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'36 Ford Custom Roadster: Primer!...


John Goschke

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One of the kits that's driven several generations of modelers insane with its fit, symmetry, and accuracy issues is the AMT '36 Ford roadster, 3-window, and 5-window coupe series. When originally released in 1961 it could be built as a chopped 3-window or, by changing out the cowl door and top section, as a roadster. What AMT conveniently chose to ignore was that the roadsters have significantly shorter doors than the 3W! Nevertheless, if you want a '36 Ford in 1/25th scale, this kit is still the only game in town. And I've always wanted to do a '36 roadster with a chopped top in scale, so ignoring the 20 other projects I've got started, and this week I decided to fix the doors and chop the top on the '36 using bits from a couple junk original issue kits, and yellow and grey parts from a couple later issues. The result looks a little like a crazy quilt at the moment but here it is in mockup stage.

The windshield is chopped three scale inches. The top was chopped by eye by shortening it lengthwise in front of the middle bow while the sail panels were piecut so the rear window could be leaned forward, keeping the stock window height. The side opening was reprofiled to echo the curve of the fenders and rear deck. To keep the flow going along the lower body I made a set of skirts with a curved lower edge that follows the curve of the bottom edge the running board. The lower trailing edge of the rear fenders were modified to follow the same curve.

36Roadster1-vi.jpg36Roadster2-vi.jpg36Roadster3-vi.jpg36Roadster6-vi.jpg36Roadster5-vi.jpg

Edited by John Goschke
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One of my favorite of the Ford stable.

I'm following your thread to get motivated on my two "stalled '36 projects".

Thanks for posting the crisp clear pics..

I don't have to hold down the Control button and tap the Plus+ button to get a better view.

oh..and thanks for the info on the doors too..like you said ..It's the only game in town.

My '36 stash currently has 2 Tracys(5 window)..2 newer releases(3 window)..

and some parts box roadster items.

Joker

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  • 1 month later...
Here she is with first hit of primer on the body, fenders, and skirts. Stuck on the grey plastic original issue hood, etc. to see what it'll look like in one color. Top is in white primer after some more details were added and additional refinement of the fit.
Thinking of this car as more of a stocker with refinements to bring out the Lincoln Zephyr DNA in its design. So cleaned up stock grill is a definite feature. Probably smoothed '40 Ford bumpers. Not sure about the spare at this point (see last pic)... while it's mounted closer than stock here, I'm wondering what it'd look like sunk partially into the deck? Of course the smooth license-plate-recessed-behind-glass treatment is also a possibility.
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Like Bill, this is one of favorites from the Ford stable. I built one of these kits for my daughter a while back (in the roadster configuration), and I knew something wasn't right but couldn't put my finger on it. Now I know what to do with the next one. I think I'll leave the top down, though. I don't have anywhere near your talent, and don't think I could get the up top looking this nice. If you ever decide to cast it, let me know.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this one in paint. Got a color picked out yet?

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Thanks for the comments and suggestions, guys!

I guess I didn't mention it but this is really meant to be a 1940s style custom, so it is not nearly as low as we might expect a custom from the '50s or later decades to be. While I might lower the front a tiny bit the stance you see here is pretty much where it's intended to be.

Possibly the best reference on the web for how custom in the late '30s and '40s really looked, check out this thread on the HAMB...

"1940's period correct customs" http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=425454

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