix a small amount of "Amazing Mold Putty" I picked up from Amazon. Once it's mixed, just press the wad of putty onto a flat surface (I used small paper plates, but, the top of the workbench is just as good!)--another nice quality of this particular molding compound is it's not only non-toxic, it's food safe, so no worries,as to nasty chemicals. Next, I press the distributor cap into the putty and wait, usually 20 minutes is good, although I give it 30, just for good measure! Once it's cured, I pull the master, and cut nine short lengths (about .100" long) of phone wire insulation (any wire insulation will do, so long as your chosen plug wires will fit into it.), and insert them into the "lug holes" inside the mold. For the casting, I use two part fingernail sculpting liquid and powder. It's available from Sally Beauty Supply, under the Beauty Secrets brand name. Recently, I found some in the cosmetics section at Walmart, under the name Kiss. Once I've inserted the wire insulation, I use a dropper to flow a drop of the nail sculpting liquid down the inside of the mold--I don't want it flowing into the open tubes of the insulation. Next, I drop a small amount of the nail sculpting powder over the liquid. Repeat alternating the liquid and the powder, until the mold is topped off. Let the sculpting "resin" cure, then pop the distributor out of the mold. Sand the bottom clean and flat, and you're ready to paint it, and plug in the ignition wires! AND, you have a mold that is ready for your next project--all in about 30-40 minutes. If I get a chance, I'll put together a "how-to" with photos.

A bit of progress. I got the pesky, pain in the arse, tie rod center section shaped and in place. At the front of the chassis are the tie rod ends,which still need a trim. It took a couple of attempts, but it looks almost exactly like those in reference photos, and I am happy with it. Here are also a couple of shots of a pair of carbs sitting atop the tunnel ram, and a photo of a cheap, quick and easy way to make distributors that are ready to wire.

I just found the section about scoops. Pretty much all it says is that carburetors must be covered by the hood, a bubble or a scoop, and that the scoop must be a part of the hood, nothing about height restrictions. Good, at least I don't have to worry about that!

Thank you, Wayne. MP was one of my favorite classes, back in the '70s. I'll have to check the rules regarding the scoop. I don't recall seeing anything, but, usually, I am looking for rules regarding what I am working on, at the time. I may have missed it!

Having recently moved back to Colorado, and finally having my workshop up and running, I came across this project I started fifteen years, ago--or so. It's AMT's '70 Malibu, to be built to comply with the NHRA's 1975 rules for Modified Production. I began by replacing the Chevelle's front inner fenderwells and front clip with those from AMT's '70 Monte Carlo, along with the Monte's front suspension including its steering box. I replaced the single-piece cast timing cover/water pump/harmonic balancer assembly with a timing cover from the parts box, a water pump from a Revell Camaro and a harmonic balancer turned from aluminum. The manifold is scratchbuilt from 23 pieces of styrene. I also deepened the sump on the oil pan. The lower control arms have been boxed, and a few minor details thrown at them. Changes to the front suspension revolve mostly around the removal of the swaybar/tierod assembly. The steering will be built to be posable. The brass pins you see will mount the steering arm and the stabilizer arm, on the opposite side. I have already built a new sway bar, but, a friend of mine questioned its necessity on a drag car, so I removed it, just in time for another friend to tell me he'd removed the one from his racer, and after one pass, decided that he wanted it back on the car! So, I am yet undecided, as to which way I'll go, in that regard. This is a mixture of photos from back when I began work on it (had a crappy camera!), and from the past few days, when I've done most of the chassis "details", and all of the engine work. Comments, compliments and poo-flinging are welcome!

I am assuming that you are looking to replicate the look of this classic style steering wheel cover. If that assumption is correct, I would begin with a thin strip cut from a black plastic trash bag, that is long enough to completely encircle the outer diameter of the rim, and wide enough to "encase" the wheel rim (as you can see, if it is a little narrow, no big deal, because the inner edges, weren't always completely closed up, on the inner diameter of the rim--a touch that I think would add an element of realism to the project. Also, the inner edges didn't always remain uniform, as they traversed the rim, due to the torque applied by hands, through use, causing the cover to slip--I've used more than one of these things!). I'd use some small diameter armature wire, for the lacing, because I've seen some of that as small as about .005", which is 1/8" in 1/25th scale, which isn't much out of scale, at all. Begin applying the wrap by gluing the bag plastic flat, along the entire outer diameter of the wheel, then roll the edges "down" and around the entire wheel. Finally, wrap the armature wire, to replicate the lacing. As someone else mentioned, ignore the perforation, as it would be negligible in 1/25th scale. If I can find a bit of black trash bag plastic, I'll show you what I'm thinking.

I've attempted to build a bellypanned A-bone a couple of times, and so far haven't been happy enough with the results to continue. Next try, I'll employ your technique. Looking good, Bernard!

Hahaha! Nice one, Jesse! How ya' been?

Thanks, Rob.

Nice work, Rob! Where are the tires and wheels from?

It may not look like much, but, this scoop is the culmination of years of study and practice, and hours of cutting, annealing, forming over a hand carved wood buck, re-annealing, forming, hammering, filing the tong on my miniature anvil to a custom shape to form the end of the scoop, and filing, sanding and polishing, until I achieved this little gem! It's just about an inch long, and I am damned proud of it!grin

I'm way into dragster history! Definitely my favorite subjects to model.

Yes, Glenn, mine was too! Thanks for the kind words! Love the shot of the Magicar in your avatar.

This is an old Monogram kit I built about 30 years ago, I think. The color scheme is based on a hot rod in one of Henry Gregor Felsen's books (Hot Rod, Street Rod--not sure which, now.). The book's car was a pink coupe with copper colored wire wheels. The paint is a layered combination of Gunze acrylics and some pearl powder that a group of us shared from an auto paint supply store. I displayed it at GSL, back in the '80s, at some point. Mark Gustavson told me that, had I entered it, I'd have won Best Paint, that year. Live and learn, I reckon!

A couple more shots of the tach. I need to remember how to make the "Macro" setting work on this camera, again!

The interior with rollbar installed.

A small update...I made a scoop from .005" aluminum flashing it still needs a bit of tweaking, to achieve a perfect fit. The interior is slowly coming along, but nearing completion. I also turned a tach on the lathe, and discovered that there isn't enough room to install it on the dash, so I won't be using it. I'll find a place for it, some day!

Hank Borger was probably my biggest early influence. All the guys you mentioned are very important to the history of our hobby, for sure!