1953 Ford Coupe major custom-has PAINT! 9/7/23

[froghawk]

Gary, looks great thus far! Could you put a couple tick marks on the body showing the height of the section, that'll make it easier to Photoshop. Thanks.

[lo51merc]

Tick marks John???
I spent my time on the body yesterday by sanding down the crown of the top as much as I could, and the same on the hood. I've extended the cowl forward to where I stretched the body and now the hood fits to the new, forward location. I also lowered the front of the hood between the fenders. And, the vent windows have gone the way of the wind. I think the top won't look so abrupt if I tape the windows in place. I penciled in the revised door shape because of removing the vent windows, and moved the front door cut line back about 2 1/2"-3".
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Gary

[froghawk]

That's OK, Gary. I don't need no stinking tick marks. Here's a quick eyeball section! Too much? Too little?

[lo51merc]

Ok, so thanks for the photoshop mod picture. I studied my model a bit, trying to rid my mind of the original drawing, and might have the answer thanks to you John.

Starting from the front, as I penciled it on the model. A vertical cut from about 7/16" behind the headlight (reference point only, no cutting up here) up from the bottom of the fender to very slightly above the filled fender in trim.

Now to the rear fender. A vertical cut, about 1/4" forward of the taillight (again for reference only, no cutting up here!) up from the bottom of the fender to about 1/8" above the fender bulge.

Now front to back. Using that fender bulge as a guide and 1/8" tape, run the tape from the front fender vertical cut using the center of the filled in side trim as the lower edge of the tape, back to maybe a 1/64" above that fender bulge to the rear vertical cut.

Seperate the panel from the body where it might still be hanging on, then glue the entire side panel back in its new, upper location. I think I'd probably prefer to trim the bottoms of the front and rear fenders and rear body panel until after gluing the sides in, just for strength.

Now on to the big stuff! The interior everything, firewall, inner fenders, radiator support & radiator, and, is that it?

Oh, I moved the front door cut line back the stock location but changed it a bit to where the front of the vent window was as the beginning. Otherwise the rear of the front fender would have been that 3" or so longer.

Should be a piece of cake, right!?
Gary
I'll get the picture up in a little while to show where I think all the cuts will work. Should be close to that .160 section job!
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[froghawk]

Great, Gary! I think what you've got marked out will work well and give you a tad more than what is shown in my P'shop and that's a good thing. I like it without the vent windows! Maybe you could do a little wind-wing similar to the early T-birds?

[lo51merc]

This one's boxed and put away, probably for ever. Way too many problems with the chassis. Only had 2 hoods, now I have zero due to rushing and just being careless. Same situation with the chassis, just trashed. I never even got the body sectioned. Felt like dropping everything on the floor and stomping it all into tiny little pieces. I want to get back on other projects that are way closer to the shelf......hopefully that is!
Gary

[RodBurNeR]

May 8, 2023 22:28:53 GMT -5 lo51merc said:

This one's boxed and put away, probably for ever. Way too many problems with the chassis. Only had 2 hoods, now I have zero due to rushing and just being careless. Same situation with the chassis, just trashed. I never even got the body sectioned. Felt like dropping everything on the floor and stomping it all into tiny little pieces. I want to get back on other projects that are way closer to the shelf......hopefully that is!
Gary

sometimes it is like that, I have a bunch of projects that will probably never get finished due to "too much BS" lol

[skip]

May 8, 2023 22:28:53 GMT -5 lo51merc said:

This one's boxed and put away, probably for ever. Way too many problems with the chassis. Only had 2 hoods, now I have zero due to rushing and just being careless. Same situation with the chassis, just trashed. I never even got the body sectioned. Felt like dropping everything on the floor and stomping it all into tiny little pieces. I want to get back on other projects that are way closer to the shelf......hopefully that is!
Gary

Gary - That's really too bad.  Sadly, I think if we are all honest, we all have had our "Frustration Stompers" or "Frustration Flyers".
It's just so tempting to release the "inner madman" even if it's just for a second of seeing the carnage that the offending plastic
has caused!  Yet as a modeler who consistently produces some really sweet replicas, real or imaginary walking away an relegating
an "undoable" kit to the shelf of doom or even to the cannable corner to be stripped of anything useable on another project shows
a great deal of patience and control. 

Now to the I wonder files.  Looking at your shortened '53 Ford Coupe.  I am reminded of a somewhat shortened T-Bird.  Made me 
think earlier on in this build whether something like a similar vintage Corvette frame would have fit under the car.  it certainly does
look like things could line up wheelbase wise, so it might have worked.  Hoods, pretty sure someone has either a Ford or Chevrolet
hood lying about that might be traded or even donated to see this one through. After all this does look like something that might
have come out of some of the higher end custom shops of the era, like say Valley Customs who did tons of sectioned cars both
vertically and horizontally. Maybe after stepping away from it, for a long while you might consider picking it up again...  we hope!  

[lo51merc]

Skip, that pat on the back meant a lot to me. 😊 🫂
I had put my heart into that model and have still been thinking about how to salvage the idea in some form. I think I had already checked early Vette W/B's compared to what I assembled, and they don't match. I may have an old 55 Nomad hood but that might rise too high in front even if the hood sides somewhat conformed to the Ford fenders. But your hood ideas have given me food for thought. I have some 49 Ford hoods that I'll check out.... ..
But as I mentioned above, I still have a load of unfinished builds.

Thanks again Skip. Thanks a lot!
Gary

[41chevy]

Playing with my 53 Vic andI just out of curiosity pulled out a Revell 49 Mercury kit. The chassis works in the Vic and has a separate floor that the Vic doesn't. A good part of the roll and pleat interior could easily be modified to fit. Surprisingly the Merc hood looks like it also could be worked to fit. It may warrant a look if you have one around. Paul

[skip]

----------------------------No Words Needed!!  Way Cool!---------------------------------------

[lo51merc]

stay tuned..........

[lo51merc]

So Skip said, "you might consider picking it up again", and I did!!! Looking at this, checking on that.....if I do this and maybe I can use that here, cut this here and reglue it this way.... You guys get it I hope. So the day after my last post above I got back on it and I think I really have something now.
I don't like this car at all, but I do have the 54 Packard tails from Reps & Mins. Gonna use 'em!
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Created a new hood from the pieces I had and pancaked it as I was planning to do anyway. The scoop is from a collection of parts I got from Ed Fluck a few years ago.
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The grille, a 56 DeSoto is also from Ed, and is a piece I have always wanted to use on something. I molded in the stock Ford grille, then removed all but the outer perimeter, then used styrene sheet to build the new grille opening.
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Molding in the housings for the taillights. I built them out with my trusty ole styrene sheet with pieces cut to fit the fender contour and oversize on the outside so I could shape the as I wanted. Once I sanded, there wasn't much putty left.
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And now just waiting for the next coat of primer.
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And that's where it's at now.
Gary

[Mr. Metallic]

Glad to see you pushing through the barriers and continuing on.

[41chevy]

Glad it is back on the bench! Better ideas I feel.