'78 Mustang Extreme Make over part Deux (Nov. 24 2022 UPDATE )

[Brian Conn]

  To show you that I can do more than just commentary on the forums
 
 For those of you that have been watching this transition  for the past 11 years , please indulge me....for the rest of you, here's the back story...fallow along.

This is what I started with....

  Built this snapper sometime in the late 70's ....by early 1980 I was "trying" to make this into a dirt Late Model. Some time in the mid 80's this build and a few others where boxed up and stored in my parents basement. Discovered the box in 2008 and only the body, pictured below, was salvageable.



Rebuild as it appeared in the Summer of 2008

I never was satisfied with the rebuild...I hurried in areas like the front and rear suspension as well as the body.....the build represents a dirt late model built locally to qausi N.D.R.A rules in 1980.

Small Block Ford w/ Top loader 4 speed trans.

 The only piece's from the '08 re-build that did not need anything done to it was the engine and tranny....Clevor engine (Cleveland heads on a Windsor block according to the magnifying glass) ,Detail Master pre wired distributor and oil breathers, scratch built Moroso deep sump oil pan, scratch built Moroso valve covers (carved from BB Chevy resin pieces),solder headers,cast Moroso air cleaner cover,scratch built Holley intake, scratch built Lakewood bell housing, scratch built shifter linkages.
 
   After this pic was taken, I changed my mind and went in a different direction. Decided to change the intake to a medium rise and replace the carb w/ a Holly 4150 resin piece, also going with a taller air cleaner element w/base and make this a dry sump engine.

THE EXTREME MAKE OVER

  This begins what will,hopefully, be the last time I have to do anything with this build. I like for my builds to be challenging, but not impossible. As I stated before ,I was never satisfied with the way it turned out. I didn't want to part this one out for other builds. I did the build previously pictured in the Summer of 2008...by the grace of God, my abilities have improved some what from where I was then. There are tools at my disposal that I did not have in 2008 that make this make over a lot easier than the re-build I did then....mainly a digital caliper and a magnetic base jig.
 I still have issues with glue control and painting...I have learned some new techniques that I will be trying with this make over.
 I am farther along than what these pictures show...I am just bringing everyone up to speed as to how things have progressed.
This is what I will be starting with on the make over.....multiple issues with this cage and chassis...first jig built frame that I did...needless to say that particular jig is a thing of the past due to design flaws that came up later on in the build.
 Engine cross member is not centered properly, thus the engine and transmission did not align properly with the rear suspension.
 The front frame stub needs replaced ahead of the fire wall ...design flaws of the jig caused issues with mounting steering components and coil over shock set up.
 Both the front and rear suspension were lacking any real detail...this build is supposed to represent the 1980 racing season....I need that detail to show and be period correct.
 The rear stub frame rails are too short in length, thus the rear suspension was off.


 Removed all of the Black electrical tape that was suppose to be the Black plastic that was used back in the day. If you want the look of Black plastic, then use Black Plastic. As it turns out, this body is still too narrow ( remember this use to be a 1:32 scale that was up sized to a 1:25 scale) ...I now have a set of digital calipers that I did not have in 2008 , so now I use the AMT/ERTL 1977 Mustang II to get all of the proper measurements utilizing the digital calipers.
 The Left half side of the roof has issues....more than likely due to all of hacking and whacking that has taken place on it.
 Going to re-work the front clip...make it a little bit shorter and re-do the fender wheel well radius' and flares....bubbled fenders and hood




 

[Brian Conn]

I decided to build the car right this time since I had gained some skills and had the right tools to do so. I was up for a challenge ,so I decided to up size the car from a 1:32 scale to a 1:25 scale in small areas of the body while leaving other areas alone...such as the roof, which has a lowered appearance to it since that portion is still in 1:32 scale. The body width and length was increased. The wheel base was increased to a 1:1 scale 108" (108mm. 1:25 scale) I used a 1:25 Mustang II hatchback body as a reference.


As it turned out, the body was too narrow,so a cut was made where the roof was already messed up.......since I put this body together a few years ago, I purchased a set of digital calipers and have starting wearing glasses for the up close ,small stuff....


This area of the roof had issues.....cut out everything that was not right...added a small piece of plastic on the bottom side of the roof for reinforcement and support and then built up the area with squadron putty...this also ties the two portions of the roof together. Used braces in the trunk and engine bay areas to keep the proper width of the body in place.


 Used a plastic deli tray bottom for the Black plastic pieces on the front side of the front wheel well arches...will end up painting them Matte Black.


  Used plastic prescription medicine bottles cut to form the bubbled/raised fenders on the front. The body is turning into a putty mobile, but at least this time it won't look like a bag of Walnuts.

   If I had a dime for each time that I have changed my mind with this build I would have a whole lot of dimes

[Brian Conn]

  Using sprew,scrap pieces of flat plastic and assorted Evergreen plastic I scratch built the swing arm style accelerator pedal (left), the floor mount brake master cylinder and pedal (middle) and the floor mount hydraulic clutch reservoir and pedal (Right) .

 The shaft of the accelerator pedal will pass thru the fire wall just adjacent to the bell housing and hydraulic lines will come off of the brake master cylinder and clutch fluid reservoir.

   I seen an interior that David Bogard had done http://www.shorttrackmodels.com/index.php?topic=1016.30
 http://www.shorttrackmodels.com/index.php?topic=1108.0 after I had done this...I really like the way that he did the reinforcement ribs on the interior tin....so at some point and time I will remove the interior and give what he did a try.
  Also, I decided to remove the front frame section....so some of these pictures are out of sequence as far as where I am at presently.

ON TO THE REAR FRAME SECTION:

  Again, another area that was affected by a poorly designed jig (my own fault) was the rear stub...fortunately all that is wrong is that the frame rails are too short to correctly mount a leaf spring rear end. Since the frame rails are going to be lengthened, the diagonal bars coming off of the main portion of the cage will have to be removed and replaced with longer pieces.


  Here is the new rear frame section.... late 70's Howe leaf spring "copy"....used a 1/8th scale draft from Howe that was reproduced to 1:25 scale to get things right. 

 Cause & effect......version 3.0
 
  I am just going to start over with a bare frame forward of the engine fire wall. I know that the rear axle is now right on the money, but in measuring, the wheelbase is off....so I removed the ganky engine cross member and control arms, which I was going to redo anyway, the front lower control arm strut cross member, the steering linage assembly and steering gear box and front hoop since the new mounting points will be different but correct this time. Decided to go back in with a manual rack & pinion steering set up.


  Seen manual rack & pinion steering set ups on a couple of dirt Late Models from 1980 helped change my mind. The Black piece I located in the salvage bin at the LHS ....looked like it could be made into a plausible rack & pinion....shortened up the width a little bit and added some plastic pieces to give it the look of a manual rack & pinion.
 This will be the master for my resin cast.


  I gave up trying to scratch build a Late Model front stub...always seemed like either the frame rails or a cross member was off. I have wanted to cast a Late Model front stub for quite awhile to save time on scratch building and aligning. Found a Revell/Monogram 1990's front stub (Lumina & Monte Carlo) and an Revell/Monogram 1980's G.M engine cross member in the salvage bin at the LHS.

 
  Going to be casting the Late Model front stub and lower control arms together in one mold. Narrowed the stub to 32mm. Reworked the front frame horns to level them out. Narrowed the engine cross member and used Evergreen flat stock to box in the engine cross member to locate the lower control arms. Cut 2 lower control arms from flat styrene. Front strut mount cross member being reused from the build.
 With this front stub , I can build it either with coil springs or by removing the weight jack/spring bucket build a coil over set up. I can use this with a perimeter frame in its present configuration, or remove the Left side diagonal frame piece for an offset frame or remove both diagonal frame pieces for a ladder frame. It will be able to accept either a rear steer Ford or front steer G.M steering and also a rack and pinion steering set up.
 

[Fordguy01]

WOW!!! This will be stunning to see when completed.  You have certainly done your homework on this build I can't wait to see the completed build.  Great work!
Al

[sentsat71]

Nice to see this one again.....!

[Brian Conn]

   Thank you, Gentlemen.

.... I don't know if this is the proverbial "a bad penny always turns up" or "the third time is the charm"  I guess we'll see.

  I'm seeing more and more re-builds and re-works than before, so I figured I'd jump in with mine that had it's humble beginnings as a Snap-Tite Funny Car dragster that I had built somewhere between 1976 and 1978 ...I honestly don't remember but its the closest I can figure.

  I put the pictures in order so that they would make some sense now , but chronologically I have left quite few pictures out seeing's as they are no longer relevant to the build....like fighting the issues with the front suspension and front frame section.....changing my mind and going from a front steer G.M type steering to a manual rack and pinion to name a few.

  Just when I think that I am done with a particular area of this build , I see something that someone here on the forums has done with their build and I want to give it a try.   

[Brian Conn]

   Well thanks to you David I keep seeing things on your builds that I simply have to give a try on mine

 
  Got a couple Late Model front frame sections poured....was able to graft this one to the existing frame rather easily....over all I'm satisfied with the way it turned out and looks.  For once everything measures out where it should be
 
  I simply admire what David Bogard and Tom Birky did on a couple of recent dirt Late Model builds with their interiors....so much so that I am going to carefully remove what I have done so far with mine and use David Bogards idea that he did with the Larry Phillips wedge Late Model.  There are also some small interior details of Tom Birky's Tom Hearst Dirt Late Model build that I would like to incorporate as well.

  I'm not changing the configuration of the interior on this build any, which could come back to haunt me later, but rather trying to enhance what I already have done to it.

[Brian Conn]

...Sometimes you have to take a couple of steps back to move forward.....

   
  After 12 years,I had a major AHH HA moment .... took a while but I figured something out.
  I have studied what Gator and David Bogard have done with their respective builds utilizing the NASCAR chassis....read and re-read their w.i.p's and how to's....been wanting to do something quite similar.
  Here is what I have come to discover....
  There is a portion of the build below the floor pan and in front of or behind the fire wall....then there is everything else that you can easily see.  The main cage will now be reconstructed into two separate parts....what's visible and everything else, focusing on what's easily visible without having to turn the car over and etc.  The two portions wont be attached to each other, but rather give the illusion that the tubing passes thru the floor pan or fire wall.  This should give the interior a cleaner appearance and not detract from the builds appearance.
     The changes made are not radical as it looks...I carefully removed the main cage and relate etc. from the frame.

[Tom Birky]

Wow! Big difference! Much better Brian.

Tb

[Brian Conn]

  Once I figured out that its everything that you don't see and do see with these particular builds, I concluded that this is how I am going to do these scratch built cages and chassis from now on....it takes a little more effort, but worth it in the end.


  Pretty much everything that you don't see or wont ever see because.......


  .....the front and rear fire walls and floor pan obscure the view, which...


...make it necessary to build the upper portion of the main cage separate.  Nothing is permanently attached, its just sitting in place...I didn't include the door bars on either side because they would not co operate to get their pictures taken.  Next, I am going to get it back up on all four corners ,again  

[Gary Davis]

What a difference Brian. This is really looking good!

[David Bogard]

Doesn't even look like the same guy did this! It looks really quite good Brian! Impressive!

[Lefturns75]

Ah yes, you have learned well Grasshopper.  When you can build on rice paper and not leave a mark, you are there. 

[Fordguy01]

Looking better all the time.

Alk

[Marty W]

Who says you can't make a "silk purse"?!