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Offy Powered '29 Ford Track Roadster


TimKustom

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I'm a huge fan of track roadsters having built two versions of the NieKamp roadster back in the nineties.  This might just be the best scale version of a 29 track roadster in existence. Many people try but they tend to come out a little cartoony.  You've got the nose at the right angle, the headlights in the right place, the stance perfectly matched to a unique set of wheels and then you picked a colour that has probably never been used on a track roadster before and it looks absolutely perfect.  And then you look at the trim and the incredible amount of detail in the tiny confines of a Model A undercarriage and this is just one superbly perfect model. 

Just wow!!!!!!

Cheers

Alan

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Wow! Thanks for all the comments! I am humbled by the words said from so many highly respected builders in our hobby.

I started this model in November of 2015, and it was going pretty good until the middle of 2016 when life got in the way for a few of years. A few other projects pushed it to the side of the bench as well but it was always there taunting me to make it the best I could. 

I don’t build very linearly, and I don't apply any timeframes or deadlines to my models. I work on each one when I feel the time is right to work on that one. That's the biggest reason I’m not comfortable posting WIP threads. Here are a few behind the scenes of how this model transformed over the years. It’s not really all that spectacular IMO, but thought some of you might enjoy them.

1-HoodOn.jpg

This car had a hood early in it's design. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth always hated the Orbitron because he covered the engine up. I took his advice and it was gone by the time it was ready for paint. I also decided early that there wasn't really any point in opening the doors or the trunk. The truck would only feature a fuel tank, oil tank and a battery. Those are not all that interesting and it had the possibility to mess up the aesthetics of what I working to accomplish.

2-Frame.jpg

Very early chassis mockup. I think the '40 Ford center section adds a sense of strength to the chassis that complements the powerful Offenhauser engine.

3-Pass-Side.jpg

Starting to take on its final form. Exhaust is scratch built from plastic and aluminum tubing. Etched metal would wrap the tubing later.

5-Radiator.jpg

Radiator is scratch built with photo etch screen. It produces a realistic effect behind the etched grille. Note pins for grill shell. Nearly every part of the model was pinned so it could be assembled and reassembled to ensure proper fit.

6-Engine-WIP.jpg

Engine components are finally coming together. 

7-Lights.jpg

As Alan pointed out, the headlights must be in the correct area. I bent quite a few pieces of silver wire making stanchions for the Parts by Parks aluminum headlights before settling on the final pieces. 

9-Chassis-Primer.jpg

Finer chassis details coming together. Brake master cylinder and clutch linkage. Oil lines are ran to ensure they run securely though the chassis.

10-Engine-Painted1.jpg

The metal finishes were painted first. I had just finished adding the ignition system when I took this image. I was considering an off white interior at the as well, but went back to my original idea of the two tone gray.

11-Fresh-Paint.jpg

This was taken the day after I painted the lavender. I had already started the interior finishes as well. A special note about the wheels here. I was never happy with how they came out. I discussed this problem with Norm Veber and he agreed to machine them into separate pieces making them much easier to paint. The finished model has that set and they make a major difference.

12-Brake-Lines.jpg

Just one part of the tedious final assembly: Adding the brake lines. I used Detail Master line, it is the best material I've found to work with. Not to hard, not to soft. Brackets are made from Litho plate metal. I cut very small pieces, drill two holes in it, fold them around small tweezers and thread on the brake lines to secure them to the frame.

3-Roadsters1k.jpg

This is the third roadster I have built.

They are quite different but share a few qualities. All are supercharged (it's a model why wouldn't you supercharge it? LOL), all have Vee'd windshield frames and all are built to be period correct hot rods.

My next one is not a roadster but shares some of the qualities... stay tuned.

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5 hours ago, Paul Payne said:

So glad you shared some build photos and your thoughts on what you were going for and how you accomplished it. I am sure many of us would like a bit more info on the metal finishes you used- are they your own mixes?

Thanks for the comment. There isn’t really anything special about the metal finishes on the model. All are from Alclad and I used their Chrome, Dull Aluminum, White Aluminum, Polished Aluminum and Magnesium to various degrees. All are applied per the instructed on the bottles. Surface prep is key using their products, I try to finish all parts with 6000 grit polishing cloths to make sure they are smooth.

 

I’ll go into more detail about how the wheels are painted since it was a somewhat complex process. First they were airbrushed Alclad Dull Aluminum. Then I applied AK Interactive’s Engine Wash to the centers and stippled it in with a Q-tip. Next Uschi Chrome Powder was applied to the outer rims to simulate that part being polished. The separate 6-pin hubs were painted Alclad Polished Aluminum and the knockoffs (sourced from a Accurate Miniatures Grand Sport Corvette) still have their satin plating. The tires are painted Tamiya TS-82 Rubber Black then shaded with crushed oil pastels and a wash for the tread.

 

Hope that gives some insight your question and thanks again for everyones humbling comments.

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This model is just stunning. I especially like the metal finishes on the engine, the stance, and oh man that paint color. 

Please tell me since Etzels is gone and Norm actually performed some rework on those wheels that he made a mold of them??? I sure hope so, they are great representations of the no hole Halibrands.

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  • 5 months later...
On 4/25/2021 at 12:13 AM, CabDriver said:

Hey @TimKustom - I too really enjoyed seeing this build and wanted to look at it again but the pics disappeared...do you have a link so we can see them again?

Thanks!

Got the pix fixed. Hope they stay that way. Glad everyone still likes looking at it.

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2 hours ago, TimKustom said:

Got the pix fixed. Hope they stay that way. Glad everyone still likes looking at it.

Thank you Tim!  I’d been looking forward to taking another look at this one!  So many cool details and things to spot!

Is the follow-up in progress now?  Can’t wait to see what you’re working on next!

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