AmericanMuscleFan

Very beautiful build, impresive, you nailed all the details and it looks fast!!! I really like these Pro Mod machines! I was wondering to know if its a resin kit or a styrene model you have modified? I love the color by the way, orange is my favorite color and HOK has some great hues of it!

Another beautiful and well built mill my friend! I see the 427 is 3D printed by Shapeways, I was wondering what you think about the fit and finish of the printed parts? I don't know if I asked you the question before but are all these engines of the same scale (1/24 or 1/25)? I am not an expert on military models but I know that there are many scales available in this area.

Thanks for your support Pat, I really appreciate it! Take care, Francis Thanks Joe, I will try to keep you happy and smiling my friend! More to come soon... Take care, Francis

They are all beautiful builds Mike! I really like the paint scheme and stripes of these old Pro Stock cars, it was really my favorite era of the drag racing! ?

Thanks for the comment Claude! Yes, the ring gear was made using a pocket watch gear, you can see the exploded part at page 15 of the thread. I used the Brass Black Birchwood Casey metal finish to simulate the hardening treatment like on the real ones, it's not perfect but convincing enough I think... Thanks for stopping by! Francis

Hey, thanks for the kind comments Tim! I'm glad you liked what you saw on my thread but I have to admit that you are a bit responsible for my obsession with details, you have set the bar very high my friend! Anodizing the parts is a great feature and I'm still learning every time I use the technique, I'll try different colors when time permits. Can't wait to see your next update on the Maverick sir! Take care, Francis

Thanks for the kind words Art! There is a lot of great stuff all over this forum and I have to admit that I found quite a few of it almost by luck with this feature. It's sad that we can't include more... Take care, Francis

Thanks for the comments Art! I'm one of those people who thinks that when you really want (or accomplish) something and have enough patience and motivation then you can surprise yourself. Machining is now part of my hobby and I couldn't build without it! Thank you for giving a second life to this thread sir! Take care, Francis

That's another amazing build Dax! Just the perfect amount of weathering (the blue color is perfect) and aeronautical detail on an unlikely vehicle, the materialization of an aircraft seen in a dream after watching Star Wars and Mad Max. Truly genious!!! By the way, I give my tongue to the cat for the mirrors but they looks like fog lights from an off-road truck. ?

Never surrender Joe, no pain no gain ... you have done too much so far my friend to deploy the white flag or throw in the towel! LOL I just woke up from my last 12 hour night shift and will be on jet lag for the next few days... so I thought to take a couple of pics with the clutch system hooked on the "elephant" while I still have both eyes open... ? More update soon, Francis

Wrong flag Joe... It's a drag racing truck but even then the checkered flag can only be deployed at the end of the race, nothing is won yet...! Thake care, Francis

LOL! I take note of your advice Ray, I will certainly evaluate this possibility... ? Take care, Francis

Beautiful job on the throttle linkage and detailing on the carbs Joe! I see that you have the Ford manual transmission hooked to the engine, have you give up with the Liberty set-up?

Thanks for the comments Daniel! I have to admit the flywheel and pressure plate are nice mounted on the engine but I forgot to take a picture, I will do it next week and add it to the thread. Take care, Francis

Thanks for the kind comments on by build Ron! I have done my best to recreate every nook and cranny from images found on the internet, these trucks are almost impossible to find here in Canada, at least in the region of Quebec. I have to say without a doubt that you have some serious skills as well and it is obvious that the time you spent in your local hot rod shop pays off, it is high level work, very inspiring!

Hello everyone! Joe: You asked for it, you got it! Today's update is kind of a mix of progress and changes, you can call it setback or modifications or fine tuning... In order to get more substantial progress I now need to move on to the rest of the cabin and interior fabrication. I still have a lot of parts to make but at this stage of the build I can call them "detail parts" which can be done later. For now, I need to put this thing on its four wheels and address any (hopefully not major) issues I might encounter prior to final assembly. First problem was spacing issue for the bellhousing and the clutch lever and mechanism. I realized that I made a mistake on the shape of the floor tray so the first thing was to make these changes. My plan is to glue and finish on the floor like a 1: 1 cabin and assemble the interior components afterwards. I know it will be difficult and it will be like building a sailboat in a bottle (not as difficult though) but I think I like to give myself trouble and challenges... I'll also have to start building the engine to make the adjustments under the hood and create the openings in the floor for the Lenco transmission shift levers. Lots of fun in the coming weeks, so don't be surprised if the updates aren't in a logical order. Comments and suggestions are welcome as usual, I'm back at work tonight for the night shift so I'll be back on the build next weekend. Take care, Francis Pic of the floor pan from 2019/01 for comparison. I made a larger opening for the bellhousing, this one is roughly 0.200" larger than the previous one. I had to make an angle on the floor plate (like the 1: 1 truck), it was a mistake at first and you need room for the clutch levers. The brake master cylinder should be moved to the driver's fender in order to have enough space for the accelerator pedal inside the cab. I can't save the part so I cut an opening and made a new one exactly the same size as the hole, I turned the part 180 degrees so now the fuse box will be at the other side. The new plastic part is glued in place. I machined the clutch lever pivot point on the bellhousing. Same part different view with the big dime... The flywheel is now permanently assembled on the crank end with RB Motion aluminum bolts. The flywheel teeth have been blackened with "Brass Black" to simulate the hardening treatment. Pressure plate is now finally installed on the flywheel with aluminum bolts. Pressure plate different view, you can also see the clutch disk in between.

Great work Joe, that big mill looks good and powerful! I am always amazed by the beauty of these old beast, simply the best time of the great competition between car manufacturers. This thing will fly... ?

Daniel, sorry but I have to say that I don't agree with you with the phrase "at the luck I had with the hinge", it is just great craftsmanship and it takes skill and dedication to achieve this level of perfection. The guy behind the tools is not lucky but clever! ?

Very good idea for the chain, the detail will be very cool! While it will be mostly hidden, I agree with your desire to add that extra detail anyway. Superb fabrication Scott, I love your project!

What do you think about the stiffness of the coil springs in the kit? Mine are still in their packaging and I was also wondering about their fragility since they seem to be 3D prints.

FANTASTIC fabrication Daniel, you can be proud of you my friend! I have a plan to make piano hinges but my choice of model is not the right era to integrate them. Maybe I'll find an opportunity to incorporate some into a future project, it's a really cool feature and you nailed it sir! Great art my friend!!! ?❤️

Thanks for the kind comments Art! So far I've done a lot of parts but I feel like the truck has just started to take shape...! I will have to finish the cabin fabrication (mainly the interior and the floor) in order to make more substantial progress. I'm definitely going to have to make some changes or adjustments as I progress but I hope they will be minor! More update soon. Thanks for stopping by and take care, Francis

Welcome back to the hobby Dave! It's never too late to return to this wonderful world, the more we are, the longer this lobby will last... hopefully for many years to come!!!

Welcome aboard Wylde! You really are a talented builder and a great 3D designer your printed parts are really awesome sir. I've had a beautiful '73 Monte Carlo long time ago (nice and smooth ride) and your grille rendering is awesome! ?

Impressive work Dave! The Ford 8000 was the perfect choice for the subject and I love all the details, I think $800 wasn't a high price for these beauties. Luckily, you can build another one and you will have some great and enjoyable bench time in front of you! ?