AmericanMuscleFan

Superb build Bob! This is one of the most realistic build of a '71 Roadrunner I have ever seen! Nice extra touch with the Beep-Beep horn, the color is perfect! ?

No problem Ron! You just have to click on the word "'Quote" below the message and you can type your reply in the same window. Your '55 panel is awesome by the way, great job on the doors! ?

No problem Claude, maybe you could show it to me in person when this D...A...M...N virus is over... I dream of it! It's like our models, pictures can never do them justice like bare eyes! ?

Helo everyone! Sorry for the delay guys, but I was a bit busy yesterday afternoon and finally didn't have time to upload the planned pics. I was working on some interior cabin components and didn't check the clock then it was time to go to work. I have to say I'm very happy with the stance although I would be even happier if the front end was even closer to the ground. I will keep it that way for now as the engine will be quite heavy since it is made of aluminum and brass so the front will drop a little more. Furthermore, I have planned that the oil pan will be lower than the K member (I love drag racing cars with the oil pan close to the ground) and the front wheels will be posable so I must keep some room for all these reasons. I might have to remove a few thousandths of brass on the oil pan if it's too close ... Comments are welcome and really appreciated! Take care, Francis HE IS ALIVE... or temporarily on his feet I should say! So far so good... Different view. All four wheels are straight and well aligned. This thing will need brakes, maybe even rolls too freely... I wouldn't want to see it fall to the ground! I love these fat tires! With the cab just dropped to its approximate position on the frame. Different view (sorry for the messy background...). I am very happy with how close the bed is to the rear tires, I will try to keep about 1 inch at scale of clearance. I'll finish the inner fenders later when it's all final. With the hood in place just fof fun!

Thanks Joe, I do really appreciate your support my friend! Thanks for the kind words Tim! That's exactly it, I've tried to find the best of both worlds with just enough play on the king pins and the ABS bushings (fake ball joints) do the rest. However, even though the front suspension is functional, it does not operate as freely as the rear suspension of course. Pics of the frame on it's four wheels are comming my friend, hope you like them! Thanks for your trust and feeling about my build Lorne! I understand exactly what your talking about and it's the reason why I decided to make my own custom parts. There are some great quality parts available on the market but I have always been a bit disappointed that they did not fit my needs perfectly, so I decided to take the "bull by the horns" I would say and d 'be as self-sufficient as possible. Thanks Jim! I am honored and I take your comments with great humility my friend! Take care of you guys, I'm back with new pics in a few minutes. Francis

Very beautiful build sir! It looks like a real one with the landscape in the background. A smart way to modernize a classic truck with the latest trends! ?

This is an absolutely stunning piece of art, I LOVE it Ron, can't wait to see them installed in the truck bed!

Thanks Trevor, your comment is very appreciated sir! Take care, Francis

Thank you for your trust and feeling about my build Pat but you have no idea how many times I had to modify the frame to make it happen (and it continues...), so yes I definitely make mistakes! I'll try to post pictures of the frame with all four wheels mounted this afternoon before heading out for the night shift. Take care, Francis

Thanks Marcos, I do appreciate your comments! Take care, Francis

Thanks for the advice Russell I do appreciate! Gauge faces including RPM are already done and are high resolution (3000 dpi printed on an Agfa Imagesetter) negative films made with Adobe Illustrator software and you can even read the mileage on the odometer. I have to turn the RPM body and make the aluminum panel for the cluster so I will show you the result in the weeks or months to come... Maybe I could change the dime for 25 cents? ? Take care, Francis

Hope you will share some pics of that well deserved trophy with us my friend!

Thanks for the wink Tim! ? Hello everyone, After some testing I realized that the pair of shocks I made for the front suspension a few months ago was not the best choice, so I decided to make a pair of coil over shock in order to also have a functional front suspension as at the rear. The front suspension is now functional but would require ball joint to be perfect. I don't want to venture into making such details, but I have a plan to make them (I think ...) so I'll try to test my idea when time permits. I only have pictures of the front suspension tonight but I will put the rear suspension back on tomorrow and take some pictures with the frame on its four wheels. Take care, Francis Coil over shock (top portion) on the milling chuck. Coil over shocks components. Coil over shocks assembled (functional). Front suspension components, simulated ball joints are machined ABS bushings. Assembled on the spindles On the frame... Two front wheels on the ground... With the cab temporarly (like everything else...) in place.

Thanks for the info Dan, I was concerned about possible "fisheyes" as most of these resin kits are coated with some sort of release agent, but the instructions warn not to soak the parts.

LOL. Thanks for the comments Tim! My camera is a Nikon CoolPix and it was the best lens and one of the best digital cameras for taking very close up photos (in macro mode) when I bought it over 10 years ago. I think I should set up some kind of booth to take my photos because the lighting conditions (and contrasted background) are often the biggest problem for sharp shots! I am definitely not a professional photographer... Thanks again for commenting, I will try to update the thread soon. Take care, Francis

I am glad to see you back on the bench Ian! Good update with well done details, you are moving in the right direction sir!

You are progressing in leaps and bounds Dan! The paint looks very nice, did you have to do any finishing on the body before painting it?

Well Joe, since the truck will be on display with the doors open, I have no choice but to put a few more details inside the cab. For this reason, this type of build forces me to venture into new territories... Thanks buddy for your support! Francis

That's a real beast Joe! A little fine tuning on the hood shouldn't be too much of a problem considering all the work you've done so far, but I'm pretty sure this bad boy will be on display most of the time without the hood in place to keep all that hard work in plain sight for the spectators! ?

Thanks for the kind words Dan, your comment is greatly appreciated my friend! Thanks for your feelings about my work Brad! I am wondering why I decided to put so much effort into a single build but I get my answers from the great work done all over this forum and the supporting comments of all the wonderful people who follow my project. Thanks for that my friend! Thank you so much for the kind comment Marcos, I really appreciate it! Take care all of you guys, Francis

That engine stand is a work of art Tim! Everything is so clean (as usual) and this whole build is just so inspiring sir! ?

It has been a while since you last updated this thread and glad to see you back at work Dick! All these costly parts must be put into contribution for an impressive build in the making.

Superb job in that engine bay Mike! This has always been my favorite part of a build and you nailed it sir! ?

Hello guys! Just a quick update before I go back to work. In order to progress on the interior components, I decided to make supports for the racing seats. The seats are resin from BNA Model World and the photoetched parts came with the kit but I wanted the seats to clear the floor like a real car. I made the frame with a 0.046 "brass rod and the four bolting tabs are 0.010" brass welded to the frame tubes. The photoetch mounts are simply glued to the frame with two part epoxy. I'm not sure yet about the seat color (like for the truck body... ?) but definitely satin black with a bright color for the center padding. I will see... I'll be back next week with a more substantial update, I was working on the front suspension today (my eyes and fingers hurt...) in order to have this thing on all four wheels, it's just a bunch of parts for now... Take care, Francis Both frame side by side, the one on left is turned upside down. Chassis installed temporarily, I will use aluminum bolts for floor mounting and to secure the seats to the bracket. View from below.

Very good work to save and improve the engine Mark! I agree with the others as many would have bought or stolen an engine block from another kit but you saved this one in style! Two thumbs up! ??