Scratch Building an Aussie Ford Falcon **New update,15/1/18**

[NormL]

WOW, that is incredible work. I wandered over to the model side for 3D printing ideas and you have given me a bunch, thanks for that (now the colossal search for time can start). Your ability to manipulate plastic just flat amazes me. You can print with your hands

[ShawnS]

Hey guys. Work continues on the Falcon so here is the new update. The last weeks have been taken up with doing the rear section of the curbside chassis. I wanted do make it with some moderate detail and keep it reasonably easy (?) to cast in resin later. I started by making a section that fits the bottom of the interior tub.

There is a step in the bottom of the interior tub that this new part sits comfortably in.

I then added the whole rear section and cut out the wheel wells.

It fits very nicely.

I then moved to the diff. I made the axle tubes first by glueing a length of square rod to a length of tube.

I added extra detail to the diff centre.

Before I installed the rear axle I added the rear chassis rails,

and made the rear suspension arms.

I also made the diff cover.

To be continued.............

[ShawnS]

......to be resumed.....

Everything in place.

I made the spare wheel well the same way as I did for the full detail chassis.

and made a resin copy of the fuel tank that I made earlier.

Next up was the uprights for the watts linkage.

I decided not to include the watts linkage as part of the chassis but I will cast the centre pivot separately and use evergreen rod.

To be continued.......

[ShawnS]

....to be ended....

I glued the tank and spare wheel well on and added the other chasis rail as well as the heat shield that goes between the exhaust and the tank.

The interior tub gives both location and support to the two chassis sections.

That's it for now. thanks for looking.

Cheers

ShawnS

[Helix]

Progressing well Shawn, amazing work mate, your attention to detail leaves me speechless

[mopar68]

Ah-hah! I see now, very clever Shawn I was wondering how the two chasis pieces would hold together, I hadn't noticed that step in the interior tub.

I would never have thought of that. It's a credit to you, even just possesing the ability to think ahead like that when you're building these parts, it just amazes me.

Keep up the great work mate.

[John Goschke]

You continue to amaze. When you're done with this project, please tool up a curbside '57 Buick Century two-door hardtop! I'll even buy a couple repops of the Falcon if that'll persuade you!

[Darin Bastedo]

Guys guys guys, I don't know why you would need a book when you can ask me anytime about how I did something. I'm more than happy to take questions and if I can help you with what you need to know I will. Call it an interactive book....

Cheers

ShawnS

Because I can take a book into the bathroom with me. Even if I could do that with you, I think it would make things awkward.

[Digo]

Oh my God

This is awesome!

My congratulations for skill!

This really is awesome!

big hug

Digo

[charlie8575]

That curbside chassis is remarkable.

I defy ANYONE to call one of those- well done, "simplified" again!

Charlie Larkin

[Pro Wrench]

Glad to see you back at this again. I learned a TON from your previous posts. As I type this there are 43 people, including myself, following this thread. I don't recall seeing a count that high on any other thread as of late.

[ShawnS]

Ah-hah! I see now, very clever Shawn I was wondering how the two chasis pieces would hold together, I hadn't noticed that step in the interior tub.

I would never have thought of that. It's a credit to you, even just possesing the ability to think ahead like that when you're building these parts, it just amazes me.

Keep up the great work mate.

Ha. Nothing to do with foresight or good planning Zac just a little serendipity. The step is there because the other chassis requires it to be there, infact I was cusing the step being there because it added an extra degree of difficulty to casting the tub. Funny how it all works out in the end.

Glad to see you back at this again. I learned a TON from your previous posts. As I type this there are 43 people, including myself, following this thread. I don't recall seeing a count that high on any other thread as of late.

Thanks Curt (and the 42 others). It's great to know that people are taking (learning) something from this project. I am actually considering doing some mini tutorials in the How-To section on the ways that I do things. Time will tell if I ever get around to it.

Thamks again everyone.

Cheers

ShawnS

[ShawnS]

Hi guys. If you like scratchbuilding, I just posted a thread in the How-To section on how to make an egg crate grille. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Cheers

ShawnS

[ShawnS]

Hi all, It's time for another update. I have been working on the last of the major construction for the curbside chassis. I have been busy filling the gap that was evident with the lack of any steering detail. I started by gluing some Evergreen half rod to some strip that was the same width and then cutting it to size and gluing the pieces to a section of Evergreen sheet.

I boxed in the part with some off cuts from my scrap styrene box and used that as a mould box. I then poured my moulding sillicone and had myself a mould from which I cast the part in resin.

Here is the part in place after having the excess resin removed and cleaned up. It will remain a separate part and not be part of the chassis casting.

As I wanted the wheel backs to have some detail too I made a resin copy of the brake disc cover from the full detail version and mated it to a wheel back from my spares box. I then made a mould of that and cast it in resin too.

For the rear wheel back I made a copy of the drum brake back from AMTs '60 Starliner and mounted that on another wheel back from my spares box.

All cast and ready for installation.

Once I had fitted everything together it was time to check the ride height. I knew from earlier test fitting that the rear ride height would be a bit too high but I wasn't expecting it to bee this much.

So after a bit of fine tuning I got it down to a better level.

The other thing that needed my attention was the big hollows in the top of the chassis so while I was messing around with the resin I filled them in. Resin was the best choice for this task as it dries hard and sands smooth.

Before.

After.

That's all this time. There is still a little work left to do but that's all the major construction complete on the chassis, it won't take too much time to finish the minor stuff and then I can move on to some other area of the build.

Cheers

ShawnS

[codie27]

This thread is a mindblower!! My dad played around with a couple of XD~XE's,even made one into a two door so the thought of one in resin has got me ,possibilties and such. Great work,always look forward to your updates

[Bennyg]

Awesome! As usual.

Ben

[Jeremy Jon]

Just reading through the pages, Fantastic work, really great detail, Love it!!

[ShawnS]

Hi again, It's been a while since the last update so I better fill you all in with where it's at. I have moved my attention to finishing off the nose of the car.

I started with the bumper and airdam. I originally wanted to cast the bumper separately from the airdam but when I recently noticed that the bumper had a bow in it I changed it to be one part.

I remade the bumper and tweaked the airdam a little too and then I cast it in resin.

The top of the bumper now has two notches for the light buckets to sit in and two tabs to help mount it to the body.

When I was working on the airdam my clumsy fingers damaged the fragile vertical slats in the grill. Unfortunately I couldn't fix them or get them to how they were before so I had to make up a separate part that could be inserted in to the back of the airdam.

At this stage I also needed to make the grill that goes inbetween the lights. I also made some resin copies.

I made it the same shape and curve to fit flush with the back of the nose. I also added some styrene to the sides to make the slots for the bumper mounting tabs.

I had made some headlight buckets not long after I made the body but I wasn't totally happy with them so I had to make some more.

You can see the notches on the bottom that fit into the bumper notches.

I also cast them too.

To be continued................

[ShawnS]

I also had to make and cast the reflectors that sit inside the buckets.

While I was casting things I also did the mirrors.

Once all of that was sorted I started on the headlights and indicators. The headlight lenses are from Tamiya's Nissan TRX, I had to add a small strip of evergreen to the bottom to get it to the right height. I cast those in normal resin and glued them to the indicator lenses that I had made from Evergreen. I then polished them up (an important step for clear casting) and cast them in clear resin. I painted the indicator lenses with clear orange for effect.

Test fitting showed that the resin coloured reflectors gave it a weird blank stare.

So I hit the reflectors with some BMF.

Still a few little tweaks required here and there but nothing too serious. Work will continue updates will follow. The next stop will be the rear end of the car.

Thanks for looking.

CheersSS

[epi4561]

Dude.... This is some insane work you are doing. You have a talent here that is second to NONE!!!! I am not intelligent enough to properly word how incredible this really is. I am in complete awe.... Thank you for sharing.

[Dominik]

...and it looks so easy...keep on going!

[Bennyg]

Very cool. I'm glad I've got a kit of my car.

Ben

[ShawnS]

Thank you all again.

Very cool. I'm glad I've got a kit of my car.

Ben

Some people are born lucky, others have to work hard for it.

I was looking at the pics of the assembled car in my previous post and I wasn't sure about the slab sided look that it had so I got some masking tape and a marker pen and blacked out the lower sill and the chin strip and I think it really made a difference.

It just needs the window frames and bumpers blacked out to complete the effect.

Onward and upward.

CheersSS

[Greg Wann]

I am in complete AWE too. This work is amazing.

[Bennyg]

Thank you all again.

Some people are born lucky, others have to work hard for it.

I was looking at the pics of the assembled car in my previous post and I wasn't sure about the slab sided look that it had so I got some masking tape and a marker pen and blacked out the lower sill and the chin strip and I think it really made a difference.

It just needs the window frames and bumpers blacked out to complete the effect.

Onward and upward.

CheersSS

You certainly have worked hard! Easily the best scratch building I've seen. Looking forward to seeing more. Cheers

Ben