Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 FRANKIE AUTO SALVAGE Notes on a Build A 1950 Chevrolet “Trucksterâ€â€“concept designed and drawn by Jairus Watson (Model Cars, Aug/Sept 2007, Issue #125, Page 33). As I am sure all of you are, I've been a big fan of Mr. Watson's work for years . . . and this illustration really spoke to me not only because I love 50 Chevys but because the rake, the color, the details just blew me away. So I hope that with his permission to post a picture of his original and some closeups, I can get started . . . This is what Mr. Watson wrote about the concept behind this build: “1950 Chevrolet 3100–AMT kit: Requiring a bit more work, this ‘50 cab loses more than its roof. The front fenders are removed and the body section is cut out of the door to create a neat raked look, and then a cut-down pick up bed attached securely to the back of the cab. Don’t worry about realism while mocking it up, because you can always work out the details later. It is the “LOOK†that is important! I went for a more “Rad Rod†look for this illustration since Thom illustrated a clean shiny ‘50 in Rods & Customs. Because of that, the body still sports exposed welds and original paint plus the name on the door. (Did you get it?) Don’t forget to use the ‘50 pickup grille and front section of the hood to cover up the radiator.†Overall Impressions: this one jumped out at me, so much so that I contacted Jairus Watson to not only pick his brain but to procure the original drawing for my collection . . . I figure it would allow me to ask him some further questions during the build. My first reaction to this one was that it SCREAMED the best of what a Rat Rod has to offer plus a tongue-in-cheek flavor I like . . . FRANKIE simply shout it: “Build me, build me!†I knew the toughest part was going to be chopping the thing in all the right places, but this was made easy by Mr. Watson’s drawing . . . The other concern I had was that I knew I was going to have to scratchbuild the frame and for that I turned to an informative how-to Andy Johnson (who is one of my favorite builders), see: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v214/rag...sis%20How%20to/ by Ragtop63). I still needed the front and rear suspension from the Revell ‘32 Ford Highboy, along with the front suspension cut off from the chassis of the ‘32. Suggested kits needed: AMT #6437 ‘50 Chevrolet 3100 Pick Up AMT #8209 ‘62 Chevrolet Impala SS REVELL #85-2898 ‘32 Ford Roadster High Boy Street Rod MONOGRAM #2240 ‘39 Chevrolet Sedan Deliver The ‘62 Impala donated it’s great engine, the ‘39 Chevy it’s headlights and radiator, and the rest of the basic parts (other than chassis) came from the ‘50 Chevy and ‘32 Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Here are some pictures of the frame, which I ended up building from scratch . . . though Andy suggests using a '29 Ford frame, I wanted something a little beefier and a blank canvas upon which to add some element that though might not be seen underneath will be there . . . I ended up using the lover part of the 50 Chevy grill pan to anchor the rails and give this end a rounder feel. I know it's not on the illustration but it's a poetic-license liberty I hope does not change the overall look and feel of the vehicle . . . I borrowed the front suspension brace from the '32 Ford roadster . . . and then built a pan for where the '39 radiator is going to sit . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Here's the mill I chose to work with . . . it comes from the AMT '62 Impala, which I've worked with in the past and I find it easy to wire and work with . . . Not only does it come with two different sets of valve covers, but it's set up for two carbs in place . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 One of the things that immediately drew me to this build was the way Jairus did the stitch welding on the panels and for a while I did not know how to what would work, until I found a way of adding half round plastic rod to where I had made the cuts for the rake and I used my Weller tool to melt it in place. Maybe it's hard to tell from the pictures, but the stippling on the melted rod looks real good in person . . . also, the angle of the picture doesn't show much rake, but believe me it's there . . . In his write up, Mr. Watson talks about making sure not to cut the cab without first installing the firewall, which is important for stability but also for fit purposes . . . plus I've always liked this firewall on this '50 Chevy . . . this is one of the few AMT kits that I've always loved . . . Here's a better shot . . . I like the weldt-look of the weld . . . very Frankestein indeed!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzoenvy1 Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Wow, very ambitious build here. I was perusing that issue yesterday and was ogling over it. I was immediately drawn to the welded doors which I just saw you tackle. My only thought would be that the doors were obviously welded on after there was (some form of) paint. The welds do look rather large though. Do you think maybe a larger strip of Styrene would be more effective? Just wondering, and I will be following closely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 The welds are perfect! Go Virgil GO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dub Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Ya, this MY favorite one of the three also! I actually have the Aug 07 issue of R & C magazine and loved that sketch pad. When I saw the Aug/Sep issue of MCM I was pleasantly suprised. These are compelling me to do one as my next custom job. Anyway... LOVE the build so far! I will be watching this one the whole way through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Believe me, after I was possessed by this illustration, for days I contemplated how the heck to do and portray the welds . . . this is exactly the attraction here . . . the welds look done over the paint, so what I am planning to do is, after I primer the vehicle, I will airbrush some aged silver over the welds and then shoot the blue paint . . . I think when I scuff the blue paint lightly, the metallic will show through acheiving the effect and right look. Of course, like everything else (like the frame so far, which I've built 3 times, the front grill, built twice, and many of the other elements to this build) it's a matter of fitting and trying it until the right look is achieved . . . Having said that, I really don't know how it is going to turn out . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzoenvy1 Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 The welds are perfect! Go Virgil GO! I feel like I got in trouble, lol. I shut up........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Thanks for the encouraging words, Jairus and everyone . . . yeah, it's not going to go fast, though I am working on it most nights . . . just stay tuned in . . . You never know when I might need Igor to fetch me some more parts out of the "salvage" cementary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 No, Enzo, no problem . . . believe me, I tried it several different ways . . . and it was a matter of finding the right tools and strip size . . . The illustration shows you how to make the cuts and though Jairus cut-graphic was not to scale nor included measurements for the pie cuts, I took the dive and guessed. My innitial worry was that I needed to find a way of doing the welts, so my buddy Brad at the local Hobby Town told me how the tank builders did it and so I ran with it . . . I wanted to use putty, but putty was going to be too thin . . . or so I thought . . . Your ideas and comments are greatly appreciated and much welcomed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 The other thing that looks different on the illustration and had me a little anxious was the size of the grill and the way Jairus cuts it . . . and when I did it the first time it was too tall because I had not cut one of the slats off . . . the illustration has four and the kit part has five, so it took me a while to figure that out, duh!!! It's always been my favorite part of the 50 Chevy along with the fat fenders!!! I'm keeping it chrome so I had to be careful cutting off the excess, plus when I paint the front of the hood (what's left of it, LOL!), I will glue it together in place . . . right now it's all mocked with Aileen's tack glue . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 The thing that has kept me up most nights just mulling it over and trying it again and again was the rake and how low this baby sits on the chassis . . . and again once I settled on building the chassis from scratch it all started to come together . . . I guess I could have really raked it out with the pie cuts, but I wasn't sure how big to make the cuts, so I devised another way which works which was to angle the rails on the chassis in such a way that would lift the cab a bit more from the rear . . . This is one of the early mockups that I liked . . . I'm still working on getting the "look" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Stance thus far looks good. Now, about the welds... You were right about painting them first with metallic paint. Metalizer steel is perfect. Then... add a touch of automotive wax to the welds and to each side with a paint brush. You don't need a lot of wax so used it sparingly. Then lay down a primer coat and then a base coat. I would use a flat color for the base. Now, a day later when everything has had a good dryout period, take some masking or Scotch brand tape and lay it on the waxed welds ... When you remove the tape it should pull off the base color leaving a nice chipped edge. This is an old military modeler trick by the way. Practicing on something else first might be a good idea.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 (edited) That sounds great, but I wonder if rubber cement will also work. I am painting this sucker with my Iwata Micron C, so I can go slow and careful . . . the other thing is that I want to be able to put the "Frankie Auto Salvage" on there with rub-on letters . . . I figured if I sprayed the body with a good dark gray primer, put the letter graphics on, THEN paint the silver, etc . . . do the process you are describing, then I can kill all those birds with one stone . . . I already have been mixing the blue so it is almost ready . . . and I like the fact that you put a few hints of rust and white in a few spots . . . this thing is chockful of personality!!! But I'm getting ahead of myself here . . . I'm still working on the major components and test fitting everything . . . Thanks for the input and suggestions though--these go a long ways to keep me sane--I think!!! Edited October 19, 2007 by DamnCranky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Some of the things that are NOT pictured on Jairus's illustration are the kinds of things I am hoping to have some fun with in terms of poetic liscense. A few small details like for example, the gas cap. I found this little gem in my parts box. I think it's a wheel spinner from a 61 Impala . . . Another one are the rear lights . . . I figure since I was already diving for parts in the spares box, I would do so in the spirit of the idea behind the illustration: I know, I know, where would I put them, but since I was going through the trouble of shortening the '50 Chevy bed, I though I make a place for them . . . like right here: In case you are wondering why the peculiar angle to the shortened bed, well, it's part of what is going to help that raked look of the whole build . . . as you will see when I make some more progress . . . oh, BTW, I shortened and narrowed the bed . . . not a bad day's work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 great choice for a project, great job so far! i have something i can try that weld thing on right now. i was thinking about laying down a bead of epoxy and dimpling it with a dentist tool as it dries. killer job, stay with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 That would work too, and it will allow you plenty of time to make sure it looks just right . . . thanks for the input . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Here's another angle of the shortened bed . . . Again, I am setting this up so that the raked cab, chassis and bed all fit at a angle and everything kisses up perfectly . . . nothing is set in stone yet because as you all know something is always bound to go wrong . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Since I've been up photographing some of the smaller parts to be used, I thought I'd share some of them with you . . . again, all from the different kits Jairus mentioned but also some stuff from the parts box . . . this also helps explain to my wife why in fact I have to have so many kits up on the shelves . . . Here are some real gems from that '62 Impala kit: And finally the shoes . . . from the Revell '29 Ford 3 in 1 kit . . . I never get tired of using these . . . they are almost as good as any ever made . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Oh, and the all-important radiator . . . I cleaned up the shortened hood so that the radiator will sit flush against it . . . and look, well, neater but yet exposed . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 (edited) I could not go to bed without just one more time checking to make sure I have not lost all of my mind, or maybe I have . . . That's the nature of playing Herr Doktor . . . I just had to mock it up with the few parts I have ready . . . Good night for now! Edited October 19, 2007 by DamnCranky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantrix Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 (edited) Here's another method to make your welds. Very thin solder pounded flat, then cut into strips. Use the edge of a brass tube to dimple the soft lead strip in a pattern to replicate the beaded look. Add a wash for patina and adhere to the model. I'm not a huge fan of the rat-rod genre. However I do see some very cool possiblities for some awesome show cars/ hot rods with this idea. Edited October 19, 2007 by Jantrix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuffy's Garage Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Thats looking really cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Thanks for the great idea, Jantrix . . . that should work beautifully . . . and you are right the material is soft enough to provide the right look . . . . In keeping with Jairus's idea behind the illustration, when I went to bed last night it dawned on me that if this Frankie was cobbled together, chopped, and sown together, then the good Dr. should be screaming "It's Alive!" when the lightning bolts hit . . . so I had a flash of what to put on the license plate. A L I V E Should help get another smile! Stay tuned in for more progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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