Hot Rod model car builders who also own or build 1/1 scale hot rods...let's start a list...

[JustCraig]

Here's a few cars I've built for customers. 

[Kit Karson]

Over the years I've been lucky to have owned a number of cars... 

Cars I've owned, too many to list!

'68 Shelby KR500 Conv. #1, '62 Chevy Impala SS #2, '57 Dodge K500 Hemi 2Dr HT #3, '49 Chevy Conv. & Fleetline, plus 2 Business Coupes & a 5 Window Stepside, not to mention a '50 Ford F1 & '55 Chris Craft Runabout:

Oh, a couple more: Ghia Roadster and a '67 Jag Saloon:

There's even more than this... not to brag, but my wife says, "If you say you owned one of those... one more time... I'll scream!"

My latest has been on my radar for the last year.  It was almost like a barn find, to some degree... originally built a little over twenty years ago, it started out as a flatbed farm truck.

 

Chopped the old fashion way...

Then welded back together...

 

Over eight years of ownership, the builder had placed the cab, fenders, grille and running boards on a TCI frame.  He added fiberglass rear fenders and an aftermarket shorty box.

Almost twelve years ago it was bought by a armature car builder here in Georgia.  While rebuilding his '62 Vette:

...he tweaked it and drove it some 30K miles in all directions from the greater Atlanta area.  This is what it looked like the first time I saw it:

A 1934 Ford Pickup

Back in the day, if you put a picture up on the fridge or a snap shot in the corner of your dresser mirror, it usually came with a wish.  Well these two pictures were on my cell phone for a little over a year.  Ten days ago, the owner and I made a deal.  I handed him a silver dollar and bought it outright!

Later that same afternoon, I was parked downtown at our annual car show!

It packs a '91 Vette Gen III

All the gauges work!

Black Interior

And, hardwood bed...

Louvered Tailgate with a custom milled bracket instead of the chains...

It's no trailer queen... the SBC pushes the 2500 lbs PU through a 700R4/OD and cruises all day long at 70 mph @ 2200 rpm.  The Custom Walker Radiator keeps it cool in traffic and has never overheated in the last ten years.  After sitting in the previous owners shop, for over the last five years, he finally has the money to build his '60s style '39 Ford Coupe:

Edited March 23, 2021 by Kit Karson
Text correction...

[Dennis Lacy]

@Kit Karson

Still so happy for you, brother! Seems like a great little truck that should bring you many miles of joy. 

[tim boyd]

Kit...that p/u is such a sharp piece.  Hope you have great fun with it, and congrats on your new ride!   Cheers....TB 

[Kit Karson]

11 hours ago, Dennis Lacy said:

@Kit Karson

Still so happy for you, brother! Seems like a great little truck that should bring you many miles of joy. 

 

7 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Kit...that p/u is such a sharp piece.  Hope you have great fun with it, and congrats on your new ride!   Cheers....TB 

Thanks, guys!  I've spent a life time looking at and fawning over hundreds of hot rods... having built a couple and pretty much giving up on having one last ride. 

This has been a dream come true!  It's fun to drive and is so well built, that other than a couple of personal changes... it'll pretty much stay as you see it now! -KK

[Dave Van]

On 3/22/2021 at 11:42 AM, Bullybeef said:

By no means a hot rod or muscle car, but I’ve been building and modifying early water cooled vws for the better part of 30 years.

that being said someday I’d like to own a proper steel 32 3 window.

Have any dealings with GMP in Charlotte?? We raced against him in SCCA SS/C many moons ago. Also worked them short time. GMP does all kinds of cars now but was early water cooled VW for many years. Nice fleet!

[tim boyd]

On 3/21/2021 at 3:42 PM, Dennis Lacy said:

Thanks for the mention @tim boyd

My Dad and I own and operate a 2-man shop in Southern California called Early V8 Garage. We specialize in 1930’s and 1940’s Ford’s, both stock and early style traditional hot rods. He created the shop in 1996 (but has been in our shop building since 1985, previously his hobby shop) and I have been there since 1999 (just after turning 19 and bailing on my job at PepBoys.) It’s always been just the 2 of us. In addition to working on and building cars we also have an exclusive line of products for converting 1932 to 1938 Ford’s from their original mechanical brakes to hydraulic (master cylinder bracket/linkage kits, pre-bent brake line kits, fittings, etc.)

 Between 2005-2007 I built this authentic to the 40’s ‘27 T Roadster on ‘32 rails. I put thousands of miles on this car and sadly sold it in 2013 and it now resides in Australia. But, it couldn’t have gone to a better person and we are now good friends. 
 

This is my ‘32 Pickup which most of the time is my daily driver (and it has Tim’s favorite motor!) My dad gave me this truck when I was 2 and it was completely stock. It’s now on its 3rd version.

Outside of hot rods my other automotive love are late 80’s and early 90’s 5-liter Mustangs. They are the only “modern” car I’ve had since I was 15.  Here’s my current original paint 1987 GT that is lightly modified at the moment but in a few months will get a full old school Ford Motorsport GT40 engine parts combo that I’ve been collecting for a proper “1992” build. 
 

 

 

Dennis...I'm loving that '32 pickup.....looks so way over on the far end of the Traditional Hot Rod movement.  And so interesting that its stablemate is a Fox Series 5.0!  That one was always a favorite of mine....if we are ever able to get together, I'll tell you one of my Ford war stories on the LX 5.0....

Best....TIM

[tim boyd]

To all who have posted....what an impressive display of 1/1 scale automotive knowledge and experience.   Was I still doing the old Modeler's Corner gig in Street Rodder, your responses would have surely sparked a dedicated column on just this topic.  

Thanks very much for sharing....TIM  

[junkyardjeff]

I built this truck and have been driving it for 21 years,I have a Orange Blossom Special that I would like to build into a copy of mine.

[Kit Karson]

8 hours ago, junkyardjeff said:

I built this truck and have been driving it for 21 years,I have a Orange Blossom Special that I would like to build into a copy of mine.

[Marc Weller]

Here’s my ‘29 which I’ve owned for 30+ years. 

 

[tim boyd]

5 hours ago, Marc Weller said:

Here’s my ‘29 which I’ve owned for 30+ years. 

 

Marc....thanks for the reminder.  Beyond the extensive - and very well deserved - coverage of your 1/25th scale work, and that killer period correct Street Roadster above, haven't we seen your name on other 1/1 scale drag racing and related cars as well?  Best....TIM 

[foghorn62]

On 3/24/2021 at 9:56 AM, tim boyd said:

To all who have posted....what an impressive display of 1/1 scale automotive knowledge and experience.   Was I still doing the old Modeler's Corner gig in Street Rodder, your responses would have surely sparked a dedicated column on just this topic.  

Thanks very much for sharing....TIM  

This thread could indeed go on and on.  There is a FB group for the Pharoahs Car Club in which I and several others noted here are members.  Don Graham is a VP of the club, and although primarily a 1/1 car club, many members are builders in all scales. The great Gene Winfield is a frequent guest.  For those who aren’t aware, Gene was a board member, and influence behind the now defunct International Car Modelers Association (ICMA), back in the late 60s and early 70s.

TS

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by foghorn62

[Marc Weller]

17 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Marc....thanks for the reminder.  Beyond the extensive - and very well deserved - coverage of your 1/25th scale work, and that killer period correct Street Roadster above, haven't we seen your name on other 1/1 scale drag racing and related cars as well?  Best....TIM 

Thanks Tim !!

     Yes I was a crew member on the Voodoo nostalgia top fuel car and later the former Mike Dunn Yankee's T/F car after it was acquired by the Voodoo team. As far as big car guys who are (or were in this case) avid modelers I have to mention Jack Davis (RIP) who built headers for Warren Johnson and many sportsman racers. Jack was a fanatic modeler and you can see his stuff in early publications like R&C Models and Car Model. A number of his models are on display at the NHRA Motorsports Museum.

[tim boyd]

5 hours ago, Marc Weller said:

Thanks Tim !!

     Yes I was a crew member on the Voodoo nostalgia top fuel car and later the former Mike Dunn Yankee's T/F car after it was acquired by the Voodoo team. As far as big car guys who are (or were in this case) avid modelers I have to mention Jack Davis (RIP) who built headers for Warren Johnson and many sportsman racers. Jack was a fanatic modeler and you can see his stuff in early publications like R&C Models and Car Model. A number of his models are on display at the NHRA Motorsports Museum.

Thanks Mark....

Jack Davis is a great suggestion.  I've been going through my old Street Rodder mags and the Modeler's Corner columns, I've been surprised to remember just how many of Jack's truly killer phantom street rod models I included in those columns.  Man he had a touch!   

TIM

[tim boyd]

Another add.....and one that seems so obvious.  Pryor Passorino has build a number of 1/1 rods over the years.  I talked to him on the phone a few months back and he still has the 1/1 scale rod gene and very active.....TIM 

[Dan Hay]

On 3/24/2021 at 8:56 AM, tim boyd said:

To all who have posted....what an impressive display of 1/1 scale automotive knowledge and experience.   Was I still doing the old Modeler's Corner gig in Street Rodder, your responses would have surely sparked a dedicated column on just this topic.  

Thanks very much for sharing....TIM  

Thanks Tim! When I was a young lad I would get dad's Street Rodder out of the mailbox before him and flip straight to Modeler's Corner!  

[Scott8950]

On 3/21/2021 at 3:42 PM, Dennis Lacy said:

 

 

 

Outside of hot rods my other automotive love are late 80’s and early 90’s 5-liter Mustangs. They are the only “modern” car I’ve had since I was 15.  Here’s my current original paint 1987 GT that is lightly modified at the moment but in a few months will get a full old school Ford Motorsport GT40 engine parts combo that I’ve been collecting for a proper “1992” build. 
 

 

 

Very nice mustang, I share the same passion for them. Here is my nova and my calypso green 92 lx. The chevy ll has a 434 sbc soon to be removed for a street friendly 327... The lx has dss 347 rotating assembly, trickflow heads, custom ground cam,  victor jr intake with quickfuel 650 race carb ? Still have a ways to go with mustang but should be finished and ready for paint around june hopefully.

[junkyardjeff]

I was talking to a few older modelers a couple years ago and mentioned I wanted to build the rear version of a model and got a funny look,one told me we only build models and not real cars and I almost said I think its about time you come out of the basement and quit playing with toys but walked away.

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, junkyardjeff said:

I was talking to a few older modelers a couple years ago and mentioned I wanted to build the rear version of a model and got a funny look,one told me we only build models and not real cars and I almost said I think its about time you come out of the basement and quit playing with toys but walked away.

That's interesting.

On the flip side, I've encountered a lot of real-car builders who look down their noses at model-builders, and tend to disregard the fact that some of us are highly skilled and technically knowledgeable in both fields, and that there's a lot of very useful overlap between the two interests.

[Muncie]

While we're here, maybe we can mention some triple threat guys - 1:1, model cars, and magazine/media.  We've seen Tim Boyd, Alan Barton and Marc Weller.  Let's add Pat Ganahl and Steve Magnante.  I've probably missed many more.  I've been honored to meet a couple of these guys thru the years.

[tim boyd]

3 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

That's interesting.

On the flip side, I've encountered a lot of real-car builders who look down their noses at model-builders, and tend to disregard the fact that some of us are highly skilled and technically knowledgeable in both fields, and that there's a lot of very useful overlap between the two interests.

Bill.....one of my most central goals in doing the model car column in Street Rodder mag was to do my part in establishing the model car hobby as a respectable adult hobby.  I think we went a long way in establishing that over the 17 years I did the column (and Mike Carroll did it for six or seven years beyond that), but yes,  as you so correctly note, a few still looked down their noses at us.  

That's one of the reasons I started this thread....wanted to begin to put together a comprehensive list of just how many model builders also did 1/1 (and the reverse).  Not to mention that these days, when the majority of 1/1 owners have their cars (or at least major parts of their cars) built by professionals, we as modelers are still doing the whole boat from concept to finished masterpiece.  I'm not gonna suggest that the skills required to build a model engine are anywhere near those required to piece together a real engine, but then again, we are doing the entire fabrication of our cars including paint and (in some cases) upholstery.  Can't even begin to recall the last time I saw a 1/1 scale rod that had been painted to professional levels by its owner I(although I am sure some still are).  

Bottom line, I think we (modelers and real car builders) should fully respect each other's skills and achievements, particularly so for those mentioned in the this thread who have mastered and excelled at both genres! 

TIM 

[Dennis Lacy]

2 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Bill.....one of my most central goals in doing the model car column in Street Rodder mag was to do my part in establishing the model car hobby as a respectable adult hobby.  I think we went a long way in establishing that over the 17 years I did the column (and Mike Carroll did it for six or seven years beyond that), but yes,  as you so correctly note, a few still looked down their noses at us.  

TIM 

So I’ve had an Instagram account for over 3 years now and currently have over 3,100 followers. Most of what I share is shop work and hot rods but I also have been sharing models for most of that time. Mostly just the significant looking mock ups and finished work. The feedback on my model posts has been extremely positive and I get just as much comments/likes (in some cases more) as the full scale stuff. It seems there’s a whole bunch of hot rodders out there who enjoy seeing a nicely crafted traditional hot rod model as much as a full scale one.  I’ve had a few tell me they look forward to and anticipate my “Sunday Models” posts (as Sundays are generally my workbench days and when I update my forum threads too) and a couple guys have told me that seeing my models has inspired them to start building again!

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, Dennis Lacy said:

... a couple guys have told me that seeing my models has inspired them to start building again!

I can certainly understand that...and two of the best full-scale builders I know in town here are also modelers.

4 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Bill.....one of my most central goals in doing the model car column in Street Rodder mag was to do my part in establishing the model car hobby as a respectable adult hobby.

I well remember your presence there, and farther back, the efforts Hot Rod made towards introducing rodders to the idea that building in scale was a fun and affordable alternative to building large. Back when most of what was available to car modelers in kit form were the early Revell 1/32 scale offerings, there were numerous articles in HR pushing the idea that scale models could be employed for developing styling treatments for full-scale building as well. The idea is still relevant, and one I rely on often.

 

[Sam I Am]

On 3/24/2021 at 6:56 AM, tim boyd said:

To all who have posted....what an impressive display of 1/1 scale automotive knowledge and experience.   Was I still doing the old Modeler's Corner gig in Street Rodder, your responses would have surely sparked a dedicated column on just this topic.  

Thanks very much for sharing....TIM  

I still have a few stacks of Street Rodder in storage from the 80's and 90's. I bought it each month for the Modelers Corner as much as the feature cars. I know that there were a few months that the feature cars never really did anything for me but I still bought it for the Modelers Corner.