
  • Announcements

    • Dave Ambrose

      Board Maintenance   03/14/2019


Dirty Dave

  • Content count

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Dirty Dave

  1. Chornobyl Speed Shop diorama

    Just finished up my Chornobyl Speed Shop diorama, which takes place in an alternative universe's Ukraine where robot labor was a thing during the Cold War. The car kits are a Toko Models GAZ-AA truck in 1:35, while the land speed racer is based on an old rubber band powered Hawk kit, which I narrowed, built a full bellypan and cockpit for, and stuffed full with a Tatra V12 tank engine. Figures are from Imaquinaria, Industria Mechanika, and Blacksmith Miniatures. The robot is STAN, from Futuristic Models. The base was plaster of paris that I carved the lines into after it had set up, painted, and then added weeds and fencing.
  2. The MPC Pacer Wagon, with Vette rear suspension, a Toyota 2JZ-GTE engine with a front mount intercooler, seasoned with a dash of rust and topped with an inflatable raft.
  3. This is essentially an AMT '60 Chevrolet Custom Fleetside with a few changes and upgrades. It was meant to be a quickie shelf build, so there isn't a lot of extra brake line plumbing or major body mods. Just a nice kustom pickup in flattened light purple. The '60 Mercury grille is an old AMT Parts Pack piece that was narrowed to fit the Chevy Surround. Emblems, tailgate latches and door handles were shaved. The front bumper was flipped, and the lower section painted to give the front end a bit lighter look. Lowering was achieved in three ways. Smaller rubber and mags are Pegasus Sovereigns. Rear airbags and the accompanying compressor/tank are from AMT's '39 Chevy Wagonrod. Most of the drop comes from a severe 5"-6" (scale) channel. Extra height was removed from the inner bed sides before reattaching the rear fenders to provide clearance for the slammed rear end and dual exhaust system, optional parts from an AMT '51 Chevrolet Convertible. The exhaust terminates in stainless turn-downs from a Metal Bug sci-fi detail set. Those stake sides came from a Revell '41 Chevrolet pickup. That same convertible donated the dual-carbs, intake, split exhaust manifolds and valve cover. D&J aluminum air cleaners, and Detail Master pulleys and distributor add more WOW when the hood is popped. After trimming down the firewall and interior side panels to raise the floor, the seat needed to be cut down to sit directly on the floorboards. Scale Motorsport zebra decals add some spice to the pearl white and purple interior. Like I said, nothing too fancy. It may get a hitch so it can trailer around an old dragster or some wild bubbletop rod.
  4. Box art as art

    Most print shops will not duplicate copyrighted material without a release, as they ARE selling the print to the customer. So no, if you own your own large format printer, I suppose you wouldn't need anybody's permission.
  5. Box art as art

    What about box art blown up, and printed on vinyl banner material? As seen on the walls around @Freeman Cars auto restoration shop. All it takes is a few good scans and a letter/email from the current copyright holder granting permission to do so.
  6. Camp Racemore- AMC Pacer Wagon Canyon Carver

    The SSR wheels and tires are from an Aoshima set. The tire markings were in Revell AG's BMW DTM kit.
  7. Camp Racemore- AMC Pacer Wagon Canyon Carver

    Thanks, guys. Truthfully, the Pacer held only minor interest for me as kitted, so I took it a couple of steps "too far" to add fun factor.
  8. Chornobyl Speed Shop diorama

    Ah, but Chernobyl, as we know it from the days of the meltdown, is the Russian spelling. Chornobyl is the original, (and once again proper, since the (re)establishment of Ukraine as a country) spelling.
  9. Pacer Wagon - Camp Racemore

    Still have some things to finish up on the Pacer Wagon for NNL West's wagon theme. Vette suspension, a Toyota 2JZ-GTE engine and a bunch of weathering. Front splitter and rear diffuser are 3D printed.
  10. Pacer Wagon - Camp Racemore

    I added the exhaust, roof tie-down, and a few other bits. Going to call it done.
  11. Chornobyl Speed Shop diorama

  12. Pacer Wagon - Camp Racemore

    Thanks, fellas! Yeah, I remember visiting my half-brother in Hawaii in '77, and he had one of these to haul the family around Oahu in. Pretty sure his was silver/black two-tone, but I have memories of a burgundy velour interior... classy. Looking back at it now, it definitely predicts the crossover SUV's that came later. I mean, it wasn't proportioned like any other wagon at the time, but it has a wide track, dual wishbone front suspension with rack and pinion steering, and room to set that inline six well back under the dash/cowl area. Mostly, it just looks like fun, right?
  13. Pacer Wagon - Camp Racemore

    That's what makes model cars so much fun, right?😉
  14. Educate me on Model T speed equipment

    I just remembered another kit source for vintage banger speed parts would be the (rare) Lindberg 4 Cylinder Dragster. It has what appears to be some sort of OHV conversion head, though the exhaust valves appear to remain in the block. The kit was based on this car:
  15. 1/8 plated parts

    All your answers should be here: https://www.chrometechusa.com/model-cars-and-collectibles.html
  16. Educate me on Model T speed equipment

    I agree. Early speed equipment is interesting to me because it was nearly all (with the exception of a few factory efforts) cottage industry and shade-tree engineering. If they had an idea, they tried it. If it sort of worked, they fiddled with it until it did. The rulebook had only begun to be written, and the sky was the limit, conceptually. Heck some of the technological dead-ends include the most interesting looking bits, IMHO.
  17. Educate me on Model T speed equipment

    Funny, I was about to post on pretty much this same topic for a Model A-based racer/rod I have in the planning stages. I've already done one T with the Revell A/B Riley head, and was thinking about my options for this next one. The idea of using the Olds head on a T block isn't a bad one, though it probably pre-dates the tech of the car that I intend to build by a bit. That was more of an early-mid '20s thing, IIRC. Edit: Does anybody make flathead/'banger speed equipment in resin/aluminum? Kong ignition, etc.?
  18. Show Your T's

    Here's a bunch, ranging from 1/32 to 1/8:
  19. Modern (Performance) IRS suggestions?

    Yup, ended up snagging a couple of Smoothster chassis off of eBay, and with a little massage, it looks as if it's going to work just fine.
  20. Modern (Performance) IRS suggestions?

    I'm building a canyon-carving Pacer wagon, and a live axle with parallel leaf springs just doesn't seem to go with the theme of the rest of the build so far. Does anybody have any suggestions as far as modern, mid-sized independent rear suspensions are concerned? I was thinking perhaps a Revell Challenger or Charger may be a viable donor, or perhaps a Camaro or latest generation Mustang. Has anybody built any of these that can speak as to the quality of these rear suspension sub-assemblies, and how easily they can or cannot be separated from their associated chassis? I'm not looking for a street rod style rear end, and I think I'd have to go too far back to find an available Corvette kit that didn't incorporate a transaxle. Edit: I'm using a Toyota 2JZ-GTE for power, so if there's a European or Japanese subject that has a decent rear suspension to adapt, I'm down for that, too.
  21. Modern (Performance) IRS suggestions?

    Yeah, I was looking at those, and the Smoothster rear as well. So cheap, it seems like I can't go wrong buying one, even if i just end up using it under something else.
  22. Modern (Performance) IRS suggestions?

    Thanks. I had looked at instruction sheets, but hard to tell what the pieces actually look like from outlines. Also, can yield an LS engine for the next project. 😊
  23. Modern (Performance) IRS suggestions?

    That's true. I've seen S13/S14 suspensions adapted to all kinds of things that they probably shouldn't have been. Thinking maybe something from a BMW may work, too.
  24. Modern (Performance) IRS suggestions?

    Was thinking that the Supra rear suspension was strut-based, I hadn't looked at it seriously. C4 may work if I convert to coilovers or replace the kit fuel tank with a cell. It's pretty tight under the rear of this wagon. This thing is supposed to be some kid's Instagram-worthy beater and not an all-out competition car, so I am trying to think about what's currently the hot ticket in magazines and websites, and not necessarily the actual smart performance choice. This also precludes full frame swaps into what was originally a unibody car, or body mods that would require professional skill to complete. Bolt on flares, bumper removal, and holes cut in the hood are likely to happen.
  25. Modern (Performance) IRS suggestions?

    Yeah, that's how I remember it. Very cool.