Ideas to share concerning 1:18 '67-'69 GMP Penske Donohue Camaros.

[Swede70]

Thanks again for the kind feedback, the kind notice.

I'll be leaving this project soon, with perhaps only the master cylinder and battery to be added past this point.  Here I've finally added foil, have sourced and applied much smaller Fred Cady Decals 'TRANS AM' fender call-outs, and have generally pulled the project together (GASP!).  A '70 T-G racer will have to wait, although I'd like to do a Laguna Seca entry sans spoilers with aqua painted Minilites (seemingly only at this venue) when it might be possible.  I've seen the shell of this same tool modified to the extent that the front and rear spoilers have been removed, whereas the fiberglass aero-aids fitted just before each wheel arch can be heated and bent inward to better replicate a standard Firebird profile.  Quite a bit of fine 'white' metal work is suggested for this route, but all the same, something to contemplate.  Again, I greatly appreciate the warm comradery evident here, the considerable kindness that has been afforded to me time and again.  





...hard to see, but the need to paint on the window seals/channel gap atop each door required that foil be cut twice so that from the inside surface a transition is seen between what is respectively black-chrome-body color.  No fun this!

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Like-work upon an 1:18 ERTL '70 1/2 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 in Citrus Green.  Tires Hwy. 61 Goodyear Polyglas GT's, wheels painted, rear spoiler stripes corrected, all much in the flavor of what was done to the 1:18 ERTL '70 1/2 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am seen above.





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...and a modest wheel change onto a 1:18 Hwy. 61 1970 Ford Mustang BOSS 302, here wearing 1:18 ERTL '73 Mustang standard wheels painted and added.  Much better when contrasted to the unfortunate Hwy. 61 attempt to render the same.  



M.K.

[MO]

There is just something about Citrus Green for me. Mine had Saddle interior. Great combo...

[OCTARD]

Though I'm at risk of Jon thinking even less of me, my first Camaro was a Citrus Green '70 Z-28, similar to Mike K's ERTL model above.  I bought the ERTL die cast too, as my Dad and I still share the car.  If I were to correct the model to represent our car, I'd need to make it a standard front end, without a "sport" mirror.

Great stuff, Mike K.  Thanks for showing us all your hard work, and pointing out many of the subtle details.

-Chad

[Jon Mello]

Mike,

Of the three, I have to say that the Firebird takes the prize. Your efforts on that car absolutely paid off.
I will say it again, it is absolutely stunning. That is not meant to disparage your efforts on the others.
Thanks again for sharing your passion with us.

-Jon

[Swede70]

Greetings everyone here,

School responsibilities intrude upon time otherwise directed towards hobby efforts, but some work proceeding anyhow.  I recently attended a small hobby club meet held locally, whereupon a good natured fellow who'd fabricated a very nice 1:25 plastic scale period SCCA Trans Am replica took me to task for not finishing my admittedly elaborate projects.  I love his finish work, but some of his choices made and some of the fabrication seen struck me as a bit off, so a challenge then for myself to 'prove a point' and do something in plastic.  The 'plastic people' never seem to respond to diecast work, hence I've decided that to best 'unstick myself' that a long-dormant 1:25 Jo-Han '70 Mark Donohue Javelin will be completed in tandem with a semi-simplified 1:25 Jo-Han '70 Mark Donohue Javelin - the later version less suspension mods.   In short, perhaps expect a small succession of '70 Javelin posts, nothing too extreme of length, but enough to share work as I further beg for insight every now and again.  The 'better' and more content-laden model is the '70 Javelin illustrated as a resin shell example seen earlier in this thread will be a Donohue Watkins Glen ride with the revised fueling inlets, Racemark seat, late front spoiler, etc.  The less content-laden example will be an early-season Peter Revson ride with the early front spoiler, less elaborate front seat, 'normal' rear tires, chrome valve covers less the joined breather tubes - and maybe a film of oil on the back for early-season engines weren't exactly long-lived!  Though blessed by birth, here in scale as in life, Revson will pretty much get the shaft in his Jo-Han Javelin for it having lesser content.  Both models will have Jimmy Flintstone/Mini Exotics resin shells with the beautifullly-rendered flared wheelarches front and rear. 

Oh no - here it comes - GASP! - the first question!

Though not endowed with the special reference glasses that turn all b&w images to color (if only!), something seems decidely lighter in color about the interior door trim versus restored images of the engineering hack wearing black panels.  I see a charcoal gray, perhaps not a strict '70 color offering even as the style of the interior panels says 1970.  What color does everyone see in the racing seat thread found elsewhere on this site?  Any response or impressions shared would be greatly appreciated.  Working towards little progress day-to-day, whereas satisfying thus far.  Kind regards to everyone here...

Mike K.

[Jon Mello]

Mike,

Nice to hear from you. In my mind, I was remembering the interior panels as being blue. Craig Wheeldon pointed out this ebay ad to me which appears to support my recollection. Even though the image of the Javelin shown as an external view is the '71 body style, the shot of Donohue sitting in the car shows the '70 aluminum seat and the rear quarter window shape is definitely the '70 version and not the '71. I hope that is of help to you.

[Swede70]

Greeting Jon,

Thanks - that makes very good sense, while the ad. has been ordered.  Earlier I had investigated '70 interior colors and found no mention of a gray or charcoal, and yet something definitely seemed up.  Given the rebodying of the 'real' cars post-'70, we'll not otherwise see it restored, hence why not something definitive in 1:25th?  Again I'm indebted, for here too you have awareness and understanding quite clearly beyond what I'm able to bring to bear.  With much thanks...

Mike K.

[Swede70]

Greetings,

Not much to see at this point - just another resin shell with the flared wheelarches, cast Minilites combining Jo-Han inner wheels with the outer lip of the MPC Chrysler Sportsman Kit Car Dart wheels, a dismal as-delivered stock rollcage, and Perry's Resin tires.  Still, up on wheels, the side early-season fuel inlets have been drilled with the back sides plugged - and hence another scale life form is brought into being.  I intend to work back and forth between the Donohue and Revson Javelins, adding elements in discreet succession, hoping to finish fabrication of at least the Revson Javelin in anticipation of a show come late April of 2012 (when this was posted).  The simplified chassis of the Revson Javelin will be the key to keeping this confidence building exercise simple, whereas if progress can be made in relation to the more elaborate Mark Donohue Javelin, this too will be welcome.  I'm trying if you will to unstick myself for too elaborate efforts given I have so many Javelin spares.  Refueling port on back of spoiler to be plugged.  Thanks...

P.S. Yes, you do spy a Model Car World '72/'73 Penske Donohue Matador NASCAR project just below it.  Quite crude, whereas my knowledge concerning it is a bit thin too.  Hoping to someday do a '73 Winston Western 500 race winner as a 'slammer'; i.e. no engine detail - just body and interior work.  

[Jon Mello]

It looks like you've got the basics of what you need, Mike. I'm looking forward to seeing where progress takes you from there.

[Swede70]

Quiet progress - playing about with casting tires.  Scale Goodyear Blue Streak Sports Car Specials not reliably available in scale in the size and tread pattern (or the indentation pattern in this instance) that I'd desire, hence working with urethane mold making material to very selectively combine the best elements from different tires to come up with the best on one, or rather two molds.  Imagine one very good sidewall reflecting about the right aspect ratio, appropriately-sized 'GOODYEAR' (no wingfoot key mind you) on the sidewall, but less than ideal section dimensions and poor 'tread'.  Another tire might have the right 'tread', be a bit too wide, and have undesired sidewall detail.  Casting each in hard plastic resin allows me to isolate the best aspects of each design, combine them, and should the tread pattern be on a thin vinyl tire, I might be able to reduce or enlarge the diameter of the final casting for applying the same to a cylindrical pattern reflecting my particular size needs.  For the center where the rim would be fit into the tire this may be too large for some rims, but for the use of clay to build up the center, a casting of the sidewall can include extra material to allow me to shore up these dimensions and open up the center to whatever dimensions seem appropriate.  

...likely Laguna Seca 1970, perhaps top of the Corkscrew.

 
First time doing this, hence slow but also a bit dazzling for there is so much control over the finished product.  What seemed a fixed aspect of the project(s), namely tires and wheels, is now wide open.  Some cottage industry suppliers afford tires made in such a fashion, but here again value can be lent for I have the option of shopping for my own resin, heedless of what the pot and set time of the material used requires.  What I mean by this is that a 'production shop' wouldn't stand for having to wait 16 hours to pull something from a mold in order to efficiently produce the volume needed to turn a profit - if a profit can indeed be had.  Something that sets quickly (speaking of resin) may not have the texture of what I desire, hence to effectively take over this aspect of the process allows me to shop very carefully for the very specific qualities I'd want in the pliability and texture of the tire material, and thus I can combine the best tooling across forty-odd years and mate it to very rigorous in-house quality control and even the slowest-setting materials to come up with what I desire.  In a sense a Jo-Han model becomes a Fujimi or Hasegawa kit for whatever lacks are inherent in the older product and tool are seen to without regard for volume production.  Interesting stuff, while new photos of the Revson Javelin with far better tires are to come.  So much model tech. talk so some of this may not be strictly understood, but progress being made.  Thanks for the interest...
 
Mike K.

[Jon Mello]

Mike,

I'm frankly amazed. The thought of molding my own tires and taking parts of a sidewall from one example and combining it with tread from another, well ... it would have not entered my mind as a possibility.  But I am not a serious modeler and yet I can understand that maybe getting into a competition with other modelers could lead to wanting (or needing) to go the extra mile. Somehow, this reminds me of Mickey Thompson and the ingenuity he displayed by casting his own Hemi Pontiac heads and Hemi Ford heads when no such thing was available. What you are doing is not as complicated as that but to me the spirit and drive behind it all is the same. I'm impressed and my hat is off to you. Thanks for sharing.

[Swede70]

Short update here,


Resin tire work - initial casting a 'hard' white resin master, whereas 'soft' black-colored and pliable slow set time resin clones to be cast from a subsequent mold taken from the former.  

Early season Revson Javelin with 1:25 scale MPC Goodyear Blue Streak front tire sidewalls combined with narrowed 1:25 MPC Goodyear Blue Streak NASCAR indented 'tread' tread pattern reduced in circumference for being pliable vinyl that could be cut free of a standard kit tire, shortened a bit, and then glued to a reduced diameter plug before being mated to the aforementioned sidewall detail.  All in white resin now, hence contrast near-impossible to cope with.  Rear tires same 1:25 MPC Goodyear Blue Streak NASCAR indented 'tread' footwear mated to period 1:25 Jo-Han small-lettered Goodyear Blue Streaks sidewall detail.  Sorry - image headache inducing...



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Last season Donohue Javelin (front tires identical to above, although I do know of the Van Valkenburgh super modified tire reference within the space of The Unfair Advantage and am mulling what to do).  Rear tires same 1:25 MPC Goodyear Blue Streak NASCAR indented 'tread' footwear with stock large letter GOODYEAR identification, but wider by about 20% in section.  Note neat SUNOCO Mark Donohue b&w promotional photograph, as well as Ronnie Kaplan Engineering '69 promotional postcard.  1:18 Minichamps Porsche 917-30 diecast model is as-delivered and is quite nice.  





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Lastly, yet another SCCA Trans Am possibility in scale.  A firm by the name of Scale Motorsports did this in 2006; i.e. a modified kit shell of the 1:25 AMT '64 GTO annual intended to replicate the '71 season Tullius Gray Ghost.  Odd how flares on rear suggest period Buick 442 versus Pontiac.  Put up on wheels to mull, yet another thought exercise.





Thanks...


Mike K.

[Swede70]

Hello,

A little scattered, but flitting back and forth between the Javelins and a Tullius Grey Ghost.  Some modest progress; i.e. ride height lowered in back, main roll hoop with 'X' brace fabricated, revised flare and rear wheel arch contour (raised and broadened - a bit 'Frankenstein' in appearance now), air dam fabricated, outside rear view mirror.  Model shell came through as a post coupe, and now you'll note that it is no longer.  Refueling inlets cut into quarter panels, back side of each paneled-in, inlet with cap on driver's side.  Minilite wheels cast twice over, exterior lips to be spray Alclad 'chrome' lacquer, inners semi-gloss black.  I regret being so maddeningly unfocused at times, but nevertheless like the results across projects.  An idea takes hold in relation to a specific project, I work diligently upon it, and then my attention floats about until it fastens upon another something or such.  Kind regards to the community.





Mike K.

[klvn8r]

You sir, are an artist!!!!  Keep up the good work!  (and make sure that 70 Penske Javelin only has FOUR lug nuts per wheel!!!)

klvn8r

[Swede70]

Thanks for the kind words and notice - yes, indeed - four lugs on the '70 Penske Javelins!,


Greetings,

After reviewing photographs seemingly forever, I determined that something wasn't quite right on the front end of UGH! - another side project.  Not sure if some favorable aerodynamic effect was secured for the mods. made to the actual Tullius/Adams Trans-Action Gray Ghost, but I felt something had to be done to bring matters in line concerning the appearance of the front of my  model. Sorry grilles and wheels afford the examiner of this post the contrast of the blackness of space - hence hard it is to envision strictly what will be afforded in terms of results.  

In sum, the front bumper has been cut to remove the 'vee' profile; i.e. now it's flat side-to-side, whereas the bumper itself has been pulled back a bit, angled down, and massaged into the surrounding fenders which have been trimmed and contoured to better position the now angled grilles and their respective headlamp bucket assemblies.  The center 'beak' is just plastic scrap, whereas further subtle work required here to establish final positioning of much.  

The overall look is decidedly odd, with the headlamps downturned and slightly cross-eyed, whereas I found trimming and re-contouring the back of the hood to pull it in a bit helpful besides.  Near-invisible progress of dubious aerodynamic worth in total it would seem.  Wonder why all the work was deemed necessary? Oh, new main hoop of roll cage, re-contoured rear wheel arch openings, four pin vise 'dimples' drilled surrounding each refueling inlet, and other discreet things done.  Thanks for your attention.  


Mike K.