Straightliner59

I was working in a hobby wholesaler, when these came out. The two cases I bought never paid off!? I actually only bought a couple of kits. They're still pretty reasonable, on Ebay.

Plugging away on the headers. All eight are bent mostly to shape. Currently, the right side of the car is how I want it. The left...meh. Not so much. It shouldn't take too long to get them all aligned, properly, however. I think it looks good for the overall theme, while, like I said, previously, harkening to its roots. Once those are done, I have to make a new pipe, for the right side, as I broke one, while re-bending it. I'll use the as-currently-installed headers to make spacing templates for the flanges. I'll probably smash some aluminum tube, to make them. I'm leaning "yellow" for the pipes, but would consider alternatives. They look good from the top, too! I wanted to post these, before I get back to work on fixing the left-hand side of the car. Thanks for looking!

That's cool! Nice work!

I would second Brian's suggestions. There were some AMT Parts Packs that had some that would have worked, as well (after cleaning off the sidewall printing), but they're hard-to-find, and expensive!

What kind/class of drag car you want to build will dictate the tires you need. Is it a vintage racer? Dragster? Super Comp dragster or Top Fuel? Stock Class racer or Pro Stock? I'm not trying to be snarky, or anything, it's just that all those things determine what will be your proper slicks.?

I'm up late, this morning, since it's my day (night) off. I've been bending "pipe". I have four bent, but my eyes need some rest. I'm going to pull these (again), and bend them a tad more, so they're closer to, and parallel with, the lower edge of the car. Their location, at least, will harken to Badman's roots, while providing something more realistic. I'm going to have to make the flanges, and paint and mount them, then slip the (painted) headers into place. I'll use some thick paint to dab in weld beads, to hide the joints. I haven't decided what color I am going to paint them. The VHT paint (or similar) was available in a fair amount of colors. I don't really want to use white, because I used it on my Chevy II. That leaves yellow as the most obvious choice. The day-glo orange might be interesting.? I think they'll look pretty cool! The further along I get, with this project, the more I wish I'd gotten rid of the exhaust system! Oh, well--I think I'm still going to like it! Thanks for looking!

I have some solder that is close enough, but it's rosin core. I've been buying aluminum armature wire (for sculpting, not electric motors.?), but couldn't find it in the appropriate size. .090" is 2.25" in scale, which is what Chevy recommended in the performance manual. I think this plastic will work out, well. Since I want open pipes, with no collector, they need to be open, with a thin wall. I think the #47 bit left me with .003"-.005" walls. It looks pretty good. To your point, though--anytime I see wire that I don't have, it usually comes home with me! It's one of those things you can never have too many different sizes or types of!

It should work out. I think? I have to align the pin with the hole, then roll it in, so that the pipe clears the frame rails. It's a tight squeeze, in there!

Nice work with the engine. I really like the tones and the finishes.

Zolatone!

Good to see you back, Tim! Sounds like it'll look just right! I'm still blown away by that grille, too!

Dig the altered wheelbase car!

That's why mine has aluminum interior panels!?

I've been solving the headers. I have some .093", bendable plastic rod I got in a bulk assortment, on Ebay. Chevrolet Performance recommends a 2.25" tube, 34" long, for the headers. .093" scales to roughly 2.375". I hope nobody notices the 1/8"!? In order to make uniform, short, sharp bends, I drilled the end of a piece of aluminum rod with a #43 bit, to a depth of .1". I then cut an angle, so that I could bend the rod past 90 degrees, and it would "relax" back to 90. Once I was satisfied that I could create consistent bends, I cut the plastic rod to length (1.36", I think). Next, I chucked each length in my lathe and "divoted" one end with a .9mm bit, to guide hand-drilling, later, and the other using a #47 bit, to create the open end of the pipe. Next, I bent each piece on the divoted end, then hand-drilled each to accept a pin that inserts into the holes I had previously drilled for the headers. The next step will be to bend each pipe to fit its location, and have them all end up in the right place! It will involve a lot of trial and error, and fitting and refitting, but it will be a big step in really moving along with the project. Questions and comments are always appreciated. Thanks for looking!

I'm building one, now! There's a WIP thread in Drag Racing. While we are all aware of its flaws, it has always nailed "cool"! The body and most of the chassis are all that are left of the kit, in mine.

Yessir! The tank hold-down looks great. I also really like the tabs and bracketry for the air tank!

The article states that Larson did it because of engine clearance. The writer claimed that it likely inhibited performance, due to a diminution of airflow, at the curve, and thought he should have cut a relief for the stacks, in the windshield. I always thought they looked cool, too, and this seemed a perfect place to employ them!

I'd been wondering how I would do the bent stacks, for the injector. Larson's Chevelle had two variations. One in which the injector bases were cut and welded. The other has bent tubes. The car also doesn't appear to be the Crower setup I (for some reason) thought it was. More research is in order. I think my best option will be to bend the tube bases from .125" plastic rod, then attach the actual tubes, to those. I haven't measured this one, yet, I may need to shorten it, a little. The 1974-'75 Chevrolet Performance Manual I have recommends 21.5" from the top of the stack to the base of the manifold. I also cut the cowl, back. I think it's going to look pretty cool, with the stacks alternating in purple and gold "anodizing"--4, each color. I'm also fiddling with the headers, and how I am going to bend them. I have to build them from plastic, as I can't find/don't have the proper diameter material in aluminum wire, or solder. The first bend has to be a tight one, as they need to fit between the engine and the frame rails. I don't anticipate any big problems, with them, though. Questions and comments are always appreciated. Thanks for looking!

I remember those tools. Those clamps were absolutely worthless! The spatula and glue applicator at least stood a chance of sort of accomplishing what they were supposed to. I was thirteen, when I signed up. Not too long ago, I picked up an original issue of Revell's 240Z. It still has the card for club, and a sweepstakes entry, in the box! Just seeing the box was nicely nostalgic. Finding the inserts really got the "feels" going! the complimentary 'tool kit' which was merely preparation for life's disappointments.? That's great! Cracked me right up!

Yeah. That, and friction!

Trevor, now this is neat! I never got any of the certificates. I think you're the first one I've "met"! Cool! Thanks for sharing these photos!

I just saw one on Ebay, thanks to your suggestion. That is nice! I'll be picking that one, or a kit up, so I have one on hand. Thanks again!

Thanks, Rusty! Next time I need one, that's where I'll go! I'm happy you found this informative. I'll be working on it at least a while longer, so I hope you'll check back in. I'll try to make it worthwhile!

These are the issues I have of "Get It Together", the publication of the Revell Master Modelers' Club. These are Spring and Summer of '73, and Winter and Spring of '74. The centerspread was always the list of modelers of various "skill levels".

That's not going to end well, once gravity returns!