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Post by Mr.409 on Dec 11, 2016 15:55:15 GMT -5
I've been installing some chassis components on place recently. Front axle was not an easy one, as one of the steering rods had to go between headers and oil pan. For some reason I couldn't slide it on place as one piece so I had to cut it into two pieces. Then when everything was on place, I glued that steering rod back together. Rear axle fit just perfectly, and I also started making a fuel line from gas tank to fuel pump, but it's not quite done yet. Here's a mock up with the body. Engine fits nicely on its place.   Wheels and tires are not glued on place yet, it's just a mock up...  |
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Post by fordrodnkustom on Dec 11, 2016 16:42:34 GMT -5
Good work. The tie rod through the headers was the only way the Ford Total Performance engineers could get that High Rise FE in there with tuned headers and still have the car steer.
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Post by Mr.409 on Dec 20, 2016 14:02:04 GMT -5
Yes, you're correct that the engineers had some serious trouble with the headers on these cars. Saw this text at an article about these Thunderbolts a while ago: "The next task was to figure out how to put headers on it," Brannan said. "That was the biggest nightmare. We couldn't get them out (of the engine bay) in one piece, so we routed them through everything in the world, including the front suspension." Here is a minor update too. Dashboard, steering column and steering wheel had to be painted with the same color as the rest of the interior, but they needed a glossy clear coat on them as they're not upholstered with any kind of material. Interior is painted with Humbrol Enamels, so that was my choice for dash and steering wheel and column too, but right away I knew that Humbrol Enamel clear won't work as it turns yellow by the time. Some people had been saying that you can't spray an automotive gloss clear on top of Revell/Humbrol Enamels, but I gave it a try on a scrap piece of styrene and it worked perfectly. So, now the steering wheel was sprayed with that stuff as well and I like the end result. I'm still debating if I should try painting that Ford emblem on the steering wheel... It's so tiny that it might end up as a mess...  Dashboard is getting there too. Pretty much everything else is done but a clear coat. Cauge decals are taken from kit's decal sheet, but it didn't have any decals for that additional meter mounted under the dash. So I painted it gloss black and wiped black paint off from the raised letters and needle.  I also added valves to front wheels and did some minor black washing on them.  Looks like this build is not going to be finished before the year ends. If I rushed it, I could get it done, but I want to give the body a proper drying time before polishing it, so this will be done in early next year if everything goes as planned... |
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Post by TooOld on Dec 20, 2016 14:32:33 GMT -5
Nice work on your Thunderbolt , I've been absent and just came across it !
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Post by Mr.409 on Dec 21, 2016 5:25:50 GMT -5
Thanks Bob! These early to mid '60s Drag Racers are my favorite subjects. When this one is done, I think I'll be digging some other unfinished project from my stash, for example Don Nicholson's '61 Impala that ran in Optional Super Stock... But let's see about that later....  |
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Post by fordrodnkustom on Dec 21, 2016 9:08:39 GMT -5
Nice work Niko. That dash looks real sharp. No worries about not finishing, I'll just change it to 2017!
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Post by Mr.409 on Dec 22, 2016 7:10:11 GMT -5
Thanks Ron! I'm pretty happy with the dash too. Hopefully clear coat goes on with no problems!
And it's good to hear that there is still time to get this one done even though I can't quite make it on original time frame. I can't wait to see this one finished though...
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Post by Mr.409 on Dec 23, 2016 15:59:29 GMT -5
A few days ago I shot another coat of primer to the body and it looked pretty good. So today I sanded the body very lightly and painted the first coats of color on it. That metallic blue is really thin so I had to shoot several really light coats of paint on it. Now I'll let it dry a couple of days and then I'll finish the painting by a few more color coats...  |
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Post by Mr.409 on Dec 25, 2016 15:41:57 GMT -5
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Post by fordrodnkustom on Jan 10, 2017 16:41:29 GMT -5
Looking real good. Did you finish it?
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Post by constructionbob on Jan 10, 2017 16:50:34 GMT -5
Nice details, overall one of your best I've seen.
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Post by Mr.409 on Jan 12, 2017 4:47:40 GMT -5
Thanks Guys!
I haven't made any more progress on it yet, it's been a bit too cold to shoot any more paint on the body. But now since the weather is a bit warmer again, I'm going to spray a couple of more coats of blue to the body very soon. The chassis and interior are pretty much done so the body is now my main focus.
So, stay tuned!
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Post by Mr.409 on Jan 14, 2017 14:28:02 GMT -5
Well today I was able to shoot a couple more coats of blue on this Thunderbolt. It looks definitely better already so it might be that these were the final paint coats. I'll let it dry completely and then I'll make up my mind if I'm going to spray one or two light coats of blue on it again or is it good so that I can go ahead and put some decals on it.   |
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Post by fordrodnkustom on Jan 14, 2017 16:57:43 GMT -5
Looks good from here!
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Post by TooOld on Jan 15, 2017 15:07:17 GMT -5
Looks good from here too !
So does the dash , and the engine , and the chassis . . . everything looks great !
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It's an interweb thing.....