BigTallDad

Reminds me of the old Saturday Night Live skits with the Scotch Tape store.

Very nice! Just for giggles, set the model on the windshield of a 1:1 then take a picture from the inside (make sure you have clouds in the background). It'll look like the General is airborne!

Who said anything about a Daytona Charger? I was commenting on this build, which was well-executed.

That's an interesting approach! I'm not sure the shiny wheels go with the scuffed-up look...

I used a Rodeo Shock box;

The schematics are available now http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102782

Yes, Harry, I learned this at DeVry Tech in Chicago.

Once I had the stance correct, the rest of the engine bay was detailed. Owing to the severe angle of the heater hose coming out of the thermostat housing (yes, another nifty feature of theSVO), there were sections of bent steel pipe, to prevent the hose from kinking and being totally useless. Got that covered! My nemesis project is as done as its gonna get! Here's one with the hood on Here's the engine bay. I had some real problems with the stance, having to cut the side panels on the interior (as well as the side window "glass" to avoid having the rear end at the right height. The front end was too low and, rather than rebuild the incorrect front running gear, I basically made it level without regard to fit of the parts. Hopefully, the fluid level in the windshield washer (which is not in the correct location) will draw your eye from the fact that the fender wells don't meet the fenders. The interior is OK (after adding the correct pedals) but, once again, incorrect. The amber is, IMHO, too bright but what you see is what you get. The vacu-form sealed beams are hard to distinguish, but the scratch-built hood ornament looks good. A shot from the passenger side A shot from the other side. On this one, I put the BMF on before I painted it, then used lacquer thinner to remove the paint from the MUSTANG word. The kit-supplied SVO decal is lame at best. Here's a recap of "Detailing without Dollars" Wheel weights: free Valve stems: free Windshield wiper carve-out: free Antenna & base: free Functional hood scoop: free, using scrap plastic Washing the intercooler: cost of paint* Brake lines from master cylinder: free Fluid level in windhield washer reservoir: cost of paint* Interior chrome, brake/fuel line highlighting: cost of a Prismacolor pencil Tire lettering: cost of paint* Weathered tire tread: cost of paint* Plug wiring: minimal cost Coil wiring: minimal cost Battery wiring: minimal cost * You probably already have these colors A lot of these details, such as the functional hood scoop and fluid level in the windshield washer reservoir, can also be used when building "box stock"

Maybe I could have sub-titled this SVO project "Details without Dollars". Here are the rear lenses: I used automotive lens repair tape (amber) for the turn signals, and the backup areas of the lenses are painted off-white. Continuing in the "Details without Dollars", I also cleaned up the windshield wipers, which were cast as solid parts of the body. A before and after shot. The SVO hood has a scoop that directs fresh air over the intercooler; the kit didn't. I opened the hole in the top, then built up the tunnel underneath. That white streak you see is a strip of paper. You can also see the scratch built (foil casting) hood emblem in place. The interior tub is also assembled. In the cheap details category, I raised the headrest on the driver's seat and (although difficult to see from this angle) reclined the passenger's seat just a little. In '85, Ford introduced a half-year model; they changed the headlights to a slanted front cover (and a few other things) but it was a cosmetic change. This model is based on my youngest sons' early-year '85, hence the vertical headlight arrangement. This kit is a real pain, contrary to my other comments. I'm in the "Body meets chassis" stage and the stance is totally wrong. Oh well, I will overcome that. One thing I'll leave alone is the poor proportioning of the rear lenses; they are too short and don't join the body in that nifty cavity. More on that with the final pix.

My son recently sold his '85 so my reference source has dried up; I think I have enough photos to finish the job. My kit is the MPC version and its not a bad kit overall. It has those pre-scribed lines for a Tee Top and they are like the Grand Canyon. The body and hood have had several purple baths, so I'll show some of the components I've finished. Owing to the poor casting of the hood emblem, I had to scratch-build one. Some aluminum foil burnished over the trunk emblem then back-filled with epoxy worked pretty well. Then came the mirrors! The chrome tree had some really thick lenses for the outside mirrors and the coating came off by accident; the entire inside rear-view mirror was chrome, so it got a bath in oven cleaner. I used Brasso, Novus, and Meguiar's to polish a soda can, then cut the lenses to rough size (pediatric fingernail clippers work quite well) then sanded them to fit. The interior was straght-forward. I raised the driver's seat headrest up just for giggles, then used prismacolor silver pencil to do the edging. Got the engine ready to go; other than the scratch-built loom for the plug wires and washing the intercooler, there is nothing out of the ordinary. I really need to get a better photography set up! Cleaned all the flash from the coil springs, sprayed 'em flat black then highlighted the coils. Used a prismacolor silver pencil to highlight the brake and fuel lines. got the hood done, complete with functional scoop (this one is different, the scoop directs the air over the intercooler) and am applying some coats to the body.

Reed Relay: A SPST relay; the contacts are connected to the DPDT relay coil. DPDT Relay: This provides the “cycling” function by supplying voltage to the front and rear bubs. D1 and D2: Deliver voltage from the front lights to the rear lights, but prevent voltage from the rear bulbs from being delivered to the front bulbs when the brakes are applied. D3 and D4: Supply voltage to the rear lights when the turn signal is off and the brake is on. D5 and D6: Supply power to the Flasher when the turn signal is activated. Walkthroughs. Please note the designation on the rear bulbs; the left terminal on S5B connects to the right-hand bulb and vice-versa. Turn Signal Only. S5A is moved to either the left or right position. Voltage is applied to the flasher and the appropriate contact on the DPDT relay. When the flasher activates, current goes to the front and rear bulb, causing illumination. Brakes Only. S3 applies power through the center position of S5B, through D4 and D5, then to the rear bulbs. D1 and D2 prevent the front bulbs from lighting up.

The diagram for turn signals is shown below. Please note that turn signals/brake lights requires four additional bulbs. Where lines intersect, they are connected unless one line arches over the other. A description of each component follows the diagram. S3: SPST brake light switch. S5: A DPDT switch; I suggest a toggle switch with the center position being off for this turn signal selector. Flasher: A railroad crossing flasher unit for a model train set. Select one that has the same voltage as the lights you will be using. My experience is the Flasher is not a true on/off operation; there is a residual voltage even when it’s “off”, so the output goes to a Reed Relay which, in turn, drives the DPDT relay.

The diagram for dual headlights (one per side) is shown below. Where lines intersect, they are connected unless one line arches over the other. A description of each component follows the diagram. There are two outlines in dashed-line format. One represents the model, the other is the separate control unit. S1 The master on/off switch, shown in the ON position; it is a push and hold switch, to prevent inadvertently leaving power on and running down the battery S2 The headlight/parking light switch; it is shown in the OFF position S3 The brake light switch and is shown in the ON position. NOTE: if you plan on installing turn signals (as in a 1953 or newer vehicle), S3 is not installed S4 The high/low beam switch, shown in the HIGH position D1 This diode turns on the tail lights when the head lights or parking lights are turned on D2 The diode prevents head, tail, and (especially) brake light voltage from going to the front parking lights D3 An optional diode. In most newer cars, the front parking lights come on when the headlights are in use; D3 supports this function. If your model is an older vehicle and the front lights did not come on with the headlights, do not install D3. The diagram for quad headlights (two per side) is shown below. Where lines intersect, they are connected unless one line arches over the other. A description of each component follows the diagram. There are two outlines in dashed-line format. One represents the model, the other is the separate control unit. S1 The master on/off switch, shown in the ON position S2 The headlight/parking light switch; it is shown in the OFF position S3 The brake light switch and is shown in the ON position. NOTE: if you plan on installing turn signals, S3 is not installed S4 The high/low beam switch, shown in the HIGH position D1 This diode turns on the tail lights when the head lights or parking lights are turned on D2 The diode prevents head, tail, and (especially) brake light voltage from going to the front parking lights D3 An optional diode. In most newer cars, the front parking lights come on when the headlights are in use; D3 supports this function. If your model is an older vehicle and the front lights did not come on with the headlights, do not install D3. D4 Another optional diode. In the early versions of quad headlights, the outer lamp was dual element and was used for both low and high beams; the inner lamp was a single element lamp and was a high beam only. Diode D4 supports this approach. In newer vehicles, the outer lamp is the low beam and the inner lamp is the high beam; removing D4 supports this.

I posted a ’55 Chevy showing the functional lights and external box http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102446 Here’s how I did them. Due to the length of each post, I’m going to break them into dual headlights, quad headlights, and turn signals. For starters, I’ll define some of the terms that you’ll be seeing Lights. I used grain-of-rice, 12 volt bulbs that I found online. You can also find them in a model train store. Some folk espouse the use of LEDs (nothing wrong with that as long as they are dual-intensity LEDs) and fiber optics. Dual- intensity LEDs may require circuit modifications and you’re on your own for that development; also, I personally don’t think that fiber optics are bright enough, but that's just an opinion. When I first installed the lights, they were bright enough to shine through the styrene and paint. Using a section of a BIC ballpoint, I was able to make a tube and insert the light inside…problem solved! Diode. A device that allows current to flow in one direction only. These are polarized devices: if the positive terminal of a battery is connected to the positive end of a diode, current flows; if the negative terminal of a battery is connected to the positive end of a diode, current will not flow. Diodes have a maximum working voltage, so make sure the parts you use have a voltage greater than the battery you’ll be using. If you’re going to use 12 volts for lights, don’t use any parts scrounged from PCs, as they use a 5.6 volt power supply. Resistor. Something that restricts the flow of current, rated in Ohms; for my ’55 Chevy, I used 190 Ohms with a ¼ watt rating. Your project may vary, depending on the bulbs and battery; you’ll probably have to experiment a little. Resistors are used to create the illusion of dual-element bulbs. Flasher. This is a railroad-crossing part for model trains. The flash rate (speed) and duration are typically adjustable. Make sure the voltage for the flasher is the same as the voltage for the lights you’ll be using or you’ll need separate batteries. Reed Relay. A low-power relay. Because the flasher does not drop down to a low enough voltage to allow the DPDT relay to de-energize, the reed relay is used to “drive” the DPDT Relay. Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT) Relay. A relay that has two poles and two “throws”; there are three connections on each pole: the wiper (the part that moves) and the two connections, either normally open (no current flow) or normally closed (current flows). Switches. There are several types needed: a SPDT switch for the headlights/parking lights and several SPST switches: one for the brakes, one for the hi/low beams, and another for the master power switch; a DPDT for the turn signals. The SPDT switch can be a toggle or a rotary switch. For the master power switch and for brakes, use a momentary contact; use a push-on/push-off switch for hi/low beams. For the purists out there, reed switches (the types used in alarm systems and are activated by a magnetic field) can be substituted; you’ll have to make up your own schematics. The advantage for these switches is the magnet can be outside the model yet control the switches that are inside the model. Soldering equipment. A 40 watt soldering iron, rosin-core solder, wire cutters, and heat sinks (alligator clips will do). I put all of the circuitry in an external box. The model is permanently attached to the base, allowing me to conceal the wires by running them through the bottom of the rear tires. The box connects to the base using 8-conductor telephone wire/jacks. The power (either a small battery charger or an actual battery) connects to the box.

I make my antennae out of paper clips using this http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102101 While at the Nationals in Orlando, I found some .4 / .6 / .8 / 1 mm brass tubing from Albion Alloys Ltd. and all of the tubing is slide-fit. Sorry, I don't have any contact info for that firm.

Although I have a drill press and a wood lathe, I prefer to use a drill cradle to sand down, then cut the tread. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102101

For those that make roll-cages, custom exhausts, etc. I've tried a variety of methods (filling the tubing with various materials) but this one works the best for me. Mount a bolt, threads up in a vise. Put two washers and the nut on the bolt. Place the tubing and a drill bit the same size as the tubing between the washers and make the nut very finger-tight (don't use a wrench). It'll look like this. Hold one end of the tubing and pull the other end, wrapping it around the bolt. Re-position the tubing and the drill bit and repeat as necessary. Once you're past 90 degrees, you don't need the drill bit. The drill bit keeps the washers level/even and the washers keep the tubing from blowing out and kinking. If necessary, you can also use the washers and nut (this time with a wrench) to further flatten the curve. When all is said and done, the end product looks like this This was about a 100 degree bend. After I put my camera away (dumb thing to do) I was able to bend this tubing 180 degrees with no splitting. I first annealed the area to be bent using a lighter; this softens the tubing and reduces splitting. Obviously, the size of the bolt determines the curve radius e.g. larger bolt, bigger curve. There are products on the market designed specifically for bending tubing, but my approach uses common houshold stuff, works pretty well, and can bend a large variety of tubing sizes; the tubing can be aluminum or brass.

Great recovery, especially considering what you had to work with. That color is right on!

Thanks. the parts you mention are included in the kit, and well done I might add. It's a great kit and I highly recommend it. The only thing I did with the wheel covers was paint in the Ford info using red watercolor (it's easy to wipe off with a moist business card if you "color" outside the lines).

The taillights from a '51 Chevy are extremely close. Since I have a spare set, I'll use them.

I use a shop vac to find (usually) them. I tape the top of a sock (the thinner the better, but no holes) over the outside of the hose end and turn the vac on. The sock gets sucked inside the hose and becomes a filter to catch parts that are ingested. Turn off the vac, remove the sock, and hopefully the part will be there. If not, repeat as necessary.

If you look closely, there's a very small box in several pictures. That is a model of the Revell box. I opened the box up, took a picture, scaled it down, and made the miniature (in 1/25) box.

It's been holding up well. After all, it's a headlight that never gets touched.

One of my favorite kits (I'm currently doing a full Sportsman Woody using this kit)! Skill-level 3, great fit, and minor body filling/sanding for great results. All dressed up for a contest; note the open fresh-air vent and the scratch-built (steel) antenna

I used five minute epoxy.