Ace-Garageguy

Nice work so far. Pretty amazing they left out the rear frame horns that hold the engine, however. They're kinda important in the real car. Perhaps they're molded as part of the torsion-bar tube / rear suspension??

I often use urethane foam and epoxy mixed with microballoon to form small components than can be hollowed out. I'd be happy to send you some foam and some micro. Cheap floral foam will also work if you use epoxy.

I've picked up several sets of small files over the years, mostly things I've seen at hobby shops that were different from what else I already had. Sometimes you get lucky and find a set that has coarse and fine teeth on the same file, but usually not. In general, the metal in the Japanese ones is harder than what's in the Chinese ones, which matters if you're working with metal. This is a typical decent quality set.

Fascinating read. How's the old saying go...something like "it's better to have a model T frame and not need it, than to need one and not have it"...?

I prefer to think of it as stockpiling materials and components for repurposing ...

This photo of the #48 car, taken at the '71 Sebring race, shows black sidepipes, Minilites, and brake cooling extractor fans fitted to the front wheels.

In general, you lower a model EXACTLY like you lower a REAL car. This is where knowing something about how real cars function can be very helpful. In the reverse, modeling also presents an opportunity to learn something about real cars. Drilling front spindles to relocate stub-axles on a model is IDENTICAL in concept to fitting "dropped spindles" to a real car. While that's not the way a real NASCAR vehicle front end would be lowered, it's a perfectly adequate solution for the millimeter or two needed here. It's also the solution of choice for lowering the front of ANY model with independent front suspension. In the rear, shortening coil springs is how you would lower a real one of these, so shaving some height off the rear springs works on these models too. On the model, some adjustments to other suspension components may be required to get enough clearance or movement. Mocking up the model as it comes from the box ("dry fitting") and measuring the ride height...and then mocking up the model without the suspension under it at the ride height you WANT, measuring THAT and subtracting to find the difference...will tell you EXACTLY how much you'll need to relocate your spindles or shave your springs...no buggered up guesswork or hacking involved. And though I'm well aware that measuring and subtracting are alien concepts to a lot of people, simple grade-school skills can go a LONG way towards getting consistent results.

So...lets do some rough numbers. Assume a 2"x 2" fret can hold four 17"-19" wire wheel centers in 1/25 scale. That's one set for a dragster front. A 2' X 2' sheet pf PE can deliver 144 2" X 2" frets of wheels. At $16 each, which I'd happily pay, and which is in line with the cost of a similar sized fret of PE parts, that's a gross return of $2304. A 3' X 3' sheet can hold 324 similarly sized frets. Again, at $16 per, that's a gross return of $5184.

Have you looked here? http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/forum/19-car-kit-news-reviews/

Yeah, they have their uses. This poor thing had about a half tube of glue inside the hood, holding it to the body and radiator shell... ...but not for long...

Picked up a couple more "broken" steam locomotives for cheap. I imagine sitting in my workshop, a nice wood fire to my back, and looking out the window at the snow falling as I work on these. It'll be nice if I live long enough to realize that vision. The 0-8-0 switcher is missing the smokebox front, and the tender. I've got both in the spares box. The plan for the 4-6-4 Hudson is to kitbash and up-detail her with bits from the old Revell static model. The cylinders are broken off and loose, and someone has already done a ham-handed "repair", but she'll be an easy fix (if you have a brain).

Hope the rest of her recovery is swift and uneventful.

I probably ought to get one of those. I'm still using an old corded dinosaur I've rebuilt once already. Works great, but the cord is a kinda PITA sometimes.

That would certainly be one good application for a drum sander on a Dremel, definitely. The only downside is that it's easy to slip and gouge something like that. If you didn't, you're obviously more skilled than many. I'd still probably use a coarse flat file to start, and finish up with finer cuts. That way, you get it dead straight...but it's a matter of personal preference.

You wanna double check that? He makes and sells 15" conversion sets for plastic rims, but they are NOT appropriate for the 17"-19" bike wheels used in front of old drag cars. Last time I emailed him (after buying a set of 15 inchers) he said the larger ones for dragsters were no longer available. Anything to the contrary would be good to know.

I've had similar experiences, most recently while looking for a house with land and a large shop in Az. One was just lazy, apparently. I guess she gets paid enough on a few easy sales that she doesn't feel the need to put out much effort on the rest. I met one who actually said that maybe levels hadn't been invented yet when I commented on the fact that there wasn't a square corner or plumb line anywhere on a house built in 1969. Another one just didn't seem to understand that I had very specific needs, and wasn't going to buy something that wasn't at least 95% suitable. Period. And I don't think it's just realtors. Lotsa people don't try to do what they do WELL. Returning calls and emails often seems to be too much bother, and in general, I'm usually at least mildly disappointed with almost everyone I do business with. A competent, courteous professional is getting to be a rarity.

VERY nice work on the model. What gearbox and rear do you have in the Z-car?

Sounds like a plan...

Lotsa plans, zero finished models. Highly creative, but with a significant lack of self-discipline where my own projects are concerned. And it's OK with me, for now.

EXACTLY. Good looking little car, Scott, and I highly approve of your use of solar to charge it. That's the only way electric vehicles really make sense. What percentage of your transportation energy do you estimate you're getting from the PV installation? My oh-so-techno-savvy neighbor was stranded for two days, after the power went down during the snow storm at the beginning of his recharge cycle. I just waved as I went by in my ancient gas hog pickup.

Agreed entirely about hand tools being the better choice for most styrene work. If you're working with resin, or mixed-media kits with metal parts as well, the Dremel is far more useful. "Bout the only thing I use mine for (on plastic kits) is very rough cuts with the cutoff-wheels, for HEAVY modifications, and lighter cuts with the sanding drums when matching scratchbuilt parts side-to-side.

Dat bees da plann, ennywayz...

The 7700 lists spindle speeds of 10.000 and 20,000 RPM. If this is correct, it's just too fast for styrene, and will melt the plastic rather than grind it. The 7300 lists slower speeds, but is also only a 2-speed tool...6,500 and 13,000 RPM. I personally favor a unit with infinitely adjustable speeds, from just-barely to flat-out. This unit gives you 5,000-35,000 RPM, with no steps between. https://www.dremel.com/en_US/products/-/show-product/tools/4000-high-performance-rotary-tool

Anudder wun a deze. Dis wun to be dun up in Ford Aerospace kullers.