Ace-Garageguy

Being that huge, they're more like 1/8 or 1/10.

Yup, or some other streaming medium.

There are a few more of the historic LSR cars out there...and though they're not all in 1/25 scale, the shapes and dimensions are there for someone wanting to scale 'em up... And of course, there are the old Hawk streamliner kits that can form the basis of something else entirely... And here... https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Local-Business/LSR-Productions-Models-History-297411047264048/

Yeah, it really irks the jell out of me that you can't turn a radio or TV off.

You're correct, of course, but I wasn't clear. What I should have said is that in a random group of cylinder heads including stock and aftermarket, it would probably be possible to find a 1/2" variance in length by design...not poor casting work and sloppy tooling. Not too far back, I worked with a shop that did extensive work with these engines, and I seem to recall seeing variations in length between 21 and 24 stud heads, and particularly longer ends on some of the unusual aftermarket alloy heads we saw. I could also be wrong...but for Casey's purposes, having that 18.75" nominal length for a head should allow him to get an engine that looks close to scale-correct.

So...pretty close to the 18.88" I derived from the photo. Roughly one to two tenths difference in 1:1, or about .004"-.008" on a 1/24 scale model. I'd say that's close enough. EDIT: Casey, as Raymond says, the ends of the cylinder heads were not usually machined, on OEM or aftermarket parts, and overall you could probably expect there to be about 1/2" variance in length among a group of factory and aftermarket heads. Some aftermarket alloy heads are also sometimes a little longer to give more meat around the end studs, for more reliable gasket sealing. Another note...the gearbox behind the white engine isn't the desirable "top shift" box everybody usually wanted.

What have you got for the length of a head?

Extrapolating from a good online photo of the top of a block with a 3.1875 inch bore, a 1:1 cylinder head is about 18.88 inches long overall.

Neither engine shown really correctly represents what the top of the block actually looks like, so even if you had 1:1 dimensions, there's "interpretation" involved. And it's been my experience that engine scaling in kits is generally pretty poor across the board. For instance, the supposed 1/24 Buick nailhead in the Monogram Orange Hauler is pretty much dimensionally identical with both of Revell's 1/25 versions (old parts-pack / Ivo Showboat and the recent '29 Ford). The only Ford flathead V8 in a kit that I recall being really kinda obviously small is in the Lindberg '53 Fords. Even though I'm usually kinda anal about this stuff, in your shoes, I'd probably just use the bigger white one and call it good. I don't currently have any flatheads around, or I'd measure for you. But the width across the heads is listed as 30" on a supposedly reputable site, and 24" on another one, so there's that. And for what it's worth, all the machined surface dimensions on all the blocks are the same. EDIT: I'll do some checking and at least get you a nominal length for a head.

These are cheap gooseneck and swing-arm lamps from the thrift store, no more than $10 each, plus one magnifier I bought from the scratch-and-dent section of an office supply store for $15. I've been using this setup since 2011. Started with compact florescent 100 WATT-equivalent bulbs, now replaced with LEDs. You CAN NOT run 100 WATT tungsten (incandescent) bulbs in these lamps for long, as 1) they'll fry the little switches and 2) they make a lot of heat. You CAN run 100-watt EQUIVALENT CF or LED bulbs though, as they only take a fraction of the power to run, don't hurt the switches, and make negligible heat. Be certain to check if the bulbs you buy are "daylight" or "soft white". I personally prefer a mixture of the two...and some of the early LEDs can be a bluish light, kinda like old strip florescents, which can become tiring to work under. For more ideas, Google is your friend...

^^^ Ear candy.

Yes...those look great. Right size hole for spindle-mounts.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Halibrand-Center-Lock-Wheels-1972-Mustang-1-25-1000s-Model-Car-Parts-4-Sale/283818291603?hash=item4214e37193:g:7TEAAOSwwRpecPub Pretty close, from a Mustang funny car...

"So let's do this. Wheels up at 06:00. Lock and load." "Sir, this is a coffee shop. You sound like a movie cliche tough guy". "Well, it's as close as I'll ever get to say cool things like this in reality here in the hood". "Uh...sir...this is Beverly Hills".

Yes, that's the bottom line the situation has gifted us with.

Yes, it has become systemic, bordering on existential.

Look over the past few year's entries in the Grand National Roadster Show for a good idea of what's hot in rods, especially the contenders for America's Most Beautiful Roadster. Straight 'traditional' cars were on top for a while, but more modern flavoring has been creeping in. Here are the 2019 cars to get you started... https://www.classicarnews.com/2019/01/26/americas-most-beautiful-roadster-2/ ...

I cleaned the cobwebs and plastic shavings off the bench, put some tools and parts away, and set out the next sub-assemblies I need to address. Gotta start somewhere. Maybe I can do a little actual "modeling" this evening.

Speaking of patina racers...have you guys seen this thing? Guy tows a trailer to the races, kicks tail, then drives it home. The true meaning of "cool".

Maybe a budding Patty Wagstaff...

Long story short...in 1/25 scale, pretty much any Chevy smallblock engine can pass for any other Chevy smallblock (with the exception of the first 265s that had no boss cast on the block for an oil filter). If the block and heads are well rendered, swapping ancillaries like valve covers, intake and exhaust manifolds, and accessories like generators/alternators and AC units, you can period-date a smallblock Chevy engine anywhere you want. In fact, much the same is true in the real car world. For instance, a 1998 350 can easily pass for a 1962 327, and only the most knowledgeable Chevy engine aficionados will ever spot it. Find a photo of an engine of the era you want, and swap bits to get the right look to match. EDIT: the 3-carb, open header setup shown on the box was a popular setup as far back as the late 1950s, and still is today.

My '62 Bug came with a clapped out '58 36-horse engine. Every seal in the thing was hard and crispy, including the front main (flywheel) seal. Little car had lots of other problems as well, like a bent front torsion-bar housing, but I was too inexperienced to know any better. She'd drip a quart out on the pavement in about 5 minutes. I bought a junkyard 40-horse and went through it (my first major mechanical work on anything), stuck some headers and a 2-barrel on it, and thought I was hot stuff. Before I was out of school, I'd swapped in a mildly warmed-over Porsche 356 SC engine, started winning autocross events, and the rest is history.

Or it could leak oil as fast as my first VW Bug did when I got it. In that case, an oil tank mounted there would not be inappropriate.

For the most part, I've shied away from giving any opinions on this topic, as the potential to ignite a firestorm is very real. That said, the unkind truth is that, of the approximately 36 MILLION Americans unemployed by this mess, the great majority have no substantial savings, particularly the younger and lower-skilled members of the work force. Many shuttered businesses will never reopen, many jobs will never return, and making a blanket portrayal of those who want to get back to work as "reckless, selfish, and cowardly", as has been heard in several high-profile comments nationally is simply beyond comprehension. My current home state has been cautiously reopening for several weeks, and the fear-mongering predictions of catastrophe in Georgia's media-tagged "experiment in human sacrifice" have failed to materialize...though one comment from someone who should really know better stated that there was a 40% rise in new cases, an outright lie, easily discredited. We are NOT all in the same boat, as was noted here earlier, and those who have a comfortable cushion, safety net, or sufficient government help to survive through this unprecedented mess relatively easily would do well to consider the millions of American citizens who don't have it so good. EDIT: I include myself in the "those who have a comfortable cushion, safety net, or sufficient government help to survive through this unprecedented mess relatively easily", as I've been able to work full time and haven't been sick. I'm deeply concerned for those who aren't as fortunate. I will also stay away from voicing or endorsing any opinions regarding the handling of the pandemic or the lockdown, as it's obviously a very politicizing situation at this time.