147 replies to this topic

[Tony T]

Thanks for the Gee Bee info, Bill. Will have to watch for one, I think!!

[Ace-Garageguy]

The dropped front axle I'm using is from many Revell model-A kits. It's a nice piece, and comes with working steering, but it also has model A mechanical brake backing plates, which aren't appropriate for a hot rod that represents a car with hydraulics. MOST fast hot rods got built with '39 or later juice brakes. They were almost a bolt-on, and vastly improved deceleration.

This is the chrome tree that goes with the axle, a set of juice front backing plates from the Monogram '30 Woody kit (which comes with later brakes) and the axle and wishbone from the A kit.



Axle and backing plate drilled to take a .030" kingpin.



Axle, split wishbone with the ends modified and drilled, and new stub-axles on the backing plates.



And a much more realistic model with poseable steering and the hydraulic-brake backing-plates that any fast car would surely have had.

[cobraman]

Nice car. Doesn't Williams make a couple of cool Gee Bee's ?

[TooOld]

Working steering really makes a model . I modify every build I do to have it .
Real nice work so far .
BOB .

[Ace-Garageguy]

Doesn't Williams make a couple of cool Gee Bee's ?

Yes, Williams has a pair in 1/32, both the R-1 and the Z. They also make some other important racing planes of the period. Nice kits.

[zaina]

lookin really nice. what color did you use on the wheels?

[Kustom Rodder]

Lookin really good so far details details!

[Ace-Garageguy]

what color did you use on the wheels?

Wheel paint is Testors 1204 Gloss Dark Red enamel. Body will be gloss black lacquer.

[Tony T]

Coming along great, Bill...nice work!
BTW - Got a Lindberg Gee Bee on eBay for under $17 shipped to Canada!

[1930fordpickup]

WOW , talk about making a silk purse out of a sow's ear .

[RyanK]

The 32 is looking really good. Thanks for the write up as to what you are doing. It is coming along very nicely!

[Ira]

GREAT WORK WILLIAM!!!

Nice Progress...

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thanks to everyone for the interest and the kind words.

Tony T, sounds like a great deal on the GeeBee. I've seen them as high a 50 bucks.

The Olds engine, the LaSalle box, and the mild lowering of the tail all conspired to necessitate a rework of the floor and tunnel. Floor is scratched from styrene sheet, and the tunnel was sourced from a parts-box interior tub. The Olds also requires a center mount at the gearbox, so all of the original K-member of the Deuce frame had to go......



Top view with interior panels being fitted......



.....nice tight fit of the side floor-panels to the body. The wire pins sticking out at the rear help keep the body aligned during fitting.



One step backwards. I decided that this thing really needs a Halibrand quick-change rear end to complete the vision I have of it being a triple threat car....street, lakes and drags. Parts stash offered up some approproate bits....center section, Ford axle bells and model T rear spring. A model A crossmember will have to be substituted in the rear for the one I scratch-built, and clearance will have to be made in the floor for the center-section. This is the way you do it on a real one.....a QC takes a lot of work to mount in a Deuce. You can also see the LaSalle box being converted to a top-shift case.



...and she's gotta have a rolled rear pan. This mystery valence from something has the right top curve to be the basis.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy, 19 June 2012 - 06:03 PM.

[Tony T]

Great to see you getting your vision in styrene...thanks for having us along for the ride...nice work!

[Ace-Garageguy]

Some progress. Widening decklid and making up drip channels in rear of body.......



Worked out the through-the-cowl steering linkage, and the ahead-of-axle tie rod layout. This would have been necessary on a 1:1 to clear the big Olds engine, and to accommodate the dropped axle. There was a starter relocation adaptor that put the starter on the right of the Olds and allowed the '32 steering gear to be used, but I like the racecar look of this setup.



Test fitted the carbs and manifold, and it looks like I'll still have to dimple the firewall for the distributor.



Having the steering linkage finalized also let me finalize the locations of the headlights, and it all worked out just like the mockup. Lucky. The headlight buckets will mount on 1" scale tubular brackets, and shock mounts will also be fabbed in behind them.



Close to being ready for primer. Still have to do the quick-change, and see where that will put the rear rolled pan to allow the QC to show.

[62rebel]

see, fellas, what you can do with an old simple AMT kit and some perseverence, skill, and reference material? i'm digging every aspect of this build, and NOW i want a Lindberg GeeBee as well.....

[deathskull59]

cool tradishinal 32 ford hot rod cant wait to see this car done.

[1930fordpickup]

True art in the making !

[rmvw guy]

The old AMT '32 is still on my all time fav list, you are doing it justice!

[H.A.K]

Man thats coming out nice.