East Coast Deuce

[Misha]

Deuce Days July 2022

Victoria, British Columbia 

For over two decades Victoria has hosted the Pacific Nor’West Deuce Days every three years, first in the neighbouring community of Oak Bay it has now grown into a major show held in Victoria’s Inner Harbour downtown. It is greatest number of Deuces gathering in one spot anywhere! In conjunction with this Summer event our club, SPAM is hosting the third “Deuce Days in Scale” at the host hotel. 

For the first two events I built the “Blue Suede Vicky” and the “Red Hot Phaeton” and for this year I have settled upon constructing an East Coast Style 5 window coupe based on the R/M issue. Being under the gun with a short build period I’m attempting to limit the changes to the kit to a channelling job and some other rolling stock. 

East Coast rods were noted for keeping the stock heights while lowering the body over the frame rails. While stock fenders were eliminated they were often replaced by cycle fenders up front and bobbed ones on the rear. Magnesium  wheels were just being introduced on the opposite coast in California in the late fifties, so steel wheels with or without hubcaps was the norm out east. Effort was spent on using one of the newer overhead valve engines at the time; Caddy, Olds, and Nailheads were often used, while the early Hemi was a more exotic choice. It was often the interior mods that drew the eye with a complete make over with tucks and rolls done in bright colours.  The exteriors remained rather conservative compared to their west coast brethren with low key enamel schemes rather than candies and metalflakes. In this case I’m looking at LP 27, German Grey with a gloss coat overall. 

I began the build by tackling the channeling job first. The R/M kit has separate rear wheel wells that I installed first and carefully outlined the required cut by lining the frame to it and drawing the new profile. It was then a case of careful trimming out to fit. The chassis itself required a bit of tweaking to reduce its overall width near the leading edge of the wheel well. Once satisfied with the fit I moved on to the interior mods to reduce the overall height of the assembly allowing it to fit into the lower confines of the body. This was done by cutting away the lower edge of the door panels and the rear bulkhead. 

For the frame to fit the lowered stance it required the removal of the gas tank and a shortening of the rear frame rails. A new crossmember was fashioned to fit in the rear and a round spreader bas was added to the front end of the frame. In addition the front cross member where the front spring sits in was deepened and the top leaf from the spring was removed to lower the front end somewhat for that typical hot rod attitude. 

Having gotten rid of the fenders and the fuel tank in the rear left a sharp ridge to the coupe’s body below the trunk. To improve the look I fashioned a small rolled pan to complete the body lines at the rear. It was an easy modification using quarter round shapes across the rear and small sections at the ends to complete a smooth transition at the rear.

More to follow, thanks for looking in! If you are anywhere near Vancouver Island in July, do drop by, and even better bring along a scale Deuce…

Cheers Misha

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by Misha
Spellin’

[m3fan]

Looks like a great start Misha,

If your going to Steve’s on the weekend and your doing a caddy engine I have some cool 3d printed valve covers for you.keep up the good work.

Russ

[Misha]

6 minutes ago, m3fan said:

If your going to Steve’s on the weekend and your doing a caddy engine I have some cool 3d printed valve covers for you.

Hi Russ, Thanks for checking out the build.  Planning on attending, I’d be interested in having a look at those valve covers! Cheers Misha

[afx]

Good looking project Misha.

[Phildaupho]

Right on Misha !!

[Steve H]

Hi Misha, great start. I thought I’d add a couple more photos from Duece Days 2019, as I don’t think you’ll mind.
One of the “Duece Days in scale” tables…

and a shot of our amazing weather and the a glimpse of the crowd it draws…

Looking forward to seeing you at my place on Sunday. You too Russ and Phil !!

[Can-Con]

If I was still on the Island, I'd be there. I have family and lived in Courtney for a while and my father lives in Campbell River. 

[Mr. Metallic]

You caught me with Deuce, and reeled me in with east Coast. Not a lot of those get built in scale, and you're off to a fine start. Very nice job on the rolled pan. 

I know you said you were going to try to stay kit based due to time constraints, but backdating the hemi a bit with stock valve covers from the period would do the trick, with a set of the headers from the Phantom Vicky.

I'll definitely be following. I'd also love to attend the Deuce Days show sometime. Not this year, but maybe in 3 or 6? 😊

[Steve H]

2 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

If I was still on the Island, I'd be there. I have family and lived in Courtney for a while and my father lives in Campbell River. 

Great time for a visit don’t you think?….

[Paul Payne]

Great project and great pix of Deuce days Thanks for sharing.

[Bullybeef]

Following this build intently! 

[PHolden74]

Nice start Misha!

[dino246gt]

Love the East Coast coupe info and progress. Enjoy the beautiful West Coast weather and keep us posted on the model, cheers!

 

[Misha]

On 5/12/2022 at 3:28 AM, afx said:

Good looking project Misha.

Thanks J.C.! Building rods such as this is my main passion, that accounts for all the Deuce WIPs hangin’ about my bench.

 

On 5/12/2022 at 7:43 AM, Phildaupho said:

Right on Misha !!

Thanks Phil, It’s great to be building towards the 3rd Deuces in Scale, even on the short time available, it has gotten me going again!

On 5/12/2022 at 12:25 PM, Steve H said:

Hi Misha, great start. I thought I’d add a couple more photos from Duece Days 2019, as I don’t think you’ll mind.
Looking forward to seeing you at my place on Sunday. You too Russ and Phil !!

Hi Steve, thanks for adding the photos and the encouragement! it is difficult to show just how big of an event it is from photos, need to experience it! Hoping to stay at the Hotel Zed for that weekend and watch the rods arrive off the ferry. L.A. Roadster Club usually travels up with quite a few cars. 

See you tomorrow, cheers Misha

[Misha]

On 5/12/2022 at 12:31 PM, Mr. Metallic said:

You caught me with Deuce, and reeled me in with east Coast. Not a lot of those get built in scale, and you're off to a fine start. Very nice job on the rolled pan. 

I know you said you were going to try to stay kit based due to time constraints, but backdating the hemi a bit with stock valve covers from the period would do the trick, with a set of the headers from the Phantom Vicky.

I certainly agree Craig that not enough of these rods get built, yet now there is a greater availability of kit parts and after market pieces making it possible to build such a wide range of Deuces and Model As, just like in 1:1 scale. Happy with the pan as it fits perfectly with the changes to the rear frame. 

I usually spend quite a bit of time doing visual searches for a variety of looks and options. I looked briefly at period valve covers, yet now you’ve gotten me to take a second look…

Dug thru the parts bin and came up with the Double Dragster kit’s VC… plus scratch build the plug wire covers and it’ll be just right. While I’m staying close to the kit, I did recently order from Replica & Miniatures early Hemi parts that I’ll be using on this build, including the four Strombergs and Megaphone Exhausts.  

On 5/12/2022 at 12:37 PM, Paul Payne said:

Great project and great pix of Deuce days Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Paul for your interest in the build and for following along. Cheers Misha

On 5/13/2022 at 5:55 PM, Bullybeef said:

Following this build intently! 

Thanks Bil, this is more encouragement that expected! Your interest is much appreciated. By the way, Edmonton is a ride thru the mountains away from Vancouver Island, come out for Deuce Days.  Cheers Misha

12 hours ago, PHolden74 said:

Nice start Misha!

Thanks Peter, Often I take a long time to complete a build, starting is always easy. Yet I hope to keep the momentum going with all the encouragement received. 

8 hours ago, dino246gt said:

Love the East Coast coupe info and progress. Enjoy the beautiful West Coast weather and keep us posted on the model, cheers!

 

Hi Dennis, I find the early development of Hot Rodding in various regions fascinating for the differences and similarities, yet retaining a distinct style reflecting the community. One can also look further abroad to see the distinctive rods from Australia or from England.

Thanks again to all for following and commenting on the build, I’m looking forward to the next steps.

Cheers M 

[Bullybeef]

53 minutes ago, Misha said:

Thanks Bil, this is more encouragement that expected! Your interest is much appreciated. By the way, Edmonton is a ride thru the mountains away from Vancouver Island, come out for Deuce Days.  Cheers Misha

I wish it was that easy, summer is my busy season at work. 

[Misha]

Been busy assembling various parts and dechroming many with household bleach. 

Starting on the top left are the wheels and Buick brake drums from the R/M Model A kit along with its dechromed beauty rings and hubcaps. Next to them is a collection of resin parts from R&M including a chopped grill shell with rad and PE grill. The remainder of the box has mainly kit parts with suspension pieces dechromed and the kit early Hemi.

Bench time has been spent on interior bits and pieces and building a fuel tank for the trunk using two sliding Evergreen tube pieces with a beveled opening for the cap. Still need to complete the ends and installation brackets.

 

The interior colours will be a combination of red upholstery with white rolls and pleats. Steve Guthmiller has been a strong influence on my building style with his highly detailed interior features. For this build I’m installing a headliner with a visor assembly from the 2011 Boss 302 Mustang kit and am building up the interior window door surrounds by using Plastistruct narrow channels with half-round shapes glued to them and sanded flat on the gluing surface. 

Since this Deuce is channeled over the frame the interior floor sits roughly 6 inches higher than stock and requires seats that sit lower to provide the required head room. Using parts bin bucket seats I glued the seat backs to complete them and laid masking tape to guide the razor saw for the required cut. Once done, it was obvious that the drive train tunnel would interfere with the seat fitting flat against the floorboard. Using a Dremel tool and a large round file the seat sides were re-contoured to fit around the tunnel. 

 

As always, comments and questions are welcome and encouraged,

Cheers Misha

 

[Misha]

A very wet West Coast weekend offered me a chance to spend some time at the workbench rather than tending the garden! Spent most of the time prepping the parts for the kit’s Hemi 392 engine, detailing the R&M megaphone exhaust headers with bolt heads, as well as on the front axle’s spring perches. Using my collection of tiny dental files I opened up a lot of the spaces between the tubular axle and the transverse spring which has the top leaf removed to lower the front end.  In swapping in the Buick finned brake assembly for the front end I had to modify the wheel backs from the Model A kit to fit the Deuce axle by enlarging the holes. 

 

I also did some work on the interior by making a masking tape template of the rear of the cabin in order to fashion two tuck and roll pads to break up the areas on either side of the rear window.  Using Evergreen sheet and measuring off the tape two panels were made. 

I’ve had a hard time deciding on the wheel and tire combination to use. East Coast style dictated painted stock steel wheels with either small hub caps and beauty rings or full wheel covers selected from fashionable Detroit options. Mag wheels and wires were just beginning to appear in California to become the West Coast rodders’ style. I had settled upon stock steelies, that is until I came across a small box of parts still from my early teen years. In it was a complete set of 1961 Dodge Polara Tri-Bar wheel covers!!! This was offered with the first pressing of the AMT 49 Merc, and at the time I went with the drag version, putting away the covers in the box. I’m unsure how long the Polara covers lasted in subsequent releases, or even if it was only the original issue that offered them.  None the less, a great find, especially in the perfect shape they’re in!

Skies are forecast to clear tomorrow, yet with this last bench session, I’m planning to stick with it as the Deuce Days deadline draws near. 

Thanks for checking out the build, cheers Misha

[Misha]

[Misha]

Been nearly a month since the last posting during which I have struggled to get to the bench in light of garden work and other duties at this time of year.  Yet the time spent has been productive, time is slipping as three weeks remain till Deuce Days! 

I mocked up the body/frame with the suspension to check the stance to discover that the channeling caused a severe mismatch in locating the the rear tire correctly. It’s position was remedied by moving the axle back roughly three inches. The result was a much better appearance and was accomplished by adding a new cross piece for the air bags and raising the height by an inch and a half.  The change also required  constructing new locating positions for the axle’s truck arms moving the front location  from the tranny support to the inside of the frame. 

Rear axle relocated to centre the wheel

Crossmember added relocating axle rearward 3” and raising it 1 1/2”

Brackets added to locate the rear axle control arms

Control arm and bracket

The tranny cross member has been drilled out for lightening and the locating points for the control arms removed

While limiting some detail work in order to save time, I was unable to resist opening up the cowl vent on the body. I first scribed out the flap with a #11 blade and attached it to a thinner strip of styrene to form the new detailed flap. The opening in the cowl was also fitted with a lip underneath to hold the flap in place and provide the mount for the rod holding the flap in position. 

 

 

 

The last bit of work was a final mockup of the interior, adding some detail to the rear bulkhead and upholstering the trunk lid underneath. 

Next step this morning will be to wash a tub of parts in preparation for primer. I need to focus now on this build in order to have it  on the display table on Sunday, 17 July, three weeks 😕 Oy vey!

Thanks for checking in! Comments are encouraged and welcome, cheers Misha

 

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Misha

[mrm]

Really cool project. 
I had one very similar build started few years back, inspired by a channeled 5window coupe on the cover of Street Rodder (God I miss that mag), but I got as far as Z-ing the frame and getting the body to sit on it and then I tapped out as other projects came along. 
   I will definitely follow your build and maybe it’ll motivate me to revive mine, which is tucked away in a box somewhere. 

[slusher]

I know your just getting started but I know what kind of work you do Misha!  Great start!

[m3fan]

Keep up the good Misha!

I’m in  the same boat with my 5 window replica for deuce days. Although it’s all painted nothing ever goes together properly when final assembly comes around🙃

Russ

[Zippi]

The little Duece is coming along nicely.  I like how you opened up the cowl vent.  I may have to try that on my 37 Ford Pickup.  

[Phildaupho]

Keep up the great work. Looking forward to seeing this Deuce finished or not at Deuce Days in Scale.