1949 Ford Dirt Racer

Go4fun · January 31, 2013, 11:56:10 PM

BACK TO THE BUILD.
I really like the way the new decals for dashes and the Photoetch work, They make things look so much nicer than painting needles and markings with a 00000 brush. (That is the "One hair and a lot of air" size!

).

They just look so good.

And I never got anything to look this much like metal on a model.

PS: That dash is really not that rough! I looked at it through all 3 magnifier lens on my clip-on set for my glasses PLUS a magnifying glass! The camera LIES I tell you! It Lies!!!!

Go4fun · March 02, 2013, 01:12:05 PM

Fear not Dirt Track Fans! The '49 Ford is making progress. I had to glue the photo etch wheel together 5 or 6 times with super glues, cleanind and sanding every time it fell apart.

Finally I just used Testors liquid glue and it stuck for good!

Since then I have finished the interior except the two bars down to the rear frame, gotten the front suspension together and just need to build and install the 'second' shock allowed on the passenger front. This was so that suspension wouldn't fold under the heavy load of cornering and send the car into a barrel roll.

Father Ennis · March 02, 2013, 02:10:21 PM

Coming right along,there my friend !!! I have really enjoined this build. I can't wait to see more ...

Go4fun · March 02, 2013, 09:02:28 PM

I'm glad your enjoying this. It should be pretty neat when it's done.

Captain Canada · March 02, 2013, 09:47:41 PM

Nice work.....or. lots of work ! Love all the detail you're putting into this one. Beauty !

Go4fun · March 02, 2013, 10:38:12 PM

HOW TO BUILD A SHOCK ABSORBER (DAMPER).
This is the way I build a damper. I get styrene rod that fits in a styrene tube in a slip-fit. I can then chuck a short section in my drill without crushing it and round the top of the tube with a file and sanding boards. Then I can attach more tube pieces to the top of a tube and a rod to make shock mounts, make the shock mount out of rod and I'm set.

Go4fun · March 06, 2013, 09:22:46 PM

Picture added to last post. Just isn't fun without the pretties.

Go4fun · May 15, 2013, 09:59:22 AM

Dang it! I found this one wheel of this type in a box of junk a friend gave me. It was perfect for the time frame and rules we used 'Back in the day'.
So I went to do one last test fit after I had made the center out of tubing, thinned the wheel to fit the tire and every thing and I forgot to put the backing plate for the drum brakes on first! Naturally the center not only popped out but it took a chunk of the wheel with it.
Need I say the Carpet Monster got a snack?

Not only do I have no idea what kit this came from but browsing through every model 'store' site on-line I can not find one that looks like it. It was a P.I.T.A. thinning it down so the 'vents' showed air but also carefully drilling to get the tube 'Hub' centered properly.

Can anyone recognize or offer advice on where I can find one of these wheels?

Go4fun · May 17, 2013, 07:25:32 AM

I knew it would pay to send this picture around the interweb. A friend found two of these to spare so now I have them being shipped to me.
On with the build!

Father Ennis · May 17, 2013, 06:59:44 PM

So where do these come from

My first guess was the 53'Ford p/u from AMT ...

I like to use plain wheels on my car kits,sometimes.

Go4fun · May 18, 2013, 07:26:34 AM

Actually they were used on a series of modified American stock cars for circle track racing like a mid-1960s Falcons and Impalas.

NARSES2 · May 20, 2013, 06:33:12 AM

I know nothing about cars and trucks but I can appreciate modelling of this standard

Go4fun · May 20, 2013, 07:58:35 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on May 20, 2013, 06:33:12 AM
I know nothing about cars and trucks but I can appreciate modelling of this standard

I'm just building a "What IF" of a race car I always wanted to build according to what I remember of the rules during that period of time. It might have done good in what was called 'C Stock' (Six cylinder), but I am building to 'B Stock' which was small V-8s and mild modifications like a heavy hub on the right front. In 'A Stock' it would have been a lame duck as that was the "Any chassis, body and engine by the same manufacturer" class so things got pretty hot & fast there.
Historical note: Stock car racing did not take off in Topeka until 1967 as a faster way to get rid of some of the demolished cars after the June 8th 1966 F-5 tornado went through the city and left a lot of people with uninsured cars that were running but unstreet-worthy.