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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 5, 2023 20:47:39 GMT -5
This is my next project for the TROG California Drag Racing 2023 community build. It’s a classic A-V8 roadster as commonly run on the dry lakes on either side of WWII. The chassis is scratched together from Revell ’32 Ford frame rails. The front and rear crossmembers are from the Revellogram ‘29/’30 RPU/Sedan “Rat Rod” kits, the X-member is Revell ’40 Ford and the center crossmember for the transmission is from the AMT Ala-Kart. The body is the AMT ’29 Ford Model-A Roadster with a Revell ’32 Ford grill shell. Rear suspension will be from the Revellogram “Rat Rod” kits and front suspension will feature a 4” dropped I-beam. Paired with the Z’d rear of the frame it should have a pretty low stance despite the fact that it’s a highboy. Most likely it will be flathead powered although I’m considering an early OHV V8, like a Cadillac. More to come soon… Thanx for lookin’, B.
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Post by RodBurNeR on Jan 5, 2023 23:48:46 GMT -5
proportions are looking good so far Bernard, keep it coming!
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Post by lo51merc on Jan 5, 2023 23:58:39 GMT -5
Dang! Dang wicked!! Gary
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Post by Mr409 on Jan 6, 2023 9:06:30 GMT -5
Looking very promising! Like Bob said, the proportions are just right. I'd definitely go for a Cadillac engine or some other early OHV V8, Flathead is so commonly seen in these things that personally I'd be happy to install something else between the rails.
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Post by chepp on Jan 6, 2023 10:37:53 GMT -5
That's a beautiful beginning. Your frame work is superb. Now if there were only a source for the conversion parts, especially the '40 Ford X-member, to make it easier to backdate the too-new suspensions on the Revell '32 frames. Maple Leaf Modelworks makes a really nice A rear spring/crossmember/Halibrand QC, though.
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Post by Dave from Pleasanton on Jan 6, 2023 13:11:53 GMT -5
Great start Bernard. With all that beefy frame work, you might have trouble getting a flathead to move it. I like the Caddy engine too. That would push it to post WWII but what's not to love with a Caddy.
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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 12, 2023 21:11:18 GMT -5
Thanks everybody! Glad you dig it. There's something special about a '29 A-V8 on Deuce rails with full hoodsides. This project is progressing nicely. I’ve gotten the basic paint job completed. The main color is Tamiya AS-29 Gray Green over undercoats of red oxide primer and metallic silver which show through to various degrees where I have sanded for a light weathering effect. This car is being done in the currently popular “Preservation” style, wherein a classic old hot rod is restored only to make it safe and reliable to drive, but where the original age and patina of the bodywork, interior and running gear is preserved as much as possible. The color I chose is based on the color photographs published in a wonderful book called The Birth of Hot Rodding by Robert Genat and Don Cox, It’s a large format coffee table book about the dry lakes racing scene in Southern California on either side of WWII. What makes the book special besides Genat’s engaging and accurate text is Don Cox’s photography. Cox was a professional photographer as well as an enthusiastic hot rodder. After WWII he often shot color photographs using the then new Kodachrome color slide film. Kodachrome is fine grained and it’s colors accurate and stable over the decades. So the color photographs in this book are one of the few times we can get a realistic sense of the colors these cars were painted when they were first run. I chose this pale grey green as typical of the shades of these cars in the late 40’s. I also chose the rolling stock. The wheels are the marvelous late Halibrand solid face magnesium wheels first run ob the circle tracks in the late 40’s. They are new pieces created by Jason Lookabill (lookabillj@gmail.com) and include beautiful oversized bias ply rear tires that come with separate sidewalls so you can run them as whitewalls if you like. In my case I’ve painted them as blackwalls. Jason has also created smaller front wheels that will fit AMT and Revell tires, but in this case I’m using the same, large, wheels front and rear with modified standard AMT Firstone tires at the front. And lastly I’ve completed most of the interior. I modified the tuck and roll bench seat from the Revell ’32 Ford 5-window coupe kit to fit the AMT kit interior from which I had removed the seat. The color is Testors British Crimson acrylic applied to render the look of worn leather. The dashboard and steering wheel will be modified stock AMT ’29 Ford pieces. I also got pretty far along on a Revell Parts-Pak 354 Cadillac V8. But once I saw the painted bodywork I decided to revert to a period correct late 40’s Flathead. That, along with the suspension and overall stance will be the subject of my next update. Until next time, thanx for lookin’, B.
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Post by Mr. Metallic on Jan 13, 2023 7:12:44 GMT -5
Those wheels look great. They look to possibly be based on the front from the Revell Orange Crate. Are they bigger than those wheels?
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Post by 68shortfleet on Jan 13, 2023 14:19:32 GMT -5
Those wheels look great. They look to possibly be based on the front from the Revell Orange Crate. Are they bigger than those wheels? Yes, they are larger that the Revell Orange crate front wheels. They were sized to fit the standard 41 Lincoln tires from Monogram. You are correct though, the Revell Orange crate gave up the center 5/16" or so, the rest is four sheets of styrene glued together and then machined in a lathe to make the master for these. I have a few more of these wheels available too. Jason lookabillj@gmail.com
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Post by Mr. Metallic on Jan 13, 2023 15:23:27 GMT -5
Those wheels look great. They look to possibly be based on the front from the Revell Orange Crate. Are they bigger than those wheels? Yes, they are larger that the Revell Orange crate front wheels. They were sized to fit the standard 41 Lincoln tires from Monogram. You are correct though, the Revell Orange crate gave up the center 5/16" or so, the rest is four sheets of styrene glued together and then machined in a lathe to make the master for these. I have a few more of these wheels available too. Jason lookabillj@gmail.com Jason, I forgot you were here, my apologies. These wheels look great, and I've been trying to figure out a way to get a bigger diameter smooth front (no window) Hali wheel for a loooong time. I was thinking about reworking the wheels in the old Monogram Indy car, the one with the wheels molded to the tires. But this looks so much better than what I would have come up with. Nicely done.
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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 13, 2023 16:19:30 GMT -5
Yes, they are larger that the Revell Orange crate front wheels. They were sized to fit the standard 41 Lincoln tires from Monogram. You are correct though, the Revell Orange crate gave up the center 5/16" or so, the rest is four sheets of styrene glued together and then machined in a lathe to make the master for these. I have a few more of these wheels available too. Jason lookabillj@gmail.com Jason, I forgot you were here, my apologies. These wheels look great, and I've been trying to figure out a way to get a bigger diameter smooth front (no window) Hali wheel for a loooong time. I was thinking about reworking the wheels in the old Monogram Indy car, the one with the wheels molded to the tires. But this looks so much better than what I would have come up with. Nicely done. The front tires, the ubiquitous AMT Firestones we all have gazillions of, were ground out to just short of the ridge below the shoulder of the tread. I like the lower progile "race tire" that results. I have the smaller diameter version of this wheel that Jason sent me be haven't researched what it fits yet. Some of the skinnier, more "impliment tire"-like bias plys that Modelhaus offers might be good candidates for the smaller wheel. As soon as Jason sent me these wheels they instantly became candidates for an upcoming project. I think this one is ideal for them.
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Post by Bernard Kron on Jan 18, 2023 21:15:23 GMT -5
It seems I’ve gotten quite a good deal done on this project, despite the fact that it felt like I was bouncing around from one thing to another without a conscious focus. But the result is that I’m nearing the home stretch on this thing I got the graphics done and decals made. Their very simple with the old late 40’s-early 50’s St- Lube decals on the rear deck and hood sides and the number 529 on the body sides. The interior is complete now. The dash board, adapted from the AMT ‘29 Model A kit got a more swaure and somewhat larger panel. The gauges are leftovers from a Model Car Garage ’32 Ford photo-etch set. The steering wheel and miscellaneous interior bits are from the AMT ‘29 Model A kit. The motor got done., The block and transmission are Revellogram ‘37 Ford truck parts with the Offenhauser finned heads, Fenton headers and the high rise manifold are Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland items. The chassis and suspension are about ¾ done. The rear axle came from a Revell ’40 Ford, the front axle is a wire-reinforced resin 4” dropped axle from ThePartsBox.com. The front and rear springs are from the AMT ‘29 Model A kit. The steering and locating rods are still left to be done. In some of the pictures you can see that I had to grind away parts of the driveshaft and transmission/bell housing to clear the floor boards. A peak at some of the nasty stuff some of us have to resort to get ‘er done, LOL! Thanx for lookin’ B.
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Post by ckourouklis on Jan 18, 2023 21:35:47 GMT -5
MMM, mm.
Diggin' the patina, Bernard!
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Post by RodBurNeR on Jan 19, 2023 0:24:46 GMT -5
looks great , like Chuck said nice patina! I just want to say that you have always been a great contributor to this forum and I for one am glad you have stuck around and always shared so much insight to your projects. It's also very nice to have you as you are active in most everyone's threads , you are a real one. Thanks Bernard! Keep up the good work!
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Post by Dave from Pleasanton on Jan 19, 2023 13:06:09 GMT -5
Love it all Bernard. As I've said before I'm not one for all the crusty rod stuff, but somehow you always pull it off so that it doesn't go too far, but stops at just right.
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