Dennis Lacy Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 This project started exactly 3 years ago and was originally going to be a close replica of the incredible '34 Coupe built jointly by Gas Monkey Garage and Brian Bass and featured on the Discovery show Fast & Loud. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and it's mine that it's one of the most bad ass '34 Coupes I've ever seen. Below is that car and my original mock up. Like the couple of other replica projects I've attempted in the past this one went no different in that it's very hard for me to not put my own creative spin on the project. So, early into the project it was decided to add the fenders but build it basically the same otherwise. Then, once it had the fenders it was a few small changes away from being a legal mid 60's Gas Class car so I decided to do that. The project then sat for 2 years as others stole my attention. About a month ago I decided to open up the box and have a look. Next thing you know I'm mocking up different wheels and tires, etc., and I got to thinking that the one detail that wouldn't fly in Gas Class is the heavy engine set back (which was needed to fit the blower drive on top of the regular belt drive.) What to do? Looks like the final plan for this project will be a '63-'64 Altered! The base kit is AMT's 1934 5-Window with a Drag City Casting chopped top resin body. All of the chassis work so far was done 2 years ago. I removed the entire floor, center and rear cross members. The new center "X" section is from Revell's 1940 Ford's with a Monogram '29 Pickup rear cross member. The front cross member was deepened to get the front end down and I added some scratch built front engine mounts. Ultimately the stock gas tank will be removed but I left it for strength while I was doing the cross members. The rear axle is the Halibrand quick change from AMT's '25 T double kits with an AMT '29 Roadster spring, Revell '40 Ford kit ladder bars and Revell '29 Roadster brake plates. The front axle and suspension will be from Revell's '29 Roadster. The engine is the blown Chrysler Hemi with LaSalle 3-speed trans from Revell's Miss Deal Studabaker Funny Car. Because this was originally going to be a street car and then a Gasser I had fit a water pump but now that it's an Altered and doesn't require a cooling system I'll be deleting that. Chassis up on all 4. The wheels are from AMT's '49 Ford with their parts pack printed M&H slicks and parts pack front runners. Moving on to body modifications performed 2 years ago. I cut out the trunk lid, built in a jam and then modified a Revell '32 5-Window louvered deck lid to fit. From the '32 5-Window louvered hood sides I cut out and grafted in more louvers to the tail pan and hood top for some extra heat extraction. I also cut a hole in the hood top the same shape as the Hilborn bug catcher scoop. And here are some mock ups of where the project is as of right now. I feel like this is a project that deserves to get worked on more and I'm hoping that by sharing it and getting some feedback it will help get and keep me motivated. Let me know what you all think! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James2 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Love it! both the subject and the model are b@d@ss! I wish that body was available still.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 I agree the original car is the best GMG ever produced. Like your mockup too Dennis, looks killer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 I really like the fenders and the louvers. BTW, your bench is way too orderly.... -RRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Really nice work. Those look like fun builds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Armstrong Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 That's nice work! Look forward to seeing it in paint and done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasoncamaro Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Man that’s cool . I have purchased Ed’s 32 chopped 3 window and have a plan similar to yours for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Williams Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 What a topic! Great car, the Fuel Altered Coupes were out of this world...so nasty. The project is going well. I like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Great project Dennis! I appreciate your step by step photos and narrative! That’s how we all learn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Lacy Posted January 6, 2021 Author Share Posted January 6, 2021 4 hours ago, Mike Williams said: What a topic! Great car, the Fuel Altered Coupes were out of this world...so nasty. The project is going well. I like. Thanks, Mike. And I agree. The Altered Coupes were truly the most bad of the bad ass. Stripped down to the bare necessities, raw and violent. I hope to do them justice with this project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Lacy Posted January 6, 2021 Author Share Posted January 6, 2021 2 hours ago, Tom Geiger said: Great project Dennis! I appreciate your step by step photos and narrative! That’s how we all learn! Thanks, Tom! I always appreciate when other builders (both full and small scale) go into detail on their process and sources on their parts so I try to do the same for others. I basically pretend I’m writing a magazine how-to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Lacy Posted January 6, 2021 Author Share Posted January 6, 2021 On 1/3/2021 at 4:57 PM, Rocking Rodney Rat said: I really like the fenders and the louvers. BTW, your bench is way too orderly.... -RRR It’s purely self defense from my 7 and 4 year olds and their sticky fingers! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 50 minutes ago, Dennis Lacy said: Thanks, Tom! I always appreciate when other builders (both full and small scale) go into detail on their process and sources on their parts so I try to do the same for others. I basically pretend I’m writing a magazine how-to. Thank you! Many people don’t understand the time and effort it takes to do this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 51 minutes ago, Dennis Lacy said: It’s purely self defense from my 7 and 4 year olds and their sticky fingers! ? My daughters are now adults and live on their own, but I remember those days! One time my younger daughter went into my model room and dumped an entire bottle of CA glue into an interior bucket! Fortunately she didn’t get any on herself but it was a wake up call. Model room was locked after that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocking Rodney Rat Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 19 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said: My daughters are now adults and live on their own, but I remember those days! One time my younger daughter went into my model room and dumped an entire bottle of CA glue into an interior bucket! Fortunately she didn’t get any on herself but it was a wake up call. Model room was locked after that! I had a cat peed on my model bench once (only ONCE). Cat pee makes effective (but smelly) chrome remover. -RRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larman Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Your work is fantastic! I always learn a lot, thanks for posting such great pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 That Gas Monkey car is very derivative of the 554 coupe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Lacy Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 29 minutes ago, larman said: Your work is fantastic! I always learn a lot, thanks for posting such great pics! Thank you! And glad you take something away from my projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Lacy Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 18 minutes ago, Straightliner59 said: That Gas Monkey car is very derivative of the 554 coupe. Good eye! It was stated on the show by their guest builder Brian Bass that the 554 was his main inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straightliner59 Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Dennis Lacy said: Good eye! It was stated on the show by their guest builder Brian Bass that the 554 was his main inspiration. Glad he made the acknowledgement! About the only thing it's missing are the markings (Except the Clay Smith Cams logo) and the engine setback. The done good, with that one, for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kit Karson Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 ADL, thanks for the link to this build! When Bass hooked up with GMG to build the chopped '34 5 Window gasser, I watched every episode and follower it all the way to SEMA! The change in direction you have taken, has me and several other intrigued! Keep us up to date, Brother!! @Rocking Rodney Rat and I chopped the AMT '34 coupe while attending the 2018 GNSR with you. So, to that end, knowing that Ed's chopped coupe is not currently available, I'll set up a page here on our MCM Forum on how easy it is to chop the AMT '34 5 window coupe body! K&R Kustoms+Rods '34 5ive Window Chopped Coupe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullybeef Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 I’ll be following along for this one as well, as I’ve recently started a 33 build myself, and your source material for the suspension is very similar to where I was headed with mine( minus the actual kit frame ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larman Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 A question about the quick change. I am using the same one in an AMT '32 I am building. Mine is from a Trophy Series '25 T. Are you going to use an open driveshaft or make it closed? I don't know much about these, but I have seen both with quick changes. My model also has an early hemi, but mine is going to be a fenderless altered coupe, circa 1960 to '62. At this point, I am planning on using aluminum tubing to replicate a closed driveshaft on mine. This started out as a simple build that was going to be the drag version of the old Trophy Series kit, but now I am adding details and complicating it as usual.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Lacy Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 (edited) @larman I’m going to use an open driveshaft but a closed torque tube drive would work, too. If using a closed drive with split wishbones or trailing arms in the full scale world you need to be able to draw a straight line through all 3 front pivot points (viewed from above) and you would want the trailing arms to attach as close to the center of the chassis as possible or else a serious bind is created. Although, for a 1/4 mile car that will see very limited suspension travel and likely zero left/right articulation/roll you could probably get away with shorter arms but they should still attach as close to the center as possible. Edited January 7, 2021 by Dennis Lacy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKerry Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 Looking awesome Dennis!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.