Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

this is the first big sailing ship i have ever done, and it will be the last big sailing ship i ever do....:lol:
got the ratlines on the ship, am in the middle of tying 56 blocks & bullseyes on the bowsprit. as this thing grows in size, so does the damage (can't even fit it on my bench anymore, on a chunk of wood on my garbage can)....12 yardarms, i have managed to knock 5 of them off now. notice the dolphin striker is now black (the upside down vee on the bowsprit). snapped one side off, made a new side, but could'nt match the brown paint- hence black now.....also snapped the eyebolts off the d. striker when the arm got broke. also did 5 or 6 other minor things to it as well...sure glad i got an awesome wifey. she bought me a articulating lamp (godsend on the ship, bend it wherever you need it) and for my feeble old eyes she got me a lighted magnifying glass (another godsend!)
Attachment 1480789Attachment 1480790Attachment 1480791

and still being super-wifey, lookie what she got me for christmas, a corvair & 8 BFG's.
the corvair, think front engine V8, 4wd, but a pickup, not like the Rampside, but an actual pick-up bed. sounds stupid i know, but i played around on paint with a corvair, and i think it looks not bad.
thinking find somewhere to stuff the ship for awhile & pull the elco & 'vair on the bench for a break from knot tying...clutter up the thread with more chevy's!
Attachment 1480792Attachment 1480793

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

huh, wow...
was just on fleabay and look what i came across, guess i aint the only weirdo out there.
his color combo sucks...:lol:
Attachment 1480800

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

I don't know where you're going to put that ship for a while lol. Your wife got some cool gifts. I like the Corvair idea, his corvair isn't great but I like the diarama. I'm enjoying watching it all. On a different note, we actually have snow at the cabin...

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

lots 'o' snow?
we had a white christmas....barely, just a couple inches. if i feel the need for more than that, i just head up the mountain :lol: (where it should be!)
and yeah, i also like his little shop set up, but that corvair could use some help, that's the good picture of it....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-25-1965-Ch...UAAOSwlV9WRCYL

just got back from supper at SIL's, she gave me a chevy truck for christmas.
hmm, another tri-5. she was so proud of herself, after getting me a ford last yr.
did'nt have the heart to tell her i been doing 55's all yr....;) well, got a reg cab, a stepper, & a crew, so i'm going to splurge and order a '57 resin panel body for it. i've always wanted to do one, but the prohibitive cost of buying 2 kits for 1 has stopped me, now i only gots to buy one..:metal:
Attachment 1481076Attachment 1481060

lots of different kits i would LIKE to build, but with prices getting the way they are, i build what falls into my hands or is reasonably cheap. so that pretty much dictates what i'll be building for at least half of next yr....other than the corvair, my present stash was all trades or freebies or gifts (corvair i dont count as a gift, came out of the our account...:lol:)
Attachment 1481077

cameo will become a panel, corvair will become a truck, elco is going 4by, '55 is going to be a earlier version of the Rippin' Rooster baja racer, and once i get some more $, remember these?, going to get a set for the stepper
Attachment 1481081

and it's a car, but i would like to get the T/A done. not with the funky gold stripes or chicken on the hood, but a nice burgandy with goldish snowflakes

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

We have a couple of feet of snow, it's not drought breaking but a lot better than the last few years. All the projects sound interesting, I'll be watching!

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

still have'nt found anywhere to stuff the ship, so i just been jumping back and forth. took a break from ship wrighting and started chopping up the 'vair.
made much easier & faster again 'cause of super-wife. she got me the micro dremel kit. nice & small and re-chargeable battery-no cord knockin' parts off, and has much better speed control than my 24 yr old corded one.
lots to do, but off i go...and nope, those are'nt the tires & wheels going on it
Attachment 1481670Attachment 1481671

this will be a pia, flat int tub floor and chassis pan, will have to hump it for the tranny/t-case. and i have to cut the hood (trunk) open, which takes out the chassis pan locating tabs & the int mounting tabs....:banghead:
and this has got to be the worst kit ever for flash, sanded off a pound of it already, & check out the resin vein on the inside drivers door- screws up the int tub placement....:banghead::banghead:
Attachment 1481672Attachment 1481673

oh yeah, lots of slicin' n dicin' to go!
Attachment 1481674

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

should have kept my mouth shut, bragging how we only got a dusting....
snowed last nite....
Attachment 1481676Attachment 1481675

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

I think the Corvair gonna be cool. The snow thing you may have jinxed yourself lol

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

....yeah....snow....
aint opening no roofs today...but i did get some serious bench time in.
here's that new dremel wife got me. i love this thing. lightweight, no cord, excellent spd control, & for my geezer eyes, a built in light
Attachment 1481979

spent a few hrs tying knots on the bowsprit....
Attachment 1481980Attachment 1481981

...'till i started dropping things.....like my knife.....like real close to my foot....
Attachment 1481993

so, so much for my hiatus, i need to smell some styrene...
Attachment 1481983

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

i only have 1 D60 & 1 205 case. i'll do some more work on the corvair, as i already have a 12b & d44 & order some 1 ton stuff for the elky, panel, & the stepper.
cut the int tub in half, lopped off the rear chassis pan, and i'm glad i dont chuck nothing out, got some wheel tubs left over from a stretch job. all the black will be cut out
Attachment 1481997

cutting a piece for the cab. notice the top of the 3/4's flare out (for the stock window) did'nt like that, so scabbed in some pieces to straiten it
Attachment 1481998

saving some time & work, going to cut the tunnel out of this old firebird after it comes out of the DOT 3
Attachment 1482005

glued a bed floor on the chassis, i'll put another piece on top the other way. will have to finish the edge at the transition
Attachment 1482007 Attachment 1482008

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

and here's how it looks so far. wheel tubs need to section shorter & not so tall. have a spare fullsize t.gate, going to see if i can skin off the inside for the 'vair
Attachment 1482014Attachment 1482015

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

well, now we have something in common with california, we had a earthquake last nite,'bout 70 miles from us. USGS says it was around a 4.8. just shook a few things at our house, at first i thought it was a truck or something hitting the house.
a couple books in my junk/model room fell off the shelfs.....and tagged my ship:waah::waah:
just last nite i finished tying off all the bowsprit lines in step 3, was looking good, for a couple hrs anyways.....mother nature....:dohh:
Attachment 1482457

snapped off the bowsprit, both of them. i drilled a hole in the first one and pinned it- dont know how it will hold up once the rest of the rigging and b.sprit sails go on....i'm going back on the corvair....

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

That's a heck of a thing to have in common.. Sorry about the damage to the ship but I have faith it's fixed. Hopefully you won't have after shocks.

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

thanks Dale
sure was depressing-all that work. i think the only way i can make it work decently is to add a brace from the upside down vee to the bowsprit. wont be accurate, but the colors are'nt 100% either so....and with all the rigging and sails and junk, who would notice except a affeciando.
bad enough i did damage to it (not this serious though!) but of all the things-whats that thing 'bout murphy's law..:lol:
we had our quake a few hrs after San bernadino had there's. from what i hear those are everyday things down there :lol: we dont get them often, in fact our biggest quake was not even ours, it was aftershocks from the alasakan '64 quake
anyhow....sometimes i wonder if i'm ripping myself off :lol: other than a muffler, steering wheel and headlight bezels, got quite a few left overs....
Attachment 1482596

cut the tunnel out of the firebird and cut a hole in the 'vair pan
Attachment 1482603Attachment 1482608

tunnel in, stock seats dont fit now, shaved some vette seats and bob's your uncle...
Attachment 1482609Attachment 1482611

this micro dremel is the cat's a**!

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

still have enough room for a in cab cage
Attachment 1482612

chopped out the rest of the chassis pan and finished the rear tubs. will build a custom frame for it, still need to cut the hood open and make mounts for the int tub. lots of room hopefully for everything
Attachment 1482613

went to cut the back out for a tailgate- not happening, no support, body will twist. so i'm just etching in a 'gate, license plate will migrate to the bumper and a spare t.gate handle will fill the hole. also ground off the rear cooling vent and filled the stock bumper holes (won't be needing them....)
Attachment 1482614

wheel tubs are better sized, still need to put trim around the rear window
Attachment 1482615

oh yeah, can't forget, one of these...:lol:
Attachment 1482616

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

never built a corvair, am at a complete mind block on color. on google most of them are red or dark blue.
wife's got these colors, maybe. go black accs & a black Spyder stripe on the hood...
Attachment 1482622

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

first post of 2016!
dam, another yr gone by :lol:
up in the mountains today, not a lot done on the corvair. trimmed out the wheel wells and window
Attachment 1483000

and started a frame. sunk it into the chassis pan a bit, was hangin' too low. putting a motor/tranny together so i know where to put the trans & engine mounts
Attachment 1483001Attachment 1483002

i think it'll work. only a couple mils higher, not a bunch of frame hanging down
Attachment 1483003Attachment 1483004

stopped at the $ store, thinking i might go that ocean whatever blue of the wife's, found a jar thats almost a perfect match, but flat, work good for the int.

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

Wow!! That looks great!! Too bad Chevy didn't think of it.

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

thanks Dale!
build what ya got!
was dis-assembling christmas at my house today, but still managed to get a couple things done on the 'vair. most of the int is there, just some minor things left. door panels were pretty plain, so made handles, cranks, and pulls
Attachment 1483824

made a cab cage for it.
actually i made two......old saying, measure once, cut 3 times....easier just to do another one :lol:
Attachment 1483825
Attachment 1483826

transplanted a t.gate handle in the plate hole, and made an aluminum checkerplate tailgate guard
Attachment 1483827Attachment 1483828

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

and i had some success with the bowsprit.
i re-did the pins with the axle from the corvair, much stronger. i have'nt glued it in, it's just hanging on the pin, and the lines are reasonably tight. the hunk of white is just a piece of styrene, spacer. once the short one goes in, it's actually the main one, all the lines tigfhten up nicely. i'll prob just have to extend the black a little further.....cant match that brown...
Attachment 1483830

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

The Corvair is looking good. The bed actually looks like it belongs there. Glad you're feeling confident on the ship repairs.

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

yeah Dale, i think i can make the bowsprit work.
haft to hurry up & get the 'vair & camino done before feb, just heard AMT is FINALLY re-issuing my all time fav kit, the '84 gmc, end of feb
Attachment 1484193

one of the better squarebody kits & lots of parts i can use. i will be grabbing a case of 'em!....crewcab dually, long stepper, shop truck....no more cutting off body parts for one on fleabay...:lol: of course all my carefully laid out builds for the yr just went down the toilet.:metal::metal:

here's my engine/tranny....all parts box & a used block. thought i had a d44, but i did'nt, so the 'vair is getting corp axles (10 & 12b) 12b is out of a chevelle, so can only use the diff, fr axle i'm not really sure what it was, but i had a spare 10b cover, so there it is...:lol:
Attachment 1484190

rad is from one of the '55's, much too tall
before & after
Attachment 1484191Attachment 1484192

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

tooling along....
got one of the hardest parts done, getting the hood open. only have this one, so could'nt wreck it & could'nt dremel it out (takes too much) for about 3 hrs i just kept running my exacto knife back & forth 'till she popped out.....boring!!!!
Attachment 1484202Attachment 1484203

started making some crossmembers. here i was worried 'bout room, could slide a big block in there now....saving that one for the cameo/panel. and looking at the pics, i dont like the trans mount- haft to change that
Attachment 1484208Attachment 1484209

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

just finishing some basics 'fore the prettying starts
dint like how you could see thru the inner fenders- looked cheezy, so i extended them. also added some ribbing under the hood
Attachment 1484634Attachment 1484638
Attachment 1484639

started my axles and a first hint of color...
Attachment 1484636Attachment 1484637

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

here's the final rims & tires going on it. haft to make hubs & lock-outs for the rims...
Attachment 1484642Attachment 1484643

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

Looking awesome.

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

thanks dale!
finally caught a stretch of decent weather, been racking huge hrs, but getting closer on the 'vair. pretty much down to just the susp now and a bunch of small stuff.
my $1 jar of paint....hmmm
Attachment 1485582

a fuel tank and rad support
Attachment 1485583Attachment 1485584

some old skool tube bumpers, and that thing on the roof is the base mount for old skool (yeah!) fold down baja lights
Attachment 1485585Attachment 1485586

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

Who would of thought that a Corvair would make a cool looking truck. .Looking great

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

thanks dale!
been clocking some serious hrs at work ($2600 payday-woo-hoo!) really needed it......still managed to get the 'vair closer though
engine mostly done, just a dipstik & some wiring
Attachment 1489106

int mostly done, still need to fab a t-case shifter
Attachment 1489107Attachment 1489108

body was almost done, stock fuel filler door lines ghosted threw on me
Attachment 1489109

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

susp is almost there, needs shocks & lines
Attachment 1489111

hard to see, but made a steering box & drop pitman. dry fit it together, has a nice stance, looks pretty nifty on the krawlers i think
Attachment 1489112

haft to decal them up & paint the bolts
made filler panels for the tranny hump, a fan shroud & painted the bumpers.
Attachment 1489113

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

Glad to hear that work is good. The Corvair is coming along great and looking great too. Totally awesome. ..

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

yup, after dec's rain & snow, really needed a good check....not much to show on the 'vair, but it should be done in a day or so....
making exhaust pipes & driveshafts
Attachment 1491196

motor is in, batt is wired & steering gear is in
Attachment 1491197Attachment 1491198

body is painted & detailed, put a spyder stripe on the hood, then will clearcoat everything. the color looks nothing like whats showing up in the pic. will try again with better lighting or if the sun ever comes out......
Attachment 1491199

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

was dicking around on the computer, and came across this beauty! :metal::metal:
i'm liking it more than Larry Schwacofer's '55
Attachment 1491201Attachment 1491202Attachment 1491203

and i just happen to have this.....
Attachment 1491200

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

Corvair is looking great, I like the stripe. Uh ohhh...I think I see yor cogs churning.....lol

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

churning? hyperdrive ! :lol:
like that orange & black- nice stuff
corvair is off the bench. actually had to turn down the lights so the real color would show. hard to see details....
Attachment 1492214Attachment 1492215Attachment 1492216Attachment 1492217

turned up the light for detail and look what happens to the paint color...
Attachment 1492218

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

few more...
Attachment 1492219Attachment 1492220Attachment 1492221Attachment 1492222

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

last couple....
notice i left the cage out. should have just made a 6 pointer. the cage looked good, when the int. was not in the truck....when it was in the truck, it looked.... ridiculous, all you could see was pipes & cage...
Attachment 1492226Attachment 1492227

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

The Corvair came out amazing. The color and details awesome as usual. The orange and black do look good...Hyperdrive....lol

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

thanks Dale!
well, i was going to blast off the '59 elky next, have 1 t-case left, but somehow i lost half of it & cant find it.....so i though about redoing the '55 like LS's, cause his is a 2 wheeler, but i really like the black & orange (and 4x4...) so i haft to order stuff, which really bites with our buck only worth $.70....hoping it would hurry up & come up....but in the meantime, wife decided for me.
left my ship on the kitchen table for a month while doing the 'vair. she did not like eating around my rigging....:lol: so i been farting around with it & finally managed to get the "standing rigging" done. all the standing rigging is what basically holds up the masts & keeps the ship together. the sailing rigging is next & it's a whopper...
first big ship i ever built, pretty much guarantee be the last big ship i build...:lol:
gained a whole new kind of respect for people who build these things. tedious, tiny knots, frustration (trimming the excess off the knots & accidently end up cutting the line you just spent an hr on getting the dam thing where it needed to be.....)
anyways, here's where it stands
Attachment 1496986 Attachment 1496987Attachment 1496988Attachment 1496989Attachment 1496990

Re: '64 chevy 2wd to 4wd
 

Man that's alot of string and knots. The ships looking great though. You should be proud that you're getting it done.