whale392

Got you guys' kits added to the list!

Got you updated Matt. Looks like a good choice and can't wait to see it done.

Matt, I was thinking the same thing on the square tubing. Unfortunately, all the square tubing I have seen is too thick for scale appearance (even though it is the right size for the rails).

Cash register paper rolls.......they used to come on a plastic center. I use that (as it has a bunch of holes in either end), cut down and glued to a heavy base, to hold my paintbrushes. I have a PLANO multi compartment organizer set on end to hold my Testors Model Master jar paints, toenail clippers for cutting parts off sprues and for giving a nice radius to curved parts, sandpaper discs meant for a DA (as the are round and adhesive backed) stuck to my workbench to achieve a flat sanded surface.........I have lots of stuff for lots of uses. Oh yes, one more vote for toothpicks!!

By tying his frame into the sleeper floor I can see that Idea working. I however have to reinforce my frame as a major cut was made behind the sleeper in the spindly section of the frame between the sleeper and the forward rear axle. I haven't found 'C' channel long enough for one continuous frame rail yet.

Not a stupid question at all Dan. I drew out where the holes were to be made, drilled the corners of the hole pattern, and then connected the corners with more drill holes until I was able to finish removing the scrap with a hobby knife. Cleaned up the hole edges with a hobby knife and a little sandpaper. If you are wanting to do this, might I suggest making the holes before glueing the upper K-Member piece to the lower K-member piece, as it would make clean-up of the hole a lot easier (I didn't do it that way, learn from my mistake!). So I am still in limbo as to where my meshes came from...no matter as they work fine and I have them! I will have the engine oil pan modified hopefully by the end of this evening or maybe Tuesday night (my work week starts tonight) as the Mustang used a double sump pan and the kit pan (all of the Monogram/Revell issues in 1/24th scale) is a single rear sump pan.

Excellent build! I can almost smell the burger grease through my screen...........now I am hungry!

Hey Matt, thanks for the tips and ideas. I have the frame stiffeners made up, just not installed yet (I made them to look like the chassis bracing the frame comes with and will be placing them where I think the factory would have). I have removed the forward vent and sleeper door and sanded/filled the seam lines smooth. I have the steps behind the fuel tanks made as well.........just haven't got any recent pics yet. Color will be Gloss Black frame/suspension, Chevy Nassau Blue Metallic for the cab/sleeper/hood/tanks, and either White or Silver Frost Pearl for the Seminole striping (outlined by a thin Black pinstripe). More to come as progress happens.

Don't have body pics yet, but I do have some pics. , The hood before it went horribly wrong. , The wheels and some misc stuff. more pics coming soon, as the body is almost painted and the interior is done.

, , , , This is the chassis and sleeper stretch (by NO means anywhere near done); the engine is going together now. I will post more pics when I get a chance to upload them. Try not to laugh too hard at this.

I was going to do this one up simple, but the more I looked at it, the more that changed. So here goes, 110" sleeper: , , , . Cut and just sitting on the table. As I don't know how many pics is the limit for a single post, I will try to keep it to 3 or 4.

You are right Cal; to me the SBF had a better head design and a beefier bottom than the SBC of the same era did. I am building up a 10.5:1 306cid with ported GT40Ps right now for my 91GT Mustang.

Excellent choice either way you go highway.........I look forward to seeing you build these! Jordan....those could be the ones. I think I bought them back in 1999.

, , . I took and cut the upper portion of the K-Member free from the lowrider kit and mated it to the lower portion. I also slimmed the A-Arms and am in the process of adding ball joint ends to the arms. I marked and cut the lightening holes in the K-Member upper bolsters as well as cut free the horrid convert brace (to be made later with .030 rod). I also opened up the spring perches and the locators in the A-Arms. I will be getting the motor mounts made in the morning. I also removed the cast-in steering rack and have made a new unit to go on later.

Ok, the K-Member in these kits is far better than the MPC/AMT units by miles, but still a little woeful. So I have done this: , , , ,

Ok, I took the headers from the lowrider kit (as the 1983 has cast log manifolds...mighty nice castings too I might add) and am modifying the poor castings to replicate the 1985 specific (first year for headers) headers: made my own flanges for the head fitment: , I still have the heat shields and riser tubes to make yet, but hope you like it so far.

The kit I am starting with is the Monogram 1983 GLX convertible 5.0/4spd (this box): , . This is what I have so far for the build: , The lowrider is for parts to help this build along, and I have NO CLUE where the meshes came from (I bought them THAT long ago!).

Excellent work as always Cliff...........and I had begun to wonder if you had died this hadn't been updated in so long!

Tell me about it Matt! And to completely add to the WTF of the 3.8L, the early (83-86) blocks and the later (87-up) blocks cannot be interchanged as the lower drivers side mounting holes and entire cover were narrowed and relocated........also the pan rail bolt holes are quite different. The timing cover also has a smaller distributor drive hole in the later cover, making expensive machining a must to run it in a carbed set-up. Also, no Fuel Pump boss on the later covers, making Electric fuel pump a need in a carbed app. (ask me how I know this!) Hey Ben.......hitting information overload yet?

Thanks for the fix Jordan....those wheels will look good on the Fox. The front wheel in the second pic is the original ARE 14" mesh the car came with. I ended up painting the Lincoln meshes to look like it, and I think the car looks great that way. I look forward to seeing your build.

We are Cal, and to add to the comfusion; the 3.8L V6, while being of a Cleveland base, has a completely seperate housing for the timing chain/distributor drive/fuel pump mounting.

Also my point Cal. The Windsor and Clevelands are so different that they cannot be confused for one another.

Thank you Cal....you just PROVED my point. I guess having 4 Fox Mustangs (which came with a WINDSOR V8) does give me certain knowledge of my motor group.

Sorry Cal, you are incorrect in that assumption. All Windsor blocks have the distributor hole cast into the block, and drive the distributor and oil pump off the forward gear ground into the cam. I have 4 of the Windsor family engines either in my garage or in my cars at the moment and two Cleveland based powerplants in my shed for reference. No harm, no foul though. When it comes to Porsche, you would KILL me on engine info, but I know my Mustang powerplants and my Mopar B/RBs.

Red 'X' of death there Jordan. Sounds like a good direction to go in with the build; I have a set of mesh wheels that look similar to what I put on my real 83 (I used Lincoln MKVII meshes when I 5 lugged the car) , . My 1:1 83 GLX just after I brought it home and did the swap.