UPDATED 6/12 - 1968 Hemi Dart - Body Mounted, Almost Done

[vintagercr]

Wow, the Alclad turned out real nice!

[dartman]

Wow.Those headers came out awesome.I need to get some and try it myself.

[Quick GMC]

alright, not a ton of work done, but satisfying progress. I did everything 2-3 times. I can test fit parts like a champ, but when it comes to final assembly it's like I have ten thumbs.

I wasn't planning on doing all this, but I did one thing and it just kind of snowballed.

I originally planned to use the slicks, but then I realized they wouldn't fit without trimming away the rear openings, which I didn't want to do. So I went with the stock tires. Then I kept thinking about it and really wanted slicks, so I said screw it and modified the rear end to tuck the slicks.

Beginning of slicks mockup

I will use these

I ground these down to a nub and also removed a lot of material to narrow the overall width

This is not the final stance, but with the rear end glued together with CA, you can see how they tuck. The final stance will be fairly level

Here are some of the stuff I will be using. Model Car Garage carb linkage, hood pins, battery fittings, seatbelt fittings, pug wire, wiring looms and Hobby Design wipers

Chassis painted but not weathered.

I also have the MCG detail set for this. The grill is tricky.

I scraped off the grill detail and bent the PE pieces to fit. I'm not sure that it will be worth it, this grill is pretty risp to begin with.

[Quick GMC]

Next is the engine, my favorite part. I used Hemi Orange from Scale Finishes. The valve covers I did in gun metal instead of the usual black. I probably should have done black. I don't know if I like it, but I'm not changing it.

I found this stuff called Blue Tack on Amazon. It's a life saver. It works as an infinitely positionable masking putty. I used to use tape her, this is so much easier.

You can tuck it in to get a perfectly clean line

The tranny is Alclad Dark Aluminum right over the orange.

Here is the beginning of the rabbit hole. .5mm bolt head, MCG carb linkage and some steel tube.

It goes here in the middle

Here is the center link installed with the bolt through the link and into the tube

Next is fitting the fuel line

I got it all finished up and realized it was wrong, so here is the start of the new shape

[Quick GMC]

.5mm brass threaded nuts cut their own threads right on to this wire. The wire is very soft

This is a pre-colored resin distributor from R&M of Maryland. I pinned it because I always break these off.

Here is some of the fuel line complete in place.

Next i made the T fitting from styrene rod, to route the fuel line to the filter

I cut the fuel line where needed and test fit the T fitting

Here are all the pieces trimmed and ready to install

best closeup I could get

[Quick GMC]

PE fan from set

Still have to paint and bend to shape

I had these laying around

Figured they would make good connectors

Removed some wir fro the insulation and slip these in

Brass screws set into the starter and wire connectors attached with .5mm nuts

Same with the Alternator

Coming together. The toothpick was used as a dowel to line up the pulley. The PE fan doesn't have a pin

Edited March 10, 2015 by Quick GMC

[Quick GMC]

I managed to lose both coils from this kit somehow. I spun some styrene rod in a drill, then inserted a piece of wire for the contact point

Then I used some scrap PE fret to make a bracket

Here we are now.

Normally I jump from build to build and can't stand stuff all over my bench, but I have been pretty content with this build, so this is where I am

Can anyone recognize the show I'm watching in the last picture??

Edited March 10, 2015 by Quick GMC

[mustang1989]

Good grief!!!!! This is totally awesome. I love the level of detail you are bringing to this engine build!!!! Watching, learning and admiring!!

[my80malibu]

Replicas in miniature of Maryland. Made a modified front grille,and bumper assembly for this kit,that makes it easier to use the PE grille parts.

I am not sure what your plans are for the alternator, but the wiring doesn't look correct to me.

[Stray]

I love these cars. Over here they were the Valiant VE and VG model Coupes. I had 2 of them, both were 245 Hemi's. I actually have one of these kits that I started converting to the Aussie grille/bonnet.

Also, geez you really know how to make a dude feel like a dud! I thought I was doing okay with my engine assembly but seeing this has dropped my jaw.

Why do I bother scratch building my bits and pieces when there is aftermarket stuff available!

Oh yeah, I'm broke lol

[TFchronos]

Wow, that's some incredible work detailing that engine, totally blows mine out of the water lol.

Can't wait to see more.

[Quick GMC]

Replicas in miniature of Maryland. Made a modified front grille,and bumper assembly for this kit,that makes it easier to use the PE grille parts.

I am not sure what your plans are for the alternator, but the wiring doesn't look correct to me.

I'm pretty sure it's not correct. I actually really tried to find the correct setup for the alternator and starter, but had so many conflicting search results I just did the best I could.

Now for the fuel lines I really did look through quite a bit of pictures to make it as realistic as possible. I thought about doing the fuel line from the filter back to the tank. I still may, but I don't wan't to clutter it up. I still have to fit the headers, but I don't want to handle them too much because of the Alclad.

I love these cars. Over here they were the Valiant VE and VG model Coupes. I had 2 of them, both were 245 Hemi's. I actually have one of these kits that I started converting to the Aussie grille/bonnet.

Also, geez you really know how to make a dude feel like a dud! I thought I was doing okay with my engine assembly but seeing this has dropped my jaw.

Why do I bother scratch building my bits and pieces when there is aftermarket stuff available!

Oh yeah, I'm broke lol

I have been acquiring this aftermarket stuff over the course of the last 8 years. I don't have much money to spend either, but I buy little things here and there, even if I don't need them for a particular build. Anything I think would add detail to whatever may come next is what I buy. Plus I have to spread it out or my wife would kill me in my sleep

[mrindy77]

Night Shift? oh....and nice detail and that HEMI.

[safak]

nice details. I follow..

[Revstew]

This is an amazing looking build. Love all the detail. Amazing!!!! Did those air cleaners come with the kit or are they aftermarket?

[Quick GMC]

This is an amazing looking build. Love all the detail. Amazing!!!! Did those air cleaners come with the kit or are they aftermarket?

They came with the kit, but I stripped the chrome and did primer, black, clear, then Alclad polished Aluminum. Looks much better than the kit chrome to me.

[Foxer]

Just happened to look in on this and was really enjoying your details. Your photos and explanations make it very interesting. I'll be watching now.

[tbill]

outstanding details, how big a magnifier are you using??? I'd lose the stuff on the bench without touching it lol.

[Quick GMC]

no magnifier. Taking advantage of my eyesight while I can.

[kevjoh]

Great work, absolutely amazing.

Following is how I use Alclad. First apply the gloss black, Alclad have there own gloss black ALC 304 but any enamel gloss black will do the trick, must be an enamel type paint, lacquers just don't work.

After the black has dried I then airbrush on their Alclad Clear Base ALC 303, it's a gloss clear designed to be applied after the gloss black has dried. This really leaves a very high gloss surface for the Alclad chrome, I then just mist the chrome on at around 15 psi on a 45 deg angle.

Alclad also have a clear that's designed to be a sealer coat over Alclad chrome. It's called Alclad Aqua Gloss ALC 600 this has a milky color in the bottle.This is designed to be applied after the chrome has dried, and makes it easier to handle without fear of the chrome finish being damaged..

[Quick GMC]

Got some more work done on the engine. I think for me, wiring is the most tediously tricky part of the model, other than polishing the paint.

I think I made the wires on the driver's side bank a little too short, I wanted them to fall down more to look more natural, but it is what it is. I used the Model Car Garage wiring loom set to keep the wires in order. I attached two of the looms to the cylinder heads by bolting them down with .5mm nickel bolts.

The fan is the PE part from the MCG set. Primered with Tamiya metal primer, then black, then dull coat. I sanded the edges of the fan to reveal the metal, maybe a bit too much. The kit part has a plug that fits through the pulley and into the engine. Turns out the toothpicks I have are exactly the right diameter to fit in there snugly and I don't have to glue it in. So I took a piece of toothpick and drilled a hole through the end. Then I put a 1mm brass bolt through the center of the fan and screwed it into the toothpick, then pressed it into place. No glue.

I dry fitted the engine to the chassis with the front suspension to make sure the headers fit correctly. The driver's side headers is a little out of place, but I only tacked them in place with super glue, so I can adjust it easily.

I think the headers should be weathered, but they look so good the way they are I'm going to leave them alone.

[Quick GMC]

I think the engine is done. The only thing left is to have a fuel line coming from the pump going all the way back to the tank.

One thing I am not sure on is if I should paint the engine bay black, or the body color. I am not sure of the body color yet. I'm leaning towards black, it seems to make the engine pop more.

[W-31]

Looking real good! Love the detail!!

[Quick GMC]

Engine is not 100% but I wanted to start on the chassis. I didn't have anything specific in mind so I am just kind of winging it as I go. Over the years I have spent more that I should have on small nuts, bolts and washers and they just sit there, so I thought I'd see what I could do with them

I am bouncing around between the rear end and front end setup. The kit shocks aren't great and by the time they get cleaned up, they wont have much detail. I bought some random aluminum and brass tubing and rod to play around. I started making my own shocks. also have these beads I got a long time ago from Michaels and I think they will work as the tops and bottoms of the shocks where they mount.

Rear shocks are being separated from the leaf spring mount

I will be using the kit mount, but the molded in lumps will be drilled out and I will make U-bolts like this and fasten them with real nuts and bolts

Also, I want to remove this molded in mess, but I think it will be impossible to keep a nice round axle housing

So it is going bye bye and being replaced with aluminum tube.

I hacked off a little too much, so I have to re-cap the ends of the housing. I will fill and smooth it out

I did this by shaving out the inside of a slightly larger aluminum tube to make it razor sharp

Then I used it as a hole saw/razor to punch out the caps from sheet styrene.

Here are the beginning of the shock bodies. Aluminum tube spun in a drill and polished to a shine. The bodies will be painted, but the shafts will be polished

They still need to be trimmed, but here is a mockup

[Quick GMC]

For the front end, with all the work I got myself into, I really don't want to bother with the shocks. Nobody will miss them. However, in the engine bay, there are two large holes where the shocks are supposed to come up through and mount. empty holes vs. lumps of plastic is not much of a choice. i will make dummy shock mounts. it will make the engine bay look nice, but there will be no shocks under them.

I and using .7mm brass nuts and bolts, and 1mm washers, like a fender washer.

This

Or this

All i have are cell pics right now, but when things start to get a little more complete, I will take better pictures.