Plastic Surgery for the 1/8th "Big T"

[arick]

This is what I'm doing with one of my 8th scale Willys bodies Ira. The top has been removed and the windshield is chopped and laid back. The interior tub has been modified, the cowl has been dropped, the body and hood have been pie cut and the headlights have been laid back. I'm going to put it on a modified TDR Pro Street chassis and will probably put a TDR BBC in it.

This is my 8th scale coupe. Its on a TDR Pro Street chassis and is powered by a TDR426.

Sorry Don, didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Edited February 5, 2010 by arick

[GrandpaMcGurk]

You're not hi-jacking anything Rick....It's all about the models and that's why we are here. There's nothing I enjoy more than seeing what fellow modelers are doing and sharing with them. It's easy enough for me to get back to the Cab and hopefully we are inspiring others to push back from the 'puter games and let their imaginations have some room to play. Your roadster is a class act my friend.

I appreaciate input from other MCM members and in no way consider it hi-jacking.

Edited February 6, 2010 by GrandpaMcGurk

[old-hermit]

I appreaciate input from other MCM members and in no way consider it hi-jacking.

OK, you might want to crop the date stamp from your pics.

I'm working with new parts,

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Nice catch Al, Yep it's an old picture from an early build I started at Scale Motorcars. It saves me a bunch of time that I can put into building instead of rebuilding a platform and taking new pics of a frame I won't be using. When I'm done with the current body it will be cast in glass before I build the finished frame. Is there a problem?

The "I'm working with new parts" caption simply means I won't be building the finished car with a prebuilt kit.

Edited February 6, 2010 by GrandpaMcGurk

[CB]

SWEEEEET!

[old-hermit]

Is there a problem?

No problem Don. Just a casual observation. By the way, I looked on Scale Motor Cars website and wasn't able to find any of your completed work. Do you have a Fotki or fotobucket site so I can see some of your finished big scale builds.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

No problem Don. Just a casual observation. By the way, I looked on Scale Motor Cars website and wasn't able to find any of your completed work. Do you have a Fotki or fotobucket site so I can see some of your finished big scale builds.

Fair question and it deserves an answer.

As you know I was a member of Large Scale Modeler many moons ago. There were some personality conflicts and to be honest with you it got down right ugly at times. There has been a long standing beef between LSM and SMC and as far as I can tell there is no resolution in sight. Frankly, I've had enough of it. I will in no way bring any of that baggage to MCM other than to answer your question.

While I was at SMC most of what I did was in the form of how to and as the moderator. I'd take those builds as far as I needed to show what I needed to.... no intention of finishing them. Those were traded or given away to members.

I'm no longer a moderator at SMC and post there very rarely.

In an effort to avoid another who did this part or that part, the only builds I will be posting here at MCM will be totally devoid of parts cast from either LSM or SMC.

I have a photobucket account and my builds have parts and bodies from both sites so they will remain private.

I will use my scratch built parts, TDR parts, kit parts and MF glass bodies for the most part. So if you want to see finished models coming from my workbench, stay tuned.

When this C-cab goes to the Madd Fabricator for a mold I'll be doing a scratch built stretched frame and using the TDR Jag for the engine. It will be built here at MCM....nuff said?

[old-hermit]

I never wanted your history or personal conflicts to be brought up here Don.

I just wanted to see your work. I will reserve my comments in the future.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

I never wanted your history or personal conflicts to be brought up here Don.

I just wanted to see your work. I will reserve my comments in the future.

Cool......No need to tip toe around, I appreciate your input and have nothing but respect for your creative builds....besides, I don't think anyone hates sanding more than you and I do. When the dust settles let's talk a bit about getting a really good 1/8th (highly detailed) knuckle and panhead in the works?

[baddgass]

NICE BUILD UP GRANDPA I B LOOKING IN.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

NICE BUILD UP GRANDPA I B LOOKING IN.

Please do, I'm no expert nor claim to be, but hopefully I can convince a few members that have considered venturing into scratch building or large scale by doing what I can to help them avoid some of the costly mistakes I've made.....still make boo boos, but hey, that's all part of taking the "I wish I could do that" out of the equation. Like the man said...it isn't rocket science......just a learning curve.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Adding the tailpiece.

[Harry P.]

... the only builds I will be posting here at MCM will be totally devoid of parts cast from either LSM or SMC.

I don't think there's any problem whatsoever with you posting any of your work regardless of where that parts may have come from.

We're here to learn from each other... the origin of the parts doesn't matter, it's what you do with them that we're interested in.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

I don't think there's any problem whatsoever with you posting any of your work regardless of where that parts may have come from.

We're here to learn from each other... the origin of the parts doesn't matter, it's what you do with them that we're interested in.

Thanks Harry, I appreciate that and point taken.

[old-hermit]

I don't think there's any problem whatsoever with you posting any of your work regardless of where that parts may have come from.

We're here to learn from each other... the origin of the parts doesn't matter, it's what you do with them that we're interested in.

Thanks Harry, I appreciate that and point taken.

So, can we see pics of your previous completed 1/8 scale builds then ?

[GrandpaMcGurk]

The seam between the kit bucket and the styrene panel "plastic welded" and sanded. No need to worry about the seam cracking as there will be a one piece outer skin added later. The exhaust pipe hole was also filled.

Edited February 18, 2010 by GrandpaMcGurk

[GrandpaMcGurk]

I used some plastic strips to make a ledge on the inside of the body...these will allow me to mount the floor boards and have a solid glued joint. Once the floor boards are installed they will also position the body on the frame where I want it.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

The first photo is the main floor board, you could measure and cut one from styrene but I simply modified the Big Drag floor that's included in the 3'n 1 "T" kit. The photo shows where I removed material and notched it to fit the kit frame pins for mounting the body.

The second shows it in position....hold it in place and draw a line along the inside of the body to position a 1/8" strip like I did with the rear deck.

The 3rd pic is the area that I need to cut another panel for.

I'm not gluing the floor panels in yet because being the new floor sits much closer to the frame than the kit interior I'll need to scratch build a bell-housing cover and drive shaft tunnel....don't ya just love scratch building? Every time you make a change to the basic kit it requires changes elsewhere, that's what keeps it challenging I guess.

I won't be installing a tunnel in this thread as I'm going to have this body cast in fiberglass and will be using TDR's Jag engine and trans.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Think I'll get my bud "bones" to do some of this sanding for me.

[Harry P.]

Where did you get Bones from?

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Where did you get Bones from?

Harry, Keith S. (88 proof) sent me bones many years ago. It's cool...fully articulated so it can be posed in most any position. It snaps together and is not hard plastic...it's somewhat flexible. Looks to be around 1/6th scale.

I've looked for them hoping to purchase a couple more but haven't come across them anywhere. If I were to ever do a boot-hill express or lil coffin in 1/6th it would be ideal as a display item with the model. It's also crossed my mind to use the bones to construct a frame for a one off radical 1/6th chopper frame. Lot's of possibilities just lack of time....you know how that goes. LOL

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Here's a few more pics.....

The hole in the rear deck is for rear frame crossmember clearance (if you are using the kit buggy spring). You could either scratch a cover for the opening or cut the one from the kit pick-up box and glue it in as a cover. The frame rails you see in the photo are the scratch built ones I'll be using for my finished model. I also scratch built a '32 inspired dash for this build as the flat "T" dash didn't exactly blow my skirt up.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Here's another bunch of pics.....the top suits my orbs, the soon to be beer keg gas tank seems appropriate for this car. I'll get into more about the frame later...I wanted the nose in the weeds and didn't want to use a tall spring perch. I also didn't want to "Z" the frame like the back as those types of mods on the front hurt my face.

So I put on my artsy fartsy hat and did a swoopy drop on the front frame rails. Yeah...I know it looks like frame horns upside down, but I'm going to run coils on this front end...not the kit buggy spring. The frame has been stretched to accommodate the TDR Jag engine.

So what ya think Al? Yes, I'll post some of my old builds......at my own chosen speed, sir.

Edited February 19, 2010 by GrandpaMcGurk

[GrandpaMcGurk]

These photos show the outer and final skin in place (I'll be adding rain gutters, rear doors etc.).....some of you may have noticed that the firewall is now solid, that's because it's going to be cast and it will allow you to open it up for whatever you decide you want to use for your builds should you decide you want one. At this point I'm going to add a lot of bracing, etc. inside so that it will hold up to the mold making process. If you scratch build the tub as I've outlined you could at this point make a top out of balsa etc. for an original Woody or a surf woody...C-cab pickup...whatever. Once the tub is done it's up to you to suit yourself.

The only top I'm going to have cast is the unit I've displayed. I'll post pics of the finished ready for casting body with all the ginger bread and get started on the frame and drive train for my own personal build and post pics as I go along if you guys are interested.

[MADD FABRICATOR]

Harry, you can get an 8inch skeleton from a company at www.visumedical.com. He's called "Petite Pete" and retails for around $10.00. Should be what you're looking for.

CHEERZZZZ !!!!! MF