Frankie Goes To Hollywood

[Dr. Cranky]

I've added a few more trinkets to the interior . . . I still want to do a dirty rag and put it on top of the pizza box and on top of that a slice of pizza . . .

Man, these shots are really pumping me up . . . I better hurry up and get to work on that engine . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

Good news: the steering wheel is finally on . . . and with a necker knob too . . . I think this sucker is gettin' done!!!

I want to thank all of you who suggested details . . . it made me quite aware I should have a healthy list of stuff to put on . . .

So thank you!!!

[Dr. Cranky]

You know a lot of the fun that comes from working this way, at least the way I work, is to bring out all the gadgetry and what Shep Payne calls gyzmology . . . just stuff that fits but god knows what it does or is for . . . case in point, the little lever on the left hand side of the steering wheel . . . don't ask me what it does, but I sure like it . . .

And, well, I decided against the slice of pizza . . . (I think that would have attracted roaches, and you know how Frankie feels about those tasty morsels!), so instead I went with a box of nice cheapy cigars, just the way I likes them . . .

Plus if ever the song by Pink Floyd comes on: "Come in here, Dear Boy, have a cigar . . . you gonna go far!" comes on, the he's gonna crack a smile and feel the zap of electricity coursing through those neck bolts of his!

[Jairus]

V,

Better make sure that the suspension is really low. I mean REALLY LOW, like ground scraping.... totally undriveable.... can't fit a freeking piece of paper under it LOW!

OKAY?

[Dr. Cranky]

Oh boy, this might just set me back a little . . . well, ahem . . . I thought it was low, but now, gee, now I will have to build the front and rear suspension again . . . I will have to hatchet . . . cut . . . lower, you say, LOWER?

Oh boy . . .

[Jairus]

V,

Only change it if you want to... it's your call and your model after all.

[Dr. Cranky]

It's fixed, now it's only an 1/8th off the ground . . . probably a little higher, but a much better fix . . . it's going to make for a rough ride, for sure . . .

I should have a few pics up within the hour . . . the wife and I are going to dinner.

Thanks for keeping me honest with this build . . . I mean, why Z-frame, if it ain't gonna go low, right?

[Dr. Cranky]

Okay, J . . . here are some pictures . . . it's not sitting on the dirt, but it's low enough . . . even when I tried a few different suspension systems, it would still only come so low . . . I guess next time I will have to measure a bit better to get a real pavement pounder!

Thank goodness I had not glued anything in place . . . so it made the cutting and rigging a bit easier . . .

Those frame rails are riding welded to the front suspension cross bar . . .

I have to admit it's a much better look . . . it would have been killer to have it on the grass!!!

[Dr. Cranky]

Here are a few more shots . . . I hope that those of you have had more experience Z-ing a frame can jump in and let me know exactly where I could have gone wrong . . . maybe I needed a bit more height for the rear suspension and then leave the rails straight in front . . . what do you think?

I still think it looks pretty darn good . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

You know what J & folks? . . . I am not happy with this frame . . . and the way I look at it is I have worked too hard on the cab, the bed, the tires and wheels to let one component get in the way of this baby looking mean and ground bound . . .

Okay, so I'm thinking outloud here . . . in order to get it lowered, I need to bring the top rails of the Zs a bit higher, right?

This is only going to set me back a few days, so I might still make the unveiling for Holloween . . .

I hope you guys don't think I'm crazy, but Jarius is right . . . it should be LOW. LOW!!!!

Edited October 28, 2007 by DamnCranky

[BIGTRUCK]

When I did one last year I ''Zd'' the frame as low as I could, then modified the body to let it sit even lower....Virgil your build is very good..I really think the interior is super...when you think its low enough...go lower..

they take them looooowwww

[BIGTRUCK]

It acctually looks like the body is not sitting in the ''Zd'' pocket, the front of the body is sitting on the high rails

[Modelmartin]

You can Z it more and that will help but you need to notch the back of the cab and channel that thing over the frame too. You are running into the down side of not fabricating all of your components before putting a finish on them. It's real nice to know that you have the "look" before you start painting. Then you don't have to go back and undo some of your work. You may need to redo parts of your interior to get that thing down in the gravel. It's looking good and I know you will get there.

[Jairus]

Yes LOW! Like this....

Spring perches are the secret I believe. You can change the road height quite a bit by changing that piece regardless of the "Z".

The rear frame really kicks up because I used a rear spring with a big arch...

Then the front axle is mounted suicide style with a really deep style spring mount...

But... wait a min. Is that radiator allowing light to show through?

Yes, the mesh is simply a handful of photo-etch pieces superglued together. Cool huh?

The judges at GSL missed that and a bunch of other details all together but who cares! I was building it for myself and not for a contest.

James car is even lower by the way....

[Dr. Cranky]

Wow, those are great . . . yeah, I am getting the idea, though now that I've started to work on the second frame, which turns out it is the first frame I built but with the rack in the back higher . . . I think I would have to cut into the floor of the cab to go all the way down to the ground, and that is something it might be too late for this build . . .

But I did manage to drop it lower . . . we'll see what it looks like in the pictures once I get the frame reprimed and repainted.

Jairus, you did that rat rod? Man, I remember seeing it in a someone's show archive and I though it was just too much . . . didn't you build a companion piece to this one?

I love rat rods, and I can't get enough of them . . .

Thanks for sharing!

[Jairus]

Yes I built that one. The other rod was built by James Warkentin my good friend and model buddy here in Salem. He and I bounce ideas off each other and we constructed the cars at the same time. James is a master of dirt, rust and weathering. However, if you want stance... you gotta listen to me! I am sure you have what it takes to create the three musketeers of the Rat! ... However it is getting late and I go to bed now.. see you tomorrow V!

J

[Dr. Cranky]

Ah, sleep is a great thing when you can get it . . . I tell you what, you guys' vehicles got me so excited last night, I could not sleep, so I stayed up until the wee hours reworking my frame . . . and I am happy to report this morning that my Frankie is sitting pretty low . . .it was like a crash lesson in framing . . . no wonder most of you guys could, by now, build a read one of these with the right tools, etc . . . just wonderful stuff . . .

I also want to thank you Jairus, and all the other friends on this forum who came to the rescue with great suggestions, and most of all the right kind of cheerleading and critical eye . . .

As you will get to know me, you will realize that I am mostly a lazy builder, always trying to take shortcuts . . . and this exchange has taught me a lesson . . . I mean, why build something if you ain't gonna do it right, right?

Just a heart-felt THANK YOU to all of you who pushed me forward . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

Update on the frame . . . so I raised the back and cut down the front suspension risers . . . and now it rides as long as it can go . . . which is pretty LOW . . .

Geez, this one should have been named: FRANKIE'S LIMBO!!!

I will primer it if the weather helps it along, and then paint it so I should be ready to finish putting it all back together starting tomorrow . . .

I am hoping though to have a few mock ups for you guys today . . . we'll see how it goes . . .

[Jairus]

Virgil, far be it from me to tell any modeler how they should do their own hobby!

That said.... I suspect that you couldn't wait to start throwing some paint around as I think that is your best trait.

But the best course of action in my opinion is to mock up the car before painting. Here is the previous T-bucket in mockup mode as I was studying the stance and going for the look. I will usually not begin painting until everything is done and I am sure it all fits together.

Notice there are a few changes.... from here to the finished piece. The decision to change motors and radiator was made shortly after this picture was taken. The car was build in conjunction with a rod that James was building. He came over one day and showed me his mockup and I got inspired and started the T.

A few weeks later we shot them both.

Once again I see that I made a few changes between even those two pictures....

Anyway, notice James rod needs blocks under it because he didn't want to attach the grill until all the detailing was done.

I am getting some of the pictures of his car and will be posting them in the Under Glass section so as to not divert your thread.

One more thing, I am giving you advice because I believe "Frankie" to be worth it. You are doing a great job and I just love your details and skill with the modeling tools. So I hope I am not bugging you too much..

[lonewolf]

Virgil,

I was going to ask if you were getting any sleep. I can't believe how fast some of you guys can crank out top quality builds. Great job so far. You've had me glued to the computer for the last few days. Seems like everytime I check, you're posting more progress. lookin' forward to seeing the finished build.

[Dr. Cranky]

Are you kidding, me, J? I appreciate the input . . . and I thrive on it . . . I mean, how else is one to learn, right? Man, I love those in-progress pictures . . . please keep 'em coming . . . I'll keep checking in the UNDER GLASS thread for some more pictures . . .

I agree with the way you build, and it is usually the way I build too, but you are right about getting anxious to get the paint on there . . . it's the cab that did me in . . . once I got it to where I thought it looked good, I just had to see it in all its glory . . .

No more jumping the gun for me though . . .

When you look at pictures like those two rats in progress, you know you can never get enough of rat rodding builds . . . in part because it is all fun, pure Doktor F type of fun!!!

[Jairus]

Well Virgil, for the first time in a long time you are beginning to inspire me to build my own Truckster. I have been looking through my kits looking for a good victim but... progress for me is not as fast as you. A snails pace actually...

J

[Dr. Cranky]

Man, that's what is all about . . . most of us can think back to 10 years ago when we only saw each others' work at the shows, that is if you went to the shows, and then mags . . . but now with the internet and the forums, yeah, contagious styrene disease runs rampant . . .

I'd love to see what you cook up . . . which also brings me to another interesting point . . . for those of us with a few shelves of unbuilt kits . . . part of the fun is looking for all the parts you need . . . it's only plastic afterall . . .

And isn't it ying-yangish that one of your illustrations would trigger this build and then this build would trigger a new model from you . . .

That's the kind of stuff that's smile inducing!!!

[Dr. Cranky]

As you know, last night was a long night for me because I redid the frame and raised the back so that it would ride lower?

Anyone confused? Well, I was and it took me a whole new frame and then reworked the original, then stripped it and this morning I repainted just to get it ready . . .I also weathered it a bit with my airbrush . . . in other words, the building muses were with me last night . . . in the old days this thing would have been in the trash faster than you can say--in French--le garba-ge!

Now, I still have to finish the engine, the driveshaft and put it all togethet and then weather and detail it before I unveil it on Holloween, that is if something doesn't go wrong up at the last minute . . . I mean what could, right?

The figure is used in this case for checking the level of the ride, how low it's come finally . . . though I would say, I could have infact done a much better job in chanelling the cab floor over the frame . . . but don't want to ruin a perfectly wonderful cab . . . you'll have to take my word that what the photographs don't show well is that this sucker is riding lower than I had it . . .

It most definitely needs a few light washes and some pastels . . . but that's going to come later . . .

This next one shows that the rake is still intact, though an 1/8th of an inch more and this puppy would have scraped the ground . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

I love these angles from above because I manage to get in lots of the details . . . man, I can't wait to get the engine in there . . . and wired . . .

This angle also shows Jarius's original idea for the bed . . . just a simple bed with a moon style gas tank . . .

I know what you guys are thinking: Sure, he keeps showing us angles from above because he is a wimp and didn't get this sucker low enough!!!