#11 Holly Farms Laguna WIP

[bbowser]

This is my first attempt at documenting a WIP here on the forum, in the past I've only posted finished builds. I'm hoping for some constructive feedback / tips / ideas as the build progresses.

This is the car I hope to end up with, Cale driving for Junior in 1976, the first of 3 consecutive championship seasons. Cale was inducted into the NASCAR HOF this year which prompted me to model one of his cars since I don't have one in the collection.

Cale won 9 races in 1976, including 4 in a row - Richmond, Dover, Martinsville, and N. Wilkesboro late in the season. He won the Cup by nearly 200 points over Richard Petty.

[Custom Mike]

I always loved the look of the Laguna, I take it you're using the Model King re-issue?

[bbowser]

The basis for this build is the Model King re-issue of the Laguna S3.

The body is the best part of this kit. I discovered the rear suspension was leaf springs in the kit, which is incorrect. Cup cars have used coils / trailing arms for years right up to the present day. I decided to use the rear suspension from an AMT kit, maybe not totally correct but a lot closer.

These are the decals (Fred Cady from Southernmotorsports) and paint colors I plan to use.

I decided on these after cruising Randy Ayer's site and saw a couple of beautiful builds on there using these colors.

[bbowser]

First order of business is the rear suspension. I checked out Dave Van's fotki site and a couple of others who adapted trailing arms to the MK floor pan, but I decided it would be easier to 'back-halve' the chassis in order to have all the proper pick-up points. In hindsight this may not have been easier!

It doesn't show up real well in the photos but the AMT rear portion is light gray and the MK front is white.

[weasel]

where's the orange!!!

[bbowser]

I had to shave the tops of the wheel tubs quite a bit to fit into the body. I thought I had made careful measurements but it turned out that the wheelbase was about 3mm too long, so I had to go back and slice that much more out of the pan. It's very true, measure twice (3, 4, 10 times) and cut once! Once that was straightened out I cut some thin sheet for the floorboards, both to clean up and add some strength to the joint.

You can also see where I've added the firewall (2 pieces from the kit glued together and cut down) as well as the rear bulkhead (also cut down). The Model King kit is definitly NOT a shake & bake, there are lots of fit issues

[bbowser]

where's the orange!!!

Dick, the decals and photos look a lot more red than orange to me. The cars I looked at on other sites used the italian red so I think that's what I'm going with?

[Kmidd65]

Bruce, I like the paint selections on this one. I have never tried one of these older kits. I definitely will be following this one.

One word of caution if I may; lay that Tamiya down first!! If not, you may have some crazing issues with those Testors enamels!! I went with enamel under Tamiya on my Fina Car and paid dearly! I ended up letting it gas out, sanded the Tamiya smooth, applied a Future barrier coat, and then re-shot.... It all worked out in the end but it sure was a lesson for me about mixing paint types! LOL!

- Kirk

[bbowser]

Thanks Kirk. I wondered about that, figured on doing some test shots before I laid paint on the body. Appreciate the heads-up!

[Dirkpitt289]

I always like the older stock cars like these. I thought that had so much more character to them then the new cookie cutter cars they have running today. I look forward to seeing more of your build

[bbowser]

Leaf springs ARE correct for this car.

I've been searching for back-up Jacen, but it's my understanding that all cars were running truck arms by this era. How would they adjust leafs during a race?

[bbowser]

Appreciate the help Jacen. Too late to turn back now. This is a '76 so the nose is not an issue.

Got a little more done today. Reworked the roll cage to move the A pillars back so they don't hit the windshield.

It's not 100% correct but close enough for me.

Edited February 19, 2012 by bbowser

[roadhawg]

They had leafs and springs. The adjustments were carried out under the car by use of "spring rubbers". A semi circle of hard rubber would be inserted between the spring coils (or removed) to change ride height as well as ride tension. This lasted until '79/'80. If I remember correctly, 1981 was when the chassis changed to front steer and trailing arm suspension with the adjusters for the rear being mounted in the chassis pan just forward of the wheel wells. The wrench holes seen in rear windows did not come about until 1988 or so.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with SOME of that. Up until '74, Nascar had a rule that the car had to have the same basic suspension as it's stock counterpart. Mopars came with Torsion bar/leaf springs, so thats what they had to run. GM came with trailing arm/coils, so thats what THEY had to run. Fords ran leafs up until '72. I know when Chevy came back in '71, THAT Monte Carlo was indeed coils, as were all of Bobby Allison's Monte Carlos/Chevelles. In '74, the rules allowed the Banjo Matthews "plate" type chassis, which had coils with truck trailing arms, but gave the Mopar guys the choice of running leafs if they wanted to by saying you could run the Banjo 4 coils OR the Banjo chassis with "same as stock" suspension. So in other words, feel better....This particular car ran a Banjo surface plate chassis......you did right in changing to coils with truck trailing arms.

Edited February 20, 2012 by roadhawg

[roadhawg]

And by the way....the chassis splice looks nice. Wheelbase should scale out to 112" if that helps.

[bbowser]

Thanks Tommy. I was pretty sure that by '76 most everyone had abandoned leaf springs no matter what the make. I appreciate the backup.

[bbowser]

Thanks guys. This is turning into a real history lesson for me. While we're at it, where would I source an appropriate seat? The one in the kit is pretty bad, complete with the bolster on the wrong side!

[weasel]

Dick, the decals and photos look a lot more red than orange to me. The cars I looked at on other sites used the italian red so I think that's what I'm going with?

i'm cornfused, in your 1st pix, it shows an orange/white two tone with a wide red stripe[which is how i remember it]...you got yer white, red, and yella, no orange...IJS...lol

[Kmidd65]

i'm cornfused, in your 1st pix, it shows an orange/white two tone with a wide red stripe[which is how i remember it]...you got yer white, red, and yella, no orange...IJS...lol

Dick, I hear what you are saying. The pictures he is showing look a tad more orange than yellow. The problem is that the decals that he will be using are clearly more yellow. I personally would lean towards matching the decals in that case. Just my 2 cents!

[bbowser]

The Tamiya is actually called 'Camel Yellow' which seems to pretty closely match the reference pics I have. The decals are a little more yellow which will contrast a bit. I thought you were talking about the red as being orange.

[roadhawg]

... While we're at it, where would I source an appropriate seat? The one in the kit is pretty bad, complete with the bolster on the wrong side!

I think one from a Monogram Nascar Monte Carlo Aerocoupe (like an old #3 Goodwrench car) should be close enough. And here is a little something to help you with the details.....

http://public.fotki.com/mrchevyblack/model_reference_/stock_car_sportsman/11_cale_yarborough/

[bbowser]

Wow, thanks Tommy. Great site. That should help tremendously.

[MarkJ]

I definitely will be watching this one. I owned a 76 Laguna s-3 that I ordered from the factory but i ordered it with the 350 2bbl instead of the 400 4 bbl. It was a dog needless to say. I ordered it without the stripes because the ones that came in with the stripes never looked right. I have a model of the 75 malibu that i need to do. The one that needs the fender openings made smaller. I think it is also a model king kit.

[bbowser]

So I managed to make a little progress the last few days. Using the engine from the AMT Pontiac, OOB - just paint detailing. I can't bring myself to fully plumb an engine on a stock car when the hood is rarely lifted after it goes in the display case.

I've also assembled and painted the rear suspension. 2 colors of springs to represent different rate springs used by the teams, color-coded.

I cut down the seat from the newer car to represent the older style used back then.

Also did some initial clean-up and got a coat of primer on the body.

That's it for now, may get a chance to work on it more this weekend. Thanks for looking.

[W-409]

Really cool project, '75 Chevelle looks good. Great job with the engine so far, and interior too. Can't wait to see more because these Chevelles ('73-'76) are very rarely seen.

[bbowser]

Finally have had a chance to get back to this one. Most of the chassis and rollcage is complete, got the front & rear suspensions installed.

I modified the brake assemblies to fit the wheels. I'm using 1/24 wheels/tires from a Monogram kit as I think they fill the wheelwells a little better.

I basically sanded them flat on one side to glue to the wheel backs, and opened up the hub to fit the spindles.

Stripped the chrome and painted the wheels silver, with the hubs painted steel and the lugs picked out with gold. Shabo transfers for the Goodyear lettering.

With most of the greasy parts done, it's time to tackle the body. Thanks for looking, comments welcome as always.