1939 Ford

This model was constructed using the AMT 1939 Ford Tudor Sedan kit. 

I'd never built a model of a 1939 or 1940 Ford before and thought that I would do something a little more original.  These cars are normally done as street rods or lead sleds.  I thought that I would give it more of a sports car appearance.  The styling was heavily influenced by the Jaguar XK-120 and E-type. I started by moving the windshield back 7 scale inches and then chopped the roof by 6 scale inches.  I installed a one-piece windshield and reshaped the side windows. 

I created a hatch back design similar to the Jaguar E-type's.  The car was then sectioned 9 scale inches.  I then built Jaguar XK-120 style fadeaway front fenders and molded them to the body along with the rear fenders.  The doors were extended and reshaped and the wheel openings were enlarged and flared.  The rear pan was scratch-built, with cut outs for the exhaust tips as well as an opening for the license plate.  The taillights were scratch-built. 

The hood was reshaped significantly in order to remove the prow and then extended back to the windshield.  I used 1937 Ford headlights and a cut-down Model Car Garage photo etched grille.  The front and rear bumperettes were scratch-built. 

It is mounted on a stretched AMT Shelby Cobra chassis.  The interior was taken from the Shelby as well but was modified to fit. 

The spare tire cover was scratch built and I installed a Model Car Garage photo etched banjo steering wheel as well as Model Car Garage gauges.  The engine is from the Shelby as well.  The wheels are Acu-Stion Ferrari Testarossa photo etched wire wheels.  The panels were cut open and hinged.

The paint job is Tamiya pearl white. 

The project took approximately 6 months to complete.

1951 LeSabre / 1950 Futurliner

The 1951 LeSabre  was constructed using the AMT 1958 Impala kit.  I choose the Impala kit as it was the closest thing with regards to dimensions to the LeSabre.  The car was built for a local show in 2008 whose theme award was 100 years of GM.  I elected to build a modified version of the original as it would be quicker than building an exact replica. 

The Impala body was sectioned until I had arrived at the desired height.  The raised portion of the body leading to the small oval grille was scratch-built.  The grilles were scratch-built using strip styrene.  The front bumpers were cut from a Modelhaus 1956 Cadillac front bumper. 

The door sills, windshield frame and the area surrounding the interior came from an AMT 1957 Corvette kit.  The windshield frame was chopped 2 scale inches and the removable top is from an AMT 1955 Corvette kit and has been heavily modified. 

The boattail, rear pan and fins were scratch-built out of sheet styrene.  The taillights are from the 1958 Impala kit and the rear centrepiece is a cut-down 5-spoke mag wheel from my parts box with a bullet centre.  The rear bumpers are the ends of a 1963 Rambler American front bumper.  The exhaust tips are cut from aluminum tubing. 

The wheel openings were enlarged and flared and the side trim was scratch-built.  The doors were shortened and reshaped.  The chassis is an extended and widened 2006 Revell Corvette which provided the engine as well. 

The interior is from the AMT 1957 Corvette kit.  The dashboard was modified to bear more of a resemblance to the LeSabre. The steering wheel is from a Revell 1959 Cadillac.  The wheels and tires are from Modelhaus.  The doors, hood and trunk were cut open and hinged. 

The paint is Tamiya Pearl Light Blue and Tamiya Pearl White. 

Once the LeSabre was completed, I decided to build a matching car carrier.  I felt that it would be interesting to see what a Futurliner would look like if it was modified to carry a car.  I started with an AMT American LaFrance Aero Chief fire engine.  The only parts I could actually use were the chassis and drivetrain.  The wheelbase was extended to accommodate the body.  The entire body including all the side trim, fender flares, bumpers and rocker panels were all scratch-built using sheet and strip styrene.  The car has eight tires from a Peterbilt tractor-trailer kit with cast resin hubcaps and whitewall tire inserts.  I scratch-built a set of loading ramps and an interior bucket with twin staircases.  The front, rear and side doors were all cut open and hinged.  The paint is the same as that of the LeSabre. 

The entire project took approximately 13 months. 

1949 Ford

This model was constructed using an AMT 1949 Ford kit.  The concept of this car was to build something similar to a Ford GT40 using all 1949 period parts. 

The roof was chopped 2 scale inches and the windshield leaned back.  The rear of the roof was extended and the rear window was enlarged.  The tops of the doors were cut into the roof in a manner similar to the GT40 and the quarter windows were angled, in order to create ventilation scoops for the engine. 

The body was sectioned 2 scale inches and the wheel openings were enlarged and flared.  The door sills were raised about 6 scale inches and the rear section of the body was cut open and hinged in order to allow access to the engine compartment.  The old trunk lines were filled and the deck lid vent was scratch-built.  An opening was cut into the rear for the exhaust exit. 

All of the trim was removed from the hood and the front edge of the hood was cut down so that the front grille could be mounted higher.  The rear corner of the hood was trimmed in order to make room for a fuel filler cap. 

The car has Modelhaus smooth custom bumpers and the front spoiler was scratch-built. 

The dashboard was converted to right hand drive. 

The engine is a Ford flathead with an Ardun conversion from a Revell 1950 Ford Pickup kit along with a blower from my parts box.  The tires are from a Revell 1929 Ford Pickup kit mounted on the rims from the original 1949 Ford kit. The panels were cut open and hinged.

The paint job is Tamiya racing green.   

The project took approximately 4 months to complete.

1962 Ford Thunderbird

This model was constructed using the AMT 1962 Ford Thunderbird kit. 

I thought I would improve the car's styling by getting rid of the car's formal roof and using the much sleeker roof from a 1967 Revell Dodge Charger which I chopped 2 scale inches before leaning the windshield back.  I then reshaped the trunk and the rear window, shortened the quarter panels and extended the fins. 

The rear pan was scratch-built with built-in exhaust cut-outs.  I also created an opening for the rear license plate.  The bullet taillights were taken from the 1954 AMT Ford convertible kit.

I tried to introduce a more interesting door shape, reshaped the rear well openings and then flared them.  For the front end I molded in the front bumper and installed headlights from a Monogram Predicta kit.  I scratch-built a tube grill and a matching bar for the hood scoop. 

I didn't like the shape of the Charger side windows so I reshaped them to flow better with the design.  I scribed new trim around the side and rear windows before lowering the suspension and installing Modelhaus redline tires.  The doors and trunk were cut open and hinged.

The car was given a Tamiya metallic red paint job. 

The project took approximately 4 months to complete.    

1968 Camaro

This model was constructed using a Revell 1968 Firebird kit.  I elected to convert this kit rather than using the AMT 1968 Camaro kit as it provided better detail. 

I began by chopping the top 2 scale inches and leaning the windshield back.  A pie-shaped section was removed from the doors -- nothing was removed at the front but I gradually increased to the point where I removed 3 scale inches at the back.  The quarter panels were cut to match.  The doors were then reshaped and the side character lines modified. 

The wheel openings were enlarged and flared. Then I removed 5 scale inches from the rear of the car in order to provide it with more of a sense of motion. 

The taillight panel is from an AMT 1968 Camaro kit and the rear pan was scratch-built.  The trunk lid was reshaped before moulding in a 1968 Camaro spoiler.  Exhaust tips were then cut from aluminum tubing. 

A cowl induction scoop from a Revell 1969 Camaro kit was molded onto the existing firebird hood.  The front pan is from the AMT Camaro kit.  The front grille was cut from Model Car Garage photo etched mesh and the headlights were taken from my parts box. 

The seats, door panels, dashboard and steering wheel all came from the Revell 1969 Camaro kit.  The engine is from a Revell 1967 Corvette kit and the tires are from Modelhaus, mounted on parts box mag wheels.  The doors, hood and trunk were cut open and hinged. 

The paint is Tamiya clear blue over Testors sterling silver. 

The project took approximately 3 months to complete.