customline Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 I hope this will not disturb anyone emotionally, but I won this started kit last night with a first bid in the last minute of bidding. I'm concerned someone may recognize it as having been started by a builder who has gone on to the big hobby shop in the sky. Anyway, I don't have it yet but should by the middle of next week. I'm excited to get my hands on it. I will probably decide to just simply finish it the way I think it might have been headed. Check it out and please let the opinions flow! I will post detailed pix when it arrives. Stay tuned 😎. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gman Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 I think the original modeller (whether still here or passed on) would be honoured if you took it across the finish line in the general manner intended. Those are some good bones to work with. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Nunes Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 A nice start towards a model that should be fun to finish and has a good color choice too. 🙂 Joe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 12, 2023 Author Share Posted February 12, 2023 10 hours ago, gman said: I think the original modeller (whether still here or passed on) would be honoured if you took it across the finish line in the general manner intended. Those are some good bones to work with. Yup. And the seller appears to be a general merchandise peddler so that may be the case. It's an older version. If it looks as good in the flesh as it does in the photo, it's just a detailing job. I don't see a hood so it will be running the hot rod engine with no hood, like "CabDriver" Jim's sweet blue '40 coupe (I totally dig that build.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Should you want a Hood just list what you need in the Wanted part of the forum. AMT also offered the sedan '39/'40 Ford. That kit had an option of a '39 Grill and matching Hood or a '40 Grill with the different surround shape and the smaller center section and Hood. Someone is bound to have a left over '40 Hood from one of those kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 13, 2023 Author Share Posted February 13, 2023 (edited) Great info, Dave, I remember the tudor kit (I've been trying to find one for a fair price) Thanks. That kit should be in my hands on Monday. The excitement builds 😀. I'll have some good pix tomorrow. Edited February 13, 2023 by customline Added text Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 If you need a "40 AMT Hood let me know. I just checked one of my old parts boxes and have one. Its painted maroon with the flame decals, from the original issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 14, 2023 Author Share Posted February 14, 2023 (edited) All righty, here it is. It's all there, as far as I can tell with the exception of the aforementioned hood ( thank you David for your offer....more later). There is a broken bumper bracket but the piece is present. The builder, I believe, was not greatly experienced as the engine halves were painted rather than the halves glued together and the seam cleaned up before paint. Also the mold parting lines were not removed on the fenders around the headlights. The fenders will need repainting after they are cleaned up. The green, however, may be salvageable. I tried to clean up an area on the right door that might have been a smear of some sort. I am going to micro-polish and, if there's enough paint on it, let it ride because it looks good, mostly. I suspect it is Testors Extreme Lacquer in "mystic emerald," which I happen to have on hand. Since both engines were painted, the intent of the builder is not evident... I will have my choice. 🤔. The interior tub was sprayed with gloss black. Not good. I like the gray seat but it will need to be dull-coated if I keep it. The original upholstery would have most likely been gray mohair or broadcloth. The tub would need gray also. The red rear axle housing is a non starter for me. The whole undercarriage needs repaint. I do like the color combo and if I keep that, who can fault me for making a few needed paint changes elsewhere? The steel wheels are painted so the intent was to use the stock wheel/tire combo. Sorry, I think it will look better with the mags. Can someone tell me what the things on the chrome tree that I circled are? And maybe post some shots of the instruction sheet? Both of my '40s are Revell. Edited February 14, 2023 by customline 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 14, 2023 Author Share Posted February 14, 2023 Just spent an hour and a half polishing out the body with good results (not great, but as good as any of my paint jobs ever turn out) until I tried to fix a small area of orange peel on the trunk. That would be the circled area in the last picture. Lucky for me, I have a bottle of Testor's metal flake green enamel 🙂....that I couldn't open to save my life. A full bottle that absolutely will not open. 😥 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gman Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 https://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/amt-instructions/automotive-cars--pi/ford/1931-1940/amt-1940-ford-coupe/02.html The chrome items you circled are labelled as "Tornado wheel covers." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 14, 2023 Author Share Posted February 14, 2023 8 hours ago, gman said: https://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/amt-instructions/automotive-cars--pi/ford/1931-1940/amt-1940-ford-coupe/02.html The chrome items you circled are labelled as "Tornado wheel covers." That's fantastic, Greg! The whole instruction sheet on line! That's a huge help for us cheapskates trying to save a buck by buying started, bagged, incomplete, open box and glue bomb kits off Ebay. 😃. Seriously, I appreciate your help. I wonder if the original builder didn't read the instructions all the way through to find out about the holes you need to open in the body to attach various trim pieces, you know, before painting it . I already screwed it up so it's all good. I'm going to attempt to open that bottle of green metal flake with an 8" adjustable and vise-grips today. I refuse to let the Testor's monster win. 😠 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 1 hour ago, customline said: That's fantastic, Greg! The whole instruction sheet on line! That's a huge help for us cheapskates trying to save a buck by buying started, bagged, incomplete, open box and glue bomb kits off Ebay. 😃. Seriously, I appreciate your help. I wonder if the original builder didn't read the instructions all the way through to find out about the holes you need to open in the body to attach various trim pieces, you know, before painting it . I already screwed it up so it's all good. I'm going to attempt to open that bottle of green metal flake with an 8" adjustable and vise-grips today. I refuse to let the Testor's monster win. 😠 A thought on opening your paint bottle. I have had similar issues with paint bottles and found placing them in warm water upside down so the screw on cap is submerged. The warm water will sometimes soften the paint residue between the bottle and the cap. I used to use the edge of the bottle to wipe off the excess paint from my paint brush and have found that even a small bit of paint on the edge of the bottle or the cap will act like glue when they dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gman Posted February 14, 2023 Share Posted February 14, 2023 Placing the bottle upside down wth a few drops of lacquer thinner dripped into the edge of the lid may work as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 14, 2023 Author Share Posted February 14, 2023 10 minutes ago, espo said: A thought on opening your paint bottle. I have had similar issues with paint bottles and found placing them in warm water upside down so the screw on cap is submerged. The warm water will sometimes soften the paint residue between the bottle and the cap. I used to use the edge of the bottle to wipe off the excess paint from my paint brush and have found that even a small bit of paint on the edge of the bottle or the cap will act like glue when they dry. A good thought, David. I learned some years ago that keeping the threads of the bottle cleaned off and also the inside of the caps wiped clean with lacquer thinner(which I clean my brushes with) pays off. I am religious about it. This bottle is old but never used as far as I can recall. I tried running the cap under full hot water like my mom taught me when I was 4 years old and then used pliers and, with great risk to all the crowns in my mouth, used all the strength I have left in my 70 year old arthritic paws, the freeking SOB still would not open. Today I will take that SOB outside and open it one way or another. I will not be denied! 👹 ....but thanks for helping 🤓 4 minutes ago, gman said: Placing the bottle upside down wth a few drops of lacquer thinner dripped into the edge of the lid may work as well. Thank you, Greg. See above. (I will try that 🥴) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 14, 2023 Author Share Posted February 14, 2023 Stubborn Bottle update: The G-man is given credit for supplying the effective solution. Thank you, Greg! And now the rest of the story.....turned out that bottle was not a new, unused bottle of green metal flake. It was left over from a build I still have not found in my volume of finished works. It had been thinned with lacquer thinner and was of no use as a brush-on touch-up for this situation. 😕 I did, however gain a nice green tint on some of my digits 😎 👌 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 14, 2023 Author Share Posted February 14, 2023 Some thoughts about the AMT '40 coupe kit: The "custom tires"( Polyglas Goodyears) and the Keystone Classics date the version of this kit squarely in the late '60s/ early '70s. The tires seem way too wide but a backyard hot rodder might have oversized his tires for the "look". The Keystones might have been a budget buster but they look awesome. A week's paycheck for sure. The "custom" engine, an Olds Rocket ( a 394 out of a '61 maybe? A hand-me-down from Uncle Will?) with the J-2 option makes a lot of sense. The chrome exhaust provided for the drag/custom build is a non-starter for me. I'll need to go with home-mades. The metal flake makes no sense in the context of a home-built hot rod (gray primer very likely) so maybe our hot rodder gets a promotion and becomes the night manager of the Goodyear store he has worked in since high school. 😀 . Now he can get his body shop buddy to shoot the metal flake. Problem solved!....but what about the black fenders? Well, black paint is much cheaper than that emerald green flake. Cost cutter. I dunno. Developing a narrative to explain a 1:25 hot rod wastes a lot of time. 😕 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 19, 2023 Author Share Posted February 19, 2023 In the beginning..... Well, the Speedster is in the box and this '40 has taken its place in the rotation with the slightly chopped '40, the 300-B, a yellow '69 Boss 302, a '65 Impala ragtop, and ....uh... something else.....anyway... The chrome dropped front axle has been "Easy-Offed" and I absolutely will not tolerate a steel rod running through it. I believe it's common knowledge how to fix this so just a few pictures to tell the story. Also the painted parts like engine blocks and wheels are in the bath for a few days. I tried to remove paint with Easy Off and after an hour or so it did have a positive effect but spraying it on isn't the way to go. Submerging in it would do the job much better. All I have on hand is the aerosol. I rinsed the parts and dropped them in purple power, which is probably safer to handle anyway. It did, however, make the plating on the front axle disappear in a matter of a few minutes. If the 394 rocket looks promising after assembly and paint, I will use it because I have a real one out in my back shed that I will very likely never use. Otherwise I have the flathead from the Revell '40 that is built and is currently homeless. Failing that, there's a small block Chevy (eww 😣) from the roadster kit, as a last resort. Obviously, it can use a bit more work. But not by me. Maybe a kingpin effect....🤓 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 21, 2023 Author Share Posted February 21, 2023 Gotta get the nose down. The dropped axle brings it down a little but not enough for me. I hollowed out the crossmember to get that beautiful nose a few mms closer to the pavement. The rear flange of the front crossmember had to be reduced in depth to make room for the axle beam. Much of the mods done here won't be easily visible. The fenders are still in the pond so I can't really see how this rake will look yet. Tube shocks will need to be added as I have removed the stock type friction shocks and related hardware. I filled those stupid slots in the rear backing plates; same as the fronts. This kit has some very toy-like elements that necessitate some extra work. The chassis has some molded-in features that I had to remove. I will need to create new flooring later on as a result. I don't know how others do this but I found an easy way for me. I drilled small holes from the bottom to locate the perimeter of the cut and, on the top side, used Dymo tape to guide my scribing tool. I use the BMF scribe tool for the first "pilot" grooves. Then I remove the Dymo tape and follow with the Tamiya tool which is very aggressive. It cuts fast and deep. Makes the job easy. Then I clean up the edges with a blade. The styrene in this kit is pretty soft. Thanks for looking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOBLNG Posted February 21, 2023 Share Posted February 21, 2023 Nice mods so far. The OB did a good job on that paint job and the kit deserves some of your lovin.😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 21, 2023 Author Share Posted February 21, 2023 Yeah I appreciate that, Greg, but the needed work was not done before paint on the fender module. It had to be done. My impression is the black was done by the builder and the green was done by someone more experienced. I polished out the green and there are some things that need correcting. Since the hood was lost before it came to me, I would reasonably assume it was intended to be including in the finished build. I think that it's also safe to assume the project was abandoned due to lack of interest. I have, therefore, decided to take this build in a direction that I am able to take it. This is not a simple put-it- together situation. The kit is a crappy interpretation of a 1940 ford with toy-like elements that I just can't live with. Compared to the Revell kit, it's a wonder anyone would want to build this one out-of-box. 🤔. Here's two possibilities that I can live with. I'm gravitating toward the top photo. I may use the kit's custom bumpers, they're pretty cool. The gold firewall and the snow white interior against the black suede is awesome. I just may go with the Revell '40 flathead if the AMT Olds Rocket wants to be somewhere else. Gotta go where it takes me. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 One thing to remember about this kit. The design and first release was around 1960 and was sort of the leader in model kit design at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slotto Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 I'm with you Jimbo. I dig that black one and what's next to the blue one 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullybeef Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 I’m liking all the additional detail you are giving this old kit. Following along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 24, 2023 Author Share Posted February 24, 2023 On 2/22/2023 at 4:27 PM, espo said: One thing to remember about this kit. The design and first release was around 1960 and was sort of the leader in model kit design at the time. Yup, I know, I'm just venting, Dave. The Revell kit has spoiled me. We didn't know any better back then. It was what it was. Now it is what it is 🥴. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customline Posted February 24, 2023 Author Share Posted February 24, 2023 On 2/22/2023 at 4:32 PM, Slotto said: I'm with you Jimbo. I dig that black one and what's next to the blue one 😉 Since I have no hood, and that look is pretty bad-ass, these examples illustrate where this one is taking me. I tend to lean toward the murdered-out look. It's very hooligan. 😈 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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