1:18 ERTL '70 Chaparral Camaro Trans-Am

[ibj40]

Artistry!

[swede70]

Greetings,

Just some further fabrication of the rear wheel arch resin dams, with care taken to keep all the joins and glue on the outside.  I hope the fabrication of the walls for these proves the most tedious aspect of creating what I want.  The bottom borders for the front wheel arches stands to be done next.  Thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

[swede70]

Greetings,

Having an unconscionable amount of time on my hands, I've had opportunity to pour resin into what was worked up earlier.  The rear half proved resin tight, although the front less so!  For liberal use of mold release the two chunks 'o resin were removed intact from the panel work, while spied below may be seen the wall work necessary to reproduce the effort on the other side.  

...in essence, all the value is manifest on the back side of these given they literally mirror the profile of the surfaces upon which they will rest.

...while given the resin spillage from below  (i.e. leaky walls on the reverse side front half), some unpleasant chipping and sanding was required to clean up the surfaces walled in here.  Thanks for your review of this spotty update!

Mike K./Swede70

Edited April 4, 2020 by swede70

[ibj40]

Looking forward to the final product on these, and hopefully the acquisition of a set or two.

Thanks for the comments on my builds, Obi-wan, us mere mortal Jedi need such encouragement.

Stay Safe!

[swede70]

Thanks for the kind words...

Seen are the four raw flares all together after a few further missteps.  In a manner of speaking, creating these was a soulless exercise, while sculpting what has been worked up will be considerably more rewarding.

...followed if you will be the first round of reduction in size less the character line and squared off wheel arch opening lip to come.  Good enough to register progress even as the shapes seen are bulbous and far from final.  The rear flares will be roughed up in a similar fashion before I return to what's made out here.  

Thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

 

 

[Vietnam Vet67]

Yep, I was at that race and they had 2 cars there. #1 with Jim Hall driving and #2 with Ed Leslie driving. I know neither one finished but I don't remember why.

 

Edited April 6, 2020 by Vietnam Vet67
addition of info.

[swede70]

Beautiful period photographs - very nice.  Kind thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

[randyc]

Nice to see the magic behind the curtain.

[ibj40]

10 hours ago, swede70 said:

Thanks for the kind words...

Seen are the four raw flares all together after a few further missteps.  In a manner of speaking, creating these was a soulless exercise, while sculpting what has been worked up will be considerably more rewarding.

...followed if you will be the first round of reduction in size less the character line and squared off wheel arch opening lip to come.  Good enough to register progress even as the shapes seen are bulbous and far from final.  The rear flares will be roughed up in a similar fashion before I return to what's made out here.  

Thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

 

 

Hey Mike - I have a spare front spoiler from an ACME Challenger if you think that might make a good pattern for your Camaro build.

[swede70]

Thanks for the kind sustained interest...

Actually ibj40, I have to work up a clear 'Lexan' bottom lip front spoiler, hence what is seen is preliminary and fated to be replaced.  My first attempt with material I felt was in scale pretty much failed, although I'll likely try again with a thicker option hopefully more amenable to shaping.  Kind thanks for your offer...

-

Noticed will be the first rear flare I've shaped, while the opportunity was taken to reduce the mass of the front flare to more or less match.  Still pondering how I'll do the flat lip of each wheel arch opening, but somehow I'll get it.  I want a 'no excuses' result.  Thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

Edited April 7, 2020 by swede70

[ibj40]

Looking good, Mike!

[swede70]

Thanks for the kind words and interest...

Working up the opposite side, with the top of the rear flare having to be built up with some glued on plastic stock given the mold ought to have been bigger here.  Notice how the mass of the rear flare is visibly less, with the character line more pronounced as I gradually learn how to do this.  Now I'm moving from flare to flare, removing one, refining the shape to a degree, and then repeating.  

Thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

[kilrathy10]

This is awesome... You got some skills, Man... I like what I'm seeing...

[swede70]

Thanks for the kind words...

Modest stuff this, but I had to patch the corners of the rear flare where I'd misjudged how much material would be needed along the top.  Small sections of Plastruct square stock were introduced in, sanded, puttied, and hopefully good to go now.  Strange to relate that this took hours - but it did.  Sigh...

Mike K./Swede70

[Gramps46]

Looking good.  I am enjoying the ride along with your build.

[ibj40]

1 hour ago, swede70 said:

Thanks for the kind words...

Modest stuff this, but I had to patch the corners of the rear flare where I'd misjudged how much material would be needed along the top.  Small sections of Plastruct square stock were introduced in, sanded, puttied, and hopefully good to go now.  Strange to relate that this took hours - but it did.  Sigh...

Mike K./Swede70

Mike - no one has a clue about the time you spend on perfection, but I praise you for the goals you set for yourself, and then achieve.

As I have said in the past, I admire your skills and wish I could come up to a 50% level with respect to your creativity and perseverance.

[swede70]

Thank you so much for the kind compliments...

Rather than consume bandwidth for updating with near-identical photos, here I'm just erasing and replacing images.  The metal wheel arches have been filed out a bit, the front and rear track is wider now, mirrors have sprouted both inside and out, while the mass and shape of each flare continues to be refined.   Further, the inside of each flare is now being partially hollowed out and thinned, helping to accommodate the tires that are situated further out.  I can put a lot of time in, although stage-by-stages changes are difficult to discern for being subtle.  

...the top of each flare is being worked upon to ensure a smooth transition without calling for an enormous application of spot putty.

Hard to make out, but each wheel arch opening/lip has been squared off for sanding stick work alone.  I'll likely have to file and sand things further so the lips will 'pop' by comparison to the flare bodies themselves, although in sum things look better.

Saggy before given the fit over the locating dimples wasn't first rate, for adjustment the rear 'glass' fits flush as it ought.  

Thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

Edited April 12, 2020 by swede70

[Codi]

Love the imagination and your solution in getting the fenders done like that Michael.  A lot of effort for sure but what a result.  Well worth it.

cheers, tim

[swede70]

Thanks for the kind notice...

Although hardly epic, seen below are images consistent with refining what has been worked up.  Each flare has been thinned further, some putty applications made to the same, while the metal wheel arch openings have been filed out to allow outward adjustment of the track front and rear.  In addition, some roll cage members have been replaced and the joins across this assembly improved somewhat.  The model has been together and apart so many times up to this point it's a wonder it doesn't shatter. 

Looking a little strange and almost like a Firebird, the prominent wheel arch 'eyebrows'  have been carved off.  I tried to preserve the inner fender lip contour for filing the front arch profile at somewhat of an angle consistent with protecting the metal work situated further in...

...while the roll cage members leading from the main hoop into the trunk area enroute  to terminating atop the subframe rails were redone given they frankly hung in space.  It's frustrating to imagine that some aspects of the build have been appropriately seen to and  then to discover it just isn't so...

Seen above would be the event program cover image from the '70 Mid-Ohio race, with the degree to which the front and rear wheels and tires tuck in to the flares/panel work easily made out...

...and better now, especially for resting lower for non-interference of the wheels and tires with the aforementioned metal arch openings, plus wider front track which helps matters surely.  It's starting to look pretty crisp.

...and pretty much invisible, some effort was made to clean up the rear bumper for sanding out subtle shape irregularities.  So in total  not very exciting!   Thanks for your interest.

Mike K./Swede70

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by swede70

[swede70]

Further refinements then...

Here the front flares have been thinned along the area where they blend into the front valence, appearing somewhat lighter again.  I wish I could do all I needed to with regards to shaping in a burst, although for practice only successive waves of shaping suffice.  Thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

Edited April 27, 2020 by swede70

[Gramps46]

I am really impressed with what you have been able to accomplish with these flares.

[randyc]

Dang it's looking good!!

 

[swede70]

Thank you both for your kind comments...

It seems better to file the flares while they rest in place on the spare shell consistent with finishing them up.  Here the edges of each are closer still, while if I had a two-part urethane supply to tap, I'd backstop my efforts for creating a mold for each now.  They're mostly good...

Thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

Edited April 29, 2020 by swede70

[swede70]

Maybe a bore, but another wave of filing given I haven't a had a supply of sanding sticks to really thin the edges with aplomb.  Pretty much done with the flares then. Thanks...

Mike K./Swede70

Edited May 31, 2020 by swede70

[Gramps46]

Looking real good.