AmericanMuscleFan

I agree with you Marcos, I can clearly see your attention to detail in your own builds so your comment is highly appreciated my friend! ? Francis

Thanks for your support Tim! I have to admit that this part of the build may seem rather insignificant considering all the work done so far, but I don't think a clearly visible scar below the cabin would have been acceptable (at least for me ...) when the primary goal was to reproduce with as much detail as possible every nook and cranny of the original truck. I have for a long time tried to reproduce as many details as possible in my builds but I think I went a little hard on this one, will hope that it will not catch me at the end... time will tell! ? Francis

Hello everyone, Just a little update this morning before I get back to work, it's kind of "small step for my build but giant leap in the next steps". The floor pan is finally glued in place with the cabin support brackets. I don't know how many times I put this part back and forth in the cabin but the plastic was starting to turn yellow so I think that was a sign... Good news, the floor pan fits like a glove and the body is straight as an arrow! I know painting the interior and assembling will be a nightmare but I've always admired artists who assemble sailboats inside a bottle, so I'll get a little idea of the challenge (but with a much larger opening anyway!). I have a plan or sequence to follow to install the components inside the cab, so hopefully everything will work as expected... I was never the guy to take shortcuts so it continues... Comments and suggestions are welcome. Take care, Francis Floor pan permanently glued in place. Different view. Seen from the rear position.

The A arms look good Ron! Good tip for the glue, it deserve a try... a guy never has too many tricks up his sleeve! ?

Thanks for the comment Scott! I was lucky to still have that negative film I made for a '68 Dart build because I had nothing else in my part bin to make gauges. I would have been forced to make a "custom" type dashboard and it's really not what I wanted for this project! Francis

Another fantastic tip Mike! Your curves are simply perfect and I will follow your advice with all the considerations they deserve when I need to proceed with this kind of operation. Nice bending tool by the way! Francis

Thanks Charlie! Your work is also very inspiring my friend... For anodizing, I bought a variable DC power supply on the internet, but a simple car battery charger set at 2 amps can do the job just fine. There are clever calculations to be done depending on the surface to be anodized but for small parts like we do, I don't think you have to worry. Send me a PM when you are ready to embark on the adventure and I will outline the process if you need help. Francis

Thanks for the kind words Ron! There was minus one for this part, I was about to glue the floor pan in place and there must be a little elf that pulled my ear... Francis

Thanks for your support my friend! I hope I can continue to have this effect on you Tim but I must admit that I am a little surprised when you know what you are capable of achieving my friend! By the way, the postman left a small envelope on my doorstep today... ? Francis

Thanks for the kind comment Glen! I am far from being a watchmaker but I must admit my love for switch watches and their superb movements. Just to think that these movements were invented hundreds of years ago makes me wonder... ? Francis

Masterful technique for a masterful result! The photos speak for themselves, there is not much to add except to thank you for sharing your technique in such detail. I dare to hope that a place like this forum will make it possible to perpetuate this art which tends to slowly disappear to the detriment of the already done... Thanks for wowing us Mike! ?

Well we can't say that you like shortcuts my friend... Why keep the engine in the engine compartment when the trunk is big enough to move it there? Just ask to Claude and you get the answer and what an answer...! Another vision that only you can have my friend, you really put your motto into action: "fun with styrene"... Maybe you are starting to get too inspired by the glue fumes? It is now part of the new SRT family which translates to: Super Radical Transportation! Bravo! ?

Great work Steve, the dash looks awesome! Nice color on the engine block too, is there a sound box between the seats? If so, I'm sure the driver won't hear any noise or crackle from the cabin while listening to Sammy Hagar's "can't drive 55", do you know the tune? ?

Hello everyone, I was about to permanently install the cabin floor pan and realized that I had forgotten to make an important safety component, the fire extinguisher! I found the perfect place to mount it, between the seats and thought about using the original gas tank anchors to secure it in place. I had to do this part before the floor is in place because I will not be able to work or add parts when it is permanently glued. The latest modifications to the floor pan are made with all the openings made for the components of the Lenco gear levers. I have probably mounted and dismantled the floor pan hundreds of times so hope it will adjust as I expected, I will take this step soon. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Take care, Francis Openings for the shifter components are made. The large opening is for the 3 forward levers, on the right for the reverse gear lever and the other in the rear is for the shifter mounting bracket. Underside view, I made a kind of duct to close the void between the transmission and the floor pan. I also added some round embossing shapes for the rear cabin brackets. Fire extinguisher in progress. The fire extinguisher mount was made with 0.006" aluminum. The bottle neck is 2 part of brass welded together and the opening lever is machined aluminum. Different view, the tip is a small brass tube, the end of which I crushed to make the diffuser and the pipe is an electric wire shield. Test fit. Different view, the bracket will be secured in place with tiny aluminum bolts. Fire extinguisher anodized in red. The release strap is 0.005" brass material. Last test fit. Different view.

Thank you for the good and much appreciated work done by the entire forum team Dave! Hope all goes well for smooth operation for years to come!!!

Great update Charlie! I really love the new parts you've made. Did you used some Delrin for the gas tank? It also looks like you did some embossing on the aluminum foil, did you heat the part to do it, looks like 0.016" thick aluminum? Your new axle is fantastic by the way!

Superb Trans Am sir! Very clean build from bumper to bumper, the stance is absolutely perfect and I love these snowflakes spoked wheels! Burt Reynolds would have loved your build too! ?

I am glad to see you back with another project in this category Joe! I know that you are a very good and a real enthusiast of scale models (including airplanes) but I met you here on the forum in the category "Drag Racing Models", so it's more natural for me to see you here if I can put it that way... I love your newest project by the way!!! ?

Impressive work as usual Mike! Your laced wheels are a work of art and few people (including me...) are able to venture into this kind of work! Question: What kind or brand of chrome paint do you use on brass? Do you need to add some primer or base color for the chrome paint? Francis

WOW, that's beautiful Jim! Only 2 months to deliver this construction caliber gives me pause for thought on my working methods. I can only marvel at what you have been able to do in such a short time my friend, Monsieur le Curé is very happy!!! ?

Thanks for the kind words Marcos! Thanks Ron! I must admit that the imagesetter did most of the work, drawing the gauges was very easy for me because it was the kind of work I did every day at the time. Thanks Trevor! I'm pretty sure we weren't the only ones to see our collections slowly melt away without knowing where these precious items were going! Thanks Joe! I will install the floor pan permanently next as I need this operation done to go further with the most interesting updates... at least some that will show more concrete progress...! Thanks for your kind comments Claude! As you do so well and so often yourself, finding a second life in everyday objects is very pleasant. I found this material almost by accident because most of these old floppy disks have doors (if I can call them that) made of stainless steel but I have found others (few) with this very thin aluminum. I imagine it depended on the manufacturer but they have produced so many that you are sure to find some in the lot. Not a lot of material available by diskette but what we do is not very big either... Thanks again everyone, more updates soon, Francis

Thanks Joe! But I'm sure Michael J. Fox has already seen others as they say so well! Thanks for the kind words Jerry! I will start to assemble some engine components and install the floor permanently, so I will be able to offer you updates soon, let's say, a little more substantial... Thanks Lorne! I always had a weakness for speedometers when I was a child, in fact I had a few but my parents were not too keen on seeing me collect them! I retain the idea of the sticker on the dashboard, it makes a lot of sense for a drag racing truck! Sadly, I lost the original key but I don't think I can have another made at Mopar, I will have to manage with the means at hand... Thaks again to each of you guys! Francis

Thanks Ian! You are right and the other dark side of this low mileage odometer is that any other models where I use these gauges will have the same low total on the odometer. I haven't finished having angry people at my door... But maybe the truck is on its second lap, who knows? ? Francis

Superb job Marco! Very nice attention to detail, looks like we are looking at the picture of the real car. I would definitely take it in my parking lot! ?

We are therefore equal, I am jealous of your talent with brass! It's one of the sad advantages of getting older if I may say so, I was able to work with devices from another era... I have worked in graphic arts and pre-printing for 32 years so this is pretty straightforward for me. You can be sure that if I had the space available I would have one of these dinausaurs in my workshop, I'm sure units of these old imagesetter that either sold out for a piece of bread or were scrapped... a shame! ? Take care, Francis