FASTBACK340

Mike, sweet `57! Great color & wheel choice! Jef, nice Impala `vert! Post a picture of the actual car please. I too have a replica build planned. I've hoarded a bunch of `68 Barracuda annuals where one will hopefully resemble my car. That will be a while.... I have to get back in the saddle first. 16 yrs? Wow....

Having the good Doctor's attention is a compliment. I'll try my best to get this thing going again. Believe me, I think about this stupid project more often than I'd care to admit. I know if I pull it off right it could be sensational... or get crushed

I debated posting this. Because I'm a big ball-joint buster when someone else is stalled (listening Randy & Rommel?), I figured the resulting replies will motivate me more. I'm real lazy today as I worked yesterday and played out last night with my band. I'm off Wed. and plan on getting that room ready. I promise.......

Part three, the chassis. After watching the workmanship of Rommel, Randy, and John Teresi, I'm going to scrap my original frame and start fresh. The original frame was made from brass and was going to be fully operationally. I fabricated a functioning rack & pinion steering gear and was starting on the control arms w/ in board shocks. Now we'll start over. And I will be using one of those neat frame jigs Ken B shared with us. The rolling stock was a set of 1/18 die cast wheels from Georgia Pacific and the rims I was going to make. Ambitious? You bet. But back when I started this I was putting in about 30 hours a week at the bench and was on my game. It's going to be a few builds before I have ANY confidence in tackling this. But it IS waiting it's turn. Hopefully this will be my winter project next year. Or maybe sooner.... Now, can anyone top 11 yrs'? There MUST be some long dormant fossil lying around.....

Part two will be the engine. As a Mopar guy, I've seen more Hemi's than normal and, well.... they are starting to bore me. After a while 500-600 cubic inch engines start to look small. Here I built a neat what-if? Using 2 of the wonderful AMT pro street Coronets, I pirated 2 overhead cam Hemi's and made a V-12 by splicing them together. The plan was originally for four 4 BBl. carbs, but I'm thinking of maybe a modified Viper injection set up would work too. Want to speculate? Let's say we have 850 cubic inches.... well over 1,000 HP. It should be able to merge into traffic effortlessly.....

I had this all typed up in one entry, but nooooo..... now I have to make multiple posts. We all have stalled projects hidden away in the dark corners of our hobby areas. He's mine. This was conceived way back in the tail end of the 90's as the 2K`tona. Well, 2K came and went 11 years ago.... I guess I missed that deadline. This started life as the Revell Dodge Daytona kit that has been, er.... "modified" a bit. As part one, we'll start with the body, which has been pie-cut to a wedge shape for the planned open-wheeled roadster chassis. It's also going to be rear engined. All body modifications have been filled with a mixture of melted plastic runners from the Revell kit and liquid cement. The resulting "goop" was smeared on like bondo, and left to cure. About a week later I sanded it smooth without any ghosting of the former seams. There's no evidence of the side marker lights or seams after more than 10 yrs. And there are a few seams..... Obviously, after all this time I'm planning a few revisions..... Having unearthed this while cleaning the hobby room is giving me new ideas. Anyone else able to post a longer hidden fossil from their stash? C`mon...can you beat 11 yrs.?

First of all, why can't I post more than 3 pictures in a row w/ text?!?

You going to finish it already?

If you read an auction that stipulated shipping to CONTINENTAL USA ONLY would you bid from Brazil? Then WIN the auction and ask "I wait for ship".....

I believe Go Mango & Vitamin C are the same..... Hemi Orange is entirely different IIRC.

While a Viper V-10 would be just about right for sheer shock-value, may I suggest a Neon SRT-4 swapped in? Rear engined like a Renault R5 Turbo? Rally car anyone?

Common sense is required for e-Baying. Good deals are to be had. HINT: Do a search and misspell items you want. Bless the illiterate...

Speaking of drunks and guitars.... or should I say gui-TARD. I went into Brooklyn with a friend to see his friend's band play. All through the set I see a string-less guitar leaning against the side of the guitarist's amp. Last song goes into a drawn-out ending where the guitarist puts his Jackson on a stand and grabs this poor guitar. Grabs it by the neck and starts swinging it. Fourth smash into the stage sends a wood splinter through the inside of his left hand requiring a trip to the hospital and stitches. We do a show with them next Saturday night. I can't wait....

Never mind.... Google is our friend. http://decalsbylucas.com/

Although I have ZERO interest in stock car decals, I am interested in what other products you guys sell. You sound like caring, honest business men and I would support you. Web link? List of products? Contact w/list? Thank you for being stand-up guys.... Too many sharks in the real world.

I scored a started MPC Charger III and an un-built Ramchargers Dune Buggy from a second-hand store for $15.... Does that count?

Wow.... a gift! The owner found YOU! You have a golden opportunity here for a nice replica of an outrageous street freak. Good luck with your project.

OK.... now we know he didn't go AWOL on us. Hopefully he's back on the grid soon. Looking forward to seeing the Daytona completed!

I see the same mindset on some automotive forums. Guys buy, say a Challenger.... and proceed to complain about the cost of parts. They expect everyone to give stuff away (or at least VERY cheap...) so they can restore a car that's worth half the price of their house.... I've searched e-Bay looking for specific kits: original issue Hemi under Glass, `68 Barracuda annuals, clear Red Polar Lights Ghost Cuda funny cars, and so on. This is the kind of stuff you'll never see at a swap meet, and I've searched NNL East....MASSCAR.....Toledo....etc. Sometimes you have to dance with the Devil to get what you want. Now, what did I paid for my wants? Does it matter? I got what I want and thank God I can afford a mindless purchase like that once in a while. Although I did want to stuff a Hemi into my barracuda when it went together, my pockets were deep enough for a warmed-over small block. So I stopped dreaming and worked with what I could afford. BTW: The guy selling the `68 annual for $450? I've offered to sell him a half dozen for half that amount each. I guess it wasn't a good enough deal for him....

I think I saw his picture on a milk carton.....

I agree with Bronxrumble.... Ibanez instruments rule. I played Fenders & Yamaha basses and then I tried the Ibanez BTB 5 string. Wow.... I liked it so much I retired my Fender and bought a 4 string BTB to replace it when I play live. I use the Fender for recording now. Another option is that other twilight zone... Craigslist. Go buy something someone else bought new and is taking the re-sale hit on.

The primates in my local post office beat the Hell out of my mail on a daily basis. <bastards!>

They say it's going to be about 60 & dry for the next few days. Fine by me.....

e-Bay is only as evil as your in-experience. If you know what kits are worth, just ignore the gougers. Some sellers think they have gold ( there's been a guy selling a `68 Barracuda annual kit for $450 for a while now...) that will never sell them (mint condition it's about $125-175) There's also people whom realize they need money more than product and will sell cheap to get cash. Ya just gotta SHOP....

Great build & color choice. An old co-worker had a 1:1 Mustang in that color with polished Centerlines.