41 Rat

[geezerman]

Here I go !!
My first resin engine was the beautiful Nagasaki 'Doomsday Hemi'. Next, I bought a VCG 572 Chev. Both engines comprised of perfect detailed castings.
Now I'm trying one of the better known Gibson engines. Prize picked as MOY winner. Gibson engine here, had great looking castings, but there were a LOT of miniscule pinholes, and the center of the bottom of the block had a bit of uncured resin. Minimal instructions, but I hope I can figure it out. Never built a slant 6 before.

[zbuckster]

I know alot of those early RG engines are rough. They need alot of TLC. Second Generation are better. That little Hyperpaack Engine made 275 HP bone stock. Wonder what you will be putting it into.

[bob29579]

Cool start. I hear those things can be pretty pricey...

[geezerman]

Bob,
I got to pick some items from Model Express as a prize for winning the Model of the year award at Zbucksters. This slant six was one of them. Dennis at Model Express sells these RG engines for $19.98.

Revell's 41 Chev PU.


Going to use the kit's frame and axles. I'm modifying the kits backing plate mounts to fit the backing plates that go to some wheels I want to use from the salvage yard.

On the left is the kits rear X and backing plates. Center front is a kit plate with the cut line marked. Right above it is the wheel I want to use and the backing plate that goes with it. In the right forground is a kit backing plate that has had the hub sawn off and right above it is the hub that has been wedged onto a Dremel tool shaft ( the hub's snap on feature held it to the Dremel shaft just fine while I worked it down to size) and is mated to the fluted backing plate I want to use.

Here I'm sawing the hub off of the kit backing plate, and a completed one on the front left.


And here are the axles mocked up with the new backing plates

[tomcd62]

looks Cool , and by the way, the first car I ever drove, subsequently the first car I ever totaled, had the old slant six. My Dad's car, A 1964 Plymouth Belvedere II.

[geezerman]

I probably shouldn't call this a rat. The term had gotten popular and grossly misued. So it'll be just a hot rod.
Besides, whitewalls and blingy Cragars ? ;D
Might not even have any rust on it. Perhap the boss may move it down to the beauty queen section
Thought about chopping and sectioning, then, just sectioning, but now, I'll go with just a chop. Toning down on my radicalness a bit.

[zbuckster]

That top chop looks just right. How much did you take out?

[geezerman]

1/4 inch

[geezerman]

Working on the rear end.
Top foto, I made some shackles to mount the rear of the springs closer to the frame. Areas behind the shackles will be removed, shortening the rear of the frame.
Middle foto shows that I am going to cheat a bit (I'm not above cheating ) by removing 1/32" out of the spring between the mounts. Will I have to C notch the frame?
Bottom foto shows that I may not have to

[zbuckster]

Looking good Clay. I like the photo's show how you are doing what you are doing.

[geezerman]

Have to admit, I had a bit of a go making mounts for this cockeyed thing!

[zbuckster]

That engine looks right at home in there. Great job on the mounts.

[geezerman]

Now, I'm trying to modify the exhaust and intake to work together for the exhaust dump to clear the frame. This crooked off balance abortion is proving to be testy.
Hope Gibson's Hemi will be more butcher friendly !!!

[geezerman]

Now that I'm done fighting the exhaust and intake, I turn my attention to lowering the front end.
Taking the front spring shackles down to the frame (on the left). I gain about .070.



I delight in antagonizing purists, so I gain another .070 by eliminating some material out of the middle of the springs.



I dunno. Frame still looks a bit hi in front, but maybe a little more channel will look OK.

[zbuckster]

Looks good Clay. I think the stance looks fine. Level and drivable.