2023 Cannonball Run "Run-What-You-Brung" Official Finished Builds

[White Rabbit]

Congratulations to everyone who has participated in this year’s Cannonball Run!

For those who have completed builds, please be sure to post your entry here to be part of the final vote.

Please post a maximum of six (6) images of your completed entry. The images should be clear and show the best representation of your vehicle. Also, please add a description of the model used, work completed, and any other information that you feel describes your build.

For those who are here just looking at the fantastic builds, please reserve this thread for the completed builds only. If you wish to comment, please do so in the main build thread and/or the Under Glass section for the individual builds.

Thank you

[Keef]

Revell 1971 GTX built from the F&F kit. I used the Hemi engine from the Revell 71 Hemi Cuda kit. It has added spark plug wires and decals from Keith Marks. I used Pegasus 23” Hellas wheels and tires with added gold Sharpie detail. The paint is Model Masters Xtreme Diamond Dust with Wet Look clear. Interior is Testors Red enamel with matte clear. 
 

Had this vision in my head and, to me at least, it turned out beautifully. 

[White Rabbit]

2016 AMG GT

My completed entry for this year’s Cannonball.

 

Overview

The idea for this year’s entry was to have a true GT car that, as Jeremy Clarkson once said, is capable of traversing long distances at a high rate of speed in complete comfort. Therefore, a GT car built for the Autobahn seemed like a good choice as it’s made to cruise comfortably at 150mph all day.

The car itself has some modifications, the most visible being the Vossen MX-2 wheels (20”F, 21”R) wrapped in Continental Extreme Contact tires. Both were modeled and printed. Furthermore, the rear wing was cutout and modeled and printed as well, with its respective brackets so that it could be posed in its open position.

The interior has Recaro sport seats with a 4-point roll bar just behind. The interior is fully flocked.

The exterior was painted in Tamiya Bright Gunmetal Semi-gloss, which is analogous to Mercedes’ Selenite Grey semi-gloss. The interior is sky grey and black with the roll bar in body color. Finally, for an accent, the wheels are titanium gold in front of black brake calipers.

The engine was built from the kit, but detailed with wiring and plumbing. The under-hood molded-in hoses were cutout and replaced with aftermarket hoses and wiring. The molded-in brake master cylinder/booster/reservoir and ABS pump were also removed. In their place is modeled and printed versions the have been wired and plumbed. The bracing that runs from the firewall to the fenders was also scratch-built and added.

 

Specifications

Kit: Revell 2016 AMG GT

Exterior Paint: Tamiya Bright Gunmetal, semi-gloss black, titanium gold (wheels), rubber black (tires)

Aftermarket: HobbyDesign detail set (photo-etch and resin) and resin Recaro seats, various wires and hoses from Detail Master and Gofer racing, Evergreen and Plastruct plastic stock

3D Print: wheels and tires, brake master cylinder/booster/reservoir, ABS pump, third chassis brace, rear wing and brackets

Scratch-built: roll bar, pocket for brake master cylinder et al., oil filler and dipstick tubes, chassis braces (front), rear wing mechanism and body fill panel for the wing

Modifications: removal of closed rear wing and posing of printed version in open position, opening of molded-in door handles, opening of vents for photo etch parts, removal of molded-in hoses and brake booster and ABS pump (replaced with printed and scratch-built parts)

Thank you for looking!

[Phildaupho]

My Cannonball entry is a 1953 Ford Victoria. This is not an all-out road legal race-car but a car initially prepared for the Vintage Class of the Carrera Panamericana Revival open road rally. As such it would have been extensively modified under the skin for performance and safety but within a limiting set of rules which required it stay somewhat close to stock. After its Panamericana career it was converted into a comfortable, safe. high-speed touring car with the following modifications made specifically for open road events like the Cannonball in mind.

EXTERIOR

Front splitter and rear spoiler for high-speed stability

Spotlight added to center of grill and fog lights installed outboard

Racing style fuel filler to fuel cell [not visible]

 

INTERIOR

Comfortable supportive seating for four

Roll cage allowing access to back seat

Center console with drink holders, storage box/arm rest and shifter

Dash has extra gauges and a navigation screen

 

ENGINE COMPARTMENT

Dual master cylinder

Battery removed to the “trunk” [not visible]

Bigger radiator mounted in front of forward bulkhead with electric cooling fan

 

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION

Y-Block Ford V-8

Latham Supercharger with 4 side draft carburetors

5-Speed transmission

Side exit low restriction exhaust 

CHASSIS

Lowered

Big disc brakes

High performance tires

[KWT]

1970 Plymouth Roadrunner

Manipulated the suspension to give a meaner stance to my eyes. Tamiya Metallic Orange and Metallic Black

Edited November 14, 2023 by KWT

[Fat Brian]

This year I submit my 66 Shelby GT350. This is one of the stockest things I've ever built but it took a decent amount of kitbashing. I started out with the Monogram GT350H fastback kit and tossed in a body, interior tub, and top from their 65 Convertible version from ebay to make a version never offered in a kit before. 

The engine is stock but I added a T5 5 speed from a later model kit to lower the rpms for high speed driving. I also added subframe connectors to lend some rigidity to the convertible body. The wheels are from the Monogram 69 Talladega and I widened the rears a bit to fit the AMT tires. I added a roll bar and the center console from the Revell 70 Torino also. Finally, I wanted the optional exhaust that exits through the rear valance so I made it happen with a few sizes of tubing.

For paint I went with Ford Highland Green, not quite correct for this year but I wanted to test the paint for an upcoming build. The gold stripes were a factory option with Ivy Green but those cars had nearly white canvas colored convertible tops that a bit too bright in my opinion. I found pics of an Ivy Green car with this more tan interior and it was perfect. This is favorite color combo of anything I've built, definitely a sophisticated man's cruiser. This is for the doctor or lawyer who needs to blow off steam on the weekends by tearing through the backroads.

On a side note, this color is nearly impossible to photograph and these pictures don't do it any kind of justice. The gold flake in the paint just turns to blurr for some reason, I guess I need a real camera.

[53gmc]

72 nova ss. I decided to run the optional small block (i figured it could represent a 383)for a little bit better fuel mileage. I used a high-rise intake, carb, air filter, headers, and valve covers from my parts box. Also added an electric fan, wiring, fuel line, and dip-stick.                                                                                       The chassis is mostly stock, i did add traction bars to the rear. I tried to emulate old school nascar style with the shorty side exit exhaust and wide steel wheels at all four corners.                                                                                                              On the exterior i added a lift off cowl hood from ebay. The chin and deck spoilers i made. The rear license plate flips down like on the real cars to expose the stock fuel neck. Theres also a "fake" license plate to hopefully throw off pursuing officers. The drivers quarter window houses the fuel cell filler neck. I didnt want a "loud" color, so i went with toyota metallic beige.                                                                                 The interior is where i put in the most work. On the dash i scratch built a radar detector, gps, switch panels to switch between fuel tanks, tail light killswitch,cb radio, and the flip down plate. The stock front seats were swapped with generic racing seats and harnesses. On the passenger seat is a lap top for the passenger to help avoid the cops and any traffic jams. I used the kits roll bar behind the front seats. In place of the rear seat is a fuel cell i modified to straddle the drive shaft tunnel. Also added a fire extinguisher, coffee cups and a "pee bottle" to avoid extra stops lol.

[Koellefornia Kid]

1965 Ford Galaxie - The NastyGal

amt/ERTL kit with some modifications. Inspired by Dave Kindig‘s Convertible.

Body: shaved, scratch built radiator cover.

Chassis: amt NASCAR Thunderbird,  extended to fit the wheelbase and trunk area, lowered suspensions.

Engine: Amt NASCAR Thunderbird, wird, topped with scratch built air cleaner, NASCAR exhaust.

Trunk: scratch built hinges, NASCAR fuel cell.

Interior: Modified to fit the NASCAR chassis plate with transmission/driveshaft tunnel and  shifter, ‘97 Mustang seats.

Wheels: 19/21" resin by Steven Zimmerman

Paint: Schmincke Aero Pro white. bright red, Vallejo gun metal.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Koellefornia Kid

[vekasiini]

Dodge L-XXX with V12 639 cid Hemi.

Kit Lindberg Dodge L-700, which is quite challenging to build.

How speed, safety and range were increased.

 

Frame

The frame has been extended between the axles and the rear overhang has been removed

Axles and wheels

The offset of the front rims has been increased, which is why the axle has had to be narrowed. The rear axle is standard, but the suspension has been lightened and lowered. The sides of the tires are smoothed.

Cab

The instrument panel and seats have been replaced. 4-point safety belts and roll bars inside and outside the cabin. The fenders have been shaped and the cabin hinges have been raised from the frame.

Engine

The Revell Two Much engines have been combined into a V12 version. The intake manifold, exhaust manifolds and oil sump have been made new.

Other

Additional lights, additional tank and equipment box. Rear fenders, but I wanted to keep the original mud flaps.

Painting

Frame and engine Humbroll. Cabin, fenders and platform mixed Modelmaster paints

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tim08]

Good job guys! beautiful builds so far.The Scirroco is tamiya racing green. Added wires,a spare, cast the cooler, aoshima wheels, radiator cap, and other odds and ends. Had another fun cannonball.

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by Tim08

[landman]

1951 Chevrolet Bel Air.

Mods include, Corvette C5R engine, rool cage, bucket seats, nascar fuel cell and modern wheels from the parts bin.

[Whosurdaddy209]

This is my completed 1968 fixed roof coupe corvette-restomod.

I believe it’s the most I’ve ever modified a kit, the main kit it the 1968 Stars and Stripes corvette by Revell. 
the donor kits were:

AMT 1995 dodge viper

Revell 1997 corvette

Revell 2006 Z06 corvette

Revell 2009 ZR1 corvette

Revell C7R corvette

the main body color is a custom mix of Createx lime pearl and blue with a bit of pineapple pearl over cascade green sealer.

the stripe is Createx charcoal pearl with tangerine tracer stripes.

all the chrome was stripped and painted gloss black.

the interior is done in medium saddle, with carbon fiber dash trim and shift plate. 

Over all this was a very fun project, watching everyone’s builds come along has been very inspiring. And they all look incredible, I’m glad to see the hobby is still alive.

[disconovaman]

For my entry this year I went with something I love to build, one that is both classic and modern at the same time. For me, one that I'll never get tired of building, a kit that practically builds itself (on my bench atleast). My favorite kit, the Revell 69 Camaro!!! 

I took inspiration from the first Revell 69 Camaro Z28 I built way back in 1991 and built a tribute to that kit. 

I built this car as a Pro-touring style cross country cruiser. I replaced the 302 with an all aluminum 6.0 Y Block LS2 from the 06 Concept Camaro... (AFM) active fuel management boasts 30 MPG and 400 H.P. under high speeds. Backed by a 7 speed manual  transmission it makes for some low RPM high MPH Flat out racing.

Wheels and tires come from various different kits such as a Revell 67 Chevelle and the MPC 84 Deserter 4X4 and complete the 20/22 inch big style Pro-touring look. The interior is Pro-touring as well with 4 bucket seat for comfort. 

   The paint scheme is just a simple boxart style that inspired me as a teenager. The color is Chrome Blue metallic with white stripe decals and  clearcoat. I followed the box closely as a fun way to call out the inaccuracies of that original boxart. The blacked out taillight panel and the cowl stripes are two details that stand out. Those cowl decals were meant to be boarder stripes for painting the white inside the grates. I had fun re-creating that design. 

Overall, I like how the build turned out and at last I'm ready for the Run!

[Pat Minarick]

Really wasn't expecting to get this finished this year, but I made it. Not sure if this thing would make a cross country trip, but it was Run-What-You-Brung ,I'm not scared. 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Pat Minarick

[MeatMan]

This build represents a very capable high-end entrant for a cross-country race. It is equipped with a high output V-8 engine paired with two electric motors that can augment the gas engine for more speed, or run separately to conserve gasoline.

My additions to the oob kit are as follows:

Added printed wheels I scaled to match the staggered kit tires, and altered the mounting to match the kit wheel mounts for a perfect fit & painted them Createx Satin Gold. The print file is from Black Box on Cults3D.

Photo etch front and rear air vent screening, front placard, rear 918 Spyder lettering, shoulder belt hardware, front Porsche badge & disc rotor skins are from Hobby Design.

Shoulder belts are white ribbon painted the same color as the seats.

I designed and printed a Porsche factory fire extinguisher that comes stock on the 918. It’s hard to see in front of the passenger seat but I just wanted to add something else to the interior.

On the engine, I used yogurt sealing foil for exhaust blankets, and fiberglass screen to replicate the heat shields on the catalytic converters, aged the tranny a bit, and heat stained the exhausts based on photos.

Additionally, though kit items, the rear canards are not indicated on the instruction sheet, and I’ve never seen them on another build. I added those after figuring out how.

Edited November 30, 2023 by MeatMan

[Spottedlaurel]

Another one makes it to the starting line....

Aoshima 1996 Honda Accord Wagon, on Tamiya Honda NSX floorpan complete with the mid-mounted V6 engine and suspension front and rear. Like a bigger, more sophisticated version of things like the Renault 5 Turbo or Clio V6.

Bodywork largely standard, just a lip spoiler added to the bottom of the front bumper and side vents taken from a Monogram Chevy Citation. Paintwork is BMW Boston Green and clearcoat straight from Halfords automotive cans onto a generic grey primer. The colour is close to Honda's Sherwood Green of the time.

Fujimi aftermarket 18" BRS M10 wheels, with staggered tyres from a Scale Productions set. Brake discs came with the Fujimi wheel set. Fujimi accessory tailpipes were grafted onto the ends of the NSX exhaust system , with an extra slot cut into the bumper for the dual outlets. Rather neatly the Accord kit includes two sets of glass, one clear and the other tinted, so it was easy to incorporate privacy glass to avoid anyone noticing what was different in the back.

 

The NSX floorpan was stretched by around 8mm (8 scale inches), and its width was trimmed towards the back end. I had to extend the length of the rear overhang to suit the Accord, but at the front end it worked out just right. I was able to utilise the full NSX suspension front and rear, why change what Honda had worked so hard to develop? If anything I imagine the longer wheelbase will make it even more stable.

This is where I did most of the work, and now it's the bit that's hardest to see. But I suppose that's the point of a sleeper isn't it? Added an aftermarket sports filter, which together with a bit of remapping and gentle tuning to focus on reliability rather than massive power I'd expect to give around 350-400BHP. I added the Scale Production NOS bottle for a bit of extra go when needed in an emergency. Interior tub was taken from the NSX complete with the LHD dashboard (to ensure good visibility for overtaking), with the side panels removed as I've kept those from the Accord inside the doors. Added Bride seats by Hobby Design with belt decals from a Belkits Opel Manta. Rollcage was cut down from a Tamiya Toyota Corolla rally car, which also donated a fire extinguisher. Folding engine bay cover fabricated from sheet styrene, with the rear of the loadbay cut from the Accord's original interior tub.

All ready for the start, hopefully looking like little more than a nicely modified Accord Wagon and not something with the heart of a high-performance but docile supercar.

[SmallRed63]

This fine entry is a 2001 Corvette built from Revell's '97 Corvette Coupe kit. I cut the rims using a dremel and a knife to mimic the Z06 style. The paint started as Tamiya X-1, then to Model Color black, and eventually settled on black spray enamel that, when it came out perfect, I didn't touch any further. The only things added were the bar behind the seats and the fire extinguisher on it. The front brakes are painted to resemble AP racing brakes (Grey w/ yellow letters) and the rear ones like the Z06 (red). It isn't too crazy on the mods, for it is meant to represent my father's car more than a cannonball runner.

 

[Beans]

This year was a glue bomb redemption build.  Redemption for the horrible mess someone made of this poor model as well as for me finishing last year but never posting and missing the finish.

I started with the busted up mess of a Pontiac firebird formula.  No engine, no glass, and three wheels.

A Ferrari California provided the engine, trans axle and rear suspension.  The rear seats were removed and rear frame modified to also include an auxiliary fuel tank .  The dual electric fans from the Ferrari also made their way under the hood, which was modified for fitment.

 

The passenger seat was removed to make room for a arm to hold a tablet, police scanner, and IR camera screen.  Also some snacks and monster energy drinks.

A three point harness was added to the driver's seat.  

Other mods include, custom spoiler, widened fenders, all new homemade glass with rear carbon fiber panels, custom mirrors, driving lights, and the brakes wheels and tires from the Ferrari....oh and the vanity plate.

Thanks for looking.  This was overall a challenging but fun build.  Not the cleanest or nicest I have ever done but it was a lot of fun.

[White Rabbit]

Just a reminder of some important dates:

The polling will begin on December 3rd at midnight Eastern time (US) and end on December 16th at 11:59pm Eastern time (US). 

As last year, please vote only once for your choice as the Cannonball winner. I've set up the survey so that only one vote should be allowed.

I will be posting a link in this thread that will take you to the survey on Freeoninesurveys.com. This is my first time using this survey platform, so hopefully all goes as planned; but, of course, if there are any issues, I'll do my best to resolve them.

Thank you!

[kermn8r]

Today was the first chance I had to take finished photos.  This build of a 1954 Corvette was originally going to be for last year's Year of Birth Cannonball, but by the time I figured out what I was going to build I only had enough spare time to open the boxes and clean the parts. I knew I would not finish so I did not enter.  I was warming up to the concept so this year's Cannonball gave me a 2nd opportunity.  

I started with an AMT 1954 Corvette that I got years ago as a Walmart 4 pack.  In my research I found the main difference between a 1954 and 1955 Corvette was the 6 banger in the 1954 and a V8 in the 1955.  Because I had to find a 6 cylinder engine anyway, I decided to use the 2JZ with transmission from an AMT Supra. The kit parts do not accurately portray the turbo piping, but after a failed attempt to correct this I resorted to the kit parts due to time constraints.

Most everything else is from the Corvette, except I used the seats from the Supra.  It looked like it would have been fairly simple to swap in the independent rear suspension from the Supra, but I wanted to get this project finished for a change.  This was my first experience in opening up a grill to hopefully show off the intercooler/radiator. Once the backing was ground away, I found the center bar had no connecting point to the perimeter. I made a screen out of a Kirkland green tea bag and super glued it to the bar and perimeter.

 

I used the generic radial tires from the Revell '70 Hemi Cuda kit because everything else I have is either bias ply or too rubber band looking for my tastes. The wheels came from a 1955 Chevy PU street machine kit.  The color is inspired by one of the options available on the 1954 Corvette, Pennant blue with a beige interior. I was looking for Honda Atomic blue, which one of the forum members suggested as a close match, but time got short, I was in HL and saw Krylon Short Cuts Deep Blue.  This was top coated with Future.  The engine color is craft paint that was inspired by the color of the Blue Flame 6.

 

There are quite a few things I an not thrilled with, but some things I am really happy with.  Al in all, it was very educational and looking forward to next year.