1/18

[draknoir2]

They make a normally aspirated 426 Hemi and a Blown 427 Ford in 1:18 scale. They also have a 1:18 Camaro with a supercharged 572, but I don't think that engine is available separately. You could ask, since they obviously make them.





I payed a lot more than $40 for the DDA model... the quality is lacking. Bad paint job, chewy milky plastic "windows"... but It's still "the car". The Dinkum model is high quality, but as you said, less accurate.





Thanks for the stripping tips. If you're talking about the Penske Sunoco Camaro tire set, they are out of production. I had them on pre-order from Legacy Diecast. The tires look right, the rims were a bit off... but they had the correct # of spokes.





The ones I bought have the correct spoke configuration, and I can assemble them in either of two thicknesses to match the different sized front and rear tires I got off a 1:18 AC Cobra. They look right.

[Bronze21]

I think the tire set might have been GMP come to think of it. It was a white box with red and black on it. the Minilight-style wheels were yellow with red-line tires, and the other set was a dull-finished Torque-thrust D style wheel with blue-line Goodyears. Both sets of tires were different sizes for the "big-n-little" effect. Here's a pic showing the yellow wheels on the scale version of my car...are those the ones you had on order? I've also found that you can change the rake of the car by flipping over the front spindles, which drops the front by at least a 1/16th of an inch, then take the rear leafs out of the hole, letting the pin sit on the frame rail by itself, then add the shackles to either side of it. The car looks best when the chrome "beltline" (bottom window sill) trim is almost level...same with the bottom of the door sweep It's not a straight line...it's lower in the back then goes uphill to match the front bumper. I didn't see it until I saw Dougs car in person for the first time. Sorry for the bad pic below...it's all I've taken.





Just curious...Is there any chance of getting you to cast another set? I'm willing to pay for your time and materials as well. Lemme know, as I've considered doing the same, but have taken advantage of the nice weather and worked on the 1:1 scale instead, saving the smaller scales for the Winter.

[draknoir2]

Cool Collection!





Yep, those are the GMP wheels I had on pre-order... before they took them out of production. They can still be had if you buy the entire Penske Sunoco Camaro trailer set, but I didn't feel like spending $75 for wheels.











I like the ones I have better anyhow... more accurate, after the machining I did. I only have two, but since I'm recasting them in metal, I only really need one good one. Yes, when I cast them you are welcome to a set, assuming I don't run into trouble in the process. The rims will be in whitemetal, and the hubs will be in resin.





I still haven't removed the stock wheels from the spindles... I'm nervous. Any suggestions on how to remove them without destroying them? A guy on another board said to freeze the chassis for 24 hours, then pull them off.





Neat idea a bout inverting the spindles. I had planned on adding a shackle to the leaf springs, and the tires being larger in the rear, also add to the stance.





The nosepiece poses the biggest challenge. I have to hand fab it myself, and I want to do it right... don't want it to look like something my kid [named Max ] sculpted from Play Doh. I'll take measurements from photos and do my best to make it perfect. I'll be molding and casting the master on that, and you can have one of them as well, if you want [I see your 1:18 Falcon has the stock nose].





The roof and boot spoilers I plan to mold and cast in resin, but I may have to sculpt them directly on the model. If not, I'll be happy to cast extra.





Did you cut your hood, or is the blower just set on top? I've been thinking about casting a metal copy of the hood, so I don't have to cut the original. Here's a photo of a metal hood I cast for a 1:24 scale plastic model of my first new car, a Shelby Turbocharger.











The XB is a larger scale, and the hood is thicker, so the casting should be even easier.





This project will take a while, but as I produce good parts, I'll be happy to share them with fellow enthusiasts for free, assuming I have the spare time, supplies, the shipping isn't too outrageous, and the molds hold out. Doesn't take me much longer to cast a bunch of parts than it does just a single part, and with the metal stuff I usually cast as many good pieces as I can get out of the mold all at one sitting. The resin casting I do in the winter when the humidity is down, so the first thing I will probably have ready is the wheel set.

[Bronze21]

I'm in no hurry, so whenever is fine. I appreciate the offer...you will be compensated of course. I live West of det"riot."


Hadn't thought of the freezing thing...I'd think that would make the ABS brittle. I just applied slow, steady, even pressure and they "popped" off. Using the GMP wheels, I had to drill the hub hole a little larger to snap it onto the XB spindle. With a spot of superglue (Loctite 380 "Black Max" works best but expensive at $18.ooUS a bottle) it'll hold the wheel just fine. The clearance is good with the stock offset as well.


The blower is probably going away, on the model as well as the real car. I've made an ABS bonnet scoop that is a mix between the Bathurst cowl induction scoop and the L-88 hood scoop designs. The 2 Sneaky Petes will fit in the scoop above the 467 big block on the real car (pictured under the models above). Later, I might build another 467 "mountain mill" that has a full-time functioning blower on the real car. Whatever mods are on the real car, will be reflected in the 1:18th model.


At $150.ooUS, the Tango XB's are right in the ballpark for this level of model. I've paid as high as almost $400.ooUS to get a couple of the race cars (Brut 33 XB and the #1 Moffat Ford Dealers XC). Even the XA's have skyrocketed in the past few months...matching the real car prices...haha.


I haven't tried metal casting since college in jewellry/light metal class, but injection molding and the resin casting process is no problem.

[draknoir2]

You have a real XB? I would love to have one, but after the Harley purchase, there's no way the wife would go for it. I have a daughter heading off to college next year, so funds will be tight.





There's a local guy that's got a genuine, working Black Interceptor. A coworker knows him, and I've put a bug in his ear about getting Max and myself a chance to visit it. It would be cool to get a photo of my son in the driver's seat of his namesake's car.





Which suburb of Detroit are you from? My family is from Roseville/Warren, and I used to live there.





Post some pix of your 1:1 scale model... I'd love to see it!

[Bronze21]

That wouldn't be Scar would it...with his blown Clevo BoB?


I live over by Ann Arbor. Come to find out, there's four Falcons in the state now...all are about 60 miles or less from me. One guy North of here has the XC Cobra that was used to make the Biante Cobra model...no 248(?). I have a MFP-Inspired Interceptor, one has an orange XBGT clone (Phil of Aussiecoupes.com old car), and the other one has a bluish-purple XB.


I'm not posting pics of the 1:1 model just yet...it's incomplete and it's definitely NOT movie accurate. After all of the slinging of the pooh in Thunderdome, I decided to go completely different on the look, but it still screams MFP. I do have one of when I first got it and put the BoB wheels on it though.

[draknoir2]

I don't know if that's him... I'll ask my coworker. He would be in the Libertyville Illinois area.





Sweet car, Bronze! I doubt I'll ever be able to afford the $60K-plus to have a clone made, so I'll have to stick to diecast models. My bike is a money pit as it is.





Here's me and my "project car"

[draknoir2]

Got the blown Ford 427 in today from GMP... and I only just ordered it Tuesday night!


This thing is awesome. Incredible detail. I will sculpt and cast a hat for it, and drop it right into the XB.





Anyone need a 1:18 351 Cleveland?

[bluddyangus]

i bought the tango orange xb for a conversion a few years back..it was marked down to $110 because the chrome wasnt perfect..then a xc cobra just to get a moulding of the rear spoiler,and re sold it a week later..i got a volkswagon kombi drag bus for the blower,,the whole motor would have been nice but its to wide for the xb engine bay..and the wheels from a 1/16 scale truck/van model that was on ebay..the nose was reasonably easy to construct from balsa wood ,but with no idea how to make a casting..its come to a halt..its been in a draw for 3 years now..

[XA351GT]

If tht car is in Illnois that would be Jim Martino's car.He has /had also a yellow 4 door Interceptor and a Apollo Blue XB GT coupe. That's the problem with ownership ,it's hard to stop a one car.


Tommy