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70 1/2 Camaro


Modlbldr

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I finally got around to getting some substantial work done and a few photos taken. I say substantial, at least for me. I got the BMF finished last night and I did some light wiring and plumbing on the engine.

First is the BMF. I did the windshield frame, hood jewelry, top of the doors, doorhandles and locks, headlight and turn signal buckets and badges.

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I still need to do the black wash around the hood jewelry and detail paint the emblems.

Next up is the engine and underhood photos.

Later-

I really like the hood jewellry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill (Duntov)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks again guys. Your comments have helped keep me going on this one.

Goldfinger- You need to get that finished. It looks great so far. I also had problems with the final fit.

Duntov- Yes, I liked the hood too. It is one of the reasons that I wanted to build this car as it was drawn.

So, Last night I spent some more time on this one. It's been sitting for a little while. I had gotten the windshield polished and coated with Future polish and glued in temporarily with Elmer's. I used it because I knew that the dash would hold the bottom of the windshield tight.

Last night I fought to get the body on. It is a difficult fit because I had everything that shouldn't have been done already on. Both front and rear valance on, radiator wall in, brake master cylinder on and even the exhaust pipes got in the way. I ended up having to remove the fan from the motor and the brake master cylinder in order to get it together. Next problem was that the top edge of the dash where it meets the bottom of the windshield should have been filed down for a better fit because I had to really cram the font of the chassis pan into place with such force that I was praying nothing would break while gluing it.

Anywho...It all went together and then I had to put the parts back on that I had removed. Next problem was that the distributor stuck up too high for the hood to clear. I removed it and cut it down considerably. Now I have to rewire it.

I also got the convertible boot and rear bumper on and glued the wheels in place, trying hard to get them square. Even though the wheels sat nice and had all four on the ground during my test fit last night, once I put them on with epoxy I have my driver's front wheel not touching the ground. AAArrgghh!! I don't know yet what the problem with it is. All 4 seem to have the same amount of rubber showing between the top of the rim and the wheel well arch. I'll have to do more investigating on it today.

Sorry for the rambling and details (and no pictures yet)but I am getting really excited to be able to have this one finished. All that I have left is to put on the side mirrors and the rear view mirror and sun visors, rewire the distributor, plumb the heater hoses and glue on the front bumpers and license plates. Then I can wipe off the finger prints and put it on the shelf.

Hopefully I can finish it tonight and get the final photos posted. I have a busy day today though, so no promises.

Later-

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Tom, this one is looking GREAT! "Hood jewelry"... LOL, I cannot get over that one. :blink:

Nice build up so far and I am looking forward to the final pics.

One thing... I noted from the design, and no reflection on your considerable building skills. But the slant of the trunk is weird once the roof is removed. Same thing turned up when Ford started making Mustang convertibles again in the mid 80's. The cars looked like the roof had been cut off instead of looking like a finished design. In other words... the hip-line is incomplete front to rear! A car should have a smooth line front to rear to be visually complete. With the "F" body Camaro and Firebird it was the top of the front fender - to roof - to trunk line. Remove the roof and the line is incomplete!

Ford figured this out on the 1971 "Bunky" Mustang re-design which had a weird incomplete hip-line that never connected leaving a heavy look to the rear fenders but the strong roof line completed the shape. That is except for the convertible! The convertibles of the day had a crease in the sheetmetal that flowed smoothly between the top of the door and over the rear fender much like it had back in 1969 - '70. So top up or top down the Convertible is a beautiful design in my opinion.

Is Tom's model flawed? Not in my eyes... but my original art IS (flawed)! I should have spent more time fooling with this design and playing with body lines in order to "smooth out" the look from the rear 3/4 view.

Or... you could just simply add a set of ski racks like I did! :D

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Tom, this one is looking GREAT! "Hood jewelry"... LOL, I cannot get over that one. :blink:

Nice build up so far and I am looking forward to the final pics.

One thing... I noted from the design, and no reflection on your considerable building skills. But the slant of the trunk is weird once the roof is removed. Same thing turned up when Ford started making Mustang convertibles again in the mid 80's. The cars looked like the roof had been cut off instead of looking like a finished design. In other words... the hip-line is incomplete front to rear! A car should have a smooth line front to rear to be visually complete. With the "F" body Camaro and Firebird it was the top of the front fender - to roof - to trunk line. Remove the roof and the line is incomplete!

Ford figured this out on the 1971 "Bunky" Mustang re-design which had a weird incomplete hip-line that never connected leaving a heavy look to the rear fenders but the strong roof line completed the shape. That is except for the convertible! The convertibles of the day had a crease in the sheetmetal that flowed smoothly between the top of the door and over the rear fender much like it had back in 1969 - '70. So top up or top down the Convertible is a beautiful design in my opinion.

Is Tom's model flawed? Not in my eyes... but my original art IS (flawed)! I should have spent more time fooling with this design and playing with body lines in order to "smooth out" the look from the rear 3/4 view.

Or... you could just simply add a set of ski racks like I did! :D

How about a spoiler?

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Jairus-

I agree. The body just does not flow as it should with the top removed. It looks just as it is, a hardtop with the top cut off. Oh well. It is still a car that I wish they would have done in 1:1. I should get this one done today.

BTW- Sorry i spelled your name wrong in the title. Being Computer illiterate, I haven't figured out how to fix it.

Later-

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Jairus-

You know, I agree with what you said about the trunk but I couldn't explain what the problem with the design was.....until today. I was at Barnes and Noble and was looking at a book on Porsches and it jumped out at me when I saw a photo of the 911 Speedster. Talk about a car that looks like it simply had the top cut off and a boot slapped on it! It , to me, is still a beautiful car, but just looks like an afterthought.

Later-

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Tom and Vernon y'all both have tempted fate and both rose beautifully to the challenge of turning Art into Reality even if it's in 1:24/5th scale. I agree with everyone here as it is a challenge to take a car that originally was intended to be a "Hardtop" only and turn it into a one off work of art that should have been, but never was. I can't wait to see both of these wonderful Camaros in the "Under Glass" Section so I can jus' drool. I'm a long time FAN-addict of Camaros and all things strange and unusual.

I built a "One Off Concept" of the Mercury Cougar and had the same exact trouble with trying to blend or smooth out the transition from "Hardtop" to "Convertible aka Cabriolet."

CC12.jpg

This is why I give you guys KUDOS x10 (and Jairus too for the inspiration) for stepping out of bounds and making great one of a kinds. ;) Two Thumbs Up!

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