Zenrat's Flying Circus

[zenrat]

While not 100% I am recovered enough to today do something other than slump in front of the TV flicking through old copies of model car magazines.
I moved outside and sat in the sun flicking through old copies of model car magazines.  This vitamin D infusion infused me with enough energy to venture down to the shed where I successfully glued, cut, painted, and sanded (but not necessarily in that order).

The issues of Scale Auto i'd been idly flicking through today dated from 1988 and included details of the then new Monogram 1987 Buick Grand National.  This inspired me to dig out my last remaining example of the kit with the aim of finally building it.
I've previously built two.
An OOB GNX version done like the car from Damien Lewis's "Life" TV show...
2010-08-29 at 17-30-17 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
...and a monster truck.
Evil Twin 005 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The Evil Twin is powered by a Detroit Diesel truck engine and the kit V6, along with the V6 from the last kit, was given to someone who was planning to modify them to look like Holden engines and use them to build Aussie Sprint cars.
I number of years ago I had cut the back of The Last Grand National body off with the intention of building something like my Super Bee Tow Truck...
Tow Bee 012 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
...but after gluing the new cab back plate on I immediately lost interest.
So when I pulled the box off the shelves of doom it contained this...
Buick Grand National Ute - Start by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
...one body in two pieces, two chassis', one interior, one set of "glass", and no engines.
I immediately rejected the tow truck idea.  I will build more of them, but not out of this.  What I want to do with this is a proper car based ute like a Falcon or Commodore ute (or an El Camino or Ranchero).

[PR19_Kit]

........slump in front of the TV flicking through old copies of model car magazines.
I moved outside and sat in the sun flicking through old copies of model car magazines. 

Hehehe, there's a man who has his priorities correct. 

That GNX brings back memories, one of my friends at MTS in Minneapolis had one, #404 IIRC, and I had a few rides in it. What an INCREDIBLE car, more power than you could possibly imagine, and a turbo that screamed like banshee as it hit peak revs. I bet that GNX is worth a FORTUNE nowadays!

[Rick Lowe]

It's good that you're recovered enough to get back into things, and that the circuits are sparking nicely.

[zenrat]

The Buick GNX was powered by a 3.8 litre V6 turbo and was the quickest US production car the years they were made.  The basic engine (sans turbo) was later built by Holden and used to power Commodores.  Most of which were not quick (despite what their owners may have thought).  I had a station wagon with one in.  Nice engine.

Yesterday, when grokking the remains of the Grand National I failed to notice that when cutting the body in half I had also cut away all the under bonnet engine bay detail.  Luckilly I had left most of the pieces in the box so today I glued back what I had.  There are a few gaps to fill after which a coat of gloss black will hide any evidence of hacking.
I could have scratch built new panels but this way is quicker and easier.
I cut all the panels away because I was planning on sitting the body on a scratch built tube frame 4 wheel drive chassis.  Which was the reason I gave up on it.  I realised i really couldn't be bothered doing all that work.

[PR19_Kit]

I realised i really couldn't be bothered doing all that work.

That'd have been a SERIOUS job! 

[zenrat]

Easter.  Time to watch Life of Brian (I watch it religiously every easter...) and have a looooooooong weekend (18 days long in my case - I have leave).

As previously stated having finished the Northrop Delta...

Northrop Delta 004-04-2026 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

...I decided to build a "quick & simple" beaching trolley (mainly because I forgot to weight the nose of the floats - the trolley will keep it sitting level).  However, as always happens quick & simple didn't remain so for long...

Northrop Delta WIP 4-4-26 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Tow vehicle is an Aoshima JGSDF Material Carrier.  The brown things are balsa wood (stained with teak wwodstain) troughs into which the floats will sit.  Wheels are solid, tyreless items from a gun carriage and are suspended on a simple torsion bar set up.

[PR19_Kit]

........and are suspended on a simple torsion bar set up.

Flexitor rubber springs are the way to go. 

Like the Austin Champ had for 'suspension'...................

[zenrat]

My dad has a small trailer we used to load up with camping gear.  It has rubber torsion block suspension.

I think I was channelling Phill from his hospital room when I was building the trolley today.  I found myself building a set of steps and adding extra rungs to a ladder.
Although I know Phill wouldn't even consider building in 1/72.
Enough is enough.  It gets paint tomorrow.

[NARSES2]

Looking good 

[zenrat]

I've been tidying my shed.  I like to know what's in the boxes...

20260405_153946 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The beaching trolley has had a coat of red oxide primer and the tractor has had it's whole cab painted yellow.  I've been pondering how to paint the trolley and I think I'll hairspray it, airbrush it with acrylics and then try to subtly weather it.  Given past efforts being subtle is the tricky part...

And the Buick ute.  It's coming along nicely.  This sort of structural scratch building is what I really enjoy doing.  It's when PSR rears its ugly head that I start to lose a little focus.
Ironically, having cut the entire rear of the car off has proved to be of benefit.  The sheet styrene cab rear panel I glued in means increased rigidity now i've glued the back half back on.  If I had cut the back of the roof and the boot lid off of a complete body it would have been very floppy.
As well as having glued the back back on i've patched all the gaps that were left under the bonnet when I glued back all the panels I had cut out.  I used white styrene sheet so they show up nicely in the photos.
The photos show it with the cut down interior in place, the tub in place (no idea what it came from but it has a ribbed floor and wheeltubs and will save a heap of work), and masking tape mocking up my proposed rear bodywork profile.
Buick Ute WIP 5-4-26 01 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Buick Ute WIP 5-4-26 04 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Third time i've typed this.  Hopefully this time i'll be allowed to post it.

[kerick]

That's looking great! Will it be painted in black?

[su27rules]

  

[McColm]

Looking good, so I wasn't alone in having problems uploading on Flic.kr.

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

That's looking great! Will it be painted in black?

Not sure.  Grand Nationals do look good in Black but will my bodywork be up to it?

Looking good, so I wasn't alone in having problems uploading on Flic.kr.

No Mac, Flickr was fine.  The problem was f**kin cloudflare.


We're on the road.  Heading to Adelaide for a weekend of footie.  I'll be sticking my nose in here when I can but there'll be no actual modelling.

GO DOGS!

[PR19_Kit]

Not sure.  Grand Nationals do look good in Black but will my bodywork be up to it?

I thought they were ALWAYS black! Did they come in colours too?