Ace-Garageguy

Thanks for dredging this old dinosaur up, too. I agree with you about the windshield layback, and about the only thing I've done on this since the last photos was some file-work trying to get more of that going without having to re-cut the roof.

Thanks guys. This is another one I hadn't noticed had new comments, and is on the short list for re-start. Really like that black A-V8 on '32 rails too, Paul. That door latch, throttle linkage, and blued header flange detail really adds a lot.

Thanks guys. Funny...this one never got too far from the bench and has been kinda bugging me for a re-start. I'm not on here as frequently as I once was and failed to see this one had new comments. It was kinda hung-fire for a while deciding whether to correct the slightly sectioned body the AMT kit has out-of-the-box, or just to go with it as-is. As-is won, 'cause it looks a lot like what some builders of real ones did back in the dim recesses of time when I was young. For whatever reason, I enjoy rebuilding junk more than starting with virgin kits (most of the time) too.

I would also caution against trying to reinvent the wheel where chemistry is involved. Several manufacturers make softer casting resins in a variety of Shore hardnesses, specifically for making things like handle grips, movie special-effects masks and prosthetics, and various kinds of modeling. Polytek has been my go-to supplier for this kind of stuff for decades, and they also offer a range of dyes that are compatible with their products. https://www.polytek.com/products/polycolor-dyes As an industrial supplier, they have a line of instructional videos about using their stuff, their product is always fresher than the re-packaged resellers, and they have knowledgeable technical staff to answer questions. EDIT: Smooth-On is also an industrial supplier, and has an extensive product line and instructional video library. https://www.smooth-on.com/

There's all manner of PE screen made for military and railroad modeling, as well as for cars if you look. There's also a wide variety of woven mesh filter screen made for industrial applications, usually in stainless. Some of the woven mesh is so fine you can't really even see through it. Some industrial suppliers will send you samples. Google is your friend. Sorta. And there are multiple suppliers who will sell small quantities, too. https://www.amazon.com/REMOPEST-Stainless-Steel-Metal-Sheet/dp/B07MNNCGCP Nylon filter mesh is another option.

For what it's worth, that doesn't look like any kind of gearbox to me. A 2-speed planetary box could fit in that general volume, but it would be shaped differently (it would look like one section of a Lenco). Likewise any in-out box I've ever seen...but I'm sure there's a lot of stuff I've never seen. What it does look like is an adapter plate / flywheel housing bolted to an engine plate, with a housing for a multi-plate clutch bolted to the adapter. The flange on the clutch housing where a gearbox would mount appears to have a plate bolted to it in turn, configured as an output shaft bearing support. A torque-converter could also fit inside that general volume, in which case you'd still have a single-speed driveline, but with some built-in slip. Again, the assembly doesn't really look like anything I'm familiar with, but that's not at all definitive. And again, there's lots of stuff I haven't seen. On the other hand, it certainly wouldn't be the first time a kit designer included incorrectly rendered mechanical bits he didn't understand the function of. If it IS supposed to be simply a multi-plate clutch setup, your clutch arm seems reasonable for a model. Clutch-only drivetrains weren't uncommon on high-horsepower drag cars. It's important to know when the model was tooled as well (or the kit it was derived from), as that will have a direct bearing on the tech that's represented.

Nice to do it as the camera car from the film. Beautiful model. I was at Sebring in '70 for that race. McQueen was definitely a talented driver, and pretty tough to drive an endurance event with a broken foot.

Yeah, when they get rowdy, watch out.

Most of that generation AMT kit used 1/16" steel rod for axles. 1/16" brass rod, tube, or 1/16" steel welding rod will work exactly the same way. 1/16" is .0625" or about 1.58 mm.

Wow. I want I want I want.

An Essay on Craftsmanship https://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/Gould2.htm

Only reason I knew this one is 'cause I've followed limited production cars with fiberglass bodies...and all things early Porsche...most of my adult life. Those canted-quad headlights make it pretty hard to forget, too.

Tell us more about the Escort. I haven't seen one of those in decades. Looks like a rally car.

Just to be clear, my comment wasn't directed at you. But anybody doing renderings of "awesome" stuff that "should have been built"...well, if I was paying the guy, I'd expect him to realize you can't arbitrarily place the engine directly over the drive-axle center-line unless you use a setup like the old Toronado...which makes for a very tall package, not at all appropriate for a high-horsepower supercar. The Lambo Countach places the gearbox forward of the engine, and runs a driveshaft next to the crank back to a diff at the rear of the engine. Complicated, but it gets the engine much lower. And as you see, the engine is not centered over the drive-axle

...or have a clue how one works.

I seem to remember a prohibition here about getting too specific or showing photos along those lines on this board. I may remember that incorrectly, but suffice it to say I've acquired rather more firepower than a pea-shooter, but rather less than a star destroyer.

I'd wager you're probably having considerably more fun with the hobby than I am. I've seen a lot of your work, and I'd be more than happy to have turned any it out myself. I really like everything I've seen you show here. I'm currently trying to finish up a few models that ran way off the rails in terms of complexity, and I keep promising myself that my reward will be to try to lighten up on the next few. But I always start out thinking "this one, I'm going to keep simple", and then one little thing leads to a couple more, and after a few days on the bench, it's become another monster.

I got my self-defense capability significantly upgraded.

Pretty cool.

Very nice work.

Yeah, I've been kinda cheating lately by buying some Danbury and Franklin mint pieces so I at least have a few nice looking, finished models around. I can take 'em out and go vroom-vroom too.

It's a matter of personal viewpoint, personality, etc. I was blessed (or cursed) with the old micrometer eye, and discrepancies in scale, proportion and line, and defects just jump out at me. I don't go around trying to be hyper-critical. But I instantly see what's wrong with damm near anything I happen to be looking at. That's one reason, probably the major reason, that I finish very few models. I'm continuously seeing things I missed, or could do better, or can't yet do well enough to suit my expectations. They jump out at me and will bug me until I redo them and get them right. Probably just as well that I'm also naturally more of the enjoy-the-journey-more-than-the-destination persuasion.

The way I look at it is that if I have enough projects and ideas lined up that would be realistic for an 18-year-old who knew for sure he would live to 140, I'll always have something to look forward to.

Thanks for that info. The Dodge WCs, M-series, and PowerWagon direct descendants are another group of vehicles near-and-dear to my heart, and I've been looking at the Italeri kits...as I know nothing, zip, nada, about AFV Club/Skybow.