'80 Corvette by Testors---Seriously?

Hodakamax

Hey Thanks Steve! Any progress on the Giant squid?

Yep, there is. I am better than halfway through making it. I will be doing some sanding on it today. It should be completely done in about 1 weeks time.

Thanks for asking.

Bakster

Hey Max, that looks seriously sweet.

 

Hey Thanks Steve! Any progress on the Giant squid?

Hey Max, that looks seriously sweet.

DUSTER

Gotta hand it to ya, this looks Fast an' Mean, the black stripe(s) do (or will) add to the special look.  

 

Thanks Steve, I'm getting real bored watching this paint dry!

Gotta hand it to ya, this looks Fast an' Mean, the black stripe(s) do (or will) add to the special look.  

Hopefully the silver paint will eventually dry and I'll mask and paint this stripe. A crude mock up at least allows me to visualize what it will look like, kinda, lol. I'm setting here watching paint dry.  

Maxie

Are gou sure you don't have a 1/1 hiding the the shop to reverse engineer? Fantastic job and what a cool concept. If your looking for a back up driver I VOLUNTEER, no really I ain't got much going on... I'm good with my higher power ya know...sounds like a good idea LOL.

Hate to hear the luck on the paint lifting Max. Looking really good on all fronts though. Hang tough brutha.

A couple of things happening to the somewhat slow project. The interior is probably finished with enough detail as the viewing will be limited with windows and viewing angles. When sitting in the drivers seat on a sunny day, the view is plagued with reflections from the silver. An anti-reflection coating will be needed. The whole machine is asymetric with scoops and intake and I visualized an offset full length black stripe/anti-glare area running the length of the car. This first step and test on the hood didn't turn out well. The siver enamel is still soft after several days and the light footed Tamiya tape still pulled up the gloss from the enamel silver. Grrr. I've patched the areas with thin silver on a very soft wide brush. This might work until everthing sets up, if it ever does, but for now I just need to stay away from the soft paint. Nix on the stripe for now anyway. Reporting.

Maxie

I do appreciate the comments Gang! The Corvette is quite the change of venue for me in that I always seem to building a replica of something with rules. I'm just taking a fun break and I'm not a very serious guy anyway. Let's see here, there could be room for an afterburner like most jet cars I have seen, but hey, they don't have a turbine up front either. I was a little disappointed after reading about the real version of this turbine engine being a stationary unit that powered some sort of pump rather than an aircraft. It really was 880HP and provided over 1100 foot pounds of torque. Facts for the day. I know, hard to separate fact from fiction on this project but I ain't lyin' on that one. Back to work here!  

Maxie

Cool "door" placards.

The two roof panels serve as entrance/exit for the driver as the doors have been incorporated into the body. The stock Corvette panel latches are only rated to the top speed of a stock Corvette, about 200 MPH. I'll be doing almost twice that speed and a new latching system was installed. A little tight exiting from the passenger side roof hatch but it can be done in an emergency. The problem is that all the steps needed and required to release the hatch externally could take too long should you be a slow reader. Hopefully the main exit will serve it's purpose especially with the pop-up seat to the roof.  

Maxie

This is getting serious Max.  Looks like you're having loads of fun.  This thread always makes me smile.  Carry on sir. 

Hey, has that offset weld on the roll cage been bugging you? Me too. Nothing will show in the final and it does meet spec. Not like I didn't see that. Try not to notice like I do. Gone soon or at least hidden.

Maxie

The Testors silver enamel through the air brush looks good enough for speed runs and I did get the engine department in order. A test run on the turbine, operating at it's rated 37,500 RPM, exploded the stock 10,000 RPM Tachometer that came with the Vette, something I hadn't considered. Live and learn. The de-tuned Mig-17 ejection seat works great in it's new reusable mission of popping the seat bottom level to the top of the car for emergency exit in case of fire or other emergencies. It's all resetable and re-armed with four sequenchel firing 12 gauge magnum shotgun shells. The steering wheel just pivots to the right. Cool.

Reporting,

Maxie

Thanks Gang, for the comments! Second thoughts here on the flat aluminum paint. This Krylon Metallics is a mainstay in the the real speed attempt motorcycle project for fab parts, but in the scaled down model Corvette is hard to get a flowing finish. I think this is a job for the airbrush and some gloss silver. There are some decals to come so I'll at least start with the gloss idea. Being a mostly composite car, the flat aluminum was too aircrafty and we don't want this thing flying nor betraying the true materials of exotic carbon fiber. Back to the paint booth!  

Maxie

Just peeking in to see the cool progress you've got going on so far with this one Max. I've gotta hand it to ya bud.............this is definitely some imagination right here.

I suppose the seat doesn't have to be operational. It certainly fits in the theme of the project. Outrageous comes to mind. I think I'll take my chances inside the big roll cage and monster fire suppression system for now. Too bad the zero-zero seat was too big where you could leave at any speed if things went awry. Seemed like a good idea at the time. It's only a concept, again, what could go wrong?

Maxie \Project Manager and Pilot

I'm with Timmy, just get comfy and....HANG ON!

At this point, we now know that the "Safety" equippment is just as deadly as a crash would be..... so why dont you forget about trying to save the driver ( just getting in is hazzardous. )

Go ahead and make some space ! Get rid of the rollbar and fire extinguisher's.

Ejection seat ????  Give him a comfy bucket seat and use the extra space for Nitro bottles !

( Just make "SURE" you have the driver sign a "Waiver" , before take-off ! )

This is sounding dangerouser and dangerouser. Since this seat is not a zero-altitude, zero speed rated seat, the chances are you would be killed are increasing despite the steering wheel being in the way. I do like the looks and comfort of the seat, but with diminishing odds of survival I may just put a motor on the seat rails to lift the driver out of the top hatch and glue the door shut for safety. Who's to know that the seat is unarmed? Let me sleep on it. Better to look good than to be practical.

Maxie

Remove steering wheel, add rudder pedals?  Or an arm from the bottom of the seat to the steering shaft with a quick release for the wheel itself. Sorry Hodakamax, your idea not mine, sorry. Pretty cool to this point though.

Good news and bad. After much measuring it's apparent that the zero-zero Martin Baker ejection seat is too tall for the Vette. The good news is I did find a Mig-17 seat that is much shorter but not without many modifications. Another problem is the steering wheel and how to move it out of the way early in the ejection sequence. One solution is a forward pivot which requires destruction of the windshield. Should the vehicle survive as its chutes also deploy, you wouldn't have to buy another expensive Corvette windshield. A rapid telescoping of the steering wheel shaft would work but would have be extremely fast with an explosive drive. I think the best solution is just to have the steering assembly go with the seat. I'm workin' on it!    Seat anchored and in position shown with stock seat.

Maxie

I see the jet-powered Vette is moving right along.

Cockpit is looking good and liking that Aluminum body, Max.

Hey Max... I see now that I missed something. I didn't realize that this was your flux unit, and that you had it behind the seat the first time. That works there too. 

Hook that wire up! And now you have a time machine too.

Ah, this is the hot set-up. Hmm, now the red wire is too short. It's always something.

Maxie

Yeah, not much room behind the seat is there. Maybe you could mount something to the left of the seat, facing the driver. There is a small open spot there. Lol.

Bakster

Max--in the movie it is the back seat. It's that lighted gizmo behind his left shoulder. If you have some room to put it there, that is the place. 

 

PS: Buddy--I am just having some fun with ya. Don't ruin your model for me. Put it in--don't put it in. Up to you! No antenna needed.

 

OK, where does the red wire go?

Awesome! It is looking good Maxie! 

Max--in the movie it is the back seat. It's that lighted gizmo behind his left shoulder. If you have some room to put it there, that is the place. 

You'll want this device because terrorists are making plans to steal your high-tech vehicle. You'll probably be able to outrun them with packing that jet engine. But--if you can't, the flux capacitor can transport you and your car into another time/space. Get what I am saying here? It's an insurance policy. I am just looking out for you man.

PS: Buddy--I am just having some fun with ya. Don't ruin your model for me. Put it in--don't put it in. Up to you! No antenna needed.