Green Elephant funny car by jct - FINISHED - 1/24

[jct]

15 minutes ago, lmagna said:

Hi J

Did you make a CarFax report on all that frame damage?  

 

Great progress!

Shhhh

[popeye the sailor]

yea.....why make a premium any higher     

[jct]

[mtaylor]

Ever price racecar insurance?  Yikes.  Even just for transporting it's pricey.  

[jct]

I can well imagine...probably as bad as having teenagers on your insurance! 

Edited February 16, 2019 by jct

[jct]

An update, of sorts...while waiting for the clear on the Mustang to dry I decided to test the new decals...bad news...they broke up on contact with the model, this truly sucks...I think I'm gonna airbrush the main strips on and try to salvage the sponsor and lettering decals...this has ceased being a diversion and become a fight to the bitter end...the decals will not vanquish me  These Funnys shall be completed

[lmagna]

10 hours ago, jct said:

probably as bad as having teenagers on your insurance!

Don't remind me that I have that coming up yet again. Probably this year! 

 

I would give your above post a "Like" but it does not seem quite right somehow. Let the decal wars end!

Edited February 16, 2019 by lmagna

[mtaylor]

I gave it a "like".... I like the non-defeatist mindset.    Is there something that could be put on the decal before soaking that would hold them together?  I know almost zilch about plastic since it's been such a very long time.   Come to think of it.. I have a CH-53 (thanks Lou) in closet I need to dig out and build one of these days.

[popeye the sailor]

it has to be how they are printed...probably on very thin film.  the decal paper I use {testor's paper} is pretty thin.   once printed,  I spray them with the decal bonder.   they suggest not going to heavy,  but I tend to do it anyway.  if I go too thin,  as they come off the paper,  they stretch like elastic.  then I cross my fingers that they shrink back to normal.  I've also experienced the ink coming off too,  which is a very sad state of affairs.  I gave the post a like as well.......I know J will come up with something,  and pull the rabbit out of the hat   

[jct]

Thanks for the votes of confidence, I had coated these with the liquid decal film but it didn’t make a difference 

[CDW]

1 hour ago, popeye the sailor said:

it has to be how they are printed...probably on very thin film.  the decal paper I use {testor's paper} is pretty thin.   once printed,  I spray them with the decal bonder.   they suggest not going to heavy,  but I tend to do it anyway.  if I go too thin,  as they come off the paper,  they stretch like elastic.  then I cross my fingers that they shrink back to normal.  I've also experienced the ink coming off too,  which is a very sad state of affairs.  I gave the post a like as well.......I know J will come up with something,  and pull the rabbit out of the hat   

A friend and I spent quite a bit of time coming up with the right combination of decal paper and printer/ink to make our own decals for R/C model aircraft some years ago. We learned that (at that time) only certain ink jet printers made ink that was water resistant. To work properly, the ink must be water resistant. Secondly, once the decals have been printed and clear coated, then cut out with scissors, the edges of the decals must be sealed with a clear coat as well. If not, just the initial soak in water will cause the ink to begin to bleed. Yeah, I know all this is a PIA, but necessary when making our own decals.

[lmagna]

Ok, ok I went back and hit the like button! I think J will come out on top also.

 

I will make you a deal Mark.

If you pull out your CH-53 and build it, then I will do the same for my Huey and we can kind of build them together as a open build like Greg has for his 1/350 ships. We could open it to all equipment that forum vets have served on, land, sea, and air.

 

By the way I forgot what scale your CH was?

Edited February 17, 2019 by lmagna

[jct]

A run to Pat Catan's is scheduled for this morning...gotta pick p some new clear cost for the Mustang, yet another ordeal, I'm gonna see if they have laser decal paper if so I'll copy the damn things and try that, if they don't carry it I'm ordering from Amazon this afternoon, in the interim I've got to finish the chassis and the Mustang

Here's a shot of the completed body mounts

 

Thanks for all the likes, support and the votes of confidence 

[jct]

Struck out on the decal paper, and mail order is nuts, you either have to order 10-20 sheets or pay 8-9 bucks for shipping, wacky...so I gave the remainder a shot of clear lacquer...we'll see how that goes, I'm also planning to airbrush at least the white sections of the side panels...and all the strips if need be...

In the meantime worked the bugs out of the chassis and gane it a test fit

the tick marks you see are for stripe alignment, thanks for all the likes

 

[jct]

With the Mustang complete I'm focusing on the Vega...started experimenting with the decals, since I plan to paint the rockers I had two sets of rocker decals to play with so they were sacrificed to the gods for the good of the project...what finally worked was two coats of liquid decal film and a heavy coat of clear spray lacquer...

🤞 here's hoping the rest go as well 

[popeye the sailor]

the body is look'in really good now!  the decals came out great.......and the chassis's coming along nice as well.   I guess I'd better get my butt in gear,  before you beat me with this second one   

[jct]

Remember its not a race

[popeye the sailor]

sorry....I got carried away with the subject      at any rate........the Revellution is finished!   pictures soon.

[jct]

No apologies needed, I's just pokin ya 

[jct]

The decals are done...went alright, but there will be no pictures till the big finish...builds the suspense    

Since this chassis is lowered like the Mustang was the seat required a section be removed

started painting the chassis as well

that's it for today...thanks for the likes and comments

[popeye the sailor]

now that the "three steps back" is finished........here's to you do'in a whole shot to the finish!    I didn't know you were runn'in a chop shop?!?!?!   

 

look'in good!

[jct]

Yep but just a lil one...baring any unforeseen hiccups she should be good🤞

I think I caught something...found myself eyeing up another victim...the Henry J with a Hemi beacons...could be a phantom gasser...wild paint, lifted front end...

Edited February 19, 2019 by jct

[popeye the sailor]

oh...oh 

[jct]

It's like a bad cold....just can't shake it

[jct]

Well it has been said that all good thing must end...I certainly hope you all feel this build was a good thing, but one way or the other it's at an end, the Vega build is complete here are her finished shots...and some with the sister build

rear glass installed...back shot with silver and black

rolling chassis

 

completed body work

first mating

glamour shot 

looks like some touch up is required...nothing hides from the lens

both together

Thanks to everyone that followed along...and for all the likes and comments along the way...gonna jump back to the Hanna build but this was a ton of fun...made even more so with your participation...gonna have to visit this section of the site though....got that gasser on my mind 

Edited February 24, 2019 by jct

[mtaylor]

Beautiful work, JCT.  Both look look ready for a run-off down the track.

[CDW]

JCT

The Vega is BEE U TEE FUL! I always loved that body style back then...it looked like a mini Z28 Camaro. Too bad the stock ones had such a crappy engine. Everyone I knew who bought one had terrible service life out of that power train. But man, they made one helluva sharp looking race car in my opinion.

Edited February 24, 2019 by CDW

[jct]

Thanks much...I could not agree more, CD, I had one myself always said it looked like a mini Camero, and the motor was a pos

[mtaylor]

I had a Vega wagon.  When the motor died at 100,000, that when I started playing with V8's in them.  Pity they put the wrong engine in the thing at the start but the rotary would have been a real disaster.

[CDW]

25 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

I had a Vega wagon.  When the motor died at 100,000, that when I started playing with V8's in them.  Pity they put the wrong engine in the thing at the start but the rotary would have been a real disaster.

You did phenomenal to get 100,000 miles out of your Vega engine. Most of them ended up with a cracked block or head before they ever got that far. Bad casting, I guess? If I remember correctly, they were aluminum.