Scratch building a classic muscle car.

[Bob Ellis]

Wow, a lot of work!

[drifterdon]

Very ambitious build. Will be following as well. Really cool car. Big fan of the last generation of Pontiac (Holden) GTOs.

[fractalign]

Hey Guys.

Just an update. I have not been uploading anything because I am without internet at the moment.

I have started work on the rear windows these are being built out of solid 2mm thick styrene rather than the usual tubing. My reason for this is because they will be more solid than trying to construct the frame from tubing. So far I have cut them out to shape. I have test fitted the window templates inside the body sides to make sure the rear pillars match. Once I have got both body sides identical my next task will be to drill the pilot holes and begin removing the centre in the same way I made the holes for the door skins.

Not sure when I will be back online but I am still working on the body so there will be plenty of photos to upload when I finally get my internet problems sorted out.

Cheers.

Edited July 28, 2014 by fractalign

[fractalign]

Hey Guys !

Here are some more images of the build. This one shows the preparation for the side windows. For these I decided I would rather make them from a solid piece of 2mm thick styrene. I figured it would be faster than trying to physically construct the frames like I did with the door frames. This will also be stronger. Here is the basic template, ready for cutting.

Edited August 1, 2014 by fractalign

[fractalign]

Like everything else, I made sure to attach the two sides together before cutting.

[fractalign]

After some tidying up here is how they look inside the body, both sides are still attached.

[fractalign]

The important thing is to make sure the sides slot into both body sides so I test fitted them on the other side. As you can see this body side still need a bit of work.

[fractalign]

Another thing I needed to do was build up the rear pillar area, there is a slight taper or channel that runs down each side where the rear window sits.

To make this up, I used some half round tubing. The first length is attached with the second one being shaped from the first.

[fractalign]

The next stage of the build is the upper part of the body, namely the roof and upper part of the fenders. More 2mm thick styrene for this process. The roof will consist of the front and rear strips and the two side strips with the canopy being fitted last. Here is the side strip fitted. Both body sides have these strips attached. The top of the fender is also attached.

[fractalign]

The final image shows the top of the fender cut to the correct width. The next tasks will be to shape the rear of this panel for the cowl vent panel and continue to shape the side windows.

Edited August 2, 2014 by fractalign

[1 bad55 stan]

Wow!Will you be casting this when its finished?I'd love to get my hands on 1.Good progress Robert..

[fractalign]

Hey Guys.

I managed to do a bit more today, not as much I would have liked because I have been trying to finish off some other projects. With that in mound I decided to focus on just one task and finish it and that task was the side windows. Having shaped the outline it was time to hollow out the centre.

To do this I used the precision drill to put the pilot holes in place.

[fractalign]

From these four main holes, I continued to add holes around the perimeter around a millimetre or less apart. I was careful not make the holes too close to the edge.

Edited August 2, 2014 by fractalign

[fractalign]

With that done I used the same drill to open up the holes and push out the centres.

Edited August 2, 2014 by fractalign

[fractalign]

After pushing out the centres, I used the modelling knife to remove the rough edges and I then used it to scrape the surface smooth. Still a long way to go but starting to look more like frames.

Edited August 2, 2014 by fractalign

[fractalign]

The last image shows the window and door frames together. The window from will require an inner frame to that it has the same pattern as the door frame but before I add it I will continue to sand out the centres and get them tidy. Next task will be to finish them off and then move onto getting the other body half up to the same stage as the drivers side half.

Edited August 2, 2014 by fractalign

[Pim]

looks good if you resin cast this I might just be a buyer it all depends on funds

[Darren B]

this is gonna be another cool build I am liking it so far.

[fractalign]

Hey Guys.

I did not get much done today. The frames were too thick so i carved away some more material. The frame at the top is getting close to getting the inserts but it still needs a little filing in the corners. The frame at the bottom still has a lot further to go.

[fractalign]

This is the material that will make the inner frame. Unfortunately its in short supply so if a I can't find any more I will be moving on to doing something else tomorrow.

[Byron5150]

Nice job on the window trims.

She's coming along great!

[TFchronos]

Very nice work and progress.

[fractalign]

Hey guys.

Just a quick update. I was almost not going to post anything because of how long its taking with the frames but I figured I would show why its taking so long. I found the strips I needed after cleaning the work area this morning so I figured I would quickly be able to attach them.

Edited August 4, 2014 by fractalign

[fractalign]

The problem with that was that the frames were still too thick so I set about thinning them down. Once I was happy I put the strips inside. You will notice that even with the strips sitting inside the frames they are the same thickness as the door frames. Another thing I did was bevel the edges on the outer frame to give the face a softer look.

The next task will be to make sure the inner strips are sitting evenly inside the frames before i glue them in. I will only get one chance with these strips to get it right. Once they are attached I will begin work on the window surroundings and drip rails.

[fractalign]

Hey Guys.

I finally got the window frame together tonight. I had to sand down the other side to make sure the inside strip would sit flush with it.