Ideas to share concerning 1:18 '67-'69 GMP Penske Donohue Camaros.

[Swede70]

Greetings,

Originally the exhaust outlets/tips passed through the rear valence panel as an aesthetic/cosmetic feature of sorts, whereas perhaps AAR believed that absent a belly pan pressure beneath the car might be modestly relieved for employing the perforated part?  Of course, the fuel cell housing seems to cancel out most of any slight benefit afforded here.  I'm not certain myself, although a few photographs do depict this feature and hence I felt it best to add them to my model.  Given the bodywork will be painted a dark color versus the light gray chassis finish, such will be more noticeable than not. 

Moving along, below I've tried to work up the distinctive impact gun alignment fixture/ring affixed to the Minilite wheels used by AAR and at the Mission Bell 250/Riverside race by Autodynamics.  The actual rings are positioned on three spring loaded pegs that are in turn attached to the wheel, while I had to drill both these and the five lugs positions in turn to mimic what is present in 1:1.  Some additional detail stands to be added, although the hub guides done in aluminum tubing pass clean through the alignment fixtures with cast resin oil breathers being set on end to reproduce the hub ends inside each of the four assemblies.  The three spring loaded pegs here are simply plastic rod cut to size, sanded flat on the ends, pulled through further, and then sanded again to even matters out across each length employed.  Thanks for skimming this post.

Mike K.




M.K.

[Jon Mello]

Mike, really nice details on those wheels. Terrific craftmanship. Thanks for posting the photos of your work. One of these days I will not be surprised to find you have completely cast a metal wheel and machined the necessary surfaces to perfection.

[Swede70]

Returning then to projects (as well as community) long neglected...

Hoping to revise the A-pillar ducts employed on each the E-body Trans Am projects I'd been working upon, I turned up two designs used by AAR before settling on the shorter model employed at Bridgehampton, NY. where Swede Savage would finish second behind Mark Donohue.   



...this would be Swede Savage purportedly at Mid-Ohio early in '70.  Note the difference between the A-pillar duct seen here and what is noticed below.



...this would be Dan Gurney at Riverside.  A different car - yes, but also note the longer and presumably better A-pillar fresh air duct design.



...Swede Savage at St. Jovite, whereas notice my rough pattern and stacked plastic sheet that awaits sculpting.



...the finished duct carefully set in place then.



...contrasting the new 'Cuda fresh air duct to a substantially revised Challenger duct.

Thanks for the longstanding interest and kindness shown...

Mike K.

[group/7]

Mike, welcome back, things are looking really good on your two models !

group/7

[Jon Mello]

I echo the sentiments. Very nice to have you post here again, Mike. Looks like quite the chore to produce those two ducts. Very well done.

[BULLITT65]

Looking good. This may be a dumb question, but what is the round "puck" looking thing on the floor behind the drivers seat with a tube coming out of it?
(In the second black and white pic)

[cuda48]

Drinking water vessel for those long hot drives in 1970.  The photo below it shows the mount for the large thermos brand water  container. It is still there today on #1 Cuda...in fact, the owner has a container for it as do I.

Mike Camicia

[BULLITT65]

good info. thanks

[Swede70]

Greetings,

A small update of my '70 Swede Savage Bridgehampton entry then. 

Noticed will be the rectangular upper control arm 'pockets' differing from the Challenger(s), a new and largely scratch-built radiator assembly, as well as Bob Tarozzi's famed 'PITA' roll bar extensions tying into the front shock absorber turrets otherwise part of the inner wings. 

The diecast company ACME is slated to produce a 1:18 'tribute' version of this topic also based on the Hwy. 61 tool of old, although race content in terms of newly-tooled parts is expected to be fairly modest for the $129.95 asking price.  I suppose the arrival of such expected come the second quarter of 2017 has lit a fire under me to more properly see out my E-body Chrysler projects, hence I hope something good will come of both my work and what will be availed to the enthusiast public 'off the shelf'. 

-

On another note, congratulations to Jon Mello given his extremely well-restored and historic Trans Am Camaro has been memorialized in-scale and is due out at any time now in 1:18 scale diecast.  What a thrill this must be along with recent magazine coverage such as that seen within the pages of Hemming's Muscle Machines.  The article write up and attendant photographs was great fun to discover and inspect, whereas for all Jon has given back to the scene he most richly deserves it.  With kind regards to the community then...

Mike K.



M. K.

[Jon Mello]

Mike, nice to hear from you and see further progress on the Savage Cuda. The new details are impressive, as expected, however I am curious about the red under the hood. I thought maybe it was the color of the material you were working with but then I saw the yellow decal on the front radiator core support so I'm assuming that is staying red? If they were really red under the hood then it is a detail I have certainly forgotten.

Many thanks for the kind words about me and my Trans-Am Camaro. I appreciate it and, like many others, I'm looking forward to getting one of the diecast models in the mail.

[Swede70]

Oh - it gets worse!

Given I start with preassembled and prepainted 1:18th diecast models (primarily), sometimes the lineage of what I've stolen from shows up across the space of my mock ups.  Zamac bodies strip easily enough, whereas the cheaper plastics employed for the rest of the model(s) often prove soft and delicate, resisting if you will efforts to cleanly strip finishes applied at the factory.  So informed, you'll see both red and pink surfaces on show beneath the hood of my AAR 'Cuda project that didn't seem worth the bother of imperfectly stripping prior to the application of an appropriate shade of gray - this to come then!

Consistent with minimizing handling of increasingly delicate and sophisticated completed work, it is common for me to employ the scale equivalent of an engineering hack to better facilitate the rapid creation of new bits that subsequently will be integrated into whatever project happens to be on boil.  Noticed below with be such a 'hack', sporting as it does ductwork both segregating and directing air respectively to both the oil cooler and radiator.  Shortly after this picture was taken, the same assembly (showing up in white sheet plastic then) was transferred onto my project proper.  Thanks for your interest...

Mike K.



M. K.

[BULLITT65]

cool pic. that looks like what most of have to do when when we mock up our cars from parts cars. Only difference you don't have any rust or bondo hiding on your panels...

[Swede70]

Moving along then...

This would be both the 'Cuda and the Challenger roll cages taking shape.  Most of what is seen is comprised of plastic tubing with a core of brass rod inserted within.  A bread board with a nail or two tapped into it serves as a bending mandrel.  Difficult it is to ensure all is straight, angled accurately where appropriate, and of the correct length to speak little of 'fishmouthing' the tube ends so all affixes both firmly and well. Thanks for skimming this post. 



Mike K.

[MO]

Excellent work Mike!

[Jon Mello]

Thanks for the update, Mike.

I didn't know you were using hollow plastic tubing. Wow.

Where did you get the seats?