RancheroSteve

Just an FYI: The Jeff Jones Mysterion seminar scheduled for Thursday night has been cancelled.

Cool project!

I wanted to keep the original location and dimensions of the Comet firewall, so I glued the side and top sections of the firewall to the chassis, and then fit the Mustang firewall into the center. Plenty of gaps here & there, and the toe boards don't line up exactly, but some scrap plastic will fix all that. After these photos were taken, I applied a generous coat of Tamiya putty. More soon . . .

OK, so this next series of modifications is a little more drastic and maybe not for everyone. I'm not suggesting in any way that this an essential thing to do - in fact, I'm sure a lot of perfectly nice Comets will be built right out of the box, but I decided I was up for a challenge. Let's begin by comparing the Moebius Comet chassis (in white) to the AMT '67 Mustang chassis (in black): The trans tunnel issues have been discussed in another build thread, but we can also see that the Comet has the lower suspension components molded in, while the Mustang has separate lower suspension, but has the upper a-arms molded to the frame (we'll deal with those later). I began by making a template that I could use later to maintain the correct wheelbase: I then removed the desired section from the Mustang chassis: And then the corresponding section from the Comet chassis: After a lot of test fitting - along with using the template to duplicate the wheelbase - I was able to glue them together: I had to fill a few gaps with small strips of plastic. I'll let the whole thing set up for a while and putty a few seams. Next up will be getting the firewall fitted.

Yes, that's correct - they cut a hole in the tunnel and added a piece on. Here's a link to the reproduction part: http://www.dearbornclassics.com/transmission-tunnel-hump-4-speed-fiberglass-falcon-ranchero-comet-1962-1965.htm And here's how it looks in place:

Looking good - a real achievement already!

Very effective and subtle improvements, Ron. It's interesting to see where different builders have focused their attentions - I think that shows that this was a desired kit and that while not perfect, it's a good launching point for a variety of builds.

Good catch!

Whew, that's a pretty crusty engine bay, but it does show the location of the blower motor. The two holes to the right of the motor are where the heater hoses go through to the heater core. Here's a shot that I think shows things a little more clearly: The shock tower to firewall brace has been removed for restoration, but otherwise this is a basically stock & bare '65 Falcon/Comet engine bay. Major holes (from left to right) are: blower, heater hoses, throttle linkage, and brake master.

Yes, that's correct - the V8 first appeared in the Falcon/Ranchero as a mid-year option in 1963. Sorry if I came across as a "know it all".

The Kurtis used a unibody chassis with '49 Ford suspension parts. Even though it is a body on frame car, the Revell'49 Mercury provided a decent starting point and it has detailed & separate components. After a lot of hacking and scrap plastic, I now have the basic chassis pan and interior platform: I think I've overcome most of the big hurdles in this build - I can actually begin to finish and assemble it now!

I agree, Dave - that looks like factory ride height, and it's not anything I have any real quibble with regarding the kit. I think to our modern tastes the '65 tends to look a little high in the front - I think that is partially due to the vertical headlights and corresponding fenders. In any case, ride height is something that is fairly easily adjusted to suit one's taste. I'm going to lower mine anyway because I'm not going for a factory stock build.

A little more progress: the (Indycals) decals applied. Getting ready to start on the lump and the back end . . .

I know that the Tabasco Pontiac Grand Prix (1997) and Spooky Fruit Loops Monte Carlo (1998) both have them, so maybe some other kits of that vintage as well? For what it's worth, both of those are "limited edition" kits.

True, but only up until mid-'63.

Looks like you're off to a good start, but while we're on the interior, if you want to get it more correct, the shape of the transmission tunnel isn't really right for a 4 speed Comet. This is the best photo I've been able to find at the moment, but you'll notice that the shifter is set off to the side, there's a bulge on the driver's side to clear the linkage, and the top of the tunnel is flatter than the kit part. Also, I see you're a new poster here (welcome!), but this thread would probably be better in the "On the Workbench" section.

I think it's been mentioned in this thread before - and I tend to agree - that it sits just a little high, but it shouldn't be hard to adjust. We also tend to forget that these cars sat a little higher than is now the current fashion when they were brand new, despite how they looked in the sales brochure illustrations.

Like I said earlier, our very original Caliente hardtop had them. No pictures, but I can remember looking at them and wondering why they were there.

Ha, right! Now what about the Cometcheros?

Sounds right to me - so maybe we can say they were on all '65 Comets except the sedans?

They're not Cyclone specific - I know for sure the Caliente had them as well; so maybe they're hardtop specific? I suspect some of the cars one sees (on Google Images, for example) are "resto-mods" that have had some trim removed (as I'm doing on my build).

The MFH tires will be a big improvement over the kit tires. I can't remember exactly what I paid, but I'm thinking about $10 a set, plus a very reasonable postage from Japan. Not cheap, but worth it for an open wheeled car, I think. I bought two sets - one for the Lotus and one for the McLaren M7A that I'll be doing as well. Looks like they are sold out, at least for the moment: http://www.modelfactoryhiro.com/new/en/archives/4098 The gauge wire might be just a little on the thick side, but I think it will pass.

Added front brake lines and put the nose on:

Gradually making some headway. I've altered a few things, added a some details and scratchbuilt a few parts. More soon.

Excellent & very clean job! Your improvements really paid off, too.