Scale-Master

1/72 Revell kit. This was an orphan kit; missing and broken parts, no decals. It doesn't fit badly, but the instructions would have you install the wings upside down and on the wrong sides. At least it is not too difficult to figure out how it should go together. I grabbed it to test drive a friend's airbrush to see if I wanted to buy one like it. Unfortunately I followed those instructions when I pre-painted the soft edged camouflage on the "upper" surfaces and it turned out I had painted the bottoms of the wings. Rather than paint the same pattern again, I came up with this splinter style scheme as a hypothetical version. It's done with Tamiya acrylics and lacquers and Testors enamel and lacquer. I sourced the insignias and stripes from a Revell ProModeler FW190 with Scale-Master decals.

Will you be coming over to the GSL Noel?

I should have just machined the velocity stacks as I originally thought I would in the first place years ago when I started this project. I 3D designed and grew different ones thinking I could do better than old fashioned machining, but they just didn't look like what I wanted when I put them on the carbs. I spent well over 50 hours chasing that approach. So I went back to "the old way". I ground two steel tools and turned these stacks on my lathe using a compound slide for the inside to follow the shape of the outside cut. The flanges were made "old school" too as separate parts.

Clutch master installed and plumbed.

Clutch master cylinder. Scratch-built from machined resin, aluminum and Delrin.

I made the insulation for the fiberglass bulkhead panel and installed it.

Considering I made the water pump, head, intake manifold, carburetor and valve cover gaskets, what makes you think I'd forget the oil filter gasket? I made decals for the lettering. And thanks!

Thank you Pete! It will NOT be at the Cruisin' For A Cure show next month on the 25th in Costa Mesa. Why don't you come up and join us? And bring a few models to enter in the contest too.

I'm very pleased that the mass of engine went in and mated up to all the other parts as planned. The transaxle and half shafts went in too once the engine mounts were seated. There are a lot of very tight tolerances and only one order to install the parts/subassemblies in. I was prepared for something to not line up, but it darn near fell together.

I think the engine is as done as possible for now. There's quite a few more parts already made for it, but they will be added later. So the next trick is to install this… Into this…

I finally installed the spark plugs and made & routed the ignition wires. They are the beefy 10.4mm size. I had already made the boots and spark plugs.

Thanks guys! Gear shifter. Aluminum. I was able to machine it in one piece except for the two fasteners. Front: Back:

I figured I'd see what it looks like now that it has color on it so I loosely assembled the panels. Too bad it's a hazy day; the color pops more in direct sunlight. Gonna have to put the wheels on it soon too…

The rear suspension was going in just fine until I realized I needed to install something else first. But before I could do that I had to mount something else, and before that, another item… So I installed the instrument panels. The "A/C" hoses were installed too. The top of the dash and the Wink mirror were mounted to the body.

The valve cover hold-down bolts and breathers were machined from aluminum. Both are patterned from the same line of Eddie Motorsports parts. Yes, there is a little grime around some areas…

Rear corners ready to install.

Thanks Tim! Yes it was rewarding to see the colors start to come together after 3+ years of it being in my imagination. I made the water temperature probe/sender and the bellhousing bolts & washers. I also made decals for the "fan" belts and fuel lines. I made the worm type hose clamps for the radiator hoses that connect to the engine. I also made decals for the hoses. The lower (water pump) hose is actually an upper hose for a small block C3 Corvette, and the upper is a big block C3 hose. That's just the way they fit in this application. (The lettering is intentionally distressed as the printing on the real ones is often that way.)

The distributor, as well as its hold down clamp, is installed, the signal wires are routed and vacuum advance hose plugged into the canister. The ignition wires come later…

After the first round of paint for the interior it was time for another test fitting of some of the body panels to the tub.

The intake manifold has now been final installed, (with gaskets), and the fuel lines are temporarily attached until the upper carb gaskets are added and the distributor is installed. (The valve covers are not finished yet, but they make the engine look better than just the raw heads. And because… magnets!)

I 3D printed the vent screen masters for the Webers when I grew the other carb parts, but I didn't make the mold to cast them then. I used a platinum RTV mold against glass to cast these in resin. I made the four bleeders for each caliper and installed them before mounting the rotors and calipers to the spindles. The soft brake lines and hardware have been installed too. I also made the Willwood decals.

The Corvette master cylinder (with J56 proportioning valve) has been installed and all the hard lines for the front and some of the rear have been connected. I put off making the bleeders on the master when I made it, so those were done today as well. The oil coolers have been reinstalled and plumbed.

The front suspension is assembled and it works. 99% of the hardware is installed too; I'll add the fittings to the upper ball joints later. I was going to use the rubber-like bellows for the tie rods, but one split when I installed it. So I machined a new pair of them. I installed the floor mats and added the little metal anchors to keep them in place. The Jabroc strips have been installed to the tub too.

There's a few weeks' worth of work… Still a few more hardware items to machine, but it is starting to take shape.

This is one of the front shocks. Both ends get rubber eyelet bushings. I put off making the stabilizer links when I was making the other suspension parts, but now I need to make them before proceeding on this section. Here are the kit provided parts next to my scratch-built ones. They are made of steel, brass, aluminum and resin.