MADmodelDOCTOR Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 14 hours ago, Wolf said: Thank-you gentlemen for looking in and leaving comments. Much appreciated! The following is stuff I was trying to get posted last night but kept falling asleep. Every few minutes I’d be startled awake when my i-pad would fall from my hands and smack down on my chest! It’s things like that which remind me that I’m looking at mid life through the rear view mirror. LOL! The kit dash and integral steering column didn’t strike me as looking too prototypical so the strange steering column will be replaced by one from Parts by Parks. I’ll have to scratch build the corrugated collapsible section and then add the steering wheel. As far as the steering wheel is concerned I decided to modify the kit piece rather than use the photo etched spoke assembly provided in the MCG set. The photo etch piece was simply too thin to look realistic. I opened up the holes in each spoke and then thinned each spoke by roughly 1/3rd it’s original thickness. Now that it’s been confirmed by John Shoe, the steering wheel will be finished semi-gloss black (for scale effect) on the back portion, and wood grain on the front. I think that’ll look sharp when finished. I’m still trying to decide whether I’ll leave the dash configured as is or modify it to represent the Rallye version the real 1:1 car came equipped with. If I do the conversion I’ll need to source a whole new set of instrument decals. I also started in on the rear suspension and modified the ends of the axle tubes to accommodate the Fireball drum brake wheel backings. These are very nice replacement parts for the kit pieces. They even include the small round protrusion to indicate where the brake lines attach to the brake wheel cylinder. Towards the bottom of the backing plate it’s apparent where the emergency brake cable attaches as it runs through to the self adjustment lever. Finally there’s even a long, thin, but shallow depression on the backing plate to indicate where the slot in the backing plate is located so a brake adjustment tool can be used to do fine adjustments to the brake shoe clearances to the drum. To add extra support for the Fireball wheel backings I added a small piece of aluminum tubing cut to length. The next pics will be self explanatory. There’s also a resin Dana 60 rear end that Is going to require some fettling to install correctly. Here again the aftermarket Dana 60 rear end helps to raise the level of detail provided in the kit. The next step will be fitting the Dana 60 rear end between the leaf springs and then applying the first layers of paint to some of the assembled components. Thanks again for looking in! Cheers, Wolf No sh*t, man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 16 minutes ago, 1972coronet said: Rare 1971 Plymouth HEMI Cuda Speaks French, Now Can Be Had in America - autoevolution Hah! The photo of the interior is the exact one I've been studying. It's making me resign myself to convert the dash to the Rallye version. I've also noted the two red pull knobs at the bottom, either end of the dash. It's definitely the little details............just like the red distributor cap boot for the coil wire on the distributor side only. Who does that? Cheers, Wolf. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 4 minutes ago, MADmodelDOCTOR said: No sh*t, man! Yup! Exactly Kenneth! Cheers, Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keef Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 All I can say is WOW!!!! This build is amazing so far, can’t wait to see what you do with it next!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 19, 2022 Author Share Posted June 19, 2022 16 hours ago, Keef said: All I can say is WOW!!!! This build is amazing so far, can’t wait to see what you do with it next!! Thanks Keith, I can’t wait to see what I do with it next either. I keep looking at the same photos and find new stuff. After hours of scouring over detail photos for quite some time l just realized this morning that the 1:1 ‘Cuda in Winchester Gray doesn’t have chrome (stainless?) trim around the wheel arches! It’s not a big deal but I assumed all ‘71 ‘Cuda’s had ‘em. The firewall and inner fender panels are going to require work too. There’s definitely more to do than I originally thought! Cheers, Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keef Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 47 minutes ago, Wolf said: Thanks Keith, I can’t wait to see what I do with it next either. I keep looking at the same photos and find new stuff. After hours of scouring over detail photos for quite some time l just realized this morning that the 1:1 ‘Cuda in Winchester Gray doesn’t have chrome (stainless?) trim around the wheel arches! It’s not a big deal but I assumed all ‘71 ‘Cuda’s had ‘em. The firewall and inner fender panels are going to require work too. There’s definitely more to do than I originally thought! Cheers, Wolf That,my friend, is why we are model “builders” and not just model “assemblers”🤣😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 20 hours ago, Wolf said: Thanks Keith, I can’t wait to see what I do with it next either. I keep looking at the same photos and find new stuff. After hours of scouring over detail photos for quite some time l just realized this morning that the 1:1 ‘Cuda in Winchester Gray doesn’t have chrome (stainless?) trim around the wheel arches! It’s not a big deal but I assumed all ‘71 ‘Cuda’s had ‘em. The firewall and inner fender panels are going to require work too. There’s definitely more to do than I originally thought! Cheers, Wolf Pretty bare bones or basic kit compared too others. I am enjoying your work on this build.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 21, 2022 Author Share Posted June 21, 2022 (edited) Thanks Carl, I built the Monogram Coupe many years ago (almost 40, holy moley I'm getting old) and didn't think it was too bad back then. Some other kits of the same vintage offered much more though. Today this kit shows it's not aging all that gracefully. Cheers, Wolf Edited June 28, 2022 by Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 21, 2022 Author Share Posted June 21, 2022 (edited) How can you tell a fellow modeler has ADD and OCD? They never build in a linear fashion jumping all over the place but bring it all together in the end They build slowly and spend way too much time researching everything 'till everything has to be fixed Nothing is good enough. See above. They get buried in details. There's more but these are clearly telltale signs................. Anyways, here's a shot of what the Dana 60 rear end will look like installed. The nice thing is that the dimensions from front to back are identical to the kit part so the driveshaft doesn't need any modifications lengthwise. You can see that one of the exhaust tips has been opened up and the right leaf spring hanger has been rebuilt to make it look a bit better than a plastic lump. The other tip and leaf spring hanger 'ill get done as well. We must have symmetry, right? The new rear end makes such a big difference. Cheers, Wolf Edited June 21, 2022 by Wolf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1972coronet Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 That Dana 60 and its modified shackles = perfection! Are you planning on any other exhaust modifications? Those mufflers are sub-sized, IMO. The moulded-on exhaust is a black eye on that chassis (and a bit of a P.I.T.A. to properly paint). (Speaking of the exhaust -- my next build of this kit will have the 'N97' exhaust. That's a mandatory package -- Noise Reduction Package -- on many California models; primarily, 440+6 and Hemi) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 21, 2022 Author Share Posted June 21, 2022 2 hours ago, 1972coronet said: That Dana 60 and its modified shackles = perfection! Are you planning on any other exhaust modifications? Those mufflers are sub-sized, IMO. The moulded-on exhaust is a black eye on that chassis (and a bit of a P.I.T.A. to properly paint). (Speaking of the exhaust -- my next build of this kit will have the 'N97' exhaust. That's a mandatory package -- Noise Reduction Package -- on many California models; primarily, 440+6 and Hemi) Thanks John, I'm not planning on going too crazy with the exhaust but figured I'd touch the stuff that might be visible when viewing the model from ground level. I'll probably use a #11 blade and give the mufflers something of an undercut to give them more of a 3D look. That'll also make them a bit easier to paint because I can place the edge of my masking tape in the undercut giving me a nice sharp edge. A little bit of pre/post shading should do the rest. Cheers, Wolf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrm Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 A lot of nice detail going on. Great attention to detail. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 22, 2022 Author Share Posted June 22, 2022 (edited) On 6/21/2022 at 4:08 PM, mrm said: A lot of nice detail going on. Great attention to detail. Thank-you Michael, The more I look at photos the more work I realize I’m going to have to do. It’s really like a snowball rolling down hill affect. It’s a good thing I really like the car! Cheers, Wolf Edited July 17, 2022 by Wolf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 24, 2022 Author Share Posted June 24, 2022 Finally got my Winchester Gray paint ordered from Scale Finishes. Looking forward to trying them out. I've been using Tamiya lacquers for years so I hope these paints are fairly similar in the way they apply. Cheers, Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills72sj Posted June 25, 2022 Share Posted June 25, 2022 Your attention to the details will make for an amazing result. Following your vision. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeatMan Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 High quality work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 28, 2022 Author Share Posted June 28, 2022 Thanks Bill and Dennis for looking in and leaving comments. Always appreciated! Cheers, Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 28, 2022 Author Share Posted June 28, 2022 (edited) So I need a Rallye dash……… As the vehicle I’m modelling has the optional Rallye dash and the Revell 1/24th kit doesn’t provide that piece I had little choice but to convert the kit dash into a Rallye instrument cluster. The existing holes for the instrument dials were filled with styrene discs made with my Waldron standard size punch and die set. Any small gaps were filled with CA and sanded smooth. The bulge at the bottom of the dash face for the larger speedometer gauge was filed and sanded down as well. The lower portion of the dash was rebuilt eliminating the stereo face and the opening for the steering column was refined to accommodate the Parts by Parks steering column. I’m going to have to scratch build a new heater control panel too. A hole was drilled through the front of the interior floor pan for the column to pass through. The excess length of the column will get trimmed down later. I also tried my hand, for the first time, at trying to create a silicone mould for the tail lights and casting the lenses in clear red UV resin. In both cases I got extremely lucky and had success at both attempts. Every once in a while Lady Luck smiles upon a guy like me. You can see the silicone mould below the back bumper. I added the rear lower roll pan as well, filled any resulting gaps, and there were a few of ‘em, with thick CA. Once the CA cured I used a razor saw guided with dymo tape to create the panel lines between the rear quarter panels and the roll pan. I’ll post more pics of that next time. Cheers, Wolf Edited June 28, 2022 by Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1972coronet Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Those tail lamps/reverse lamps look GREAT! Huge improvement over the kit pieces. If you pour a few extra ones, I'll buy them from you. Instrument panel upgrade is coming along nicely. Another tremendous improvement! It would be nice if someone would offer a resin knock of the Rallye Dash for the Monogram [et al.] 1971 Hemi 'Cuda kits. Keep up the fantastic work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 28, 2022 Author Share Posted June 28, 2022 2 hours ago, 1972coronet said: Those tail lamps/reverse lamps look GREAT! Huge improvement over the kit pieces. If you pour a few extra ones, I'll buy them from you. Instrument panel upgrade is coming along nicely. Another tremendous improvement! It would be nice if someone would offer a resin knock of the Rallye Dash for the Monogram [et al.] 1971 Hemi 'Cuda kits. Keep up the fantastic work! Thanks John, I'm going to try and pour a few more of the tail lights and reverse lights before I call the process a complete success. I also need to pour the front park light/turn signal lenses as I made a silicone mould for those too. As far as the dash is concerned I'm going to have to wait until the new Instrument decals arrive so I can determine the exact placement and dimensions of the holes I have to drill to accept the decals. They may not arrive, according to Vicky at Rays Kits, until August. That's Ok though as there's still lots to do on the rest of the build. Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattilacken Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Beautiful work on the nose and lights assembly! Rear end looks super as well! Did not read every line but these engines doesn’t have a water pump. Adding one in my opinion makes the engine to large. A later1/25 Revell hemi differs only marginally to a 1/24 engine. Se my thread here for some measurements. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted June 30, 2022 Author Share Posted June 30, 2022 On 6/28/2022 at 10:34 AM, Mattilacken said: Beautiful work on the nose and lights assembly! Rear end looks super as well! Did not read every line but these engines doesn’t have a water pump. Adding one in my opinion makes the engine to large. A later1/25 Revell hemi differs only marginally to a 1/24 engine. Se my thread here for some measurements. Thank-you Anton, I realize the kit engine is lacking in detail in quite a few places. I’m hoping to create enough extra detail and gizmology that the overall effect will cover the obvious shortfalls with the Hemi. I’ll have to read through the attached threads to get enough ideas to make it all work. I’m not inclined to purchase an entire kit just to get a more detail correct engine. Modelling skills will hopefully win the day. Cheers, Wolf 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattilacken Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 I am also having hard times buying kits only for parts! It’s also kind of period correct to the kit since these are made when monogram made all engines bigger for the visual effect 🙂 which is also fun in its way:-) I just wanted to point it out to you since you got so much nice stuf for the engine. 🙂 and you are doing a absolutely beautiful job! Btw found this BNL beauty: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/b-n-l-resins-306-hemi-426-engine-kit--1116949 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Posted July 1, 2022 Author Share Posted July 1, 2022 My paint from Scale Finishes arrived today. Got t’ say, if the paint in the bottle turns out the same colour when sprayed on the body, I’m goin’ to be a very happy guy! I’ve already determined I’ll be using this same color on a vintage Porsche I have sittin’ in the stash. Never heard of Winchester Grey before but it’s an absolutely gorgeous Color. And that’s comin’ from a guy that dreams in Red! Cheers, Wolf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted July 2, 2022 Share Posted July 2, 2022 8 hours ago, Wolf said: My paint from Scale Finishes arrived today. Got t’ say, if the paint in the bottle turns out the same colour when sprayed on the body, I’m goin’ to be a very happy guy! I’ve already determined I’ll be using this same color on a vintage Porsche I have sittin’ in the stash. Never heard of Winchester Grey before but it’s an absolutely gorgeous Color. And that’s comin’ from a guy that dreams in Red! Cheers, Wolf if you love the color your making it your way and that’s what this hobby is all about and enjoyment.. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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