AmericanMuscleFan

The flywheel and clutch are amazing Charlie, I really like what you are doing and I am sure I am not the only one! ? You make me want to machine but I'm not there yet. ?

Hello everyone, Now that the main elements of the floor pan are done, I tackled over the weekend the opening of the doors. I proceeded very carefully because I didn't want to scratch the body (at least, as little as possible...) and I noticed that these old bodies were as thick as the new ones. I've done this several times to open trunk panels but this is only the second time I've opened doors, the D100 pickup being my first effort. For this project, I want the doors to work like on a real car, with the door entering towards the body (behind the front fenders), so I'll have to make more elaborate hinges. The body panels are very thick, as I mentioned earlier, so I had to thin out the edges of the fenders so the doors could work as I intended. This is the first part of the operation I'm showing you today, nothing fancy but the process is underway! See you later with more updates, Francis After hundreds of passes with the back of a thinned #11 X-Acto blade. You can notice that I added a reinforcement, which will be part of the rocker panel and will also ensure the desired position of the floor pan in the body. This thing is thick, my fingers hurt. My caliper shows the proof. I thinned the edge of the front fenders to allow the doors to enter the body. I will adjust or refine more if needed. I made the front fenders reinforcements to hide the thickness of the rest of the fenders, I couldn't thin the fenders from end to end! ? From a different angle, it looks like it will be more work than expected... as usual... ?

Whatever path you take, the goal is to find satisfaction in it and making your own custom parts is very rewarding, 3D is just another way to keep the hobby going and that's a good thing!

I love all the details Daniel, an amazing dragster in the making! ?

Nice touch on the headlight Ron, very nice improvement! I have always found the headlights on many models to have a toy-like (or fake) effect and what you have done will lend a lot of credibility to the final product. ?

The gas pump is beautiful Ian, I like the way you made it, it shows that there is more than one way to achieve our goal, hard to do better! ?

Good timing to ask and enjoy this fantastic result! Simply gorgeous!!! ? In 25 years we will probably put away our tools... ?

The words of a wise man! ?

Thanks Ron, I will continue to share my adventures and my process as long as people appreciate it, the goal is not to reinvent the wheel but to show that it is always possible to improve things. This is exactly what you are doing with your 48 Ford Ranchero! Francis.

Great job as usual Daniel, the dash and drain valve are both superb! Do you use a special type of "etching primer" like Ian used on the brass frame of his last project? I have never applied paint to brass and was wondering how a conventional primer or paint would adhere to this type of surface.

WOW, great job Ron! Everything you've done so far is contest quality and you can be proud, few dare to go into that kind of detail but you'll appreciate all your hard work in the end I'm sure. ?

You already do it very well Marcos, I'm just older and I work slowly because I can't keep up with the others! Francis Thanks James!

Thanks Ian, I'm inspired by the best of this hobby ? and good advice from guys like you! The engine will certainly be Mopar because I don't want to make any enemies and that I can do nothing else! ? Francis

Thanks Bob! Sorry I didn't take pictures of this, but I took an aluminum rod and wrapped a piece of sandpaper around it to create the desired opening size. I used the same aluminum rod to force the .020" styrene sheet to stay in place while the glue cured, the sandpaper had added about .020" to the opening in the previous operation. For the funnel part, I cut a sheet of thin cardboard to trace the desired shape and then transferred that drawing to a sheet of 0.020" styrene. This is also why I had to do the firewall at the same time because both parts are connected together. I hope it makes sense to you, but basically I took more time to pre-cut the shapes to minimize the finish. Francis

Good trick for the belt Marcos, this is the kind of finding I really like and I am not the only one.... ?

Hello everyone, I made some progress on the floor pan over the weekend and it's time to share the photos I took with you. After preparing the opening to receive the transmission tunnel, I glued the whole thing and made the firewall because it was necessary to give rigidity to the whole. I also removed the rails from the front frame as I will custom make new ones a bit later when I have decided how the engine bay will be dressed. I plan to open the doors and make them functional so you will understand later why the firewall is made like this, I have a plan but it won't be easy! In addition, I do not plan to put torsion bars and a more modern or racing suspension will be used, to be continued... Your comments are welcome and appreciated. Francis I made a clean, straight opening for the transmission tunnel that I custom made using 0.020" Evergreen styrene. The choice of transmission is not yet final but I made the tunnel large enough (I hope) for a Lenco style planetary transmission. The cross frame was cut and I continued the shape to simulate the support and/or reinforcement of the tunnel I added some basic shapes to the side of the firewall referring to pictures of restoration site on the internet. I have provided openings in the cross frame for wiring and plumbing. You can also see where the front frame rails will be located, the spacing will be about the same as the kit but adjusted to my needs Seen from the back, it is progressing but there is still a lot of work to do.

Thanks Trevor! I had planned a less difficult project than the pickup but I think that reality is slowly catching up with me, the work on the body details are longer than I had anticipated. ? Francis

I join the group that loves it very much! ?

Thanks Charlie! Yes, I wrapped them around a socket, you can always find the perfect size for your need as they are all a little larger than each other and sometimes there are even small and useful variations in sizes between manufacturers for the same size bolts. Francis

Very nice details Marcos, wheelie bars are always a nice addition to any drag racing car and you nailed it perfectly! ?

I understand your point of view very well Steve, those Johan bodies were so beautiful and well molded, it's always a hard decision to put the first file to remove some of their superb details. You have to trust yourself and pursue your vision, I can already see that it will be spectacular and that these mouldings will give way to a spectacular concept as you have accustomed us. ?

Fantastic job Charlie! Everything is so realistic so far, it looks like you've got all your motivation back my friend! ?

Thank you Ian, your comment as a connoisseur in the field is really appreciated and means a lot to me. When I get further along with the floor pan, I'll come back to the body shell and open the doors like you did with your superb Sportsman Camaro. I think this forum is really fulfilling its role with the advice and motivation that the members bring to each other, the effort to share our experiences takes all its sense here! Francis

That's great Ian, I really like to see someone take the time to open the doors and make them work on a scale model. I've only done it once to date (on my pickup) and I intend to do it on the Demon. The sight of your pictures inspires me my friend! Making the entire door frame (and door interior) is a lot of work but I think it adds a lot of value to the final product. I like what I see! ?

Thanks Scott! I still have some sanding to do, but it saved me a lot of finishing work. Now I can tackle the transmission tunnel and the firewall. Francis