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

[Greg Myers]

Do you have a web site for TDR ?

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Do you have a web site for TDR ?

www.tdrcatalog.com

tdr.innovations@gmail.com

[GrandpaMcGurk]

I started mocking up the frame so I could make cross-members and mounts......oppppps!

Looks like I'm going to have to shorten the oil can quite a bit more or go with a remote filter set-up.

Just one of those little gremlins that pop up when you are building outside the box.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

I drilled some oversize holes in the frame rails.

Cut a few short lengths of tubing......

The tubing will be sanded flush with the frame rails, filled and sanded.

When glued in place, the round tubing in the holes will actually make the frame stronger and less likely to twist or distort.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Just a couple of update pics......

This build is deciding what it wants to be as it goes along. I usually have a pretty good idea of what the finished car wants to be, but this one is just plain fun.

I've decided to use the QC rear from a big T kit, no buggy spring however. I'll being fabbing up a coil/shock absorber rear suspension (no, not coil-over). I'm not going to kit bash the front suspension...I have something a little different in mind for it.

[DaytonaTim]

Hey Don....looking pretty good!!

With all those holes in the chassis that thing should be able to whistle "My Little Deuce Coupe" or maybe something from the Beetles (keeping with the British origins of the Jag) while it is going down the road....

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Ha, ha.....they are purely functional Tim. The holes cut down on wind drag when "drifting" sideways.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Started gathering up parts (and de-chroming) to get a handle on what I can kit bash or scrounge from the parts box. The rest of what I need I'll have to cobble up best I can.

I'm using the W/W big & little's from the latest Big "T" kit. I'll have to fill these tires with floral foam or something to keep them from sagging (flat spots) over time. They are kind of flimsy compared to the old Monogram semi-pneumatic, painted W/W tires.

I found a couple of coil springs for the rear in an old defunct printer.....lots of cool parts for 1/8th builds inside the junk most folks just toss in the trash.

I cut the closed drive shaft tube off the kit "T" as I'll be using TDR U-joints and aluminum tubing for the the shaft.

I'll probably replace the kit radius rods and shocks with long traction bars and working shocks.

I'll use the kit brake drums and backing plates.

Disc brakes on the front (I'm going to open up drilled rotor holes a little more).

Started piecing together a log manifold for the carbs.....I had intended to use 6 single barrels but didn't want to have to build 6 of 'em.

6-2 barrels won't fit......5 looks goofy, so I settled on four, that's plenty for a six in a row anyway.

[comp1839]

looks great don! i especially like the front rotors.....go figure. all the pieces are starting to come together rather nicely.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Just havin' some fun Dave as this "termite candy" build is simply therapy for me and gives me an opportunity to hands on evaluate some of the TDR goodies. Whenever I start getting burned out on the Cuda I tinker with this.

I'm thinking I'm going to need some eye candy (just for giggles) to display this car with.

TDR is sending me a "Strevo" mastered resin surf board & I'll make a couple of fishing poles to strap to the roof.

I had an old MiniCraft "Rocket" steam engine gathering dust...don't remember what scale it was.

I took it apart because I could see the "bones" of one of those tow behind BBQ smokers hiding under all that Rail Road stuff.

I'll convert this to a smoker on a trailer.....like I said "havin' fun".

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Time for a quick mock-up to eyeball calibrate the ride height, wheel base and all that...most of all to get the nose down attitude I'm looking for. Making paper patterns for the floor boards, cross members etc, at the same time.

I had intended to use a steel rim in the the rear and the 5 spoke (gray centers) on the front but after squinting at it for a while I think I'll make a 10 or 12 spoke for the front. The 5 spoke looks a bit "heavy" on the front and I want to show off a little more of the drilled disc brake rotors.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Here's what I'm using to do the front spoke wheels.

I save old presription bottles etc. as I've found that they fit in R/M tires and save me from chasing around trying to find tubing to fit. I'll cut a section from it to do that part of the rim & use hobby shop tubing for the spokes.

[comp1839]

havin' fun is what it's all about don. i can't wait to see the front wheel go together. oh, and the tag along smoker sounds like the coolest!

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Thought about bending up some bomber seats out of thin aluminum for this shade tree hot rod....nah! Decided on on some Hi-tech racing seats instead.

[Jerred C.]

WOW This thing is looking rad man. I really like the seat idea. I seen a rat rod at one of the local show shines that had a pair of old aluminum folding lawn chairs for seats, they actually looked really cool mounted in there. Thats what I like about these kind of builds, it brings out imagination you didnt know you had. Keep up the good work. BIG J

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Mocking up the coil sprung QC rear....... guess I'll have to make a pan hard bar, spring cups & either split bones or long traction bars. Think I'll go with a couple of scratch built Brooklyn bridges.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Parts for biggies are where you find 'em. Sure there's a lot more available than there used to but that takes coins that are tougher to come come these days and half the enjoyment of building (at least for me) is making parts from dumpster finds.

I needed some cups for the coil springs....my tubing, parts box stash etc. were of no help and I didn't want to chase around looking for tubing in a size that would fit the coils springs....I cannibalized them from an old HP printer that was destined for the trash bin.

I had a half dozen old Koni-noor drafting pens, from another life, that are of no further use to me. I kept them simply because (as my wife says)I'm an incurable pack rat. I'll be using the pen caps to make the spring cups.

It removed the metal pocket clip and cut a section from the end of the cap.

I took 4 caps and a little sanding to get the job done, as a plus the inside of the caps are threaded so I was able to "screw" the spring into the cap section. A small dab of JB Weld will hold the spring firmly in place. In other words it'll keep the rear assembly from falling out if the car is lifted off it's wheels. I'll also put a "stop" in the shocks for a little added security. Yes....it will be working suspension.

So there you have it...tapered spring cups...no hours of tedious work and best of all...no cost.

[Smart-Resins]

Now that hack job would be very cool! What ever did happen with that old C cab? Boy do I remember that from some years ago!

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Now that hack job would be very cool! What ever did happen with that old C cab? Boy do I remember that from some years ago!

Ahhhhh yes, the old C-cab.

Jody, the first scratch built prototype went to my buddy Don in Maine. He added his own twist to it and I believe he sold it as a finished model on eBay, The re-designed second one was beefed up so that it could be used as a master for a glass body.....I have it here waiting it's turn for final finishing and then it's off to the Madd Fabricator for a mold. However, there are some new TDR bodies that need to be completed before the Cab surfaces again.

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Went to the mail box yesterday and was surprised with a package from TDR.

I wanted a surf board to toss in this build.......you guessed it...TDR has one in resin. It was mastered by Steve Warden, he did a great job getting the curves and overall shape looking sweet!

It's a BIG board, close to 18" long, perfect for this build.

I grabbed this pic from TDR's eBay ad.

Here's a link to the ad if anyone wants one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300437006408&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

[Danno]

Continuing "WOW!"

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Continuing "WOW!"

Glad it tickles your fancy Danno, just for giggles I'm thinking about putting a small motor and prop on the board. Like I said earlier...this build is simply for fun, it keeps me from getting burned on my TDR projects. I have to take a break from the Cuda from time to time and this allows me to build something that isn't a brain strain.

[old-hermit]

grabbed this pic from TDR's eBay ad.

Ya want $33.00 for a freakin surf board that can be made for less than five bucks with styreen and bondo ????????????

[GrandpaMcGurk]

Well good morning to you Al.

I think you're comparing apples to oranges with your response.

Sure, anyone with basic skills can fab up a 1/8th board with styrene and bondo or a host of other materials for around 5 bucks, more power to ya. I'd like to see many more folks scratch building.....large scale could certainly use it.

However (keep in mind this is a large surf board)......could you do a master, make a mold, cast the boards in resin (you know what resin & RTV costs) do the advertising, ship internationally, take care of Uncle Sam, inventory parts, run ads on eBay, set up a web site for your products deal with daily emails from folks with questions......sell maybe a half dozen or so boards in a small niche market, assuming that your time has no value and make money?

Honestly Al, if you can, even at 25 bucks a pop you might want to consider getting into the surf board biz?

[old-hermit]

Good day to you too Don,

I am not now and never intend to get into the production & sales end of this hobby. It would ruin the fun for me.

As you state, it is a small niche market so why bother to "do a master, make a mold, cast the boards in resin (you know what resin & RTV costs) do the advertising, ship internationally, take care of Uncle Sam, inventory parts, run ads on eBay, set up a web site for your products deal with daily emails from folks with questions......sell maybe a half dozen or so boards in a small niche market" ????????? It's not worth the return on investment. But TDR sells a lot of other pricey products so one little item isn't going to dig deep into your profit margin.

Most large scale builders must scratch build to create what they want because the commercial model companies have to think of their profit margin too and won't/don't offer what we want. TDR is providing a service to the large scale model building community that I think is needed and definately wanted but I also believe that most builders won't buy the products because of the price. And from what I've read here on this forum about the work required to make the items useable after purchase would be a deterent also. I've seen 3-D files printed on a top shelf RP printer and the finish is perfect unlike TDR's. Afterward they were cast in resin with the same perfect finish. I will add that an engine done this way sells for about half of what TDR is asking for theirs. And to compare apples to oranges, I see hundreds of ads for Pocher kits & parts on e bay and some dealers and sites exclusively for Pocher but you rarely see one built because of the same aforementioned reasons. I wish you, Rick & Tim the best of luck with your endeavour. Time will tell.