Side Project

[Brian Conn]

    It's got a cop motor, a 4.6 Liter plant. It's got a cop tranny, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made with catalytic converters..............
 
Doing this side build until I can get my mind right with the Mustang II dirt Late Model build again .  I realize that this is not a build per say, but I am having to kit bash and do some scratch building.

The Ford Panther Platform was the frame/chassis that was used from 1979- 2011 on the full size Ford, Mercury and Lincoln rear wheel drive cars.  What I am doing is taking a 1979 thru 2002 Ford Panther Platform frame (1:25 Lindberg Crown Vic cop car) and making a master for resin casting. The resin cast frames I will be using for stock car builds.  What I am wanting to accomplish is a ready made frame that I can use on Modified Street Stocks, Sportsmans and I.M.C.A type modifieds.  For the Sportsmans , I will be using the front 1/3rd stub, for the modifieds I will be using the front 2/3rds of the frame.
  I have seen this frame used in dirt racing applications a few times ..... it only makes sense....there are only a billon or so derelict Taxi cabs and x-cop cars that have used this frame not to mention the Mercury's and Lincoln's.


   This is from the 1:25 Lindberg early 90's Crown Vic and the templates that I will use when I remove all of the unnecessary molded in junk. Took a set of datum measurements for the Panther Platform and scaled them to 1:25


Cut the frame just past the front stub so that it can be shortened. The 1:1 stock wheel base measures in at 114" ...according to the digital caliper measurement, the wheelbase on this is over by 2.4 mm. Also while I have the two pieces separated, I can begin cutting out what I need to get rid of in the area of the front stub and the transmission and cats on the other. Going to replace the center section of the rear axle with a more detailed Ford 9".


  An unmolested kit piece at the top and what I have done below it.  Had to fill in several areas with a combination of plastic and Bondo.  Used the transmission tunnel from a long forgotten NASCAR build...increased the front size and extended the length.  You can see where I "X"ed the frame.  Added spring buckets to the rear...going to retain the stock upper and lower rear control arms.  Going to cast along with the frame a separate Ford 9" rear and the center portion of the X   


  Had to remove the center part of the X for casting purposes.  Left the molded in steering linkages, front lower control arms, drive shaft and rear upper and lower control arms.  I still have to make the cross member that is above the spring buckets on the rear.
  From here on out its sanding and primer until its ready to pour rubber.

[Brian Conn]

  Changed my mind on the rear spring buckets...went with what lefturns75 suggested and used Evergreen 227 7/32" tube ...looks a lot better.  Factory stock rear fire wall and spring bucket cross member for any future Street stock build that may come along.
  All that's left is shoot some primer and slick sand, then its mold time

[Greg Birky]

This is a cool project, Brian!!!  It's a great idea and a neat way to keep a Ford all Ford.  Looks great so far and it will be cool to see how your resin copies work out.😎👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🤗🏁

[Brian Conn]

   Well thanks Greg    I'm not quite as done as I thought I was with this project.....I've got a set of front upper control arms from who knows what kit that bare a striking resemblance to the stock front upper control arms that where used on the '79 - '02 LTD/Crowns that I am going to rework into a set of plausible front upper control arms for the Panther platform frame.

  I don't have any builds in the foreseeable future where I would need this frame , thus it may still be awhile before I pour the rubber for the mold...who knows?   I like to get a few masters of what ever I am going to eventually cast made before pouring rubber...that way I can spend a weekend doing nothing but building mold boxes and pouring.

  That set of Ford Intermediate frame front upper control arms that David Bogard mastered    http://www.shorttrackmodels.com/index.php?topic=1013.0
will be part of the next batch as well once I figure out how I want to make the mold....to get all of the detail its going to be tricky.

[Brian Conn]

  Scrounged these out of the salvage bin at Hobby Depot here in Topeka...I have no idea what kit these came from , but they bore a striking resemblance shape wise, to the Panther Platform front upper control arms that where used from 1979 thru 2002. I re-worked the area where they mount to the frame and made them into a plausible set of stock front upper control arms.