Badman C/A (ca. 1975)

[Pierre Rivard]

That thing at the front with the curly copper pipe... is that a still?

We should never drink and drive.... but you know... in between runs.

🥴

[Straightliner59]

5 hours ago, Pierre Rivard said:

That thing at the front with the curly copper pipe... is that a still?

We should never drink and drive.... but you know... in between runs.

🥴

That's funny, Pierre! I laughed well, at that. That curly pipe was a fairly common method of venting the fuel tank. The tank could breathe, but the fuel hd a hard time finding the way out!😁

I got the tank fittings made and installed, except the main fuel line--I think it best to wait until the tank is installed, for that. I used some 16ga. dead-soft aluminum wire, for the fuel line. I made the brass fitting from some .100" brass rod I found in an old K&S assortment of bits and pieces (those were always fun to dig through!). The bungs for the return lines are 18ga. aluminum. The nipples that will mount the lines are 26ga. nichrome wire. This gives me another chance to declare my love for carbide "PC board" bits. I love that I can drill out .040" soft aluminum wire to accept the nichrome wire, with no trouble, so long as I don't overwork the tool, is a game-changer! I'll put the mounting bolts on, after a bit, then that'll be ready to mount, whenever I think it's time. That'll follow the fuel pump...Thanks for looking!

[David G.]

The fuel tank looks great!

It does remind one of a condenser with that pigtail on it though  

David G.

[Straightliner59]

2 minutes ago, David G. said:

The fuel tank looks great!

It does remind one of a condenser with that pigtail on it though  

David G.

Thank you kindly, sir! It does, a little. It'll be running alcohol, so, why not make it, too?😃

I'm happy with the progress of the last 24 hours. Not only did I get the still completed, I made excellent progress on the manifold. I got the two remaining ribs in place, and was then able to custom fit each throttle body section to the manifold. In these photos, they're all just sitting there--so, I think I'm in good shape with their fit. Next up, I'll need to drill them for the throttle rods, and research and add any other necessary details, before I can permanently attach them. I think it might turn out, pretty decently. Thanks for looking!

[David G.]

That top end is coming together nicely Daniel.

David G.

[AmericanMuscleFan]

I am always impressed by your resourcefulness and your precise explanations Daniel, everything is always as detailed in your words as your builds.

I'm with you on the copper, the color is great and it gives that little extra "eye-catcher" that we sometimes need to add without overdoing it as they say.

You continue to surpass yourself my friend and that's a good sign! 😉👍

[Straightliner59]

23 hours ago, David G. said:

That top end is coming together nicely Daniel.

David G.

Thanks, David! Except I have to solve one of those problems I created, now!😅 I got myself all excited, and glue the throttle bodies to the manifold. They look great! I forgot to drill them, first! D'oh! Now, I get to try to drill each side level, and straight, through the length of the manifold, through four separate "tubes". I expect there'll be some cold sweat flowing!

19 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

I am always impressed by your resourcefulness and your precise explanations Daniel, everything is always as detailed in your words as your builds.

I'm with you on the copper, the color is great and it gives that little extra "eye-catcher" that we sometimes need to add without overdoing it as they say.

You continue to surpass yourself my friend and that's a good sign! 😉👍

I appreciate that, Francis. I always hope that other builders can find something useful, in my posts, whether it's a technique, or just some inspiration. It really does add some "gotcha", for sure. I also like to use it for head gaskets--I found some small pieces of super-thin copper flashing on a jobsite, some time, when I was insulating houses, 20 years ago--the copper color, showing under the head is subtle, but, when noticed, is striking. I'm probably the only one who's ever known/noticed!😂 Thanks so much for your kind words, my friend!

[Straightliner59]

I managed to get the throttle bodies drilled for the shafts without breaking anything! Not even a carbide bit!😁 A little cleanup, then I can start adding details, getting it ready to be painted. I hated the brass fitting for the main fuel line's connection to the tank. It was way too big. I think, based on research, that a 1" fuel line should be adequate for the setup and the engine. If anybody knows better, please let me know! I machined a new fitting from a piece of aluminum (the block on the tank outlet). The fittings for the line were milled from 1/16" aluminum tube. These look so much better than the clunky, previous fittings! Thanks for looking!

[Pierre Rivard]

The still looks even better now. Careful about the dime thing, Francis might have a patent on that, but his dime has the Bluenose on it. Might be different enough to save you from a lawsuit but better check with the attorney. I like you both so please keep me out of this feud.

😃

[Straightliner59]

4 hours ago, Pierre Rivard said:

The still looks even better now. Careful about the dime thing, Francis might have a patent on that, but his dime has the Bluenose on it. Might be different enough to save you from a lawsuit but better check with the attorney. I like you both so please keep me out of this feud.

When he switched to Canadian coinage, he bequeathed me his Roosevelt dime!😂 Thank you, my friend!

[David G.]

Okay. Yeah the dime really puts things in perspective Daniel. I can hardly imagine working on parts that size.

Well I can imagine it but I don't think I could do it.

David G.

[Tony Coomer]

Looking good, great fab work. I painted the tach on the 49 ford the same except mine doesn’t have the stars, that’s pretty wild…

[Straightliner59]

8 hours ago, David G. said:

Okay. Yeah the dime really puts things in perspective Daniel. I can hardly imagine working on parts that size.

Well I can imagine it but I don't think I could do it.

David G.

Thanks, David! I appreciate that.  I was sort of planning to work on the manifold,  yesterday. Instead, I built most of the fuel pump. I should get photos posted, later!

 

39 minutes ago, Tony Coomer said:

Looking good, great fab work. I painted the tach on the 49 ford the same except mine doesn’t have the stars, that’s pretty wild…

I appreciate it, Tony! I made decals for the tach. It was a little tricky, but, they worked out, pretty well!

[Straightliner59]

Here's where the pump stands, at this time. I turned the body and front cover to size on the lathe. I then moved each to the mill, still in the chuck, and drilled the bolt holes with the rotary table. I left the three cover holes open, as those bolts will mount the shutoff bracket. I am likely going to replace these bolts with some without the washers. They need to be clean hexes! 

I am kinda amazed that I was able to "bolt" parts together that were made separately, and have eight holes, each! I actually paid close-enough attention, for long enough, that I got it to happen! Yay! 😁 I'm starting to use those machines, more frequently, and better learning what I can do with them. They're more advanced, than I! Thanks for looking!

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Great job Daniel, I am happy to see that your beautiful precision tools do not collect dust, the more you use them, the more you discover all the beautiful and precise things you can do with them. It's addictive! 😉

[Straightliner59]

4 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Great job Daniel, I am happy to see that your beautiful precision tools do not collect dust, the more you use them, the more you discover all the beautiful and precise things you can do with them. It's addictive! 😉

Thank you, my friend! Thank you, also for inspiring me to use them more often. I had the machines, I'd bought the (necessary) accessories, and I was barely using the mill. The lathe I'd put to fair use, I'd say. Then, seeing your work, Tim's work, Charlie Libby's work, and more recently, Bob Jernigan's work, I realized that I was pretty much wasting an invaluable resource, that was sitting, quite literally, right in front of me! 

I've been slowly ramping up, the last couple of years. I'm a neophyte, nowhere near the level you guys are, but, I'm doing more and more, with them. These photos are a good case in point. I've got more millwork in this model, than any prior project! The majority of it is visible, in these photos. I milled the timing cover, the drive tube (it's really a tube! With a really thin wall!) for the fuel pump, and the pump, itself. The tank, and the fittings for the outlet are all machined, here. Look at what you've caused me to do!😁 Thank you, I'm having a blast!

One advantage to using this model as a learning tool, is that the Badman isn't an accurate model, by any means. There was a whole lot of "Close enough!" going on with that kit. There are a few things I'd like to do a little differently, but, those are things that I feel like I need a bit more experience, before I'm ready to tackle them. Therefore, as long as I have done something to the best of my current ability, I can accept it as "close enough". That's good enough for this kit! I'm very happy with what I've accomplished, here! Questions, critiques and comments are always welcomed. Thanks for looking!

Man, do I need a media blaster! I hate that shiny stuff!

Edited December 9, 2024 by Straightliner59

[David G.]

Seeing all the amazing work you do Daniel, it's difficult for me to imagine that in your world "good enough" ever is.

With all the micro machine work you do, it seems that you're just a few steps away from building an entire model car from raw stock.

Model railroaders do build entire scale locos from sheet brass and there's Randy D's famous Birdcage Maserati right here on this forum.

Just a crazy thought.

 

David G.

[Bainford]

Things are coming along beautifully, Daniel. You must be soon ready to fire her up.

[Straightliner59]

Seeing if I can reply, now.

[Straightliner59]

Your comments are always appreciated, David! For most of my modeling life, I was such a perfectionist, that I kept starting projects, then, I would realize that I was over my head, because they weren't going as I'd hoped, and I'd box them up, and put them away. It's only the last seven or eight years that I have come to the understanding that, nothing will ever be perfect, so, it's okay to move along with the project. That said, in those past few years, I have finished several of those projects! Some thanks to Snake's "Bring Out Your Dead" thread. One of those projects was my Nostalgia Top Fuel dragster. Except for the tires, I can't think of anything else that wasn't built from scratch, or very radically altered. So, I'm close, on that front. 

At some point, I'll learn to, and make myself a set of wheels! My biggest difficulty in machining is deciding the work order. It will get easier, with experience, but, I have times that I'm not sure where to start. I'm still getting used to repeatability. It's easy to get lost, for me, in things like "How deep am I drilling these? Did the last one get over-drilled?" stuff like that--but, I'm getting there! 

Randy's Bird Cage is freaking unbelievable! I have actually held it in my hands, at a local show. The bodywork is just beautiful. That chassis? That's a study in soldering, to be sure! I would like to build a body, like that, some day. I told Randy, that day, that his bodywork on the Maserati makes my dragster bodies look like downspouts!😃

I'm attaching a couple of photos of my N/TF car. I finished it in January...

Edited December 11, 2024 by Straightliner59

[Vettegasser]

Yes sir that NTF is awesome. Looking forward to forward to seeing the 55 it’ll be killer too 

[David G.]

That dragster is unbelievable Daniel! 😮 

I think I remember seeing it before. I did a search and found both the WIP and Under Glass so I can have a look.

David G.

[Pierre Rivard]

Indeed the Nostalgia Dragster is unbelievable. I could look at it a thousand times and still find delightful details to wonder at. You are a perfectionist and that will come with the occasional doubt and bouts of analysis/paralysis but your current work on Badman shows that you are finding your balance, i.e. accept 98% perfection. Your 98% equals 1098% for us mere mortals. Your stuff is out of this world awesome and concentrated pure pleasure to follow.

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Your dragster was certainly one of your best builds and we have to enlarge each photo to convince you that we are really looking at a model car and not the real thing.

Your talent is immense and is matched only by your kindness and your pleasure of sharing, you are obviously what we call an great asset for this forum and this wonderful hobby! 👍

[Straightliner59]

17 hours ago, Vettegasser said:

Yes sir that NTF is awesome. Looking forward to forward to seeing the 55 it’ll be killer too 

Thanks, Jimmy!

 

16 hours ago, David G. said:

That dragster is unbelievable Daniel! 😮 

I think I remember seeing it before. I did a search and found both the WIP and Under Glass so I can have a look.

David G.

Thank you, sir! That was truly a lesson in patience. I am very happy with it! I think it really captures the essence of a modern N/TF car, along with matching what my vision was, for it.

16 hours ago, Pierre Rivard said:

Indeed the Nostalgia Dragster is unbelievable. I could look at it a thousand times and still find delightful details to wonder at. You are a perfectionist and that will come with the occasional doubt and bouts of analysis/paralysis but your current work on Badman shows that you are finding your balance, i.e. accept 98% perfection. Your 98% equals 1098% for us mere mortals. Your stuff is out of this world awesome and concentrated pure pleasure to follow.

Thank you, my friend! Yes, those bouts of analysis/paralysis can truly impede our progress! I've discovered some simple things that I wasn't willing to accept, before. Things like, I no longer feel like I need all that under-dash wiring, in instances where no one, including me, would never see them, but, further, would never even be able to see them! Stuff like that has helped, immensely! On the other hand, if, as with a dragster, or my Supermodified, they're visible, well, then, I have to put them there!🙂 I truly do love this avocation! I'm glad you find my stuff interesting!

13 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Your dragster was certainly one of your best builds and we have to enlarge each photo to convince you that we are really looking at a model car and not the real thing.

Your talent is immense and is matched only by your kindness and your pleasure of sharing, you are obviously what we call an great asset for this forum and this wonderful hobby! 👍

Thank you, kindly, Francis! I do enjoy sharing my work, and I always hope that my posts are interesting, and informative. I've been fortunate to have mentors who were always willing to share what they knew with me. I think the best way to honor them, is to share anything I pick up, with others!