Codi

Many many thanks Gentlemen for the posts........I'll respond to each of you when I get a bit more time. I wrapped up the lower portion of the new manifold and took some shots of the bits and pieces that have to be detailed and assembled. I'm pleased with how it turned out........although I will share that I spent more than 20 hours machining the bottom portion this week. It's 12L14 mild steel which takes me longer to machine BUT the contrast in the metal color to the aluminum engine block/heads and valve covers was well worth it. I'm glad I took the time to pursue this new manifold design and I think it is VERY close to the 1:1 pic I shared earlier. I'm estimating another 10 hours or so of detailing & final assembly of the manifold & carbs. Please remember, this is for the match racer set-up for this 70's era Pro Stock......so everything goes. This manifold I would classify as an experimental......a few burrs and minor clean-up to do yet btw. Cheers to all and HAPPY JULY 4th WEEKEND! Enjoy your cookouts and time with friends and family. Tim

WOW Mark..........that color, gorgeous. cheers

You had me at "Henry J"..........knowing the quality of your builds I'm certainly looking forward to how this one turns out. cheers, tim

Hi Edward.........this is one sweet build you have. I'm soaking up the details you're adding and can only marvel at the crispness of your paintwork. I've never used Splash paints before, honestly I wasn't aware of who they were but after seeing your results I'll have to check them out. Great job sir! tim

Steffen, I can only go by the old adage that "less is more"............I'm not suggesting that you've ignored or omitted anything. It's more of the simplicity and execution of the build that makes it stand apart. Every aspect, body fitment, assembly and paint among others along with your choices for color etc. are something to behold. It's a wonderful model and I wish I could call her mine! cheers, tim

Chris, it's been a while since I visited and your progress is phenomenal. Gorgeous car and wonderful execution on your part. cheers, tim

Congratulations Francis! I know you're likely experiencing mixed emotions right now after completing her. Most certainly a deserved sense of accomplishment and a quiet pride of what you achieved. This is a stunning build and I too learned things from you along the way. Enjoy the moment and we look forward to your next project...........hoping you still have a Pro Stock in mind. Cheers, Tim

Perfection John. I'll most certainly follow your progress as well. cheers, tim

This will be a FUN build Mark. I like the solution for the silver paint........"hmmm, maybe if I mix the two......yeah that's the ticket".....that chassis color is bold, can't wait to see where you're going with this one. cheers, tim

Francis, thanks man. I didn't give up on it and made some progress. Pics below. Randy D........for those that are not checking out Randy's progress on the Lotus bodywork, well be sure to check out his recent post under "straightliners" etc.............and thanks for continuing to follow my progress Randy. cheers John, thank you as always. I have always admired YOUR builds. ALL of them! cheers Thanks Chris! Mike, I took time to take pics during this next portion, explanations to accompany too. hope some of it helps. tim Hakan, yeah, I'm an odd one. I've gotten more patient as I've gotten older. Progress comes slowly but I'm happy with where the build is going. Hope you like it and continue to follow along! cheers, tim Sorry it's been a while and even though I've made progress on the new manifold I've still a ways to go. Actually the "trickiest" part to machine is the bottom portion of the manifold.......but that's another day. Here's a bunch of pics and some comments for others that are machinists or learning as Mike (iBorg) asked for more insights. Sorry to bore those that aren't interested in those details. Cheers, tim first pics of the top portion of the new plenum (parted off, yeah!) the 2nd pic shows to the top and bottom portions in the tweezers. the bottom portions of the plenum are made from steel as is the rest. I had to start with 3/16" 12L14 steel rod and used a corner rounder to shape each end first. after making a pair of them I used a ball mill to cut in a trough to secure the "torpedoes" so I could cut em' in half and drill the necessary holes in them. They're secured in the trough with loctite glue and the brass "ram" I used is to press the piece into the trough so it's completely level after filling the trough with glue. This is more than sufficient to secure the pieces while milling them down and drilling the holes. The end mill pic included is a carbide 5 flute for steel & titanium. the nozzle in the pic next pic is my shop vac to suck up debris and oil as I go. the torpedo milled in half with the drilled holes i took a pic of the small bottle i bought at hobbylobby that I use to apply the necessary oil when machining steel & titanium when done to remove the part I soak the part for a few minutes in acetone.....then I was off the acetone with water and use a small torch to remove it from the base. this pic shows the lower portion of the plenum held up against the upper part I then took the twin half moon plenums and cut them at 22 degrees by inverting my rotary table to be the angle I sought per the original pics of the manifold I'm sort of replicating. the .6 s/steel tubing seen in the pics will be used to detail the upper portions of the manifold btw.

Hey Francis, I like the new door handles but I do have to see them on the truck only because I liked the originals too. Anxious to see the final assembled pics......don't forget some outdoor pics too!!! cheers, tim

NICE workspace Ian. You've got to be stoked! cheers, tim

Just sitting here and drinking in all the details on the car John. I love this stuff. Great job and congrats! tim

Hi Randy, this DOES prove that it can be done. Those curves & bends in our scale must be quite the challenge. I bought a how-to book on planishing and chasing several years ago and the some of the necessary tools as well. Never got around to it yet. This would be something I would like like to try now that I see the superb results you've gotten. They're quite the inspiration. Beautiful sir! tim

Rich you lucky devil. I first visited the Glen in the early 70's for my first Gran Prix race. Never forget it. Many years later raced in the Skip Barber series and got the chance to drive the track on several occasions. My favorite of them all. Thanks again! tim

Thanks Rich......I'd forgotten about this car altogether and you did a superb job on it. This was one of my favorites back in the day and I loved the class & series as much as the Can-Am cars. Great period in racing history. cheers, tim

Quite the build and the paint is top shelf all the way. cheers, tim

That last pic Ray is a hoot. You can't appreciate how large 1/8 is or how small 1/25 is by comparison. cheers, tim

I never would have caught that loom detail Mark. More goodness on this build. cheers, tim

Handsomely done Brian. WIll be sure to follow along as you move along with her. cheers, tim

Beautifully done Charlie. I would never have undertaken that design. Congrats! tim

Nice rear Dave...............(sorry, that one was too easy) I have to check out your facebook page as Beth Ann said you've updated it a bit too. cheers, tim

Congrats as well on the move Ian. Must say though you left us hanging when you said the paint was on.............can't wait to see it! cheers, tim

Uh-Duh........excuse me as I've got to get my swim trunks on so I can go swimming in that black paint. The color / weathering on the chassis stands out too John. Be sure to post more pics when you can of this one as well. Any outdoor pics per chance? cheers, tim