Fat Brian

I agree with everyone using a cordless screwdriver for drilling, the Dremel spins too fast and can melt the plastic while you're trying to drill it.

Those are way better than what I'm looking for, I'm currently working on hinging a trunk lid.

The wheels from the AMT International 4300 are pretty close and those kits are fairly easy to find.

If you want something stock the Escalade kits Roger mentioned are your best option. Since you said you have the stock kit at least you don't have to undo the monster truck stuff. For something custom you really can go a bunch of different ways.

I always forget those Escalade kits, I've never had one so they just don't exist for me I guess.

The frame is going to give you a fit because of how the monster truck frame is molded to the stock floor pan. The stock version can still be found for not much more than a new monster truck version. You might can even find a cheap built one and use the new body and interior from the monster truck. No one currently makes the front IFS, you could go with a solid front straight axle which is a common swap. Or you can use one of the Aoshima Toyota 4x4 kits as a donor, they have front IFS and both stock and raised suspension options along with very nice Super Swamper tires. It's not 100% correct but is about as close as you can get without a lot of scratchbuilding. Finally, Round2 is working on bringing some variation of the stock short bed kit back out. If you can wait a year or two there might be a better option than what there is right now.

Very cool, you've really been thrashing on that the last couple weeks.

I put it in the 79 Trans Am so that's what I based my comnent on, I'm sure there's a bit of difference between all the available Firebird kits.

I've always hated how hinges made from round rod look but plastic hinges thin enough to be remotely in scale are very fragile. Has anyone seen brass or aluminum bar stock in like .5mm X .25mm or close to that size? I can find sheets that thin but I don't have a good way to cut straight bars from it.

The wheelbase lines up really well. The new chassis is a bit wide in the rear and needs to be taken in a bit to fit inside the older bodies.

I've seen this on some of my kits that were stored in my shed for several years after handling them. I guess with enough time and heat your skin oils dissolve the chrome.

Keep in mind too that "mid engine" can be mid front as well. As long as the engine is behind the centerline of the front wheels it's considered mid engine so Ford model Ts are technically mid engine by a strict interpretation of the definition.

The AMT 66 Fairlane GT/GTA and the 66 Mercury Comet both have a 390.

My top 3 would be Phantomball, Moonshine runners, or youtube cars.

We need to narrow the list down some. Typically we have everyone post their top 3 and the five or so that get the most votes get made into a poll.

I'm claiming 707 for the 29, mainly because it's the only 3 digit number I've got. And I'll take 121 for the 30.

Good enough, I just wanted to ask.

You could probably do hidden supports under the tires, maybe wooden dowels painted black. And yes, any interior or chassis parts might give it some structure.

I've gone down the rabbit hole of YouTube "restorations" lately so I've seen quite a bit of his videos.

They make this aluminum sculpture mesh, it's very fine and soft to conform to surfaces. I might try copying a body with this stuff then trying to deform it. Once it's crumpled to your desired crumpliness you could cover it with something to replicate the sheet metal.

How are the numbers determined? I notice some cars have numbers and a letter as well.

What about "The Cars of YouTube"? The Independence Chevelle, the Million Mile Lexus, Blasphemi, or any other YouTube celebri-car. Did you find it in a barn, kick out the mice, replace the sparkalators and fuel makeithappener and top her off with fresh dinosaur juice in the parking lot of a Motel 6? Did you put a 12 valve, rotary, or 2jz in something it has no business being in? Or did you do the right thing and do a full rotisserie restoration of something actually worth driving? If you can find it on YouTube get it to the starting line, with your own spin of course.

I got the 29 up on its wheels today. This is going to be a more traditional east coast TROG style build. It's a 29 on 32 rails with a 32 shell and 39 brakes and a standard banjo rear-end. The engine is going to be a hopped up flat head with a LaSalle transmission. The one concession I made to my build style is that I widened the rear wheels to fit the wider kit rear tires.

Yep, and even Bigfoot's first crush was on 48s not 66s. Unfortunately there just isn't a lot documented about those early days and most events included more than a few barley pops to cloud memories.

Ready at the starting line is my 1981 Mustang Cobra. I started with the Monogram 1979 Mustang kit and swapped in the chassis plate and dual exhaust from the 90 convertible kit and the v8 from the Pace Car version. The intake is from the MPC Mustang Pace Car kit and the valve covers are from the Revell 32 kits. The exhaust manifolds are from the Revell 76 Torino, the air cleaner is from the Moebius 64 Nova along with a 3d printed Predator carb, and I swapped the manual for a C4 automatic since v8s only came that way in 81. The 4 lug wheels are Fujimi and the tires are from Fireball. I wanted to build this in "Day 2" 1981 style so there's still some 70s left over with the big rear tires but on then modern wheels. I also converted the manual shifter to an auto T handle style and added a cb radio and antenna. The T tops were added to the car along with the rubber trim and roof bracing.