customline

OK. Took a shot today with a 54f/48% RH day and sprayed this puppy using Testor's Extreme Lacquer. Let it be known that I am eager to bring this one home and that my paint efforts sometimes end badly (and once in a while turn out well.) This one seems to be headed to a do-over but with some good advice from one of you paint gurus, I may be able to complete this project with my dignity intact ?. As you all know, Testor's rattle cans are so bad that saying they suck is an insult to sucking. I have to use a pistol grip attachment in order to push the valve, giving me better control.....and I still messed it up. So....what's my next step to get this thing right? Anyone? This is a single coat so I wouldn't plunge it in the pond....not yet. I'm thinking a little sanding with 1000, and maybe decant the rest and go with my airbrush?

I have lusted for this kit for years. I shall be following with envy. Got Easy-Off? ? . By the way, you may need to get a little extra room for the big FE.

David, I looked at the Proton. Your dedication to an idea is to be admired. Wow. It's straight out of Popular Science circa 1953. If Batman was in the market for a cool ride....just wonderfully original. OK, the flip-nose thing....it was kinda necessary to allow the construction of this body on this chassis. I have a pile of individual parts that make up the body with no visible means of support. I wanted to use the so called "38 Ford Custom Van" chassis because it is a cool chassis and I have been wanting to do something with it (but not a "'38 Ford Custom Van") Now that I have my engine, I can move ahead with the modifications to the chassis, get it painted and get the wheels on; right now its very difficult to mock up all the elements at once. I need a completed chassis in order to pull it all together. I'm thinking about colors but I don't have all the re-engineering done because of the building sequence. It's a bit frustrating but i need the mental activity. I'm 3 years retired now and stuff like this actually makes me use my brain ?.

Mini update: Got the flip front hinge in place. I thought it wise to leave some slop in the hinge to facilitate alignment and let those little magnets that I'm so fond of do the rest. Once everything is together and the kinks are out, I'll tighten up the hinge if I can. I fiddled with fitting stuff(sanding, filling, sanding , etc...) decided what to do with the frame covers (running board eliminators?) I found it necessary to extend them a little so they would not have a gap at the rear fenders. I removed what looks like a step in anticipation of using some sort of side exhaust. Oh, and I got an engine. Some of you won't like it but it's a nice big powerful V8 and not commonly seen in this environment. I borrowed it from the AMT '66 442 kit. It's a nicely detailed 400 cid with tri-power with a 4 speed out back. I won't be using the W30 induction setup because there won't be room. I'd rather see the trips anyway. Thanks for checking in.

Very cool, Jim, I enjoyed watching this build. ?

Sorry, Bil, but that's like saying "don't look at that pimple on Jennifer Lopez's butt. ?

Your assessment of my situation is correct. Your signature line says it all. This "kit" has been sitting on the shelf, calling my name, for a few years....my intention, at time of purchase, was to honor the Classic Auburn Speedster with an OOB build. The photos on Ebay were not adequate to describe fully what I would be receiving. I knew it was a "started" kit and I figured I just needed to finish it. How bad could it be, anyway? Right? I had been looking for a true "Classic" for a while, you know, a pre-war Caddy or a Lincoln.....an Imperial.....and the Speedster seemed perfect and the "cost-plus-shipping" was below my self-imposed limit. What could possibly go wrong? ? So, look....you can fix anything with some Evergreen and CA and Bondo. The question I had to answer was "what can I do with this box of excrement? " ?

OK, here's what I'm thinking....a blue tooth ear bud in the trunk. "Alexa! Play Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino!".....heh heh heh.....☺️....no....I'm kidding,

Ooooo .....look at that adorable little motor ?! Seriously? what does that puppy run on? Buttons? Ooo.......wait, no....solar? ?

Yep! Color is perfection. Chopped and channelled three window.....it don't get much better, Bill-e-boy!

Man, that frame sure is ugly ?. The flatty, she's a beauty now! ? The colors work beautifully.

Jes trying da hep?

that's easy for you to say!. No, really, I'm having a blast screwing with this pile of recycled plastic. Thanks for hangin!

Hey, Bil, don't forget to paint the battery next time you have the s.g. black open ? the flatty looks dynamite ?

If you are familiar with the Lindberg '35 Auburn Speedster, you can skip ahead. You can see from the Instructions the chassis is the major component onto which everything is attached. Without it, well.....I am discovering how insane my idea was to use a different chassis. ? In order to join the fuselage to the tail section, I needed to add some material to the inside of the "boat-tail" and to the the rear fender assembly, creating a structure that could serve as alignment and gluing surfaces. I glued E-green strips to the mating sections and added brass pins for alignment. It worked okay but the mating of these sections looks pretty bad. The reason for this extra work is to allow attachment of these assemblies after paint and finishing. The original assembly process is totally out the window. I think that painting this thing would have been tricky anyway, but ? now..... In order to remedy this issue I decided the easiest way for me was to add a skin to the bottom of the body so that it meets the tail. Not great, but better ?. Bondo to follow.

It's hard to wire those darn flathead distributors. I have not seen one from a kit that depicts it well. It looks like you did your homework, though. The whole project is moving ahead nicely, Bil. Thumbs up ? on the color.

EXCELLENT !!! ? I really love this build, Jim. I am going to steal all your ideas. Seriously, I love the concept and style and yes, the color is refreshingly cool. This is one great '40 coupe!

Thanks, Joe, I agree with that engine idea. I will very likely run normally routed exhaust. I eliminated the holes in the fender and have fabricated the flip front. A side exhaust is a possibility. I have a pair of Corvette side pipes, somewhere, that may work for this. I'm feeling my way along in the dark.

Me too, David. It's my next task. I need to make the necessary changes to the chassis. I don't have many choices in my junkyard and I hate to bust another kit. ?

I thought that seat looked familiar. Perfect! Re-upholstered original springs. A high school driver! It could work.

Greg, you are totally welcome to express your empassioned artistic opinion on my thread any time you want....PERIOD ! Seriously, you need to be careful if you have the old "laminate " flooring. Get the juice up very quickly ?

I have a vague childhood memory of a AMT Trophy kit with an Allison aircraft engine. it must have been a "drag" or "competition " option in a kit to build some mystery pre-war hot rod

The buckets are too cheap looking.. a re-upholstered original spring.. The bench looks a bit too narrow but a bench is the best choice for a tiny car like the '34. Is it a driver, a kid's car? And when? Go with a bench, mho.

What kit was the Allison from? By the way, I used the '34 ford sides for a templates because they had a curve in them and the side panels of the Auburn were flat. I made flat side panels from evgrn sheet.

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