Paul Payne Posted December 8, 2020 Author Share Posted December 8, 2020 Martin, I had thought about that but the nose profile will match better with the grille profile when installed upside down. This is definitely a series of mini projects and trying this and that to see what works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Paul- I love seeing this kind of work! Keep at it... -RRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 Paul, for wheel openings, how about a tightly wrapped circumference around the front 180 degrees of the tyre, sweeping into a flowing teardrop shaped opening to the rear, and a significantly lower version of the same shape over the rear tyres. Cheers Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted December 11, 2020 Author Share Posted December 11, 2020 Alan, that sounds interesting, but I think I will save that idea for a future project. Thanks for the ideas and input- that's what keeps this project rolling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterNNL Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Seeing it finished will convince me that it's doable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 Got a little more work done. The Tbird hood was glued in place so that it can be cut for the new hood opening as well as allowing strength for the new front wheel openings and the cutting away of the old radiator/screw mount area. This will be replace by a new cross piece mounted to the forward bulkheads in the aircraft halves. The chassis was also cut apart to lengthen the wheelbase. A patch piece will be installed adding about 5/8" to the length. The top of the chassis plate will also be the interior floor. The shape of the interior opening is beginning to be roughed in. This will have a center dividing strip similar to a Corvette and extending forward on the driveshaft tunnel to the underside of the dashboard. I was also unhappy about the shape of the hood so I cut a pie wedge at the back to reduce the width. This will allow me to extend the side contours up into the front cowl and windshield area without an angle change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted January 16, 2021 Author Share Posted January 16, 2021 Still progressing- cut apart the chassis and lengthened it with a filler piece. Looked through the junk yard and decided bed covers and pickup beds would be good beginnings for the belly pan. I also began developing the cowl section to allow mounting a veed windshield frame. Now I can create the rest of the hood and figure out how to hinge it. Have not made much progress on the grille- have to figure out the front end in conjunction with the grille size and contours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Impressive project been watching and enjoying your work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOBLNG Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Amazing thought going into this one! I can’t wait to see it in primer.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarheelRick Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Really enjoying watching this creation take shape. Are you working from any kind of drawing or is this project all in your head? I have found that the simplest, roughest sketches of a project will help me keep focused on the final outcome. That being said, keep those updates coming, I am anxious to see what develops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted January 17, 2021 Author Share Posted January 17, 2021 Ricky, so far this project is pretty much in my head, with various plastic shapes and parts giving me ideas of where this could go. The illustrations on the internet for idea and concept cars are the only drawings. Went to the Hoosier model contest where I found the remains of an airplane which started this- these are the sides grafted onto the T-bird sides. So, much more freeform than other projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 Well, it's still alive- got some more work done. I began to build the v-16 using 2 Chevy small blocks from the AMT 57 Chevy. Transmissions removed, axle holes filled with sprue. The bucket seats have had backs added and the open areas beginning to be filled. Lots more to do on these. Added extension sections to the hood, but I am not really satisfied with the overall cross section- doesn't match the cowl profile or the hood front as well as it should- adjustment may be required! Decided to throw some putty on the rear section- especially around some added material for the rear fenders and the tail light area. Cut out the engine compartment opening- everything stayed nice and solid. Still working on the egg crate grille- this is a much slower process than I imagined at the start but I will continue on............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larman Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 This is a really creative and interesting project. Keep going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 Larry, thanks for the encouragement! Still a lot to do, many details to work out (headlights, tail lights, etc.). I would be more than happy to consider any suggestions for these! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Paul, for headlights, maybe consider the shapes that a 39 Willys, Graham Paige or Chrysler used in the late 30s. I think this design would really lend itself to some sculptured art deco inspired headlights rather than plain old round ones. Cheers Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisBcritter Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Paul, you may want to take a look at the custom headlight/fender extension setup from the AMT '64 Pontiac Grand Prix: Nice design, and you almost never see the Grand Prix built custom, so it's not too familiar - but not too hard to find the parts either. I recognized the airplane parts you used - they're from the old 1/48 scale Aurora B-25 bomber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelbuilder Mark Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Very impressive. This is one of those projects where I would not even have an idea where to begin from a chassis/suspension point of view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 Christopher, the custom headlight treatment looks very interesting- I may have to track one of these down! I was toying with the AMT 57 T-bird styline front end with the triangular headlight covers, but not yet committed. Mark, the chassis is the T-bird one piece unit, cut and lengthened to fit, since the front end is longer to accommodate the v-16 engine. Will mostly be belly pan with minimal detail on the front suspension. I also tore apart the hood because I couldn't correct the mismatches between the cowl and forward section of the hood I was grafting to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 I finally resolved the area of the inside front fenders. I realized that plastic spoon tips might be the answer! So, out came the razor saw, then the sanding sticks, and the resulting fit was nearly perfect! Sadly, I learned from another thread that Ted "Chopper" Lear passed away late last year. Another grievous loss to our modeling community. This thread is now dedicated to his memory and his love of long, sleek, and low customs. Now I HAVE to finish this project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share Posted March 17, 2021 Well, it IS the egg crate grille and... So, here are some pix of the grille progress as well as other things I have been working on. The hood has been a (insert colorful language of your choice), much more challenging than I thought it would be. I also realized I needed to do some serious development on the areas to either side of the hood, which is critical to the final fit of the grille, once additional sections to either side are added- so, lots more H section laminating and contouring, and blending with the center section, which still must be contoured to the horizontal footprint of the hood, which must be- you get the idea! I block sanded down the rear of the chassis and installed the belly pan-still needs some final shaping around the wheel wells. Between the seats I installed a buttress for a section which will run down between the seats, on top of the drive shaft tunnel, and back up to meet the bottom of the dash. The seats are done except for very minor filling and sanding. Mocked things up a bit to give you an idea of what it will look like. Since the inside door panels will be curved, I found some panels with curves- a good starting point. That's all for now, folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam I Am Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Unbelievable work Paul, keep it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisc63 Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Cool project! How about some mid-sixties Riviera hide-away headlights?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 This is beyond cool! Excellent design and execution. David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted May 20, 2021 Author Share Posted May 20, 2021 The (long string of highly picturesque and explicitly genealogical expletives) hood has been my nemesis-this is about the third time piecing it together and now I need to do a lot of sanding and fitting to see where I'm at, if indeed I am anywhere at all! Meanwhile I have been puttying and sanding and reshaping and puttying and sanding and reshaping (you see where this is going) the body. The tail light areas will end up being extensively reshaped. I may use deep red toothbrush handle plastic for the lenses. No additional progress on the egg crate grille, but I have been working on the V-16 engine. I am planning on a central gear tower between each V-8 section which will provide the gears for both the camshafts and also the twin centrifugal superchargers which will be mounted on each side of the engine. This idea was used in prewar Alfa Romeo straight 8 engines. Since centrifugal superchargers are very hard to come by in 1/25th or 1/24th scale, I decided to scratchbuild one, and then have some resin castings made. Digging through the stash, I discovered a solid airplane wheel and tire about 3/4" diameter molded in silver grey plastic. First, I used a fine saw to cut down through the tread and sidewall of the tire portion. Then, to one side of the cut, I began to remove material to about half the tire thickness, then continued removing less and less material along the diameter. Next, I removed the wheel area with a reamer and circular file until nothing but the tire was left. After this I narrowed and tapered the cross section. I have included a picture of my results so far, as well as a picture of the supercharger used on the Novi race car engine, that I am trying to replicate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spex84 Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 You're a madman! That Novi blower is a complicated piece. There might be a 3D printed or cast-metal alternative, should you tire (no pun intended) of scratchbuilding it. Keep at it, this project is really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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