PACERS, Fuel Altered, 1:16 brass, 1965

[Art Laski]

Everything looks great, Mike!

[Mike Williams]

@Francis and @Art Laski, many thanks for viewing, things are moving along well with the bodywork.

UPDATE:  On to the trunk now.  Luckily I have lots of real car photos so there is nowhere to have to resort to guesswork, it's all there.

 

More later...

Mike..

[Scott8950]

That's some amazing fabrication work! Very impressive 

[AmericanMuscleFan]

WOW!  This is a great build Mike, the "trunk" as you call it is impressive and very well proportioned. ?

What type of material was used on the real car?  I'm just curious as I don't know much about this type of dragster but I really LOVE it!!!

[Mike Williams]

@Scott, hi there, how you doin?  Thanks for viewing and commenting, appreciated!

@Francis. The original PACERS Fuel Altered car was a steel bodied Bantam, back in 1961!  Motor vibrations and increased power started to crack the steel body, so the team added a '23 Ford T, fiberglass body to the existing chassis, leaving all the rest unmolested.  So, meantime, several of these cars have been made, two of which were exact replicas of the original 1963 fiberglass Ford T body.

First off, 1961 Bantam body....

Soon though, the Ford T body....

Here, the clone car, built exactly like the original....

Mike..

 

 

 

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi Sir!

Tremendous workmanship. bravo! 

Having bent some tin on real 1/1 rod projects, I know how capricious it is when the issue of heat dispersion arises trough welding sheet metal. I can only imagine the added complexity of doing it in scale. Your metal surface is small and very thin, but heat is heat, whatever the scale of the work piece. 

Truly masterfull, really!

CT 

[sflam123]

Just amazing craftsmanship throughout on this build!!  The attention to detail and the finishes are all superb.  Congratulations!!  

 

[Mike Williams]

@CT, always great to have you visit.  I like your "heat is heat" statement....mercy, I felt the heat with this process.  Blisters!  I've found the really cheap and thick, sticky bandages from the local home builders market work great on fingertips.  When soldering up a small area on this body, thinking..."oh by, this will get hot"...the cheap band-aids were an immense help.  Still got hot though!  Thanks for your approval, very much appreciated.

@sflam123, hello Steve!  Good to see you here.  Sorry for not replying earlier, it's been 2 weeks since I last looked here.  I appreciate you looking and am grateful for the praise.  Showing the almost finished car now, decals and new slicks are on the way, hopefully at my door before year's end.

UPDATE:  The car has paint, almost ready to race... I'll skip the chassis and motor build photos, I'd like to end this here.

Finished.  Thanks to those members who've bothered to comment.

Mike..

 

 

[Ian McLaren]

Mike this is just simply an outstanding model and tribute to the real car.  Very well done indeed my friend!

[R. Thorne]

Perhaps a bit presumptuous of me , but, wouldn’t the fuel lines be black to mimic the original ones .  Back then “regular” hydraulic lines where commonly available and used, weren’t they?

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Another fantastic and inspiring project from you, Mike!

It's just a little sad that it's the end because I never tire of seeing your talent in making all these great brass pieces.  For me, you remain a reference in this field!  I hope we will have the privilege to see the pictures with the decals applied on the body, your reproduction of the original is impressive. ?

[sflam123]

Mike, this project is just jaw dropping!!  Your attention to detail, and fabrication skills are outstanding.  I know you agonized over the

motor, esp. those headers, but WOW!!  The whole project is just amazing!!  I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve next.

Edited November 28, 2021 by sflam123

[Mike Williams]

@Ian, thanks very much, you know also what a replica build entails.

@R. Thorne, yes, quite presumptuous on your part.  Fuel lines?  Are you kidding?  The injector lines are black, tank and pump lines are braided wire. Exactly like the real car.  This is a replica build and not just any car from any particular era.

@Francis, many thanks for your unending support throughout, very much appreciated.

@Steve, thanks much for your enthusiastic support, we had nice conversations about those silly exhaust pipes.  Indeed, happy to have them close now.  The next project has been started already, shown on our group.

Mike..

[R. Thorne]

I was referring to these photos and the black lines I see there.  Guess that is on the original car and not the restored one.

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi Mike!

Well, another masterful creation from the "Brass Master",,, Bravo! 

It looks so real, for a minute it felt like I was looking at the mi-60's Hot Rod Magazine coverage of the latest altered that roamed California back then. 

Thank you for the memories!

CT 

[Mike Williams]

@CT, thanks very much CT.  Also, for the support throughout, you've been very kind.

 

[Davewilly]

Thats a great looking Altered!  Some great work you did on this!