1929 Ford Pickup 80's Contemporary Street Rod - A Tim Boyd Tribute!

[Dennis Lacy]

21 hours ago, BullysCustomModelParts said:

I'm in for sure?

Nice! 

[tim boyd]

6 hours ago, Dennis Lacy said:

It seems several guys have been inspired by this thread to build their own versions so why wait any longer? Dig out a kit and get going on your own! 

What Dennis said, x2! 

Model building is all about having great fun and expressing your own ideas.   Putting together and comparing models from different builders that all started with a common theme (as we do at NNL's) is one of the great joys of this hobby, IMHO.  

I join Dennis in encouraging anyone who is inspired by his build thread to join in with your own ideas and interpretations.  Terrific fun (for you and indeed, for all of us following this thread) await!   Cheers....TIM 

 

 

[Mr. Metallic]

On 10/15/2020 at 1:20 PM, Dennis Lacy said:

Oh man, you gotta join in on the 80’s fun, Craig! This is one of several I have planned. Let’s bring it back!!! ?

I keep bouncing around in my head whether to do a faux-vivor from the late 80's of stuff that was only available back then and what I would have done at the time, but finished to my current skill level. Or doing a full detail build throwing the full gamut of parts and techniques currently available. They may sound the same to everyone else, but to me they are quite different things, and I just don't know what to do. The faux-vivor should be a relatively quick build, so I may lean that way. 

[Mr. Metallic]

On 10/19/2020 at 1:05 AM, mrm said:

I didn't mean to personally challenge you, but ratter make some sort of a group build challenge, where a few people build a Tim-Boyd_themed 29APU. I think it would be interesting, because from what I see, even though you are trying to build a billet style rod, your traditional style is taking over. and it will be the same way with me. No matter how traditional I try to build a rod, my high tech style takes over. 

Either way, I'll take on the challenge. 

That sounds like a great idea. Maybe open it up to more than just 29 A pickups? The 80's Retro Billet Build-off? I'm intrigued.

[Quiet Eric]

I have just the project in mind in case it’s a blanket ‘80’s street rod build off....

[mrm]

On 10/20/2020 at 10:27 AM, Mr. Metallic said:

That sounds like a great idea. Maybe open it up to more than just 29 A pickups? The 80's Retro Billet Build-off? I'm intrigued.

My idea was to build a TIM BOYD TRIBUTE '29. Not just any model and not just any style '29. We can make simple rules. Like for example "29 PU starter kit, billet wheels, V8, disc brakes and '80s colors. 

[Dennis Lacy]

UPDATE!

Riddle: What's better than one Tim Boyd tribute '29 Street Rod Pickup???

Answer: TWO TIM BOYD TRIBUTE '29 STREET ROD PICKUPS!!!

A week ago I grabbed a Revell '29 Pickup parts lot on eBay for cheap that contained all of the body and interior pieces. As luck would have it I have a few spare frames  and a few more each of all of the donor kits I'm using so... 

Why the hell not?!

Today was spent building a duplicate of the modified frame...

...and setting up another Chevy small block. I used the same block, trans, oil pan and heads from AMT's '34 5-Window street rod and Monogram '37 street rod belt drive and headers as a base. i made the same modifications to the header flanges so plug wires can be easily ran. From there I used the standard intake and single 4-barrel also from the 5-Window and the billet style valve covers and air filter from the '37 Sedan. I then went ahead and changed the first engine to the same valve covers and the oval version of the air filter from the '37 Convertible kit which will fit the dual 4-barrels on the tunnel ram nicely.  

I made a parts change on the second engine and then went back and revised the first one to match. Originally I set up the first engine with the blue timing cover/water pump pice from AMT's '66 Nova Pro Street (same source as the tunnel ram) because it was virtually identical to the piece that comes with the gray engine except for it has the two mounting pegs for the belt drive which lined up perfect with the Monogram drive. Only problem was that the face of the bottom pulley was up against the frame cross member. It just fit in bare plastic but get a few layers of paint on everything and it would be have been a problem. So I went back to the timing cover/pump that actually goes with the engine and was able to shave off the raised lip where the crank pulley goes and shave off the front of the water pump the same amount. I then added pins made from .060" rod. This pulled the belt drive in closer to the engine enough to create a comfortable gap.

And here's a mock up of truck #2. Obviously the sister truck will be using the kits optional Roadster Pickup cab. The tire set are the same as the closed cab truck but this one will use the second design of Boyd Coddington wheels that came in the follow up kit to the original '37 Sedan, the '37 Convertible with Trailer. This way the Roadster has its own personality but is still in keeping with using the '37 Street Rod kits as donors. And, with the standard intake and single 4-barrel this truck will be more of a "cruiser" while the Closed Cab version with its more brutish looking tunnel ram small block will be the one you'd want to take out to haul some ass and do some burnouts. 

That's it for now. 

@tim boyd

[Quiet Eric]

[CabDriver]

Oh man, I love the second version too!  Great stance!

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

Now, you're outta control!!! Looking good, tho! -RRR

[mrm]

I am gathering the parts and totally overthinking my take on this challenge. Altho I do have plenty of parts to build two of them, I'm gonna stick to just the closed cab, which I will most likely chop the roof on. I have way too many projects started in all kind of stages of completion. 

So far I have decided on:

The wheel/tire combo, same as on Tim's second truck.

Chopped cab 

The corvette engine from the Beatnik Bandit II

Independent rear (maybe front too)

Leaning towards some kind of pastel light purple for the colour with hand painted graphics.

Thread coming up in the next few days

[Dennis Lacy]

@mrm

Sounds like a kick ass plan to me. I’ve been wanting to grab a BB2 for that neat looking ‘Vette engine. 
 

Can’t wait to see you get going! 
 

And regarding the chop, I’d like to chop one of these by leaving the windshield intact but remove the awkward header panel above it and bring the rest down to match. I’ve seen that done on a full scale ‘29 Pickup and it look killer. One of these days if I come up with a 90’s or older issue of the kit where the truck had an oversized rear window I’ll tackle it. 

[mrm]

4 hours ago, Dennis Lacy said:

@mrm

Sounds like a kick ass plan to me. I’ve been wanting to grab a BB2 for that neat looking ‘Vette engine. 
 

Can’t wait to see you get going! 
 

And regarding the chop, I’d like to chop one of these by leaving the windshield intact but remove the awkward header panel above it and bring the rest down to match. I’ve seen that done on a full scale ‘29 Pickup and it look killer. One of these days if I come up with a 90’s or older issue of the kit where the truck had an oversized rear window I’ll tackle it. 

Other than the sweet Vette motor, there is not much else to use out of that kit. Except of course building it as intended. 

I am curious about that earlier edition of the truck you are talking about. Any pictures?

[Dennis Lacy]

25 minutes ago, mrm said:

Other than the sweet Vette motor, there is not much else to use out of that kit. Except of course building it as intended. 

I am curious about that earlier edition of the truck you are talking about. Any pictures?

No pictures but from the original issue in the 60’s all the way up to the early 90’s (I think the Hot Rod logo box was the last) the closed cab had an oversized rear window. When the kit finally got reissued in early 2000’s Revell finally corrected the back window and panel detail to stock. A google search should pull up plenty of examples. The back window is HUGE comparatively. 

[mrm]

2 minutes ago, Dennis Lacy said:

No pictures but from the original issue in the 60’s all the way up to the early 90’s (I think the Hot Rod logo box was the last) the closed cab had an oversized rear window. When the kit finally got reissued in early 2000’s Revell finally corrected the back window and panel detail to stock. A google search should pull up plenty of examples. The back window is HUGE comparatively. 

So that should be easily adjusted by just cutting the opening up, no?

[Mr. Metallic]

Just to let you know Dennis, the Bodacious Billet Build-off has been started. It's buried down in the community build area where nobody goes. (mods moved it. I get why, but I'm going to have to figure out ways to draw attention to it in the more well travelled areas of the board)

 

[tim boyd]

Dennis....seems you are catching a bit of my disease now....that disease I call "variations-on-a-theme-itis".  Absolutely love how your (now 2) projects are taking shape.  

Craig...wonderful idea for a Bodacious Billet build-off!   I just posted some idea starters on your thread there....

Now, back to the model room, everybody!    Cheers....TIM 

[tim boyd]

Dennis....big congrats on your mention in the new issue of Rodding USA as the transmission builder for Eric Justus' uber-traditional 1/1 scale pre-ww II '32 Highboy Roadster!    TIM 

[Dennis Lacy]

5 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Dennis....big congrats on your mention in the new issue of Rodding USA as the transmission builder for Eric Justus' uber-traditional 1/1 scale pre-ww II '32 Highboy Roadster!    TIM 

I haven’t seen that yet but since I’m mentioned I should pick up a copy. Haha! I’ve known Eric for a while now, he’s a good guy and to put the period authenticity into perspective, he’s not even 40 yet by a couple years! That roadster is home built by basically him and another of our friends, Paul, who did the paint and body. It turned out like jewelry. 

[Dennis Lacy]

UPDATE!

Today was one of those days where I did a lot but most of it wasn't worth taking pictures of. A good amount of it was what i call "busy work" like cleaning up mold seam lines and other clean up work. Also, time was spent working with options on parts and trying to make the best choices while figuring out execution while also taking into consideration that everything I do has to be done twice!

One of those subjects was what rear shocks to use and how to mount them because the shocks that go with this IRS unit are too long and therefor not really workable. After some time I settled on some shocks taken from AMT's modern-tool reboot of the Ala Kart show rod. I made some spacers to go on the mounting pins under the shocks and some simple brackets added to the frame that I shaped a little bit after getting them glued on.

On the front axle I cut off the wheel mounts, drilled and installed new pins made from  .060" Evergreen rod. Then, using 1/8" Evergreen tube (which the rod fits perfectly inside), I drilled the back centers of the wheels and inserted the tube. (The chrome axle is for reference how it comes.)

I modified two pairs of Revell '32 series front shocks/mounts by trimming the mount uprights to clear the '29 fender profile. The chrome upper pair is how they started.

I also built a pair of driveshafts using my go-to method: U-joints cut off the shafts in the Revell '32 kit series and Evergreen 1/8" tube.

Progress is progress. One thing that screwed me up is that I needed to get all of the chrome chassis parts stripped for the Roadster Pickup and finally got around to picking up some new stripper just yesterday as i was totally out. The parts hadn't quite soaked long enough over night  so that prevented me from being able to build up the 2nd IRS unit and get it fit to the frame. At least with the shocks figured out now on the 1st truck I can whip right through the 2nd next time.

 

 

 

[Spex84]

On 10/27/2020 at 3:16 PM, mrm said:

Other than the sweet Vette motor, there is not much else to use out of that kit.

Funny you should mention the Beatnik Bandit II...this Retro-Billet inspiration had me scanning the shelves for something I could build in that style, and the only kit I could find that I don't already have plans for was a Revell VW beetle.

As it turns out, the fat, small-diameter tires and hi-tech style billet 5-spoke wheels in the BB2 are sized just right for a VW bug!  The sidewall height is much more pleasing than the clunky Goodyears in kits like the Lindberg '40 Ford police car 3-in-1, or the AMT '34 Ford street rod 3-in-1.

 

[mrm]

14 minutes ago, Spex84 said:

Funny you should mention the Beatnik Bandit II...this Retro-Billet inspiration had me scanning the shelves for something I could build in that style, and the only kit I could find that I don't already have plans for was a Revell VW beetle.

As it turns out, the fat, small-diameter tires and hi-tech style billet 5-spoke wheels in the BB2 are sized just right for a VW bug!  The sidewall height is much more pleasing than the clunky Goodyears in kits like the Lindberg '40 Ford police car 3-in-1, or the AMT '34 Ford street rod 3-in-1.

 

Funny thing about the Beatnik Bandit...

when Ed Roth built it, he was touring with it in his old school tradition. Dressed in purple smoking jacket and top hat. He was at the Chicago hobby convention in ‘97 (I think) at the Revell booth with the Beatnik Bandit II, to promote the release of the kit. Very cool dude I have to say. There was a limited batch of kits available for purchase at the show, before the kit was officially released for sale. I bought one and Ed “Big Daddy” Roth signed it on top. 
   When I moved from Chicago, I gifted the kit to a fellow model builder that used to drive me to the contests and lived down the block. Ed Roth died shortly after. I still wonder from time to time, how much would that very first production run kit with “Big Daddy’s” signature be worth today! 

Edited November 2, 2020 by mrm

[Dennis Lacy]

29 minutes ago, Spex84 said:

Funny you should mention the Beatnik Bandit II...this Retro-Billet inspiration had me scanning the shelves for something I could build in that style, and the only kit I could find that I don't already have plans for was a Revell VW beetle.

As it turns out, the fat, small-diameter tires and hi-tech style billet 5-spoke wheels in the BB2 are sized just right for a VW bug!  The sidewall height is much more pleasing than the clunky Goodyears in kits like the Lindberg '40 Ford police car 3-in-1, or the AMT '34 Ford street rod 3-in-1.

 

Those wheels would be perfect for billet-era VW Bug! 
 

I was never into Bugs but I don’t dislike them and can definitely dig an authentic 80’s and early 90’s style one. A good friend in high school got access to a savings account when he turned 18 and promptly went out and bought a 58 or 59 that had been customized in the 80’s. It was sea foam green with a dark and light gray tweed interior with polished solid Centerline wheels. It had billet accessories throughout. It had a built big CC motor in it too that was actually pretty quick. Would burn the tires off from a 1st gear roll and after hitting the 1-2 shift. I’m pretty sure it was featured in a magazine years before he got it. 
 

It’s amazing how many hot rodders that are now in their 40’s and 50’s cut their teeth on Bugs in high school. Like Aaron Kahan of the Burbank Choppers. He still has his and recently dug it out and went through it to put it back on the road. 

[mrm]

Is this project stalling? I would love to see some updates. 

I did start mine, as I promised I'll take the challenge, but then my camera's battery died, so I could not take pictures. But I am starting my thread tonight. Also I believe there were few other people who said they would jump on the challenge, yet I have not seen any new threads pop up. 

C'mon guys! Let's give Dennis a run for his money! LOL.

 

[Dennis Lacy]

@mrm

Not stalled in the least. Generally, Sunday afternoon is when I get my bench time so one day a week is as fast as It’s gonna go. My updates will usually post Sunday nights which has been consistent since I started this thread. But, I’ll respond to people’s comments all through the week to help keep the conversation flowing. Of course, I have a wife and 3 kids so there’s some weekends that are out completely due to other activities. 
 

The only exception to the Sunday rule is when I’m going through the paint process as I do it all at work on my lunch hour or before heading home.