AmericanMuscleFan

Thanks Roger! I've been thinking about building a Dodge Demon for a while now and I feel inspired, many of the building techniques I've been thinking about for a while are working their way through. My pickup took me 4 years to build and going back to a car is good for me I think... ? More progress next week. Francis

Thanks Joseph, It is always a great pleasure to share my experience and I am delighted if it can be useful to someone else. Francis Thanks for the kind comment Marcos! Francis

Thanks Tim! A bit of brass will certainly find its place somewhere in this build but I can't hide that I'm much more comfortable with Styrene for this kind of details. It's also a little sad to hide brass work with paint as opposed to styrene which is made specifically for that not to mention I have a much larger inventory of the latter... ? Francis

Great work Sergey, glad to see you back on this build, your progress is impressive as usual. ?

Hello everyone! After a few days off before returning to work, I was able to finish most of the trunk gutter detail. As I pointed out on a previous post or reply, the Demon and Duster body does not have a metal extension between the trunk lid and the rear window, so the gutter construction commanded extra care to keep the body straight. I was very apprehensive at first when I removed all the moldings and the trunk lid, but the more Styrene strips I added, the stronger the back of the body became. Once again, I referred to a few photos to create the details and the result is quite satisfying, what do you think? Your comments are welcome and appreciated. The build will resume next week, Francis The rear panel is finally installed with the rear bumper mounting structure. Part of the gutter between the rear window and the trunk opening. I added a 0.010" Styrene strip around the opening, it is interrupted on the corners as I saw in the reference photos. View from a different angle. Overall view, I put the dime to get a more accurate picture because it is very difficult to get a good focus point. One last one for now...

Thanks for your kind comments and to joining me in this new adventure Doyle! The final assembly is not for tomorrow as you can see, even if I don't have to create the whole body like I did for the D100, a lot of parts will have to be made to bring this kit to the new millennium. ? Francis

Thanks Daniel ! I used a .031" two-flute cutter, so the rounded corners are .015". I had tried this first on a piece of scrap with a .050" cutter and the corners seemed too big. I have to work with precision because there are others who are doing great work these days! ? Francis

Thanks Roger! This is exactly how it works in my brain... I construct (or deconstruct...) the part to be made in my head and I try to anticipate most of the problems related to my approach before starting. My biggest weakness is not taking enough notes or sketches, which forces me to take more measurements when I try to make a similar part for another project. As for my coffee consumption, I try to limit myself to one mojo at breakfast because it gives me palpitations... ? The rear trunk gutters are going well and I hope to post some pictures soon, I have many more details to make! ? Francis

Thanks Jimmy, I have made some progress and I hope to upload some new pics soon. Stay tuned, Francis

Thanks Joseph, this will be another long project, so you'll have several opportunities to come and take a look! Francis

Thanks for your kind words John! Your knowledge on the subject always amazes me as I have read many of your interventions on other threads and you always have the answer, you impress me my friend! Rest assured that this thing will have a HEMI under the hood and with 2 carburetors this time... just to give a nod to the current price of gas, it doesn't cost much to dream! I will try my best to correct the small defects of the body and I expect a good challenge with the front grille! ? Thank you for your visit and come back anytime, Francis

Hi Claude! Thanks for the info my friend, we are well served by the rules and regulations of the SAAQ here in Quebec. Our neighbors south of the border have a lot more freedom in terms of vehicle modifications and we can only envy them. I am reassured, however, that "the professor" is watching me for any missteps I might (and will) make during this new project. Your knowledge and experience never ceases to amaze me my friend and I take note! ? Francis

You can't go wrong with 2 carbs! ? The intake manifold is awesome Ian! ?

Thanks Scott, I'm usually a very harsh judge of my work but I must admit that this seems to be a nice improvement on the original kit. Francis

WOW, very cool project Ian, my kind of car ! ? It feels very different to see you working on a door car, I like that a lot (even if your dragster builds are references of precision) ! ?

Hello everyone, The next step was to install the new back panel to the body shell. The operation was a little more complex than expected because the Demon and Duster bodies do not have a steel sheet (trunk extension?) between the trunk lid and the rear window. I opted for the solution of removing all the window trim and gluing a piece of plastic inside to reinforce the structure, plus the glass will be installed from the outside like on the real car. I was forced to keep the major part of the trunk lid in place (before removing the rest) to keep both rear fenders aligned and get the right position for the back panel. The trunk gutter will be built next with the back panel now secured and part of the back window frame glued to the interior of the cabin. I have a lot of good photos to work with, it's a little harder to build than other models of the brand but I think the final result will be interesting. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Construction continues, Francis Using the existing window opening, I traced and cut a piece of styrene to create the support for the back window. The rear panel is now glued to the body and the rest of the trunk gutter details are still to be built. Sorry for the blurry pictures, it's hard to get a good focus when there is little contrast.

Thanks for the info Mike, I knew the story about the pressure from the clergy regarding the name of the car at the time but I didn't know that the kit had been a limited production for the same reason. I hope that I will be forgiven for daring to build a model of it... ? Francis

Thanks for the kind words Bob ! We can't always get it right on the first try, so sharing our experience with people who enjoy and want to build on the same subject is in my opinion the essence and purpose of this forum. ? Francis

Hello everyone, I just want to share this with you. I am always amazed by the selling price of these old kits. Knowing that this kit was probably sold for less than 2 dollars at the time at Kmart, it's hard to believe that it could be worth that much today. I saw some that were selling for even more... For this one, converted to Canadian dollars, including shipping, it would have cost almost $700.00... That must be the inflation... ?

Thank you Ian and Daniel for your support, I know you are very experienced builders with the same vision as me regarding tribute cars and we must also keep in mind that this is only a hobby. We must find pleasure and as little frustration as possible if we want to complete our projects but we are all different and each one must go at his own pace and limits ! Francis No problem Roger, don't hesitate to send me a PM if you need more help.

This is great work Daniel, your brass steering box is awesome my friend ! I see you have a giant dime too ! ?

Thanks Ray, I appreciate your comment sir ! Francis Thanks Ian ! I must admit that my approach is more related to knowing my limits because there is too much unknown and restrictive aspect to making a tribute vehicle and I want to have fun more than to break my head. I'm getting old... ? Francis

Thanks Ray, I appreciate your comment sir ! Francis Thanks Ian ! I must admit that my approach is more related to knowing my limits because there is too much unknown and restrictive aspect to making a tribute vehicle and I want to have fun more than to break my head. I'm getting old... ? Francis

Thanks Bob ! I am quite proud of it and I think that integrating the transparent red taillights and the transparent back-up lights will give it an even more representative look. I'm working on it ! Francis

Thanks Roger ! Another one of my usual trial and error... Basically, I shaped 2 flat strips of Evergreen Styrene (0.030") with reference to the existing back part of the kit and sanded them to about 10 degrees on a flat surface and glued them together. I first tried to engrave the tail lights on a flat strip but the spaces between the lenses warped when trying to make the center fold so my only option was to engrave on the pre-formed panel. I hope this explanation makes sense to you ? Francis