GrandpaMcGurk

Appreciate it Jim........why not, E it to me and we'll give it a try. Would be kinda cool to have our logo on a model for our shows.

Don't think I've ever seen a rusty, crusty cartoon car...

Well done Ira, I'm going to have to give that Diamond Dust paint a try.....looks great on your model!

Good Golly Miss Molly......"don't ya love it when a plan starts to come together"? I think Hannibal from the A Team said that. Got the stance, look and attitude I was after.........wotcha think Jim, should it be metallic black with flames or perhaps candy tangerine....maybe flat black primer with our F.A.S.T. logo on the sides? What to do, what to do. Input or suggestions welcome gang......even if it's constructive criticism. I'm a thick skinned old fart and not particularly combative. Feel free to express your personal take on the build as long as it's within the ModelCars forum policy. We don't want to cause Harry any undue stress...right?

Added a filler piece....

Removed a little material from the front of the wheel well opening.....

As I mentioned before, I really didn't want to stretch out the nose of this puppy to accommodate the the funny car chassis...I was concerned that it would screw up the classic lines of the '49 Merc. Soooooo, here's how I altered the wheel base of the body for those interested. I've gutted out the inside of the body to maintain a fiberglass shell appearance and cut out the front wheel section, I'll cut out a little more once the wheel wells are where I want them. That white chunk of plastic that's sitting on the chassis will be bonded inside the body when I get to that point in construction.

Happy Easter everyone, hope you have a great day. Just had to post this pic....this is my favorite view of the Merc.

Sweet! Fabulous detail on the Caddy mill.

Neal brought the Z.A.V. to our F.A.S.T. club meeting this morning...guys, the pics really don't do it justice. You can't see them in the pics but that Chevy even has maps on the inside walls....how 'bout them apples? Way to go Neal.

Great suggestions Rob and I appreciate your input. I kinda have a traditional paint job in mind....sort of....gotta have flames even if it's final color is suede...right? Don't grumble Jim, it might wind up shiny! Maybe even a hand painted mural on the trunk lid? I'm not going to plaster sponsor decals or wild graphics all over it. The body will be pretty much smoothed out and the front wheel wells will be moved forward a bit to better match up with the funny car wheelbase. I'm trying to avoid stretching the nose if possible. As far as the wide whites go...I'm happy with the white rims on the wheels, they "subtly" suggest white walls. I may even put "fake" molded in spot lights and skirts on it to make it look more like a hot rod while still being obviously a funny car. I'll do the details (door openings, etc.) on the body with drafting pens so that they will appear to have been painted on the glass body shell, the grille, head & tail lights will either be hand painted or decals...don't want to get too far away from the fact that it is a funny car.

Thanks guys I'm glad you like it....I'm havin' a ball building it.

Here's the rest of the pics.....

I wanted to build build a 70s era funny car in small scale but honestly I'm pretty much bored with mini Chargers, Dusters, Vegas, Pintos and so on. What I was after was a funny car that looked like a lead sled hot rod.....yeah buddy, Hot Rods Rule! Anyway, I also wanted to cram as much detail into it as my skill level would allow, that meant plumbing, wiring and all sorts of things that I know are supposed to be there. Here's a bunch of pics of where I'm at..... I'm converting a chopped '49 Merc into what I hope turns out to look like a one piece fiberglass shell on a period correct funny car chassis...wotcha' think?

You're way too humble Dave...your stuff is top drawer, you're also correct about that rear not being a Jag, it's somewhat similar in overall appearance, I guess - but looks mostly aftermarket or whiz kid billet to me.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/operating-losses-prove-hobby-business-30000.html

I agree with Virgil...the second scoop is way mo' better.

Guys, take precautions by all means....but keep in mind that just walking outside, driving your car, the food you eat, the pots and pans you cook in, water and your groceries all contain something that exposes you something potentially hazardous to your health.........short of wearing a self contained environment suit it's pretty much a roulette wheel.

Yep, ain't life grand? You can't wait 'til you turn 21 so you can have all the privileges of being an "adult" only to discover that it comes with all sorts of hassles and responsibilities. Once that sets in you spend the rest of your life trying to revert to your childhood and the wonderful memories of the models with their 1 piece windows, interior tubs and screw on chassis. I doubt that I will ever be able to match the rush I got as a young 'un when I received a Monogram "Big T" for Christmas. (That was back when they were brand new and cost way less than a 1/25th kit does now). I'll be 65 this year....going on 12.

It's been a while since we (F.A.S.T.) members picked up our 40's. After doing the touchy feel thing with this kit and formulating a cocktail napkin sketch of what I plan to do with mine.....I have a bunch of parts left over. About all I'm using from the kit is the cab, hood and front fenders. I really have no use for the rest of it and no desire to save any of it....that includes the flathead & pick-up box. Soooooo, to get to the point, if any of you F.A.S.T. members (building a '40) needs any of those parts for your build.....let me know and I'll bring them to the next meeting........no cost or anything owed. I'll also be bringing a tool with me that I wouldn't be without....it's called a nibbler. It's cheap to buy (mine was under 10 bucks) and durable as all get out. I'll bring some scraps of sheet plastic so that anyone interested can give it a try........use it once and you'll come up with all sorts of uses for it.

Cut down the kit oil pan and intake manifold, put a flange on the inspection cover...still have to add bolt heads to all this stuff. I had to indulge heavily in the fudge factor when it cam time to cobble up a tail shaft for the trans. It had to have the speedo cable opening, a cross member mount and a pad to mount the shifter and linkage on...problem was that if I made it any where near as long as it should be....I'd have no real estate left for a drive shaft. Anyway, what I wound up with is the stubby little tail shaft in the pics.

Ha, I don't like the "Scream" flicks either....but the "Scary" spoofs that came out afterwards jingled my bells. Your stipple technique sounds like the bomb and I'll give it a try but for this weird one off build the one shot rattle can will accomplish what I need it to. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for the kudos Jim. Here's a couple more pics of where I'm at......gotta go jam some groceries down the pie hole.

Inspection cover (still need to add mounting flange), throw out bearing arm, trans side cover and trans in paint.

Here's the water pump all dressed up and ready to go.