Scratch Building an Aussie Ford Falcon **New update,15/1/18**

[Davewilly]

Just found this thread...Very impressive Thats the kind of model building I like...all plastic no whip out the unimat and make stuff. Very cool!

[ShawnS]

Hey guys I am pleased to return with a new update. It's been a while but something clicked and I hit the workbench a few days ago and started some more scratchbuilding. I find the best way to jumpstart myself after a slump is to do some major construction so it's time to do a curbside chassis.

Obviously I intend to do more than one version of this car in the future so I will need to make a resin castable curbside chassis. I thought about it for a while but I couldn't find a way to successfully cast the chassis that I had previously made so I had to start this one from scratch. The plan is to keep the parts count to a minimum so there wont be a separate diff or suspension or driveshaft etc.. but I want the detail to be reasonable without going over the top. Visuallise something along the lines of an Aoshima or Fujimi style curbside chassis.

I started by cutting a slab of evergreen sheet to the right width and started to go from there.

I measured and cut out the main underbody sections and scribed some detail into them and sanded them to shape.

I bent the front lip of the main flat section the same way I did the interior tub.

I put that aside and then took a chassis from an AMT Mercury and cut off the front section.

The kit part was too narrow so I had to make it wider.

I also had to fill in the under cuts to make life easier when I am casting as well as blank off the main engine area.

I also needed to extend the rails at the rear of the front section. Evergreen to the rescue again. The wheel locating stubs are temporary and will be removed before casting.

The main rails were added to underbody.

Everything fits nicely.

I will be building and casting the chassis in two parts which will give me the option of doing different rear end configurations that the Aussie XD/XE/XF Falcons came with. The next step is to add engine and gearbox detail so I will have to make a resin copy of the 6 cylinder engine oil pan as well as the trans mount that I have made for the full detail version and go from there.

It's really good to be back at the bench and I hope to keep it going for a while.

Cheers

ShawnS

[mopar68]

Glued to this one again mate, you're a true legend to show us the whole process step by step.

The tricks I've picked up from this so far... this needs to be printed into a book for later reference. I would seriously buy it.

[John Pol]

Hi guys. This little build still occupies a bit of my time so I figure you should see how I'm progressing. My main focus over the last couple of weeks has been the sides of the engine bay. Starting with the usual evergreen sheet cut to shape with bits added to it along the way.

Shock towers

The finished product

The sides still need extra details added to it like the vertical strengtheners and boltheads etc as well as further work on the fronts. The sides will be mated to the firewall at a later date and joined together at the front also.

Still plenty to keep me busy over the next few months.

Thanks for looking

Cheers

ShawnS

Wow can`t believe the amazing work you put into it keep it going. You must have a lot of plastic and scratchbuilding material around to do this kind of work.

John Pol

[Casey]

Best. WIP. Ever.

[Car Man]

DUDE you got some beautiful peace of work there

I would love to have the engineering skills that you have!!!!!! GREAT work!!! keep it up

[ShawnS]

Thanks guys.

Wow can`t believe the amazing work you put into it keep it going. You must have a lot of plastic and scratchbuilding material around to do this kind of work.

John Pol

Yeah I do seem to have accumulated a lot of different sizes, shapes and thicknesses of evergreen styrene as well as a selection of glues, knife blades, sandpapers, drill bits and scribers in the last few years. I am always on the lookout for new tools to help me along.

[dragcarz]

Can you explain how the shock towers came about, I've been needing to do some for a Vega project I have and could use some advise ?

[ShawnS]

Hi Roger. The shock towers are easy to explain as they are just 5 separate pieces of evergreen sheet.

First figure out the dimensions and cut out one large flat part and two sides then glue them together.

After the glue set I sanded the back side to get the angle that I needed.

The get the rounded face I cut out a section of thicker evergreen sheet and cut it to be the same shape as the rest of the tower, glued it on and then I rounded it off with sand paper.

I also capped the top with a scrap piece of styrene sheet and blended that in with sand paper too.

The original on the far left with the resin cast parts.

Hope that helps you out.

Cheers

ShawnS

Edited May 7, 2013 by ShawnS

[VW Dave]

Beautiful work.....good on ya, mate!

[gtx6970]

Best. WIP. Ever.

agreed 100%

[Helix]

Once again, outstanding work Shawn !

[MrModelT]

Best. WIP. Ever.

I'm with Casey........Good Lord .....I am TRULY......SPEECHLESS. A true master work!

[bryan_m]

WOW!!

I am stunned! Beautiful scratchbuilding and detail work!

Keep it comin

Cheers

Bryan

[Shardik]

My vocabulary is insufficient to add anything substantive to the well deserved accolades already lauded upon your venerable skills.

I have probably bypassed this thread several times since my interests do not generally include late model cars. I am very glad I decided to, finally, take a look. This has been one of the most inspiring and illuminating topics I have found here.

I am now emboldened to finally tackle that frame and suspension that I've been timidly putting off.

Thank you for sharing this, and please do seriously consider publishing an instructional book. You are eminently qualified to do so.

[Darren B]

Best. WIP. Ever.

could not have said it any better...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

:o :o :o

[1930fordpickup]

Wow, now I have to buy a new key board from all the drool ! Awesome .

[ShawnS]

Thanks again. You are all very generous with your praise. Here is another quick update for you all.

This week I made a mould of the sump and trans mount and cast them in resin.

I found a gearbox in my spares box and cut it up.

I glued both the gearbox and the trans mount onto the chassis.

I then cut a section of evergreen sheet and glued it to the top of the gearbox.. This will sit inbetween the front chassis rails.

I added the gearbox extension and a CV joint, I also continued detailing the main underbody. The driveshaft is temporary until I figure out how I'm going to do the rear section.

I cut a section out of the sump that was the same width of the crossmember and made a dummy oil filter and pulley/belt.

Once I had glued everything together I ran some Tamiya liquid primer around the areas that butted up against each other. I also made a sway bar.

Everything fits nicely where it is supposed to sit.

It's cold, windy and rainy where I am at the moment so I haven't had the chance to hit it with some primer yet. Still plenty to do so stay tuned my friends.

Cheers

ShawnS

[PowerPlant]

This thread redefines model building in my book!

You have unbelievable skills, and even though the car you're building doesn't do much for me, I find this to be one of the most interesting WIP's I have ever come across in cyberspace.

[Gluhead]

Okay, I was already blown away by your dedication to making such a detailed scale model of your family car. Now, I'm equally impressed with your ability to make a very simplified version.

Fantastic!

[charlie8575]

My vocabulary is insufficient to add anything substantive to the well deserved accolades already lauded upon your venerable skills.

I have probably bypassed this thread several times since my interests do not generally include late model cars. I am very glad I decided to, finally, take a look. This has been one of the most inspiring and illuminating topics I have found here.

I am now emboldened to finally tackle that frame and suspension that I've been timidly putting off.

Thank you for sharing this, and please do seriously consider publishing an instructional book. You are eminently qualified to do so.

Yeah, what he said.

Fantastic work on that chassis.

Charlie Larkin

[checkmate]

Looking good Shawn been following on the AAMB forum to mate.

[ShawnS]

Guys guys guys, I don't know why you would need a book when you can ask me anytime about how I did something. I'm more than happy to take questions and if I can help you with what you need to know I will. Call it an interactive book....

Cheers

ShawnS

[LongRoofNut]

I have seen a fair amount of Aussie and NZ films that had some really good looking cars I have never seen before. When I go to look for them, sadly no a whole heck of a lot of them are available in model 1/24th or 1/25th scale form. Simply stated you are a true definition of a modeler. No one makes it, took the dive and are making your own from scratch.

This has got to be one of the neatest threads I have seen in a long time. It is giving me the gentle bumps to make my own model of the car I am sitting on in my avatar, a 1978 Ford LTD Country Squire wagon.

[3men2s]

you got skills !!!