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'32 Channeled Nailhead Roadster UPDATED 11/7/18


Dennis Lacy

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I didn't feel like working on existing projects today so I went ahead and started a new one. Actually, I had put aside a box of parts for this a couple of months ago but told myself that I wouldn't start it until I finished a couple. Well, I had to scratch the itch! The roadster is going to represent a channeled and Buick Nailhead powered hot rod right in the 1953-1954 time frame. During this time hot rods still carried-over a lot of the late 40's aesthetics but were starting to replace their Flathead's with newly available overhead valve engines. The Buick 322 V8 debuted in 1953.

Thanks to Revell's new-tool Model A Roadster and Coupe hot rod kits we now have a very detailed Nailhead engine to work with although it does have a modern GM automatic trans. What's nice is that there's some detail where the trans is adapted to the engine so I cut off the auto trans and installed a Chevy - Ford 3-speed trans adapter (from the AMT Parts Pack Chevy engine). The transmission was cut away from the Flathead block from Revell's 1940 Ford's. The Buick engine features a full set of chrome / finned dress up parts like oil pan, valve covers and valley cover. That stuff doesn't fit the time period so I replaced the oil pan and valve covers with those from the Tony Nancy 22jr dragster kit. The engine also gave the choice of 6 2-barrel carbs on log manifolds or Hilborn fuel injectors. Neither of those fit the time period either so I replaced them with a (cleaned up) 3 2-barrel intake from AMT's 1940 Coupe / Sedan Delivery and mounted 3 Stromberg carbs to it from Ed Roth's Tweedy Pie T. I'll also be replacing the alternator with a 50's GM generator and mounting a GM fan. The over-frame headers will be used but the turn outs will be cut off and the ends drilled.

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I'm using the Revell '32 Roadster body and frame rails as a foundation. I got started on some preliminary body mods and set up. By the 50's rows of punched louvers on various body panels had become popular as much for looks as for functions and sometimes more. Lets face it, louvers just look awesome! To that end I cut out the deck lid and put the louvered lid from Revell's '32 5-Window in its place which is as straight forward as it sounds.

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I plan to run a hood top so that needed some louvers, too. Unfortunately, there aren't any louvered hood tops available in the Revell '32 kit line up so I had to make it myself. Using a hood side from the 5-Window, I scraped off louvers from the longest row so that it matched the shortest row, trimmed the hood side into a symmetrical  shape, laid it on the hood top and traced the shape, cut out the shape and glued the louvered shape into the hole.

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The body is channeled to the bottom of the coves in the frame rails, or 3/16". This leaves a sliver of the frame rail visible below the body. The molded in gas tank was cut out and the frame rails shortened to just under the back of the body then a spreader bar made from .080" rod inserted. This leaves some visual "weight" under the back of the body making things looked filled out. Up front I filled the alignment notches in the frame horns for the front bumper brackets and installed a spreader bar made from .060" rod. The grill shell was notched to drop down while staying its original length. The front wheels are from the Revell '32 5-Window with Orange Crate ribbed Firestone's. The rear wheels and tires are Monogram '41 Lincoln Continental with 5-Window wheel centers grafted in so that I can use matching hubcaps all around.

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Still tons to do but it's a start!

Comments wecome!

B)

 

Edited by Dennis Lacy
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This is looking period perfect and well thought out as always, Dennis.  I like shortened grilles but agree that the longer shell is perfect for this era.

By some strange coincidence I pulled out a long stalled channelled Monogram 32 project (an old Lil Deuce) last Friday and have started selecting  the parts to finish it off as a mid to late 60's Australian channelled roadster - these were flavour of the month back then.  I'm using a Mysterion FE motor to represent the 332 or 390 Galaxie motors that an Aussie would have had available. 

I've used the Lincoln wheels before but never thought about grafting in different centres - I will now!

Cheers

Alan

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This is looking period perfect and well thought out as always, Dennis.  I like shortened grilles but agree that the longer shell is perfect for this era.

By some strange coincidence I pulled out a long stalled channelled Monogram 32 project (an old Lil Deuce) last Friday and have started selecting  the parts to finish it off as a mid to late 60's Australian channelled roadster - these were flavour of the month back then.  I'm using a Mysterion FE motor to represent the 332 or 390 Galaxie motors that an Aussie would have had available. 

I've used the Lincoln wheels before but never thought about grafting in different centres - I will now!

Cheers

Alan

Not to hijack ADL's fine thread, but here is a tutorial on how make those rear wheels: http://public.fotki.com/jferren/tall-rear-tire-with/  -RRR

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is looking period perfect and well thought out as always, Dennis.  I like shortened grilles but agree that the longer shell is perfect for this era.

By some strange coincidence I pulled out a long stalled channelled Monogram 32 project (an old Lil Deuce) last Friday and have started selecting  the parts to finish it off as a mid to late 60's Australian channelled roadster - these were flavour of the month back then.  I'm using a Mysterion FE motor to represent the 332 or 390 Galaxie motors that an Aussie would have had available. 

I've used the Lincoln wheels before but never thought about grafting in different centres - I will now!

Cheers

Alan

Thanks, Alan! Post up your roadster, sounds neat.

As RRR showed below, that's where I got the idea for the modified Lincoln wheels. Him and KK are pretty crafty guys!

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Here ya go, Dennis.  A long way from finished, like I said, but the juices are flowing to get this done in the New Year.  I write a model column for Australian Street Rodding magazine these days and I have a column planned on the variations and potential of the Monogram 32 roadster - still by sentimental favourite hot rod model of all time. 

And yes, the stance is ALL wrong - this was a very quick mock-up for the photo.

Cheers

Alan

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The more I've been looking at how I adapted the early Ford trans, the more I don't like it because it's not accurate for what it would look like on a Buick Nailhead. Here's a picture I found on Google that shows what the correct Nailhead to 3-speed looks like:

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Put my thinking cap on and started digging. I happened upon a different Chevy to 3-speed adapter from the Ed Roth Tweedy Pie T kit. Although it does the same job as the Parts Pack version I started out with it looks noticeably different and I found by flipping it upside down and trimming on it a bit that I was able to made a dead-ringer for the Nailhead adapter! I also decided to use the early Ford 3-speed from the Tweedy Pie since it mates up properly.

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The trans adapter sorted out I made mount brackets off of the sides of the block which helps cover up the pair of mounting notches in it.

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I cut off the original motor mounts and filled the steering box mounting notch then built new motor mount brackets.

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I tweaked a Revell '40 Ford frame center "X" to fit the '32 frame. 

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Once the engine was located I found that it wasn't necessary to use the modern looking recessed firewall and instead I can fit the stock-style firewall from the Stacey David Rump Roaster so I went ahead and trimmed one for the channel and to fit around the engine.

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And some new rough mock ups with the stance pretty much set. The only negative I've found so far is that the carburetor scoops are going to interfere with the louvered hood top I made. 

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Lots to do!

Comments welcome!

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Excellent work so far Dennis. Until you posted this, I had forgotten that many early channeled cars left just a smidge of frame rail showing. That's been a long-standing gripe of mine, sometimes deeper channels just don't look right when viewed directly from the side. Carry on!

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It's not easy to make a channeled '32 roadster look right, but I do believe you are on the righteous path to find nirvava with this one!  Have you already used the more chopped windshield out of the rat roaster? -RRR

Funny you should mention Nirvana, I was listening to them while I worked on it yesterday! But, you're right. It's not easy to make a channeled 32 roadster look right. It'll definitely have a cut down windshield before the end.

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Did some more work on this thing today. Decided to get the front and rear axles mounted.  Out rear I removed some more of the molded in floor then trimmed and installed a Revell '40 Ford cross member to mount the Revell '48 Ford axle & spring. For this spring to fit into the cross member it needs the u-bolt detail removed from the spring leaves then it slips right in. The alignment tab is even the same shape as the notch in the cross member. I also had to extend the drive shaft notch in the floor all the way to where the floor steps up at the back to make clearance for the torque tube.

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Up front I lowered the front by trimming the mounting tabs on the front spring to allow it to suck up into the cross member. The shock mounts had to be trimmed and raised then were pinned so that they could be taken on and off. The hairpin rods were pinned to the frame rails. I adapted a set of Revell '40 - '48 Ford brake plates and finned Buick drums from Revell's recent Model A roadster and coupe kits. I also changed the front wheels and tires to those from the Model A kits which are basically the same wheel and tire, just shaped a bit different.

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And some mock ups with the axles installed and the wheels & tires finalized. The track - widths have also been corrected now that the front brakes are installed pushing the wheels out where they belong and the rear wheels are properly mounted sucking them in tighter to the body where they belong.

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More to come!

Comments welcome!

 

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