2024 Cannonball Run Restomods Build Thread

[White Rabbit]

  On 9/27/2024 at 12:09 AM, blue303 said:

I want to join this build. I'm going to go with a 55 Chevy Bel Air. For the engine, I'm believe I'm going to use a 327 out of the 63 Corvette kit.

 

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Welcome to the Cannonball!

Updated entry list:

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)
28. 1967 Ford Mustang GT (JimmyRiggens)
29. 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air (blue303)

[White Rabbit]

Hello! I hope everyone is well and that your builds are progressing. 

As we are nearing the final two months of the build, I would like to remind everyone of the important upcoming dates.

Important Dates: 2024

January 1st, 12:00am: Official build start of the 2024 Cannonball Run

November 14th, 12:00am: Finished build thread opens

November 29th, 11:59pm: Last day to enter the CBR build

December 1st, 11:59pm: Official build end

December 3rd, 12:00am: Polling to elect a winner opens

December 13th, 11.59pm: Polling closes

December 17th: 2024 Winner announced

[slusher]

I have to finis mine my ms has been bothering me this month. I will get back on it..

[oldcarfan]

Just returned from vacation Saturday to find our temperatures have dropped from the 70s-80s in the morning to 50s-60s. That was just the nudge I need to get back into the shop. Most of my entry is in subsections so I need to start final assembly. While in south Florida and the Keys I had a chance to get photos of a couple of cop vehicles parked near us. This morning I hit up the jewelry section of Hobby Lobby for some wire and assorted bits to make antennas and such for my build. Hoping to have it done by this coming weekend. The biggest problem is going to be avoiding the temptation to start one of the kits I bought while on vacation.

[oldcarfan]

Quick question, I started a build page for my project way back when. Do I need to start a finished page or just add on to the original build one?

[White Rabbit]

  On 10/13/2024 at 5:53 PM, oldcarfan said:

Quick question, I started a build page for my project way back when. Do I need to start a finished page or just add on to the original build one?

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Hello. If I'm understanding correctly, you made a separate build page for your entry. That build page is separate from the actual Cannonball thread. So, it's your choice if you wish to add to that page or start a finished page in °Under Glass." However, to be entered in the final vote, your finished entry must be posted in the Cannonball Official Build thread that will be opened on November 14th.

I hope this helps!

[oldcarfan]

I'm declaring my entry done. She crossed the finish line last night. There are some parts I'd like to redo, but then I'd get stuck in a loop and never get finished. So, the concept for me was of two young talented motorhead guys wanting to do something other than hang out with their buddies. They set their eyes on winning the Cannonball and wanted something lowkey to do it in.

They bought a solid but well-used 99 Expedition off MarketPlace and a wrecked Coyote Mustang from CoPart. Since this generation is electronically inclined, they also set up a full suite of surveillance equipment that they could run off an iPad. 

I didn't do a very good job with my build page, but here it is.

 

[slusher]

Very nice build for the cannonball 

[White Rabbit]

Congratulations on your completion! 

Updated entry list:

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)
28. 1967 Ford Mustang GT (JimmyRiggens)
29. 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air (blue303)

[slusher]

mine is coming along had a setback pictures soon! 

[Spottedlaurel]

Good luck with it Carl!

Managed to spend a reasonable bit of time on my Fairlady 240ZG on Sunday - no one big thing finished, but made useful progress on a few smaller elements:

Radiator built-up with PE mesh and electric fan from the HD detail-up set. May give it a light wash, will see how visible it is once it's tucked away behind panels.

Fitted it to the radiator panel which was in turn glued into place, plus horns. At this stage I thought I'd better check the RB26 engine fits - it does, hopefully with enough room around it for the intake/turbo/exhaust set-up. Cam cover has been painted body colour.

Front brakes were assembled, complete with drilled and slotted PE disc faces from the detail-up set. Again they will probably get a bit of wash. The outer caliper face was separate to the disc, which gave a crisp look when I placed it over the PE, and the disc was separate to the backing plate.

Some more of the engine bay components installed. Possibly the first kit I've built that includes the steering column!

Rear brakes upgraded to discs, which were leftover from last year's Honda Accord/NSX build. I've given the resin/3D tyres that came with the wheels a first coat of Revell #9 enamel, as they're slightly lower profile than the other rubber set which I was hoping to use but may not fit under the arches. May have something else that would work, I need to see how the wheels fit once the brakes are mounted. Carpets need to be redone with more care (and less glue!), but I like the texture of them.

Edited October 22, 2024 by Spottedlaurel

[blue303]

Quick question on keeping within the rules. I picked up a 93 Corvette ZR1 kit was thinking about doing a drivetrain and suspension swap for my 55 Chevy Bel Air. I know that on the real car that the rear isn’t too complicated just brackets added but the front requires redoing the front frame rails to get a compatible front crossmember to fit. Does this conversion still fit within the rules?

[Spottedlaurel]

Had a quieter day than expected so being mindful of the forthcoming CBR deadline I managed to get quite a bit done:

Today's main tasks were polishing the bodywork and getting the engine ready for installation, plus picking off a few odds and ends.

Brakes were fitted onto the struts, the disc faces and radiator given a wash, and the undertray painted and mocked-up here to see how it fits. All good so far.

Cam cover was painted body colour a few weeks ago and then detailed and fitted today. Sump reversal and conversion was finished with styrene sheet and filler. Need to attach some angle to the engine mounts so it sits correctly on the ZG's chassis rails, but I seem to have got the length right and it joins up to the standard length propshaft.

Comparison with an original RB26 complete with its 4wd equipment shows how much I had to change and remove.

I avoided clearcoat over the solid 1:1 automotive paint to maintain the period look. Polishing was done Micromesh (3600 down to 12000) then Zero fine polishing compound and finally Autoglym resin polish. The latter will probably need doing again after I've handled it over the remainder of the build, but I wanted to see how it looked.

First time of trial-fitting the floorpan complete with most of the engine bay installed under the freshly-polished bodyshell - it fits!

Before today I was mildly concerned as to whether I would get to the startline in time, but now I think I should be OK....

[White Rabbit]

  On 11/2/2024 at 11:33 PM, blue303 said:

Quick question on keeping within the rules. I picked up a 93 Corvette ZR1 kit was thinking about doing a drivetrain and suspension swap for my 55 Chevy Bel Air. I know that on the real car that the rear isn’t too complicated just brackets added but the front requires redoing the front frame rails to get a compatible front crossmember to fit. Does this conversion still fit within the rules?

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Hello,

Good question. Below is the point from page 1 regarding suspension changes. In my opinion, fitting modern suspension would most likely entail some believable modification to the original chassis/frame. However, this would still fit within the "modern upgrade" parameters; so you should be fine.

1. Suspension: Modern upgrades permitted (i.e.: independent suspension)
   1. Circuit-only, extreme performance-type suspension is not permitted.

Also, from page 1:

 

Important: The builder should use their best judgment of what is within the spirit of the theme and guidelines.

1. This year's build has a certain degree of subjectivity, therefore, it is up to the builder to decide if their modifications are within the guidelines and in keeping with the spirit of the theme and guidelines.

[blue303]

  On 11/4/2024 at 1:24 AM, White Rabbit said:

Hello,

Good question. Below is the point from page 1 regarding suspension changes. In my opinion, fitting modern suspension would most likely entail some believable modification to the original chassis/frame. However, this would still fit within the "modern upgrade" parameters; so you should be fine.

1. Suspension: Modern upgrades permitted (i.e.: independent suspension)
   1. Circuit-only, extreme performance-type suspension is not permitted.

Also, from page 1:

 

Important: The builder should use their best judgment of what is within the spirit of the theme and guidelines.

1. This year's build has a certain degree of subjectivity, therefore, it is up to the builder to decide if their modifications are within the guidelines and in keeping with the spirit of the theme and guidelines.

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Awesome. I should be able to post some update photos later this week of the modernized suspension. 

[blue303]

I made some progress from last weekend. I cut out the trunk lid and made an inner structure for the lid. I also got a start on modifying the 91 Corvette ZR1 suspension and engine to fit the chassis. I still need to finish that and make a new fuel cell for back of the car.

 

[White Rabbit]

Hello everyone! I hope your builds are coming along well.

The finished builds thread is now open for your completed entry. Please remember that, to be eligible for the voting poll, your completed entry must be posted to the finished build thread before December 3rd.

Important Dates

January 1st, 12:00am: Official build start of the 2024 Cannonball Run

November 14th, 12:00am: Finished build thread opens

November 29th, 11:59pm: Last day to enter the CBR build

December 1st, 11:59pm: Official build end

December 3rd, 12:00am: Polling to elect a winner opens

December 13th, 11.59pm: Polling closes

December 17th: 2024 Winner announced

Edited November 14, 2024 by White Rabbit

[Beans]

Oh man!!  Snuck up on me again.  With most of my building stuff packed for a move I may have to get creative to get done.

Edited November 14, 2024 by Beans

[MeatMan]

An update on my Fairlane to show I'm still in it.
Still have some minor paint issues to sort out, and I have to build an exhaust system with no where to put it. ?

[White Rabbit]

Hello everyone! I hope your builds are coming along well.

The finished builds thread is now open for your completed entry. Please remember that, to be eligible for the voting poll, your completed entry must be posted to the finished build thread by December 2nd.

[White Rabbit]

Updated entry list:

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)
28. 1967 Ford Mustang GT (JimmyRiggens)
29. 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air (blue303)

Legend

? Completed build

? Photos posted in Finished Builds

❌ Out of race

Edited November 20, 2024 by White Rabbit
List Update

[Spottedlaurel]

Well done to those of you who already have their CBR entries on the start line!

I think I should make it with mine. With more of a quiet Sunday at home to come today, then fingers crossed a free weekend on the 23rd-24th, I'm hoping that gives me enough time.....

Finally got the RB26 to 240ZG engine mounts sorted. It sits a bit differently in a Skyline GT-R so I had to concoct this arrangement with a couple of pieces of angle styrene.

This is how it sits. Quite a bit of room on the LH side, but that's where the turbos etc sit so I need to keep plenty of space there.

Wheels are not fully fitted at this point, I just wanted to see roughly how it sits.

Dashboard is installed. On the interior I still have to fix the seats, paint the steering wheel just robbed from a Skyline GT-R race car, re-do the rear loadbay carpet and hopefully find time to make up a basic cage and seatbelt installation.

Ex-Honda NSX rear brake dics now fitted.

Aftermarket wheels are rather neat, with a separate casting for the male fitment required to suit a typical Tamiya kit. This has 4 studs protruding through the wheel, making for easy detailing (just need to clean up a bit of the wheel paint here). Ignore the tyres, they will either be replaced or given a little more attention.

Can't wait to properly unite the floorpan and bodyshell. Have also been making progress on the latter, with the headlights fitted and some of the detailing done on the windcsreen scuttle panel.

A few things of note at the back end, just to demonstrate the level of detail in this kit. The tailgate is separate to the bodyshell, and the spoiler and lock are both individual pieces. The fuel filler flap is also separate, again with its own lock that pushes through from behind. The rear bumper has six separate parts (it's not properly fitted here). The panel around the rear lights is another piece, then the lenses are split either side of the central chrome trim as below:

That gives a really crispline between the indicator and reverse light. FInally there's a metal transfer to go around the light to replicate the chrome trim surround.

 

Edited November 17, 2024 by Spottedlaurel

[Pat Minarick]

Not going to make the finish line this year, lost all motivation on the GTO. I finished a couple builds this year , one started 16 years ago and another from 2016. Just started building again a month ago. I will try again next year.

[slusher]

  On 11/20/2024 at 1:25 AM, Pat Minarick said:

Not going to make the finish line this year, lost all motivation on the GTO. I finished a couple builds this year , one started 16 years ago and another from 2016. Just started building again a month ago. I will try again next year.

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Nice builds Pat!

[White Rabbit]

We're almost to the finish line for this year's build. Just a reminder that today is the last day to enter the Run.

Important Dates

January 1st, 12:00am: Official build start of the 2024 Cannonball Run

November 14th, 12:00am: Finished build thread opens

November 29th, 11:59pm: Last day to enter the CBR build

December 1st, 11:59pm: Official build end

December 3rd, 12:00am: Polling to elect a winner opens

December 13th, 11.59pm: Polling closes

December 17th: 2024 Winner announced