My current build. Not Nascar but very close

[Rattlecan Dan]

Ahh, your usual determined quest for perfection. Admirable.

[MarkJ]

Thanks, Donato. I don't know about perfection but its close enough to get by. I got some gloves from the local grocery store, and they are perfect for handling parts you don't want to get fingerprints or body oils on. Much more dexterity than cotton gloves. I had to remove the stock gas tank because the axle wouldn't fit, and it would have been ridiculous to leave it there anyway. Trying to locate the axle in the right place so I can make some truck arms for it.

[MarkJ]

I made some saddles to attach to the rear wheel openings so I could locate the axle for installation of the truck arms. I also cleaned up the floor above the axle where the shocks and chains will attach. The springs will be mounted on the front wall where they will line up with the truck arms in the right place. I can easily remove the tire saddles when I no longer need them.

[MarkJ]

Started on the truck arms. I will need to add the fuel tank so I can locate and install the mounting point for the track bar. They actually had them on both sides of the car, and they are located very close to the front corners of the fuel tank. I will have to add a bar to the floor to hook the shocks to. My ref pictures show both 2 or 4 shock setups for the rear axle. I'm choosing the two-shock setup because I'm doing a car that ran at Michigan.

[TarheelRick]

Keep those updates coming on this awesome machine. Excellent work by a master craftsman.

[MarkJ]

Thanks, Rick. I installed the truck arms to the axle and started making the fuel tank. I did not realize that I did not need to make a top for the tank till after I made it. You cannot see it. Another senior mistake on my part.



 

[MarkJ]

As always with these projects what you think was the correct dimensions were not. I had to reduce the size of the tank from front to rear and also make it less deep. I just need to add the reinforcement straps and install a wall that will be even with the front of it in the compartment where the axle is mounted. I also realized from  new ref photos I found that the truck arms are not straight but have a bend right before where they attach to the axle with u bolts.
the two photos show the bend right after where the spring is mounted on the arm I will need to redo that.

[MarkJ]

Got the tank finished. Now just have to redo the truck arms .

[Brian Conn]

....Thought I might say that your research into this build is not going unnoticed....been studying the reference pictures myself just to see what it looks like under the IROC sheet metal.

[MarkJ]

....Thought I might say that your research into this build is not going unnoticed....been studying the reference pictures myself just to see what it looks like under the IROC sheet metal.

Yes, Brian. Finding good ref photos for this build has been a real challenge. It's not a modelling subject that is well covered.

[MarkJ]

Moving on. the areas around the tank are now finished and I had to fix some voids in the floor between the frame rails and the floor. My next step will be adding the track bar brackets on each side of the opening. You only use one, but they put two on the real car. I'm thinking it might have something to do with the car being prepared for an oval or a road course.

[MarkJ]

Here is an enhanced photo I captured with my cell phone watching a you tube video of an IROC race this car was in to get a ref picture of the lower rear of the car. You can see the track bar mounts, but I had to enhance the holes with an editing tool so you can better see what they look like. The red car was also from a you tube video. Sometimes that's the only place you can find ref photos. You're basically taking a picture of the image on your computer monitor. Thats why it is of such poor quality.

[Rattlecan Dan]

Coming along fine. You sure do like to work at it. Going to be a great build, I'm sure.

[MarkJ]

Thanks, Donato. I keep finding more stuff to do on it and it keeps me from getting it finished. It's been over a year now since I started on it.

[MarkJ]

Got the track bar brackets finished and installed.