Monogram 1970 Challenger T/A Rebuild-Under Glass 03-13

[mustang1989]

Thanks Tim. Not sure what gauge wire it is but it's this stuff:

[Mopar - D]

Joe I was looking for your evening progress pictures lol. I'll check in the morning.

[mustang1989]

Thanks Dan! Benchtime is slowed during the week to .5 hr - 1.0 hr. (written in true flag time form! lol) in the morning before work. Starting on Friday morning I usually have between 3.0 hr - 4.0 hr per morning. I should have a little something in the morning though.

[mustang1989]

Ok fellas. I think I'm going to call the dash officially done. I was going to add a key lock switch to the R/H side of the column but decided that enough was enough here. I did install a turn signal switch lever. I don't have a clear enough reference to see whether its chrome or black but it's black for now. I can change it as I find references. I managed to paint the spark plug wire boots at the distributor side this morning. Half of my time at the bench was taken up by photography. You know the routine: getting that right angle, the right lighting, making sure the camera is set up right, etc! I must take about 10-15 shots to get the ones I have here! lol

To recap:

Here's what I started with: (all the while I have to keep in mind my age and experience level at the time here)

and here's where we are now:

I wished I had taken more "before" pics. Will do better next time.

Edited December 17, 2014 by mustang1989

[1/24DragAndStreetCars]

Lookin good!

[taaron76]

Nice work, Joe. Keep the pics coming!!!

You must get up very early, or go to bed really late.

Tim

[mustang1989]

Thanks Tim! I'm up all hours of the night man. BTW you want a couple of dogs? You too can be up that late or early! lol

[Guest]

Coming along nicely.

[mustang1989]

'Preciate it Lee! Well I got up this morning and completed the distributor build up with plug wires and boots. It's my first attempt at this I'll rate it a "so-so" job. With more practice I should get better at it though. Thanks to freakshow12 (aka Fred) for showing me the technique.

The focus is now turned to how I'm going to contort these wires to have a natural "droop" to them rather than looking like bent up wire........

Edited December 18, 2014 by mustang1989

[Mopar - D]

Joe good start on the wires I find that if I'm using any wire looms to install all of them first and then start bending the wires from the distributor to the plugs.

[mustang1989]

I guess I need to get a set of PE wire looms.......................I KNEW I was forgetting something.....................

[taaron76]

Thanks Tim! I'm up all hours of the night man. BTW you want a couple of dogs? You too can be up that late or early! lol

We have a 100lb yellow lab... she's enough at the moment. lol She sleeps next to our bed and doesn't make a sound, unless she hears something outside.

Wires look great! I ordered some to make life a little easier, but yours came out great!

Tim

[mustang1989]

Thanks Tim! My dogs............................commonly referred to as "idiot 1" and "idiot 2" do ANYTHING but sleep soundly. What I'd give for 7+ hours of uninterrupted sleep.........Zzz..

Idiot 1 (aka Sweet Pea)

and Idiot 2 (aka Bear) next to my son Joseph

Edited December 19, 2014 by mustang1989

[tbill]

Joe, looking great man. a little tip, be prepared to go cross-eyed installing the wire looms, man those things are itty-bitty lol.

[mustang1989]

Thanks Tom. I ordered 'em today but they aint gonna be here til the 29th of December.

[microwheel]

Hi Joe, looking good, glad to hear Fred helped ya out with your plug wires, he's a good guy. As for working with the wire looms. I learned a long time ago to invest in a tabletop magifier glass with a light, that my wife got me from hobby lobby. I use it alot during all my builds. At my age with my eye sight, I would be lost without it. especially as much as I like to detail. Some of the guys on here have the magnifier glasses that you can get at most hobby shops.

[mustang1989]

Thanks Jim for the encouragement! I managed to mask off the wheels this morning......

I also did a little pre-shading in the form of a dark wash around the lugnuts and center cap. I'll see how this turns out after a light coat of paint. If it doesn't work out I'll hit it with a light wash in those areas. I'll apply a little silly putty around the edge of the wheels before painting. For now these are set aside for the wash to dry.

Now here came the tricky part after mounting the distributor and wires.

I needed a third hand to hold the engine assy while I bent the wires without making them look like a bent up mess. It took me a few minutes in thought over a cup of coffee while petting "idiot 1" (see previous posts for meaning) but I came up with this:

The sacrificial syringe tube. Hell I use the needles for gun barrels on my quick builds (quick meaning two months as opposed to 8+ months for the long builds) so why not make use of the rest of the thing?

I think I can wire this up now without damaging any of the rest of the detail I have on the engine and it still be held in place good.

Now I'm just waiting on the glue to dry for distributor mounting and I'll go to work........................

Edited December 19, 2014 by mustang1989

[slusher]

Looking great Joe...

[Mopar - D]

Nice progress update Joe. I like your idea of the engine holder.

[mustang1989]

Thanks Carl!!!

'Preciate it there Dan! I have a slew of those syringes so why not make use of it. lol

[mustang1989]

Well this morning I got up (at 2:45 a.m.), and after feeding my dogs and letting them out , started finishing up the wiring. While it isn't all I'd hoped for, it didn't turn out as bad as it could have. I installed the exhaust manifolds as well. I may try to play around with the natural "lay" and "droop" of the wires some more.Time to start working on fuel lines next.....

and then I painted the tires with Polly S acrylic silver and removed the masks

and did a test fit into one of the rear tires. I am NOT disappointed here!

[microwheel]

Hey there Joe, looking good. Your plug wires are coming along nicely. Can I offer ya a tip for detailing factory stock wheels? Just something I learned over the years. If you have access to model masters metalizer paints. I found that they flow nicely around detail without eating through the chrome. And it also wipes off the areas of the chrome you want to leave chrome. Using the wheels you did above as a example, with metalizer aluminum, if you free hand brush it on the wheel, even without masking, and get some on areas such as the beauty ring area, on the outer edges, it wipes off fairly easily with a Qtip and /or toothpic, and because of how thin the paint is, it usually flows and dries out pretty smooth. It gives you the look your after without all the work of having to mask off and airbrush.

Edited December 20, 2014 by microwheel

[mustang1989]

Thanks Jim! I'll be jotting that down in the "little black book".

[Guest]

Great looking mill, and good job on detailing the wheels.

[taaron76]

I think the wires look great, Joe. Nice detail work on the engine all around.

Tim