Jantrix

Oh geez. I cannot believe I did that. I do know where the combustion chamber should be. Oh these are gonna be fun to get off. Thanks for setting me straight guys. I'll get this corrected.

THAT. IS. FANTASTIC! Very creative. I dig it.

That is a fantastic model. Very well done. I dig everything about it.

I set it up per the instructions, the three exhaust ports are facing the outside.

I've deviated from the sketch big time so I deleted it while ago. Thanks for the ataboys guys.

Mock up time.

Finally a free weekend for a little QT with the wife and some bench time. My goal this weekend was to get the chassis sorted and so far so good. The only thing left is to get the engine raised a bit so that its not going to be lower that the frame. This is the Revell Parts Pack 354 Cadillac. I'm still undecided between the 4 or 6 carb set up. As for wheels the mock up is using the Revell deuce wires. I may use them I may not. I'm leaning towards the Revell '29 roadster big & little steelies and old school tires. The roadster rear tire is taller so it will add a little rake which I want. The front tires are the same height, so we're set there. I have Z'd the rear but did not add any length. I've added a cross bar and suicide perch forward of the stock suspension mount and lopped off the frame horns. Man it felt good to back on the bench. More soon.

I agree. Looking forward to seeing it.

The y-block and Stude 289 are great choices. Some other alternatives are an inline 6 from the AMT '37 and '51 Chevys. Also a Buick 401 from the AMT late 60's Riviera kits. They look great but the unusual exhaust port spacing will make headers tricky. The AMT '53 Ford pickup has e pretty nice early hemi, as does the AMT '57 Chrysler. A slant six from the Lindberg '64 Dodge 330?

I'm not the kinda guy who would keep more than I can use. My post-lottery win would be something like this. First, I'd put myself through the best automotive schools and welding/body work schools. And build hot rods for the rest of my life and be insanely happy. My collection would consist of - 1 project hot rod The previous project hot rod for driving and enjoying, car shows etc. A '66 or '67 Charger built with modern components (engine/suspension). Something very reliable for partaking in hot rod runs like the Hot Rod Power Tour. A '69 GTO for the wife built in similar fashion as the Charger. A modern muscle car. This would change yearly as I would just lease it for a while and drive the wheels off it. A cool truck for the wife and for parts runs. That's about it.

I think I'd just like the decal sheet.

More pics please. That really looks neat.

You forgot floating alternators.

As I live in a humid area, I use Testors and Model Master lacquers, and Duplicolor auto lacquers for gloss paints. Blush can sometimes be a problem but it is easy to deal with and they dry quickly. For flat colors I use Krylon enamels or whatever they are.

It would be interesting though to set up some sort of timer. I could set it next to the lamp and start/stop it as I go. Or maybe just a start/stop log sheet. I'll have to think about that. I have done a couple of long weekend/ holiday builds where I set out to build the model entirely over the weekend. Generally with few mods, added detailing or scratch-built anything. I did about 10 hours of work a day for three days. Comparing the work done to them compared to my usual builds, I figure I have anywhere from 60-100 hours into my best builds.

For a '56 your choices are the Revell '56 Del Ray, Revell '56 Nomad, and the Monogram '56 Chevy Bel Air hardtop. I've not heard a single bad thing about the Revell kits. The Monogram is simple, 1/24 and goes together VERY well. I think any of these would be a good choice depending on what type of model you want to build.

I was thinking the VIcky engine and chassis/running gear with the upcoming 30 model A body and drift style wheels/tires in the corners.

The Revell '67 Charger is one of their best muscle car kits ever.

My father finally ponied up the '58 from his stash, he's been sitting on since I was a teen. Looks like an original issue, flat box, molded in red and black. I opened her up and was stunned to find the chrome tree in perfect shape. The instructions say 1964 but the catalog says 1966. With all these awesome custom parts I can't wait to build it.

Bob, I just did the very project you are talking about. I used the channeled frame from the 29 roadster kit. The RPU works with just a little bit of help. I also cut down the roadster floor pan to fit. Here's the whole build if your interested. http://s53.photobucket.com/user/Jantrix/library/29 RPU rat rod?sort=3&page=1

You are quite welcome. I'll happily admit that this is not usually something that interests me. I'm more of a traditional hot rod guy. But somehow this one really speaks to me. I may have to do something in the same wheelhouse at some point. I have a Phantom Vicky that might do well for this sort of thing. Thanks for the inspiration.

Also, be aware of the scales your working with. If the 454 is from the Revell/Monogram kit, it is likely 1/24 where the truck is 1/25. The scales are very close, but they can still cause fitment issues, particularly in the transmission area.

This letter is well done but frankly it will fall on deaf ears. People that are "trophy hunters" are just wired that way, and they cannot imagine doing something for any other reason than to compete. In the modeling world I've only met one guy like that and he just didn't get it. After the awards he dragged the judges back to his models demanding to know why his models didn't win. He even went so far as to drag the contest organizer over to complain. I tried talking to him after, to smooth the ruffled feathers, and he told me point blank, "Listen, the only reason I build is to compete." At that point I realized we were on two different planets on the subject of models and left him alone to pack. If you are wondering if there is a guy like this at your show, most likely he's the guy who brings the same models to the shows over and over.

Tom, I don't think anyone meant to belittle Ron. Scott mentioned "someone" and as we all knew who he meant, we just talked about the elephant in the room rather than pretend he wasn't there. And as things went, people learned why Ron has the Poncho in his sig line and others learned that they could NOT see it if they didn't wish to. It was kept civil. I think this turned out just about as well as any disagreement ever has on this forum. Nobody banned, nobody deleting their account, and the threads not even locked. We all behaved like adults. Who knew? I deeply hope Ron was not offended. I'm sure no one intended to do so.

Well then. The easiest way to get your head around the term is for you to build a "traditional rod" as you see it, with with a big block Chevrolet. Which would then make it a "rat rod", without the poor engineering and fabrication association. Like this. But seriously folks, here's my current project that I've started recently and since my stint on night shift is coming to an end, I'll have more bench time ahead. Big plans for this. Low stance, Z'd in the rear, suicide perch in the front. Some sort of custom grill, like the tractor grill I did for my roadster. Parts pack Caddy or Pontiac engine. I have yet to do an old school fully flat black paint job on a hot rod, as hard as that may be to believe. So gloss black frame, flat black body/grill, and off color wheels & engine yet to be decided upon. More soon.