DoctorLarry Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 As many have pointed out, The Salvinos Olds has a few minor errors. A great build up was featured In Scale Auto magazine, and he noted wrong chassis, lack of detail in the engine, body lines etc. I bought 1 and got another for Christmas and since I can't leave well enough alone, I thought I could tweak things a bit. Rhine Built's web site has 20 or so photos of the restoration of the Baker Olds and so it is a fantastic reference source. I figured I would start with the chassis. It should have a full frame, a Galaxie front clip, stock floor pans and a Chevy truck arm rear suspension. A derelict 66 GTO donated the floor pans and the trusty T Bird will donate the truck arms. The rear kick up is also all wrong so I cut it out and will rebuild it. Cage is probably wrong too so it will get tweaked as well. This photo shows the rear kickup and battery box in the real car. The second one shows the stock floor pans when they got the car shell in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince66 Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Cool looking build should be a winner when done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gks1964 Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Watching with great interest!! How much did you lengthen the chassis? Gerald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 4, 2020 Author Share Posted March 4, 2020 Chassis length is still stock. I just cut the floor pans out and the rear kickup. I will need some more room for the truck arms but will cut that out later. I haven't decided if I will graft the T Bird front frame on yet or use the Salvino's one. It is less bothersome than the rear suspension so I may confine the mods to floors and rear suspension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 On 3/3/2020 at 10:27 PM, DoctorLarry said: As many have pointed out, The Salvinos Olds has a few minor errors. That's.... certainly putting it diplomatically. I'll be keeping an eye on this one. I'm looking forward to seeing make a silk purse out of it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 I always try to soften the blow, Chuck! I re-did the kickup area and glued the two chassis halves together (instructions say not to do that) The truck arm is sitting approximately where it should. I need to work on the floor pans a little and check ride height. Then box the "frame" area around the perimeter and body work the area. Then check spring and double shock placement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 8, 2020 Author Share Posted March 8, 2020 Did some more work on this. The real car has a tunnel mount for the shifter. Added that. The roll cage on the 1-1 has no middle brace and has a diagonal running bottom to top so I cut out the middle brace and added that. I added a mounting area and tunneled the floor pans for the truck arm so it sits right. Finished the kickup. On the real car the puke tank for the radiator is on the firewall. That came from the T Bird. There is also a sheet of aluminum covering things on the driver's side. I added that as well. The kit seat is the wrong style and way too tall for the real car. I found one in the parts box. I also added the floor brace to the cage that runs over the trans tunnel. On the real car the battery mounts behind the driver seat so I need a box there for the battery. The floor pans, cage and front frame are ready for primer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gks1964 Posted March 8, 2020 Share Posted March 8, 2020 That's looking really good! Love the reference pic's!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 Got the frame and cage done. Rear suspension is set. I need some tweaking on the front end and it will be done. The body needs character lines put in but that is similar to the Century project (the real cars used the same doors). However, the engine in the kit is beyond lame. It has zero detail and the transmission looks like scale wise it came out of a dump truck. So I am going to use the engine out of an AMT 90's NASCAR Cutlass. It has great detail and it can be easily wired and plumbed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 Spring break is a lovely thing. Started on the body of the Olds. It needs a body line 1/2" up from the rocker and then along the top edges of the sides. I started with .015X.100 Evergreen and then Tamiya white putty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 Body work is almost done. New body lines in the lower body in place along with the upper body lines. I put some flares into the existing wheel wells and just need to finish them and it is ready for paint. Basic frame assembly is doe using the Salvino's "upgrade kit". Looks better than the torsion bar setup. Rear end is from the TBird. Seat is parts box. I need to add the rear shocks yet. Plumbing on the rear is pretty much done. Now on to wiring and plumbing the rest, installing the cage and engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowsportwagon Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 On 3/9/2020 at 1:37 PM, DoctorLarry said: Spring break is a lovely thing. Started on the body of the Olds. It needs a body line 1/2" up from the rocker and then along the top edges of the sides. I started with .015X.100 Evergreen and then Tamiya white putty. Hey I’ve done that one before too!! Makes a huge improvement in the way this thing looks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 I know. I used the same techniques I used on the Buick and followed your lead on the fender flares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gks1964 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 This looks great!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 Black paint on the body. I have to let it dry before the silver: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 Chassis is progressing. I hate enamel paint because it takes forever to dry. Wiring and plumbing is progressing and still have to plumb the brake lines. Black body paint is curing. I need to spray the silver now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 Call it "COVID Progress". Chassis work is almost complete. Body is decaled, cleared. Need to do windows, grille, bumpers, spoiler. A few chassis parts like the radiator shroud and fan. Getting almost done. I ordered a Salvinos Monte Carlo. It's in the queue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gks1964 Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 WOW!!! Detailing is awesome. What color did you use for the interior? Gerald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 It was a Testor's Aqua enamel. Takes forever to dry. I was trying to Match the Rhine Built restoration of the car. That was the only interior shot I could find so I'm assuming they had the real car or consultation when they painted it that color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gks1964 Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 Not only slow drying, smells for years LOL!! Gerald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 Boy that's for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowsportwagon Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 That car was the former Lennie Pond Cutlass . It had that color inside when Pond had it. That was the 79 season car. The 80 Daytona winner had a silver interior and chassis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorLarry Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 Well, good to know. I am not going to change it now though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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