Rocking Rodney Rat Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 (edited) Alright, alright, alright...I haven't done too many WIPs lately. I just don't seem to have the energy to keep up with one and my typing skills stink. So, here goes... In 1929-1931 model years, henry built a model style called a sport coupe. It was considered by some to be the "poor man's roadster". A sport coupe had a particular style. It was different from a roadster and was different from a cabriolet. So, let's define our terms (in our timeframe, these terms mean slightly different things today). And, someone correct me on this if I'm wrong or missing something, I'm no expert. Roadster an open top car two seater with a fabric retractable top. The windshield was a separate piece from the body (bolted on, or otherwise). There was no side glass. Cabriolet also an open top two seater with the distinction of the windshield frame being an integrated part of the body, again, open top, fabric retractable top. Sport Coupe is a lesser known style. The windshield is part of the body like a cabriolet. The big differences are that the doors have a full window frame and glass. the interior opening is longer (a shorter sail panel, the area behind the trunk) more along the size of a coupe. A coupe with the top cut off is called a coupester (another discussion). A sport coupe also has a fabric top but is is NOT retractable. I figured that a sport coupe would make a good subject for a hot rod. here's a stock 1929 sport coupe: Here's a hot rodded chopped '30/'31sport coupe: My plan is to make one chopped with a rag top (in plastic) and using a '32 frame . This is what I started mocking up. It's really a Heinz 57 of parts and some pieces from different years, but since it has the distinct '29 cowl swoop, I'll call it a '29. The cowl is from the Revell '29 closed cab pickup. The doors are from the Revell '31 sedan (longer than coupe doors) and the rear part is from the recent Revell '30 coupe (the rest of it was made into a pickup body and sent to ADL to see what he could do with it). The rag top is from the AMT recent reissue Mod Rod. That will be all cut up. Part of my idea is a low slung wild ride. I was influenced from a 1:1 hot rod in the H. A. M. B. that is a unibody style which I will attempt to emulate. -RRR Edited October 4, 2020 by Rocking Rodney Rat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Oh, this is a great idea - looks cool already! The roof will be the toughest bit it looks like...but it's gonna be killer! I'll be watching! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Hi! Variety is the spice of life, they say... We'll be watching, interesting! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gman Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Having seen your work, I know you'll nail this one and add some period flavor. Looking forward to see where this build takes you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Lacy Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 More, more, more! (Because I know you’re farther along than this) ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Yeah, sports coupes are cool and I look forward to what you do with this one. In Australia, we also had 32 and 33 Ford Sports Coupes. By 34 they had the technology to form up the rear coupe roof section to produce a steel 5 window coupe. There are several hot rodded versions of each on our local scene. In the seventies when everything American was cool, many Aussie 32 coupes were converted into look-alike 5w coupes ( which we never got) by chopping up and welding on the rear quarters of a 4 door sedan. A couple of things to note although Dennis has hinted you might be passed the point of changing anything anyway. The doors in your photo appear to be off a Revell 29 Closed Cab pickup, like your cowl. The clue is the raised ridge around the edges - Model A closed cabs actually used a Model T Tudor or coupe based door (and ironically Henry didn't make a 27 T closed cab pickup to use the T door on anyway!) You could either go searching for the 31 Tudor doors you thought you had or file off the raised edge around those T doors . And for what it is worth, Tudor and coupe doors are the same length on most Ford products - four door sedans have the shorter doors. If you have a left over rear section of that 31 Tudor, it might pay to look at reworking that to produce a lift off plastic roof. You could add additional styrene or putty to the outside and you would have little evidence of hacking on the inside that needed lots of annoying and fiddly cleanup. Finally (sorry if I am dragging this out a bit) if you want the model to "read" like an early 28 or 29 sports coupe and you use the 31 doors, it would pay to use evergreen or putty to flatten out the swage lines across the doors. Early As had a flat swage, later ones had the ribbed swage. This will be only the second model of a sports coupe I have ever seen. A good friend produced a replica of a local, well known heavily chopped 30 model - it was a great looking model and I really look forward to seeing what yours comes out like. If it is anything like your green T it will be a stunner! Cheers Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Very interesting project, I will be watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 (edited) The first order of business is a chop. All hot rods should have a chop. The doors are very thin, so I decided to back them up with a piece of thin Evergreen sheet sytrene. I traced the image, cut it out leaving extra area for the windows. Glued on, chopped down, the extra plastic makes the chop easier and makes the parts stronger... Next up, assemble the body.... -RRR Edited October 4, 2020 by Rocking Rodney Rat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris chabre Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 KILLER! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterNNL Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Nice choice of unusual subject matter. My father-in-law's first car was a '29 sport coupe. He gave me the title and keys that he had kept as keepsakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kit Karson Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 RRR, You and I both know how this is going to turn out! I watched you in action for quite some time now!! Komments so far are spot on in some kases and kurious in others!?. Keep us kuming back, Brother... with your marvelous kommentary!!! KK PS Remember this 1929 Ford Full Fendered Sports Koupe from the GNRS 2019 Move in Day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 I guess I can't go and edit the date on the original post anymore? So anyway, here I'm at the "build the top" part of the build. I started with the top from the recent reissue AMT Mod Rod (in yellow). The side quarter round area is from the AMT '36 Ford rag top. Other pieces of styrene, hacking, slicing, fitting and some putty.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Looks like a great project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Payne Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Great start on a seldom if ever seen subject. Looking forward to much much more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted October 10, 2020 Author Share Posted October 10, 2020 More work on the sport coupe.... The idea for this making a unibody is from a post of a 1:1 car on H.A.M.B. Part of that means that the body is attached directly to the frame and that the floor pan is a structural part of the car. To that end, I braced the floor pan like this... The car will sit very low with the engine sitting up high so as not to hit the ground. The trans/driveshaft tunnel is from an old pro street kit. The exhaust will run down the center of the floor pan.... Thanks for looking. -RRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterNNL Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 Looking very nice. I like the structural look of that floor plan. I'll be watching closely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted October 10, 2020 Author Share Posted October 10, 2020 Thanks, Tom. One of the half-round ribs was straightened out, it will all tie together. It's kind of a jigsaw puzzle (with a few pieces missing?).... -RRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 On 10/5/2020 at 11:01 AM, Kit Karson said: RRR, You and I both know how this is going to turn out! I watched you in action for quite some time now!! Komments so far are spot on in some kases and kurious in others!?. Keep us kuming back, Brother... with your marvelous kommentary!!! KK PS Remember this 1929 Ford Full Fendered Sports Koupe from the GNRS 2019 Move in Day Hi! I've seen this car in person, and it was a stunningly detailed car. You aim high, and that's a good thing! CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted October 10, 2020 Author Share Posted October 10, 2020 2 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said: Hi! I've seen this car in person, and it was a stunningly detailed car. You aim high, and that's a good thing! CT Yeah, I AIM high and then..... I'm working it!!! -RRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 I definitely want to follow this build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 I’m really enjoying the scratch building going into this one - really nicely done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris chabre Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 I always thought that unibody roadster was awesome. My friend Logan built a badass sport coupe about 15 years ago. It was such a killer car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 (edited) Time for another update... working on the interior and the rear suspension. Fabbed up the package tray and back wall of the interior. The seat is made from two pieces of the venerable AMT 'T' bucket tub, split between the transmission tunnel. The rear suspension is going to a separate piece that will be attached during final assembly. The main part is from the same frame as the rest of the build, is the '32 frame from the Revell 'A' kits. To build this I attached the frame to the body (with axle and springs to get ride height set) with white glue (that can then be soaked off afterwards, taking it apart) and built the two pieces that will attach to the floor pan assembly. I'm not sure how clear this is.... The next pic shows the two frame pieces glued to the rear frame with a brace super-glued to those two pieces (I was concerned about the frame coming apart once I soaked apart the pieces temporarily held on with the white glue). The brace will be taken off after the frame is separated from the body. Edited October 17, 2020 by Rocking Rodney Rat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 (edited) I can see where this is going - rock solid fabrication combined with believable engineering, on a body style that no-one ever does - love it! Cheers Alan Edited October 17, 2020 by alan barton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 Thanks for the kind words, Alan.... -RRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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