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Post by lo51merc on Aug 2, 2020 12:19:59 GMT -5
I had to make the decision as to which of my three T's I should be finishing first using the chassis shown. This version won out. Since it's been about 6 1/2 years since I started these I've forgotten some of the things that I modified so there may be a couple I'm not mentioning here. I know about the sectioned, chromed 32 grille shell, and I remember the frame got a little notching just forward of the center crossmember to lower the front of the body. The body has been relieved where the drag link mounts, of course a mount for the round "FORD" gas tank I've been carrying around since the first issue of the "AlaKart"/29 "A" Roadster. I also made a small rear pan with 49 Ford taillights and also a license or club plate. I also made R&P panels for the door('s). I didn't like the 2 sided whitewalls and have changed them for just the outside only. The wheels shown will be on this model. Now I have a couple of questions. 1-I think the gold engine no longer looks like I thought it would. Any thoughts you guys will certainly be considered. 2-The entire frame was assembled with stripped of chrome parts. Suggestions here are wanted also for color options. I think that's all I have right now. The pictures below are all I have currently. Thanks for stopping by, Gary Hosted on Fotki Hosted on FotkiHosted on FotkiHosted on FotkiHosted on FotkiHosted on Fotki
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Post by spex84 on Aug 2, 2020 12:28:57 GMT -5
I dig the stance, body rake, chromed grille shell, gas tank, taillight panel...all kinds of cool details on this T! I'm glad you went ahead with this version. I think the engine could maybe use chromed valve covers, or perhaps keep the gold but have the plug holes picked out in chrome or body color, chrome the bolts too. I like the white exhaust, and your wheel-tire choice!
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Post by krassandbernie on Aug 2, 2020 12:32:01 GMT -5
I like it; but am certainly not feeling the white wall tires.......especially coupled with Cragars....on a T-bucket. Now, if you were to put chrome reverse wheels in these white wall tires, or run the new black wall pad printed AMT slicks on the back with the same Firestone front tires (but the original rubber tires with no white walls).....with the Cragars it might jive more with what was traditionally seen on a T-bucket. Still, it's your model and you have to go with what you like the most.
As for the headers, I'd personally like to see them in black 'header' paint. You do that, keep the Cragars, but ditch the 'greaser' white walls; and your 'T' will have a much tougher look! LOL!
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Post by dodgefever on Aug 2, 2020 14:20:59 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm not wild about the wide whites with Cragars... as Ed said, either back date the wheels or post-date the tyres. I could live with the white headers and the chassis/suspension as-is, keep the engine block and heads gold, even the carb bodies, but have chromed rocker covers and a aluminum intake.
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Post by spex84 on Aug 2, 2020 18:10:03 GMT -5
I gave the Cragars a pass because they're a bit like the Terra-thrust wheels in the original '25 T kit! But I guess they are quite late-60s, while the wide whites are 50s.
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Post by chepp on Aug 2, 2020 21:02:38 GMT -5
Echoing some of the suggestions above and adding a few things, here's what I'd consider: Engine -- gold block and intake looks good, change to chrome valve covers and silver/gray carbs (with better-shaped carbs from some other kit if you can, or at least get rid of the round ejection pin marks), those little chrome air cleaners look great! Header color -- flat white or flat black are fine Wheels and tires -- Cragar wheels with blackwall tires or chrome reverse with wide whites
Keep up the good work.
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Post by krassandbernie on Aug 2, 2020 22:06:31 GMT -5
I gave the Cragars a pass because they're a bit like the Terra-thrust wheels in the original '25 T kit! But I guess they are quite late-60s, while the wide whites are 50s. If my memory isn't completely shot, Cragar S/S's came out in '64......but they were seldom seen wrapped in wide whites..........thin white walls, yes. That wouldn't bother me nearly as much. For some reason Gary is always stuffing Cragars in wide whites! I think we need an intervention here! LOL!
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Post by skip on Aug 3, 2020 7:42:59 GMT -5
I gave the Cragars a pass because they're a bit like the Terra-thrust wheels in the original '25 T kit! But I guess they are quite late-60s, while the wide whites are 50s. If my memory isn't completely shot, Cragar S/S's came out in '64......but they were seldom seen wrapped in wide whites..........thin white walls, yes. That wouldn't bother me nearly as much. For some reason Gary is always stuffing Cragars in wide whites! I think we need an intervention here! LOL! Actually, I'm pretty certain that I've never seen Cragar S/S Wheels wrapped in wide whites. Redlines, yep, thin 1" (pinner) White Walls, Yep, White Letters, Yep! By the time Mag wheels started showing up, so did the thinner white wall tires pretty much a matter of style. So unless a car wore an old set of wide whites or Port-a-Walls, the wide white walls would have been becoming short supply due to lack of demand. Which is why the Port-a-Wall aftermarket white walls came in to being. That's not to say that someone could have put some Port-a-Walls on their Cragar S/S wheels and tires, as we all know throughout the Hot Rod and Custom world there have been some pretty weird combinations of parts and ideas, especially during the early to mid sixties time frame. Current issue of Rodder's Journal (No. 83) has a picture on page 152 of a Radar wheel with a 1" white wall, appears to be an older wheel and tire, probably evidence that this type of white wall was being run. By the time that the Cragar S/S, Keystone, American, Radar and other alloy wheels came on the scene wide whites had pretty much fell out of favor. Mag wheels owe much of their success to making it on the scene just in time for the Muscle Car era beginning in 1964 with the Pontiac GTO, some pretty hopped up factory Chevrolet Super Stockers and the Mustang. Incidentally, for street use many questioned their strength to stand up to every day use. Based on some of the early failures of the early cast magnesium wheels of the day, probably as much fault of poor foundry practice and road bad roads. Somehow when the LA Roadsters Club started running (Romeo Palamedes') American Mags on their Hot Rods which were for many guys their daily driver Hot Rod Magazine started changing their opinion. Mag Wheels could stand up on the street for every day use! The rest is pretty much history!
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Post by Mr. Metallic on Aug 3, 2020 9:24:02 GMT -5
I really dig the stance, and the overall attitude of the build. I love the tire setup, so i vote to keep that, just with different wheels. Instead of chrome reverse, which in my opinion get lost when mounted in wide whites (not enough contrast), how about painted steelies with small chrome caps? And keep the white headers. I think it would look good if you keep the gold valve covers, but paint detail the lettering and lose the molded in plug boot detail. Replace it with a solid cover spanning all four plugs, much cleaner look for this particular build.
I also dig what you have going on out back with the taillight panel, tank, and then the QC poking out from underneath. Lots of cool stuff going on here so far, just need to work on the paint/chrome details a bit.
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Post by lo51merc on Aug 9, 2020 9:58:02 GMT -5
Annnnnnnnd, as of a couple of days ago. I actually used several of your suggestions guys and I thank you for the feedback. It's not quite finished at this point. It would have been if not for the three days of having no electricity due to storm Isiaias knocking down trees all over the area. My son lives one street away from us and still has no power other than a little generator. I like the look! Hosted on Fotki
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Post by krassandbernie on Aug 9, 2020 10:12:31 GMT -5
It definitely looks more like a traditional 'T' now! I like it a lot more with just this simple wheel/tire change! The chrome valve covers look so much cooler too! Sorry to hear you lost power. We got grazed here; but it didn't really mess up our area.
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Post by spex84 on Aug 9, 2020 12:21:40 GMT -5
Much more stylistically cohesive now!
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Post by skip on Aug 10, 2020 12:17:01 GMT -5
Looks Much Cooler Now! I like it!!
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Post by Dennis on Aug 10, 2020 22:54:49 GMT -5
New rolling stock is a huge improvement! Looking awesome, Gary!!
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