# Mike's Engine Shop



## harristotle

Well, with the engines I'm working on I decided to follow a few of your lead's and make a dedicated thread. For right now I'll just be posting my current projects, but I'll probably go back and post pictures of past builds as well just so I can share them with you in one place. I may also put full car builds in here as well once I get rolling... 

Hope you all enjoy! :wave: 

The first one I'm going to share is a Dodge 426 Max Wedge engine. I'm treating it as a little hotter than stock build (as if a max wedge wasn't already hot!). 

























And I finally found some boot material today so got the spark plug wires all hooked up and yes, as usual, they are in the correct firing order. 









And to return a little bit more to my roots a Ford. This is based off of an early 49 Flathead. I liked this one because blue is the correct color for this engine. Also my first Flathead build. 

















Next I need to get the headers shaped to fit...


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## harristotle

This is a Pontiac GTO LS2 that I'm working on. I plan to put this in a display side by side with a Pontiac 421 Tri-power that I build about a year ago. 









Some of my WIPs right now... a 4.6 DOHC and 5.0 pushrod EFI for a Ford V8 display I have in mind. 









And lastly for the evening, one of my all time favorite engines! A 289 hi-po. I posted this one previously, but it wasn't finished. I finally received the mesh to put around the air cleaner. 

















I hope you all enjoy, and thanks for looking! :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

nice engines - I really like those


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## s.moe

harristotle.......s.moe,here......Man those are some nice looking powerplants......Are they 1/24 or 1/25 scale? They'll look great in just about any ride,man............s.moe......out.


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## Pete McKay

Good looking stuff Mike. I've sort of laid off the detailing for the moment, don't have the money to do it at the level I was doing it. I did one of those 426's with the cross ram for my green Hemi Dart a couple months ago, I love that engine!!! I don't know if you've ever heard of Ross Gibson Engines but he makes a wonderful line of resin engines, everything from stock to a McGee Quad Cam. They can be seen at Mega Hobby and at Detail Master. Engine's are an art and you're obviously an artist.


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## Schwinnster

Gotta agree with Pete-- you're quite the artist Mike. _Beautiful_ engines, and thanks for the WIPs on them. Encouraging and inspiring, they are. Seems to be getting a little harder for me to do the 'plumbing' anymore, but I'll just come here, and at least _'want to'_


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## Stangfreak

*Absolutely "fantastical" amazing work Mike... The best I have ever seen !!!*


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## Rondo

Nice engines! I too am engine obsessed. Great idea displaying the "family members" together. A lot of possibilities there.


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## 71 Charger 500

Mike, tell me how you did those air filters on that Max Wedge! Man, that thing looks wickedly cool !


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## harristotle

Thanks for all the compliments guys! I absolutely love building these engines, I try to squeeze as much detail out of them as possible and learn a little about the real engine as I go. 



s.moe said:


> harristotle.......s.moe,here......Man those are some nice looking powerplants......Are they 1/24 or 1/25 scale? They'll look great in just about any ride,man............s.moe......out.


I wish I knew. I like to search ebay for just the engines out of kits as it's cheaper than buying the whole car just for the engine. That often means I don't even get the directions or which model in came out of. 

Speaking of scale, does anybody know why model manufacturers make 1/24 & 1/25, why couldn't they have just stuck with one or the other lol? 



Pete McKay said:


> Good looking stuff Mike. I've sort of laid off the detailing for the moment, don't have the money to do it at the level I was doing it. I did one of those 426's with the cross ram for my green Hemi Dart a couple months ago, I love that engine!!! I don't know if you've ever heard of Ross Gibson Engines but he makes a wonderful line of resin engines, everything from stock to a McGee Quad Cam. They can be seen at Mega Hobby and at Detail Master. Engine's are an art and you're obviously an artist.


I have heard of the Ross Gibson engines and honestly the only reason I haven't purchased several of them is the price. Someday I probably will, but for now I've got quite a few little projects to keep myself busy. 



71 Charger 500 said:


> Mike, tell me how you did those air filters on that Max Wedge! Man, that thing looks wickedly cool !


Thanks! The model came with the stock air cleaners or the little intake bowls (do they have a specific name?) for each carb. I took the bowls and painted the bottom part black. This was mainly to ensure they had a level of visual depth once they were completed. Then I had some mesh screen (this stuff, http://www.detailmaster.com/mm5/mer...ode=DM-2590&Category_Code=DM-PhotoEtchedParts ) that I cut out in a circle to go over the top for the filter element. Then I used the same wire that I use for my radiator hoses to go in a circle around the top of the assembly to create the rubber for the seal to the hood. 

Again thanks for the compliments guys :thumbsup: I finished the flathead last night and I'll try to get pics up tonight.


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## Schwinnster

harristotle said:


> Thanks! The model came with the stock air cleaners or the little intake bowls (do they have a specific name?) for each carb. I took the bowls and painted the bottom part black. This was mainly to ensure they had a level of visual depth once they were completed. Then I had some mesh screen (this stuff, http://www.detailmaster.com/mm5/mer...ode=DM-2590&Category_Code=DM-PhotoEtchedParts ) that I cut out in a circle to go over the top for the filter element. Then I used the same wire that I use for my radiator hoses to go in a circle around the top of the assembly to create the rubber for the seal to the hood.


Hey Mike, not being critical, but just wondering about those rubber seals on top of the air cleaners.... wonder if you could find *"O" rings* for them? That way you wouldn't have that seam. It's not that noticeable, but if you could find "O" rings in the right size....... Love how you find uses for 'everyday' stuff on your engines:thumbsup:

I too, wonder about the 1/24 and 1/25........ (sigh) wish it wasn't so


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## harristotle

Schwinnster said:


> Hey Mike, not being critical, but just wondering about those rubber seals on top of the air cleaners.... wonder if you could find *"O" rings* for them? That way you wouldn't have that seam. It's not that noticeable, but if you could find "O" rings in the right size....... Love how you find uses for 'everyday' stuff on your engines:thumbsup:
> 
> I too, wonder about the 1/24 and 1/25........ (sigh) wish it wasn't so


Criticism is what fosters growth, so it's appreciated. The seams actually bother me lol and I hadn't thought of the o ring idea, I may have to look into that.


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## harristotle

And here are the pics of the finished Flathead. I really like how this one turned out! Going to leave it on the toothpick for now till I figure out how I want to mount it to the display base. This is going into a Ford V8 engine display. 


















Thanks for looking :wave:


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## Ian Anderson

Great Work Mike, It looks like you put some serious though in to all of them,....They look great as well,....






*Ian*


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## s.moe

harristotle.....s.moe, here.......They're all nice looking builds you got there, But I really love that V8 Flathead, and the colors great too.........s.moe......


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## 71 Charger 500

Thanks for the info on the Velocity stacks and how you make the screens and seals for them. I will have to look into that stuff.

Thanks, Mo


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## harristotle

Some updates for you all today... 

First, the Max Wedge is done I just need to bend a display stand for it and cut the toothpick off the transmission. 

















I also finished my LS2 and the display for the GTO engines. 









Display building in progress... 









The Tri-Power 









And the finished product... 

















Thanks for looking, I'll have a couple more projects here in a minute... :wave:


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## harristotle

Here's what I've got done on the 5.0 so far... 









Got my old Ford 360 wired up 









And, I finally went back and finished this one! It's a Ford 3.8 from the 89-95 Thunderbird Supercoupe. I built this one back before I did wiring and it always bothered me that this one didn't have the spark plug wires so I finally went back and fixed it. 

















That's probably all for me today!


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## s.moe

harristotle......MIKE...It's MOE, here...You do some killer powerplants...Your attention to detail is top notch, man......Bet you could do some awesome complete builds......I'll keep looking,,Definitely..........MOE..


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## DOM-19

Harristotle, great power plants, not as easy as it looks great job ==dom


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## Ian Anderson

Killer work dude, LIKE AWAYS...Your one of the best Model engine builders I have ever seen out here Next to pete,..GREAT WORK,...





*Ian*


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## harristotle

Thanks for the compliments guys! :thumbsup:



s.moe said:


> harristotle......MIKE...It's MOE, here...You do some killer powerplants...Your attention to detail is top notch, man......Bet you could do some awesome complete builds......I'll keep looking,,Definitely..........MOE..


Funny you say that... I'm slowly getting started on my first full build (I built some when I was younger that weren't really notable, and I've done a couple extremely detailed 1/24 diecast cars, but this will be my first full plastic model). 

It's an old 32 Ford. Going to try and squeeze a supercharged Boss 429 in between the fenders, and using the rear end, drive shaft, and suspension from a 2008 GT500 KR. Probably going to paint it grabber blue... haven't decided if I want to leave it a solid color or do some white and silver flames.


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## s.moe

harristotle.......Dude,,A Grabber Blue Deuce with a Supercharged Boss 429........Man,, It'd be Hot even if it doesn't have flames..............MOE...


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## Schwinnster

Can't wait to see that '32 with the 429 in it


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## harristotle

I definitely need to just suck it up and dive into this full build... 

Here's the engine I'm planning on using for now. I built this one about 2 years ago, one of my favorites!


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## s.moe

harristotle.......moe, here.....Your build's off to a great start already, Man........You can do it, Dude....Know ya can.........Post'em when you Get'em.............MOE..


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## CJTORINO

Nice work. as usual.
I really like that *Pontiac* engine....
The BOSS 429 will look awesome in a deuce.


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## harristotle

CJTORINO said:


> Nice work. as usual.
> I really like that *Pontiac* engine....
> The BOSS 429 will look awesome in a deuce.


Good sir! I have not forgotten you, I promise!!! I will see if I can't get things packaged up for you tomorrow. 

I was planning on starting on the Boss 9 Deuce this weekend, but the starter on the Cobra died (yeah yeah, let the Ford jokes roll :lol yesterday... I anticipate spending tomorrow crawled up under the car in the garage. The starter is a PITA in these things!


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## harristotle

After a few exceptionally busy weeks I've been able to get back building a little... 

These two are for my Ford V8's display. I got a lot more work done on the 5.0 tonight, but no pictures yet. The 4.6 is waiting till I get the coil packs and wires done. 









This is the 4.6 DOHC from a 99 Cobra that I'm working on. I'm trying to get all the major DOHC modular mustang engines built. I've already got the 2011 & 07-09 5.4, and the 96-98. My plans include the 00 Cobra R, Ford GT 5.4, 2010 5.4, 03-04 Cobra, and I may build the 5.0 cammer and 03-04 Mach 1 as well... This is going to be a long and expensive endeavor... 


















And last, but not least I've started on the deuce roadster with the boss 9. I should have taken pics from the beginning. I had to cut a great deal out of the engine area to make the big thing fit, and I've modified the back of the frame/body to accept the modern rear end and suspension.


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## JamesInNC

Harrisotle,
As the others have said, your engines are awesome! My favorite is the Ford 3.8 from the 89-95 Thunderbird Supercoupe. What can I say? I've been a Ford guy my entire life, 'cept for my classic VW Bugs.

Looking forward to the rest of your full build, and of course, more engines.

BTW, you can buy bags of O-rings in various sizes at Ace, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. for around a buck. They're in the plumbing section.

James


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## Pete McKay

Harrisotle, if you want the 2.3 liter turbocharged inline 4 from Monograms '85 Mustang SVO PM me your address, I have it complete and unbuilt and will send it out to you for your collection. I would look great sitting next to that 3.8 blown Super Coupe mill.


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## harristotle

Pete McKay said:


> Harrisotle, if you want the 2.3 liter turbocharged inline 4 from Monograms '85 Mustang SVO PM me your address, I have it complete and unbuilt and will send it out to you for your collection. I would look great sitting next to that 3.8 blown Super Coupe mill.


Pete, that would be awesome! Thank you!!! :thumbsup: 

You've already got my mind churning for another engine display. The above 2 mentioned with a EFI 5.0... 80's Ford performance.


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## Pete McKay

OK, cleaned out my engine section of the junkyard, LOL!!! Should keep you busy for a while. If I had 3 of something I sent you one. I did send you my best flathead and a lot of optional parts like twin and triple carb intakes, etc., I like that other flathead you did, this one could be a street rodding version if you want. I'm also sending a lot of bits and pieces and that Caddy 354 I told you about in PM's. I wish I hadn't started my Ross Gibson pro stock engine, I would have sent you that one but it's already about half done. Out today, there on Tuesday.


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## harristotle

Pete McKay said:


> OK, cleaned out my engine section of the junkyard, LOL!!! Should keep you busy for a while. If I had 3 of something I sent you one. I did send you my best flathead and a lot of optional parts like twin and triple carb intakes, etc., I like that other flathead you did, this one could be a street rodding version if you want. I'm also sending a lot of bits and pieces and that Caddy 354 I told you about in PM's. I wish I hadn't started my Ross Gibson pro stock engine, I would have sent you that one but it's already about half done. Out today, there on Tuesday.


Great, I can't thank you enough! :wave:


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## harristotle

Today was a relax day... aka football and models. 

Finished 2 engines today (only got pictures of the one so far). This is the finished 99 Cobra 4.6. 

















Here's the finished 99 Cobra with my other DOHC engines. I love looking at the changes this engine has undergone over it's lifetime. 









I also got some work done on the deuce build. Washed all the major parts, and painted all the rear suspension parts and the radiator. No pics yet though. I need to finish cutting the body to accept the engine/tranny. 

And lastly, my next project. Although the 00 Cobra R is the next engine chronologically, I need to track down another 99 Cobra kit to cannibalize the engine from to start that. So I skipped ahead to 2005... the Ford GT. 

This is all the major parts I'll be using from the 2008 GT500 KR kit. 









These are the major parts that I've modified so far. Notice the belts and pulley will be rerouted, the transmission was removed from the block to accept the trans-axle, the valve covers had minor alterations, the timing chain cover had some pulleys and coolant outlets removed, and the supercharger had the rear portion behind the screws cut out. 









This is the supercharger assembly during modification. I used clay and parts of the sprue to make the new back section of the blower assembly. The throttle body was cut from a leftover 96-98 Cobra intake plenum cover. I painted it this evening and am very happy with the results. No pics yet as I may still add another coat. 









That may be it for tonight, but we'll see... 

PS James, thanks for the tidbit on the o-rings. I'll have to check for that the next time I'm there. I try not to go to Lowe's too often because I usually end up spending too much lol.


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## s.moe

Mike.....What can I say, But... "Killer, Engine's", Dude....Love the W.I.P. Pic's.............MOE.


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## Schwinnster

Cool idea Mike- using clay. Something like using putty? What kind of clay is it?

While sitting gawking at all those engines-- I was reminded of going to school, many years ago, for my inspection certification, being in the engine room, with a bunch of engines on stands. That'd make a cool diorama.


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## harristotle

Thanks for the compliments guys! 



Schwinnster said:


> Cool idea Mike- using clay. Something like using putty? What kind of clay is it?
> 
> While sitting gawking at all those engines-- I was reminded of going to school, many years ago, for my inspection certification, being in the engine room, with a bunch of engines on stands. That'd make a cool diorama.


I wish I remembered what kind of clay it is... it doesn't harden over time, I just coat it with a real light layer of glue once I get it shaped like I want it. I'll try and post pics tonight of the painted blower and valve covers. It actually came out better than I had hoped. I'm really glad I decided to build my own Ford GT engine, because I can already see I'll be squeezing out more detail than the model kit has. 

Definitely would be an awesome diorama! I may hit ya up down the road for some ideas. All my non-Ford engines will need a place for display, and a diorama like that would be perfect.


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## Pete McKay

Mike I will make an impression of a part in clay and then pour 5 minute epoxy in to make a part sometimes. Worked great when doing lights for cop cars.


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## harristotle

Pete McKay said:


> Mike I will make an impression of a part in clay and then pour 5 minute epoxy in to make a part sometimes. Worked great when doing lights for cop cars.


What a great idea! I'll have to remember that.


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## harristotle

Alright, quick update then I'm out for the night... 

This is a Ford 390FE WIP. It shouldn't take long to get this thing finished off, just waiting for the paint to completely dry before I start really handling it. This is the final engine for my FE display set. The other engines that I've already got built are the 428 Cobra Jet, 427 SOHC, 427 Side Oiler, and the 427 Wedge. 









I'll have picture updates tomorrow on the Ford GT engine and the 5.0 EFI pushrod.


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## scottnkat

hey, that looks great. my first car had a 390 in it - nice durable engine, that one.


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## harristotle

scottnkat said:


> hey, that looks great. my first car had a 390 in it - nice durable engine, that one.


I'm hoping to find a 67-72 truck with one in it... we'll see how that goes. May have to settle for a 360 and rebuild it down the road.


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## s.moe

Hey Mike.....Dosen't a FE engine, Mean that it was originally designated to be in a truck or van ??? I know that a lot of Ford trucks and vans came with them installed from the factory....Your 390, there remind's me of my '75 F-100, that I drove about 12 years ago.....Got about 7-8 miles to the gallon......Had to park that thing................MOE.


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## scottnkat

Wow. Moe - I didn't know they were designated to be in trucks when they were built - I know alot of them ended up in regular old cars from Mustangs to old Mercurys.


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## s.moe

Scott......That's why I was Asking the "Motor Builder,".....LOL....I'm really not sure if that's what the FE stood for........MOE.


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## harristotle

s.moe said:


> Scott......That's why I was Asking the "Motor Builder,".....LOL....I'm really not sure if that's what the FE stood for........MOE.


FE stands for Ford Edsel, the engine was developed as a replacement for the Y block. Technically the truck engines from the FE family were designated FT and usually had steel cranks. Off the top of my head I know you could get the FE in anything from trucks/vans, to the Galaxie, Fairlane, Mustang, Torino, and Shelby Cobra.


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## CJTORINO

The FE series had a heck of a run.
352-360-390-406-410-427-428 Cubic inch engines in this family.


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## harristotle

Alright as promised here's the other updates. 

This is the 5.0 EFI pushrod all finished. This one is going in my Ford V8 set so I'll be leaving it on the toothpick till I mount it to the display base. 

















This is the latest on the Ford GT engine. The finished supercharger and timing chain cover with the unpainted engine block. 









I'll be painting the block once I get the transaxle. Till then I'll just be finishing up the valve covers, fabricating the intake hose, and working on the Boss 429 Deuce.


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## scottnkat

harristotle said:


> FE stands for Ford Edsel, the engine was developed as a replacement for the Y block. Technically the truck engines from the FE family were designated FT and usually had steel cranks. Off the top of my head I know you could get the FE in anything from trucks/vans, to the Galaxie, Fairlane, Mustang, Torino, and Shelby Cobra.


Thanks - it's always good to learn something new :thumbsup:


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## scottnkat

s.moe said:


> Scott......That's why I was Asking the "Motor Builder,".....LOL....I'm really not sure if that's what the FE stood for........MOE.


I'm sorry, Moe - I misunderstood


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## s.moe

Mike... Thank's for the answer to my question,, I knew there was a different engine, usually in the truck's and van's, but couldn't remember it's letter's........Nice work on the new motor, there....Looks great as alway's....................MOE.


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## s.moe

Mike seen your post over in the model plane Forum and posted a post for you.........MOE.


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## Pete McKay

Mike, those engines I sent ever get there?


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## harristotle

Pete McKay said:


> Mike, those engines I sent ever get there?


Yes they did! Been busy all week, but got off early today and I dug right into them. I've been doing research on the 2.3 and should have paint on it this evening. I really appreciate it! There are a few parts that you sent that are going to be a huge help to me :thumbsup:


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## harristotle

s.moe said:


> Mike seen your post over in the model plane Forum and posted a post for you.........MOE.


Saw the post over there Moe. I'll probably let it be for now. I was hoping to do the building of it, but we'll see.


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## Pete McKay

n/p, if there's anything else you might need post it and I'll dig to see if I have it. Those accessory brackets are a small way to really dress up an engine too. The carb linkages I couldn't even see!


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## harristotle

Pete McKay said:


> n/p, if there's anything else you might need post it and I'll dig to see if I have it. Those accessory brakcets are a small way to really dress up an engine too. The carb linkages I couldn't even see!


What's funny is I almost snagged one of those carb linkage sets a little while back. These little photoetch parts look so much like the real deal.


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## Pete McKay

I love PE stuff but I think my time of working with them are done. If what I think is actually happening happens I may have a nice box of engine stuff I'll send your way. I have header flanges, dress up kits, billet air cleaners and breather tubes. I just can't work in details that small anymore.


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## harristotle

Pete McKay said:


> I love PE stuff but I think my time of working with them are done. If what I think is actually happening happens I may have a nice box of engine stuff I'll send your way. I have header flanges, dress up kits, billet air cleaners and breather tubes. I just can't work in details that small anymore.


Well I would be very thankful and excited to get the parts, but I would rather you kept your ability to work with them!


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## Pete McKay

I would have too, it's just not going to happen. I think once my green Challenger is finally done that's going to be it unfortunately. I haven't been able to work on anything since Monday, maybe if it's warm next week I'll finish it up. I have been building some buildings for my John Deere layout though, that's not tooooo hard.


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## harristotle

About time for an update... 

This is my progress on the Ford 2.3 Turbo from Pete, I'm really liking it so far! It's going to look great with my 5.0 and 3.8 SC. 









This is my progress on the 390FE. I'm at a stand still until I find something to fashion into a fuel pump. Once I get that I can do fuel line, throttle cable, radiator hoses, and the belt & pulley's. 

















I took the plunge and started painting the Boss 429 Deuce Roadster. I primered the bottom portion of the body yesterday. I primered the other major parts today and applied the black base to the bottom. If things go well, I'll be applying the blue tomorrow... (sorry for the bad picture, but it gives you an idea) 









And last of all my Ford GT engine. I anticipate getting this completely finished tomorrow. 

















You guys might remember the Flathead, 5.0, & 4.6 DOHC that were built for my Ford engine display. Well, I decided to really research the subject and make sure every "major" (I realize this is subjective) engine family. I decided that instead of using the 5.0 for that display I would put it in a different one since the Windsor family is already represented by the 289 HiPo I've got. I've got 2 engine families that I need to represent... the Cleveland, and the Y Block. I can get the Y block easy enough from a tbird model, but I haven't decided if I want to get a resin 351 from an online source I use, or try and snag a Boss 351 model kit to pilfer. Not in any real rush at all, so we'll see what pans out... 

Thanks for looking! :wave:


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## Ian Anderson

I like you paint, * HANG DRYING METHOD* there Mike,...lol.....lol... "NICE" and I can bet it works well,.........I would do the same if i needed to, thats for sure.. 
AND, NICE ENGINE BUILD AS WELL, once again man, you a master at this my freind, "NO DOUBT ABOUT IT"





*Ian*


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## Schwinnster

Thanks for the update Mike. _ Loving that 390!_  

Glad you've been paying attention, with all the posts about us putting models on lamps, and melting them........ LOL! We should've done like you did-- _turned the light off! _ :thumbsup: 

Just realized _another_ advantage to the hanging of parts-- *well out of reach of dogs!!! *

Going to be awesome to see _your_ 429 in that Deuce


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## harristotle

Ian Anderson said:


> I like you paint, * HANG DRYING METHOD* there Mike,...lol.....lol... "NICE" and I can bet it works well,.........I would do the same if i needed to, thats for sure..
> AND, NICE ENGINE BUILD AS WELL, once again man, you a master at this my freind, "NO DOUBT ABOUT IT"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Ian*


Thanks Ian! We'll see how it turns out... this is my first full build since an attempt at a Shelby Series 1 probably 8 years ago. 



Schwinnster said:


> Thanks for the update Mike. _ Loving that 390!_
> 
> Glad you've been paying attention, with all the posts about us putting models on lamps, and melting them........ LOL! We should've done like you did-- _turned the light off! _ :thumbsup:
> 
> Just realized _another_ advantage to the hanging of parts-- *well out of reach of dogs!!! *
> 
> Going to be awesome to see _your_ 429 in that Deuce


I always forget all the little pieces and variations that exist in the FE family till I dig into one. 

Haha, yeah I wouldn't want my first full build in years to get heat warped or incinerated. I can't wait to get it painted and cured, it's going to be a blast assembling all the details on this one. I'll probably go back and redo the fuel lines on the Boss... I wasn't sure for a while if I would be able to even fit the engine in it. The jeweler's saw, and needle files helped remedy that dilemma


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## s.moe

Hey...Mike.....Glad to see I'm not the only one who hang's up model's high to dry.........In my house it's always warmer up at the ceiling than at table level......We both use the bent clothes hanger's,too......Great mind's think alike,,My friend......LOL..
Be sure to take some W.I.P. Pic's of your Deuce, OK ??........AND as alway's those Powerplant's are great.....Nice work for sure................MOE.


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## s.moe

Hey.....Mike.....How's the Deuce coming along ?? Haven't seen you post anything here the last few day's.....Must be busy on the build.......I'll keep checking in, my Friend..........

MOE.


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## ewaskew

Nice looking engine's man.
Earl


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## harristotle

ewaskew said:


> Nice looking engine's man.
> Earl


Thank you!



s.moe said:


> Hey.....Mike.....How's the Deuce coming along ?? Haven't seen you post anything here the last few day's.....Must be busy on the build.......I'll keep checking in, my Friend..........
> 
> MOE.


Hey Moe! I wish I could say I've been getting work done, but I've been really busy. It's probably going to be at least a week or two before I can make any more progress. I need to get to a hobby shop to get some more spray paint. I painted the first coat of blue, but I'm not completely happy with it and I need more spray paint. Painting the body is probably why this is my first no kidding full build, I always get nervous about it because I want it to look perfect. 

I need to get rolling on it so I can get it done before January otherwise it'll be another 2 months before its done. 

I have been able to get a little more work on some engines though, but not much. Thanks for checking in :wave: I'll try and get some engine pics up for you guys.


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## harristotle

Well I definitely won't have the Deuce done in time so it'll be a few months before that gets finished. 

BUT I was able to finish two more projects and start a third. 

Here's my finished 2005 Ford GT engine 

















I'll try and get the other two engines posted up tomorrow. Thanks for looking!


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## CJTORINO

the 5.4 GT engine looks great!
that is one great car. a friend of mine sent me a production DVD
of the car, and the testing it went through. just watching the video made me 
want one in my garage sooooooooooooo bad.
even got a quote from a Ford dealer in Colorado.
My wife had a quote for me too. thats why I dont own one.

Great Looking Engine!


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## scottnkat

That's great. I have always enjoyed your engines. It'll be nice to see more.


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## s.moe

Hey Mike.....Glad to see you posting Pic's again....Even if it ain't of your Deuce.....LOL
Totaly understand Why though, my friend.........Be looking forward to seeing the other two motor's pic's....I know they'll look great, As does this one.....

LOL @ CJ......I Belive I've heard the same Quote from my wife a few times,,As well.....


MOE.


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## Schwinnster

s.moe said:


> Hey Mike.....Glad to see you posting Pic's again....Even if it ain't of your Deuce.....LOL
> Totaly understand Why though, my friend.........Be looking forward to seeing the other two motor's pic's....I know they'll look great, As does this one.....
> 
> LOL @ CJ......I Belive I've heard the same Quote from my wife a few times,,As well.....
> 
> 
> MOE.


*LOL!* Yeah, _"...even got a quote from a Ford dealer.....My wife had a quote for me too. thats why I dont own one."_ That's priceless CJ!

Sweet looking engine Mike-- and _awesome_ pic with that Cobra for the background!


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## Rns1016

wow outstanding work.


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## harristotle

Thank you for the compliments everyone! 

As promised here are the other two builds... 
These are both modular Ford engines, but neither is a straightforward build. 









The one on the right is a 5.4 DOHC engine that will be carbureted (if you haven't seen a carb'd mod motor in person they are flipping sweet!) and the one on the left is the supercharged 4.6 DOHC terminator engine from the 03-04 Cobra. 

You can see the manifolds I was considering for the 5.4 across the top. 

The 4.6 required a modified supercharger sourced from the 07-09 GT500 kit, along with modified belts, different timing chain cover, and custom coolant lines. I'm sure I forgot other small details, but you get the picture. 

Initial assembly: 









Paint: 









Bringing it all together... 









And the finished project! 

















The carb'd 5.4 will have to wait a couple months, but here is where it's at right now... 









As always, thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy :dude:


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## scottnkat

Dude... flippin' sweet!! :thumbsup:

great job!! seriously!


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## harristotle

scottnkat said:


> Dude... flippin' sweet!! :thumbsup:
> 
> great job!! seriously!


Thanks Scott! 

I thought I'd share the family so far... 









I have 3 more to go to complete the family... maybe a 4th, but we'll see.


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## Rns1016

Nice engines you got there pal. Btw how do you get the engine kits? Do you just use the engines from the car kits?


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## harristotle

Rns1016 said:


> Nice engines you got there pal. Btw how do you get the engine kits? Do you just use the engines from the car kits?


I try to buy just the engines on ebay, but I'll confess I've bought my fair share of model cars just to snag the engine out of.


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## Schwinnster

Whoa! Nice 'family' you got there Mike! Can't wait to see that 5.4 all carb'd up tho.....


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## harristotle

Alright, after an extremely long hiatus resulting from a very busy personal and professional life I've had some time to dig back into the models. 

I've been making some slow progress on the Boss 9 Deuce. I've been applying the clear coat and hopefully she'll be ready for wet sanding in a couple weeks. Once that's done things should speed up. Till then I'm working on interior details, and I revamped the Boss 429 that's going into it (for the 2nd time since I built it almost 4 years ago). 

Till I get some pics up of the Roadster you guys will have to settle for pics of the finished carbureted 5.4 DOHC. I was toying with the idea of putting this in the deuce roadster instead of the Boss 429, but with how low in the frame the engine sits, I wanted the tall blower on the 429. I may end up shoehorning the 5,4 into a Cobra at some point. 


























As always, thanks for looking! :wave:


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## Eurosport94

Very nice work man!!


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## scottnkat

Cool! Good to see you back at it again.


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## jingle

Hi Mike, the engines you did are works of art!! Are they scratch built? I want to get started and build some of these myself, I just don't know where to begin any help is appreciated. Thanks Howard


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## dge467

Nice work, very detailed!


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## harristotle

Thank you everyone for the comments! 

Jingle, most of my engines aren't scratch built. I usually take engines out of the car kits, but I've got a resin engine from ebay and I try to buy just the engines that people have for sale on ebay. Lately I've started delving more into the scratch built realm and I also mix and match from different engines. If you'll bear with me I'll post some examples of what I'm talking about... 

These are engines that were built completely from a model kit with just details added like wiring, fuel lines, and the shroud around the air filter: 

















These are a few engines that were built with parts from multiple engines: 

















These final two engines were built using parts from multiple engines and scratch built pieces... 

The 03-04 Cobra engine used parts from the 99 Cobra kit and the 2007 GT500 kit. The supercharger had to be modified to move the intake elbow to the passenger side of the engine. An intake hose was sourced from the GT500 kit as well, and the belt assembly and timing chain cover had to be modified. 









The Ford GT engine involved a lot of modification and scratch building. The transaxle came from the Shelby Series 1 kit. The block and timing chain cover came from the 08 KR kit. The oil pan had to be scratch made and the supercharger was heavily modified from the 08 KR kit. The belt assembly had to be modified and the oil reservoir from the dry sump system was built using the fuel tanks from a 1/72 P-51 as the foundation. 









I hope this helps some. The next engine I start from scratch I will try and post pictures of the whole process and I can also do another post if you'd like that simply narrates the process to detail an out of the box engine.


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## jingle

That would be great, I like the idea of doing an out of the box engine as my first engine. Just out of curiosity do you reference pictures of actual 1:1 car engines for your builds? I think that would be fun but maybe even more fun to make your own custom engines. Thanks, Howard


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## harristotle

jingle said:


> That would be great, I like the idea of doing an out of the box engine as my first engine. Just out of curiosity do you reference pictures of actual 1:1 car engines for your builds? I think that would be fun but maybe even more fun to make your own custom engines. Thanks, Howard


I never use the painting guides that come with models. I have a folder on my computer at home with probably a couple hundred engine pictures. I search the web and also take pictures in person when I have the chance, I have all these pictures sorted by engine family so I can reference them whenever I need to. Another good source for pictures is ebay. A lot of times people sell engines they've pulled from wrecked cars and it's a good way to find pictures of unique angles of the engine that you wouldn't see in the car. 

There are a couple that I've done as personalized customs, but even then I reference real engines just to make sure I'm getting things accurate. A perfect example of this is the carbureted 5.4 Ford I just posted up. There's a niche in hotrodding where guys have taken the Ford modular motors and converted them to carburetion. I've seen it done in person with a 4.6 DOHC, but never a 5.4. I did the 5.4 as a dream engine of what I'd want to put in a Shelby Cobra some day. 

Another thing I research is firing order. The older engines that still used spark plug wires and distributors I've researched the firing order to make sure the wires are going to the correct cylinder. This can be a HUGE pain if it's a more obscure engine, but I usually don't have problems.


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## s.moe

Hey, Mike....

Glad to see your able to get back to showing you Work, My Friend....

You and them, Have been MISSED......


MOE


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## harristotle

Thanks Moe, it feels real good to be back!


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## jingle

Mike,

Thanks for that it really helped. I might give it a try.

Howard


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## plymouth71

71 Charger 500 said:


> Thanks for the info on the Velocity stacks and how you make the screens and seals for them. I will have to look into that stuff.
> 
> Thanks, Mo


I second that, and also... whats on the plate lately?


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## Trekkriffic

So you don't just build little starships eh Mike? You also build little engines! Cool!


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## vypurr59

I just recently saw your work. Truly amazing. As for the cost of Ross Gibson engines, yes they are costly. Here is an alternative to them
http://vcgresin.atspace.com/
These are highly detailed and more cost efficient. Hope to see more of your work in the future.


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## -Hemi-

vypurr59 said:


> I just recently saw your work. Truly amazing. As for the cost of Ross Gibson engines, yes they are costly. Here is an alternative to them
> These are highly detailed and more cost efficient. Hope to see more of your work in the future.


THANKS for the link to something other then Ross Gibson! Those RG engines are a bit pricey compared with the cost of say a "standard" model car, complete!!!!!!


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## -Hemi-

Mike,
VERY nice work! All you build then is the small motors for display? I'm merely asking as they really do look good! I must say, the Mopar engines I've seen from you or anyone outside of this forum, has done well. I got a few of my own but they will be in cars when all said and done with. I just enjoy the motor building part, the most.... I've got a Mechanical mind setting as it seems you do and with that comes the love of this as well....

Granted, There are a few motor only models out there, for instance, Ross Gibson, by why no "detail" companies? Just complete motors....That's a thought, for a whole thread of its own!


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