1/8th scale fiberglass Cuda body

[Egon]

Sides and bottom scoop

[comp1839]

don, i'm glad to hear you're back on the 'cuda. while i am not one of the original investors, i am highly interested in this body to do a...... you guessed it..... pro mod.

i'm also really glad to hear that you canned the hemi motor for it's in-acurracies. there is enough junk and "eyeball" engineering floating around. we didn't need another.

you asked.."what's wrong with the front of the 'cuda?" as far as i'm concearned, nothing. block it all in. make it flat and i'm goood to go!! hehe. likewise with all that "other stuff". if you get around to doing bodies for the rest of us "non-invsestors", you can make mine really thin. i hope you can keep at it and get it done. i know there is a whooooole lotta interest in this car.

[Don Garrett]

Sides and bottom scoop

Give that man a cookie......you're dead on, the lower valance (under the bumper), pan or whatever you guys want to call it, is totally null and void on the master. There is supposed to be an air intake bulge in the pan as well as a couple of bumps for the turn signals. I've already starting shaping a chunk of high density foam to take care of that problem.

In hind sight...those little bits of metal that I pictured in post #14...that little disc is maybe supposed to be the start of a gauge face....it fits the holes in the dash...like I said, your guess is a good as mine...they were just rattling around in a little baggie with some machined pulleys.

[Don Garrett]

don, i'm glad to hear you're back on the 'cuda. while i am not one of the original investors, i am highly interested in this body to do a...... you guessed it..... pro mod.

i'm also really glad to hear that you canned the hemi motor for it's in-acurracies. there is enough junk and "eyeball" engineering floating around. we didn't need another.

you asked.."what's wrong with the front of the 'cuda?" as far as i'm concearned, nothing. block it all in. make it flat and i'm goood to go!! hehe. likewise with all that "other stuff". if you get around to doing bodies for the rest of us "non-invsestors", you can make mine really thin. i hope you can keep at it and get it done. i know there is a whooooole lotta interest in this car.

Really Dave....a pro mod? I'd have never guessed.
As far as staying on it til it's done goes......that's the plan. It's on the bench now and that's where it's staying until it's right and goes out to the shop for the mold.

I have to agree with you about some of the stuff that's out there.......but I'm not going to get mixed up in any of that, I figure if someone knowingly buys junk or if a "close enough" attitude blows their skirts up and makes 'em happy..... I'm perfectly content knowing I didn't do it.

You are the "ONLY" non-original investor that will be getting a body along with the investors.
I'm not taking orders for any or have any intention to sell any until I have extra bodies laid up and sitting on a shelf ready to ship.

BTW...one of the benifits of laying these up in glass is that I can tailor them to suit the individual. In your case...yes the body will be thin......I won't use as many layers of random mat or the final woven mat layers either. I'll just use a few strips of the random mat in the corners, stress areas etc. so that it's not too flimsy or excessively prone to warping. I'll also be able to supply you an extra chunk of the nose....laid up in the same manner so that you will have the same material to stretch the nose etc.
I'll get with you off-site when your turn at the mold comes up and we'll make it suit your specific needs.

[Don Garrett]

This is just a back-up filler piece in case I remove a little too much material from the master.



It took a while but I removed all that old clay filler and opened up the area where the grille will go. I'm glad I did as I have to tweak the grille a small amount for a proper fit. Now that it's opened up I was able to see that there is indeed enough material behind the front valance for me to grind and file the new shape.

It's hard to see as the master is black so just for the photos, I put some masking tape on the areas that I need to grind away. From the side, the new shape brings the area in front of the wheel well back into the proper porpotions.....it's starting to look like it's supposed to now.

[strevo]

Lookin' good Don! That mystery machined piece looks like a pulley blank to me. Maybe the beginnings of a power steering pulley?

[Don Garrett]

Lookin' good Don! That mystery machined piece looks like a pulley blank to me. Maybe the beginnings of a power steering pulley?

Could very well be Steve......at any rate I won't be using it for anything.
I'm a little surprised that this front end is the way it is considering the rest of the master.
However.....it's my understanding that the fellow who did the original was doing it as some sort of promo piece or whatever for a customer. Anyway the story I got was that his customer backed out before it was completed.

I can only guess that's why he put it on eBay with the front out of whack, more than likely to cut his losses?
I wasn't involved in any of that, nor did I see any of the eBay pics...so I can't say for sure. I did assume when I took over the project that at least the body was finished.......my bad, and I know better. Guess that's what I get for assuming! No matter, I'll take care it.
After seeing those few pieces I got for what was supposed to be a 1/8th engine....I figured I'd better check the scale on the body itself. I assumed for the last time about anything on this car that someone, somewhere along the line had taken the time to check the scale before any money was spent.
You have no idea how relieved I was when I measured from the center of the front wheel well to the rear and it came out 13 1/2 inches....that works out to 108" inches.
Thanks for the input.....you're one of the investors and I want you investors to be satisfied with it.

Keep an eye on this thread..if you happen to catch anything else that doesn't look right to you ...please speak up.
Being I'm having to modify this master anyway....I've been considering (while the mods are being made) to go ahead and make a mold of the hood.
It has the lip and an area blocked out for the "shaker" hood scoop. Once I have the shaker hood mold in hand I could remove all that stuff from the master as the Pro-Mod, Pro Stock, Gasser or alternate engine builders aren't going to want it.
This reason for this is that simply sanding it off would cut completly thru the gel coat to the glass mat. Most everyone will be opening up the hood anyway and those folks that didn't want to have to scratch build the shaker air cleaner wouldn't have to deal with it. I could ship the one piece body with a stock hood and the shaker hood as a separate piece if they wanted it......thoughts?
BTW......This wouldn't delay it any as I have to make a mold for "spare hoods" anyway. I'm sure somewhere along the line someone will make boo-boo opening it up and I dont want them to have to buy a whole 'nuther body just for the hood.

[strevo]

I haven't decided yet if I will use the shaker on mine. I've been going back and forth between putting my Testarossa engine in it, or using a new hemi. At the moment I'm leaning more towards the new hemi with a shaker.

[Don Garrett]

Either would be way cool Steve.........but with a Ferrari Testarossa engine shoe horned in........well, that's something you don't see every day! Mid-ship w/trans-axle or engine up front thru torque tube with the trans-axle in the rear?

[strevo]

Mid engine would be cool, but I'm starting to wonder if there isn't a way to use the shaker with the Testarossa engine. I'm sure I'll get inspired one way or another once I have a body sitting on the bench to stare at.

[Don Garrett]

Sure you can, not a V-12 but same concept.



Mid-ship or the Hemi is probably a better bet......the Testy is more than likely far to wide for the front of a Cuda - short of mounting it back far enough for the front wheels to turn - the driver would have to sit in the back seat!

[strevo]

short of mounting it back far enough for the front wheels to turn - the driver would have to sit in the back seat!

Good point Don! Maybe I can make it like some of the lowriders and put the wheels outside the wheel wells for more space!

[Don Garrett]

I'm glad I know you're making a funny Steve...........otherwise I'd have to put coal in your Christmas sock !!!!!

Anyhow, back to the matter at hand, I've been busy removing a little of the material from the front of the Fish. Been taking a little and measuring again, over and over....it's a heck of a lot easier to remove it than it is to build it back up later.
There are several other things that need to be done before I can make my final mold and I just as well deal with them while I'm fixing the pan to keep things on track. I'll post pics of what I'm talking about...maybe late this weekend or early next week.

While I'm sitting here at the computer let me put a few thoughts out there for you guys (investors) to ponder....as you old timers know, over the years there have been flame wars and down right slanderous posts made here and other sites about rip offs, re-pops, coping and so on.
You guys know that the original master was purchased on eBay directly from it's creator. You've bought and paid for (at least in part) all rights to the thing. I'm showing you the changes that I'm making and NOTHING (on my end) from any other source as far as parts masters etc. will be used in it's final construction.

The 1/8th scales bodies that ship to you guys (and if I sell any) will be laid up in fiberglass ONLY from this master!
I will NOT GIVE ANYONE ELSE my permission to use one of the fiberglass bodies or the master to make a rubber mold from. (Resin casting )
If one of you investors decides to do so....understand that you would need ALL the original investors permission to do so.....that ain't gonna happen 'cause like you I'm an investor as well.
The only exception to this might be in the event that I asked the Madd fabricator to cast a few (in glass) in the event that there is a large demand for them, but I doubt it.

What that means to you is that you will have a very limited edition body......if you see one somewhere in resin or a re-pop - deal with 'em...."OFF SITE" please. You know everything there is to know about the body and how it came about.

[Lee in Texas]

Any news?

[Don Garrett]

Any news?

Yep, got the front end reshaped so that it looks correct (it wasn't) ......I've put a skim layer on both sides of the car so that I can block sand out the ghost lines (from the layered material it was constructed from).
This weekend I'll be back filling & blocking in the underside of the master with glass.
At that point I'll prime, paint & post some pics.......that will be the last chance that you guys will have to spot any errors I may have missed or suggest changes.

I'll post pics of the mold construction as its being laid up.