Super Gas '77 Vega

[Straightliner59]

I've long needed a Vega in my display case. Now, I have one! This began as a red promo. In order to ensure that the red wouldn't cause my Mulsanne Blue paint to turn purple, I would need to block the red pigment. I remember Bill Geary mentioning that he uses Zinsser BIN primer. I didn't find that, at the store I went to, but I did find Zinsser Bullseye 1 2 3 primer in a spray can. It worked, beautifully! It covered the red plastic in pure white, and didn't attack the sometimes finicky and sensitive promo plastic. I recommend it, and will use it, going forward.

The interior aluminum panels, wheel tubs and trans tunnel are fabricated from Maid-O-Metal 36 ga. tooling aluminum. It's nicely malleable, and easy to work, given a little practice. The main floorboard is aluminum flashing. The flashing is much more rigid than the tooling aluminum, and I prefer it, for structural members. The seat is from a Johan Sox and Martin 'Cuda--one of my favorite-ever parts kits. This project saw my first use of Eduard belts. They look really nice, but, they are stiffer to wok with than the wine bottle foil, I generally use. The Lenco shift levers, reverser, shift "towers" and actuator rods are scratch built from various materials. Window net is masking tape. The dash features an aluminum gauge panel, and photo-reduced gauge faces. Roll cage is .060" plastic rod.

Chassis detail is minimal. Only the lower sections of the headers and the lower four-link bars are present. I also added the bottom of a fuel cell, and covered that with tooling aluminum. I bent a "loop" of brass rod, to mount the 'chute mount to. I also added shroud lines, release cable and "Remove Before Flight" tag. The tag was made from decals I printed, applied to wine bottle foil.

Headlights were drilled out and replaced with reflectors made from tooling aluminum, using a doming block. Lenses are from the parts box. The hood scoop is mostly scratched. The graphics decals were designed and printed using PhotoImpact Pro 13 and an inkjet printer. Contingencies are from various decal sheets. Windows are clear styrene sheet (.005"), windshield is thermo-formed PET.

I think that covers most everything. The WIP thread can be found here:

Here are the glamour shots. Your comments are welcome. Thanks for looking!

[NYLIBUD]

Wow!! 

[ChrisR]

Very nice!!

[Zippi]

Your 77 Vega is a Great looking Drag car.  Nice finish.

[Straightliner59]

16 minutes ago, Zippi said:

Your 77 Vega is a Great looking Drag car.  Nice finish.

hanks, Bob! I appreciate that!

[Hemifever]

Great build.

[Bills72sj]

That is way cool. I would love to do a Pontiac Astre version of one.

[Straightliner59]

2 hours ago, Bills72sj said:

That is way cool. I would love to do a Pontiac Astre version of one.

Thanks, Bill. Now, that would be cool!

[PappyD340]

Very nice!

[Hmann68]

Very nicely done!! Clean and sharp job!

[Straightliner59]

4 hours ago, Hmann68 said:

Very nicely done!! Clean and sharp job!

Thanks, Christopher.

[gseeds]

Awesome build !! 

[catpack68]

Very nice work! I would love to find a 77 Vega?

[Straightliner59]

2 hours ago, gseeds said:

Awesome build !! 

Thanks, Gary! You do some fine work, yourself, sir!

2 hours ago, catpack68 said:

Very nice work! I would love to find a 77 Vega?

Thanks, Scott. Promos are pretty reasonable, on Ebay, generally. Kits are a bit more costly. Promos work great for this kind of stuff, though!

[Scott Colmer]

Excellent work, Dan. I really enjoyed watching this one come together.

[Straightliner59]

8 minutes ago, Scott Colmer said:

Excellent work, Dan. I really enjoyed watching this one come together.

Thanks, Scott. I'm glad you did! It was a lot of fun!

[Nacho Z]

This is just an all around great model!  It is just soooo cool!  Great job.

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, Nacho Z said:

This is just an all around great model!  It is just soooo cool!  Great job.

Thank you, John! I appreciate that!

[slusher]

Great looking Vega!

[Bills72sj]

I just noticed the wheelie bar casters look like all the hardware is separate parts. Please share!

[Straightliner59]

2 hours ago, slusher said:

Great looking Vega!

Thanks, Carl. I appreciate it!

2 hours ago, Bills72sj said:

I just noticed the wheelie bar casters look like all the hardware is separate parts. Please share!

I soldered brass tubing together, to make the actual wheelie bars (they could just as well be made of plastic). I used HO scale model railroad handrail stanchions for the Heim joints. The side plates were cut and filed from aluminum sheet (or, maybe flattened tubing). The wheels were turned from a plastic coat hanger. The caster assemblies are held together with model railroad hex nut/bolt/washer castings. Here are some photos of their construction.

[afx]

Nice work Daniel.

[ewetwo]

Sharp looking.

[Bills72sj]

Most impressive! (and imaginative)

[Straightliner59]

15 hours ago, ewetwo said:

Sharp looking.

Thanks, David.

2 hours ago, Bills72sj said:

Most impressive! (and imaginative)

Thank you, Bill! I appreciate it, gentlemen!