GrandpaMcGurk

Because......even with the few guys that put their mouths in gear before engaging their brains, it's one of those feel good, warm fuzzy things. Besides, at my age, I don't need any more busted knuckles or burns from slinging lead, etc.

Got the head for the 1/8th mini-bike finished up........'cept for the head bolts and started bending up some tubing for the frame, I decided to go with a backbone frame that uses the engine as a structural member.....no down tubes or engine cradle. The gnarly tires, swing arm, & a few brackets are from my "parts" box.

Hmmmmmmmmm..........Yeah buddy, are we overlooking the obvious? Maybe front wheel drive?

Well Harry, at least it had 3 speeds....remember the old GM peanut butter drives (2 speed power-glides), all you had was Lo and Drive, okay in Corvairs I guess...but they used it in Vettes and larger cars as well too. The early push button auto's in Mopars were a real joy too. LOL

Keith, perhaps you will find this pic useful.

I have to agree with you Harry, as you know the '80's weren't the best of times for Muscle Cars......pollution controls, horsepower ratings, gas shortages, crash bumpers, insurance hikes, unleaded gas and so on really put the brakes on factory street burners. I think they were doing everything they could to keep that muscle image going by adding "look fast" goodies to make up for the huge performance shortcomings.

Jon...don't believe I've ever seen a 442 with 2 shifters as you mentioned....here's a link to perhaps what you asked about. http://hrst79.tripod.com/79hrst/id11.html

Yep......lookin' good Tim. I agree, the 6 smaller holes in the center should be left to the builder as they may not have any use for them or they may want a slightly different pattern.

Thanks for the input......yes, TDR is gradually integrating some resin cast parts into some of their kits. Our thinking is that it will cut down on some of the modelers finishing chores when it comes to small fiddly parts without sacrificing the designed in detail. I can't say too much more about it right now, but keep an eye on TDR for updates, we have some very exciting goodies on the horizon.

No worries Rick, Al & I aren't squaring off. He's entitled to his opinion, as are all of of us.

Back to the build.....the car, trailered smoker & surf board are underway...probably need a 1/8th mini bike too. I started this one a while back. Didn't want a ring ding or lawn mower engine and being this is a fantasy build let's go with a one off single cylinder 4-stroke. Lot more work to do on this but here's what I have roughed out so far. The cylinder was made by stacking up thin flat stock and the case is mostly just cut scrap plastic, the holes in the back of the head are for the push rod tubes. In case you aren't sure yet if I've lost what was left of my mind....wait til you see the fish poles, 1/8th scale grouper and the goof ball that owns this thing.

Can't understand why this car is laughing!

As long as the discussion is about Vettes & good taste.......... this one came in the shop a while back for some electrical work....I'll let the pics speak for themselves. Yep...real cowhides & leather! Check out the knobs on the dash. The guy went as far as to put neon lights under the chassis.

From your point of view Al, you're absolutley right, kinda....no argument from me. As you said, time will tell and the technology (equipment) will come down in price as that time passes, our pricing will reflect that. But let's not over look the fact that TDR is providing a service to large scale builders that wasn't available before. I've listened to your opinion, which you are certainly entitled to, and answered.....but if you feel what TDR is trying to do isn't for you, I'm good with that too. Anything else? BTW......Rick isn't involved with TDR.

Syd......are you havin' fun yet? We go back a ways and I've watched your skills grow at an alarming rate, how are we supposed to keep up? Nice work bud.

Well good morning to you Al. I think you're comparing apples to oranges with your response. Sure, anyone with basic skills can fab up a 1/8th board with styrene and bondo or a host of other materials for around 5 bucks, more power to ya. I'd like to see many more folks scratch building.....large scale could certainly use it. However (keep in mind this is a large surf board)......could you do a master, make a mold, cast the boards in resin (you know what resin & RTV costs) do the advertising, ship internationally, take care of Uncle Sam, inventory parts, run ads on eBay, set up a web site for your products deal with daily emails from folks with questions......sell maybe a half dozen or so boards in a small niche market, assuming that your time has no value and make money? Honestly Al, if you can, even at 25 bucks a pop you might want to consider getting into the surf board biz?

Glad it tickles your fancy Danno, just for giggles I'm thinking about putting a small motor and prop on the board. Like I said earlier...this build is simply for fun, it keeps me from getting burned on my TDR projects. I have to take a break from the Cuda from time to time and this allows me to build something that isn't a brain strain.

Guys, it's a forum rule...it is what it is. Personally, I don't understand what all the jabber & concern is about. I'm a fairly new member with this forum and having been a moderator and various other "titles" on other forums, sure I've had my fair share of "cheap shots" etc.......so what? My name is on the mailbox out by the road too. As Harry has needlessly (in my opinion) explained if someone want's your real name it's easy enough to get if you've ever used it anywhere for anything. If someone was to introduce themselves to me on the street I would of course give them my name.....bingo, they now have the ability to gain access to a host of info if they wanted to go dig for it......near as I can tell, if you don't post your name on a forum it's because you don't really have anything to say that you care to take credit for. It's a simple rule and MCM isn't asking for anything that I would feel is "personal" info. As was posted above....if you can't follow simple rules perhaps you can find a forum that suits you better. I think you will find that as far as rules go....the MCM forum has far fewer rules than the alternatives.

Went to the mail box yesterday and was surprised with a package from TDR. I wanted a surf board to toss in this build.......you guessed it...TDR has one in resin. It was mastered by Steve Warden, he did a great job getting the curves and overall shape looking sweet! It's a BIG board, close to 18" long, perfect for this build. I grabbed this pic from TDR's eBay ad. Here's a link to the ad if anyone wants one. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300437006408&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Ahhhhh yes, the old C-cab. Jody, the first scratch built prototype went to my buddy Don in Maine. He added his own twist to it and I believe he sold it as a finished model on eBay, The re-designed second one was beefed up so that it could be used as a master for a glass body.....I have it here waiting it's turn for final finishing and then it's off to the Madd Fabricator for a mold. However, there are some new TDR bodies that need to be completed before the Cab surfaces again.

Haven't tried it myself but I've heard that those small hand held steamers will soften the decal adhesive enough to ease removal in some cases. This is assuming they haven't been clear-coated.

Good stuff Steve, you pretty much nailed it. The tip about saving the sanding dust is a good one, I do that with resin also. I try to save only the dust from sawing etc. as the grit from sand paper in the dust can screw up that final mile deep finish. The big plus from using the dust with CA as filler is it's basically the same material & sands at the same rate.

Gregg, (from my experience) the most important thing to remember when working with the TDR RP's is that it's not styrene or resin. There is a bit of an un-learning curve required because of that but the pay-off is way more than worth the effort. Looks like the TDR partners are following your thread so if you have any beefs, suggestions, questions, likes or dislikes...please post 'em, we are not thin skinned and if we can make a better product....we will. This stuff is unfamiliar to many and you have one of the "few" 1/12th bodies out there. You are breaking some fairly new ground here and I'm sure there will be a lot of interest.....besides, perhaps collectively we can save folks from making some of the "finishing out" boo boo's we've already experienced. I think TDR sould start including sandpaper & patience with their kits. I tend to get a bit ham fisted at times and that's a No, No!

Parts for biggies are where you find 'em. Sure there's a lot more available than there used to but that takes coins that are tougher to come come these days and half the enjoyment of building (at least for me) is making parts from dumpster finds. I needed some cups for the coil springs....my tubing, parts box stash etc. were of no help and I didn't want to chase around looking for tubing in a size that would fit the coils springs....I cannibalized them from an old HP printer that was destined for the trash bin. I had a half dozen old Koni-noor drafting pens, from another life, that are of no further use to me. I kept them simply because (as my wife says)I'm an incurable pack rat. I'll be using the pen caps to make the spring cups. It removed the metal pocket clip and cut a section from the end of the cap. I took 4 caps and a little sanding to get the job done, as a plus the inside of the caps are threaded so I was able to "screw" the spring into the cap section. A small dab of JB Weld will hold the spring firmly in place. In other words it'll keep the rear assembly from falling out if the car is lifted off it's wheels. I'll also put a "stop" in the shocks for a little added security. Yes....it will be working suspension. So there you have it...tapered spring cups...no hours of tedious work and best of all...no cost.

Excellent model Al, it really captures that old school hot rod image. As usual, your turn around time is in a league that many of us only wish we could keep up with. Another feather in your cap, well done!