FASTBACK340

Great idea Jeff! I like this, especially with the radiused wheel-wells. Straight-axle required, and I agree a tilt nose. Wow…. looking forward to your finished build !

Yeah….. updates. Thats always good. More updates, more gooder…... And since you brought it up Randy, how about those long-term projects? That wrecker of yours comes to mind….

I find this kit a welcome addition. Great subject matter that will be kit-bashed across the spectrum. Thank you!

The Sunbeam is pretty neat. They have all the British car quirks, like 2 fuses for the entire car and so forth….. but it's unique. The removable hardtop is gloss black. Waiting on chrome to come back and it get's finished-up and delivered.

The wheels arrived and they are perfect! Thanks go out to Bill ( GTX6970 ) for pitching in with Jeff and helping me out. Now I can set the ride height and get cracking on this puppy. Owe you guys….. thanks!

Finally got the windshield header & wheel well lips taken care of. Now it's in the booth with a coat of etching primer flashing-out. Hopefully a fast scuff and it'll get a white primer base-coat in preparation for color later this afternoon. Now I'm going to put the chassis together. Be back later…...

Don't know if if this has mentioned but my personal gripe is the relationship between the front seat and the steering wheel rim. In the real world you couldn't fit behind it and drive....

LMAO!!!! WAAAAAY before their Cowboys from Hell days! Dec. 8th. is coming…. RIP Dime. The Ring Brothers Pantera is KILLER!

This car has been at the shop for a few years. Sometimes a customers cash flow suddenly gets redirected, or worst…. and cars sit in our storage unit. This one was returned to it's owner yesterday. 396-4speed-4:10 Posi. Fun car! Big money build here. LS3-4 speed automatic-Rack & Pinion-Coil Overs-Custom Chassis. The owner has a slight issue with his right leg so we are adapting a hand-throttle on the steering wheel. We spliced-on the top portion of a late model Camaro steering column onto the Corvettes original base. This way we can use the Air Bag clock spring for the hand controls. Goind out for upholstery this week. Not everything we do is a Hot Rod. We do restorations on the sublime too. Here's a 1960 Sunbeam Alpine. The Tigers had Ford 260 V-8's shoehorned in them. We also do piece-meal detailing. Here the customer wanted his factory exhaust manifolds on his pristine `87 IROC-Z ceramic coated and polished, along with his intake plenum, runners, alternator, and emissions air injector tubes. Unfortunately he also installed an inexpensive set of chrome valve covers that will look like hell in no time….. and they were a project to get on. Always something neat coming through the doors!

Here's the `69 Trans Am we have in for restoration. All the weird/impossible to find stuff is there, just everything else is shot…... In the background you can see the KITT Knight Rider Firebird we have going together now also.

Plans call for: Finishing my `70 `Cuda drop-top start the `68 Hemi under Glass start the `68 Baja and maybe a front engined rail….. Naturally, I also hope to finish all those cars I plan on starting!

BTW: While Ross Gibson engines don't exactly "fall together" they DO offer a level of detail & realism not possible with kit pieces. The last one I built was the 340 6 Bbl. version, which Historic Racing Minatures DOES NOT produce, that had a 2 piece fuel pump and multiple-piece carburetors with separate multi-piece vacuum secondary diaphragms. If this type of stuff gets you going, these are neat kits. Yes, there are pin holes. Yes, you have to level ALL seems and work `em, but they CAN be built nicely. My 340-6BBl. I also built the 413 long-ram version of the big block, again, not available from HRM Not knocking HRM's offering, just stating that as far as accurate, realistic Mopar engines, it's this or scratch-build using kit pieces (where available…) and do your own.

340's came with the 727…... A727 (36RH/37RH)[edit] The A488 was replaced in 1962 with the A727 (later renamed 36RH and 37RH), with a one-piece aluminum case to reduce weight by about 60 lb (27 kg). This was initially referred to in consumer-oriented publications as the "TorqueFlite 8" to differentiate it from the A904. The A727 incorporated a parking pawl, with the sole exception of the 1962 Chrysler version, which had an extension-mounted drum brake. Compared to the early cast-iron transmissions, many and various internal improvements were featured, and it used a 10.75 in (27.3 cm) or 11.75 in (29.8 cm) torque converter. The heavier-duty A727 Torqueflites became — and remain — wildly popular for drag racing, off roading, and monster truck applications because of their controllability, reliability, ease/cheapness of repair and brute strength. 1962-1978 361, 383, 400 B-Motor V8 1962-1978 413, 426 Wedge, 440 RB-V8 1964-1965 426 Hemi Super Stock 1966-1971 426 "Street" Hemi 1968-1971 426 Hemi Super Stock 1962-1966 318 "A" "Poly" V8 1968-1973 340 1971-1978 360 H.D. 225 RG Slant Six and 273/318 V8 (Police, Taxi, Light-Duty Pickups, "A" Van, "B" Van). The RG application involved a factory adapter plate. 1980-1991 AMC 304, 360 V8 "Torque-Command 8"

Actually, I'm thinking blower & side exit exhaust like the latest version. Just can't bring myself to use a `67 trunk lid trim w/ `68 tail lights. Yeah, I notice these things…...

Awaiting for some wheels to arrive, then I can set ride height. It's a straight-forward build so it should go smoothly. This weekend I have time for the hobby room ;-)

The turn signal arrows are called Semaphores. Build is turning out nice. Plan on hitting mine this weekend.

When I first opened the box and saw the light mist coat of color without anything glued in I had to have it. I use Castrol Super Clean and get good results. This was an exceptionally nice job due to the mist coat of unprepared plastic. Now, as for the flat black..... NOTHING removes that!

I have a picture of a '70 Cuda HUG! I'm going traditional Gold w/ the familiar sponsors and Hurst.

Thanks guys! For the next 6 months I'll hopefully crank out a few builds. This Cuda is first since it's been waiting forever. It is painted except for the body. I just got home but I plan on spending tomorrow night building. And thanks for the comments on the '68. That's my baby ...,,,, :-)

Just waiting on the wheels so I can mount the tires and start setting the chassis up. That's where the time will be spent, modifying the suspension. The rest is pretty much straight-forward. Thanks again to JEFFS396 for suppling me with the off-road tires. I appreciate your help!

Yes, the thread that will not die…. I finally whacked the roof off the `Cuda last night. Once the header panel is trimmed and finished she get's painted. Just about everything else has been painted and ready for 7 months…... I test fitted the chassis. WOW what a tight fit! Here's a reminder of the color choice…...

Happy to report that I have untouched, virgin plastic to work with. I found original flash and sprue-nubs on the body. NOTHING was glued together. No glass…. no valance…..tail lights, nothing. If I was using all the kit pieces, the engine block is cleanly assembled, that's it. I also have some uber-tough flat black that's getting primed-over, but everything that matters came out of the purple-soak spotless. Now that I officially have a new project, time to find reference and the usual parts gathering. An Injected Ross Gibson Hemi is already on the shopping list. I have one 1/2 completed project I must finish as I'm not a fan of juggling simultanious builds. More to follow…...

The only parts glued are the block halves, and at this point I'm probably going with a Ross Gibson Hemi. The body is almost totally clean. One injector tube is missing. That's it.... :-)

Nice surprise seeing an update! Beautiful stuff as usual.

Thanks Tom. And congrats on getting an award with that cool little A-100 van!