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'53 Bel Air


CaptainAhab

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Hey guys... Gonna do my first chop. We'll see how it goes. Using the 53 lowrider Bel Air kit from Revell, which is 1/24 (ugh) but oh well. After testing the so called "lowrider" suspension I was less than impressed, so out came the Dremel and heres what I got. Going for a Bagged lead sled.

Painted some wide whites (terribly) just to see how it would look while i wait for my Modelhaus tires to show up. This was my first step lowering:

DSC00001.jpg

Here's where she is sitting currently. I'm Pretty content with it, What do you guys think? Also with some less drastic white walls:

DSC00006.jpg

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And with Skirts... Yay or nay?

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Thats all for now, Ill try to keep up with the build thread. Hopefully the next post will have the roof chopped and trim/handles shaved down. Any advise would be much appreciated. Thanks

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I like the second set of wheels, seem to look just right. I like the skirts but maybe make some from scratch longer, right to the bottom of the body. Looks to me lower with the skirts...............Waiting for the chop, just use a sharpie where your gonna cut and cut it up.

DAN B)

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I would try to keep the rear window close to the original size - cut out the whole rear window frame out first, in one piece. Then chop the top and move the rear window frame forwards; trimming the rear of the roof if need be.. That looks better IMO than a simple chop with the rear window cut down. I did a quick hack job on you photo to illustrate:

post-2138-0-13317200-1326629432_thumb.jp

Edited by dodgefever
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Looking foward to seeing your progress. I built a stock version of this kit years ago. I bought the low rider kit a while back with the intention of doing it the way you're going with it. I like the idea of the skirts,and I agree they should be longer-even with the bottom of the body.

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Thanks for the comments fellas. Your advice means a lot. I Started shaving the mold lines and trim today and I think I will be omitting the skirts. I think it would look good if it was a tail dragger and shes not quite that. Going for a meaner look. Joker, nice clean build. Very classy chop. And Stu, Love your idea for the chop, but how should I go about filling in that trunk lid after I slide the window forward?

On a closing note, heres My inspiration. It will be very loosely based on this, I just really dig the look without all trim lines:

1952Chevrolet_01_700.jpg

Thanks again

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Thanks for the comments fellas. Your advice means a lot. I Started shaving the mold lines and trim today and I think I will be omitting the skirts. I think it would look good if it was a tail dragger and shes not quite that. Going for a meaner look. Joker, nice clean build. Very classy chop. And Stu, Love your idea for the chop, but how should I go about filling in that trunk lid after I slide the window forward?

If you do it the way I suggested, you'd only have to add a strip of plastic to fill the gap between the trunk and the rear window. If you just chopped it at the pillars, rear window and all, you'd then have to lengthen the roof, which is more difficult and doesn't look as good to me.

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The 1:1 pictured is a '52 Sport Coupe, for whatever that is worth.

Be careful chopping this. They look so much better if chopped corectly, but if you take out too much, they end up looking way out of proportion with the body. Think 3-4 inches in scale.

And I agree with the notion of bringing the skirts further down, if you're going to use them.

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That looks very cool so far. I like '53 Bel Airs very much, doesn't matter if it's Original, Custom or Gasser etc. Your build looks Old School and that's great. Rear window will be tricky to make, I have one pretty wild '56 Chevy build with the same problem...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got the interior done today...

IMAG0394.jpg

the chassis

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Tires/wheels finished, Might paint lug nuts though

IMAG0397.jpg

Annnnd the body is slooowwwwly gettin there. Had to go back to bondo world after my second coat of primer. This body is fightin' me but it shall not win!

IMAG0398.jpg

Tips, comments, suggestions all welcome. More comin...

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Love it! Might have missed a previous answer to your post about windows, but what I'd do is make some paper/card stock templates for front and rear, transfer to some blister pack cutouts (clear plastic that most items are packaged in nowadays) and cut to match. Running it under some hot water and bending w/your fingers should contour the edges well enough. Use some Elmer's glue or Future to attach to body.

Keep up the good work! Looking forward to seeing more!

Tim

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