Spex84

Very convincing, I dig the weathering!

Thanks! Well, I knew that steering box was too good to be true...had a look at it again and FAIL: I forgot to account for the length of the pitman arm when placing the box. Can't move it forward (tie rod and radiator in that space) and can't move it back (lower radiator hose off the water pump). So instead of a cross-steer setup, I'll move the box back to tuck in behind the engine mount, rotated 90 degrees to poke through the frame, and run side-steer instead. So silly. I was hoping to keep it looking un-cluttered by using cross-steering, but there just isn't quite enough space.

I'm not as familiar with the ins and outs of the '48's shape as with the '30...but that looks legit to me!

I'm just squinting at the various pics in this thread, but I don't think the wheels in the Rat Rod issue are the same as the Sundance issue (for instance, the Rat Rod mags are all the same diameter and offset)...they DO, however, look like the originals (Red truck box art issue), which are meant to depict early American mags. The chrome threw me off; at first, I thought "ech, these look like cragars, forget it"...but once stripped and painted grey/raw finish they're quite convincing. The Sundance wheels...I don't have any in my stash, but judging from the box art they look a lot like Astro 5-spoke mags, similar to the ones on the Kassa coupe: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eAv_6n_Gzlg/S06qwK0kTAI/AAAAAAAABP0/q2MoQCvE2Ek/s400/Holly.jpg

Whoops, pardon me, I just meant that the upper recessed stampings seem to have been inverted--the actual rib structure and cut-outs in the lower part of the doors look much more accurate to 1:1. My statement was definitely an over-generalization. That's what happens when I get a little too excited and my brain short-circuits! At this point it doesn't bother me if that little detail is off...it won't take much work to correct. Certainly less work than scratch-building interior panels! I built some '29 roadster inner door panels a while back and even that took more time than I'd expected. These new '30 parts will be a great starting point.

Yep, I look at this design and see a lot of details that I like...it's just that they don't quite gel. Overall, I think it needs some adjustment to the proportions and placement of some of the styling elements. It could potentially look much more resolved, while still retaining most of the same details. There were definitely some wacky (and interesting!) designs floating around in the 60s.

Awesome! I love it. I've never seen the crushed-glass trick before, it looks very believable. Great chop, stance, and detailing...gas filler on the C pillar, cowl steering, lakes pipes...great stuff. Cool background, too! Very well done.

Oh, and my thought on the skeleton panel with inverted detail: it's possible that recessed detail resulted in a very thin panel that warped and didn't fit right, so the choice was made to invert it, stiffen the panel, and retain the general "feel". Just a theory...

O.O weird. Could be an illusion?

Those mags also struck me as being too large in diameter. They do however look a bit like Radirs, so they'd go well on a neo-traditional build...for instance, a slammed pickup with watson-style panel paint.

Awesome, thanks for the photos Mike! I've been eagerly waiting for shots of the kit for a week now. Some thoughts: -3 radiators, and electric fans molded into every one. That's nice for the neo-trad builds but no good for hardcore traditional builds. They look good overall though! -tuck'n'roll interior, very nice. I had to adapt the Revell '32 5-window's interior to the Monogram '30 I finished last year to get the same result. It will be great to have the option of just building it out of the box! -skeleton interior is awesome...but they inverted the detail! Everything that is supposed to be indented is raised. I wonder why that was done. -bomber seats look great -deuce grille, beautiful dash insert...lovely stuff -I can't see the wheels clearly, but they look great from here. -Raised firewall detail and overall firewall edge radius= still meh. Needs a Revell '30 tudor or AMT '30 woody piece patched in, and some heavy sanding on the edges. I still can't quite tell if the visor area of the body has been changed since the early leaks. At least this version looks like it has the correct bead running across the top of the visor where it meets the roof, so that's good. This kit can't get here soon enough, IMHO.

Thanks guys A little more progress has been made on this one. Since the last update: -driveshaft cut down from a parts-box unit -steering tie-rod and dropped steering arms fabricated -interior cut-outs mostly boxed in (where the frame rails pass through the sides of the interior) -flat firewall with U-shaped indent for distributor -steering box (Revell '55 chevy) added with wire steering shaft. It's going to need a u-joint and possibly a support block -rear suspension mocked up with rubber cement. Some of those links are going to have to be glued solid before painting, otherwise final assembly is going to be a gong show. It all wants to fall apart, all the time -probably going to drop the triple rochesters (?) from the Lindberg '34 pickup on top of the nailhead. I'm currently trying to kitbash some flame-arrestor style air cleaners or cal-custom style finned scoops (maybe by cutting the rounded ends off of some finned valve covers and using them as air cleaners...) -currently experimenting with copper wire for creating headers. Not happy with the pattern yet, will consult reference and try again. Getting the steering box, fan belt, lower radiator hose, radiator, tie rod, starter, and engine mount to all fit together has been difficult, but so far it seems to be working! There might even be room in there for a mechanical fan.

Awesome! I also like the color choice. That '30 couple looks great up there. I like the wheels on the COE too.

Yep, definitely use a respirator. You might think you don't smell anything, so you're OK...and then some hours later you'll blow your nose and the tissue will be tinted Ford Engine Green I have a fan on my spraybooth, but since I only have 1 of the extractor ports hooked up (didn't want to cut 2 holes in my wall) it doesn't move as much air as it could and I still notice some fumes escaping...so I always wear a respirator. The other thing that exposure to spray paint and other fumes can cause is chemical sensitivity--there are people who can't even use a spray can without their throats closing up (almost like an allergic reaction) because they spent years exposing themselves to the stuff and their bodies just can't take it any more. Happens with various types of glue, too.

These are great! I love the little realistic details, like the split fender on the '37.

I clicked on this thread expecting to see a '48 with the roof cut off. Instead, POW! Amazing kustom! Love it! The taillights are a bit much for my tastes, but it's awesome to see such a bold and carefully executed retro custom. Looks like something that could have been in the old model car mags of the 60s, but with a bit of a modern twist.

Nice save! I see a hint of Plymouth Valiant in the body sculpting on this design...and maybe a bit of Studebaker Avanti...It doesn't quite succeed though O.O Maybe someone should try to do an extreme customizing job on one of these and see if it can be made into something good-looking. A tall order!

I've realized I like sourcing parts, making lists of ideas, and cutting things up more than actually finishing builds. That stuff is just work! So now I have about a dozen builds on the go, maybe more. Let's see... -two builds painted, needing windows cut from clear plastic, and assembly -one build partially painted, needs masking and additional paintwork, foil, and assembly -one build with 95% of the mods done, needs paint, wiring and assembly -two builds with 80% of mods done, need primer, wiring, paint, and assembly -three long-term builds requiring a lot of scratchbuilding and head-scratching, I pull them out every few months and do a little work on each -two builds that I just started, mods are about %60 done, nothing primed or painted yet -two abandoned builds sitting in boxes. I might get back to them, but they're not priority. -one build that I started this weekend because I've been itching to cut the thing up for years and finally couldn't stand it. I'll get it roughed in, then put it back in the box for later. So if I buckle down and get some work done, I'll have 2 finished builds soon. A little more work, that's 3. The next batch will be the mostly-finished but un-painted builds, about 3 or 4 of those. Next, the long-term projects... It's clear when I look at this list that very little is actually getting done....but that's the ENTIRE POINT for me. It's playtime, and incredibly enjoyable. Love it.

Up to about 60-70 now, about a dozen glue-bombs, only about 5 finished builds. It's a good thing I can't afford more, or I'd have quadruple that amount!

Rob--those are 2 of my favorite Model A coupes. Richard--if you want more reference for your stude-powered roadster, there are tons of photos of the Tom Branch roadster online. '32 Ford body, Stude mill, backdraft carbs, stude wheel caps, harvest gold paint...very cool.

Cool stuff everyone! The rat rod trend might have peaked, but it's still going strong. Don't think I've shared this one here yet, finished it in 2010 or so.

I'm very excited. A while back I was analyzing leaked photos and thought maybe the top would be separate because I could see slight gaps near the base of the A pillars, but then...naww, they wouldn't bother with that, would they? Happy to see I was right! Now the aftermarket guys will be able to offer stock-height roof units, and it will be cheaper than ordering an entire resin body (I hope). It doesn't take much to patch in a rear crossmember from a Monogram '30 kit or Revell '29 PU. A number of kits feature quickchanges--the Orange Crate, Double Dragster, Double T, even the Paddy Wagon and Pie Wagon show rods have 'em. As for engines...the SBC doesn't exactly excite me, but it's acceptably period-correct and ubiquitous (so a no-brainer choice). My problem is I have too many engines that I want to put in this thing! Nailhead, Olds Rocket, Cadillac 331, '57 Chrysler hemi, studebaker V8, flathead...how about adapting that 6-71 to the top of the '50 Olds Rocket mill? Yow! How about adding fender aprons (but no fenders) from a '30 woody or even a Monogram '30 for that Pendine Sands/Race of Gentlemen look? Or dropping the body onto the Double Dragster fiat frame for a sweet Altered?

Haha, no kidding..."Rat Rod Project" usually means "here's my broken dream and $300 worth of garbage. I would like $4000 for it".

Indeed, Mexico absolutely has serious and pervasive corruption issues. That doesn't mean I'm gonna let Wally's off the hook!I wouldn't call Wal Mart "bad" (never did!) but they're like the proverbial 800 pound gorilla...they sit where they like. *shrug* makes me nervous. Even so, if there was a Wally's near me with amazing model kit selection, and super low prices....I'd probably give in to temptation, to the detriment of local hobby shops.

Hey Bernard, it's the other way 'round actually--I just started building it last week, after seeing your rat rod build and barn-find gasser and feeling like I should start something in that vein! It might end up being shiny...I'm kicking around the idea of maroon, burgundy, root beer, black cherry nail polish. We shall see....