alan barton Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Turns out it is at least three years since I worked on any of my boats but this time I want to do a full combo from the get go. For ages I have wanted to do a 56 Ford "Nomad" for want of a better word. It will use the Crown Vic roof and tiara and yes, I know it has been done before but at least I can say I thought of it BEFORE I saw pictures of a real one! I will also scratchbuild a classy trailer to tie it all together. The idea is that the combo will be the counterpoint to my existing 57 Chev Bel Air/ Bel Aqua combo that has been on here before. I can't remember the last time I worked on the boat you see here but I'm sure it is longer than I remember. For some reason i didn't take photos of the early stages so i will have to paint you a picture instead. The 56 Thunderboat started off as two toys. The boat was a cabin cruiser in what I would estimate was around 1/32 scale and I bought it at least thirty years ago for the sole intention of using the hull to make a 1/25th scale speed boat. The 56 T-Bird was also an undersize toy, approximately 1/28th by my uneducated guess. It had a little tab in the continental kit and when you pulled it out on a string and released it, it shot off across the floor. The details and proportions were pretty good and I purchased it intending to use it to build a 56 T Bird Pro Mod on a Charlie Carpenter chassis. Didn't happen but one day I thought of the possibly of doing a blue oval version of my Bel Aqua set and it all came together! After removing the superstructure, I had to radically cut down the hull to a speedboat kinda depth. It also needed to be narrowed to match the width of the T-Bird. Predictably, I also had to saw off the bottom of the T Bird, about 1/4 inch below the body line. The next problem was the front end of the car. I made a vertical cut across the front to remove the whole grille/bumper/ headlight area. I also made two pie cuts up along the side hood cut lines and used hot water to pull the fender peaks in towards the centre of the car. I really didn't expect the model to cope with these sort of stresses if I glued it together so instead I used a soldering iron to weld it together. Not pretty but man, is it strong. Here's where I got to before putting it away several years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 Was looking for some parts last night for my other boat project and figured 2021 could be the year of the Thunderboat team. First I had to get rid of all that air. Again, not pretty! If you are looking for finely honed craftsmanship then you are on the wrong thread. I used strips of flat styrene to form up the sides towards the bow and then used a large flat peice to fill in the front deck. Finally I glued soem strips of styrene to try and guide my sanding efforts when I get the bog out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 With the glue drying firmly overnight, this afternoon I mixed up a decent batch of bog and started shovelling it on. To prevent damage to details on the car side of the join I put two layers of masking tape over the blue plastic. This worked really well and I will use this idea again in the future. The photo below shows the rough shaping that I completed this evening. Obviously there will be a few more applications of putty/sanding/putty sanding routine before we start looking at primer but I do like the proportions so far. I should look neat tucked in behind the 56 Vicky 2 door wagon! Cheers Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Ingenious! It's really come together in that last shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doorsovdoon Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 What a great idea, I love where this is going. Good luck with it, I can't wait to see this done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Very cool and neat idea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchook Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 This so cool! I love what you're doing here. Are you putting in a 312 Y block inboard engine? If so you could turn your continental kit into your buoy ring holder. I can't wait to see more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Looks like a great project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunajammer Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 It's already looking neato toledo. Looking forward to more. I've been wanting to do a project like this for years, but have never found the right hull for the right project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitchdup Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Cool project, the t-bird looks right at home on it. Funnily enough I have a similar project using a jag xj220 and a hemi hydro but its stalled just now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam I Am Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 4 hours ago, alan barton said: That is a great idea, and beautiful execution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicmustang Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 What a great project. I'll be watching. I always wanted to do one like the '63 Corvette conversion shown below, but do not have the skills to attempt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 Thanks everyone, I didn't expect such a response. I have applied more putty and also started on the conversion of the Crown Vicky to a Crown Wagon.. The scale of the undersized T bird used for the boat suits it perfectly - I will post more pictures tomorrow. Les, your XJ220 bot is stunning - I love the flow! That is one menacing looking piece of water equipment, Please, keep working on it, please! Mike, you are dead right about finding hulls. I always have one eye open scanning for these things if I am in a toy or hobby shop but haven't found more than two other than what the kit manufacturers occasionally give us. From my trips to the USA in the past< I reckon antique malls would be a great place to start looking - they are full of toys and if it falls outside collector status ( ie, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Buddy L, tinplate) there are bargains to be had, I don't know if they have a Brass Armadillo in North Dakota but these places are a treasure trove! Gerald, if you can cut and glue plastic you already have the skills - you just haven't tested them yet! Looks to me like the old Miami Vice hull would be a great start for this one. MArk, the lifebuoy ring is genius - that might just happen! Cheers Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 Cool project. I'm on board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterNNL Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 On 1/9/2021 at 1:59 PM, stitchdup said: Cool project, the t-bird looks right at home on it. Funnily enough I have a similar project using a jag xj220 and a hemi hydro but its stalled just now Very slick. Please consider starting a forum post featuring this boat ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterNNL Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Your "bird boat" is an inspired project and will be a fun one to follow. Thanks for sharing your talent with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 3 hours ago, cobraman said: Cool project. I'm on board. X2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragcarz Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 A VERY COOL PROJECT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impalow Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Very Very Cool! I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phildaupho Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Your boat is far more attractive then some of finned creations I remember seeing cruising on lakes as a kid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foghorn62 Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Alan, I really like what you’ve done with this so far. I started a similar project probably about the same time you started yours, using an AMT 62 Tbird, on an AMT 3 in 1 Boat Kit hull. Like yours, it’s been an on and off, (more off than on) project ever since. I really like that you extended the bow further and set the cockpit further back. It gives it more of an offshore racer look, while mine is more of a runabout. I’ll be following your build intently. Maybe it’ll inspire me to finish mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 Wow, Tim, there are a lot of similarities in concept there. That is a great choice of a donor vehicle because the lines of the 62 really lend themselves to the marine styling. That is going to be one very pretty boat. If it was mine, and at this stage where you are not ready for paint just yet, I would be very inclined to remove the interior and slide it back to the existing upper trunk cut line. I love how it looks right now but to my eye any form of windshield could be a massive barb as your eye flows from front to rear. Your eye would hit it a bit too early! But that side profile, just wow. That is sooooo slippery! Imagine it in the water! Cheers Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertw Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Ohhhh. Just when I began to wonder how you were going to incorporate the connie kit into the idea of a boat you removed it....probably just as well. I've often wondered how I could give a boat some automotive design features but never thought of adding a car body to the top of the hull. That's a great idea and it looks like a number of others have had the same idea. If your idea works and it looks like it will I bet we'll see some of the others back on the bench. I'm going to enjoy seeing this model finished. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foghorn62 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 4 hours ago, alan barton said: Wow, Tim, there are a lot of similarities in concept there. That is a great choice of a donor vehicle because the lines of the 62 really lend themselves to the marine styling. That is going to be one very pretty boat. If it was mine, and at this stage where you are not ready for paint just yet, I would be very inclined to remove the interior and slide it back to the existing upper trunk cut line. I love how it looks right now but to my eye any form of windshield could be a massive barb as your eye flows from front to rear. Your eye would hit it a bit too early! But that side profile, just wow. That is sooooo slippery! Imagine it in the water! Cheers Alan Yeah, I had that same thought when I saw your Alan. But using the AMT kit, my boat is only a scale 18’ long, and I want to try to place the engine as close to mid ship as possible. I don’t know a thing about boat design, but I’m guessing that a boat will plane out better if most of the weight is not all the way in back. It’s only a model, I know, but these are the things that I think of. As it is, the windshield will wind up being about 1’ further back than the one in the kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan barton Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 Good points there Tim. Mind you, an outboard hangs off the very stern so maybe they favour a rear mount? Dunno, never owned a boat and probably ridden in maybe three! Looking at your two photos, the windshield really visually shortens the boat styling. Maybe bring the top edge of the windshield height down to nearly level with the headrests? The side cut would be at a lot flatter angle - the box-art of the Monogram Calloway speedster springs to mind. Proportionally, I think you nailed it as a runabout but that top photo just oozes sex appeal - seems a shame to lose it! Cheers Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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