eviltwincustoms Posted October 8, 2011 Posted October 8, 2011 Bart... Thanks buddy. Yeah its all good. Been thinking abou this at work today and it doesn't seem like it will be a real tuff fix, its more so just some elbow grease. I have to blame myself for not paying attention to this small detail sooner like when I was doing all of the support tube. . This body is the original styrene plastic body. I think I am going to go remove the rear end and then mock it up where I want it to be and will take a few pics to show where it is right now and what the goal is. Give me a few and will get some pics up Well darn, styrene is a bit more work as you stated. You can't cheat and just grind some of the thickness out. Just looking at what you can do, I am sure you will figure this out with a little elbow grease.... and a spoon full of sugar.. makes the medicine go down... the medicine go down... Oh wait.. I am getting hysterical here, we are talking cars not show tunes!
Mooneyzs Posted October 8, 2011 Author Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) Sorry guys I got busy for a few... here are the pics.... Â Â Current height: Â Â Â Â Height shooting for: Edited July 23, 2017 by Mooneyzs
Mooneyzs Posted October 8, 2011 Author Posted October 8, 2011 Brad....Sorry I took more than a few... just realized it was like an hour and half... Bart... you are right that styrene is a little more work but after seeing the pics and the stance. I know its the way to go. I will also have to modify the interior tin but thats ok. And as far as the way the body was going to mount and sit on the chassis, it was all going to be scratch built with either tubing or rod and have all of the support braces.
gasser59 Posted October 8, 2011 Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) I sure like how it sits in the lower position. Was this picture achieved by taking out the rear axle and setting the wheels and tires in position? If so, I think you've arrived at your decision. The axle needs moving up. If this is the case, the headers height looks good, what about the lower frame rail being parallel to the ground? Oh - I have some printing plate for you. Edited October 8, 2011 by gasser59
Mooneyzs Posted October 8, 2011 Author Posted October 8, 2011 The more I look at the lower position pic... the more I like it and it just looks right. I think I removed the rear end totally just to get it at the height I want. I think you are right that I have arrived at my decision the rear end needs to move up. I will need to double check the lower frame rail, I think part of it is paralles to the ground. I will bring some stuff with me tomorrow to show you mocked up in the lower position Oh very sweet on the printing plate thank you very much for bringing some with you.
gasser59 Posted October 8, 2011 Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) I had the distinct pleasure of viewing Chris' outstanding build firsthand this morning and I must say its spectacular. His level of detail and attention to the smallest of intricate parts is amazing. Just being able to bolt things together and take them apart again is phenominal in itself. Thanks for sharing your stuff with me Chris. I now see a 1/16th scale in my future. I hope its just one though. Edited October 8, 2011 by gasser59
Danno Posted October 9, 2011 Posted October 9, 2011 Uh ... in shock ... tightness in chest ... unable to breathe. Chris brought this amazing model to the swap meet today and we ended up with a mini-club meeting attended by several Moonlight Modelers, a few Cactus Car Modelers, several IPMS members and quite a few new friends, including Johnathan and Uncle Keith and Agent G (all the way from Vast Losses, NV) and a cast of thousands, all drooling over this build. The collective determination was: WOW!!! This is a most excellent model that just blows you away with all the precise detail! Chris has complete documentation (engineering drawings, photo book and notes) memorializing every step of the build! It is very much ANOTHER masterpiece! It just defies description! And, Brad "gasser59" Norgaard had his stunning altered there as well. It is spectacular! To see both of these pieces of art on the same table at the same time and to study the minute details was to appreciate automotive modeling art at its very best!! We in Phoenix are quite modeling-fortunate, as these guys are right up "there" with the best! And that's worth an emoticon!
Mooneyzs Posted October 9, 2011 Author Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) Hey Brad.... It was so great to see you and talk to you about your build and mine. I love that Fiat you got going. the detail is just awesome. Thanks for the comments and ideas today as well as some of that printing plate. I will be tinkering with that for sure and gonna try that trick to bead roll it. It is confirmed after today that I will be chopping that rear end up and getting the ride height adjusted. Again always a pleasure chatting with you. I will be sending you an email shorty with a few of those pics we talked about. Danno.... Great to see you to buddy. Always nice to talk with you. thanks for the compliments on this build. Hold on to your hat and wait to see what else I have in store.... Well I am off to start hacking up the rear end and redoing it. Will have some pics up later. Edited October 9, 2011 by Mooneyzs
1320wayne Posted October 9, 2011 Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) Chris, after seeing your mockup pics. of the ride height and where you want to get to I was going to suggest to you the same changes that I do for any of the 1/25th scale Revell funny cars that I created a tutorial on a few years back. However, after going back into this post, to remind myself of just how much scratchbuilding and added detail you did to your rear differential mounting, the basic idea most likely won't work. The easiest way to lower these types of funny car builds is to simply cut off the triangle rearend mounting points and raise them up to the point that they are just below the lower body hinge bracket. But, with all that you did it doesn't look like you could go back and do that. Another way to lower the stance is to raise the body brace/chassis mounting bracket that attaches inside the rear of the body. But, if you choose that route then you would almost have to cut down the top of the rollcage to clear the roof of the body. But, with your skills at what you have accomplished already, I'm sure you will figure it out and it will look incredible. Can't wait to see more. Edited October 9, 2011 by 1320wayne
Mooneyzs Posted October 9, 2011 Author Posted October 9, 2011 Hey Wayne, really appreciate your comments and suggestion. I have to agree that you are right about cutting the triangle rearend mounting points and raising them. its really the only way to get the correct ride height. I have actually started cutting out some of the parts that I scratch built and then I am going to cut the Triangle mount that you mentioned and going to raise it. I have figured that since I have already done so much work to this that I need to go back and redo this the right way. Its one of those little details I wish I could of paid more attention to at the time I was adding all of the extra bracing to the rearend. I could just about kick myself in the butt for not double checking but Its ok I know once I get it fixed it will be worth the time to redo it. the high stance in the rear was just killing me the way it was sitting since it just doesn't look right. I don't get it why revell made it the way they did at the time. Its a lesson learned and now I know what to do from the get go. Thanks again.
Mooneyzs Posted October 9, 2011 Author Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) Alright guys, I am sure some of you were waiting on pictures last night. After I got done working on it for a bit last night. I was too tired to download and edit the photos and post. Been doing some work on it this moring between watching my Minnesota Vikings crush the Arizona Cardinals. I started out last night cutting the rear end area up to fix the ride height. Happy with the progress so far and definitly going to be very happy with the stance once I am done updating this part of the build. Here are some pics to show you what I have done..... Â I started out first by cutting the 6 support tubes away from the frame to remove the rear end: Â Â Â Â Â I then cut the rear end brackets off the frame, in doing so I noticed one of them had a crack in it and had to put some weld on #3 to weld it back together: Â Â Â Â Â After I had cleaned up the areas that I cut away, it was time to glue the rear end brackets back to the frame. I ended up taking some stiff 1/4" wide brass flat bar taped it to the back of the area I was going to be gluing to so I could make sure when I put the bracket back into place that it was at the correct angle and flat: Â Â Â Â Â After gluing the rear end brackets back in, I decided that I wanted to put some support pieces behind it so I cut some piece out of .020" thick styrene got them to the shape I wanted: Â Â Â Â Â Then I glued them in with Weld-On #3: Â Â Â Â This is where I am at currently, Now time to start cutting and coping the tubing to get the other tube supports back in this build. I should have more pics up later for everyone to view. Thanks for following along. Edited July 23, 2017 by Mooneyzs
Mooneyzs Posted October 9, 2011 Author Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) Thank you Wayne. I feel like I went with the right decission by fixing this and am happy knowing the ride height won't be an eye sore to me so to speak. I know I would of had regrets down the road if I didn't do this. It was a lesson learned the hard way but I wouldn't of changed it from what I learned and took away from it. Edited October 9, 2011 by Mooneyzs
Mooneyzs Posted October 9, 2011 Author Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) I have gotten the bottom tube supports fixed and glued into place. Here is an updated pic   Bottom Tube Support:  Edited July 23, 2017 by Mooneyzs
gasser59 Posted October 10, 2011 Posted October 10, 2011 Cool, that's part one of a minor rebuild. Looks good Chris. Hope the rest goes along smoothly. How long did it take you to get this part done?
Mooneyzs Posted October 10, 2011 Author Posted October 10, 2011 (edited) Hey Brad.. Thanks man. I worked on it yesterday for about 3 hours which was pretty much gettting everything cut off and reworking the factory rear end mount and getting that glued in and let it dry over night. Then today I started with making the rear end support pieces that I glued behind the rear end brackets and then reworked and glued all of the support tube. I just finished the rest about 30 mins ago and have a few pics to add but I clocked 6-1/2 hours on it today. So a grand total of 9-1/2 hours. This was also while I was watching DVR'd episodes of some drag racing that I didn't get to see the past couple weekends along with watching some football today too. Feels good to have it done and just letting it dry over night again and now I will be able to send those rims back to Jim and drawings to the other parts I want to have him make. Then I will be able to make the adjustment on the width of the rearend since I still need to shorten it to get the wheels tucked in the body and the wheels closer to the chassis. So a very productive weekend getting this fixed. I don't have any regrets with the time I put in to fix it.   Here is the Top tube supports bolted the piece into the rear end and then made tube to fit and glued it in:      And here I fabricated new pieces from the top to the rear end:      This is just a view from the other side to show the support tubes:  Edited July 23, 2017 by Mooneyzs
gasser59 Posted October 10, 2011 Posted October 10, 2011 Looking really good Chris. So now the big glaring question, how's it fit the body now? After what I saw and we discussed yesterday morning, it should be just about perfect if not dead on.
Mooneyzs Posted October 10, 2011 Author Posted October 10, 2011 Thank you Brad.... Feels great to have this fixed and now I can go forward on some other stuff for this built and the fact that this isn't eating at me anymore since I got it fixed. Sometimes the stance makes or brakes my builds in my opinion. The Body height is where I needed it to be and as you said it's just about perfect if not dead on. I will make some adjustments when I get to fabricating all of the support rods structure under the body so the fender wells are at the same height. right now since i am just sitting the body on the top of the rollcage it wants to lean a smidge one way or the other just cause of the balance point on it. Stay tuned and hope I can get a few things done tonight after I so some house chores when I get home. Debating at tackling the seat, maybe the side panels around the chassis.... the engine.... guess what ever calls me... I am a little undecisive at the moment
baddgass Posted October 10, 2011 Posted October 10, 2011 (edited) Chris been missing this build of yours, but to see all the work you put in, WOW just GREAT! The engine, frame just looks outstanding. Edited October 11, 2011 by baddgass
Mooneyzs Posted October 11, 2011 Author Posted October 11, 2011 Derrick.... Thanks man. Hoping to make some more progress this week on this and have some good updates for everyone.
John Teresi Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 Chris.....looking good......I heard some really good thing`s about your build from the "Moonlighters".......congrat`s buddy.
Mooneyzs Posted October 11, 2011 Author Posted October 11, 2011 Hey John... thanks man, appreciate the kind words from you. The guys from the "Moonlighters" are great guys for sure.
Mooneyzs Posted October 12, 2011 Author Posted October 12, 2011 Thank you Tyrone, I appreciate the kind words
my80malibu Posted October 14, 2011 Posted October 14, 2011 Hi Chris, It was great meeting you and seeing this cool model your building. at last saturdays swap meet.I wish I would have had more time to visit with you and ask more questions. However I was drooling so badly. that I had to step away quickly.It is going to be Immaculate when you finish it. See at the contest table Gabriel
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