35 replies to this topic

[Bernard Kron]

Another “I need to start one more build like a whole in the head” project but I was so taken with the re-released ’30 5-window I had to get on it. The little coupe just screamed chopped and channeled at me. A real East-Coast style 50’s ride.

The frame is from the AMT Phantom Vicky and it fits perfectly. The Phantom Vicky kit is a treasure trove of ultra-cool parts. I buy the pre-painted kits at swap meets and on sale at my LHS because they seem to be quite common and are always mega-cheap, probably because they’re so ugly. I’m replacing the kit IFS with a resin dropped piece from Early Years Resin. I’ll probably leave the rear suspension as is. The top is chopped approx. 4” all around and the channel job is about 4” as well. The rear end will probably come up slightly when I lock in the stance. I plan to use a chopped Deuce grill so that the top of the shell lines up with the cowl without scraping the ground. The engine will be either a tri-carb Nailhead or a Hemi so I can use the cool headers that come in the Phantom Vicky kit. If I can I’d like to keep the stock firewall.

Color is up in the air. I’m very tempted to keep the pre-painted frame as is. I’m thinking perhaps a metallic green to go with the purple rails.

Here is a Scotch-taped mock up.

Thanx for lookin’.

Edited by gbk1, 03 August 2009 - 07:42 PM.

[Matt LeBlanc]

Nice so far.

[Foxer]

Oh yeah ... drooped over those rails where they belong!!! I'm liking it... go for it, Bernard!

(I've never seen a Highboy I didn't think looked like a bus)

[Bernard Kron]

(I've never seen a Highboy I didn't think looked like a bus)

I've never heard it put any better...

Edited by gbk1, 16 July 2009 - 06:46 PM.

[Fletch]

Lookin' Good Mr. B, like the channel job that's pretty cool. Taking a little off the top always works in my book.

[TomA]

It's coming on well Bernard. Has the right look already with the chop'n'channel....and loooove those steelies, baby moons and trim rings!

[Raul_Perez]

Bernard,
While it's hard for me to see past the pea-green plastic to fully realize your vision for this build, , the stance and ride height look right on the money!!

Yes, I too really like the steelies with the chrome rings and baby moon caps!!

Keep going...you'll soon have more builds in your collection than Curt and myself combined!!

Later,

[Bernard Kron]

Thanx everyone! While I'm pretty sure I'm keeping the purple frame the pea green plastic goes. It might finish up being green but not pea green ! And, oh yeah... I guess I'm staying with these wheels!

The stance is now set. This involved installing the front and rear suspension, gluing all the internal panels and bracing into place, especially the rear brace that locates the back end of the frame since it determines the rear ride height and, along with the firewall, sets the amount and rake of the channel. I also got started on cleaning up the chop. The car is now more raked than it was and doesn’t drag its hindquarters the way it did in the mockup. The grill is the Model Car Garage 6” chop Deuce shell with p/e grill.

Here are some shots. Thanx for lookin’

[Foxer]

Hey now! .. you got a great eye.. that stance is right on the money!

[vizio93]

are you ganna put the flat head in it? that's what i'm puttin it in my 32 ford sedan. gives it the classic-ish look

[curt raitz]

Bernard,
While it's hard for me to see past the pea-green plastic to fully realize your vision for this build, , the stance and ride height look right on the money!!

Yes, I too really like the steelies with the chrome rings and baby moon caps!!

Keep going...you'll soon have more builds in your collection than Curt and myself combined!!

Later,

Yeah Raul...ol' Bernard is really pumpin' em out isn't he!
great start Bernard, I'm still waiting for the '30 Ford Sedan to show up down here...LHS says not til late August
I like the steelies and baby moons as well, glad you're goin' away from the nice green

[cdansie]

Looking forward to seeing this one done Bernard

Chris

[Bernard Kron]

Thanx everyone. For some reason whenever I use these wheels they're a huge hit. People really like them. They're actually my mockup wheels and tires. Up to now they've never actually made it onto a build. They're the chrome wheels off the Revell '49 Merc with red painted centers and '40 Ford caps. I guess this time they're staying!

are you ganna put the flat head in it? that's what i'm puttin it in my 32 ford sedan. gives it the classic-ish look

The mill will be pretty traditional, but it won't be a Flattie. I've settled on a Buick Nailhead with 3 '97's and a set of Lime Fire Headers from The Parts Box ( http://www.thepartsbox.com/ ).


Unfortunately I've "misplaced" the set I have so I've ordered another set. Hopefully I'll find the missing set while I'm building the engine. No harm in having another set. You never can have too many Lime Fire headers for your Buick Nailheads I always say (really, I always say that...).

[Dennis Lacy]

Another cool build you have going, Bernard! I've always thought '30/'31 Ford coupes are one of the most versatile hot rod bodies ever made. You can do just about anything with them.

Your chop and channel proportions look good and that sectioned radiator shell is a nice touch. Gotta do it to get those proportions right.

Where are you sourcing the Buick engine?

Are those the rear tires you're going to use? The rears look a little modern/small in comparison with the fronts.

Seeing all these '30 coupes pop up (you, Dave, Lyle) now I'm starting to get the itch. Meanwhile, my poor roadster and '40 coupe aren't done yet. Isn't this hobby great?

[Bernard Kron]

...Where are you sourcing the Buick engine?

Are those the rear tires you're going to use? The rears look a little modern/small in comparison with the fronts.

Seeing all these '30 coupes pop up (you, Dave, Lyle) now I'm starting to get the itch. Meanwhile, my poor roadster and '40 coupe aren't done yet. Isn't this hobby great?

Thanx Dennis.

Aw c’mon, start another one…

Unfortunately the rear tires will gave to stay as is. I simply can't find anything else that fits those rims that aren't the same width and diameter as the fronts. That's why these were always my mockup wheels. But I've been outvoted!

Now here’s more than you’ll ever want to know about 1/25 nailheads (although I’m sure I’m leaving lots of other stuff out…).

I'm probably going to build the Nailhead from one of the 4 Tommy Ivo Showboat engines I got. I bought the Revell Showboat kit strictly as a source for those beautifully detailed motors. So far I've used one on a rail I built last year:

Unfortunately what you get is essentially a shortblock with a nicely detailed Hilborn injection setup and really nice injector stacks. The oil pans have 45 degree slanted bottoms to make up for the angled mount of the motors in the drag car. For this build I made a new bottom for the pan but didn't need to do anything else. But there's no bellhousing, transmission, accessory drive, belts, pulleys, etc.

So... In the wonderful world of aftermarket parts I got this l;ittle item:

Beautifully cast by Norm Veber at Replicas and Miniatures Co. of Maryland, it's a re-pop of the oil pan, transmission, accessory drive and shift linkage from an old Revell Parts Pack Nailhead which itself used the block and injection from the Showboat. BTW, this item is NOT listed in Norms regular catalog. You have to ask… And... no drive pulleys and belts, generator, or carburetor manifold. For this I am using the parts that can be found in the AMT '40 Ford Sedan Delivery kit (You can also find it in the Coca Cola '40 Ford coupe variant). This has a complete nailhead including block-hugger headers if you were planning on using it in a more confined area. There are several other kits that offer Nailheads with various variations in terms of carburetion, valve covers, spark plug wire shields, etc., mainly various AMT 60's Buicks. The reason I'm not planning on using the AMT nailhead is the detailing on the block and heads is a bit soft.

And finally there's this item from The Parts Box in Australia:



This is the full monte as it were. I've ordered one today but I'm want to keep on building this guy so I'm probably going the Ivo route. At 18.00 AUD (about 14.50USD) it's about the price of a source kit for an AMT nailhead and less than a Showboat kit on e-bay (if you can score one). However they have a 25.00 AUD minimum order and shipping is about another 10.00 USD so it's best to have need some other of their cool stuff if ordering from them.

I know you are a confirmed kit basher so go to Bob Black's awesome DPMCC instruction sheet resource (http://public.fotki....ruction_sheets/ ) and search the AMT section for the 40 Fords and various Buicks. Or you can be like me and help support the artisans of the aftermarket...

Edited by gbk1, 18 July 2009 - 05:40 AM.

[Dennis Lacy]

No! I will not start another project until at least the roadster is done! Hahaha. But, luckilly this weekend is final assembly time so next week I might drag that '30 kit out. I've already been planning it in my head and have even played with it some.

Thanks for the run down on the Buick engine options. The reason I asked is because I couldn't imagine you would use the one from the AMT '40 coupe / sedan delivery. Saying it's "soft" is being generous. I think it has it's place in a basic build up like those old AMT kits, but not in what you're doing.

And I'm not anti-aftermarket but, if I can build it or make it I will! That Parts Box Buick is frickin' awesome tho. I've looked at their site a few times and I think at some point an order is, um, in order.

[Raul_Perez]

Yep...this one is coming along really nicely, Bernard!!

That Nailhead engine from the Parts Box is going to look GREAT sitting between those frame rails!!

Do you need another pair of tire like what is on the front? Are they Firestones?

Later,

[Bernard Kron]

Yep...this one is coming along really nicely, Bernard!!

That Nailhead engine from the Parts Box is going to look GREAT sitting between those frame rails!!

Do you need another pair of tire like what is on the front? Are they Firestones?

Later,

Thanx Raul. The Parts Box Nailhead probably won't make it here in time but it sure will make a powerful weapon in reserve in case I screw up on the Ivo conversion! (And if I don't screw up it will make a powerful weapon in reserve for another build... or a parts swap!) I need to get the engine built and located so I can start working on the firewall and interior. I also need it to finalize the location and mounting of the grill shell. It's always a highly interdependent process, isn't it?

As regards the tires the problem is that those are probably accurate 1/25 scale 16" wheels from the Revell '49 kit. So most tires have an i.d. that's too small. I have no recollection at this point what the tires I am using came from, front or rear. I've got Lots of Firestones (the cool skinny ones with the ribbed tread and the Firestone script), quite a few of which came from your parts box . They make admirable front tires but the rears, as Dennis points out, are really where the problem lies. I must admit that whereas I think the wheels are just fine, the tires do bug me, too. I'll have to think about it some more. Maybe it's Dremel time!

Edited by gbk1, 18 July 2009 - 10:08 AM.

[Raul_Perez]

...I've got Lots of Firestones (the cool skinny ones with the ribbed tread and the Firestone script), quite a few of which came from your parts box ...

That's the beauty of getting old...I remember that you were here, that we raided the parts boxes, but I probably can't remember a single thing that you took!!

Later,

[Bernard Kron]

That's the beauty of getting old...I remember that you were here, that we raided the parts boxes, but I probably can't remember a single thing that you took!!

Later,

Innocence is bliss...