Jairus

Thanks guys! Derrick, that is an allen tool for 1/32 scale set screw wheels made by Hudy. Hex head Allen tools are an important part of chassis building. Well, the nice thing about slot chassis is that they are usually built tough! However, when plastic is used for stuff that sticks out, it can way too easily get knocked off. For things like exhaust pipes it's best to use brass or steel. So I made a set of brass exhaust pipes for the GTO shaped just like the kit parts and located pretty much were the originals are located. To the end of those pipes I slipped on some larger aluminum tubing as chrome tips, which were lightly polished. A set of brackets were then soldered to the chassis for mounting the body securely to the chassis in the back... ... while up front a simple set of styrene fingers trap the front axle tube in place both for and aft, and side to side. Also note some brass added to the rails to simulate the "peek-a-boo" muffler. Onward and upward!

A quick mockup with the axle and a guide in place. The connector is from a Revell 1/32 Cobra coupe slot car and while the industry no longer builds front motor cars, you can still find the connector springs here and there. The drive shaft is a motor shaft with the armature laminations and com removed. The bearing is a ball race made for Wing car motors and is well up to the stresses of this "shelf model". Rear axle and pinion are Parma and the rear axle bearings Germany made ball bearings. Rear wheels are Russkit knock-offs available through Electric Dreams and the rear tires are Silicone. (Forget who made them.) Here we have the pans constructed in what is known as a "Jail Door" chassis. The movement is known as a ISO or Isolation chassis, meaning the front wheels and the guide move independently up and down depending on the track surface. This means the wheels and guide always remain in contact with the track, and also means that the majority of chassis/car weight is on the guide to ensure good handling and proper current. Onward and upward!

My friend Chris Clark sent me this Testors kit and said that he wanted me to build a chassis for it. He didn't say anything about how much details to allow so I decided to go whole hog and give the thing full engine and interior detail including opening hood and a full figure driver sitting in the pilot's seat. Of course Chris will do the final detailing and painting... I am only building the chassis, but thought you guys would like to see it takes to make a chassis that can drive, handle and stay on the track while looking GREAT! The best place to put the motor is up front when a full interior is planned. Hood has been hinged and the latches will be tiny neo magnets that will keep it closed securely. The final motor will be one of the strongest mini motors on the market, the TSR "Falcon" motor (not the Slick7 showing) which has a very hot wind matched up with Neo magnets. The motor is the standard in modern retro racing today and is the natural selection for this build up. Some brass rods are laid out on the chassis jig and the axle pins set. Finished center section with motor mounts and pinion bearing mount. Onward and upward!

I've never received a damaged issue in my life so you can check Salem, Oregon off your list Gregg.

Not if I have anything to say about it!

Thank you Christian.

Geoff, I have a friend in London picking me up one and mailing it to the states. But, can you tell me what you paid over there please so I can figure up an estimate? Pounds, dollars or euro is fine.... ;-) Thank you.

P.S. Guys, this thread inspired me and now January's MCM issue contains a sketchpad featuring three ways I want to build the Meyer's Manx kit...

Yeah... but notice now how the sink marks show? Those would have to have been removed from the underside first, before painting! Also removed any and all locator pins or alignment lines and polish the underside somewhat with 800gt sandpaper. It is the same as painting the underside of a vacuumformed body Gregg. The body then replicates the clearcoat shiny finish. Except when it comes to the body proper in THIS kit. You have a strange shape that is going to create deep dark lines that make no sense once the backing silver is painted on. I really wish they had added more color to the plastic before molding these so the body was not so translucent.

Incidentally, for those who get the metallic molded versions. Backing the color with black will dull the final result. I suggest bright silver be painted first as a backing and then the black. However, I am not sure how this will effect the mold considering this shape contains deep body shape changes and is not simply one thin shell. I doubt that the metallic bodies will prove to be very popular for anything but collectors as a true builder will paint the thing for realism. Just my two-cents.

Wow, pile on the poor guy, sheesh! It was the 70's and model kit demand was at an all time low and prices were beginning to climb. So... is there a better 1977 Chevrolet pick up kit out there? No, so it is what it is and as a model car builder you need to use your skills to make it better. Hint: there are a lot of poorly detailed model kits out there and a lot of great kits. Be nice if someone produced a book of what to watch for, but till that happens, we have a forum....

I like the progress I see here. This is a concept that I too have thought about building. Many ways to get a car to "hover" on a stand: Magnets, hidden wires, clear rod or something simple such as a figure standing next to the car touching it. At a local car show here in the Pacific Northwest I saw and took pictures of what looked like a 1957 Corvette Grand Sport/Star Wars crossover in racing colors. There was a guy under the car with a wrench, tools all around the floor - very realistic looking. Was a larger scale too so that really helped the illusion. What was really holding the car up was a wire running through the guy on his back with the wrenches. Seems to be that there was power there too as the dash lights were lit... but I forget. Searched for the pics and can't seem to find them. The other build that I remember, besides J-A's in SAE, was one built by the late Bob Paeth. He did a '60 Ford with a second set of fins just like this project. But used a more stock looking length and roof. Bob embedded big magnets in the base and little Neo magnets in the body of the car which effectively kept the car floating. Unfortunately the magnets kept wanting to move the car OFF the stand so Bob had to create a wall to keep the car on the stand... so the car was continually up against one wall or another. Fun project!

I built one as a kid and tossed the cardboard build up. Of course that one is long gone. then picked up a build up with box at a swap meet about 14 years ago. But looking forward to picking up one of the new ones anyway.

Sorry, I am done with community builds after that last one I took part in. *eyeroll* But, I need to come up with something for my next sketchpad.... sounds fun, right?

Wood is coming soon as I get the basics working like heat and wipers, wet carpet and... etc. Here is a quick proposal for the wood siding that I like.

Yup, it's a '58 Ford wagon and the engine is a 390 FE motor. Got her all buttoned up again this afternoon including the new 4bbl manifold and Edelbrock 650 carb but the water neck leaks and got the timing off by one tooth. Runs but my back hurts and time for some wine and then bed. Back at the salt mine tomorrow! Incidentally, here is the wagon at Salem Speed Shop on Friday afternoon where I had to pick up a 1" riser from Glenn.

Been playing with real stuff lately. On my coffee break while installing a 4bbl manifold to the old "Surf Rat" and snapped this pic. Have a great Saturday guys.

Crown engineering flipped the stock 4 speed upside down and provided the necessary engine mounts and adaptor. This would only work with the 4-speed manual as you cannot flip an automatic upside down and expect it to work long.

Some nice work here. Chopped and cutting open the doors? Boy, you are a brave one.

I love long roof's!!!

"Almost Famous" which was Cameron Crowe's homage to "One flew over the cuckoos nest".

Yeah, why let reality get in the way.

DONE! And last community build I will take part in.