Rocking Rodney Rat

It's the last Monday of the year. That's worth celebrating, isn't it? Here's the seven builds I completed this year.... -RRR

Ya can't go wrong with a Cammer. Sweet! -RRR

Thanks, I guess..... -RRR

I had kinda forgotten about this build....I had better get going on something!!! -RRR

Very little orange peel, it's supposed to 'self-leveling'. The pix here are one coat, no buffing or polishing. I'm sure if I could be bothered to do some of that, it would be very smooth. -RRR

Yeah, I know. I tried it. Not that easy..... -RRR

One thing that has ALWAAYS bugged me about the original '32 frame is that at on the back of the frame rails, one side is thinner than the other. (see CabDrivers side by side frame pic above). When building a fenderless version it's noticeable. I add a piece of sheet styrene and widen that thinner rail to match the other side. Just one of those things most won't notice, but has always messed with my feng shui. That has been fixed with the new roadster but then one has to fill in the exhaust notch in the rails... -RRR

Not to be splitting hares, but isn't the definition of a shooting brake having two doors not four? Could be different definition over on the other side of the pond. There's lots of those Bentley, Rolls and Aston Martin SUVs around here (not to mention the Italians, Lambo, Ferrari). -RRR

All good, fits build perfectly.... -RRR

The body is the Rat Roaster body with cowl indents to fit the chopped stock style windshield. Interior and dash from the 'new' roadster (based off of the Rat Roaster kit). Other components (frame and fenders) from other '32 kits (they should all be the same from all of the previous versions, 3W, 5W, sedan, speedwagon etc.). Hood and grill shell from the 'new' roadster and stock style hood sides from another '32 kit. A true Heinz-57! -RRR

Have you tried a 3W or 5W floorpan (with integrated rear panel)?

Yup, yup, yup. I love those old Revell parts packs.... Just my kinda build, using some old parts combined with just the right combo of other newer parts all put together in a straightforward and fairly simple style. It just goes to show a build doesn't have to be super complex, loaded with every PE lever, nut and bolt in place to have 'the look'.... Awesome! P.S. I spy the Greer, Black, Prudhomme yellow dragster on your shelf. That's on my bucket list of builds...-RRR

Looking forward to seeing more now that you have some more fenders? -RRR

Thanks, Jason. I had to add length to the hood AND the hood sides (not a fault of the hood being short). I think it's just an inevitability of mixing parts from the various Revell '32 series. Frame from the new roadster, body from 3 window kit, original grill shell on new roadster frame. I didn't really spend any time trying to figure out where the discrepancy is, 3 window cowl shorter than the roadster cowl might be it? I still think it's amazing how well mix n match parts do fit together. I will definitely be using more of the hoods I received and I have given one to KK for a planned build of his. -RRR

Sweet '29..... -RRR

What a fabulous collection of builds. Beautiful work as always. I love the tanker, 20 MPH Club, perfect! Happy Holidays! -RRR

Super clean build. Beautiful paint! -RRR

I apply the polyurethane with an airbrush. It's enamel, so it will not craze decals, as lacquer frequently will. A few words of caution, as an enamel, you can not paint over it with lacquer, unless you like crazing, not usually desirous. I have found that if I tape over the polyurethane, the paint will pull the polyurethane off. This is the can. I buy the small 8 oz. can. It will usually dry up before I can use it all. Lowe's have it, I don't think Home Depot does. Works for me..... -RRR

With advent of the new Revell roadster (based off of the Rat Roaster) and new parts, there are even more more options for kitbashing with the series of kits. Revell has been very consistent with sizing over each variation of the iconic 1932 Ford (90 years old this year!!!) which allows an limitless variety of parts mixing and matching. Of particular interest in the new roadster are the Limefire style headers. I originally chopped this body when it first came out in the mid 90s. The build hasn't fared so well over the years with a couple of moves and all. I found it in a box recently and was pleasantly surprised how well the chop was done, so I decided to strip the paint and incorporate it into a new build. -Body: Revell 1932 Ford Coupe, chopped -Hood sides are 3-row louvers with the bottom row shaved off and a slot cut for the headers (from several versions of the Revell '32 kits). Louvered hood is a resin item from Jason Lookabill (very cool). I did have to add 0.040" to the length of the hood and sides for a proper fit. -Frame: from the new roadster kit, with kits' 9" rear end, front axle is the I-beam from the Revel Model A series of kits. -Engine: SBC from the new roadster with a 2x3 manifold and Rochester 2C carbs from the Revell Model A series. Spark Arrestor air filters from Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland. -Interior: resin tuck n' roll from Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland. Stock 3W dash. -Tires from Modelhaus, wheels are AMT from the parts box. -Paint is Tamiya TS-60 Pearl Green with MinWax polyurethane clear, black accent color. -A few other odds and ends and bit of pieces added to the mix...... More pix and build-up pix here: https://public.fotki.com/jferren/32-three-window-coupe-/ Thanks for checking it out..... -RRR

Rear suspension is the same as all of the other iterations of the Revell '32 series.... -RRR

They're all like this. I think that if you can get the glass glued in securely, it should straighten out the windshield frame. I've been pondering this and I'm thinking some epoxy, carefully applied around the perimeter of the frame (a very small amount of glue on a pin) and then being clamped in, the glass should straighten it out. The trick will be to figure out how to clamp the glass to the frame without scratching the glass and smearing gloo all over it. Anyone else have some ideas???? -RRR

Thanks, Craig. It's interesting that Revell has kept the parts between the various versions of the kits very close in tolerances. My current project (and hoping to be done this weekend???) includes the new frame and a 3 window body and interior. The interior floorpan holes and the tabs on the frame assembly line up perfectly. I did find that I had to add 0.040" to the length of the hood and sides. I am using the original grill shell, is the new grill shell a bit wider? I haven't measured. With this project I'm using the new roadster body and interior and old frame. The body, hood/sides and grill shell (new one) fit perfectly together. However, when the tabs on the grill shell are inserted into the slots on the front crossmember of the frame, there is about a 0.040" gap between the rear wheel wells and the fenders. The interior lines up perfectly with the tabs on the older frame. so it goes.... -RRR

KK did an in-depth study/measurement of the original roadster body and did determine that side to side proportions were off. I though pix were posted on our fotki page but I didn't find them. I too recall the fenders not fitting the old roadster body.... -RRR

The passenger side seemed a bit wider of a gap but I didn't take a pic and I blew apart the mockup. I will shoot a pic when I mockup again. -RRR

I know it's done quite frequently. I would imagine it offers additional structural rigidity in the frame when adding horsepower. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/35-40-ford-x-member-in-1932-rails.1197970/ Perhaps our resident hot rodder Dennis Lacy could offer some illumination on this swap? -RRR