AmericanMuscleFan

I love you chassis jig Ian! I've never taken the time to make one maybe because my types of projects don't really require one. One thing is certain, a good house needs a good foundation as a starting point and you put all the chances on your side to succeed, the extra hours invested in the jig will be rewarded I am sure! You learn a lot by following what experts do, especially when they have experience in the real world of car racing! ?

Absolutely fantastic results Bill! I knew 3D technology could produce amazing things, but this is next level, your mastery behind the computer is what impresses me the most. It's a renewed hope for this hobby and one that could give it a second life, the potential is infinite and you demonstrate it to us brilliantly! ?

Hello James Anthony, thank you for your kind comments and question! I used slices of 0.015" flexible aluminum sheet (K&S) that I purchased several years ago but should be easily found at your local hobby store. In order to have a nice eyelet, I choose to make these by wrapping the end around a drill bit of the same size as the brass sleeve that I had determined. This way, the folding or rolling is less aggressive if I can put it that way and the aluminum has no recall so it does not require glue to hold it in place. I think the result is quite realistic but unfortunately the leaf springs don't have a rebound effect but that wasn't necessarily the goal even if I would have liked that. Sorry for the delay in responding, I'm working nights this week. Do not hesitate if you need more info, Francis

Thanks Randy! I started working on the rear brake calipers. They will be made of brass, this famous material that you use so well. Your notoriety on this subject is undeniable and you inspire us to use it as much as possible, I find more and more of the advantages thanks to you and the other magicians who inspire me on this forum! Francis

One thing among many others, there will be no shortage of sources of interest on this build! ?

This is not always ideal but it would be possible that after a few weeks of waiting for the clear coat to completely harden, you could do a light sanding and add a coat or two of clear. Most of the time when paint or clear coat cracks, it is due to paint that has not fully cured (apart from the incompatibility of course). The hood is a separate part so this would be a fairly easy fix and the fact that the kit is white plastic is an advantage in case the sanding is too deep. It's just a small detail and your model is super beautiful, your Grandpa would be proud I'm sure! ?

It will be a fantastic chassis my friend we can see that the guy knows where he is going! ?

Hello Mike and thanks for your great question! I don't use any coolant, it's a disaster and I want to keep my work space as clean as possible. I compensate with more small cuts at high speed and always use 2 flute cutters for aluminum. I only use very hard T6 type aluminum because soft aluminum cannot be machined, it produces a very ugly finish. For holes, I almost exclusively use carbide drill bits at the highest possible speed my machine can give me (I think it's about 2800 RPM with standard pulley). You have to stop often and feel the progress of the drill and back off when there are no more chips coming out of the part, it is no worse than breaking a carbide bit in your part, it is ruined and you have to start again. I hope I answered your questions well. Francis

Thank you Tim, on the motivation side I must admit that you put gas in my tank and I am inspired by your work. You can never have too much motivation and examples to follow when you commit to a very long project and I know you know what I'm talking about! I would really like to document even more how I make my parts but I'm short on time and the months are flying by! ? Francis

Thanks Ian, I really appreciate your support my friend! Thanks Ace, stubbornness makes you do surprising things, it's within everyone's reach, but you just have to set limits! ? Thanks Will, more madness to come! ? Thanks again guys, Francis

Nice work Tim, the idea of the brass rocker panels is brilliant. Opening the doors, rear trunk lid is a good challenge but worth it even if it adds a lot of hours to the build. No matter your choice, this is an exceptional project and all the components you have completed so far and in the future will make it an example of what talent and determination can create! ? Thank you for sharing your findings about the engraving tool, it seems to be of high quality, you can't go wrong with Tamiya.

The clear coat is nice and smooth Rich, this is a critical step and requires patience to get the surface hard enough to sand adequately. I usually sand with water and a drop of dish soap, it's slower but it's safer!

Thanks Rich! When the brake calipers have been made I will start assembling all these parts, I can't wait to work on the front suspension and the steering system. Francis Thanks Will, I would be very happy to pass it on to you but I don't know if you have the right kind of electrical outlet to plug it in, it's a very old model! ? Francis

Hello everyone, It's time for another little update after this superb solar eclipse day, an incredible spectacle by the way, we feel very small and vulnerable after that! The last solar eclipse in my area was in 1972 which oddly coincides with the model year of my current project, I hope it's a good omen! ? OK, enough astrology, I've finished making the wheelie bar brackets, rear shock absorbers and rear brake caliper brackets. I chose brass for the wheel bar brackets because I want to weld them to the axle which is already made of brass as you can see. The rear shocks are Styrene and aluminum, the aluminum rod is adjustable in length by simply sliding it in or out of the Styrene cylinder. The brake caliper brackets are aluminum, the bolt pattern is exactly the same as the housing ends, they will be mounted using small aluminum bolts from RB Motion. The next step will be to machine the brake calipers, the fit will be very tight but if my calculations are correct, it should work! ? I will come back to you soon with other custom-made parts! Francis I have few photos of the machining steps but they are fairly simple parts made in two parts. This is the base where the leaf springs will be bolted to. The notches I made in the previous photo were made to insert the other piece, they were then resistance welded. Different view. A little last one. Very simple but effective way to make adjustable shock absorbers by drilling a straight hole in a piece of styrene rod. All that remains is to paint them. Brake caliper brackets in the rotary table, I found the reference on the internet. I drilled the bolt pattern to match the housing ends, I was careful to note the distances between the holes. After separating them from the rod and a little sanding. I now have the pair! ?

Nice work Ian, it’s going to be solid and straight as an arrow! ?

Following your elaborate list of pros and cons of both options, I think your final answer is simply the best and logical explanation, why hadn't I thought of that!? ? I'll let the expert work his magic and take notes! ?

Sad that they are so difficult to work with, it's always the most interesting subjects that are in resin. There are some who make them works of art so it just has to be a little more work and precautions or preparation! ?

Thanks my friend, love makes you blind, maybe that's why I don't see that in reality and why I love these d@mn Mopars so much! Francis

Great job Ian, the bending technique seems very effective, the results speak for themself! ? I was wondering why you use tubes instead of solid rods, are there any advantages or is it because that's what you had on hand?

Excellent work on the paint Rich, this is not an easy task that you have embarked on but your determination deserves to be highlighted, few would dare to venture into such a complex painting job and I am one of them! ?

Thanks Ian! I would like to be able to make certain elements even more to scale but there is a limit to what I can do and what the material can render without distorting. Francis

Thanks Rich! Unfortunately I don't have any leftovers but they are actually quite easy to make with a good sharp Xacto blade. It's even easier to do with Styrene but you have to paint them to have the metallic effect. Francis Thanks Dwane, I had thought about it but I wanted the car to remain parallel to the ground. ? Francis Thanks Andrew! Yes, I cut them by hand from a large aluminum sheet. The stock is 0.016" thick, I wanted to make them thinner using stainless but it's too difficult to work with. Lots of sanding to make them acceptable and reduce the shine of the material though. Francis

Hello everyone, I made some progress in the last few days and I had to go back to making Styrene elements, because I still had to make the attachment points for the leaf springs and the shock absorbers. I needed to have the leaf spring supports made to find the right position, it's a kind of order to follow, one thing leads to the other if I can put it that way! The leaf springs are made from strips of aluminum that I cut individually from a 4x10 sheet and sanded to remove the shine, the collars are brass and soldered using my resistance welding unit. Next, I will continue to make the elements to finish (or garnish) the rear axle (disk brake calipers and brackets) and the wheel bars. Francis Front attachment point for the leaf spring and CalTracs. Brackets for the rear shocks. I realized that the frame is 0.080" (2 inches) and the leaf spring must be 0.100" (2.5 inches). I put some sort of 0.100" sleeve centered in the frame rail to solve the problem. An overview. Sorry, the image is a little blurry because it's difficult to get a good focus in this sea of white elements. Leaf springs made with aluminum strips. I also made center pins and brass bushing at the attachment points. Assembly done. Test fit. View from a different angle.

I really love your new project Ian! As for Pro Stock, I prefer this era of Funny Cars where the body shell was more similar to their original version. I'm getting on board with your project and I have a feeling we're going to have fun! ?

Thanks Will, I'm going to start by putting it on its four wheels and I'll see later! ? Thanks Scott, I can't wait to start making the more substantial parts, I feel like I'm not making progress but I must not deviate from my goal, patience is essential! Thanks Claude! I can just tell you that I would not have refused to put this '70 Challenger in my garage regardless of the quality of the original parts. What little I was able to see of the work you did on it was impressive and a testament to your enormous skills. ? Thank you for each of your comments, they are greatly appreciated! Francis