Another '32 Ford Sedan

[Guest Davkin]

Hope you guys aren't getting tired of these '32 sedans since I'm finally throwing my hat into the ring here.

A quick and dirty mockup;

I decided I needed a "quickie" project based on the new Revell '32 Sedan kit. I'm trying to keep this one relatively simple, stick with kit parts and for the most part no major mods. The only real big mod is the channeling and the chop. The channel job is the full depth of the frame rails. The way the kit is designed this is fairly simple to do. I had to file off a bit of material on the outside of the frame rails and the inside of the body to get the body to slip down over the rails. I also had to widen the rear axle to get tire clearance. I also had to remove the rear section of the frame, from the front of the gas tank back. The chop is fairly mild, but is a pie cut to make the body look a little more aggressive. I took 1/8" out at the "A" pillars and 1/16" out at the "C" pillars. The "B" and "C" pillars still lined up okay, but I had to make a cut across the front section of the roof and add some material to move the "A" pillars forward. In keeping with the theme of using kit parts with minimal modifications I just lowered the suspension 1/16", that's about as far as you can go without major chassis and suspension mods. The engine is the kit flathead with Ardun heads from the latest release of the '50 Ford pickup. I'll keep the exhaust simple too, flat white zoomies. The wheels and tires are from the Revell '31 Sedan kit.

The paint scheme is going to be fairly simple. The chassis, engine and body are all going to be red, the firewall will be off-white with off-white scallops coming off the firewall and down the doors. The finish will be satin, but no "patina", just a nice, semi-flat paint job. I'll be keeping the wheels chrome if possible. Most other parts will probably be natural metal colors.

David

[Robert81]

Looks like this will be a nice quicky. I have one question about the revell 50 ford: does it still have the "standard" flathead headers in the kit?

[Guest Davkin]

does it still have the "standard" flathead headers in the kit?

No, they are for the Ardun heads, four tubes equally spaced, unplated. What's real curious about that kit is stock flathead heads and headers are not included.

David

[Smart-Resins]

Nice Start there! Jody

[Guest Davkin]

The body is making good progress towards being ready for paint. I decided to do another mockup but a little different. This mockup uses the sectioned grill from the AMT American Graffiti '32 Coupe kit and headers that form into a mega pipe that exits just under the door.

What do you think, stock size grill hanging below the frame or sectioned grill? Straight zoomies or the mega-side pipe? Of course the final pipe would be tucked up closer to the lower body line, this was just a quick and dirty mockup.

David

[Smart-Resins]

I say Zoomies all the way! Now the grill is a hard call. I think the stock grill would be too tall. In your pic the top of it is about the same height as the cowl but the bottom is on the ground. If you give it ground clearence, it would stick up higher, not cool. However, that chopped grill may sit the right height, but the bottom of it looks funky and I say it needs to be longer! You dont have one half way inbetween do you? Now one idea with the stock grill is maybe you can tilt it back some and build the top in the back up some with putty to make it still flat, that way it sits the right height and it will be out further in the fron on bottom giving you ground clearance? Jody

[Bernard Kron]

What do you think, stock size grill hanging below the frame or sectioned grill? Straight zoomies or the mega-side pipe? Of course the final pipe would be tucked up closer to the lower body line, this was just a quick and dirty mockup.

Use the sectioned grill, but it needs to be slightly lower to align with the mild rake of the body (i.e., a straight line from the cowl forward). The overall stance of both mockups is gorgeous - you've nailed it - so just this slight detail of lowering the grill, allowed by using the sectioned piece, will really "sell" the look you've achieved. Judging from the headers I'm assuming you won't be running a hood on the car. BTW, those headers are really nice, but I'd probably tuck them up closer to the frame rails.

This is a really sweet build. Amazing how many variations people are coming up with from this one kit. It's probably a testament to both the classic good looks of the 1:1 and Revell's successful interpretation of it. I hope they're selling the cr*p out of it a just reward for their efforts!

B.

[Guest Davkin]

However, that chopped grill may sit the right height, but the bottom of it looks funky and I say it needs to be longer

That's kinda how I felt about it. As I get farther along I'll have to play with adjusting it's height and see if I can get rid of some of that funkiness without the top looking too low. This was just a quick mockup so there probably is room for adjustment. I'll consider tilting the stock grill back as well. I won't have a hood so I don't have to worry about matching up with one. The problem with tilting the grill back is then you expose that ugly radiator. How about a third option? I could section the stock grill and if I fail to preserve the detail well I could just make a "sheet metal" that just has holes cut in it. Either way I end up losing the chrome. Another idea I've seen on 1:1's is to just cut the bottom of the grill off, I don't think that looks very good though.

Use the sectioned grill, but it needs to be slightly lower to align with the mild rake of the body

I'll have to look at it closer since this was a quick mockup but I'm not sure it could be lowered much if at all, the angle of the photo might be making it look higher than it is in relation to the cowl.

from the headers I'm assuming you won't be running a hood on the car

That's correct.

This is a really sweet build. Amazing how many variations people are coming up with from this one kit.

I've got another in progress, a roadster version;

I'll be getting back to that one after this one is done. That one had evolved into a very involving project and I need to have one done by the end of April for a local contest so I started this sedan version which besides the chop and channel I'll be keeping pretty simple.

It's probably a testament to both the classic good looks of the 1:1 and Revell's successful interpretation of it

Yes, Revell did a very good job on this one. My only wish is that it came with an early style chassis and suspension, but I do understand they had to use existing tooling as much as possible to save costs.

David

[Guest Davkin]

I just took another look, (had to wait for the latest coat or primer to dry.) and I definately can lower that sectioned grill and it looks good so I think I'll be going that way. I'm still up in the air on the headers but leaning towards the 4 into 1 mega pipe, (is there a common name for that setup?) but I won't need to make a final decision on that for a couple weeks.

David

[Bernard Kron]

.....which besides the chop and channel I'll be keeping pretty simple.

...My only wish is that it came with an early style chassis and suspension, but I do understand they had to use existing tooling as much as possible to save costs.

1) There’s never anything simple about a chop or a channel – it’s called “collateral damageâ€, especially channeling!

2) I find the chassis a major annoyance. Replicas & Miniatures has a conversion chassis created by Rik Hoving that uses the Revell Model A variant’s suspension bits. That’s why we have an after market! See : http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/model_cars...m_frame_01.html and http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/model_cars...cm_frame02.html. It looks like it would solve a lot of headaches!

I just took another look, (had to wait for the latest coat or primer to dry.) and I definitely can lower that sectioned grill and it looks good so I think I'll be going that way. I'm still up in the air on the headers but leaning towards the 4 into 1 mega pipe, (is there a common name for that setup?)...

3) Once you’ve channeled one of these babies it pays big dividends to obsess over the size and location of the grill shell. Glad it worked out. Looking forward to seeing it.

4) “Mega-pipe†= “collectorâ€. It looks gorgeous. Unfortunately I suspect it will some very careful cutting to bring it up and in against the frame rails.

The “phaeton†highboy really rocks. Where do those lovely “Divco†style wheels come from?

B.

[Guest Davkin]

Replicas & Miniatures has a conversion chassis created by Rik Hoving

That's a nice chassis. I heavily modded the one for the "phaeton" (technically it would be a phantom since all Phaetons are four doors, right?), it still uses the kit suspension though.

If I build another one of these kits I'll consider one of those resin chassis.

Mega-pipe†= “collectorâ€. It looks gorgeous

I was hesitant to call it a collector because technically collectors are a transition from the headers to the exhaust pipe and typically for an undercar exhaust system. Since this one has no real exhaust pipe after the "collector" and it's a side pipe, (but not a full one either.) on top of that I don't know what the heck to call it!

Unfortunately I suspect it will some very careful cutting to bring it up and in against the frame rails

Actually, the header will have to be scratchbuilt to work for this setup. If I modded those kit headers to fit there'd be nothing left but a stub.

Where do those lovely “Divco†style wheels come from?

Revell '37 Ford Pickup, the sedan delivery version has those wheels as well. Here's the link to my fotki album on the whole project;

http://www.dsao.fotki.com/model-cars/

David