2024 Cannonball Run Restomods Build Thread

[oldcarfan]

Don't know if anyone wants to see this,but here is a photo tour of a 1:1 car that Ed Bolian bought to fix up into a 2904 winner. The 2904 is one o the spiritual descendants of the Cannonball. The car seems pretty generic but there are some good shots of the fuel cell and some of the electronic surveillance devices used.

https://edbolian.com/a-photo-tour-of-the-2904-winning-mercedes-s55-amg/

[Beans]

Rear suspension do over complete.

[slusher]

Looking really nice Joe!

[White Rabbit]

Entry list, thus far:

1. 1990 Ford Mustang (Fat Brian)
2. 1974 Plymouth GTX (Lunajammer)
3. VW Corrado Magnum (stitchdup)
4. 1975 AMC Gremlin (Tim08)
5. Nissan 240ZG (Spottedlaurel)
6. 1957 Ford Fairlane (MeatMan)
7. 1965 Buick Riveira (Keef)
8. 1990 Ford Mustang LX (53gmc) ?
9. 1967 Pontiac GTO (Pat Minarick)
10. 1966 Ford Mustang (beans)
11. 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (Disconovaman)
12. 1998 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 (Westrods)
13. 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Wagon (atomicholiday)
14. 1974 Pontiac TransAm (Can-Con)
15. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro (Camaro lover)
16. 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz (Kermn8r)
17. 1997 Ford Expedition (oldcarfan)
18. Ferrari 512BB (avidinha)
19. 1970 Chevrolet Malibu (KWT)
20. 1972 Mazda RX3 (White Rabbit)
21. 1970 Dodge Coronet Super Bee (slusher)
22. 1971 Plymouth GTX (Bills72sj)
23. VW Vanagon LLE (tooltime-fan)
24. 2003 Chevrolet SSR (xbazzarex)
25. 1984 Porsche 911 Turbo (Mattilacken)
26. 1967 Chevrolet Impala (Jantrix)
27. 1966 Chevrolet El Camino (NOBLNG)

[White Rabbit]

  On 3/27/2024 at 8:58 PM, oldcarfan said:

Don't know if anyone wants to see this,but here is a photo tour of a 1:1 car that Ed Bolian bought to fix up into a 2904 winner. The 2904 is one o the spiritual descendants of the Cannonball. The car seems pretty generic but there are some good shots of the fuel cell and some of the electronic surveillance devices used.

https://edbolian.com/a-photo-tour-of-the-2904-winning-mercedes-s55-amg/

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Interesting article; thank you for sharing! 

If anyone has any Cannonball trivia, stories, or anything Cannonball, please feel free to share it with us! Not only may we learn something new or gain inspiration, but it also adds richness to our scale Run.

[Jantrix]

  On 3/20/2024 at 12:49 PM, Keef said:

Those look like the wheels from the Revell “California Wheels” corvette that was out a few years ago. 

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Very likely. I parted out one of those many years ago for another Cannonballer. After the Cannonball I dressed her up as a Carrera Panamericana racer. Corvette suspension and the 427.

 

The Impala is coming along nicely. I lowered the suspension a scale two inches so the increased tire size didn't make the car ride higher and look silly.

[Jantrix]

Not too bad for a scratch-built EFI intake.

 

[White Rabbit]

Great updates! I'm glad to see the builds coming along.

Work on the transmission continues. I've now gone back to the bell-housing for further detail and accuracy; including the associated parts (starter, slave cylinder, etc.)

[oldcarfan]

It's been a while since I made any progress. I've been putting off getting the engine in the frame because I was worried about breaking it. However I forced myself to sit down and tackle it and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I ended up cutting away a lot of the frame and adding to it on the outside. Here it is being test fitted with the body. Everything clears! The hood fits better than it looks like in the picture, my fingers were in the way.

[Lunajammer]

That's a huge step Gary. Now that monkey's off your back.

[oldcarfan]

I got the interior pretty much settled today on the Night Train Expedition. It carries a 40 fuel cell on top of the standard 17 gallon stock tank. I wanted it to look loaded, so I filled the back with tanks and hoses. I found the prison divider used on the police version and put it in place to keep the stuff in the back where it should be in case of emergency. The seats are from a Porsche GT3 with custom upholstery. The truck will carry a complete array of electronic surveillance and countermeasures as that used to be my job back in the Navy. The center stack between the seats has radar detectors, a CB, and some other things that could be illegal if it were real. There's an iPad on the dash in front of the passenger and if I can find room, it'll also have a laptop.

[Bills72sj]

  On 4/4/2024 at 10:59 PM, oldcarfan said:

I got the interior pretty much settled today on the Night Train Expedition. It carries a 40 fuel cell on top of the standard 17 gallon stock tank. I wanted it to look loaded, so I filled the back with tanks and hoses. I found the prison divider used on the police version and put it in place to keep the stuff in the back where it should be in case of emergency. The seats are from a Porsche GT3 with custom upholstery. The truck will carry a complete array of electronic surveillance and countermeasures as that used to be my job back in the Navy. The center stack between the seats has radar detectors, a CB, and some other things that could be illegal if it were real. There's an iPad on the dash in front of the passenger and if I can find room, it'll also have a laptop.

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Well on your way to being a serious contender!

[tim08]

Looking good Gary! Some really nice builds going on here for sure. Got the Camaro interior and engine stuffed in the Gremlin. Have a few sets of these tricks laying around thought I'd go with them. Just looks right to me on this car. Gotta still do some touch up on the engine but it fit perfect.          

[oldcarfan]

  On 4/6/2024 at 1:11 AM, Tim08 said:

Looking good Gary! Some really nice builds going on here for sure. Got the Camaro interior and engine stuffed in the Gremlin. Have a few sets of these tricks laying around thought I'd go with them. Just looks right to me on this car. Gotta still do some touch up on the engine but it fit perfect.          

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I like it!

[oldcarfan]

  On 4/3/2024 at 1:52 AM, White Rabbit said:

Great updates! I'm glad to see the builds coming along.

Work on the transmission continues. I've now gone back to the bell-housing for further detail and accuracy; including the associated parts (starter, slave cylinder, etc.)

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That looks cool, I wish I had those kind of skills. Doing great

[White Rabbit]

  On 4/6/2024 at 1:55 AM, oldcarfan said:

That looks cool, I wish I had those kind of skills. Doing great

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Thank you!

[White Rabbit]

Hello Cannonballers! I hope you're well and that your builds are progressing.

This year, I wanted to also wanted to introduce some Cannonball history and trivia to enriches our scale version. Oldcarfan has already posted a link to an interesting article detailing a previous record holder. Likewise, if anyone wishes to contribute with Cannonball facts, history, or anything of interest; please feel free to post. 

To begin, and because I'm entering a Mazda in this year's Run, I thought I would post some details about Mazda cars and their participation in the original Runs.

1972: Mazda RX2 driven by Fred De Van and Paul Solski that finished 6th with a time of 39:29 minutes and an average speed of 73.8mph.

Image: Instagram Image

 

1975: Mazda RX4 driven by Tom Kozlowski, Jeff Martini, Pierre Honegger, and Ray Walle that finished 8th with a time of 39.22 and an average speed of 73.6mph.

The picture was taken atop the RedBall Garage in New York prior to the race start. The (e-z wider) RX4 can be seen just behind the Porsches. (Image and article link: 1975 Cannonball Run)

 

1979: Mazda RX7 driven by Richard Doherty and Tad Richardson that finished 6th with a time of 35:17 and an average speed of 80.6mph.

The picture was taken at the conclusion of the race at the Portofino Inn. The RX7 can be seen at bottom center. (Image and article Link: 1979 Cannonball)

Edited April 14, 2024 by White Rabbit

[Spottedlaurel]

Interesting to see a little more about the real event. Great that the RX4 they used was a wagon.

Still waiting to finish another project (hopefully today?!) before I start this year's entry.....

[oldcarfan]

If you want to read it from the horse's mouth, this is a good book to get. In 2019 our kids were graduating High School and getting ready to move out so we took a long delayed family road trip. We drove from Austin, Texas to Lake Tahoe, then down to San Francisco and back to Austin. We hit all the attractions, stopping in Roswell, New Mexico to see the alien themed museum, the Grand Canyon, and of course Bonneville. This is a picture I took on the interstate as we neared the Salt Flats. My wife had just taken over the driving after she noticed I had us cruising at 97 mph. Even then we had been passed by several SUVs, a few sedans, and a Highway Patrol car who zipped by and pulled off the road shortly thereafter to go into a fast food place.

Also, here is another article on the last original Cannonball Run. They had done all the others with no issues, but I think Yates felt it was getting too commercial and too crazy. It was just a matter of time before something happened. The second article is about the official Cannonball successor, the One Lap Of America, a more organized and controlled, but still fun followup. In between were a few off-brand unofficial races, the US Express, and some others.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15135751/the-last-cannonball-feature/

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/one-lap-origin-story/

[oldcarfan]

  On 4/13/2024 at 10:37 PM, White Rabbit said:

Hello Cannonballers! I hope you're well and that your builds are progressing.

This year, I wanted to also wanted to introduce some Cannonball history and trivia to enriches our scale version. Oldcarfan has already posted a link to an interesting article detailing a previous record holder. Likewise, if anyone wishes to contribute with Cannonball facts, history, or anything of interest; please feel free to post. 

To begin, and because I'm entering a Mazda in this year's Run, I thought I would post some details about Mazda cars and their participation in the original Runs.

1972: Mazda RX2 driven by Fred De Van and Paul Solski that finished 6th with a time of 39:29 minutes and an average speed of 73.8mph.

Image: Instagram Image

 

1975: Mazda RX4 driven by Tom Kozlowski, Jeff Martini, Pierre Honegger, and Ray Walle that finished 8th with a time of 39.22 and an average speed of 73.6mph.

The picture was taken atop the RedBall Garage in New York prior to the race start. The (e-z wider) RX4 can be seen just behind the Porsches. (Image and article link: 1975 Cannonball Run)

 

1979: Mazda RX7 driven by Richard Doherty and Tad Richardson that finished 6th with a time of 35:17 and an average speed of 80.6mph.

The picture was taken at the conclusion of the race at the Portofino Inn. The RX7 can be seen at bottom center. (Image and article Link: 1979 Cannonball)

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I'd pay good money if they were to do a good detailed documentary of the OG Cannonball runs.

I wish someone had taken more candid pictures of the individual cars. At one point I considered trying to make a model of all the original contenders, but the lack of pictures and viable model kits ruled that out.

[White Rabbit]

  On 4/14/2024 at 7:18 PM, oldcarfan said:

I'd pay good money if they were to do a good detailed documentary of the OG Cannonball runs.

I wish someone had taken more candid pictures of the individual cars. At one point I considered trying to make a model of all the original contenders, but the lack of pictures and viable model kits ruled that out.

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Agreed. The Yates book is certainly closest to a documentary as there is (and a great read!).

It's certainly a challenge to find references of the original winners, let alone the rest of the runners. For example, the link in my post to the RX2 is the only photo of that car that I was able to find; and even that was a surprise. There is a Facebook page dedicated to the Run with unique pictures: https://www.facebook.com/realcannonballrun

Like you, I set out to build the original winners. I was able to acquire all the kits (though, the Cadillac is a body only). Thus far, I've completed the Daytona (less the decals which I've been a bit lax on making). The biggest challenge of the build was finding good reference photos, of which there are few. As for the Cadillac, the only photos that I've come across are those in the book, so a lot of inference is going to be needed to complete it.

[slusher]

  On 4/14/2024 at 7:09 PM, oldcarfan said:

If you want to read it from the horse's mouth, this is a good book to get. In 2019 our kids were graduating High School and getting ready to move out so we took a long delayed family road trip. We drove from Austin, Texas to Lake Tahoe, then down to San Francisco and back to Austin. We hit all the attractions, stopping in Roswell, New Mexico to see the alien themed museum, the Grand Canyon, and of course Bonneville. This is a picture I took on the interstate as we neared the Salt Flats. My wife had just taken over the driving after she noticed I had us cruising at 97 mph. Even then we had been passed by several SUVs, a few sedans, and a Highway Patrol car who zipped by and pulled off the road shortly thereafter to go into a fast food place.

Also, here is another article on the last original Cannonball Run. They had done all the others with no issues, but I think Yates felt it was getting too commercial and too crazy. It was just a matter of time before something happened. The second article is about the official Cannonball successor, the One Lap Of America, a more organized and controlled, but still fun followup. In between were a few off-brand unofficial races, the US Express, and some others.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15135751/the-last-cannonball-feature/

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/one-lap-origin-story/

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Cool book!

[oldcarfan]

  On 4/14/2024 at 10:31 PM, White Rabbit said:

Agreed. The Yates book is certainly closest to a documentary as there is (and a great read!).

It's certainly a challenge to find references of the original winners, let alone the rest of the runners. For example, the link in my post to the RX2 is the only photo of that car that I was able to find; and even that was a surprise. There is a Facebook page dedicated to the Run with unique pictures: https://www.facebook.com/realcannonballrun

Like you, I set out to build the original winners. I was able to acquire all the kits (though, the Cadillac is a body only). Thus far, I've completed the Daytona (less the decals which I've been a bit lax on making). The biggest challenge of the build was finding good reference photos, of which there are few. As for the Cadillac, the only photos that I've come across are those in the book, so a lot of inference is going to be needed to complete it.

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Nice model! I have a Bburago Daytona I finished in that same color. Let me know it you decide to do the decals, I could use a set.

[White Rabbit]

  On 4/15/2024 at 1:20 AM, oldcarfan said:

Nice model! I have a Bburago Daytona I finished in that same color. Let me know it you decide to do the decals, I could use a set.

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I was able to figure out most of the decals, but there are some that are, unfortunately, not legible from the photos; again, scarce reference material. For sure, if (and, hopefully, when) I complete them, I'll certainly let you know.

[Mattilacken]

Gettin there! Interior is done. Front glad fits like BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH so I had to superglue it in place. And it’s super bad quality so I might cut the side windows of so I can see in the interior. Any other tips on the windscreen on these?