Short Track Models
Short Track Forums => Cars with Fenders-production bodies/late models => Topic started by: Brian Conn on June 30, 2021, 11:12:41 PM
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Ad Astra model club 50's build. http://www.shorttrackmodels.com/index.php?topic=1556.0
(https://images42.fotki.com/v905/photos/0/3714830/16222136/63021002-vi.jpg) (https://public.fotki.com/outlaw-ford/ad-astra-model-club/6-30-21-002.html)
(https://images46.fotki.com/v1671/photos/0/3714830/16222136/63021012-vi.jpg) (https://public.fotki.com/outlaw-ford/ad-astra-model-club/6-30-21-012.html)
(https://images12.fotki.com/v1641/photos/0/3714830/16222136/63021019-vi.jpg) (https://public.fotki.com/outlaw-ford/ad-astra-model-club/6-30-21-019.html)
Kit manufacturer: AMT/ERTL
Scale: 1/25
Original kit: 1956 Ford Victoria
MODIFICATIONS:
CHASSIS & SUSPENSION
.. Installed a complete 6 point main roll cage with seat bracket and front hoop assembly made from Evergreen
styrene rod
.. Replaced kit's tires and wheels with scale 8" tread width tires and a set of Holman/Moody stock car wheels from
Plastic Performance Products
.. Converted the kit's rear axle to a Ford 9"
.. Reinforced the frame with Evergreen styrene rod and added an after market drive shaft safety loop
.. Replaced the kits drum brakes with after market front and rear disk brakes
.. Installed an after market break master cylinder
.. Installed break lines from master cylinder to front and rear brakes made from floral wire and wire
insulation
.. Installed upper and lower shock mounts for the Left rear shock and repositioned the Left rear shock
behind the rear axle
.. Removed floor pan from trunk area
.. Installed fuel cell frame made from Evergreen styrene rod
.. Installed a scratch built fuel cell made from styrene plastic
.. Installed fuel cell frame straps made from Evergreen styrene strip
.. Installed steering shaft from firewall forward to where it would mount to steering gear box
BODY AND INTERIOR
.. Body backdated from a 1956 Ford Victoria to a 1955 Ford Custom by raising the roof 4 mm. and
adding 2.82 mm. to rear portion of roof using kit's rear glass as filler and adding "B" pillars
.. Scribed doors, trunk lid and "B" pillars
.. Removed radiator cowl and inner fender wells
.. Cut out wheel well openings for tire clearance
.. Bobbed front bumper
.. Installed reinforcements between front bumper guards and front hoop
.. Channeled body 4 scale inches by lowering front fire wall and converting rear seat area to a fire wall
.. Installed Evergreen sheet styrene to front fire wall and rear fire wall to close the gap between the
body and interior
.. Raised center portion of hood for engine clearance
.. Cut hole in hood for air cleaner and added a mud shield made from sheet styrene
.. Installed resin cast hood pins to hood and trunk lid
.. Added body damage to hood, Left fender and Left door areas
.. Removed all switches, gauges, radio, speaker grill, ash tray and glove box lid from dash
.. Removed turn signal lever and gear shifter from steering column
.. Installed wiring on gauges and tachometer connecting them to sending units on the engine block and ignition coil
.. Installed scratch built head rest on seat
.. Installed Black fabric ribbon to kit lap belts and shoulder harnesses and routed fabric ribbon thru the side
bolsters on seat and mounted them to the roll cage and seat bracket
.. Installed a fire extinguisher to diagonal bar next to drivers seat
.. Installed an after market foot shaped throttle pedal
.. Installed a fine mesh micro screen to horizontal dash bar and roof halo in front of driver
.. Installed mud screen in front of radiator made from window screen
.. Installed fender braces between front hoop and fenders
.. Applied decals created using Microsoft programs Photoscape, Microsoft Works Word Processor and
Microsoft Paint
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
.. Replaced the kits 292 cubic inch "Y" block engine with a 429 cubic inch big block. Engine block
scratch built from various pieces of styrene plastic
.. Installed resin cast water pump with fuel pump, heads, stock intake manifold and 7 quart oil pan
.. Installed headers made from solder and added after market header collectors
.. Installed air cleaner with the top and bottom pieces being scratch built from kits air cleaner, scratch
built paper element
.. Installed after market valve cover breathers
.. Installed pre wired distributor from Morgan Automotive Detail
.. Installed an after market Accel Super Coil . Wired the positive side to battery and negative
side to distributor
.. Removed generator from belt and pulley assembly and shortened belt
.. Installed a cross flow radiator with shroud scratch built from a down flow radiator , brass tubing,
Evergreen styrene strip and rod
.. Installed upper and lower radiator hose made from insulated wire
.. Installed radiator hose clamps made from flattened floral wire
.. Installed throttle rod between fire wall and carburetor made from wire
.. Replaced the kit transmission with a Muncie M-22 "Rock Crusher" transmission
.. Corrected the length of the drive shaft
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Oh yeah, I like this. The "beaten up" look is done very well.
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Those front bumper edges are weapons! Looks like this fella has "hooked" a few this season!
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Thank you David and Tony ....here's a couple of out door pics
(https://images46.fotki.com/v1671/photos/0/3714830/16222136/7121002-vi.jpg) (https://public.fotki.com/outlaw-ford/ad-astra-model-club/7-1-21-002.html)
(https://images46.fotki.com/v1645/photos/0/3714830/16222136/7121009-vi.jpg) (https://public.fotki.com/outlaw-ford/ad-astra-model-club/7-1-21-009.html)
Those front bumper edges are weapons! Looks like this fella has "hooked" a few this season!
Hey....it's only sheet metal....right? I got the idea for the bobbed front bumper from a few pictures of some local cars from back in the day. They got bobbed to prevent the bumper from folding back into the tire....some had a substantial piece of pipe behind/in the bumper as well....to protect the radiator of course ::)
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:) A thing of beauty !
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Truly a nice piece of work. I was fortunate enough to have been able to see quite a few cars from this time period. You certainly captured the "look" of cars from that era.
Nathan
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Oh yes, Hickory Speedway from the mid to late 60's. Saw many of these hauled in on single-axle, unsprung, trailers. They raced for the fun of racing and nothing more. You have captured the look very well.
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Beautiful piece of work Brian. Takes me back to the 60's at Capito speedway.
Al
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GREAT build!!!!
Does bring back memories of the hobby stocks (sportsman?) back at my favorite track in 1969-1971 in Fairmont, MN
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Thanks for the great responses John, Nathan, Rick, Al and Councilman Ed. I am so thrilled that I was able to bring back some memories of what you saw at your local tracks back in day just as the same it did for me with what I saw and remembered putting it all together.
Ed, I was listening to some talk radio out of the Cedar Valley area....any truth to the rumor that your running for a Senate seat from the great state of Iowa in 2022 ?!?! ;D
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Yup, darned good example of the era. Well done Brian!!
Rett
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Brian....
If ou want a look of the sprotsman style cars I saw 50 - 51 years ago (WOW! hard to believe it's been that long ago) check out the following site. www.fairmontspeedwayarchives.org and chekc out the photos for the years 1970/71 as those were the two years I went there the most....by the time the racing season started back in IA?MN in 1972, I was in the LA Area watching CRA sprint cars at Ascot......
just looked at those 2 years and there have been more pics have been added, a lot in color....
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Love it!
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Yes it really has been over 50 yrs since my first encounters with race cars in the flesh. First one my friend and I built was in spring of 1966. We raced three seasons before marriage and kids used up most of the spare cash. Some of the memories are very vivid and luckily I have a few photos from that time and place. Unfortunately many of the photos were taken in B&W. So if you can't find a color photo it is hard to know the colors. Memory does not always work that good these days. I was lucky to be around dozens of people, most older than me, but all of us were having tons of fun racing. I can remember the fun part pretty good. People were real good about helping each other. Once we got accepted by the older guys the learning part went real good too. I miss those times and people a lot.
MB
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www.fairmontspeedwayarchives.org
Just went to that site and there are some beautiful photos, whole lot of build ideas.
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Nice beat up old ride! Like it!
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Nice build Brian, they ran these in the early sixties in my area. That's what they looked like after a couple weeks.
Bob
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Garnered a respectful 3rd place finish in the competition class at the Prison City Modelers I.P.M.S model contest/ show in Leavenworth , Kansas a couple of weeks ago.
(https://images15.fotki.com/v1674/photos/0/3714830/16222136/92821004-vi.jpg) (https://public.fotki.com/outlaw-ford/ad-astra-model-club/9-28-21-004.html)
Again, I'd really like to thank you guys for your responses....your comments mean everything :)......this was my first judged show and first award!!!
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:) Terrific !!
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Way to go!!!!!
Rett
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Representing the STM Forum well!
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Representing the STM Forum well!
I do my best.....at the monthly meetings I probably sound like a pitch man for a radio commercial, sometimes, telling everyone to "Be sure and check out this build as well as the other fine builds at Short Track Models . com" I've been told by several members that they swing by and check things out from time to time.
I had no intentions of taking the car to the show/contest....the Ad Astra's club President started telling me back in May-June that I really need to take this to the Prison City show and enter it....told him I'd think about it. Once I posted the finished build on June 30th here on forums and the comments started coming in, I realized that I might just have something here with this build with all of the positive reinforcement the comments where providing. So with that being said I owe this to all you guys that posted your memories and comments....you gave me the encouragement :)
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Picked up a Silver Award at today's Ad Astra Model Club A.M.P.S show
(https://images40.fotki.com/v1648/photos/0/3714830/16222136/111321023-vi.jpg) (https://public.fotki.com/outlaw-ford/ad-astra-model-club/11-13-21-023.html)
A.M.P.S judging is different from I.P.M.S in that the build is judged on its own merits verses against the rest of the builds in that class as it is with I.P.M.S So today's Silver came in the automotive class (all non military wheeled vehicles)...there was everything from motorcycles to big rigs in the automotive class....50 to 60 entries if I had to guess.
John Gordays builds and the '55 where the only stock cars.....I displayed the '73 Gran Torino Late Model that I am presently working on as a non judged W.I.P
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:) You mean that old wreck beat out all of my nice shiny new cars ????
Congrats Brian. I am so glad that you won. I know you worked long and hard on it. :)
And thank you for the birthday greeting. I cannot believe I am 82 years old. Where did all the time go ?
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....thanks John
Like I have stated before when I was building this, I had absolutely no intentions what so ever of entering it in any shows. It took some coercion from the club President and a couple of others that enter shows on a regular basis that I indeed had something worth judging....
With that being said and after my Baptism by fire as far as being on a 3 man judging team (armor) yesterday I honestly believe that you have a car that would get some high end points....not best of show or best in class level.... 30 points is the maximum you could get going by the A.M.P.S judging system w/ a 3 man team. The White #15 pictured of yours from Fri. http://www.shorttrackmodels.com/index.php?topic=1934.0 ('63 Chevy Impala SS Late Model) would have been in the 27 point range as it sits right now. I got gigged on points(25.5) because one of the rear wheels is not aligned as it should be...fixable, probably got that way from being transported to a couple of shows and 3 or 4 club meetings ::)