Ace-Garageguy

That's the problem with internet searches. If you don't know a pretty fair bit about what you're searching, and you're lazy, you're going to believe mostly wrong information. I've had more than my fill of instant "experts" who read a couple of articles on the web and all of a sudden know vastly more about everything automotive than I do after my 5+ decades of first-hand, hands-on experience. And that's just the way it is today. First-hand real-world-derived knowledge has very little value to a certain abysmally ignorant...and just plain stupid...segment of the population who believe the first gibberish Google vomits up. EDIT: Of course, the upside is that there's a wealth of correct information available on the web like never before in the history of Man. But you need to have some basic knowledge and possess good critical-thinking skills to benefit from it.

Cool stuff. Thanks for the post.

Yup, I'm sure they would.

One little unpleasant truth to remember whenever dealing with ANY service company...the workmanship and quality on any given day...or job...is only as good as the individual who does the work cares to make it. The two real-car shops I contract with here (a major metropolitan area in the Southeast) can NOT hire competent help, even though a high 5-figure income is possible. As a result, one shop has scaled back to only accepting enough work to keep the current crew busy (and they're far from wizards themselves), and the other shop is quitting the high-end hot-rod work when I leave. The point is...your plating guy may have a new-hire who doesn't care, or just doesn't understand the concept of acceptable vs. not. That's pretty standard these days in every service business, including banking. I would most definitely complain. You paid for a certain level of work you'd reasonably come to expect, as you'd received that level of work in the past. You have every RIGHT to complain, and to expect it to be done to your satisfaction.

Another tech point about building a Cannonball car...while I'm not a huge fan of the complication of running EFI, it CAN significantly improve drivability and fuel mileage if tuned correctly...and if side-of-the-road-repair spares are carried. The FAST system we're currently running on the Chevelle uses what's essentially an Edelbrock single-plane 4-bbl manifold, with the port runners drilled for the injectors. The central throttle body looks like a simplified carb, and houses the MAF, TP, and other sensors. Peak HP is about the same as with the Holley, but both power and torque curves are flatter, and fuel consumption is better. Photo below is the very similar Edelbrock system, but the FAST throttle body and rails are red.

If I remember correctly, the Webers in that kit are side-drafts mounted as downdrafts. About as technically accurate as mounting a Holley upside down. And here's a point in favor of running a single 4-barrel for a Cannonball car...the big-block in the '66 Chevelle (real car) I'm finishing up dynoed at 750HP+ with a single 4-barrel Holley.

Looks great above. Clean, clean bodywork and fitting. Very nice work.

With some fiddly fill and file work, the kit manifold could be converted to resemble the one-piece manifold I posted above as EDIT 2, and the Y-adapters could be removed from the carbs. It all comes down to whether you're happy with a good looking model that's not exactly representative of reality, or whether you obsess over technical accuracy (as I usually do...and which leads me into difficulties that significantly delay finishing anything). Either way, it's solely the builder's choice...and 95% of folks looking at a model aren't going to know the difference anyway.

Gladly. It's acceptable for a big-block Chevy, but not ideal. The spacing of the openings on the ports would imply it was intended for four 1-barrel carbs, and there is no indication of the manifold ports being split prior to going into the head ports. There would be little reason in reality to mount downdraft Webers on those "Y" manifold adaptors, other than to accommodate an unnecessarily restrictive main manifold. The location of the ports is generally OK though (barring the fact that individual runners are paired on the real engine), and the thermostat housing and distributor hole are kinda OK too. The manifold (below) shows the actual locations of the ports, coolant outlet, and distributor drive hole. You'll have to decide if you can live with the kit part. EDIT: This is a proper big-block Chevy Weber downdraft manifold. There are others, but this is the general layout. (below) EDIT 2: Here's a one-piece casting with shorter runners. (below)

Yes. Reported in Time, 2016: "The average attention span for the notoriously ill-focused goldfish is nine seconds, but according to a new study from Microsoft Corp., people now generally lose concentration after eight seconds, highlighting the affects of an increasingly digitalized lifestyle on the brain.

The Flintstone version isn't terrible shape and line-wise, but it's got several symmetry problems, and the real cars were pretty well built as far as symmetry goes...much better than say, Cobras. The Flintstone / UMI version also has a somewhat unusual bustle on the rear deck...not really "typical". And though the Fernando Pinto version I have is a slightly later car with the gills on the rear quarters, the lines and proportions are very close to correct. The Teapot Graphics version appears to be pretty good, but the length of the front hood opening and its relationship to the headlight buckets is entirely wrong on the CMC diecast.

I don't know about anyone else, but I only have two that are close enough to call "finished"...and the Challenger is still only a curbside at this point.

You are correct, sir. But never forget that having no clue as to how stuff actually works has never stopped people from slapping the biggest available carb/turbo/supercharger/whatever on something. There were (probably still are) plenty of bone-stock 350 Chevys with two Holley 1150-CFM carbs...which is only about 1650 CFM more than that engine can possibly use.

Yup. The best I've ever seen.

afx is correct on all counts. The black line going into the firewall runs to a mechanical fuel pressure gauge. The black "bottles" are hydraulic reservoirs for the brakes and clutch. And the tank on the firewall is an engine-breather oil mist separator. It's attached to a plate on the intake manifold on some FE engines. It functioned kinda like a PCV system in the old days, with the smaller hose running down under the car as a "road draft tube". On a race car, a catch can would be required on the "road draft tube", as you can't be dripping oil on a race track. There may be another big hose that runs to a breather fitting on the side of the oil pan, too.

Dare to compare... (it has an engine, too).

I like it. Makes me think of an Australian version of an American car from the period.

Kinda depends on the specific mold release you use, too. Anything containing silicone has the potential to play bloody herro with fisheyes and coatings pulling away from edges, or later peeling. Most modern "professional grade" mold releases do NOT contain silicone, but lotsa modelers are notorious for being cheap and not bothering to read instructions. Vaseline, PAM, and other magic concoctions should come off with hot water, Comet, and Dawn...but don't commit to painting an entire batch until you TEST first. The good news is that 70% isopropyl alcohol has effectively removed every type of surface contamination I've used it on...even silicone.

Yup. Serious proportion and line problems, particularly evident in the last shot just above. But hey...it's no skin off my nose.

There are significant proportion, shape, and line problems with the kit shown in the photos...the one with the odd dash insert. Though the maker could possibly have pulled his dimensions from an unusual-bodied or rebodied post-crash car, the "standard" 550 Spyder looks rather different. Just FYI: I've had a full-scale replica since 1995. The molds for my car were pulled from a real one that had never been wadded up. A further FYI: I also have the Fernando Pinto kit, which actually looks like my big one. One more FYI: The Jimmy Flintstone version is wonky too.

Alsa Chrome will get you the closest. It's durable and can be clearcoated without turning to silver paint. It's also not cheap. https://alsacorp.com/product/easy-chrome

Very nice work on that blower. Fine indeed. Body fit on the frame looks very good too. Just a couple of FYIs; those aren't "valve covers" on a flathead engine. They are the actual cylinder heads; and your quick-change rear end is upside down in that photo. It does matter. Not being picky...just trying to be helpful.

I'll have to remember to post that on my upcoming YouTube "EXPERT CAR ADVICE" channel.