customline

Thanks, Len, but that ain't sayin' much. It was pretty bad. The body mods are the important thing with this one (for me at least) but I just can't put the rest of it together as is. Let's face it, the kit is pretty poor quality. I'm sure that's common knowledge. ? Not worried. Wifey is busy spending the grocery money on paper craft equipment and couldn't care less what I do. It a symbiotic relationship ?.

I spent some time on the engine today, mostly tedious, neck-ache stuff like re-locating the "new" generator and ignition wiring. Threading the wires through PE looms...you know the drill. Anyway... One thing that hits you as odd is the way the heads locate the exhaust manifolds so that they may end up lining up the molded in pipes on the "chassis". I drilled holes and pinned them. Easy ?. Next I noticed the generator was not in the right place. In fact it looked like it would interfere with the air cleaner/intake duct so I decided the prudent thing would be to locate it where all my reference pics show. I continued to add an oil filter cannister of my own design, and a coil, and a oil filler. Then the dis..... well you know. there's a few more little things I want to add but my neck is killing me ?

Ah ha. If you only use one pair you got your money's worth. ? . Thanks Dave!

Hubcap theft was a popular practice back in those days. ?

I am. I'm a traditionalist and I won't apologize for it. I still have my little hex key on a flex handle to adjust my points with a dwell meter ?.

Uh....mmmm.....no. but in my defense, I have "CRS" . That was good thinking, David! Your planning paid off ....uh.....as planned! ?

Something that irks me (and probably you too) is that the small cylindrical items like oil filters and generators are conical. I get it though, they do that so it will exit the mold. But it bothers me enough to want to fix it. Its easily done so i won't bore you with the obvious. I recently discovered those cone shaped generators are ideal to serve as distributor caps! ?....well at least this time anyway. You even have a guide to drill eight holes around the raised center I inserted the wires through and, from the bottom, filled in with CA to form a solid unit. After it was cured I cut it to size and added a slice of styrene tube to act as the housing and drilled the bottom for a short length of .032 brass wire. Then I gaffed a vacuum advance, painted it like a stock item. I removed the molded in distributor and added an aluminum tube to act as a sleeve and look like the shaft housing. I messed up the angle when drilling the hole to accept the new distributor but don't worry, I feex. Later. Now the reason I had to fab a distributor: See the 1:1 ? See the teeny-weeny 1:24? That's why. ? I'm starting to like 1:24, it's easier to work with ? Next up: repositioning the generator- next for me, that is ?

Thanks, Ken, i hope i can keep it that way. These things have a way of flat-spinning for me sometimes.

Nope. No shame whatsoever, David. You are always here helping everybody on this forum and I know we all appreciate you. I think most everyone knows I don't take myself (or my building skills) very seriously. Especially those coils I made. ? (Mongram didn't provide the springs so they're better than nuthin' ☺️.) I am interested to see what you were talking about so post it here!

Dave, you didn't see my coils? I made some from black bead wire. I took a length of 1/8" tube and drilled a hole through it. Then I stuck a length of 26 GA. bead wire through the hole and wrapped it around till I had enough for a couple of springs. Cut 'em and used my tweezers as a spring compressor and inserted them between the lower A frames and the chassis with a drop of CA for good luck. Not exactly to scale but I had fun doing it and that's what counts, right? Scroll back and look. ?..... didn't even need to paint 'em. Feel free to put up a picture of those things so we can see what you're talking about, Dave. I'm always open to inexpensive off-label items being somewhat of a cheapskate myself ?

I've got the rear as low as I can get it anyway; the shaft change isn't a factor unless I can lower it more. That would mean removing the glued-in unit and cutting off the badly molded springs and adding blocks ...then I would need to raise the top of the tunnel...ya think it's worth it? ? I appreciate your input, but put this one on the list right under "AMT '41 Plymouth" ..maybe if I had a 1/24 IRS setup....a 'Vette or Jag . Next time.

My feeling about the roof is that, as a full-blown show custom its a cool identifiable element. I think it depends on what else you do to make the picture complete like, say, monochrome treatment, rolled pans, a nice teak bed deck, slammed to the asphalt, billet rims, all that. Oh sorry....??

Oh yeah ?. Now we're cookin'!

Smaller tires on the front would put the tail even higher, Len. If I could get the the rear lower, your suggestion would have me hunting for some. Maybe I could put them on the back ?

Viper? Where'd that come from? ?....mmmmm naaah. But the door thing is not beyond your skills, Greg. If I can do it...? I use Dymo tape and a PE razor saw, you can keep the trim as is. Your way is a good one and it seems like you've already done some work to the roof anyway. If it's just the need for a roof, and the porthole is not specifically desired then yeah. As a "Kustom" though, I like the porthole. But then I would be compelled to make more mods for balance....and then down the rabbit hole I go ? don't get me started ?

I'll have to admit, Greg, it's tempting . It's not as wacky as the 3100 roof but it's a Ford thing and it would cause some emotional distress for the brand zealots. The form is well in line with the Nomad's. I may not be alone in saying that I actually like it. ? The risk may be worth the reward. The thing that hits me though, is that it resembles a car with no trunk lid, and not a pick-up. The proportions of the greenhouse compared to the body doesn't work. That was already discussed somewhere. I get away with it due to the '57 fins. My solution, if I was intent to make it work, would be to shorten the door to, let's say, a four-door length and move the roof forward. It might be enough to do the trick. You would need solenoids for the doors but shaving is always an option for me ? Unless, of course you can save the handles or make new ones. I can't wait to see what you decide ?

Thank you, Carl! I would like it to be level or slightly nose down, Bob, but I've reached the limits of the kit (without getting crazy) so I'll just live with it. For those of us wanting a low Nomad, this is not the kit to start with regardless of the low price (Ollie's ?). By the way, Bob, did you see that 1:1 with the truck cab roof? I wondered what you might have to say about it ?.

I'm not totally happy with the stance, the nose dropped but the tail is still where it was. The rear got lowered but not enough to overcome the "leverage." I tried "de-arcing" the springs a bit more but it's starting to look odd u. No matter, it's done. The biggest problem trying to lower this chassis is the driveshaft tunnel. It's not high enough. I can't raise the rear axle any more without the driveshaft hitting the floor. I cut the offset "gears" off the housing and repositioned it to center the shaft but it wasn't enough to allow any further lowering. I'm stuck with the ass-high attitude. The kit shaft was wimpy looking so I made a new one using a parts box shaft and a 5/32 styrene tube. Worked on the third member a bit, removed the shock mounts from the axle housing tubes (I can't believe they did that ?). I'll gaff something that looks better. Almost forgot... I added coils (I'm sure it was just an oversight) Thanks for stopping in.

I have got to stop buying kits.....it's a sickness. I wonder if there's a support group ?......

Calling it done can be hard sometimes but we're not getting any younger and there's so many kits to build yet ?.

Always liked this body style, Len. Do you add anything to the purple power or just use it straight out of the jug? A little birdie wants to know.

And then there's the ride height issue. Kinda high. Too much wheel well showing. It just so happens I am getting a second chance, and I will start at the front....without paint this time (almost.) With a brush I painted the front crossmember on the bottom where it will be impossible to spray after the bottom "suspension " is installed. Since there are no springs to hassle with, the lower A frames are welded to the frame for a nice firm ride. The hubs can now be relocated to the upper A frames ?. The hubs are 1/8 styrene tube filled with .080 rod and drilled for .032 brass. The A frames were drilled through into the frame for a good sturdy attachment so that the wheels might be adjusted simply by bending the wire to get alignment. The kit wheel retainers have 1/8" holes and are a nice tight fit with no wobble. I won't even glue them, just set'em and fuhgettem. Thanks for looking in and please feel free to do whatever. I'm outta here for now. ?

...but getting back to the um....well...because the exhaust is molded to the floor pan the best way to paint the pipes is prior to installing the rear axle/springs unit. So I paint the floor with Ace satin black that, despite being shaken using my recip-saw mix-o-magic thingie, dried glossy. OK, I have some satin clear. I do that after it's all together. Then I do the pipes and I get the wheels ready (it's all about getting it up on all fours, dig?) Then I struggle with the front suspension (do you know the 1957 Chevrolet Nomad has no front springs? Amazing!) And then I apply the CA in the rear spring locations and set the rear axle, with wheels attached (by now I'm super excited to get my awesome custom conversion Nomad standing up for the first time ?) and then....surprise, Jimmy! Houston, we have a problem ? Wait! I have another kit....maybe...maybe I can use that rear end (the flip-nose gasser can wait) from that one... Voila!....oh....?

Yeah, Dave, it's from a '50 or so Chevy 3100 5 Window, I think. Total incongruity. ?. It seems there's quite a variety of these wagon conversions. Some good, some not so good.

This 'Bird is looking awesome, interior is super!