customline

...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!

That's a very good point, David. I'm sorry if my comment has offended.

Yeah....I know.....sorry ?

Well they are a very fine choice, Mike, and I was wondering where they came from ?.

Thanks for checking in on this, a Trevor, your take on it seems to be echoing. My dad was fond of saying "when in doubt, don't" and I should probably do as he said for once. The .040 half round is going to be difficult to foil around the backlight and the overhang mitigates some of that. But as others have opined, it's not an improvement.

Yeah, Rick, that's what we're paying here. I like the overhang look on the 4 dr ht, it suggests forward swift movement as does the swept B pillar of the nomad. The only way to mock it up properly would be to actually do it due to the bondo work. As a bonus to me, the overhang would avoid an anticipated issue with chrome trim at the top of the glass but once started, there's no going back.. That's why I'm asking and your opinion is appreciated, but you're probably right about cluttering. Thanks!

Mmmmm.....naaaah.....I was thinking like this and I could eliminate the two vertical elements for a full, one piece wraparound backlight. Thanks for your input, Eric, that's a cool pick-up!

David, I think I would just remove it if it won't ruin the "glass"( or the paint job) doing so. The blue clashes with the body color. Maybe if you have something more purple for the tint? Or just eliminate the tint altogether.

What I was referring to was a plate (a decal?) With the "Futura" script like on the 1:1 reference photo. I'm just a little down on Monogram these days, don't mind me ?

I just thought I'd stick this up to see if anyone feels like I do about it. The gentlemen in the photo seem to be discussing the esthetics of this interesting modification. The body language of the man on the right may just be due to some hot dogs he had earlier. Feel free ?. Anyway, I needed to mock up the engine room to see how much leeway I have so I can do something with this absurd firewall. To save work and avoid some frustration, I figured I would use the kit hinge but I would like to make it look more like an actual firewall. So I had to assemble the engine ? Nice, huh? I guess a half a starter is better than....no....no it's not. I also noticed the thing that represents the flywheel cover was also in need of....correction. I've got to be honest, though. I stole the original kit engine some time ago and replaced it a while back with an ebay find. Note to self: check the other kit. I glued a piece of sheet in the low area and removed the half starter. A piece of sprue solved the problem. Since this build is all about me pushing my scratchbuilding limits and not creating an accurate '57 Chevy, I'm going with the kit hinge and a patch-up job on the firewall and some other design flaws in the area. The next photo shows my attempt to add some backlight and bed trim using .040 half-round with varying results. This my prove to be a waste of time but I won't know until after it's painted and I start foiling. ? Then I installed the door solenoids ? The kit includes what they call a spoiler and its intended to be mounted on the top of the tailgate. I'm considering adding it to the rear edge of the roof as an overhang like the four door hardtops of '59 and '60. Please try to talk me out of it. ? As always, your comments are welcome and may actually change the course of this endeavor. Otherwise, thanks for looking! ?

Thank you for that very informative review! ?

That's kinda an obvious detail the Monogram designers missed. Good eye, David! I like the way you corrected it. Did Mr. Monogram provide the license plate?

I owned one of these back in the late '70s. A $100.00 rust bucket with a cracked block. I'm following! ? https://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/1961-1963-ford-f-series-unibody-trucks/

Please refer the the very first paragraph of this thread ?. But....BUT....WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA!!! I didn't see that one when I was researching. Wow, Len, I love it! And a '56 to boot! It's not a Nomad but it has the tailgate trim. Very cool. When I was a high-schooler, an upper classman drove a '56 Ford that was converted into a Ranchero. Oh man.....I just got a great idea ?...oh no....another great idea ?

Yeah, I thought about that afterward. ? hmmm....the plain one looks better anyway. I dunno...disregard ?

Late to the party, I am glad I found this now. I think the body mods are really well conceived and executed. I love it!

Tires look great, Len. I think the rear mount would look pretty normal on any woody. Be sure to drill out the hub and lugs ?. Would you rather have a wingtip bumper on the back to match the front? I've got a bunch of 'em.

Rick, it sounds like your dad was a lot like mine. One day I dragged home a '56 four door Bel Air hardtop. It had a 265 with a Holley quad that some kid installed on it. I paid $90.00 for it so you can imagine. It didn't grace his driveway for more than a week. Gotta love the roofline on it. The floors were pretty much gone, though. He was doing me a favor.

Thanks, Dave, I was aware of Greg's '55 and seeing his build sorta got me motivated to pick up my razor saw. It surprised me to find out about the roof provided in his kit. I wouldn't have used it because I wanted to preserve the Nomad look as much as possible ( and I don't have one anyway) Seeing his build now, I think it would have kept much of the look by virtue of the angle of the B pillar. It seems to work quite well. When I looked for examples of phantom "El Nomads" I ran across the one at the top of this page. BiNGO! It was exactly what I had in mind. In the photo, it looks like the builder used a second tailgate to create the wall below the backlight, chrome trim and all! Well, I'm not doing that ?. It would eat up too much valuable real estate. After the rear fender wells are added, there ain't much floor space. If I used the rear portion of my interior to make a bed, you might have trouble putting a small cooler and a tackle box back there. Greg, you are spot on about the loss of bed area but I have tried to minimize it. The limiting factor is the kit glass; it dictates where the rear roof section goes. The wall below the backlight became a big player also. Where these things ended up is product of some compromises but esthetics is always in play. I think I have all that well in hand now. Some may not agree but I'm happy with it. Thanks for checking in, guys.

Falfa drove a '55, not a '57! That tells you something. I had the same thought on a '56 Nomad, but plans always seem to wander off course. These Monogram kits are kinda crappy- I don't know what I'm going to do with that ?? firewall. I'm looking for ideas on that...maybe a smooth chrome panel. It's not a fully formed plan ? I don't think I could even sit in a Ranchero, Len. I drive with my seat reclined more than some people would consider safe (like Wifey, for example ?) so when I ran across my "inspiration" photo, I knew I wasn't alone. An extended cab Elco! What a great idea! I just hope I can get it past paint; I keep stumbling there. The bed is going to be quite a problem if I get any orange peel. I've got to find better wheels too. Lots of work ahead on this one.

Thanks, Bob, I hope you're right! ?

On the '57 hood, Alan...agreed. This one is going smooth. To me, though, the '55 is "boxier" by virtue of the broad-faced hood and egg-crate grille which suggest a simple utilitarian function and reminds me of Nash-Ramblers. The '56 parking lights seem to extend the sleeker grille-work to full width. I also prefer the Bel Air side trim of the '56 and the four door hardtop is pretty darn cool.. I always got a kick out of the gas filler, too ....but I prefer the '55 in dragstrip dress over the '56 for sure. Shaved of side trim with radiused rears and a chrome tube axle you can't beat a 210 coupe for a gasser, IMHO.

Thanks, Trevor. '55s are great hot rod material. For '57, I think of Ford, more as a cruiser than a hot rod.....but also as a rust bucket. ?