The Challenger From "The Deuce Of Spades"-Completed 02-25

[Bernard Kron]

The new hot rod movie Deuce of Spades is constructed around the story of an absolutely breathtaking black Deuce highboy which is the mythic star of the picture. But as stunning as it is, my eye was drawn to the car driven by the antagonist in the movie, "Fresno". It's a truly striking bright red '29 A-V8 on Deuce rails with a signature bare aluminum hood. When I saw it, I knew I had to build it.

Here it is as it appears in the film:

Unfortunately the car only appears for about 15 minutes in the middle of the picture and there are few detail shots of it. So I starting searching on the internet in the hopes of finding shots of it before it starred in the movie, hopefully with more mechanical and interior details. After a lot of work I found the Photobucket account for the car's builder which had quite a few shots. Here are some:

If I couldn't model the iconic bare metal hood with all its louvers there was no sense in pursuing this project. Fortunately I had a resin hood I got from Replicas and Miniatures Co. of Maryland that's designed to mate the AMT '29 Ford Roadster to a Revell Deuce Grill shell when sitting on a set of Revell Deuce frame rails. I also had some Archer Fine Transfer louver decals so I combined them to model the hood. Here's a picture showing the steps involved beginning with the layout tape to help align the rows and ending with the hood finished out in Testors Metalizer Buffable Aluminum Plate:

Also necessary was to adapt the Revell frame to the Model A body shell and to convert it to a buggy spring rear end as used on the 1:1. This involved shortening the rear ends of the rails, narrowing the floor panel and cutting a slot for the Model A arched cross member:

I'm using the AMT kit interior bucket but I've added the bolster across the top from the seat in the Revell '32 Ford Roadster kit as well as some styrene rolls along the sides. I'll also add some pleated side panels and seating surfaces as seen on the 1:1.

Incidentally the 1:1 is powered by a small block Chevy and as you can see the car is pretty basic. In the film they make a point to say that the car is very fast and its source of motivation a mystery. But the movie is set in 1955 and owned by a young kid so it would be highly unlikely to be Chevy V8 powered. So I'm installing a period correct full race flathead with 4 Strombergs and Evans heads. More on that in the next installment…

Continued Below....

Edited February 25, 2011 by gbk1

[Bernard Kron]

Here are some frame and body mockups:

Thanx for lookin’,

B.

[W-409]

That real thing looks very good. It's also great to see that when something gets finished, it will not take long time when next project is on its way. Nice job so far, that hood looks very good, I think. Interesting project you got there, I'll be watching this one...

[tim boyd]

Lookin' really good so far. And I agree with your revised choice of engine/power. Keep up the great work....TIM BOYD

[Smart-Resins]

This oughta be cool!

[Danno]

Nice!

[voljeepx]

Bernard, amazing work so far! This car is awesome, and you are doing it justice! Nothing quite like a Model A on Deuce rails!

[Raul_Perez]

Look at you go!!

You are an old-school, hot rod building animal!!

At this pace, you'll have that one finished in time for the NNL!!

Keep up the GREAT work!!

Later,

[Bernard Kron]

Thanks for the extremely generous words, guys! :rolleyes:

Now for an update regarding the engine. For those of you who haven't caught this flick yet, Johnny Callaway is the hero of the picture and the builder/owner/driver of the Deuce of Spades. A friend of mine reminded me that in the director's commentary (which I had watched) Faith Granger (the director) points out that the line in the movie that Fresno's car has "triple trouble" just like the Deuce of Spades is code for Johnny Callaway's TriPower SBC under the hood. Early in the movie Johnny Callaway' s pals sneak a peak under the hood when Johnny's not around to figure out why the Deuce of Spades is unbeatable. They learn that Callaway has an early example of the lightweight small-block Chevy which he's gotten from GM. He's adapted triple Stromberg 97's and boosted the power from 162 hp out to 250. In the group is a little kid, somebody's cousin and he's from Fresno. The back story is that he gives the Deuce of Spades' secret away when he goes back home and thus The Challenger is born. The actual line in the movie is pretty incontrovertible evidence that at the very least the car has three carburetors, and that the director/writer intends it to be powered the same way as the Callaway car.

The fascinating thing is that GM actually was known to have done this in California, I guess to generate some "street buzz" on their hot new motor. So I guess I'll bag my 4-carb full race flattie for another project (those Evans heads look mighty sweet...) and build up a three carb SBC (I have a manifold for it). Darn!

All of this serves to remind me that the movie is a romantic fantasy and it's probably wise to respect this. The Challenger's car looks at its best without the windshield (but then what car doesn't?) so I'm building it as seen in the movie.With details like it's whitewall tires, quick change rear end, profuse louvers, baby moons, bare metal hood and rolled and pleated interior, all on a largely stock body with a relatively conservative stance, the car has a "contemporary traditional" look to it that's shared by the movie as a whole. So I think I'll stick as close to the the car's signature look as I can.!

As an aside, regarding the whole issue of the "contemporary traditional" look, on the builder's Photobucket alongside photos of his car are pictures of the Wally Parks A-V8 which is clearly his inspiration. It's instructive to compare the two.

[lordairgtar]

You should put this build thread over on the H.A.M.B. Faith Grainger is a poster there and I am sure she would love to see the build progress.

[Jantrix]

Really nice work. I'm diggin it.

[Bernard Kron]

Thanx again!

You should put this build thread over on the H.A.M.B. Faith Grainger is a poster there and I am sure she would love to see the build progress.

Yeah, she's Hiboy Girl. Her posts when she was refurbishing her Deuce while she was shooting the film were fantastic. She is definitely the Real Deal. We'll see how this build goes. I'm sort of genetically programmed to resist doing replicas. My projects tend to drift from the 1:1's. If it looks like it's sticking close to home I might do it. She's certainly a very friendly and approachable person from what I've seen.

[Challenger29]

Let me introduce myself. My name is Jerry Mull and I'm the owner of Challenger, the '29 Ford Hot Rod driven by "Fresno" in the film. I'm also the Production Assistant on DEUCE OF SPADES and a long list of other credits on the film. I am VERY IMPRESSED with the model you are making of my car!! FANTASTIC! You posted a few photos of the car I had never seen. The photos of the car in front of the barn-like garage were taken in the yard of the car's previous owner, Dave Cox. Dave had bought the car just a few months before he put a fresh red paint job on the car and threw on some rims and tires he had on another chassis. He did this and then turned the keys over to us to use on the film. One of my many tasks on the film was to keep Challenger (and The Deuce) running during production. The first day I saw the car Faith complained that the brakes were locking up. They sure were, three wheels were set-up tight with one completely backed off. The alternator was held on by one bolt and the fan belt squeeled like a pig. Every time Frank O'Leary (Fresno) would punch the gas, it would stall. So I had a few issues to handle, but the car survived the filming process. After filming was done, the car was stuffed in the back of a 40 foot semi-trailer located adjacent to El Mirage Dry Lakebed and forgotten... but not by me! With Faith's help I was able to convince Dave to sell the car to me. I bought the car March 1, 2009 and since then have invested some time and $$$ to make it safe and reliable. The engine is a 1962 Chevy 283 V8 with a two speed Aluminum Powerglide. If you guys want any info on the car or photos, please let me know. BTW, my other two cars are also in the film: the black '55 Chevy and the red '55 Chevy Nomad. I'm the Detective and the Judge in the film, and can be seen in the background in about 9 scenes. Movie magic!

Edited February 6, 2011 by Challenger29

[Challenger29]

A few more comments:

The sound used for my car in the film is that of a '40 Ford Coupe with a built FLATHEAD V8. Faith and I have had several discussions about this and it is assumed that Fresno had a Flathead powered car, and Johnny had a Chevy V8 powered car. So it was a race that symbolized the real battle of powerplants that was going on in 1955, as the new Chevy V8 came on the scene and pushed aside the Ford Flatheads that had dominated racing for decades. The end of an era so to speak. So a Tri-Powered Flathead would be OK to put in the model if you wish. In one shot you see two of the three aircleaners, and nothing else.

There is another person making a large scale model of my car in Canada I believe. 1/8th scale I think. And there are two other folks who are making The Deuce and another Tommy's '35 Ford Pickup in large scale. Last I heard they were going to donate them to the film as a gift. Anyone know about the status of those models?

About rebuilding The Deuce during the filming: Yes I was there during that entire ordeal. We absolutely had to do something about the car's electrical system as we were getting ready to film the Deuce's modern era engine compartment for the first time AND the Deuce had a bunch of electrical/carburetor problems making the car very unreliable. We had a ton of filming to do, and that just wouldn't work! (The breakdown and hot wiring scene shown in the film was based on a real experience Faith had when driving the car on the freeway to El Mirage. She is very good at solving wiring problems). So Jimmy Severino, Faith and I spent many late evenings re-wiring the car and doing other tasks. First of all we added a PowerGen which is an Alternator that looks like a vintage Generator. Then we re-wired the car, front to back. We also re-did the carbs and fuel lines, added a Holley Fuel Pump and pressure regulator. The whole project almost came to a halt when Jimmy, the wiring wiz kid, announced he wouldn't be able to help us starting the next day. So we three worked for 25 hours straight on the Deuce to get it running again. Faith sang the "Ballad of Johnny Callaway" for us and brought us coffee and cookies to keep us awake. At 7:30 am we got the Deuce running again. What a relief!

Edited December 29, 2010 by Challenger29

[Bernard Kron]

Let me introduce myself. My name is Jerry Mull and I'm the owner of Challenger, the '29 Ford Hot Rod driven by "Fresno" in the film. ....The sound used for my car in the film is that of a '40 Ford Coupe with a built FLATHEAD V8. Faith and I have had several discussions about this and it is assumed that Fresno had a Flathead powered car, and Johnny had a Chevy V8 powered car. So it was a race that symbolized the real battle of powerplants that was going on in 1955, as the new Chevy V8 came on the scene and pushed aside the Ford Flatheads that had dominated racing for decades. The end of an era so to speak. So a Tri-Powered Flathead would be OK to put in the model if you wish. In one shot you see two of the three aircleaners, and nothing else. ...

Wow Jerry, more Deuce of Spades magic! When I saw your handle I thought, "No, it couldn't be…" Cool! Thanks for jumping on and sharing some of the inside info on your car. I new about the dubbed flathead audio, which I think Faith mentioned on one of her posts on the H.A.M.B but forgot about it. So I'm back to the flattie after all, this time with three 97's. I have some very nice Evans heads and Fenton style headers and a Mallory mag. I'll do my best to make sure I do the mill (and the back story) justice. It's obvious that Fresno's car was Fast!

Also, thanx for the dope on the wheels. The front reversed rims seemed a bit odd. I think I'll go with period correct '40 Ford wheels. But I'm sticking with the whitewalls, they are definitely part of the look of The Challenger!

Thanx for the compliments. I'll try hard to live up to the commitment and vision that Faith and you and the whole Deuce of Spades family have shown in bringing us this marvelous hot rod fable.

B.

[Challenger29]

Thanks for the reply Bernard and your nice comments. We put alot of heart and soul into the movie and it's obvious that it has struck a cord with you. Actually that was our goal in making this film! We wanted to help re-vitalize the era of the Traditional Hot Rod. It's very flattering that you chose to do a model of Challenger. I love the car too. It has a great look.

In regards to the wheels, I'm baffled too. Dave told me that he got them from another chassis he had laying around. The wheels are NOT Ford rims. They required 1" thick adapters to mate to the vintage Ford drums. The bolt pattern is not Ford. I think from their design they are Chrysler wheels. The front wheels/tires are 6.70x15" and the rears are 7.50x16". However the adapters did make it possible to have a set of very low profile smoothie hubcaps (hubcap clears the protruding axle & hubs). These adapters do make the track width of the car wider and maybe more stable. If I weren't so concerned about keeping the car looking like it did in the film, I'd remove the adapters and I would put '53-'56 Ford pickup wheels (15") up front, and '46-'48 Ford wheels (16") out back. And I'd probably use 1940 Ford Deluxe hubcaps or 1948 Ford hubcaps all around.

If you need any photos of the interior, or other areas, please let me know. -Jerry:>)

Edited January 9, 2011 by Challenger29

[Bernard Kron]

Thanks for the reply Bernard and your nice comments. We put alot of heart and soul into the movie and it's obvious that it has struck a cord with you. Actually that was our goal in making this film! We wanted to help re-vitalize the era of the Traditional Hot Rod. ...In regards to the wheels, I'm baffled too. Dave told me that he got them from another chassis he had laying around. The wheels are NOT Ford rims. They required 1" thick adapters to mate to the vintage Ford drums. The bolt pattern is not Ford. I think from their design they are Chrysler wheels. The front wheels/tires are 6.70x15" and the rears are 7.50x16". However the adapters did make it possible to have a set of very low profile smoothie hubcaps (hubcap clears the protruding axle & hubs). These adapters do make the track width of the car wider and maybe more stable. If I weren't so concerned about keeping the car looking like it did in the film, I'd remove the adapters and I would put 1953 Ford pickup wheels (15") up front, and '46-'48 Ford wheels (16") out back. And I'd probably use 1940 Ford Deluxe hubcaps or 1948 Ford hubcaps all around.

Thanks for the follow up, Jerry. The new pics show how nice you've gotten the car to look. I'll think some more about the wheels but definitely will go with 15's on the front and 16's on the back. This originally was going to be a fairly casual build, but, like the movie, it's starting to take on a life of its own. As I mentioned earlier I'm not by nature a replica builder. I tend to focus on the "feeling" the completed model projects. But I think it's important to "show respect to" the mythic character of The Challenger, which it shares with the Deuce of Spades and which, of course, you all took such great care to transfer to film. (Isn't it interesting how this is a work of fiction which all those whom it touches feel obliged to treat as if it somehow has become fact?). As a result I think that all the particular details of the model may not necessarily be the ones that were physically photographed for the film, but they most certainly should be the ones that are in the car we imagine we saw on film. That will be my guiding principal.

Pictures of the interior and any comments you have about it would be invaluable. I already now that my rolls along the tops of the doors are too fat and need to be changed. I also noticed that the car has pleated door panels and seating surfaces which I 'll need to add. Also, the upholstery is two toned, black and a deep burgundy, I think. The transition from the roll along the rear deck to the side panels is something that still eludes me. What is the steering wheel (and what would it be?). It looks like a modern rendition of a Bell four spoke or similar. This seems all too wonky to me, but the overall impact will be the sum of the details so it''s best to ask now...

Thanks again for your interest.

B.

Edited December 29, 2010 by gbk1

[Bernard Kron]

Well there goes my build...Bernard beat me to it Cant wait to see it done Bernard.

Why don't you build one too, Donnie? The car has a mythic character that leaves it open to a variety of interpretations.

Edited December 29, 2010 by gbk1

[Challenger29]

Donnie, you really should make a model too. I suspect there will be quite a few modelers out there wanting to make models of The Deuce or Challenger. Heck, they might even make a kit someday, who knows!

I edited my earlier post and added an interior shot for you. I have many more photos if you'd like. The interior is as you say black & burgundy tuck and roll. Dash rail is chrome, but dash itself is black semigloss. The steering wheel is a dished Track Style Wheel. In the film its a bit larger diameter, but impractical to live with as my hand (and the actor's) was continually hitting the shift lever and kicking it out of or into gear. Not good! I think it's 15". The seat belts are Deist aviation style belts, about 3" wide. The car's brake pedal is to the left of the steering column, requiring that I drive with both feet. That took awhile to get used to!

As I recall from Faith's Blogs at her site, I believe the modelers who are working in 1/8th scale are trying to duplicate the cars exactly. I appreciate the fact that most of you guys don't want to go that far with your projects, it's just too much effort. And as you say it's your interpretation of the car. I like that!

Speaking of Modelers, how would you like to be the Computer Graphics Artist who had to "Model" my car in 3D CGI for the film? Faith and Pete Torres sent him over 700 photos of every angle of my car, including shots with my car on a forklift. The finished onscreen results are pretty amazing aren't they? -Jerry:>)

[Danno]

Jerry,

Thanks for chiming in and adding so much first-hand information! This is a real treat!

I may have to put one together, too, because you've certainly given the Challenger a personality and begun a legend all at once! Thanks for sharing with us!

Bernie, rock on! Can't wait to see your build develop.

[Bernard Kron]

Is this too cool or what?!

... I edited my earlier post and added an interior shot for you. .... The car's brake pedal is to the left of the steering column, requiring that I drive with both feet. That took awhile to get used to!

As I recall from Faith's Blogs at her site, I believe the modelers who are working in 1/8th scale are trying to duplicate the cars exactly. I appreciate the fact that most of you guys don't want to go that far with your projects, it's just too much effort. And as you say it's your interpretation of the car. I like that!

Speaking of Modelers, how would you like to be the Computer Graphics Artist who had to "Model" my car in 3D CGI for the film? Faith and Pete Torres sent him over 700 photos of every angle of my car, including shots with my car on a forklift. The finished onscreen results are pretty amazing aren't they? -Jerry:>)

Thanks again, Jerry. The interior pic is just what I needed. I won't worry about the pedal placement. My car will have a manual transmission! Regarding accuracy, my inevitable "drift" from meticulous accuracy is already "in play" with the discussion about the wheels. Another area will most likely be the rear deck louvers. The Archer decal louvers are not very tall and tend to get buried under paint. While they work well under thin metallic paint as I used on the hood, under layers of primer, color and gloss they tend to get lost. So I'm considering using the louvered rear deck from the Drag city Casting which is based on the Revell '32 Ford 5-window coupe. It adapts fairly easily:

The other option is to paint the car and wait until I'm ready for the final color coat and clear and apply the resin decals. I suspect it still won't be "strong" enough. I haven't decided which way to go yet, but as you can see the molded deck lids louver pattern is the reverse of your louvers (top to bottom V). A far more skilled modeler than me would make a deck lid out of brass and punch louvers in it!

Regarding the CGI, this is another DOS "miracle" (to quote Faith). It's great to know what was involved. When I saw the underside of the Challenger during the climax to the final racing scene I wondered how it was done. Thanks again for another DOS insider's tale!

[Eshaver]

I see another model article for Still Runnin magazine ! Ed Shaver

[2002p51]

Have you thought about adapting the deck lid from Revell's '32 Ford?

Might work?

[Bernard Kron]

Have you thought about adapting the deck lid from Revell's '32 Ford?...Might work?

Drew:

Thanks. Yes I have, see post #22 above.

B.

Edited December 29, 2010 by gbk1

[Challenger29]

Speaking of louvers, between the hood and rear deck there are 262 louvers on the car. That's alot to model!

One thing that would help you would be a photo of the CA license plate used in the film. I just added it here. Another little story for you: Before I got involved with the film Faith had made some fake 1951 CA Plates with taped on '55 tags. They were very thin and looked a bit washed out. So for the Saugus Drag Strip Scene (actually filmed on a person's personal airstrip in Agua Dulce, CA) I made 65 fake CA plates. They were beautiful, but for a close-up, they might not work. So when it came to the scene where you see the rears of The Deuce and Challenger, Faith asked me to put a real plate on the car. Now where would I find that? Keep in mind that we are at a remote location and Challenger had no provision to bolt on a plate. We were taping paper plates onto the cars as it was. Another of our DOS Miracles: my buddy AJ had a single REAL plate in the trunk of his black '29 roadster. So I quickly taped it, along with a phoney '55 tag, to the back of the car and off we went. After I bought the car, AJ gave me that plate as a gift, and I had it restored. It's now on the wall next to Challenger with some of my DOS keepsakes. -Jer:>)

Edited January 9, 2011 by Challenger29