Badman C/A (ca. 1975)

[Straightliner59]

I wasn't sure about posting a thread on this, but, it looks like this is what's coming off my workbench, next. Inevitably, I had to build a Badman. I built one fifty years ago, and I've always wanted to build another one. For some unknown reason, in spite of its flaws, it's always been a favorite, of mine. It came about, now, because, I suffered a modeling "depression" immediately upon finishing the N/TF car. I'd planned to do the Monogram Chaparral 2D, next, but it just wasn't "grabbing" me. I started fiddling around, with this, and for the last month, or so, have been kind of pecking at it.

I decided to do it as an altered, rather than a gasser, because I always want to play with aluminum sheet! Gassers have to have upholstery, so...Also, I wanted to gut the front end. I still need to fabricate and install the door bars in the roll cage, and create mounting points for the shocks. It's going to be, essentially, a glorified curbside, in that, if something's not hanging beneath the chassis, and visible, I'm not messing with it--mainly because I didn't feel like dealing with the molded-in exhaust. I am planning to do a mechanically injected 427, with bent stacks, like Bruce Larson's Chevelle. I have the major decals done. I'll get into some detail about them, at some point. They feature a technique I have been working on that is similar to the way Fred Cady's decals worked, except with paint, and stuff (in this case, gold leaf!).

I milled the timing cover. The rules recommend a push bar, in place of a rear bumper--okay! The rear axle housing is from Miss Deal. Springs, traction bars (I still need to build the spring mounts) and front axle are scratchbuilt. That thing sitting on top of the cage is the dash faceplate. Your comments, critiques and questions are always welcomed. Thanks for looking!

 

Edited April 26 by Straightliner59

[ColonelKrypton]

1 hour ago, Straightliner59 said:

and stuff (in this case, gold leaf!).

A very interesting build.  I am going to have to give a try to using some gold leaf.  Gold leaf is traditional ( i.e. real gold ) but now you can find imitation leaf in a variety of colours sold for finger nail art. Hmmmm ... starting to envision some interesting possibilities.

cheers, Graham

[Straightliner59]

15 minutes ago, ColonelKrypton said:

A very interesting build.  I am going to have to give a try to using some gold leaf.  Gold leaf is traditional ( i.e. real gold ) but now you can find imitation leaf in a variety of colours sold for finger nail art. Hmmmm ... starting to envision some interesting possibilities.

cheers, Graham

What I've been doing, is creating the graphics in PhotoImpact Pro. I can do the text, with a background color, to help with visibility, and a heavy black border, and a drop-shadow, if I want one. I can then use the same text, and convert it in the program to just an outline, then add the border to that. Then, once the decals are printed and clear-coated, I get out the little brushes, and apply the One-Shot enamel, or the adhesive for the leaf to the colored "background" area of the base decal. Once the paint has dried, or the leaf applied, I apply the top, outline-only decal. That cleans up the borders, and makes everything look all spiffy! I have found that it's best to apply the top decal one word-at-a-time, because the film can stretch, over a lnger distance, making alignment difficult, if not impossible. I am very happy with the results!

[Scott8950]

Where did you get the aluminum? 

Very neat build I'll be following along .

[Ian McLaren]

I'm liking where you are going with this model, as usual the work is top notch.  I know all too well the mood shift after an intense long term project but I can assure you it disipates fairly quickly.  Glad to see you working on the though, it's a good sign.

[Straightliner59]

17 hours ago, Scott8950 said:

Where did you get the aluminum? 

Very neat build I'll be following along .

I use 5"x7" sheets of aluminum flashing. They're about .005" thick. I love the stuff! I have two dragsters that I built bodies for, using it. For compound curves, it needs to be sanded to remove the plastic coating, because of the flame required to anneal the sheet.   I don't bother with that, for flat panels, or simple curves. I don't think there's anything I have built in the last ten years that doesn't have some! I also like to use Maid-O-Metal tooling aluminum (available at Hobby Lobby or Michael's), in instances where a simple overlay will work. It's much softer, and more malleable, but leaves something to be desired, structurally!🙂 I discovered that, after I built the bodies for the aforementioned dragsters from tooling aluminum, first. If you're interested in working with it, let me know--I've probably picked up a few tips, over the years. Thanks, Scott!

 

5 hours ago, Ian McLaren said:

I'm liking where you are going with this model, as usual the work is top notch.  I know all too well the mood shift after an intense long term project but I can assure you it disipates fairly quickly.  Glad to see you working on the though, it's a good sign.

Thank you, my friend. This was supposed to be quick and easy! Things never seem to work out, that way, for me!😁 It should look pretty cool, I think. I am really happy with the decals. Now, I need to find a purple, to go with the name. I'm leaning towards a Minnesota Vikings kind of color. Maybe a little more red, without venturing too far toward maroon. I also want it to be a solid color, not pearl, or metallic. I'll be going with the twelve-spoke wheels, up front, rather than the Americans. I wasted a bunch of time looking for a decent transmission, before I realized that the bottom wasn't meant to be displayed, anyway, and, the thing's getting wrapped in a blanket. I've started finding places where I am getting "lost in" it, so that's a good sign! I always appreciate your support and commentary--and your work!

Edited April 27 by Straightliner59

[Straightliner59]

On 4/26/2024 at 5:16 AM, ColonelKrypton said:

A very interesting build.  I am going to have to give a try to using some gold leaf.  Gold leaf is traditional ( i.e. real gold ) but now you can find imitation leaf in a variety of colours sold for finger nail art. Hmmmm ... starting to envision some interesting possibilities.

cheers, Graham

It's interesting that you would mention this, Graham. I had ordered a package of red to blue variegations. It arrived, yesterday. I couldn't wait to try it out on some of the previously-printed decals I had. I might be creating new graphics, again--I really like the colors, in this! I also tested the white script lettering on a bit of aluminum. I can't wait to see that over paint, too! You can see where it's out of register. That's why I used it for testing.😃

Edited April 28 by Straightliner59

[Pierre Rivard]

How nice to see you back on a project. Thank you for sharing your technique using aluminium flashing for interior panels, it looks great. I love the fabricated rear springs, so much better than the usual undefined one piece casting found in these old kits.

Edited April 28 by Pierre Rivard

[ColonelKrypton]

20 minutes ago, Straightliner59 said:

I really like the colors

Very cool. I'm itching to give it a try myself.  First, I am off to start gathering supplies ...

cheers, Graham

[MADmodelDOCTOR]

Well, I like your stuff. This is a friggin nice  "curbside". I hate molded  exhaust. Especially when I was a kid.

[Scott8950]

On 4/27/2024 at 1:33 AM, Straightliner59 said:

I use 5"x7" sheets of aluminum flashing. They're about .005" thick. I love the stuff! I have two dragsters that I built bodies for, using it. For compound curves, it needs to be sanded to remove the plastic coating, because of the flame required to anneal the sheet.   I don't bother with that, for flat panels, or simple curves. I don't think there's anything I have built in the last ten years that doesn't have some! I also like to use Maid-O-Metal tooling aluminum (available at Hobby Lobby or Michael's), in instances where a simple overlay will work. It's much softer, and more malleable, but leaves something to be desired, structurally!🙂 I discovered that, after I built the bodies for the aforementioned dragsters from tooling aluminum, first. If you're interested in working with it, let me know--I've probably picked up a few tips, over the years. Thanks, Scott!

I plan on picking some up and starting out small making firewalls and smaller things.

Your metal work is fantastic. 

[Straightliner59]

18 hours ago, Pierre Rivard said:

How nice to see you back on a project. Thank you for sharing your technique using aluminium flashing for interior panels, it looks great. I love the fabricated rear springs, so much better than the usual undefined one piece casting found in these old kits.

Nice to see you, my friend! I did these interior panels in two layers, and used the old model aircraft/armor modellers' trick using a punch or awl, from the reverse, to make the screw heads. I started scratchbuilding leaf springs, years ago, out of what I then called "laziness", in that, it kept me from having to remove mold lines, and scribe the lines between the layers, and clean up the springs, themselves. I have since realized that it wasn't so much laziness, as that I enjoy fabrication, more than cleaning up someone else's mess!😃 

In one of my dragster threads, I did something of a how-to on building aluminum dragster bodies, too. I love working with that stuff! Thank you for your kind words, Pierre. I appreciate them!

[Straightliner59]

18 hours ago, ColonelKrypton said:

Very cool. I'm itching to give it a try myself.  First, I am off to start gathering supplies ...

cheers, Graham

I think you'll be quite satisfied with the results! As you can see in my photo, above, I went past the outer edge of the printed black, in a couple of spots, with the adhesive. As long as you stay within the outer edge, the printed border overlay will keep your sins a secret!😁  Also, I've found the leaf to be forgiving, in that, if I miss a spot, I can go back over it with new adhesive, then leaf, in it's not a detraction. I have been wanting to do gold leaf,  and white script for at least two decades, so figuring that out, too, was a bonus. I really have come to enjoy designing and creating my own graphics!

[Straightliner59]

7 hours ago, MADmodelDOCTOR said:

Well, I like your stuff. This is a friggin nice  "curbside". I hate molded  exhaust. Especially when I was a kid.

Yeah, I'm no fan of it, either. I referred to it as curbside, because it was going to be a "quickie"! That never friggin' works out, for me!😅 Was I going to go full-blown (not a quickie!), I probably would have just cut out everything but the chassis, itself, and done the entire floor in aluminum sheet. Oh, well. Things get out of hand around my shop, in a hurry.

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Glad to see you back in the saddle with a new project Daniel, I'm sure I'll find lots of new tips by visiting your updates.  The gold leaf technique is great and the results are just as great!  You mentioned at the beginning that's will be "a glorified curbside" but I know your curbside builds are always next level. 😉

[Straightliner59]

5 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Glad to see you back in the saddle with a new project Daniel, I'm sure I'll find lots of new tips by visiting your updates.  The gold leaf technique is great and the results are just as great!  You mentioned at the beginning that's will be "a glorified curbside" but I know your curbside builds are always next level. 😉

Thank you, Francis! I am really looking forward to having the body painted, so that I can apply the decals. That's a way off, yet, as, so far, I have only re-scribed the passenger side door line.  I'm really excited about the gold leaf, and the white lettering (Which could also be any other color, for that matter)! I made new "Plum Nutz" markings, in a new font that you may recognize! I need to get the size dialed-in, for the overlay. Then, there's the injection manifold. Since I can never just go with something basic, like a Hilborn, I'll be scratching a Weiand manifold, so that I can use the bent stacks, like Bruce Larson ran on his Chevelle. I'm finding that the stacks are going to be tricky, as well. Thankfully, I have a lot of experience scratchbuilding obscure induction systems!😅 I have a couple of other ideas I want to explore, as well--so, I hope you and others can get something useful, out of this, over its course.

[Straightliner59]

I really finally am getting into this project! A pretty fair amount's got accomplished, over the last days. I'll post more, once I'm home from work, tomorrow morning, so I can add some details to the descriptions. In the meantime, I did new decals with the more colorful leaf. Thanks for looking!

[dragcarz]

A very cool project Daniel! I’ll be following! I love your decals, that might be something I want to try in the future. Great detail! Im needing a little inspiration and your suppling it! 

[David G.]

Top notch metal fabrication! I like the way the decals are looking too.

This looks like it will be an exciting build!

David G.

[Straightliner59]

20 hours ago, dragcarz said:

A very cool project Daniel! I’ll be following! I love your decals, that might be something I want to try in the future. Great detail! Im needing a little inspiration and your suppling it! 

Thank you, Roger! Glad to have you along! Glad you're finding inspiration, in it. Sorry you're having a rough time with the front end of the Stepp car. I'm sure you'll get it figured out!

[Straightliner59]

20 hours ago, David G. said:

Top notch metal fabrication! I like the way the decals are looking too.

This looks like it will be an exciting build!

David G.

Thanks, David. I'm pretty excited, about the decals. Now, I need to find, or mix the purple, for the body. There's still plenty of work, to be done on it, first, anyway. Thanks for looking in and commenting!

[Straightliner59]

Time for an update! I got the tank and spare tire well cut out. I used an old prepaid phone card to cover up the hole. They're nice and flexible, but slightly thicker than .005" Evergreen. I've been using them since the late '90s, when I was using them to make long distance calls. Very handy! I made the supports for the seat (which may be from one of the Monogram Pro Stock kits). It's a very similar seat to the Solar racing seat from the Johan Sox and Martin 'Cuda. I've begun work on the driveshaft tunnel. That's made from tooling aluminum, rather than flashing.

I shot some paint on the third-member, as well as the springs, just because I wanted to feel like I was making progress. I made new shackles from brass strip, because the plastic ones kept breaking, due, largely to my carelessness. Here's a little tip I've just been doing over the last few years: on the differential, rather than painting the bolt heads, I just rubbed the point of a soft drawing pencil over them. It's a much more subtle effect, but it still gently highlights them. I likely wont bother doing anything more with the trunk floor area, other than the paint that goes on the chassis. The goal there, was to get rid of their appearance below the chassis. As always, questions, critiques and comments are always welcomed. Thanks for looking!

[David G.]

Good progress on this Daniel!

David G.

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, David G. said:

Good progress on this Daniel!

David G.

Thank you, kindly, David! I got a bit more done...

I pinned the axles in place, again. I like the "sit". I may go a tad lower in the rear, since the shackles allow me three choices, and this is the highest. In the shot with the differential, you can see the subtle coloration provided by the pencil. It's also good along edges that may get paint rubbed off, for any number of reasons. Also shown are the beginning stages of the driveshaft tunnel. Thanks for looking!

[Rattlecan Dan]

Some very nice work going on here. That's going to be a great build I'll bet!