AMT Raiders Coach detail?

[Dennis M]

Amazing job'' super detail.

[kabdriver]

Great work with the solder - looking good!

I just picked up some wire from the florists section in Michael’s that might be useful too - it’s solid aluminum but the equivalent of a 2.5 inch exhaust. Haven’t played with it too much yet though...

[farmboy]

Thanx for the tip Jim, I'll be sure to have a look.

I now have the manifolds and exhausts completed and was going to proceed with the cooling hoses, but there are a few things to be done first, specifically with the radiators.  Here's the basic layout for the passenger side engine. The blue pieces are the acupuncture barrels cut to length and bent to shape.

Holes are drilled in both ends of the blue pieces (to be painted black with chrome clamps) with a short wire insert to be attached to the engine and radiator frame first, the pipe itself mounts on the small wire pieces to fit securely between them.  The curved one goes to the rear.  Checking the few photos of the 1:1 that show it, the large chrome radiator grille piece is just a cover with radiators underneath it, so starting with a small bit I widened the fan mounting holes gradually till they matched the diameter of the cooling fan shrouds.  Here is the mockup with a piece of black paper for a better view.

Incidentally the assembly will have a black wash and those side mounts are being removed to be replaced with the round hinge assemblies as seen in a 1:1 shot.  Also, a small rectangle will be cut out of the center piece to allow for wiring/cabling to pass thru like on the real one.

Here is the assembly from an underside angle showing the styrene "frame" piece representing the rad.  I used a Sharpie to blacken it for photo purposes.  I will be drilling a hole in the bottom corner location for the blue piece to connect to.

The outer left and right sides are the only two pieces that need this as the top and bottom ends are not visible.

And your brain tells you there's a rad underneath the frame.

comments and observations welcome

[41chevy]

I feel you nailed it pretty close. Paul

[farmboy]

Finally removed those chrome 'arms' from the radiator cover assembly and replaced them with hinges like on the real McCoy...at least I think they're hinges.  I filed the sides flat after cutting off the arms, then using half round rod used a razor saw to score the hinge joints. Sprayed the sides with the first coat of Krylon Chrome.  A little sanding and a recoat and it'll be good to go.

Comments and observations welcome

[farmboy]

a few further details on the rad covers...

The photo below shows the small opening created for cabling/hoses between the radiators.  The middle section isn't very pretty so I will no doubt be covering it with a piece of aluminum and bmf-ing the rad frames.

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For radiator inserts I used 2 thin pieces of narrow sheet styrene siding sprayed black

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Here's the mockup.  Still have a black wash to apply to the grilles.

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comments and observations welcome.

[kabdriver]

Looking good! I’m LOVING all the attention to detail you’re putting into this build! 😍

[farmboy]

Progress is slow as one thing is now dependent on another being finished before another etc.... For the side speaker mounts, a set of sealed beam lenses were grabbed from ye olde parts bin and modified to suit. Here's how it went.  Pardon the dark shots.  My camera was charging so these are from my phone.

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The photo above shows the headlight lenses.  I've cemented a thin piece of styrene to the back side to take up half of the diameter so it leaves a slot for the mounts.

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Here is the half piece glued and trimmed to the back.

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Sprayed silver, they're glued to the tops of the side speakers.  I think a pin head will fit neatly in the center holes.  The mounts are made from thin aluminum (beer can pedigree) to be cemented to the fronts of the engine heads.  The small flat end pieces go in the slot created on the round pieces on the speakers.  I'm counting on easy adjustment to get them relatively level after installing the cooling pipes.

Comments and observations welcome.

 

[kabdriver]

Absolutely outstanding scratchbuilding going on here - keep it up!!

[farmboy]

Got the side speakers hung.  They're not permanently attached as there are still cooling pipes to attach and the speakers would get in the way, but here's what was done. I set the speakers on some rectangular styrene that was about the right height but more importantly, level. The mounts were made as mentioned earlier from aluminum. I should mention when  I cut a strip I folded it on to itself so it has a degree of strength.  With the speakers on the styrene base, I was able to place them where I wanted them and adjusted the aluminum mounts to fit the round pieces created earlier.  I then super glued the mounts to the front and rear of the heads. This way, the speakers are correct when installed permanently and won't be a big deal to adjust if I happen to bang in to a mount during the build.  I plan to add bolt detail as well.   I've also found a narrow finned valve cover that will make the supreme sacrifice and be the voltage regulators.  Do you think this is a high output unit?  Can't imagine it back then for two stock engines.  The plan is to put the coils on the manifolds under the injector hat unless I can find out different.  I haven't so far.  Anyway, here are the pics.

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As always, comments and observations welcome.

[rocketeer]

Man, look at you go! Nice speaker mounts!

[farmboy]

A quick update....

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with the speakers put aside, I started on the cooling pipes.  I have the passenger side done.  The pipe itself is a thick insulated wire sprayed white, connected to two of the acupuncture barrels mentioned earlier.  Clamps were made from chrome furnace tape.  Note also the black 'mixer hose' going up beside the valve cover.  I didn't like the generators supplied with the kit so fabbed a couple to take their place.  Simplistic but they do the job. I'll be adding adjuster mounts for them as well. The fan belt goes on later.

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Here are the fan covers installed.  From this angle you can see the coil and two lines coming from the generator.  These go along the manifold parallel to the valve cover and then disappear between the two engines.  I've also blocked off the two small holes in the rad covers that supported the surge tanks as they didn't quite line up.  A drop of gel ca glue in the hole and a touch of silver paint took care of them.  I'll cement the surge tank hose to the front of the manifold making sure tank is even and level (luckily they fit easily under the plug wires).  When all is dry, the support piece will be trimmed to fit and re-installed.  I have to yet make the side hose units that attach to the tank but that can be done after the install.  It's getting closer to finishing...!

Comments and observations welcome.

[rodsnracin]

I just wish you'd detail the darn thing! Seriously, some amazing work going on here. I haven't commented as much as I should have, mostly due to laziness and my jaw dropping, but I look forward to your updates on this project more than anything I've followed in recent memory. Keep it up, the finish line is in sight!

Brian

[farmboy]

I'm just about done with the engine stuff.  At the top of the rad covers you'll see wiring I purposely left kind of visible, disappearing between the engines.  It's to give purpose to the wires that will be going in.

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The cooling pipe on the driver's side is done.  It was a bugger to fit but following the solder pattern technique it made things a bit easier.

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Here's how it's going to look with the speaker mounted

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The reason the speaker is not a permanent mount yet is because I want to put a visible lever on the side of the transmission with a cable leading off of it to....somewhere.  There's also a crack in the transmission/bell housing I have to take care of. 

Comments and observations welcome.

[kabdriver]

No observation except it looks great and I’m enjoying watching it come together! Keep going!!!

[farmboy]

….a little progress

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Full frontal shows the belts, both coolant hoses and 'mixer' hoses

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just ahead of the rear tire on the transmission is a simplified rendition of a cable link to the auto transmission. A little touch up yet required but it's there.

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the surge tanks are installed as well.  I have to make the hoses for them later tonight.  The speakers are ready for permanent install but I think I'll wait till work on the tank hoses is over.

Comments and observations welcome.

[farmboy]

speakers mounted

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Speakers installed.  Couldn't wait.  Hoses for the surge tanks are drying as I type this.  The driver's side tank was not equal to the positioning of the right side tank, so I sawed off the mount at the tank bottom then cemented the hose portion in position on the engine manifold and reinstalled the tank to be equal to the positioning on the other tank.  Worked great!  Drilled out the injector hat for the injector stacks so they would be equal in height.  I the proceeded to ream out the tops of the kit injector stacks so they didn't look so thick.  All good till #7.  It grabbed and, well, into the parts box they go.  I have brass tube the same diameter so off to Princess Auto tomorrow for a flaring tool. 

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Going to insert the grilles pretty soon.

Comments and observations welcome.

[farmboy]

As promised, here's the grille installed...

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just 2 or three things to do to the tractor unit then it's back to the coach.  I had a problem reaming out the tops of the kit supplied velocity stacks.  Un-useable.  What to do?..... found the answer...

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...ferrules!   lots and lots o' ferrules of different sizes.... 1900 of 'em to be exact.  More than my lifetime usage I can assure you.  But, I do have the Tommy Ivo Showboat waiting to be built so there's 32 more to be used up.  Anyway, up next the carburetor 'hat' with 16 stacks.  Comments and observations welcome.

[farmboy]

...and here's how it turned out

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I drilled thru the stack indentations in the oval hat base , the holes luckily just a hair smaller than the ferrules.  Setting things on a flat surface I pushed the stacks into the holes and aligned them as close as I could.  Turning the assembly over, gel ca glue was applied to the base of each hole to bond the two pieces.  The gel gives a bit of working time.  Turning the unit right side up, I inserted a tapered metal tool into the opening of each ferrule and did any minor tweeking to line them all up then set it aside for a few minutes to fully cure.  The 1:1 units were painted red in the openings and also blocked off.  I've decided to leave them open.   Overall I'm quite pleased with the end result. 

Comments and observations welcome

[rodsnracin]

Nothing like building a model that looks better than the real thing!

[stevielewis]

I totally agree with the above post.

[kabdriver]

Those ferrules look amazing!! Just perfect!

[farmboy]

Thanx for the kinds words everybody. Tractor unit is about done, just the two lantern lights to mount. I sprayed them bronze with a black wash and Future headlight lenses. Some minor touch ups to look after and its back to the coach to add cabling for steering, shift, throttle and miscellaneous stuff..

[farmboy]

I've noticed in photos of the carriage that there's a 'box' structure underneath that the kit doesn't have. It's either electrics, or, fuel as I see no fuel tank on the tractor unit, nor any place to put one. Whatever it is, it's going to be a good target for a few lines and cables to disappear in to.  It's just cobbled together from some scrap to create the profile.  I"m not too worried about the finish though I'm not done with it yet and only on there for the photos.  It won't be seen from underneath but will be gloss as is the rest of the carriage.

Comments and observations welcome.

[farmboy]

A couple of near-the-end add on's;

For starters, I wasn't at peace with the box I had added previously.  It was too big, and, well, it could have been done better.  I rebuilt the unit and here it sits.  I haven't glued the top side of the coach on yet to save it from getting beat up while I work on the underside.

Below is the steering unit.  Two cables will leave the gold fittings and loosely lead to the tractor unit between the fans

and here on the other side is the shift box.  It was built from a small rectangle of styrene stock, a hole drilled through the side and a piece of small diameter styrene inserted through it.  The shift box is placed under the shifter location on the top side of the floor board.  I made a couple of cable attachments from slightly larger rod, drilled a hole in one end to accept the cable and flattened the other end.  A hole was drilled thru the flattened end to slide over the smaller rod that goes thru the box.  Cables will go from here to between the fans.  Visually it works.

The biggest problem I have right now is finding a case to put the whole unit in.  The two pieces together are just that much too long for a standard model car case.  Extending the base isn't the problem, it's the clear part.  hmmm.  I may have a scrap of plexi that can be made to fit.  Anyway, cabling next.  Comments and observations welcome.

Comments and observations welcome.

[farmboy]

oops. Forgot about the throttle. Here's my interpretation of it.

The throttle pedal in the kit is a simplified version of the real thing.  The 1:1 shows 2 cables coming off the pedal, so here's my solution.  In the photo below, on the left is the kit part, on the right is a pair of shocks from the parts box

 

I decided to leave the original shock in place, so what I've done is cut the circular mounts away from the shocks....

and cemented them on end so the openings are now pointing down

The photo below shows how it looks assembled.  Its a little busier than it probably should be, but I'm ok with that.

 Here's a bottom view of the drilled holes for the cables to be cemented to.

Comments and observations welcome.

[hobbybobby]

I am amazed at your effort and execution, it will be a gem when it`s finished!

[farmboy]

99.9% done.

This I expect will be the last posting for this thread from yours truly. Here's what was done to come to completion.

The photo below shows a cable bundle.  This one leads from the gauge cluster to the box added to the underside of the carriage.  In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have wasted my time on it as its barely visible but it's there now so I guess it's all good.

This is a view of the 6 larger cables.  Two from the modified throttle pedal, two from the hydraulic cylinder on the steering link, and two from the scratch built shift unit under the gear selector.

….and a side view of the whole deal assembled and connected

What .01% isn't done?  The 4 little lantern lights at the carriage windows and minor paint touch-ups.  Otherwise its good to go.

Thanks a bunch everybody for the kind words during the posts.  This build let me try new techniques and was a fun experience.  Hope some of it was informative to those watching. 

[stevielewis]

Thank you for sharing your build, it was fun as well as informative. I learned a few things from it so what you did was worth it. Nice job!

[kabdriver]

This is a really great build, and your attention to detail has really taken it to the next level - can't wait to see it all wrapped up!