customline

Vent windows were a necessity in the summer months if you didn't have A/C (or it didn't work ?) They were a deluxe feature in the early days that became a standard thing eventually. I think the manufacturers eliminated them to sell more A/C equipped vehicles. Can you still buy a vehicle without A/C? Greg, it looks like the it's a no-go on the T-Bird roof. I kinda liked it . ?

Yeah, ditto that. I spent a few ebay sessions trying to find one at a decent price but I'm glad I gave up ( I'm happy with my Edsel ?.) It takes a very methodical, patient, experienced....any way, that's why I gave up on it, the truth be known. I like the idea of adding filler to CA; I need to try that. Nice work, David!

Yessiree, this is shaping up to be a right proper worm can! ? (a cracked windshield is always nice, Rob. ?)

Wow, man, you have my attention! Let's see what else you've got going! ..... Now what did you do with the rest of that Fury? ?

One thing that reeeeeeeeeeeeeealy bothers me about this kit (and all of it's siblings) is the idiotic firewall which is no firewall at all. They put the emphasis on hinging the hood but that rendered the firewall as...well...observe? And it looks unfinished; there's a void between the thing that serves as a firewall and the interior tub. ? the bell housing and transmission, I guess, is supposed to hide the emptiness. Not to worry. I have plenty of Evergreen in my drawer. The floor/ toeboard/transmission tunnel is easy enough to close up with some sheet and CA. The firewall is a bit more complicated. I had decided to just go with the kit hinge and maybe try to cover the weird thing and to try closing the hinge openings....nah. It was time to make a wire hinge. That allowed much smaller slots and a smooth "custom" firewall. I added pieces of strip to build out the low sections and cut slots in some .015 sheet for a veneer. It's not perfect by any means but I can add a few details to a flat wall now and still have an opening, hinged hood. I cannot imagine building this kit straight out of the box. That's it for now, thanks for stopping by ?

I was looking to see if Buick had a version of the Nomad and I ran across this. https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1957-BUICK-CENTURY-CUSTOM-WAGON-138984 Pretty cool, huh? ?

Oh how true ?

I say add some Buick portholes (Roadmaster portholes ?) and keep the 'Bird lid. Then see if you can find a '57 Desoto front bumper and some '58 Edsel tail lights. Awesome! ?

Don't sweat the running boards, Len. They take a beating. The rubber dries out from sun exposure and cracks and then the salty winter roads rust the metal away and...well then you have a nicely weathered running board. ?.

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 ?