Custom Ferrari Questions

[Jiminee64]

Hi everyone
I have a couple of questions about a custom Ferrari 250 GTO I am building. There are a few older pics of the car in my gallery and I will add some more soon, but for now my question is related to the rear suspension.
Now of course this is all hypothetical, after all it is just a plastic kit, but that is why I have to ask here, as everyone else I know would just dismiss this as…it’s just a model who cares…but I know you guys will understand that’s its not just a model.
The original GTO’s came with a leaf spring rear end and I would like to update this as the idea of the model is to build a 21st century version of the GTO. However my spares box is fairly limited so all I have is a spare kit of a Dodge ute (pickup to the non-Australians), the red/orange concept car that has Viper running gear (the exact name escapes me for now), it also has the big 20 and 21” wheels, flame tread tyres, though they are being used for something else.
So getting back to the question, would adapting the rear suspension from this, described as a five link rear end in the instructions be an upgrade, or should I just stick with the original leaf spring rear end? I had a quick look last night and it looks like it can be made to fit fairly easily. The Viper is not known for its fantasitic handling but the basic setup looks similar to a double A-arm, which is ideally what I would want.
I hope that makes some sense!
My second question is a lot easier, what I would like to know is the best way to do 2 tone flocking. I would like to do the transmission tunnel in red and the floor and rear of the interior black. Does anybody have any advice on how to do this effectively? At this stage I am concerned if I apply masking tape over the first colour the tape will lift the flocking when removed.
Thanks for any help.
Duncan

[MPWR]

If you feel game for the conversion, then go for it. As for is it an upgrade? Well, there's probably a reason that there hasn't been a Ferrari built on leaf springs in 30 or so years. No, the Viper is certainly not known for handling, but that doesn't mean that a five link system is an inherently bad design- and the double A arm is certainly correct for just about everything Ferrari has built in the recent past.

As for the flocking, flock the black areas first, then blow the excess off- I give it a good blast with my airbrush compressor. If you apply the glue for the flocking with a decent brush, an have an average steady hand, you shouldn't need to resort to masking when you apply the red- I doubt masking would work anyways. Make sure you underpaint the areas to be flocked in the appropriate colors.

Good luck, and post pictures when you're done- or as you go, obviously!

[Jiminee64]

Would you recommendend using glue or paint? I have a fairly good range of enamel paints to use to attach the flocking, what is best?

As for the leaf springs, having driven a '76 Escort for 5 years with leaf springs out back, I am very aware of their inherent limits, I am sure they can be made to work well but these certainly didnt, though thankfully the extreme lack of power from the engine and an auto gearbox limited my ability to go too far over the limit!

[MPWR]

For glue/paint in flocking, I've used both and the results look about the same, but I think that glue (or something else transparent) is easier to work with. Especially if you're doing a two tone, you won't have to worry about getting one color where you don't want it while you're messing with the flocking. Lately, if I'm messing with flocking, I use an acrylic clear flat finish as a glue- this way if the flocking is a bit thin in places, a gloss shine of a glued surface won't show through. I thin it with a bit of water to ensure good coverage, and so that it doesn't dry too fast.

[Samurai75007]

This truck?

[pettercardoso]

DAYUM! that's what I call a truck!!

[Jiminee64]

Yeah thats the truck.
Its called a Dodge Sidewinder and about all I have left now is the engine and chassis! And the engine is going into another custom of mine, if it will fit!
Thanks for all your help guys!