Misha

The tribute to Brock Yates makes it so much more special! He was such an inspiration. Started following him from the early days of Car & Driver mag. thanks for the reminder!

I tend to favour the themed builds, in fact the AussieBall was the the Cannonball I've competed in. The main reason was the challenge to build out of my normal interest. Having said that and after having read how 2017 will be the tenth anniversary run with Rob being the original coordinator, I'm in! The 10th anniversary will be the "theme". The AussieBall had a low entry at the start line this year and I certainly agree with Dennis "MeatMan" that the level of fabrication was above norm, perhaps discouraging participation. It was a great challenge for me and considering that there was one entry near the deadline, the extension was well used by the remaining entries. Looking over the list of previous runs, there is a good variety of options over the years for all builders. It would be interesting to resurrect the original thread of the starting line up from ten years ago... An idea would be to update a previous entry... another thought that has been raised before I think is to have a special decal sheet run off with a unique logo for the anniversary... Other thoughts? Cheers Misha

Thanks Dennis! Perhaps it's the old colonial and Commonwealth that keeps Canucks, Aussies, Kiwis and the rest of us connected. Now that we are done, I would like to say how much I enjoyed this build. My area is Hot Rods and track racing (non-Winston Cup), so this was a bit out of my ordinary way of things. Yet the challenge of running across the Outback, along with meeting the Aussie road regs (RHD!) was irresistible. Allowing for some creative scratch building beyond the box and a certain sense of humour (like following Jake's progress) was a common thread among all participants. The results speak for themselves as each is quite unique, all are winners in my eyes! Congrats to all participants and especially to the ones on the starting line. Drop the flag and let's race!!! Cheers Misha

It's done, with three and a half hours (West Coast time) to spare!!! Thanks Jonathan for the well wishes. Now to relax and examine everyone else's work. cheers Misha

Canuck Blazer SS This 1972 Chevy Blazer has been heavily updated to modern 2016 standards to compete in the AussieBall run thru the Outback. Most of the modifications are of a digital nature to provide instant performance data and for communication thru a satellite link mounted atop the cargo rack, yet it also carries a traditional CB radio. Under the hood is a 400 c.i. SBC fitted with off road accessories such as a sealed air box, a heavy duty radiator with an oil cooler mounted underneath, performance oil breather system, and a sealed battery box. The engine has been blue printed with aluminium heads, a Holley Double Pumper, custom headers & exhaust. In addition the brake m/c has been moved to the RHD position, as was the steering box. The body has been modified to allow for an upgraded off road suspension and wheels. The total lift is a scale five inches with two inch body lift and three inch suspension lift. The body was stripped of all trim, had flares added and wheel wells enlarged. The three gas filler caps are for the saddle tanks and the stock one. To ensure a full rear view, a set of Westcoast mirrors have been installed. On the passenger side a snorkel system has been installed to provide fresher air for the engine. The custom cargo rack has a set of tools, antenna mounts, a water jerry can, a satellite up-link dish, room for additional supplies, licence plate holder and a set of back up/work lights. The interior features a custom roll cage that is attached to the Blazer's frame. Up front the entire cockpit has been modified for right hand drive. The Ferrari competition seats are attached to the roll cage as is the cargo rack on top of the canopy. Inside the cage are the dual spare wheels and tool crib with tire tools stored underneath it. The rear bed also has dual fuel cell saddle tanks and a mounted water jerry can. The dash has been modified with quick release panels replacing the glove box, central stack, and driver instruments. It features digital touch control screens, GPS, analog instruments, and a link to the laptop mounted between the seats. The frame has been fitted with a front mounted winch, along with the necessary Roo Bar to protect the front of the Blazer. In addition a stone guard protects the front drivetrain from rocks and boulders. Outriggers to mount the roll cage were welded to the top of the chassis and a custom rear bumper was installed with tow hooks underneath. The exterior colour and decals provide the canvas for the Canadian markings, reminiscent of training aircraft from the 1940s. To help escape close scrutiny the markings indicate this to be a test or research vehicle, fleet unit #18, to disguise its AussieBall Competition entry. The Blazer also features small SS markings on the hood sides to indicate its performance roots. On the rear canopy window are travel decals from Illinois and Minnesota. Product decals are kept to a minimum to escape notice. Overall the aim was to build a vehicle that would be competitive and safe, utilizing modern technology, and still appear to be rather innocent and ordinary on the road, at least as ordinary as one can be travelling across the Outback! The build was a challenge and with this year's theme made the Cannonball Run much more interesting. Wishing all competitors good luck and safe travel! Cheers Misha

G'Day All! Still in the running.... Entry #18 the Canuck Blazer is getting all the little bits installed. Drivetrain is nearly complete, the raised suspension did cause a minor adjustment to getting the shafts to fit. Fitted most of the external portion of the scratch built snorkel today. Doing a lot of epoxy work tonight too. Windshield gets fitted next. I sawed off the vent windows for a better fit and better scale with acetate vents. Getting close to fitting the rad and battery to the front wall. Also finished off the last of the Alclad work by chroming the Westcoast mirrors from the 53 Ford and the scratch built engine oil breather filter to be fitted to the firewall with plumbing to the valve covers and an oil sump return. The real test comes soon (besides finishing on time!!!) when the interior comes together with the body to be joined to the frame, for good! Keeping my fingers crossed. Cheers Misha

Really nice additions to your collection Pat! I too especially like the 65 Chev pickup and a great save on the old AMT Phaeton. Your garage did is also super, curiuos if it's from Scale Equipment? (If that's the right name???) Thanks for sharing, cheers Misha

Looks like Jake is doing a great job for you Bruce! Really looks great with the detailed suspension. Hoping to get the Canuck Blazer to the start line. Today was busy dry fitting the drive train, so far so good. Still a number of hoses and wires to hook when it all comes together. Also busy with painting still, plus so many details that I have a list. Cheers Misha

Great job Marc! Your depiction is amazing in having the right look with a patina of age overall. Also,appreciate your comments on the earlier billet building style; this is real. Thanks for sharing your work, Misha

G'Day Mates, There is certainly great activity and ingenuity going on! Been busy with small details past while, scratch building a front winch to sit behind the Roo Bar and a tool box to sit between the tire stack and tailgate. Been getting the decaling underway having used digital dash instruments from current racing vehicles, with prominent Canadian markings from an aircraft sheet (goes with the colour being Trainer Yellow) and to help eliminate any suspicion, official type markings as a "ROAD TEST VEHICLE". Besides why would a vehicle with British Columbia plates be suspect of anything...? Tonite finished most of the BMF as there's very little there, just the windshield frame. Sheet I bought fresh two years ago is till A-Okay. Also installed the Roo Bar onto the chassis, and been busy with engine detailing.

Glad to hear it! Thanks, this helps a lot as after a year's work (even at my slow pace...) one doesn't want to do shortcuts or rush things. Cheers to all! Misha

Great work Bruce! Great to see all the detail work you end put into your build, plus you are nearly ready for the start line. I may have to have help to push the C.C. Blazer to the start line! Not having heard from too many participants, I wonder how many are in the running, and can we come to a decision about an extension. We would still have two weeks to vote before the start of 2017 and it would allow for a greater field of entires. So let's hear if you're still in and would like the extension of fifteen days. Cheers Misha

G'Day Fellow AussiBallers, im behind the eight ball as well when it comes to completion. At this point in the game, lets relieve the tension and make it fair to all by granting the fifteen day extension. Largely due to having only a coupe of entries, and the more involved nature of our builds I feel this is reasonable. What do you guys think? Anyways, here's entry #18 "Commenwealth Canuck Blazer", and where she sits tonite...

That's a real stunner Curt!!! Lovely version of a straight axle that isn't, modern components with a vintage body, and not the reskinned ones, is the way to go! thanx for sharing your build, Misha

Having had built targets, I mean armour, before, I would say you have achieved an excellent build of the M-41! Actually there are a lot of armour techniques and bits & pieces that can be adapted to automotive subjects, especially in terms of weathering. Once again, congrats on a great build. Cheers Misha

Praying for you Harry... hoping for further positive news! Misha

Looking great Ben! I like the primer look - remember a lot of rods looking that way back in high school... Also looking forward to seeing more of your work on the forum. Cheers Misha

Like your body modifications Jonathan. If it weren't running thru the Outback, it would look deadly lower to the ground. Are you sure about switching to RWD? Looking forward to your build! Cheers & G'Day, Misha

Thank you all for the comments! Extra encouragement at this stage is very good to hear. Since we are a bit low in the final entry tally at this point, would a suggestion to extend the deadline by fifteen days due to the more "out of the normal", dare I say "out of the box..." style of theme that has us building to a different standard, be possible? We would still be done with voting by New Year's. Nonetheless the deadline approaches! Been busy outside the house past couple of days, so a bit behind. It is beginning to look like was meant to be. More work tomorrow night! Cheers Misha

Thanks Jonathan! Ready to call it a night after getting about two thirds of the distributor wires in. Very thankful for the magnifying lense & light, only way to get photo etch parts into the right spot. Used wire looms with DM distributor kit. Fuel lines are solder wire with crimps. Block has received a black wash on top of Alclad finished. The front water pump and belt assembly with alternator are only mocked up in position for the snapshot. Upper right has the brake m/c mounted to the booster, getting plumbed tomorrow. The headers have received the Tamiya weathering pastels for a heated look. In the foreground is the oil filter mounted to an adapter plate for the remote oil cooler mounted under the rad. It still needs to be painted, oy vey! To the left is the rad assembly with coolant tank mounted on the side. It still needs further paint detail, wiring and plumbing. Haven't mentioned the battery box yet... Then there's the custom oil ventilation plumbing to install too! G'Day to all AussieBallers! Misha

AussieBall Update Entry #18 - K-5 Blazer With a very busy summer and little spare time for building, whatever did happen occurred in spurts. Now with the deadline drawing near and the wet soggy conditions outside there's lots of time!! The biggest change to the body has been to add flares and carve out the wheel wells for bigger boots. The Jeep Rubicon kit has been a gold mine of parts, in addition to all the other Jeeps in the stash. Ended up using the fender flares reversed, tires with rims and the rock runners for my roof rack sides. The roof rack attaches to the roll cage thru the fiberglass top and was built using plastastruc, armour mesh, and the rock rails. It incorporates a high mounted plate holder, antenna attachments, tool rack, rear lights, plus all that storage! The rear bumper was scratch built around the 53 Ford pickup bumper with the addition of armour kit hooks and Grandt Line bolts. Getting more into the drivetrain now, using the kit's somewhat odd SBC, with a number of changes under the hood. The extreme heat to be encountered called for a custom rad with engine oil cooler below it. In addition an overflow canister and electric fan complete the package. The unit was scratch built around parts box ribbed rad sections adding the framing and hose connections with plastastruc. In addition the dusty road conditions require a cleaner air source for the Holley Double Pumber that is achieved with a snorkel set and sealed air box. Utilizing the custom air cleaner with the spare wheel rim, plus a bit of electronic gizmology the Blazer will ride with a snorkel on the passenger side (ie left side/port). As well the steering gear and brake m/c have been switched to the driver's side. The Blazer now has its final coat of TS Camel Yellow, ready for polish and detailing, and the undercarriage is slowly acquiring it's running gear. Still a lot of work to get done. Today began plumbing & wiring the engine... More paint to finish on parts. Nearly all chrome bits have been stripped and redone in Alclad. Enjoy the snapshots. Cheers Misha

If looking for various paint schemes and one uses Pinterest, try doing a search under a number of titles, (eg. C3 Corvettes, Racing Corvettes, Greenwood...) and it will yield more visual references than a Google search. Cheers Misha

I picked one up today, at first thought it was the detailed kit, so was surprised that I paid top dollar in Canadian funds (just over thirty bucks!) for a snap kit!!! It is a nice kit, yet very much overpriced.

Great idea Stuart using the rear wheel arch from the Nomad, never have thought of that, plus altering the interior tub is another solution. Welcome to the workbench, your work in making a nice straight body looks bang on. Cheers Misha

Great looking Camaro Terry! Really like it without the stripes, gives it a more stealthy, aggressive look to it. Terrific build, thanks for sharing it. Cheers Misha