My continually updated CUSTOMS thread

[chris chabre]

I recently went to a show and showed some of my projects and survivors. Ive been on a customs kick since so I came home and gutted the mock up shelf... Heres what I have mocked up so far, I'll post individual shots later with more info.

 

I kept my Scott Colmer 40 coupe, and my design study 32 windows BUT the rest are new. 

[JollySipper]

This should be a cool thread..........

[chris chabre]

ok guys. here are some individual shots. first up.

Revell Willys.

started out as the KS Pittman A/gas coupe but since that chassis is going under my ferrari drag car, I decided to turn the Willys into a custom. AMT 40 ford skirts, a Drag City no hole hood and Revell 40 Ford wheels and tires make up what I have now. as for the motor, I have a few ideas, a plymouth flathead 6, maybe the red ram from an Old Ala Kart, or maybe even a full dress flathead. time will tell. 

 

Revell 32 sedan

this one started out as a pile of old AMT gluebombs I received. I collected the cleanest pieces and decided to use the Revell 32 sedan body as it's much nicer than AMTS body. itll have a Revell nailhead. wheels are from the American Graffiti kit, tires are parts box with the rears being AMT slicks. I think it'll capture the best of both companies

 

Edited May 20, 2022 by chris chabre

[chris chabre]

AMT 36 Fords

I LOVE early customs and 36 Fords are some of the best platforms to build off. these 2 will be standard fare 40s/early 50s customs. 

Revell 40 coupe

My goal is to build a chopped and sectioned late 50s custom. no skirts, custom nose and tail treatments etc. Plan is a bit of a tribute to the Ken Costello coupe out of Rhode Island.  I fell in love with as a middle schooler in the very early 90s. I even searched for the car when I was in my late teens. 

[chris chabre]

Lindberg 32 pick up

I'm still.planning on doing a full thread on this one so I'll keep it brief. Not accurate for a true 32 pick up, this kit I decided to build as an asymmetrical custom rod. It's in first prime with a lot to go...

 

AMT 40 coupe 

the kit we all know and love...I think we've all built several of these kits

 This found me on Ebay...no one seemed to want it but it was love at first sight. I only know the gentleman that originally built it has passed away, and that the nose you see in rough filler is the 2nd nose on the car. The original is still under there!!! what you see is how he envisioned it.. My plan is to block everything back down to unlock some of its past and I'll most likely put it back in a shade of red oxide. My only real modification is to lengthen the side windows amd MAYBE play with some skirt ideas. Otherwise I just want to keep the original builders idea alive.

 

Edited May 20, 2022 by chris chabre

[chris chabre]

AMT SHOEBOXES

I LOVE shoebox Fords.. these 4 found me recently. In the box is a 1962 NOS kit, the Tan primer convertible is an old survivor that never got any further than you see it. I plan to finish the custom body work and turn it into a late 50s custom, just as the original builder had planned. the other convertible has had a Monogram  53 Chevy (EDIT thanks to Zed) roof heavily glued onto it, I like the concept, but I need to redo the work. Its on the back burner for now.

Finally the coupe. came to me with the nose glued on, a pancaked hood hacked open, and a ton of sunken filler. I couldn't take looking at the hood the way it was, so I grabbed a corvette hood from the parts box and started fitting. still has some more work to fit properly, but it's a start. the wheels and tires are parts box pieces, I'm thinking about sectioning it, hardtop chopping it with coves behind the wheelwells, but time will tell

 

 

so there is whats currently on the shelf.  Sitting next to me are a testors version of the old IMC 46-48 convertible a Foose f100 (which will have its own thread and NOT be modern when Im done) and a pile of parts I need to go through.  

Edited May 22, 2022 by chris chabre

[Spex84]

I just navigated here from the '32 thread, looking for pics of the red-primered custom. Found it! Wow, what a beast.

I'm loving the 'vette hood on the shoebox. I have eyed that combo many times myself but never pulled the trigger, so it's cool to see how close the fit is once the hole is actually cut.

[chris chabre]

On 5/19/2022 at 11:31 PM, Spex84 said:

I just navigated here from the '32 thread, looking for pics of the red-primered custom. Found it! Wow, what a beast.

I'm loving the 'vette hood on the shoebox. I have eyed that combo many times myself but never pulled the trigger, so it's cool to see how close the fit is once the hole is actually cut.

the 40 isn't the prettiest girl at the dance BUT she's a piece of modeling history I feel needs to be saved. If I had built the 49 coupe, I would have sectioned the nose of the hood to drop it down, but I don't really want to cut it all apart so I'm gonna tweak both hoods alittle and see how bad I can mess it up haha

Edited May 22, 2022 by chris chabre

[Mr. Metallic]

14 hours ago, chris chabre said:

ok guys. here are some individual shots. first up.

Revell Willys.

started out as the KS Pittman A/gas coupe but since that chassis is going under my ferrari drag car, I decided to turn the Willys into a custom. AMT 40 ford skirts, a Drag City no hole hood and Revell 40 Ford wheels and tires make up what I have now. as for the motor, I have a few ideas, a plymouth flathead 6, maybe the red ram from an Old Ala Kart, or maybe even a full dress flathead. time will tell. 

 

How about the flat-4 from a Jeep, but with chrome goodies? I'm pretty sure the Willys came stock with an engine based on the same engine. That's what I'm planning to use in my 33 Willys custom whenever i get back to it. But that has a much smaller engine compartment to work with. Your 40 has a lot more room to work with. 

[chris chabre]

13 minutes ago, Mr. Metallic said:

How about the flat-4 from a Jeep, but with chrome goodies? I'm pretty sure the Willys came stock with an engine based on the same engine. That's what I'm planning to use in my 33 Willys custom whenever i get back to it. But that has a much smaller engine compartment to work with. Your 40 has a lot more room to work with. 

time will tell what goes in there. I have no issue cutting to make something fit. haha 

[Zed]

On 5/20/2022 at 3:50 AM, chris chabre said:

AMT SHOEBOXES

...the other convertible has had what appears to be a 58 chevy roof....

 

Great stuff Chris,

...the roof is from a Monogram 53 chevy 😉

did the very same transplant on one of my first shoebox, a looong time ago 😎

 

[chris chabre]

22 minutes ago, Zed said:

Great stuff Chris,

...the roof is from a Monogram 53 chevy 😉

did the very same transplant on one of my first shoebox, a looong time ago 😎

 

AWESOME custom! I forgot all about that kit!

 

THANK YOU! I guess I know what I have to do with mine now!

Edited May 22, 2022 by chris chabre

[chris chabre]

well that didn't take long to completely get over run haha

[slusher]

Your working on some pretty net stuff. I hardly work on Anyang but box stock..

[chris chabre]

On 5/24/2022 at 10:50 PM, slusher said:

Your working on some pretty net stuff. I hardly work on Anyang but box stock..

THANK YOU! sorry for the late reply, been insanely busy. I hardly ever finish anything, so Im sure youre well ahead of me in that department. I use models to flush out designs since I cant draw very well

[Paul Payne]

Chris, you definitely have my attention! One thing we need is a true 1940 Ford 3 window coupe!. Also love the chopped 36, one of my all time favorites, and the shoeboxes are very tasty as well! Keep going! Add more!

[Vintage AMT]

Cool stuff you have there, 

[chris chabre]

thanks guys, I havent been able to even think about doing any building lately. Between sick kids, getting my loose ends on the house tied up for an appraisal and other projects, there just hasnt been any time.

IN FACT I recently ended up with a collection of survivors and I ended up with a few cool customs. Ive gotten as far as washing them and checking for missing parts. I havent even been able to mock them up.

 

  Paul, Im actually thinking about maybe trying my hand at a 3 window 40 since I ended up with a few stock height 36 roofs. That will be late on though I currently have a Foose 56 Ford Im planning mentally. IF I can find the time.

On 5/31/2022 at 9:54 PM, Paul Payne said:

Chris, you definitely have my attention! One thing we need is a true 1940 Ford 3 window coupe!. Also love the chopped 36, one of my all time favorites, and the shoeboxes are very tasty as well! Keep going! Add more!

 

On 6/1/2022 at 2:24 PM, Vintage AMT said:

Cool stuff you have there, 

 

[chris chabre]

so Life has been a no stop flurry of activity and work. tonight is the first night I'm not working all day and late into the night, so what do I do? some mocking up pf course.

I ended up with the Mercedes as a falling apart survivor in a sense. Im not a big European car guy BUT it hit me that it could be a KILLER custom. Imagine taking a coachbuilt Mercedes to the early masters like Westergard or Jimmy Summers, even SAM Barris amd they take it to the next level. picture if you will a car smoothed of its barbs, headlights molded low into the fenders, 49 Jag xk120 wheels and wide whites. the altitude adjusted etc. Im picturing skirts and maybe even extending the front fenders to give the car a fadeaway look. 

 

the shoebox is a body I recently picked up cheap. It's alittle rough around the edges due to the really bad paint, BUT I'm thinking I can block it all down, and give it a fresh look. the canted quafs, vette covers and 57 chevy rear custom tail along with the roof scoop solidly put it into the last 50s. I threw some old AMT wheels and tires under it for now.