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'34 Ford Pickup Lo-Boy Hot Rod - Completed 11-01


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This project is inspired by a CPB on the TRaK board (Traditional Rods & Kustoms in Scale - http://trakinscale.proboards.com/ ) centered around the AMT/Lindberg '34 Ford Pickup. But this project has zero genuine parts from that venerable kit, so we'll see if it's accepted. If it's not I will totally understand!

The basic body is one of Ed Fluck's super-fine resin chopped AMT '34 Pickups, saving me beaucoup work and yielding a better result that I'd probably come up with. The pickup bed is from the Revell '29 Ford RPU kit, massively shortened. The chassis is a severely modified Monogram '37 Ford pickup frame which is sort of naturally z'd. It has been shortened, narrowed and the front crossmember replaced. The motor will be a Nailhead. I was considering using the one from the new Revell A-Roadster, but it comes with a massive modern automatic tranny which would require serious work to convert to a more compact manual like a LaSalle, so I'll probably build one up from some Tommy Ivo or Tony Nancy short blocks and maybe just use the new Revell 6-carb manifold and lakes-style headers.

The most ambitious thing will be attempting  the style of front suspension where the spring is behind the radiator but the beam axle sits in front of it, like on the Jimmy Shine pickup. I have no idea if I can pull it off. I have a couple of options, including possibly doing 1/4 elliptic springs.

Here's where I'm at so far.

Thanx for lookin',
B.

Step-1-Web_zpstaiijt71.jpg

 

Edited by Bernard Kron
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This project was moved to Pickups, Vans, SUVs Light Commercial. Don't want to raise a stink, but this is nobody's idea of a pickup, a van, an s.u.v., or a light commercial vehicle. This is absurd! I've kept silent up to now but this really needs to be aired out.

Edited by Bernard Kron
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This project was moved to Pickups, Vans, SUVs Light Commercial. Don't want to raise a stink, but this is nobody's idea of a pickup, a van, an s.u.v., or a light commercial vehicle. This is absurd! I've kept silent up to now but this really needs to be aired out.

I am confused. Why would this be moved to the pickup forum if it is nobody's idea of a pickup? 

 

This project is inspired by a CPB on the TRaK board (Traditional Rods & Kustoms in Scale - http://trakinscale.proboards.com/ ) centered around the AMT/Lindberg '34 Ford Pickup. But this project has zero genuine parts from that venerable kit, so we'll see if it's accepted. If it's not I will totally understand!

 

Thanx for lookin',
B.

 

Cool project. Interesting you mention TRaK, I was not sure they were still up and running. The last message I saw on the TRaK of the month was like Nov 2015. Their TRaK of the month cover car shows like April 2015. 

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This project was moved to Pickups, Vans, SUVs Light Commercial. Don't want to raise a stink, but this is nobody's idea of a pickup, a van, an s.u.v., or a light commercial vehicle. This is absurd! I've kept silent up to now but this really needs to be aired out.

I didn't want to start anything either when my build of my daughter's van was moved at 8 paged into the build when this first started ... it is a bit commercial, being used to sell beads at many Grateful Dead concerts, and it is a van .. but it IS mostly her daily driver.

I just let it go but I see it's still in progress. I'm happy with just one category called Model Cars and Trucks and Anything Else since I only view by 'New since your last Visit' so I never miss anything!

 

And, I'm watching this one for sure! :D

Edited by Foxer
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I am confused. Why would this be moved to the pickup forum if it is nobody's idea of a pickup? 

 

 

Cool project. Interesting you mention TRaK, I was not sure they were still up and running. The last message I saw on the TRaK of the month was like Nov 2015. Their TRaK of the month cover car shows like April 2015. 

Thanks Mark. I'm not the one who moved it. It's board policy to enforce the categories as interpreted by the moderators by moving a thread. Unfortunately the categories can be somewhat coarse and it leads to this sort of thing. Apparently this hot rod is someone's idea of a pickup, a van, an s.u.v., or a light commercial vehicle or it wouldn't have been moved. But it's my view that for most members it's primarily a hot rod and, so far at least, we haven't introduced yet another sub-category for those!

And yes, TRaK is still very active, especially in recent months as core members have come up with some exceptional builds. The sites founder and head moderator is struggling with personal issues of late so the site suffers somewhat from neglect but it's still the best thing going if your in to traditional pre-1969 hot rods, customs and straight line racers.

I didn't want to start anything either when my build of my daughter's van was moved at 8 paged into the build when this first started ... it is a bit commercial, being used to sell beads at many Grateful Dead concerts, and it is a van .. but it IS mostly her daily driver.

I just let it go but I see it's still in progress. I'm happy with just one category called Model Cars and Trucks and Anything Else since I only view by 'New since your last Visit' so I never miss anything!

 

And, I'm watching this one for sure! :D

Thanx! I agree with you, the best way to view this fast-moving Forums sit is to use the "New since you last visit" filter, which I do as well. And yes, as far as I'm concerned I would rather avoid all these categories and be free to choose what I view without pre-selecting by category. You have can too many categories, to the point where things get radically under-viewed because members are robbed of a "happy accident" by limiting themselves to what they think might be of interest to them. It's not too bad here (although I think it's gotten worse in recent years), especially when compared to the SA board. I would contend that the proliferation of categories and subcategories there, along with a very poor set of filters, has contributed to its radically diminished activity in recent years. The filtering tools here are very powerful and I think are one of the reasons it's the most active model car site by far. The "New Content" filter is a must in my opinion. But many members still have their "go-to" categories and anyone who has decided they have no interest in pickups, vans, s.u.v.'s, or light commercial vehicles would have missed some mighty fine hot rods and customs over the years. Ditto if you're interested in race cars but have decided drag racing isn't your cup of tea.

Edited by Bernard Kron
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Thanks Mark. I'm not the one who moved it. It's board policy to enforce the categories as interpreted by the moderators by moving a thread. Unfortunately the categories can be somewhat coarse and it leads to this sort of thing. Apparently this hot rod is someone's idea of a pickup, a van, an s.u.v., or a light commercial vehicle or it wouldn't have been moved. But it's my view that for most members it's primarily a hot rod and, so far at least, we haven't introduced yet another sub-category for those!

And yes, TRaK is still very active, <snip>

Thanks for the clarification!  I can see it both as a truck, AND HotRod based on the bed. I had that same thing come up with a couple builds of mine.  Either way, following with interest!  And, thanks for the heads up on TRaK. I do miss the TRaK of the Month tho. Always saw something new. If it is RodBurner that is facing some issues, I hope they all workout. He has always produced some cool rods, and has always been an asset to the hobby IMO. 

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I moved this to the pickup category because it is clearly s pickup. It even says so in the thread title!

I don't understand why so many of you complain about threads being moved to their proper location. We clearly have a section for pickups (as asked for by you members, not created by us for no reason!)... and this is clearly a pickup. Why the indignation?

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I moved this to the pickup category because it is clearly s pickup. It even says so in the thread title!

I don't understand why so many of you complain about threads being moved to their proper location. We clearly have a section for pickups (as asked for by you members, not created by us for no reason!)... and this is clearly a pickup. Why the indignation?

Harry, the "indignation" as you call it has to do with what I believe was the intent of establishing the category in the first place. Pickups, Vans, SUVs, Light Commercial implies these vehicles in their intial life as practical transportation, not in the stylized mode of a custom or hot rod. As an example, does the Deora belong here rather that in the more general category? After all it's van or pickup or something, even if it is a radical show vehicle.

The "problem" if there is one (and I guess I think there is) has as much to do with a proliferation of categories and my own feeling (which I'm certain is not shared by everyone) that they "shield" us from encountering great modeling wherever it may be on the forum. Your own beautifully turned out models, for example, are "officially" ones I'm not very interested in, since they tend to be from the pre-WWII and even pre-internal combustion eras. But they are available to me in the more general categories and I enjoy them tremendously. I also enjoy heavy trucks and semis. And the non-automotive subjects in the "everything else" section. But I only encounter the heavy trucks and fantasy figurines because my personal solution is to use the New Content filter which reaches across all categories.

OK, so that's my solution to the proliferation of categories. But many Forum members rely on Categories as there "first-cut". Indeed, it's why members requested the "Pickups, Vans, SUVs, Light Commercial" category in the first place, viewing it as a home for like minded builders. But I seriously question whether moving a hot rod build like this one from the general W.I.P. category where hot-rods, so far, still reside, to a category that I would suggest has to do with pickups still functioning in their utilitarian mode (which this poor creature will have lost by the time I'm through...) accomplishes anything constructive. That's my point. The fact is that these specialized categories have far narrower viewership, and indeed are pointedly ignored in many cases by those who have pre-judged their potential interest. It's why members persists in posting their Drag Racing subjects, NASCAR racers, and Bucket-T pickups, etc. in the more general category - in the hopes of reaching more interested members. It could be viewed as selfish, and even egotistical, to do so, and certainly contravenes the strict interpretation of the category titles, but it is the issue U am raising and I believe it needs to be aired out.

In a related note, I would observe that MCM is by several orders the most actively used forum for vehicle modelers. It is the premier general interest forum for our hobby. The other main interest forums either have virtually no structure or have so many categories that it is nearly impossible to "guess" where you will find like minded members. Each extreme is so bad that it makes it very difficult, either by accident or through guidance, to encounter great modeling. It shows in the declining frequency of posts on these sites in recent years. Overall, MCM gets the balance far more right than anyone and it shows in the vibrant life it enjoys, thanks in no small part to the hard work and commitment of its moderators. While I may believe that we should establish subject categories with moderation, if at all, these are more in the way of details than a criticism of the group in its entirety.

 

Edited by Bernard Kron
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 No matter how we divide the forum into sections, there will always be some who like it, and some who don't. It is impossible to create a set of forum categories that everyone agrees with. Impossible.

We have gone over this subject many times before. I don't agree with how the forum is currently divided, I would do things differently. But we have what we have, and Gregg does not want to change things. I do my best to put any misplaced topic where I think it belongs, but sometimes it's a judgement call, and again, there will inevitably be those who disagree with my decision. Such is life.

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Though I have to respect Harry's position, I also agree entirely with Bernard's.

Two of my own ongoing builds are far removed from practical "trucks" and are in fact radical show-style customs, but are put in the light utility / commercial category. 

I know that's the way it is, but I don't have to like it. As Bernard says, folks who go to the "light commercial" category have little interest, in general, in hot-rods or radical customs that really aren't "trucks".

---------------------------------------------------------

On another note...nice project, Bernard. looking forward to seeing this come all the way together.  :D       

 

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
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 No matter how we divide the forum into sections, there will always be some who like it, and some who don't. It is impossible to create a set of forum categories that everyone agrees with. Impossible.

We have gone over this subject many times before. I don't agree with how the forum is currently divided, I would do things differently. But we have what we have, and Gregg does not want to change things. I do my best to put any misplaced topic where I think it belongs, but sometimes it's a judgement call, and again, there will inevitably be those who disagree with my decision. Such is life.

Agreed Harry! Thanks for all you do.

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Though I have to respect Harry's position, I also agree entirely with Bernard's.

Two of my own ongoing builds are far removed from practical "trucks" and are in fact radical show-style customs, but are put in the light utility / commercial category. 

I know that's the way it is, but I don't have to like it. As Bernard says, folks who go to the "light commercial" category have little interest, in general, in hot-rods or radical customs that really aren't "trucks".

---------------------------------------------------------

On another note...nice project, Bernard. looking forward to seeing this come all the way together.  :D       

 

Just a quick question, who decides what the intention of the builder is when posting a build? It's hard to read minds, and when the build is called a truck in the title of the post it's a little hard not to classify it as a truck. Even in the 1:1 world if it was a truck originally and is still recognisable as a truck it's classified as a truck. Even the T type fad rods are broken into truck (having a bed even if it is only to hide the fuel tank) and roadster, (anything without a pickup box.)

So we have to submit to the "rules" if you don't think it's aa truck, don't call it one when you post it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I made a good deal of progress in what is as pure a parts bin project as I’ve ever done. There will be virtually no trace of a basic kit in this build when it’s completed.

For starters I decided that the pickup bed sat too high in relation to the rear tires and needed to be channeled lower over the frame. To do this I cut out the floor, glued some styrene angle strip in place higher up into the bed sides, and then fashioned a new floor from diamond plate styrene sheet stock, which I finished in Testors Metalizer Aluminum Plate.

The wheels are wide-5’s from an AMT ’36 Ford Coupe kit, finished in Duplicolor Dark Toreador Red. The front tires are AMT Firestones and the rears are 8” dirk trackers courtesy of Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland

The chassis is finished in gloss black. Both the front and rear suspensions have been fabricated and the rear suspension installed. The front suspension is still in pieces and I’ll show it in my next update once I’m sure everything works. The rear suspension is adapted from a Revell ’32 Ford kit, with the various parts trimmed and relocated to fit the modified Monogram ’37 Ford truck frame.

The interior will be largely scratch built. The upholstered door panels and rear of the cab are made from styrene corrugated sheet to simulate tuck and roll and finished in Duplicolor Dark Toreador Red. The dashboard, seats and steering wheel are yet to be determined.

The motor is a Buick Nailhead cobbled together from various sources. The block and heads are from a Revell Tommy Ivo showboat kit. The stock style valve covers are from a Revell Tony Nancy Double Dragster kit. The transmission, oil pan and accessory drive are repops of the parts from the now very rare Revell Parts Pak Nailhead. They are available as a kit from Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland but they aren’t listed in the catalog – you have to ask for them. The generator, pulleys and fan belt, as well as the carbur6etors, air cleaners and intake manifold are from the AMT ‘39/’40 Ford Fordor kit.

So you see, this really is a parts bin special. Besides finishing up the interior, I still need to get the front suspension sorted out, the bodywork painted (probably in some shade of silver), the by-now-standard-procedure-for-me custom decals designed and made, and final assembly. All this fabrication work is throwing up its challenges but things are coming together surprisingly quickly. Fingers crossed that this project continues to flow smoothly…

Thanx for lookin’,
B.

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I moved this to the pickup category because it is clearly s pickup. It even says so in the thread title!

I don't understand why so many of you complain about threads being moved to their proper location. We clearly have a section for pickups (as asked for by you members, not created by us for no reason!)... and this is clearly a pickup. Why the indignation?

    no indignation on my part.  I was honestly confused after reading this post...

"Don't want to raise a stink, but this is nobody's idea of a pickup, a van, an s.u.v., or a light commercial vehicle. This is absurd! I've kept silent up to now but this really needs to be aired out."

I saw "pickup" in the title, and a pickup bed,  then read it was "nobody's idea of a pickup " I was honestly confused as to how no one could think that, so I asked.  I did not understand what the issue with moving it was,  so I asked.  I myself do see it as a hot rod,  but a hot rod pickup, which group it is in does not change my interest in the project. 

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 No matter how we divide the forum into sections, there will always be some who like it, and some who don't. It is impossible to create a set of forum categories that everyone agrees with. Impossible.

We have gone over this subject many times before. I don't agree with how the forum is currently divided, I would do things differently. But we have what we have, and Gregg does not want to change things. I do my best to put any misplaced topic where I think it belongs, but sometimes it's a judgement call, and again, there will inevitably be those who disagree with my decision. Such is life.

The problem is inconsistency. I had a build where I was converting a Fireball 500 kit into an El Camino. It got moved, then months later there was either another Camino or such based build and you said in your opinion it was more car than truck and left it in the car section. Why is it that drag cars which have their own category are always in the On the Workbench forum and the Under Glass forums but yet they never get moved?

 

I do agree that whatever categories anyone could come up with will leave somebody unhappy, so why bother adding or changing anything. If you've been a member for any length of time, you know where to find things, and if you are new here, you will learn where to find things. This board is owned and paid for by one person and it's up to him as to how he wants to run it.

 

BTW Bernard, this is a nice build and look forward to seeing it finished.

 

Edited by Psychographic
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Thanks to everyone for your comments.

I took a break from chassis and mechanical work and started on the paint and graphics. I wanted to do a door logo featuring a classic hot rod. Nothing is more classic than the Bob McGee Deuce roadster. I found a nice shot on the web. and then processed it, first to b&w, then to a line drawing and finally with a black fill-in. All this in Photoshop. Here's the step-by-step.

Then I designed a simple but strong logo that would show up well in scale. I came up with two variations. I haven't decided which combo to use, the simple solid red or the "ball, and whether to go with "Hot Rods" or "Rod Shop". I'll probably print test decals to see what works best. Here's a photo mockup of each "applied" in Photoshop to the painted body shell. Paint is Duplicolor Silver with a Duplicolor Dark Toreador Red Metallic band.


Thanx for lookin',
B.

Edited by Bernard Kron
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Thanks everyone!

I got quite a good deal done, the most important thing being constructing the front suspension and getting the stance dialed in. The front axle and radius rod are from a Revellogram ’37 Ford Pickup/Delivery Van, the same kits which provided the chassis. The split radius rod were shortened and drilled aft of where they hook over the front axle so they could be pinned to the ends of the front spring which was attached to the flattened front crossmember. The front spring itself is from a Revell ’29 Ford RPU kit. The decals were finalized and printed, then installed and the bodywork clear coated. The motor has been installed in the chassis and a driveshaft from a Revell ’32 Ford kit cut and installed. With suspension completed and the motor installed it was possible to mock up the car on its wheels with the body in its final position to check the stance. Surprisingly everything lined up as I’d hoped it would.

Next up is chopping the stock grill before painting and installing it, finishing the interior, including building some seats, perhaps making a fuel tank to go in the pickup bed, and then lights, glass and all the little details that go into final assembly.

Thanx for lookin’,
B.



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