Bernard Kron Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Classic mid-50’s style ’32 Roadster with full bellypan More pictures below A quick build from the Ex-Monogram Revell Basic Builder 1/24 scale ’32 Ford Roadster. I did this to explore the issues and techniques involved in building a car with a full belly pan. The kit doesn’t come with a separate chassis so I made very basic chassis rails and crossmembers which are glued to the inside of the body with about a 4 scale inch channel and a z’d rear end. Virtually the entire build is from the original kit with exception of after market resin tires and backing plates from The Parts Box in Australia, headlights from the 1/25 Revell Deuce kits and a steering wheel from my own parts box. Paint is Plasti-Kote GM 7157 metallic bronze over light gray DupliColor primer sealer and DupliColor Red Oxide primer. The bellypan is Testors Metallizer Buffable Plate Aluminum. I didn’t do this as a highly detailed build since it’s primarily a kind of prototype for future projects. Virtually all the chassis except for the front suspension is hidden by the bellypan and front bodywork. I settled on the mid-50’s look based on the wide whites and the kit’s chromed reversed rims. The W.I.P. with chassis details can be found here: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18864 Thanx for lookin’. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Lacy Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Hey B, that roadster turned out really cool! I like the colors and details you used, like something right out of a mid-'50s Hot Rod or Rod & Cutom magazine. Great work, especially considering it was a learning experience. Can't wait to see what the experience leads to down the road! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Nice work Bernard - that's a sweet looking machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMc Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I would normally say SWEET.......but on this one I think SLICK works better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul_Perez Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Bernard, The color combination looks GREAT!! The whites and the color coordinated wheels really make this one look like it was owned by someone with a few $$ to spend!! Keep up the GREAT work!! Later, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Hey B, the 32BP came out really nice. Very interesting visual, that fully enclosed belly pan. Those resin tires are way cool looking, I'll have to get me some. Nice little detail how you lined up the hubcaps all nice and straight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul_Perez Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 ...Nice little detail how you lined up the hubcaps all nice and straight That's a quick lesson in prepping any vehicle for the "glamour shot"!! A friend of mine does the same thing in prepping for photos of his 1:1 cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul_Perez Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 By the way, I really like the new avatar with the trio of your recent builds!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z28Lover Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I love this rod! Great build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 By the way, I really like the new avatar with the trio of your recent builds!! Whose avatar you talkin' about Raul? Yours?-- or Bernards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul_Perez Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 (edited) Whose avatar you talkin' about Raul? Yours?-- or Bernards? Bernard's, of course!! I'm getting bored with mine...time for a change... Edited April 2, 2009 by Raul_Perez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Kron Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 Thanx for all the kind words, everyone. It looks real nice to my eyes, too, but actually I failed to be aggressive enough in things like how much bellypan I showed below the body line, the amount of rake I put on it, and how low the car sat. All those things were a good deal more conservative than I would have wanted. But I was committed to a quick build so I just worked with the results from my initial steps. Here’s a pic of the Longman roadster from 1952 which was my inspiration. As you can see it’s way lower and more radical looking than this build. Maybe later this year I’ll get around to building a version of it based on the Revell 1/25 Goodguys ’32. Even though the 1/24 version suffers greatly from an ultra-low parts count it actually has some very nice details, like the windshield, the louvered hood panels, the exhaust system, and the interior upholstery design. Unfortunately the engraving is very shallow and weak and when you do any bodywork you’re always risking sanding out details. Also, the dashboard is pretty funky, the suspension details generally horrible (although the backing plates are very nice, as is the basic front axle) and, of course, it doesn’t come with a separate chassis (!). FYI, the interior has been reproduced in resin for the 1/25 by Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland as their Tuck & Roll interior for the Goodguys roadster. And Norm hinted to me that he just might be making a louvered hood set for the 1/25 based on the ex-Monogram 1/24 hood panels. If he does, they will sell like hotcakes! …Those resin tires are way cool looking, I'll have to get me some. … Those tires are from The Parts Box out of Australia ( http://www.thepartsbox.com/ , part number 754 - Tyres X 4 Awesome Bigs & Littles For Hot Rods) and they are very nice indeed. They were definitely “the tail that wagged the dog†and may have subconsciously driven me to a more conservative overall look and for sure influenced my color choice. But they sure look great with those chrome reversed rims! Unfortunately they are strictly 1/24 scale parts and in fact the wheels from the 1/24 roadster kit are actually very slightly undersized compared to these tires. You must use The Parts Box backing plates made for these tires (part number 199 - Wheel Back X 4 Early Ford). I landed up having to glue the wheel centers to the Parts Box backing plates since the wheels don’t actually make contact with the tires. I don’t have any other wheels that even come close to fitting. It’s too bad because they have a lovely cream colored patina to the whitewalls, great contrast between the big ‘n’ little sizes, and have excellent tread and sidewall detail. They look so cool that I’m definitely dropping The Parts Box a line about the problem I had in the hopes that I can find a future solution. Nevertheless, I would probably check out Modelhaus’s Nostalgic Street Rod tires ( http://www.modelhaus.com/index.php?y=&...p;Submit=Search ) for similar items, even though their sidewalls are much whiter than these. I’ve certainly never seen anything like them as parts from a kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Thanks for the info & links on them tires B. That Longman roadster looks way cool. Hope you follow thru with yer plans to build another version of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Kron Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 ...That Longman roadster looks way cool. Hope you follow thru with yer plans to build another version of it. I've got too!. It's probably my all-time favorite Deuce roadster. It's so pretty it hurts! BTW, I've never seen a modern replica or any color pics, but apparently it was purple! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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