FASTBACK340

I indeed got my mood altered and started gathering…. Just kind of changes everything unfortunately. I also know there's going to be a few Mopar guys ripping me a new one for euthanizing the poor old Fish.

Ding-Ding-Ding!!!! We have a winner! I have a `68 annual getting fitted for the chassis from the Revell Dart. I have a Ross Gibson 340-6Bbl, and I just happen to have a finished interior, a bitchen fabricated grille,window templates, and a cool set of rims & tires laying around….. I'm so disappointed in the way the build evolved. There were some REAL F-up's I allowed to go unaddressed. There was no way I could display it in good conscience thinking it was OK when it obviously wasn't.

I could have stripped it and saved it but I was just soooooooo P-O'ed it was that or kick the dog. And I would NEVER kick ANY dog….. ​<sigh….> I'm off to the workbench to re-scribe some panel lines and fabricate some vent windows.

OK…. the medication has kicked in and Amy has untied me. In previous posts I was kind of embarrassed as to how bad my Cuda was turning out, yet how fantastic it looked in pictures. Really…. I was doubting the outcome as... The right side of the car (which I never showed…) had a HUGE clear coat run I was hopping I could polish out a bit. Then the sanding scratches started showing through on the roof, trunk, and again, the entire right side….. There was always a dog hair in the hood I pulled out and left a shadow….and again, I was hoping to polish out. The tail panel looked like I used a crayon to detail it…. Then I got a smudge of epoxy on the left front fender just over the tire. Clear coat ruined... Then I installed the rear view mirror (I was thinking I'd throw this together and never take it out & show….) when the mounting pin was longer than the recess I carefully added. It came right through the roof; dead center above the windshield frame. Well, I carefully removed all the handles, mirrors, and those beautiful grilles I fabricated…… and I stepped on the SOB OK, just above the wheel opening and the center of the roof. That was the last straw. OK, this build has been officially killed, buried, and will be resurrected with attempt #2. I haven't stepped on one in YEARS……

Looks good Dave! B5 is a sweet color for the E bodies. Question: I see your primer can paint stand. I have "access" to a "renewable" source of that primer. I haven't tried it yet on plastic. If you have how does it fill, sand, and protect the plastic? Is it a good barrier for lacquer or color bleed? I have to get mine in color soon…..

I really don't want to talk about it right now…….

Google Model Cars Windshield Tool and the page will be listed. It's an article I read in MCM it works sweet. Check it out!

Yeah, the grilles are a huge improvement. But believe me, it photographs well. I just got home from rehearsal and figured I'd stop in a see what's up. When I come home from work tomorrow afternoon I'm on a mission. I have 1 headlight, 1 door handle, 1 door mirror, both wipers, stuff the shell over the interior and chassis and put the plates on. So close…

Thank you for your input. I appreciate your help in correcting me. I know you live for this sort of thing……

IIRC…. Steve Zimmerman did the wheels. I bought three sets at NNL East last year. I think one set will be going under this….. Yeah… Pro Touring `69 Cuda Wagon…. Gen3 Hemi…. Black & Charcoal with the first set of Silver center Halibrand-style wheels. Can I do it by NNL East?

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I agree…. Wow. The trains, machine shop, barn, house, etc…. Wow….

Here's a teaser shot……

The body is a replica I'm building in another thread. But one set of these wheels will make it onto my next project…..

Thanks Bob. I had a few issues recently that kept me from the bench. Sister…Father in Law….Job….etc…. And as for seeing me in April, there's no way I'll willingly miss NNL East. All those years I wasn't building, I was still attending and buying. So far the `68 will be done this weekend. The `70 is coming along and since this years sub-theme is wagons, I bought a `69 Barracuda resin Phanthom wagon 2 yrs. ago. 68-69-70…. That's the plan.

…. I loose my mind and go do this? Yeah, THIS is why I love this hobby. I just tried on about $10,000 worth of wheels in 10 minutes for less than $50.

Wow, after a brief kick in the shorts from life, I got a chance to hit the workbench again…. I made templates for all the glass and cut them from clear packaging I saved. I don't remember if it was from Holiday cards or something else. Then we polished and installed the body "glass". While this is a little more tricky to install, the realism is worth it. I used this neat little tool I think I got from MCM… if not, my apologies, but it does work good! 5 minute epoxy is key…. Once installed it looks sweet! The vent windows and rear side glass are in. I still have to add the chrome divider strip on the rear side windows. The headlamp buckets will go in next. Shells are foiled brass tube w/ plastic buckets holding MV Lense's. I know this build is taking way longer than I expected. I wonder how long the full-detail build will last? This WILL be done this weekend. I'm fussing with the high mount third brake light now……

I'm guilty of not following every build thread at times. How I missed this…. Art, this is a gorgeous build! The suspension fabricating….the paint detailing…. the body & finish…. the color combination….the wheels. Each assembly is stunning, thank you for posting & explaining the build. Including the fix no one had to know about. Thanks for showing us we all have stuff that happens to a project and how to properly deal with it.

……………… …………………………………….. BEAUTIFUL! You are striking nostalgic nerve with me that feels soooooo good. This has to be one of THE slickest VW's I've ever seen. And between the real 1:1's and models, that's a lot. Colors chosen for the body & interior? How are the wheels being finished? I have an idea what would look absolutely killer, but i'd like to hear your plans.

You sound like you have the same principals as my Wife's employer. He's the read-deal as far as being a people-person too. When Storm Sandy raised Hell along the NYC shore last year, he distributed all employees Holiday bonus checks early just in case someone needed it…. and he would have helped further if you personally approached him privately. My Wife swears she'll never leave him, and she's been there 18 yrs. this coming May. I have personal I must deal with that if I saw them stranded on the roadside after work hours I'd be hard pressed to stop and help. Hey, I'm off today! After I bring Mr. Paws and Jaw in for his shots and a general once-over I can come home and play at the workbench. I'm shooting for an Under Glass submission for the first time this year!

Here, let me fix that: …sounds like the cover of Chevy Craft. See this months cover with all the mail order CHEVY stroker motors? It guess they never saw a Ford or Mopar stroker.

Yeah, ripping that jerk a new one with an audience was a good feeling. Too many people I work with are afraid to take a stand at times, then they complain when they're treated like a floor mat. I hate operating like that with co-workers, but this guy….. <grrrr!> I wouldn't let my Dog bite him. I'm afraid my Dog would get sick. Tom: Just because it's a Fortune 100 company doesn't mean there's no incompetence in it's staff. They're just better at covering it up.

As a footnote: I got the newest issue of Hot Rod yesterday and guess what's on the cover? A red Camaro with a blower! Bet ya never saw THAT before on the cover……

When I was 17 I bought my first "Pro" Bass. It was a 1976 Fender Precision. Black with a Maple neck. Both being extra-cost options. I paid $236.00 out the door without a case (I had one). Traded it in about 6 yrs. later and got $350 for it. I thought I made a killing! Go price that vintage American made Precision Bass today. It's fairly common, so it's only worth about $3,000…… Some late 50's-early 60's Fender Jazz Basses can go for 5 figures. Some musical instruments can go ridiculously insane. Yeowza….. It doesn't matter the niche, there's people passionate about it. Dolls, sports memorabilia, Automobillia, comic books, etc….

Oh, I've been through worst for sure, and it was UG-LY! Glad I had the power to get through it. All this is just life being life. It's just a rough combination of things at the moment. On a positive note, I have a pompous, arrogant, condescending Service Advisor that no one likes take not one, but three rather slanderous cheap shots at me in front on my Manager and the General Director of my shop. I sucked it up, and over the course of the next 2 hours I proved every accusation of his wrong and made him not only look like a jerk, but gave me the opportunity to read him the riot-act in front of the same people he nailed me with. Took all of 23 seconds to get my point out in the open. He had no response, and the already mentioned managers gave me a wink and a smile. Yeah…. I had a good day. And I'm off tomorrow…..