Early Corvette Grant Sport

[Gramps46]

I was sorting through my kit stash and came across this Cheescast 1/25 resin transkit of the earliest Corvette Grand Sport.  Further searching found a MPC 1964 chassis and interior.  One of my favorite kits due to the detail included.  I also found a Fred Cady decal sheet which will work.

This Corvette was raced in April 1963 driven by Dick Thompson for Grady Davis (Gulf Oil vice president for research) at the Marlboro racetrack in Maryland.

the chassis and engine went together well except for the rear trailing arms which had to be removed because of the larger kit tires.  A stock engine was used originally except for the aluminum bell housing and transmission case.

The body was painted with spray can white.  At first I thought the hood was missing the vent inserts but then found the inserts were not used on the real car.

A trial fit of the body on the chassis is encouraging.

 

 

 

[Mark W]

An excellent subject. I too have the makings of this early Grand Sport.

As a note, this car used the tube chassis as in the Accurate Miniatures kit.

The engine you have is correct, along with the aluminum transmission and bell housing. I believe the exhaust manifolds were aluminum also.

Your mockup looks pretty cool so far. Cant’t wait to see it with the decals.

[Gramps46]

The difference in scale between the Accurate Miniatures kit, 1/24 and the transkit 1/25 led me to use the MPC donor kit.  Not accurate but easier.  One mystery I have not solved yet is a roll bar, or not though it does have the birdcage like the production version. Harold Bradford also made a transkit in 1/25 scale.

[1959scudetto]

Great to see you building something new, Gary !

[Rich Chernosky]

Me too Gary. Great to see you at the bench.  Looks like a cool, well researched project.  Good luck with it. 

[250 Testa Rossa]

Awesome build! This GS is on my grail list

[Mark W]

It will be interesting to see your solution on the roll bar. Information I will need on mine.

Didn’t think of the scale, my body is 1/24.

[Gramps46]

I checked the Accurate Miniates kit has a simple roll bar hoop and in the early photos one is visible. 

[absmiami]

Granps - try a marking that you dont need to use for your car - you mite want to clear coat the Cady sheet ?

[Gramps46]

7 minutes ago, absmiami said:

Granps - try a marking that you dont need to use for your car - you mite want to clear coat the Cady sheet ?

Good point.  I tried that before and it worked well.

[Shark]

I vaguely remember the Cheesecast trans kit, it preceded the Accurate Miniatures kit, so that's why the scale difference. They used what was available at that time, being the AMT kit.

[Gramps46]

Made some progress in the last few days.  After assessing my aged shaking hands, I think the engine compartment is just about done.  The interior still needs seat belts, the big fuel tank, and a shifter.  I have already shaved off the radio on the dash leg.

 

[Gramps46]

The engine compartment and interior are done.

Now moving on to the body.

Edited July 6 by Gramps46

[Gramps46]

OK, on to the body.  The resin body is pretty nice Cheesecast resin transkit.  But there are some missing pieces.

Rear brake scopes, taillights, gas cap, windshield and rear window, and the headlight covers.  The Corvette C2 parts box came in handy including a front clip which yielded the headlight covers.

[Mark W]

Looks good so far Gary, especially the Halibrand wheels and skinny tires!

Nice to have found the substitute parts, missing special items can kill a build.

[Gramps46]

Mark, there is a story behind those Halibrands.  I carved a Corvette SS and sent it to Andy Martin, Aardvark Models, who made a kit of it.  I used the Strombecker Scarab Halibrands when I sent it to Andy.  Andy was good friends with Cheesecast who used the same Halibrands on his Grand Sport transkit.

 

[Dave B]

Hand carving Gary, a skill I could never master!!

SS and Scarab look great, as I am sure your Corvette will when finished.

Dave B 

[250 Testa Rossa]

Historic Racing Miniatures also does the Halibrands

[Gramps46]

Kidney Beans 😃

1/24: Strombecker ,Cheesecast, Historic Racing Miniatures, Aardvark 

Edited July 8 by Gramps46

[absmiami]

Ok Gramps

now you’ve done it - 

Once you are finished with the GS - or while the paint is drying - we must commence “the twin build”. ….

[Gramps46]

After a few trials the body has the headlight covers added and the white paint finished.  The photos are just mockups as the stance needs to be adjusted, and the windows and decal added.

 

 

[ismaelg]

Gary!

Glad to see you back at the workbench!  Will you believe me if I tell you I like this subject?  🤣

Looking really good!

Regards,
Ismael

[Gramps46]

I was ready to install the glass and the glass from the AMT and MPC spare parts kits did not fit, they were too small.  I tried other Monogram and Revell 1/25 kits and found the 1/24 Penske '66 Sunoco windshield and rear window did fit with a bit of trimming.  So now on to fitting and glueing the glass in.

[Mark W]

Good to see this moving along.

Those Halibrands look like they were designed for this car.

[Gramps46]

I know it looks kind of crude, but the clamp holds the window in place while the glue dries.  Oops, like some paint touch up need.