F-100 Boat Puller... the "Grave-Robber"

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by badhoopty

so very not trying to be critical here, a set of dinky cheap seats would save a toooon of weight and also have a bit more oldschool vibe to them. i think they would really go well with everything youve done.

Thanks, input is always welcome in my garage.
I checked out a few seats (Dinky's, KillerBody's, and more) and I liked the look of the Corbeau's. Then after seeing them in joe122's Ramcharger/Blazer build (and getting the measurements from him, Thanks joe') I was sold. And if weight turns out to be a problem for wheelies or ET's, I'll just pop out the whole interior (hence the magnets ). No problem in "tow" mode. I'm kind of going for an "old-school" look with modern tech' mechanics feel.

Originally Posted by rerebuilder

I think the interior is looking good with that race vibe to this build. Looking forward to the end result. Are you doing a driver also?

Thank you , I plan to get a pair of Wightman Scale RC's 5-pt harnesses to enhance the "race-vibe" . Need to figure out a shifter set-up and a 'chute release, and get the roll-bar done. AND, of course, the dash.
As far as a driver, I'm eyeing a "Racing Miku" (with a helmet) to maybe drive, but I'm not sure about her exact size and leg-room fit. Jack'd (my '53 Ford crawler driver ) has a couple of cousins that have also shown interest in driving, so we'll see. I'm still taking applications.

[dr frankenstyle]

Well, I was hit with a wave of laminate-floor work last week (I'm gettin' WAY too old to crawl around like that anymore), so I haven't gained a lot on the jockey.



Last weekend I got my $4 stop-watch so I carried her down to the highway to run her "thru the traps".
well .... after a half-dozen passes (avg. 4.5 sec, with the stop-watch), I tightened the diff' just a bit too much and blew-out the hub/wheel adapter that I had made, (like burnin' out a clutch) so I spent my hobby time rebuilding that, the right way this time ..... I hope.

I did get a little work done on the dash. I got the dash-pad made from .060, heated with the old iron and rolled. Then glued a ridge under the front edge to fill, and added a strip of .020 to the front edge (back edge?) on top.



I heated the tip of a screwdriver a bit to cut in the defroster vents.



I cut the dash face from .030 and then cut the lower edge, ash-tray and glove-box from the .020. I still need to make the gauge cluster and the radio/ heater controls .... and the knobs and details.



I still have 1 small room to floor next week, but I hope to make more progress this weekend. I got a pair of 5-pt harnesses (white) ordered from Wightman Scale RC ....
OH, and this rush of work also allowed me to "hitch a ride" in my trucks and boat (etc.....) too



So just when it was getting a little boring .... (not for me.. ) ...... and the beat changes up.

[joe122]

Hitching a ride should be a blast Jim, and some awesome work on that interior.

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by joe122

Hitching a ride should be a blast Jim, and some awesome work on that interior.

Thanks "joe", I can't wait to get in the drivers seats. After next weeks little extra job I plan to order a FatShark Pilot HD camera that will record straight to a micro SD card, so soon I'll be able to share some ride-along's too.
Your rigs would be a fun "ride" too, I'm sure.

[dr frankenstyle]

The boss-kitty was sleeping soundly today without me, so I got a bit more dash progress. I added a filler to the bottom edge for strength and "depth", and got started on the instrument panel.



I hope to add a polished alum' face-plate over the gauges, we'll see if I can pull it off.



Still needs a little refining, but it fits in the truck reeeeal nice. I'll get a thru-the-window shot in the daylight.



It's roughin'-in better than I thought it might, this "from sheets to parts" stuff is kinda fun.
I've just never done it in scale before now.

[rerebuilder]

That interior is really coming out good. Can't wait to to see it finish in the truck.

[joe122]

Yeah...that is cool!

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by rerebuilder

That interior is really coming out good. Can't wait to to see it finish in the truck.

Originally Posted by joe122

Yeah...that is cool!

Thanks, guys Boss-lady had me watchin' drag racing on FS1 (well I watched... she slept in my lap .... anyway) but I took a few minutes to pop the interior in for a test fit.



Of course, it'll look different with the purple and white paint, but here's the general idea.



I'm planning to go with a purple dash-pad on a white dash front, polished alum' gauge panel, purple doors with white door-panels, purple arm-rests, and a blue stripe in the door-panels and a swoosh on the glove-box door.
Oh, and 2-tone seats (purple bolsters, white centers) with white WSRC harnesses.
Here's how it fills the windshield.



I'm really happy with how this is going, this style of scratch-building is a blast.

[dr frankenstyle]

Got the aluminium gauge plate made (another piece of the chassis cut-off scrap)......



and trimmed the bezel a bit more, and painted it satin black.



This is just a mock-up, I still need to print the gauges on decal paper and get them affixed properly. I decided on white gauges and just wanted to see how they'll look.



I'm likin' it so far.

[dr frankenstyle]

Got the instrument panel fixed up. I decided to just try copying my gauge mock-up onto one piece. (you can see the yellow masking tape)



Used a red and a yellow marker to color the little lights. This darn camera over-blows the lights.



By just stacking the gauge sheet, the lens sheet and the aluminum face onto the punched bezel, they were pretty easy to light up.

They look a lot better than the picture shows, you can clearly see the back-lit gauges "in person".



..... next ......

[rerebuilder]

That gauge cluster is looking good. Your detail work is really amazing.

[dr frankenstyle]

Thanks for the good words and the "likes". Just trying to make something from the leftovers.
Had to finish the last floor job yesterday, (I'll order the Pilot cam' tonight) but I did get some work done on the dash too.



Got the heater control/radio bezel made up. Fits pretty well.....



... and with some paint and a "radio".



still needs knobs and such, but it's comin' along.

[joe122]

The Devil's in the Details! Awesome work, very clean.....work.

[rerebuilder]

Nice work between you and joe122 you guys are the foose's of RCing. Sorry I forgot to include B-kons, hoosierdady and Metal Masher their builds are also inspiring.

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by joe122

The Devil's in the Details! Awesome work, very clean.....work.

Now I understand ..... the Devil made me do it!
Thank .....you

Originally Posted by rerebuilder

Nice work between you and joe122 you guys are the foose's of RCing.

Thanks, I'm honored by the comparisons to all of those mentioned. I guess we're just a bunch of "blocks off the old Chip"

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by joe122

The Devil's in the Details! Awesome work, very clean.....work.

HMmmmmm .... did you notice the clutter in my work area or the dust on the truck in the close-ups?

But seriously, I made some more progress on the dash today.



I took some more of the picture hanging nails (nice round, button heads) and swirled some epoxy around the heads, to build up a tapered "knob"...



then I flipped the 'tile to let the drips dry, then filed the epoxy into "knobs", painted them black, then sanded the tops of the heads clean.... to end up with old-style black knobs with SS heads. Then I chucked up some 2mm flat washers and filed them a bit smaller for bezels. Drill the dash, slip the nails thru the washers and voila ... decent scale knobs.



I just used a cut nail for the glove-box button, and filed a screw flat, filled it with epoxy, filed it again and pressed the tip of a small flat screwdriver into the epoxy and stuck it thru a washer to make the ignition.
Now get some real paint slung on it.

[joe122]

Very well done, thanks for sharing your ideas!

[rerebuilder]

That is a great tip for making knobs. Looking good.

[dr frankenstyle]

Originally Posted by joe122

Very well done, thanks for sharing your ideas!

Originally Posted by rerebuilder

That is a great tip for making knobs. Looking good.

Thanks, glad you guys like 'em. I get so much from this forum, It makes me happy to give back a bit.
I'm a notorious scavenger. I'm always scrounging up scraps to make into something. My buddy says "it's obvious that you're a handyman, using flashing and nails and stuff to build RC's"

Well, I got some paint sprayed this weekend....



....and threw some velour (same stuff as the trailer bunks) into the floor for carpet (floors have been a "thing" lately ), well, cut and glued it in.



Assembled all of the parts ... and threw 'em in for a full-color mock-up and fitting.



The rough-sand job on the dash-pad gives it a "vinyl" look, and Steve Wightman's 5-pt harnesses ice the cake.



I still have a few more details to add ....



... but I'm happy with it so far.

[rerebuilder]

Man I just want to get in buckle and take that truck for a ride. That interior is just over the top excellent work.