GrandpaMcGurk

Ditto that.......I'd like to see that puppy too Ira. I have 2 of the 1/6th Willys, one is well under way as street gasser (old school) w/blown Hemi and the other I've started cutting up to make a short wheel base pick-up. I'm looking forward to seeing what you have in mind for yours. A few guys have commented on how big these 1/6th cars are but wouldn't something like this make for a WOW 1/6th diorama?

Will do....thanks for the input, I'll be adding more to the build tomorrow and when the basic structure is complete I'll add some artsy fartsy touches to it.

SWEET!!!!!!

Once you're happy and have made all your adjustments to this point...... First picture....... Cut two strips of .020 styrene 1 1/2" tall, mine are 9 1/8th" in length at the top edge and 8 3/4" along the bottom (the body will end at the rear edge of the back tire). If you would like a longer body, make this piece longer just remember you will have to lengthen the upper section accordingly when we get to that point. Second photo...... Place the strip inside the body butt with the firewall, trace the door opening onto the styrene and cut it out. Third photo.......I taped these in place for the photo and to check the fit. Use liquid glue or solvent and bond the inner panels to the body...make sure to clamp them around the cowl area and along the sides (you can never have too many clamps...if 4 is enough, use a dozen and half....clothes pins will work if you are shy on clamps), the .020 styrene will conform easily to the inner cowl, if you use .040 you may have to pre-bend the ends slightly to get a good fit inside the cowl. Fourth Photo...... These strips serve two purposes.....they act as the basis for the interior and they will allow a good strong bond where we will butt join the outer panels to the original kit body.

Heard that....like your avatar, is that a Cheetah?

Trace the inside of of the firewall onto a scrap of 020. styrene and cut out...sissors will work on this thin stuff. The first photo shows the inner and outer firewall pieces. 2nd photo.......glue the outer firewall to the cowl. Trace the firewall and frame notches onto the inner firewall, cut out and cement to the inside of the body. This should give us a good strong joint that won't crack later and add some stiffness to the body. Time for a mock-up to make sure everything fits and check the all important stance. Mock-ups are an important part of scratch building, they allow you to make adjustments and tweaking before it turns into a real problem. I'm using a 327 (built from the kit engine).It has a 4-speed Vette trans I kit bashed......well, case in point, I need to modify the center cross member to drop the trans tailshaft down a little so it will line up with the pumpkin. I want a nose down attitude and plenty of ground clearance for the oil pan. This is the point where you really should determine tire size, suspension, engine & trans etc. I'm keeping the bottom edge of the body flush with the bottom edge of the frame. Here's a few pics of the mock-up.....If you haven't scratch built a body before please don't skip this step! A little head-scratching now will save you lots of grief later.

To give you an idea of where this is headed....here's a photo of the cardstock mock-up I did for a previous build.

I traced a wheel rim on the firewall and cut out the bell-housing opening, cut the notches for the frame rails with my favorite tool....the nibbler. It's cheap and is a real time saver, do yourself and favor and get one if you don't have it already.

Looks a bit like a chunk of a Jeep....LOL.

These pics should pretty much explain where I'm cutting the bucket body..... I be using a coping saw but use whatever works for you. Don't throw away the piece you cut off, never know when you might need a chunk of curved plastic.

I'm using .060 styrene for the added strength but .040 will do if that's what you have to work with. I traced the kit firewall onto the styrene...the dotted line is the artsy fartsy bell-housing cut-out and frame notches. If you just want a smooth molded in look and are using the kit bow tie heater you can cut out the dotted areas. I'll cut mine out using the solid line, that way I can control how deep I want the notches to set the cowl height where I want it to be. The bell-housing opening will be circular and I'll make a bell-housing cover for the inside. I never have liked the way the kit piece just angled out on one side of the opening to clear the chevy starter. Next post, I'll have mine cut out and we'll move on to mounting it and cutting up the kit body.

Firewall....... If you're using the new T kit firewall the first photo has an arrow on it. Near as I can figure that's supposed to represent a bell-crank, linage arms and return spring for the mechanical throttle linkage. The kit firewall also has fuel block for 6 carbs, the kit engine has three, and an indicated fuel line that should go to the fuel pump....that 45 degree bend in the fuel line is a NO, NO. The second photo is a resin casting but it'll give you an idea of what a sanded down kit part would look like. If either of the above work for you, that's what you should do. My next post will be for folks that want a bit more that, we'll make one that better suits our needs.

I'm working with new parts, if you have a frame that was previously assembled stick it in the freezer for a while....if the glue is old enough it should separate easily with out breaking the plastic parts. Now is a good time to go ahead and build your long block, you'll need to be able to place it in the chassis to fit the body and firewall. I'm using a 327 I built in another thread using the kit small block. Any engine will do but it would be best to decide now. First photo: The frame is held together with rubber bands and I'm establishing the ride height with my hi-tech jack stands. Second photo: Checking the oil pan clearance...looks good. Third photo: Don't forget to remove those cast in kit frame gussets as they will cause body fitting problems later. Last photo: The kit front spring perch is a bit clunky for my tastes but you can easily make your own with a piece of tubing and some scrap stock. That way you can decide on how much drop you want, or you can use the standard or dropped kit perch that come with the kit.

A while back I bought a new R/M "T" kit. Keep in mind I'm older than dirt, bought my first one when it was introduced by Monogram and cost under 10 bucks. No way could I afford that much coin as a kid. I begged, mowed lawns and everything I could think of to get my hands on one. At the time it didn't seem possible for me to get my grubby's on one. Well, Santa came to my rescue and there under the Christmas tree was a huge box......I couldn't image what else it could be. I 'bout wet my pants when I opened that box...I was in heaven, I doubt that I have been that excited about a kit since. Well, maybe when the Big Deuce came out. I have to give kudos to Monogram and Revell for the accessory packs and additions to the kit since, but the old girl is getting a bit long in the tooth. I've always had a fondness for C-cabs, not sure why...they are big, ugly (in stock configuration) and about as aerodynamic as a bumble bee. I've built a few over the years and some sweet "custom show cars have been built" including a full size by yours truly in another life. Anyhow, I'm babbling so let's get to it.....I started this one way back and I'll be posting pics for you guys that want to try scratch building one for yourself. For those that don't want to get into that arena I'm planning on having it cast in fiberglass as a replacement body for the tired old bucket.

Ya think? This is just the beginning. Wait til you what's on the horizon.....I can't tell what's next for fear of being tar and feathered by the rest of the partners in TDR but I will say "Have a drool rag handy and install a shoulder harness on your 'puter chair. It's gonna be an "E" ticket ride".

Harry, what are we going to do with you? Would you also like a 1/8th scale figure of Richard Petty to go with it? Maybe even the whole pit crew with accessories is in order. Could it happen? Depends on the input we get from you guys.

Well I found the link, it was back in 'o7. However all the pics are missing. I'll keep digging.

Coleman, if you'll give me a day or two to dig through my archives I'll gather up some pics of a couple of 1/6th projects I worked on welding plastic. Yes it can be done but requires a bit of a learning curve. I've even butt welded plastic sheet using NO filler or adhesives. This method is great in that the pieces joined together are totally plastic and sand at the same rate. I'm able to radically section large bodies that would be virtually impossible without a lot of additional bracing. Anyway, if I can't find the pics I'm looking for I'll link you to another site where I did in progress shots and text explaining the way I do it.

Just checking out the new format...starts well and idles nicely. By the way, what's the red-line on this puppy? Merry Christmas everyone.

TEST

My next post will get into sanding and prep. Things like the cam covers etc. will be the only parts that get super smoothed. The block etc. as Rick mentioned only takes a few minutes of light sanding.

Harry, that's what we have to work with until the technology gets a bit better and the prices of the equipment comes down. There are machines out there capable of finish grade parts but the cost would floor you. The texture isn't near as apparent when you have the parts in hand.....the big photos really make it stand out. Have you had any hands on with this stuff yet? If not, I could send you a couple of sample parts to do the touchy feel.

Our ol' pal Syd built one of these recently, added metal hardware and it came out great. He used factory paint schemes etc. to keep it period correct. I'm going to the other end of the sandbox and building this one as a hopped up custom engine.......maybe it'll wind up in a stretched "T"? The first photo is of the stock exhaust headers mocked up on the head....... This engine is already long and I don't want to make it any longer with add-ons or plumbing. I got to thinking it would be far out to hang a couple of turbos off this thing. To solve the length issue, I turned the stock exhaust upside down, now I have a place to mount a couple of the TDR turbos. I'll scratch build an inter-cooler with a scoop to mount above the cam covers. I'll grab a bunch of those Plastruct elbows and cobble up the pipes. How 'bout that...nothing added to the length or hanging down interferring with the steering.

That pretty much sums up "how it's done". Thanks Rick, you mentioned CA in your post...I'm glad you did. Gang, put away those squeeze tubes and brush on "Model Car Cements". Those adhesives are of little use on this material. CA or epoxy adhesives are a must.

I'm not one to say do this or that, this is just the way I'm doing it at this particular point in time. You guys may want to take a different approach. I want to use the inherent surface texture to my advantage, after all these are supposed to be cast parts (real world) not machined from billet. I'll go back now that I have a couple coats of hi-build primer on and lightly sand the surfaces...with any kind of luck I'll have a believable cast surface look while maintaining the built in details.