microwheel

Dang site double posted me sorry

Nice build. Always loved that kit, just never enough time to get it out and build it. But you did a top notch job with it my friend.

What can I say......WOW. Outstanding

Nice work for a 7 day build. Love the color

Outstanding level of detailing. A show winner in my book

Really nice work Tom

No Pics to post tonight guys. But hope to have a few tomorrow. I've been working on the 440 engine mock up and trying to work out a frond disc brake system. I'll try to post a few pics with details tomorrow.

Thanks Carl. might just be what I will end up doing.

Very nice work

Last update for this evening. I assembled the main engine block halves and the heads together and then sanded the seems so they would be ready for paint. Then tacked on the oil pan and resin aftermarket mopar valve covers with model aircraft canopy glue so I could remove them later for detail painting. this allowed me to drill the mounting holes in the heads for the scratch made headers. I used acid core solder to make the headers. (yes I know, not the best to use) But to get rid of the acid core, I used a thin piece of piano wire and after lightly heating the solder up with a cig lighter, I slid the piano wire through the solder pushing out the acid core. It took reheating the solder a couple of times to get all the acid core out, but it worked. Then I created a couple of header flanges out of thin sheet stock plastic matching the holes I drilled in the heads. Then cut the solder into 8 even straight lengths. Then slipped four of the solder pieces into each head. After several times of bending and test fitting I epoxy glued them together. I had the headers basically the way I wanted them. Then I used some wire heat shrink tube and some plastic round stock to make the collectors on each header. I then worked with the kit supplied 440 stock duel exhaust and cut it to match up to the headers. Drivers side header completed and painted Passenger Side header completed and painted The headers and exhaust will mate up perfectly once the headers and exhaust is permanently mounted. Everything was a little loose during the mock up for the pics. that and the chassis is a little bowed, which straightens out when it mounts under the body. That's why you see a little gap between the headers and exhaust. More later as I get it done. Thanks for looking.

Outstanding work John. Finally got a little time this evening to look through your build so far.

Well Joe I finally got time to sit a minute and read through your build. How well I remember the camaro your rebuilding. Did a few my self way back when. For a kit with so many issues, your sure doing a good job of working a bunch of them out. Stay with it buddy. I'll be watching.

I dug some wheels and tires out of my parts box. I wanted to give the dart a mid 70s to early 80s street rod look. Back in my youth the young guys still in school or just out of school and maybe only working part time while still living at home or maybe they only had minimum wage jobs ( in other words didnt have alot of money but still wanted their weekend cruiser hot rods) would put together a hot rod on a budget, Goodyear G60s were pretty common to see on the back of their hot rods back then so thats what I waned for rear tires. It was also pretty common for the kids to slightly raise the rear ends giving there hot rods a little bit of rake from front to back. I'll be adding white lettering decals from fireball modelworks later I ended up removing about 1/32nd of a inch out of rear hemi version axle tubes on each side to allow for the rear tires to fit under the body so I wouldnt have to trim out the rear body wheel arches. This worked out really well. After modifying the rear axle I went ahead and assembled the leafs to it. The rear end isnt complete yet but this gives me enough assembly to be able to do chassis mock ups as I need to for other chassis assembly and detail work. I just popped the rear wheels on temporarily to give you a idea how they will look and fit. More to come as I get it done. Thanks for looking.

Here is the section I cut out of the hemi hood. This should give you a better idea of how much of the hood was replaced with the cuda hood.

Hi there Carl. Thanks alot buddy. Im working on a dodge dart over on the cars workbench board. Its great to have time to be back in the hobby room but spring is coming fast and there is lots to do to the motorhome where spring finally does get here. One of our first trips late this summer is gonna be down around pigeon forge to see my step son. Never know if time permits, I could always pop in to say hello.

Thanks alot guys. I still need to get busy and fix the chip in the paint on the hood. If time permits I work on it this weekend

It wasnt a factory color that Im aware of. Unless you count that they would build some in a orange color for state and city road commissions.

Even everyone. After letting the paint set for a few hours I decided to take a few pics this evening. at least you can get an idea of the work done on the hood as well as the over all color. Keep in mind this is just the base coat with no clear coat and I havent color sanded it out yet. I did make a panel line wash out of Model Masters water based Acrylic green zinc chromate and apply it to the panel lines. Here is the modified hood side by side with the stock GTS hood. I painted both just in case I ended up not being happy with how the modified hood looked. But I feel it worked out better than expected. The modified hood was made by cutting out the center of the dart hemi hood in a manor that left a 3/16th of a inch frame on both sides and across the front. Then the leftover hood from building the revell 70 Hemi cuda kit was cut to fit the area removed from the dart hemi hood. A little body putty was used to blend it in and then the hood was sanded and painted. The pics show the results. Here is the hood sitting on the body with the grill mocked up in place. The holes you see in the body are marking points for the photo-etched script that will replace the molded on script that I sanded off during the body prep work. Sure hope the replacement decal sheet gets here soon I really need the black bumble bee stripe for the back end so I can get this thing clear coated. Anyways thats it for tonight. Stay tuned and thanks for looking.

Hi John Yup Im well aware it does. but I didnt want to spend close to 30 bucks for another kit just for headers that I can make myself for a lot less.

Nice work Tom. Im my opinion this was one of revell's best kits. Even with the little re-works on the fenders.

Thanks for the comments guys. Great to be posting again. The Paint I'm using is Model Masters Lacquer decanted and air brushed, but it is a base coat clear coat system. I worked on prepping the body and custom making the hood today but forgot to take pics of the process. I was in a hurry to get the body ready so I could prime and get some base color on it. I'll post a few pics of the finished hood and base painted body tomorrow. Sill have to wait on the decals from Revell before I can clear coat it. Oh well good thing there is a ton of other stuff I can work on while waiting for decals lol.

Hi Tim, yup just started a topic today. 68 Dodge Dart. Should see it a couple topics down here on the work bench. Just getting started on it. So not much in the post yet..

Howdy Geoff. Nice to see ya doing some American Iron my friend. Great progress so far. Love the color.

Outstanding work on this project so far tim. Your level of detail is sure impressive. Jim

Nice color Gene.