Kitbashed '65 Mustang 2+2 Short Tracker

[Andria H]

Started on something I've been wanting to do for awhile now that the thrift stores yielded a $5 gluebomb of the donor kit I wanted, complete with moldy box/directions, missing decals and lots of parts gone or messed up. 1/24 scale Monogram '65 Ford Mustang 2+2, again, this is a rehabilitated gluebomb that is stripped out for the dirt oval track, and reinforced and prepared for an infusion of parts from a Monogram 1/24 scale NASCAR Thunderbird kit & my parts box, and will later get some Gofer or Slixx short tracker decals.

Paint color is as of now undecided, but interior will be cobalt blue with matching cage, detailed instrument panel, and undecided color seat, engine will be from the donor kit as will wheels/tires/suspension, hood hinge holes will be filled with JB SteelStik putty and filed smooth, battery has been carved out of engine compartment with plans to relocate it, and it will have only a front windshield for glass, blocked off/filled fuel tank filler to simulate a trunk-fill setup to go with the fuel cell I added, and a small mesh front grille replacement between the two vertical posts in the engine-bay cage section.

[Andria H]

Last progress note for the night. Fuel pipe in rear tail panel is removed/filled, interior painted in metallic charcoal with details yet to be determined, kit supplied suspension is used to keep things simple, but still modified so parts from some kind of 1/24 Monogram stocker will fit. Wheel wells are ragged & jagged and opened up wide to accommodate MPC Goodyear dirt tires, taillights made nonfunctional, and it has been primered/sanded all over with 3M glazing putty to fix the surface & fill the door gaps to simulate welded up doors. 

I will be cutting out the inner stock door/side paneling except where it holds up the dashboard and fills out the rear compartment, so as to accommodate the cage, using just a windshield with Plexi wind wing pieces to protect the driver, bracing the rear window opening with half round scrap plastic, and detailing the dash, pedals, seat, etc. before rattle canning it in Tamiya German Silver with cobalt blue hood and putting on either Hamm's or Pabst beer sponsorship with American flags on the quarter panels, from Slixx/Gofer type decals, and possibly Sinclair Oil and/or Hostess sponsorship from my parts bins and a red, white, and blue dorsal stripe,  if those decals are viable. 

Engine in this will be a standard NASCAR Thunderbird Ford 351 Windsor based design turned into a typical short tracker setup. 

Gotta do more sanding on the body/hood before I even think of painting, but there is lots to do still before I get my donor kit on Monday to near-finish it before decals arrive.

[rchaffee]

Looks good so far!

[Volzfan59]

I love old Mustang short track cars! Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

The photo is of Snooks DeFore, Georgia dirt track driver. As a kid I  loved it when he came up to the tracks in east TN.

Edited June 28 by Volzfan59

[Andria H]

Interior and chassis are enhanced with bits from AMT and Monogram 1990s NASCAR kits, doors are welded shut and sealed, fuel system, suspension and wheels/tires are on, interior hardware is all in, and body needs a bit more fine tuning and sanding/filling before it is ready for its paint scheme of cobalt blue engine block & wheel centers, with silver paint elsewhere, bright blue side cove & tail panel, muddy tires/undercarriage, and bright blue roll cage padding & Gofer Racing logos/numbers. 

I will get "body off" photos while the shell is detached for engine/gearbox/driveline installation and weathering of those areas etc.

[Andria H]

"As raced" finish and weathering over fresh paint on my thrift-store find rehab. Decals from Gofer Racing and my parts bin will be used, they will be scraped up/aged over if necessary, engine will be assembled from the 289 short block and 4-speed in the kit and the balance from a Bill Elliott NASCAR Thunderbird & made into a proper weekend warrior powertrain, and the pad printed AMT tires are aged/muddied to suit. Radiator and fan and chassis reinforcement are in, tail panel is stripped down & turned into a billboard panel, and the whole car has been aged/distressed all over but not too rusty, with simulated ceramic coating on the exhaust pipe.

[Andria H]

Last progress note before decals.

2-tone blue paint & front glass are marked up and muddy, wheels/tires dusty & muddy along with interior, Ford 351 Windsor V8 and 4-speed transmission are detailed, "duck tail" rear spoiler installed, and overall made to look like it's been used and raced on dirt oval or figure-eight tracks. 

Decals will include Hamm's Beer insignias and a few others plus numbers and contingencies.

[Ace-Garageguy]

That's surely one abused-looking little race car. If it was real, it'd make me sad to see that done to a '65 fastback, but at least it'll go out fighting...which is better than being abandoned to rot. 

[Andria H]

5 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

That's surely one abused-looking little race car. If it was real, it'd make me sad to see that done to a '65 fastback, but at least it'll go out fighting...which is better than being abandoned to rot. 

definitely agreed. Probably would have been done to a 6cyl rust bucket/a flood or fatality car/etc just for consolation purposes

[Andria H]

First round of decals.

[Ben269]

I think you achieved the look you were going for, good save on that old kit!

[Andria H]

4 hours ago, Ben269 said:

I think you achieved the look you were going for, good save on that old kit!

thanks Ben...