K & G Speed associates Front engine dragster

Good looking project!

Looking forward to it Pete, looks to be a real detailed build !

OK race fans! Todays installment: I hate kit molded tube chassis, and other supposed to be "Round parts". That's why I love my flexi file! It makes short work of mold lines on tube chassis. Any whoo, not much to see at this point just some prep and a fabbed steering box/shaft set up. The kit piece was...Awful...As of now, the chassis is ready for primer and paint and the chrome (all of it) has been stripped. Don't worry its gonna get interesting real quick here, trust me...LOL...

Next installment: Body work and a major WTF!? stay tuned!!!

Fun!? LOL...This things already thrown me a curve ball Joe!...

As I stated earlier, Adding more depth and realism to a model. In this case, these dragster kits tend to have one or at most two piece bodies. The Ivo car is an exception to the rule but a classic example is the "Young American" Front eng dragster kit and the numerous variations of this kit. The body in front of the engine is one piece (The nose is a separate piece) and has no belly pan/underside to it. Limits your choices for a display model. Body on showing just the exterrior look or, body off showing a bare chassis...Yawn...The Jade Grenade you see here was the Young American kit. I added a belly pan to the one piece slip on body with some styrene sheet. Then proceeded to cut the body up so as to have multiple removable panels and a visible bottom to the car when the panels were off. Much less boring, don't you think??

Ok sports fans! Body work...Filling...sanding...more of the same. and finally some primer. The tin panel looks good but still needs to be filled & shaped and fitted. I did cut the nose section off since its incorrect for this particular rail. Besides its really hard to shrink the tin in front and get it to its final desired shape. I did manage to save the nose from the banana peel and grafted it on with crazy glue. (Going to sand down and fill those two ridges) Ran a pair of plastic stringers to line the panel up on the lower half of the body (they are permanent) They will help to locate the panel on the finished product and give a secure fit. And so it begins, Filler...Lots of filler...Oh! did I mention the sanding? LOTS of sanding. For the final fill I mounted the upper tin panel to the lower body. I then filled the panel sides and body at the same time. This will give me an even panel down both sides and a crisp parting line between the two body halves.Once sanded flat the panels are separated at the seam with a little help from an exacto blade where they are stubborne but...The two panels will separate easily as the filler didn't really get in the seam to bond the panels together. Once its all sanded smooth its time for a bit of filler primer...in between all the filling and sanding I did manage to get a few details done on the body. such as the bottom seam finished out and a pair of parting lines on the body. One in the rear between the body side panels and the rear body/fairing Its a one piece fiberglass shell that slips on from the rear and a seam between the nose cone and body sides at the front. Yeah, it was often fiberglass as well.

Next installment: A painted chassis and some of the parts start to take shape/paint. Thanks for tuning in!!

Glad you like what your seeing Mark! I'm just happy the only real fab work on this was the body panel...So far...

Can't see it on this computer but will DEFINITELY be tuning in this evening to check this out. Hate the luck on the brittle plastic bro. Sounds like you're pulling through it though.

OK...Interrior is not finished. (Some things I want to do to it to make it better) BUT... The chassis is a roller!!! wheels & tires are done. Got some more engine parts in paint.


Next installment will be a finished interior...Possibly a finished chassis/suspension and or some detailed engine work. Stay tuned and thanks for looking!!

K&G speed shop is only about a half hour away from my house.I used to go there all the time for my speed parts back in the 70's and 80's.I'll be checking in on this build for sure.Keep up the good work Pete it looks awesome!!

Ok it was a hectic day, didn't get to the work shop till after dinner so: Didn't get the interior finished but...I did fab up a Magneto and finished the fuel/injector lines on the blower. Mocked it up on the engine along with the pullies to see how its going to look. I did get the belly pan for the interior fabbed and installed too. (I love embossing metal)

Next time: Going to try and finish the engine up and the interior. Need to get moving on the finish work on the body so I can paint this thing!!Enjoy!!!

Ok sports fans! Finished engine and cockpit. First, these M/T magnesium rocker covers gave me a chance to try something I have had kicking around in my head for a while...Proper Hemi spark plug boots. I have this Gofer racing plug wire and boot material. The plug wire is way too stiff to get it to lay right but the boot material is perfect for my idea. I cut a bunch of boots from this wire I scrounged up years ago from some electronic thing (don't remember what it was) Then cut the gofer racing boot material into small rings and slipped them over my boot material. It was like trying to put a rubber band on a gnats... you know whats. But, I managed it anywhoo. Slipped them over my Protech orange plug wire and glued em in place! Once wire up and routed, I mounted the supercharger assembly and pullies and called it good. I wont put the oil pan on till its time to put it in the chassis for good.I think it turned out fairly convincing! The cockpit gave me fits! trying to put all kinds of necessary stuff in a tiny cramped space...sheesh!...Not to mention having to modify the kit steering wheel (it was waayy too big) I had to kut it down and reshape it then I had to re chrome it. Scratched a tach and a mount for it, as well as the steering shaft, some molitow/paint and glue later...I still need to figure out where the chute handle is going and the fuel shut off lever in the cockpit ( 10 pounds of sht in a 5 pound bag! LOL) but...Its good for now... Heres a little teaser mocked up for your viewing pleasure...Enjoy!!!

Next installment: Fabbing headers and maybe some more body work...It never ends...stay tuned and thanks for following along!!

Thanks Joe! I do try to get it as convincing as I can. I do love my embossing metal. Its great for floor pans/body panels heat shielding to name a few...The list goes on man!!

Thank you Dale...I think the scratch building is half the fun...Sometimes...LOL.