No love for the 1/24th scale Model A coupe

[Bernard Kron]

... I was VERY dissapointed in the Revel A, no fenders, everything modified to current fashion... IF a guy wants to build out of the box, fine, but it's only useful to me now for the basic body.

Every time a kit is done in this "flavor of the day" fashion it becomes DATED. Like the 70's Revel Lil John kits, good for then, hopelessly DATED for anything else.  My two cents. I LIKE the old A!

That nails it, Gary!

[Ace-Garageguy]

Hmmmm...other than both of the new Revell A kits having the now ubiquitous Ford 9" on coils in the rear (which has been done for many, many years in the 1:1 world) I'm not seeing ANYTHING that makes the new pair of Revell Ford model-A kits hopelessly caught in the present moment.

Everything there has been part and parcel of hot rods since the post-war period, through the '60s, '70's and on up to today.

Cars have been built fenderless since the word go.

Cars have run dropped I-beam front axles with tube shocks and finned Buick drums, A-bones have been built on '32 rails pinched in the back or have been channeled over A rails, have been powered by Buick nailheads and smallblock Chevys (even the automatic transmissions are nothing particularly current-think), rear wheel cutouts have been raised, etc, etc, etc. just about forever.

Many builders here have gone well beyond "out of the box" and built very accurate and period-representative cars with only reasonable effort, including Tim Boyd, Dennis Lacy, Spex84 (and even I have a few on the bench).

To me, the recent Revell A-bone offerings are the greatest stepping-off point for building period-correct cars since Revell and AMT's old Ford A-models of 50+ years back.

To illustrate my point, this model under construction by Spex84 looks the part for a 1958 hot rod as well as it does for something built in 2016 in the "retro" style.

This one from Tom Kren just screams '60s-'70s

This '29 being built by Dennis Lacy hits a particular late '40s-early '50s look dead on too.

I guess it's all in one's perceptions.

I've said before I love the old 1/24 Monogram '30, and I do...but there's no point knocking the current Revell issues of the venerable A as being in any way limiting as to what can be done with them. 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[JTalmage]

Picked this up at a show in Zanesville, Ohio on Saturday. For a scant $10. 

It's missing the cool pointy hubcaps, zoomies, and a few other things which was what I was hoping it had, and some other pieces, but its mostly there. 

[GaryR]

The old kit leaves much to be desired as well, first off it's 1/24th, the integral grill / shell radiator, and that God awful roadster / coupe arraignment ! But still it has fenders and you can build a stocker or modified stocker and most 60'd cars were modified stockers down to the chassis. By the way, how about a new 36 Ford COUPE, those old ill fitting roof deals bite! Obviously there are tons of good cars from the new kit, that isn't my point. Gas class cars have fenders.

[Ace-Garageguy]

The old kit leaves much to be desired as well, first off it's 1/24th, the integral grill / shell radiator, and that God awful roadster / coupe arraignment ! But still it has fenders and you can build a stocker or modified stocker and most 60'd cars were modified stockers down to the chassis. By the way, how about a new 36 Ford COUPE, those old ill fitting roof deals bite! Obviously there are tons of good cars from the new kit, that isn't my point. Gas class cars have fenders.

I don't disagree with any of that. 

But...the new-issue Revell '30 coupe CAN be relatively easily modified to go on the excellent vintage 1/25 scale Revell '30-'31 Ford Model A fenders. Fill the wheel arches and the fender tops with sheet. The old 1/25 kits have everything else required to build a stocker in 1/25 other than an un-chopped body shell.

The most difficult problem to deal with on the recent '30 coupe if you want to go full-fender is the width of the cowl. It is correct for use with a '32 hood, but if you want to use a '30-'31 hood and grille, it has to be narrowed considerably.

Edited September 27, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Richard Bartrop]

The old kit leaves much to be desired as well, first off it's 1/24th, the integral grill / shell radiator, and that God awful roadster / coupe arraignment ! But still it has fenders and you can build a stocker or modified stocker and most 60'd cars were modified stockers down to the chassis. By the way, how about a new 36 Ford COUPE, those old ill fitting roof deals bite! Obviously there are tons of good cars from the new kit, that isn't my point. Gas class cars have fenders.

ALso, the Monogram kit isn't a roadster, it's a cabriolet.  THe top goes down on both, the but the Cabriolet has windows you can roll up, and the roadster doesn't, and the two bodies do look different.

1930 Model A Roadster:

1930 Ford Cabriolet.  Not the higher sills, and the different windshield:

So if you want to build a Model A cabriolet, the Monogram kit is the only game in town.

 

I could go for a new '36 Ford kit as well, but my druthers would be for a convertible coupe.  The custom versions to look pretty nice.

[Casey]

Also, the Monogram kit isn't a roadster

Counterpoint:

Is it an accurate '30 Ford Roadster (Standard or Deluxe)? I haven't the slightest clue as to its accuracy, but add the Roadster into the Coupe and Cabriolet pot and you've got quite the Model A stew cookin'. The cabriolet door filler pieces were include in the Yellow Jacket kit, so I would guess Monogram planned for the body to be modular from the get-go, hence the separate roof section. Comparing the layout of the chrome parts between the Yellow Jacket and Cabriolet, so there's probably no going back to the Yellow Jacket. That might also explain why it was last seen in 1966(?) or so:

Tough to beat this one for nostalgia: 

[Bernard Kron]

Counterpoint:

 

Tough to beat this one for nostalgia: 

For those who might enjoy it, .follow this link for a current w.i.p. that I have every confidence will result in a very fine rendition of the Yellow Jacket, capturing all the character of the original period, something Monogram did better than anyone back then.: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/127408-monogram-yellow-jacket/

Edited November 23, 2017 by Bernard Kron

[tim boyd]

Here's a link: http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/correcting-or-kitba/193031-model-a-roadster/   to 12 overall and detail  photos of a brand new Brooksville Roadster all metal 1930/31 Roadster body. 

I was hoping to be able to do a quick kitbash from the Revell '30 Model A Coupe body ( or some combo of that and the Revell '29A Roadster body), but as these photos show,  there is more to it than just that if you want to do a truly accurate Roadster body.  

Still.....personally I would love to see one of this Forum's highly talented model hot rod builders take on a project like that with posts on their progress.....TIM  

[Ace-Garageguy]

 

Still.....personally I would love to see one of this Forum's...model hot rod builders take on a project like that with posts on their progress.....TIM  

I started just that back in 2012 when I had access to an early Brookville '30-'31 roadster body...

The numbers on the AMT '29 body shell were pulled directly from the correct Brookville real body. 

I started with the cowl from the ancient but accurate Revell '30-'31 woody kit (because it fit the fenders and hood exactly right already), and began hacking down and narrowing an old AMT '32 shell. We all know the AMT shells are too short (height) through the cowls and door fronts to start with, so this approach makes sense.

Edited November 23, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[oldnslow]

I kinda like it , built this before the new 29 and 30 came out .

 

[Greg Myers]

A little switching around, a lot of cool stuff

 Abby's car from NCIS by Dave Van.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Greg Myers

[Bernard Kron]

Nice model! I've got a feeling that there may be a rediscovery of the Resto-Rod style merging. I'm beginning to see it pop up here and there... This was the merging style when these kits were first designed. This model "goes with the flow" and doesn't fight it -  and does it well!

[Dirty Dave]

If you want a real eye-grabber, try pretty much any of the Monogram Model A bodies over the chassis from the Lil' Coffin. It's amazing how well that chassis sets the correct stance for a late '50s/early '60s hot rod.

[Greg Myers]

Why didn't I think of that ?

I'll have to go bash one up.

Thanks Dave 

Don't know how many of those I've bought just for parts, Wheels, tires, engine. Now, what to do with the chassis ?

Alright.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Greg Myers