full detail 1/16th Gordie Bonin BubbleUp Trans Am Funnycar

[Ian McLaren]

On 5/8/2024 at 11:00 PM, Straightliner59 said:

I am all-too-familiar with doing things multiple times! One of the things I have always liked about building with brass, is the speed at which stuff can be assembled, and its immediate durability. Even though I have a resistance soldering unit that I am extremely happy to have, there are still times that the old Weller 40 watt iron is the better tool. I'm happy you've been able to gather some useful stuff from my posts! I am always glad to share!

I have been considering getting a resistance soldering system for a while now and it very well may be the next major addition to the shop.  I am assuming it is used primarily for small details as opposed to primary fabrication or am I wrong in that assumption

[Straightliner59]

15 hours ago, Ian McLaren said:

I have been considering getting a resistance soldering system for a while now and it very well may be the next major addition to the shop.  I am assuming it is used primarily for small details as opposed to primary fabrication or am I wrong in that assumption

Actually, I use the resistance unit, a lot, during construction! I like the iron for smaller details, because a droplet of solder on the tip will usually heat the joint enough to affix the parts--It really works well for tabs and such. I have an extra power unit. I think I got it for about $50. The tweezers can be pretty expensive, but a web search will turn up an article or two on building them. It looks pretty easy. I pieced my setup together f8nding separate components online, mostly on Ebay. I bought a cheap foot switch for about $10. It's definitely a worthwhile investment!

[Ian McLaren]

This is my most ambitious scratch built part so far.  The steering box for the Bonin car is mostly brass except where aluminum looks more correct.   If anyone is interested I do have the in progress photo showing the process I used to assemble this part

[Straightliner59]

10 hours ago, Ian McLaren said:

This is my most ambitious scratch built part so far.  The steering box for the Bonin car is mostly brass except where aluminum looks more correct.   If anyone is interested I do have the in progress photo showing the process I used to assemble this part

That looks great! Did you make a worm and sector, for it?? I only ask, because I've been trying.

[Ian McLaren]

Thanks Daniel, not on this one.  I did try on the 1/12 Camaro Top Sportsman's rack, using the parts from a Tamiya 1/12 F1 kit. The problem was the shaft angles from the steering wheel to the rack.  I have no idea how that would been done in this scale, but there would be some awesome machining involved.

[Straightliner59]

4 hours ago, Ian McLaren said:

Thanks Daniel, not on this one.  I did try on the 1/12 Camaro Top Sportsman's rack, using the parts from a Tamiya 1/12 F1 kit. The problem was the shaft angles from the steering wheel to the rack.  I have no idea how that would been done in this scale, but there would be some awesome machining involved.

I may have to give it another go. I'm better equipped to do it, now. I was able to hand cut a working rack and pinion for a dragster in 1986, but, having the engine in back, that was a straight shot, from the butterfly to the box. That setup is very simple. I've had the thought for at least fifteen years, now, because I would really like to have one for my Surfers car.

[mk11]

Thanks for bringing us along on this fascinating project, Ian.

Just curious to know if you've ever come across the movie 'Fast Company'. It was an early cronenberger effort filmed in '78 at the Calgary and Edmonton dragstrips. It looks like it might be a great reference for some of the obscure details on these cars. Apparently Bonin had a brief cameo. Dad was a few years older than him but knew him through the red deer car clubs. The guys had a get-together a few years ago with Bonin present and I sure kick myself for missing the opportunity to go along. 

[Ian McLaren]

On 5/18/2024 at 9:16 PM, mk11 said:

Thanks for bringing us along on this fascinating project, Ian.

Just curious to know if you've ever come across the movie 'Fast Company'. It was an early cronenberger effort filmed in '78 at the Calgary and Edmonton dragstrips. It looks like it might be a great reference for some of the obscure details on these cars. Apparently Bonin had a brief cameo. Dad was a few years older than him but knew him through the red deer car clubs. The guys had a get-together a few years ago with Bonin present and I sure kick myself for missing the opportunity to go along. 

It's great to have you foiiowing along, lots more to come.  In regards to fast company, I was at Sheppard Raceway and Edmonton International Raceways driving the RaceCar Distributors A/ED the days they were filming for the movie.  I think Norm may still have the fake Montana plates they stuck over the Alberta plates while filming.I also have a copy of the movie.   I have a lot of photos from that era so documentation is not really too bad and I can find most of what I need.  The Swindahl car was quite different from most so it has been a bit of a challange to document.

[Ian McLaren]

Still futzing with the body, chassis, engine alignment. Not haveing measurements of how far out the engine was has made this endevour exponentialy more difficult. first I had to get the chassis ride height correct. Then space the body up the correct amount above the chassis to get both the ground to body height correct and well as how far through the body the blower sits and how far forward in relation to the windshield. Almost all of this stems from the rear motor plate ( the main numbers I don't have). Add to this a generic body whose measurements may or may not be the same as the BubbleUp car (not the manufacturers fault just a fact).   All of this added up to serveral motor plates, body mounts (front and rear), 2 different blower manifolds, two sets of front motor mounts and a third set (more scale appearing) in the works, but I now have measurements. Two different blowers and several adjustments to the front blower extension. Also needed were two different approaches to the actual firewall tin and mounting proceedure. Another reprofiling the rear edge of the hood and lower windshield frame was needed to eliminate the kick up that was cast in as part of the body. The following photos show the end results of all this nonsence and I now have the look I was aiming for. Now back to just straight adding details and building

Edited May 20, 2024 by Ian McLaren

[John B.]

It looks like your efforts are well - rewarded; everything looks perfectly aligned. The "tinwork" also looks spot - on! 

[Ian McLaren]

So this project is on hold for a while.  I had a routine checkup with my cardiogist last week and during on of the test they found an 11 second gap in my heart beat. I got a phone call and 4 hours later I was in the cardiac wards advanced monitoring room.  After a wait of 3 days I got a pacemaker Sunday morning and was home late Sunday afternoon.  Everything went exactly according to plan during the surgery and I have been home for two days now.. I am limited in what I can do for the next 10 days of so the incision heals and secures the pacemaker and its leads to the heart. As all of the restrictions are shoulder height and up most modeling is on hold.  I can walk, climb stairs, go outside and even have a mild set of exercises to do, however I cannot drive for two weeks after the surgery. All in all I'm in pretty good shape and feeling good, except for the left shoulder and incision site which will pass fairly quickly I am told.

[Straightliner59]

The important thing is to get well! Glad all went according to plan. We can wait on any updates, for sure!

[Lee Yoder]

Modelling can wait, your health must take priority. Be well. 
 

Later,

Lee

[Ian McLaren]

After an involuntary two week modeling layoff I'm back on the Bonin car and I'm focusing on going back and upgrading a lot of what I had already done starting with the engine. New and improved 14-71 Ed Pink style blower still needs the magnesium finish applied but the basic part is much improved,  I scrapped the previous injector and redid the plumbing,  and the hat is now much closer to scale.  Some how I managed to model the entirely wrong magneto for this car, I knew it had a Mallory Super Mag in it and I already had the remote coil in the parts tray.  How I put all of the time and effort into building a creditable Vertex mag and then looking at the motor for weeks is beyond me.  Thankfully a very knowledgable friend pointed out the error, so the motor now has an all metal Super Mag in place which I put together yesterday, and instantly what has been nagging me about the motor disappeared.  Next is the port nozzels and lines and the unique upper plumbing that was on the Bonin car in 78. I'm already much happier with the current result.

Edited June 3, 2024 by Ian McLaren

[Straightliner59]

I'm sure it's good to be back at the bench. The engine really is looking good! Love the mag!

[John B.]

I'm glad that you are getting through your medical issue and that you are healing well. Glad to see you back on this project.

[Ian McLaren]

A little more progress, mag finish now on the blower, fuel distribution block for both the hat and port injectors are built and installed as are all of the fuel hard lines.  Waiting for fittings before fully plumbing the engine and also working on a larger fuel pump as per the original car.

 

system

Edited June 4, 2024 by Ian McLaren

[Ian McLaren]

Now with the rear motor plate location set, the power train can start to be positioned and angles set for the coupler shaft.

[Ian McLaren]

On 6/3/2024 at 3:09 PM, Straightliner59 said:

I'm sure it's good to be back at the bench. The engine really is looking good! Love the mag!

Thanks Daniel, yes it was and I'm am happy with the enine now.  Since then life has kind of out ranked modeling but I have made some small advances.

 

[Ian McLaren]

On 6/4/2024 at 6:38 AM, John B. said:

I'm glad that you are getting through your medical issue and that you are healing well. Glad to see you back on this project.

Thank you John it's all good now and I have made some progress, the next little while should show some substancial changes now that several of the small assemblies have been completed.

[Ian McLaren]

Not a lot has happened lately but some progress, windshield has been templated (tape, then paper and now styrene) and ready to cut the clear part, interiour tin in final template stage and new fuel pump built (Hilborn for now but may switch Enderlie as it is the more likely choice back then, still checking photos)

 

Edited June 18, 2024 by Ian McLaren

[Straightliner59]

13 hours ago, Ian McLaren said:

Thanks Daniel, yes it was and I'm am happy with the enine now.  Since then life has kind of out ranked modeling but I have made some small advances.

 

Small advances add up! Definitely pulling for you, health-wise! That's most important, right now, for sure.

[Straightliner59]

You're definitely making progress. Looks great, Ian. Tin work looks good, too! It takes some doing to get all that stuff to play nicely, together.

[Ian McLaren]

Thanks Daniel, yes everything wants to run into everything else, what is a 1/4 inch clearance  in real life is virtaully touching in 1/16th.  Yes I'm pretty happy with the tin, it was my intention to use the plastic as just a mockup and pattern for brass or aluminum, But in as much as the real car had semi gloss black anodized aluminum there isn't a realy good argument for using either metal to replace the current piece.

[Ian McLaren]

I spent most of yesterday cleaning up and reshaping the windshield retaining flange as well as transfering the new shape to a piece of clear polyester sheet.  I also created a transition from the flange to the top of the body tin work right at the front.  The windshield fit is pretty good but I will do some additional clean up during the final finishing phase.