1989 NHRA Top Fuel Champion

[Rockin' Rob]

I had this hanging around and I'm waiting on the wash to dry on my zero so I said, why not?

 

[BarleyBop]

Around grade 3... besides hockey players and superheroes, we couldn't draw enough of these.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

18436572

I'm torn between which one to build?

 

[BarleyBop]

Use the force you must!

First world modeler problem.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Only eight more

 

[mustang1989]

These dual distributor Top Fuel engines lend themselves to LOTS of detailing. Looks like you're off to a great start on it Rob.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

These dual distributor Top Fuel engines lend themselves to LOTS of detailing. Looks like you're off to a great start on it Rob.

Yes! I looked at some pictures of a guy's build and it looks so darn real and then when I got into the kit I realized that the engine just lends itself nicely to being wired. So I priced some add-ons and I'm like no way. I'm not going to spend a bunch of money on a $5 piece of plastic so I decided to do it old school with crap I got around the house. This is my first attempt ever at wiring an engine. I've always wanted to do it as a kid so now is my chance. It may not be historically accurate or completely to scale but I don't give a *****.

 

[BarleyBop]

first attempt ever at wiring an engine

Right on! I haven't done anything under the hood of my cars since the 80s, but even working on 1:35 military vehicle engines, adding some wires, wing nuts and hoses just feels so satisfying!
Go for it!

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Got a little more done. Little bit of flash here and there some slight sanding and a coat of primer. Beginning stages of the engine detail. It's not done. Yes I know it's amateurish but. It's not done yet. Besides. This is my first attempt ever. I think it looks cool

 

[Bob T]

So it ran two plugs per cylinder? I see a lot of wires.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

So it ran two plugs per cylinder? I see a lot of wires.

Yep. Old school. Dual distributor

 

[airdave]

Dual Magneto (not distributor).
What a spaghetti mess of wires, but yours is very nicely done!

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Dual Magneto (not distributor).
What a spaghetti mess of wires, but yours is very nicely done!

My bad. Yeah it's a mess of wiring. I'm debating whether to even take more pictures and post them. I go to Ted's modeling website and there's all kinds of fittings and hoses and spark plug boots but you'd have to spend a pretty penny to make your engine look good. And it's just going to sit there and collect dust. And then finding stuff around the house to make it look better more real then you look at pictures of other guys's build and you know they spent a lot of money and it looks great so why spend a bunch of time detailing an engine when people look at it and go why didn't you just buy the stuff it looks like ****. So I'm torn whether to even continue posting pictures. Maybe I'm on the wrong website.

 

[Bob T]

My bad. Yeah it's a mess of wiring. I'm debating whether to even take more pictures and post them. I go to Ted's modeling website and there's all kinds of fittings and hoses and spark plug boots but you'd have to spend a pretty penny to make your engine look good. And it's just going to sit there and collect dust. And then finding stuff around the house to make it look better more real then you look at pictures of other guys's build and you know they spent a lot of money and it looks great so why spend a bunch of time detailing an engine when people look at it and go why didn't you just buy the stuff it looks like ****. So I'm torn whether to even continue posting pictures. Maybe I'm on the wrong website.

Don't stop posting. I am enjoying your build. I rarely do cars, and I've never done wiring, so this is good.
And it looks great to me.

 

[Tommergun]

There will always be those guys that want to knit-pick and point out every little "inaccurate" detail (I'm not saying that was airdave's goal). If they want to strive for 100% realism, and have the time and money to do it, good for them, but not everyone does. And you know what at the end of the day it will never be 100% accurate because its a miniature and it doesn't actually work. Ignore them. You build for you. I enjoy seeing anything someone has made with their hands, it takes time and effort to do it, and I appreciate that. It doesn't matter that someone's build is not perfect or historically accurate.

Your engine looks great.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Thanks guys. And nothing against air Dave. I wasn't commenting on what he said. I'm new at this. Sometimes it gets you down looking at all the add-ons out there. Probably stems from building something and then after you get it built you see something that someone else has done and it looks 10 times better. But I'll get better. And it's fun so what the hay

 

[Belugawrx]

Do your own thing bud..I use stuff from around the house myself..Being of Scottish decent, spending on something you already have is nonsense
Engine is looking really good..add a bit of grimey washes to it and dullcoat the whole thing when yer done..it'll look like working engine.

 

[BarleyBop]

it's fun so what the hay

Yipper. Your build. Your way. Your say.
That's why my little ritual always, always, includes a moment after it's done, where I sit myself down, favourite libation in hand, re-live the ups, the downs, congratulate myself on actually getting through it, then admire it like I just found it on my bench!
Cheers!

 

[Deleted member 11187]

Thanks guys. And nothing against air Dave. I wasn't commenting on what he said. I'm new at this. Sometimes it gets you down looking at all the add-ons out there. Probably stems from building something and then after you get it built you see something that someone else has done and it looks 10 times better. But I'll get better. And it's fun so what the hay

Breathe.
We have a friend of the family Rob, that gifted me all of his modeling stuff. A Paasche VL airbrush, never had a spot of paint though it. 1/48 B-17, B-25, B-29. He told me he got jazzed cause of some of those 'Bling Builds' on u tube and said he'd never get to that level.
Those guys have the experience for one, not that you won't get it, but Ese, you don't need to chase a Bling Build on your first wiring job either.
Some of those guys have Patreons that float his mortgage. Dig it? Money is no object to them.
Running spark wires is a great start, build up to those 6-month projects. There is no rush.
The old motto for this forum used to read
"Completion over perfection".

 

[locomotive]

My builds are for me first and foremost. And so should yours.
My builds are incredibly inaccurate, and I don't care. I build for fun, for relaxation, for mental health.
The finish I look for is "good enough" and to display an atmosphere or feeling of a time in history. Often I don't bother with decals for example.
You build for you mate. No one else.
The river counters and nit pickers can **** off into the sun in my opinion.

 

[airdave]

I took no offense.
First, yes, I AM a nitpicker. I can't help it.
But it's mostly about facts and information with me.
I despise how the internet is full of false information and false facts.
And in the modeling world, I hate the not-so-accurate things that are passed down from modeler to modelers.
Although this happens more with military stuff, and probably most with WW2 aircraft.

But then there are the guys who preach buying everything to add to their models.
I get it. And I agree with you.
Gone are the days when hand crafting was appreciated over "store-bought" stuff.
Now it's all about what add-on items can be purchased and who bought the most.
There is nothing wrong with spending as much as you want on a model that will just "collect dust".
But it IS NOT a requirement to be accepted!

This is why I got into paper modeling, because the costs are ridiculously low and modelers look right past perfection.
There seems to be less shame when posting poorly built models.
Not every builder is an expert and it's okay.
Its more about the subject and the effort to bring that subject to life in paper and card.

Rob, I think you consider yourself a second class builder that is criticized for not buying the details that would improve your build.
And this is obviously so far from the truth.
The pics you have posted prove you are capable builder and painter.
Your engine looks top notch without having spent "a pretty penny".
Those who suggest buying the extras are obviously those lacking in skills.
Revel in the fact that you are a better modeler for not giving in to the luxury of PE and other "store bought" accessories.

 

[GCB]

Got a little more done. Little bit of flash here and there some slight sanding and a coat of primer. Beginning stages of the engine detail. It's not done. Yes I know it's amateurish but. It's not done yet. Besides. This is my first attempt ever. I think it looks cool

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Amazing! I added spark cables to my WW2 jeep (meaning 4) and it took me hours.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Okay. I'm done. I opened up the box and apparently something that dripped on the chrome parts and got on the decals. Heck if I know what happened? But here it is minus some decals but that's all right. It actually was fun detailing the engine with stuff I made up. And it is far from accurate but I think it looks all right. What say you?

 

[TimM63]

Okay. I'm done. I opened up the box and apparently something that dripped on the chrome parts and got on the decals. Heck if I know what happened? But here it is minus some decals but that's all right. It actually was fun detailing the engine with stuff I made up. And it is far from accurate but I think it looks all right. What say you?

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Very nice

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Very nice

Thank you

 

[Tommergun]

Daaaaaang, that looks awesome! Well done.

 

[BarleyBop]

fun detailing the engine

Heck, it was fun watching you detail the engine!
And I'm old enough to remember when rear engined rails were a novelty... super build!

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Thank you everyone. Yeah, barley, remember even the earlier ones than these dragsters? You sat in your seat and the tires were on either side of your ears and right where your nuts were? That's where the rear end differential was. Those early Dragsters had to be terrifying? You know how they got the straps to hold the engine together if it ever grenades? I made those from cloth fiberglass sheet which I spray painted silver to hold it together and then after it dried I cut it with scissors to kind of look like straps. And the parachute release and the black straps on top of the hood scoop? That's actually two pieces of duct tape stuck together, cut to width and length by a razor blade then painted. And all the wiring is lead wire

 

[Belugawrx]

Nice !!

 

[BarleyBop]

tires were on either side of your ears

Ya, as a kid we were equal parts horrified and fascinated by the risk of those drivers getting incinerated...