Straightliner59

I hear you, about the beginning to hate a project. On the positive, that means you're getting there! It's looking great, Roger! The paint and decals are beautiful!

It's looking great, and really coming together. Nice work, Kevin!

I truly appreciate that, David! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for your continued support and encouragement! I've been working out how I can make eight identical 45 degree elbows, for the injector stacks. I came up with a simple jig, and was able to make enough decent parts for the project, but, I plan to try to come up with something better. I also need to manufacture a method to make the injector bases for the manifold. I'd like all of this stuff to be uniform.? I'm using 1/8" dead-soft aluminum armature wire for the elbows. It's easy to bend, and there's no kinking or distortion. There's still the need to drill them for a place to insert the pins from the stacks, but, I plan to keep those at less than 1/16" long, so there won't be the need to drill too deeply. That way, I think I can use the lathe, to do that, without the risk of opening up enough length to reintroduce the risk of collapse. I've included a shot or two of the elbows on the manifold. They're not bad, but, I think I can do better! I also started on the trans/clutch cover part of the driveline hump. Still some fine-tuning to do, but, it's close! I'm searching for some thin, textured, self-adhesive vinyl. If I find some, I may use it to make a rubber mat to cover the floor. I have some smooth material (the vinyl that sign makers use), but, I think that, if I go with a floor mat, I want it to have some texture. As always, your critiques, comments and questions are welcomed. Thanks for looking!

Beautiful! "Well worn leather, hot metal and noise..."

I got a kick out of the ground clamp, too! That Swindahl chassis really is unique-looking. I'm going to guess that you're correct, in that nobody else has built one, in scale. It's a thing of beauty, my friend!

It's drag racing's all-time winningest engine. Obviously, not in the pro classes, but, across the board. It led to more than a few drag racing fans referring to some classes as "AFC Racing." "Another BLAH-BLAH-BLAH Camaro"!?

I installed the down tubes, and shocks. I still need to fill where they meet with the chassis, due to the required assembly sequence. Once that's done, I'll apply some wash and pastels to match the rest of the chassis. I made a couple of cuts in the body, to clear the tank then test-fitted everything. It all fits, beautifully! Questions, comments and critiques are always welcomed. Thanks for looking!

MPC did a '32(?) Chrysler.

Shifter looks great!

Yep! Definitely Johan. I want to pick one up, when I find the right price.

Anybody else remember when we had to find glass stain, for our anodized parts? ? I think it was looking for that, that "hipped" me to just how much useful stuff was in a craft store. "Wow! You mean it's not all dollhouses, floral arrangement stuff, and fabric?!"

This is an excellent tip! That you could custom shape your tool makes the possibilities pretty much limitless. Nice work, and thanks for sharing it!

I appreciate that, my friend! I'm going to see if I can get the bottom nuts and fittings on it, today. Then, I'll have to decide what to do, next. It may be the down tubes and shocks. Those are done--I've just been waiting until the right time. Thank you, sir! I'm hoping it keeps heading in that direction!

Thanks, David! Got the tank assembly finished, except for fittings. Photos below. Thank you, Randy. I appreciate your comments! Also, I chucked the tank back in the lathe, and hit it with steel wool. I decided it would look better with contrast between the tank and cap.

Got a few things, today. A couple of tins of Humbrol white, in flat and satin. A new tube of GS Hypo cement, a bottle of liquid nail monomer, and a very reasonably-priced Accurate Miniatures McLaren.

Cool!

It's coming along, nicely, especially considering it's not your main focus. I really love drag racers from the '60s, '70s and '80s, especially. Things like throttle stops made from a piece of 2"X4", stuff like that, make for very interesting details, on models! I'm much the same. Just because the car would be quick, doesn't mean we builders are in a race! I like your '57 'Vette, too. I love the way it sits.

I got a roll of 1/8" dead-soft aluminum wire. I think it's going to be just the ticket, to make the curved bases for my injector stacks. I think Bruce Larson's Chevelle was the only car to run them, because they didn't work all that great. Still, it's a unique feature that looks cool, that I have always wanted to use. Engine setback requires it, on my Badman project, so...

I had hoped to post these, this morning, but, by the time I finished wrestling these into place, I had to get to bed. I took these with my phone, before work. I have 1/32" brass tube (treated with blackener) that will slip over the wire posts, during final assembly. I still have three holes to drill in the tank, for return lines and the vent. I'm kinda liking it! Thanks for looking!

Thank you, my friend! Glad to see you, back. Hoping things stabilize a bit, for you.

Thank you, sir! I should have the tank and mounting done in the next few days. I hope!

I glued the floor to the chassis, and the *firewall, as well (*although not yet, in these photos). I turned a bullet-shaped fuel tank from a piece of an old wind chime. As you can see, I plan to mount it, vertically. I added a crossmember behind the first one. That will mount one of Detail Master's Moon tank brackets to carry the tank. I'll be working out the upper mount and its support, next. It will need to appear to be able to open, in order to release the tank, in the real world. I hope to incorporate a bracket for a similar, yet smaller tank for the overflow, into the support/bracketry for the fuel tank. I rummaged through a box of watch parts, and found a stem winder that looks just right, on top of the tank! I also need to drill the tank for the vent, and a pair of return lines. I really like this tank, and its positioning! Thanks for looking!

You're an amazing man, Dave! I'm sure we all greatly appreciate your efforts. It's now 12;24 AM, MDT, and things are hanging, again. I'm using Chrome, now. I'll check with Firefox. If it's any different, I'll add to this post. Thanks, again!

Very nice work on a very cool project! I love old, off-the-beaten-path kits. You're doing this one proud. Nice paintwork on the driver!

Stuff happens! ? Sometimes, it's even good! ? Thank you, sir! Thanks, James. I appreciate it! Earlier in the thread, I began to mill open the back of the grill from the Monogram '55 Chevy Street Machine kit. I got it all opened, except the ends, because I couldn't decide on a way to securely clamp the part to the table, so that I could mill open the ends (although that's maybe not entirely necessary). In the mean time, while rummaging through my "Big Drawer Of Sheet Metal And Screen Stuff", I ran across some perforated aluminum speaker grill that I had picked up off the floor at an insulation job we were doing. I knew it would be useful, some day. Now, 20-odd-years later, that day has arrived. I cleaned up the grill surround from the Badman kit, then cut out and trimmed a piece of the speaker grill to shape. I'll do some final curving to the grill, before installation. I had to tacky glue it in place, and stick the spoiler up there, just to see how it would look. I think it adds to the Altered look. What do you guys think? Thanks for looking!