OldNYJim

No! I'll check them out, thank you!

Thanks for the kind words guys! You're all too kind! Sorry for the slow progress, but I've been doing a lot of headscratching here. I decided to do the rear end next, so I can move on to the front with the back end firmly in position. I had a look through my parts boxes before settling on the 'stock' rear end from the kit. it wasn't TOO badly destroyed with glue and stuff I'm going to make a four link rear end, so I wont be using those bars, so I narrowed a TONNE off this thing and called it good enough for mock up. I was worried about the rear tubs that I was planning on fabricating interfering with the wheel position (it's gonna be tight back there with so much tyre) so I worked on them next. I sliced up the kit rear interior parts to assist in making the tubs... And then fabricated some half-tubs for the rear. I wanted to have a little tyre reveal in the trunk so you could see those big meats! The trunk will contain a fuel tank of some sort (probably not the one above because it's horrible) and the battery, possibly with another reveal through to the axle to show some of that stuff off. I want this design to really show off some of the moving parts. It all looks very messy here, but with the body on it starts to look a bit more like I envisaged... All this sheet metal in the back will need some more tidying up, but it's close enough for now so that I can start on the axle. First order of business, and as far as I got today, was to design and cut some brackets to mount on the rear end. I need to find some rod ends for the linkages (any leads on who sells those and doesnt take forever to send them, anyone?) so I can work out the spacing between them on the axle but they look roughly like this: More tomorrow (maybe, if I get anything done )

It's gonna look great when it's done!

I was just saying in case they moved it and you couldn't find your thread

Really cool Floyd! Like it! The interior came out really nice! Are you planning on wiring the engine?

This is cool! Looks good with those wheels, and I like the resin bits!

Ohh, I LOVE that stance! Following!

Just FYI, this will probably get moved to the Pick Ups section at some point once a mod sees it. Just incase it disappears and you can't find it!

. Doesn't anyone proof-read anymore?

That's SUPER helpful, thanks guys! Ace - I figured that's what those ears were for! Thanks for confirming!

I can steer, brake and accelerate! I could crash that thing pretty quick too, I'm sure. Probably within 3 corners

Wow, that's gorgeous - and it sits just right! I love watching a master at work! Great job!

Wow, how tall was the guy this thing was designed to carry?

Thanks guys! Appreciate all the nice feedback! Yeah - I can either draw it on paper, making sure it's relatively 'solid' (coloring it in with a Sharpie would've been ideal, so that the machine could see the exact shape easier, but it worked with blue) and then I actually just photograph the piece as I haven't got a scanner. You can draw them out in software too, if you're so inclined - but for a lot of more complex stuff it's easier for me to draw them on paper, to be honest. Then, once you've scanned / drawn / loaded the design into the cutter's software, just hit print (well, cut) and it'll make the bits for you. Like a little waterjet machine, almost!

This is a really timely post - I was just building up an engine yesterday that I THINK is from one of these kits, but I wasn't sure - anyone able to ID this thing for me?

Looking GREAT! Beautiful clean building!

REALLY inspiring work!

OK, so today I found an engine in my parts stash (an Olds block I think - possibly even the one that would have come in this kit) and got that assembled so I could work on designing the cross members for the chassis. I want to use the original interior tub (but modified to fit the bigger rear tyres and the resulting 'arches' in the frame, so I made a piece that will allow me to mount the interior tub to the frame rails that I've made: The blue floor part will need some tidying up, and some more work to make it nice, but this at least will allow me to locate it properly on the frame so that everything lines up properly. Next I secured the two frame rails to each other with some bar at either end to keep them parallel, and cut a floor pan. The floor pan is three different styrene sheet parts laminted together, secured to the frame left and right, and there's a three-piece motor mount at the front which keeps the engine in place and also helps secure the other parts On the right of the pic above you can see the front cross member that I made - again, three parts laminated together. This will mount under the chassis and the small hole in the front matches another mounting point on the engine. Here it is in place, with the chassis inverted: And right side up again: The chassis still needs some tidying up once I've worked out what to do with the back, but it's surprisingly sturdy already, especially with the engine block dropped into place. Here it is with the first piece and the engine in place: And a quick test fit to make sure everything's lining up roughly where I need it to. So far so good! Tomorrow, I need to figure out a rear end - I'm planning a four-link of some sort, but I need to dig through my parts and find an axle I can modify, and then once that's done the next job will be manufacturing an independant front end for it - probably from scratch. Fun fun!

Oh wow, that bug is COOL! It deserves a thread all of it's own!

Wow!

So, I figured the first thing I should do is work out some parts to use. The kit tyres are pretty much junk, ditto the wheels, the engine was a waste of shipping cost and the chassis has a crack in it's thin frame rail that makes me nervous to consider using it. So, I figured, I'll make a chassis. I'm going to get an idea of how wide I could space two parallel frame rails apart (which will be determined by the rear tyre width, if I want them parallel) and then I can go from there. I found these cool resin tyres in my parts collection - not sure who makes them but they fit the arches beautifully: The stance is pretty good (it looks high from this angle but I'm pleased with it...) Next up, I sketched out an idea for some framerails that would allow me to drop this thing as low as I wanted... Then I scanned it into the computer, and used my vinyl cutter to score some styrene sheet. I'm going to need to score them by hand because of the thickness of the material, but this would give me a pair of identical outlines to follow easily... Some (a lot) of this later.... ...and I've got some rails: Next I need to work out what engine I'll be using, and chop the bits of the interior floor off that will be in the way. From there I can make some braces for the chassis and get the two rails aligned. More soon!

This is great! I love the cutting work on the chassis! I just started one myself this evening, feeling inspired by yours! Great job!

I would!

So, I got this dusty old thing on eBay - it's an old Revell 41 Willys - minda complete except for the engine (unless this thing came with a little 4 cylinder engine for no particular reason) but some of it is pretty glued up and nasty. Should be a fun excuse for a scratchbuilding project anyway! Someone inexplicably painted the doors and trunklid (and maybe the hood?) at some point, and smeared a load of glue on the body so that'll need a little tidy-up, and I think I'll end up either scratchbuilding a chassis or doing some serious work on this one to make it decent. Not sure on engine choice, or wheel choice as yet...but here's what I've got to work with...

An old thread, but I'm pretty proud of my workspace. It used to belong to Ronald McDonald, I believe: