Blue Max Mustang II-now a W.I.P.!

[iBorg]

I'm still on the road but brought with me an AMT Mustang II funny car that has been modified a great deal to be close to accurate. I'm wanting to replicate the '85 Blue Max. If you've got any pictures of this car you'd care to share, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,

MIke

Edited August 28, 2012 by iBorg

[kitswapper]

The Mustang II is the 1974/77 car, the 1985 mustang is completely different, I have pictures which car do you want

[iBorg]

I'm interested in the 74-77 car. Guess I'm a victim of late night brain fade.

[1320wayne]

[1320wayne]

[1320wayne]

[iBorg]

A few of those I've seen. Several others are really helpful. Hopefully next week I'll be able to post my severely modified AMT body.

Mike

[iBorg]

A bit of a bump please......

Anyone got chassis photos of the 1976 Blue Max chassis. I'm trying to do a good replication but need any and all chassis shots. I do have the feature from the March Car Craft magazine.

Thanks!

[vintagedragfan]

its time for some progress pics Mike!!

[iBorg]

Having been called out by Bill, I guess I'll convert this to a work in progress. I'm not a real good person for a work in progress. That implies that I'll actually finish it, which based upon my completion rate is unlikely.

The body for this kit is based on the AMT Mustang II funny car. Like most of the funny cars molded in the 70's it has it shares of issues. MPC had several bodies that simply were stock cars with molded in-place hoods. This Mustang II may be the worst.

I started this about fifteen years ago, got disgusted and quit. Some elements of the body, AMT nailed, others look like the designers never saw a picture of an actual funny car. The greenhouse area is very close. The window trim is terribly off. The front end looks like it has a five mile per hour crash bumper on it. The body scales out to about a 100 inch wheelbase. The lower body panels have side trim with heavy rivets that indicate the body reinforcement trim is about a foot high up the body. It has header cut-outs that extend the full height of the body reinforcement trim. Finally that horrendous trim rolls under the body so greatly, that I doubt a real one would come out of the mold without damage.

In searching for another started project, I found this and thought it was worth another try.

Originally I filled the rear window and fabricated the spolier. The rear spoiler was easy to fabricate as the rear panel needs molded in. I used the gap at the top of the rear panel for the base of the spoiler and cut a wedge for the rest of the spoiler to fit into. You can tell most of the old work by the reddish brown body filler. This project stopped when I tried to extend the wheelbase. No matter what I tried, the extension kept on breaking loose.

Out of boredom, I tried again. This time I shaped a piece of .250 Evergreen to the shape of the body and tried again. Initally I reinforced this joing with .15 plastic inside the body. I didn't like the appearance and eventually replaced it with fiberglass tape for plaster embedded in expoxy.

After getting the wheelbase closer to accurate, there was still the matter of the body trim at the bottom. I removed it and then had a car with the desired wheelbase but with a body much shorter than desired. I then added a replacement panel cut in a wedge shape. This allowed me to regain the desired height, gave the body the wedge shape I desired and got rid of the inner curve of the AMT original.

It was then time to move to the nose and rear of the body. This body was orginally molded with the federally mandated bumpers that could survive a five mile per hour impact. AMT molded this funny car body with these bumpers. To remedy this, the ends of the rear bumper were removed, narrowed and the re-attached. At this point the front end needed to be addressed. The bumper was narrowed, and then set back into the body. You can see in one of the pictures what was removed from the original front end. The original spoiler was also removed, sectioned into three sections and reattached. It was widened with the resulting gaps filled with Evergreen. It was closer to right. I then added a piece of half round Evergreen which was then filed to shape. I'm very happy with how this turned out. This may be my best body work. It needs additional refining but it is much closer to accurate than it was fifteen years ago.

Next up the chassis......

[vintagedragfan]

sweet Mike! you got started on it! stay with it man, think how sweet it will be to see it completed! nice work!