AmericanMuscleFan

Obviously your plating solution recipe is a success Charlie, it is much better than what I tried with the supplier's product, the brass turned like black chrome on my first try. The motor mount is just fantastic, thankfully it didn't break with that severe bending... ?

Hey Tim! I am glad to get some new from you my friend. As we often say, there is a time for everything and you have to make the most of the beautiful days when you live a little further north... Still, the rainy days take away some of the guilt of moving forward (at a snail's pace...) and keeping the project alive. I hope to have a productive fall and finish this project next winter. There are so many potential subjects that tempt me and beautiful projects on the site, I have to keep myself focused and dreaming about my next build. ? Francis

Thanks Mike, I also really like the color contrast between the brass and aluminum parts even though many of these details will hardly be visible on the final product. Let's just say that I do it much more for the pleasure of making parts than for the logic or the respect of the real components of a real vehicle. That's the fun of this hobby where there are no rules to follow when creating a fictitious vehicle. I'm also having a lot of fun following your prowess with this beautiful yellow metal my friend! ? Francis

Very nice and clean build, the color choice is great. Resin kits are not always easy to assemble but you did a great job using the 64 Plymouth as a donor, I love it! ?

This is a fantastic model Charlie, you can be proud of it, the paint is absolutely beautiful too. The fact that it is 1/8 scale only adds to the challenge as the details have to be even more realistic than in a smaller scale, which you have done wonderfully. You are an artist my friend! ??

The engine is just fantastic Charlie, I'm glad to have had an overview of the lab where all these masterful parts were made, it puts a little tangible in the magic you bring us. ?

Thanks Marcos, not much to show you but still progress... ? Thanks Daniel, I don't have much time to devote to this hobby these days, but I'm trying to keep the project alive for next fall. It's starting to get cobwebs on my workspace, so I'll have to take things in hand soon... Thanks Tim, I really appreciate your comment sir but you should also be able to see the flaws more clearly now.... I will have to be even more careful with my next parts.... ? Thanks Pat, it's been a long time since I've seen you my friend, but that's probably a bit my fault too as I don't visit the site as regularly these days. I should have a busy fall as I would like to finish this project next winter. Ideas are running around in my head but I need to keep focused on the subject... ?

Yes, they really can make magic, the same way you can find a perfectly machined part of aluminum or brass from a simple raw rod. A little break is often welcome and summer is the best time for that... The fall will certainly be prolific, I'm sure! ?

I love this kind of detail Ian, it's my favorite part of any project and it looks like you have some great reference photos. This is going to be epic! ?

You have great attention to detail and great talent Marcos, the interior and the rest of this beast is simply superb! ?

Hello to everyone! The long quiet river continues and I've had little time for the pickup these past few days so I've been doing the oil pump assembly and the lines that connect to the oil pan. I started to work on the hardware for the parachute but I didn't make enough progress to make it worthwhile to upload what is done, it will be for the next update. I have two more weeks to work and then I will be on vacation. A lot of small jobs on the agenda for the house but I hope to find some time for the truck if the bad weather allows it... More to come sooner or later... thanks for your patience and support, it's really appreciated! Francis The hose are electric wires and the ends are Albion brass tubes. I made the oil filter with a styrene sprue and I will add a sponsor logo (Fram) at the final stage of the assembly. I anodized the main body of the oil pump in black for more contrast even if it will be barely visible when the HEMI is in place in the engine bay.

Thanks Trevor! I plan to add a parachute and it may obstruct the view of the wheelie bar a bit but I guess it's a must to meet the NHRA rules... ? Thanks Jim, It's always a pleasure to share the process but sometimes I have to limit myself on the number of photos because it would take too many to cover all the operations. I'm always open to answering questions for anything that is not clear with the uploaded photos. Thanks Jim, I am very happy to see that you like the project so far! I still have a few details to make before I start painting the truck because I want to keep the handling of the body to a minimum when I get to the assembly stage. Thank you all, Francis

Great job Jim, I am very happy to see another pickup in the drag racing category... ? I love the work you have done on the front suspension, a big improvement IMHO. The 2 pieces tires are nicely assembled and the joint is invisible, did you used Loctite gel to glue them?

Thanks for the comment Roger and sorry for the long delay in responding, again, this is not the best time of the year for modeling, even the time available for the computer is limited to the bare minimum. Thanks Ian, the coil spring is simply craft wire wrapped around a brass rod the same size as the one on the wheelie bar and cut to length. I'm not sure which part you are referring to in your second question but all the yellow colored rods are soldered brass that I cleaned up as much as possible of the excess solder and the rest is machined aluminum. feel free to get back to me if that doesn't answer your question my friend! Thanks Mike, I buy my drills on eBay most of the time, they are carbide PCB drills. They are very sharp but also very fragile, so they should be used only on the milling column or a high speed drill as the smaller ones break very easily despite their potential to drill through the hardest materials. By the way, I forgot to round the edges of the aluminum parts... difficult to get rid of bad habits... ? Thanks for your kind comments and support Bob, I do appreciate! Thanks Charlie, your Mustang is out of this word my friend, a good source of motivation for any details lover like me... ? I'm kind of a dinosaur with my Nikon Cool pix but I think these old cameras are still unbeatable for sharp photos. Lighting is always a challenge though... Thanks Marcos, your continuous support is very appreciated my friend! Note to everyone: Feel free to ask me or send me a personal message if you need specific information on any of my updates. I am always happy to help despite the limited time I have for the hobby at this time of year. Francis

Hello everyone, Several days have passed since my last update but I was still able to make some progress on another part for the pickup. The weather has been wetter and rainier the last few weeks so it was more acceptable to sit at the bench. I had already made the brackets for the wheelie bar but I had not published the pictures which I do today. I finished and installed the wheelie bar today and I have a lot of pictures so I hope they will be uploaded without any problem and that there will be no surprises during this operation. I have to go to bed soon because my work week starts early tomorrow morning so I don't have enough time to put a comment on each picture but don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions in particular. I have a thought for all the friends of the central and west coast of Canada and the United States who have and are still suffering from the infernal temperature and the forest fires that are raging there, I hope that you are safe and that things get back to normal as soon as possible, I can't imagine the distress you are going through! Francis

Thanks Charlie, You give me a lot for my money my friend, your Mustang is awesome and I must say that you have amazing skills my friend, obviously we have common interests....? Francis

Another step in the right direction Ian! It seem straight like an arrow my friend, I LOVE it! ?

WOW! This is what I call a great scale reproduction Mike, these wheel spindles have a very interesting design. I can imagine the smile on your face my friend, imagine mine.... ??

The 3D parts look great, what about the finish? Will you have to do a lot of sanding or is the finish acceptable as is? I know that there is a lot of variation depending on the type of printer used. The technology is advancing very quickly and is quite interesting for creating complex parts.

This is a very clean build, it's great Ian, you can be proud of your good work because it looks like the real thing! ?

Nice work Mike, luckily you have access to a lot of good photos and technical information to recreate this subject. Fabrication is my favorite part of any build and it looks like you are having a lot of fun on this aspect of the project as well. I can't wait to see your next pictures of the front axle, it looks promising! By the way, you seem to have a nice inventory of brass... I envy you... ?

This is a great job on the differential housing Mike, I remember seeing your topic of laced wheels using a piece of copper plumbing for the base and I had never thought of using this material to make parts. It turns out to be the perfect material because it can be soldered with brass. The detail you did on the front of the differential is also impressive and it's hard to believe that it was all done by hand with only patience and elbow grease. Do you plan to paint all these beautiful pieces or keep them bare? Pure entertainment sir, I can't wait to see the rest! Another masterpiece in the making!!! ?

Nice work sir, your modifications on the cabin are flawless!? This is a very cool subject and will create a beautiful truck no matter what color you choose (but it looks great in red...)!

Thanks for your kind comments and support Trevor! I still have nightmares about having to cut a hole in the hood but sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the cause... I'm sure the scoop will fit nicely when the whole thing is finally completed and anyway, that big HEMI needs to be able to breathe...LOL. ? More madness to come!!! ? Francis

Thanks Brian, they were quite difficult to make but I couldn't imagine the truck without them, it's one of the distinctive details of this model. I got into all these details and considered this a must have... I would have preferred to make them out of aluminum but I would have probably broken all my smallest end mills...LOL. ? You have to know your limits... ? I don't get tired of admiring your work either my friend, you are much more prolific than me! ? Francis