tim boyd

Thanks everyone for your comments and feedback. Very much appreciated.... Luc....sorry we missed you today. And on a related note,the Three and Five Window Coupes NNL Nats Cult Theme was a great success. Images and Builder Names to be posted, probably tomorrow, in the "Contests and Shows' section of this forum. Don't miss it! TIM

On a related note, the Three and Five Window Coupes NNL Nats Cult Theme was a great success. Images and Builder Names to be posted, probably tomorrow, in the "Contests and Shows' section of this forum. Don't miss it! TIM

James...you bet I will....see you there? TIM

Mike - We most certainly do. While a fairly popular 1/1 scale combo, this one falls clearly apart from the "Traditional Hot Rod" design ethos. However, in 1/25th scale, it also provides for quick assembly (no mods required to the '30A Highboy chassis) - a key consideration for an under-two week design build timeframe. Those looking for a more "traditional hot rod" approach should look at the Ford Flathead V8's in other Revell kits (the '40 Ford Coupe and '48 Ford Chopped Custom Coupes are my favorite sources) and be prepared to make the driveline and frame modifications necessary to accommodate those engine/trans combos..... Best regards...TIM

...spent less than two weeks start to finish on this project, which of course is headed for the "Three and Five Window Coupes" Cult Theme at the NNL Nats this weekend. - Roof opening enlarged to original factory dimensions, with simulated (i.e., simplified vs. 1/1 scale) wood roof slats... - Factory stock style firewall just introduced by Norm Veber/Replicas and Miniatures ... - Flathead Ford V8 from the Revell '32 Ford Tudor kit of a few years back ....I realize the C4 auto tranny is NOT pure traditional hot rod fare, but this engine/tranny combo swaps into the Revell '30A Highboy frame without modifications (using the flathead engine mount crossmember from the Revell Tudor kit...) - Halibrand Quick Change out back using the Replicas and Miniatures Halibrand Quick Change resin offering combined with the outer legs of the Revell '30A kit rear axle (again, retaining the coil overs with a QC is not pure traditional hot rod fare, but the work involved in doing a Model A Spring and rear crossmember would have taken the project well beyond the "mild kitbash" design brief and two-week build window). - Paint is Testors Model Masters Lacquer 1968 Ford Thunderbird Light Diamond Green with a Tamiya flat clear overlay of the paint and the scallop decals from the Revell '30A kit. Powertrain, and interior colors, are also Tamiya "TS" paints. - Stock kit wheels and tires, with '41 Ford hubcaps added (from the stock version of the AMT-Ertl '41 Ford Woody) - another drop-in without mods. - Painted headlight buckets (vs. fully chromed in the kit)... I think that captures most of the info. Additional pictures at the link including engine/interior/rear end shots..... Thanks for looking....can't wait to see what you guys who are attending the NNL Nats have come up with for the Cult Theme....should be a rockin' time.....TIM

see it here instead......TIM

Spike...thanks for the idea....I did consider this too, but did not feel I could deliver it with quality or a believable appearance. Maybe with the next build? Appreciate the feedback....TIM

Almost done....just the exhaust tips and fabricating pipes between the headers and the mufflers to go....hiding behind those magnetic jig wheel blocks are '41 Ford hub caps on the kit's steelie wheels....and thanks for the feedback and comments, guys; very, very much appreciated. TIM UPDATE - project is now fully completed and posted at the "Under Glass" section of the forum....TB

Great work on this, Tim. The Bear Claw wheels are really interesting and impressive, and the attention to detail (e.g.. the body mods on this page of the thread) is very much admired by this builder/writer! Keep up the great work! Cheers....one of the other "Tims" on this Board!

Getting close to completion... Body with interior installed.... Hot rodded Ford Flathead V8 added to chassis along with Halibrand Quick Change out back.... Final assembly nearly complete....watch for more tomorrow.....TIM

Yes....the kit is not missing any parts. Those two parts fit directly to the cylinder heads (although the fit is not great, and needs some tweaking). I do think adding a vallley cover (from thin sheet styrene) would make for a better looking presentation. That's a great link, Keyser, truly a must for anyone building this kit. Wow......TIM

Fotki is up and running again this morning. Here's a slighty different view of the roof treatment.. The roof bows are wood coffee stir sticks, reduced to 1/2 the original width and notched to fit in the roof opening. The bows were treated to a Mahogany wood stain and a clear sealer (Testors Model Masters Gloss Clear spray). The roof opening, prior to the bows being added, was enlarged to better correspond to the opening on original 1/1 scale Model A sheet metal, including bringing the front edge of the opening all the way forward to the windshield bow. Thanks for the comments and feedback, everyone. Best.....TIM

The picture appears OK on my screen. But Fotki has been acting funny this evening, maybe that is causing a temporary problem? .....TIM

Richard...thanks for bringing this up as when I first thought about doing this, I was planning to carry it out exactly as you say. But I tend to follow a policy with most of my model car projects (except for the relatively few, gonzo "all out" projects) to concentrate on modifications that deliver 85% or more of the visual impact of "going all the way" for roughly 40-50% of the effort required to "go all the way". Adding those sections along the edges of the roof opening would have required probably twice the time that I spent on the crossmembers alone, and with a notable potential of a very compromised result (e.g., questionable visual quality /craftsmanship). I decided to pass. I realize that may be viewed as a cop-out by some Forum members, but with a project like this (that I am trying to complete within a couple of weeks, vs a couple of months or longer) it's a decision I'm very comfortable with. Nevertheless, I appreciate the feedback and comments! Cheers....TIM

Thanks Bill....those are great pictures. My own 1/1 scale reference photos were not consistent as to whether there were a total of five or six crossmembers. I cut and stained six of them, but went with only five tonight because six looked too cramped.... Of course, I made some compromises for simplicity in my version too....but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. TIM

Bob....it's basically two of the AMT Rayson-Craft/Hull Raiser kit trailers, joined just before and just behind the axles of the two trailers....including the axles and leaf springs with both of the sections that are joined together. I probably have photos of how I did it, but they'd be on my old computer....and that thing is so cranky these days it is hardly even usable. TIM

Here's one way to address it.....thanks for looking. TIM

Ron...thanks for the call out. Yeah, I too was as surprised as anybody by this kit. Great review Ron, and mandatory reading for anyone building the full detail kit. Thanks for taking the time to document and share your findings... Best..TIM

Andy...great choice of color and details for your project....it looks terrific! TIM

Three and Five Window Coupes, from the early 1920's to the 1954 model years. Traditional Hot Rods, Customs, restored stockers, Gassers, Street Rods, all genres welcome as long as they are in 1/24th or 1/25th scale. The "Cult Theme" table is at the far left of the NNL event, next to the magazine photo backdrops. New builds, old builds, restored builds, all welcome as well. We had over 100 models on the Cult Theme table last year.....hoping you can join us this year with your models..... Thanks....TIM

You know, three months ago I would have agreed with the statement that Round 2 will continue to be all about just reissues. But the all-new, FULL DETAIL '16 Camaro SS kit they've just released contradicts that statement big-time. Not only is it full detail, but it moves the game on in several areas for full-detail kits, in some ways, establishing a new benchmark for 1/25th scale full detail kits. If anyone doubts that statement, you may want to take a look at my full kit preview here.... As just one example, here's a copy of the instruction manual with just the first of 3 sections on how to assemble just the IRS suspension.... TIM

I completely agree with you on those recall wheels, Scott. When Revell's '69 Dart GTS kit came out, I built it with those MPC '69 ;cuda kit recall wheels. Some of you may remember that car from the cover of the other model car magazine, c. 1996 or thereabouts.....TIM

Scott...quite simply, the "five-spoke" type Mopar Road Wheel was never offered in a 15" diameter size from the factory. The only 15" type performance wheels from Mopar during that era were the 1970-73 15"x7" "Rallye" Wheels, the infamous "recall wheels" that were only offered on the first few weeks of production in the 1969 model year then promptly recalled, and a 15"x 6" steel wheel of similar componentry but different design that became available on the C-Body Mopars (such as the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst car) starting in 1970. So any '68 Hemi Road Runner with Road Wheels is not running factory original equipment. This "Magnum 500" wheel was offered across many car nameplates back then with minor differences in various sizes, and 15" versions are commonly offered in the aftermarket, so they are commonly seen in 15" sizes across many vehicles, including "day 2" style Hemi Mopars.... Also of note is that the '68 and prior Mopar 14"x 6" Road Wheel had a chrome rim, while the '69 and later 14" x 6" Road Wheel" design dropped the chrome ring and substituted a polished trim ring, still attractive but not nearly as eye-catching in my opinion Hope that helps....TB

More Spray can paint fades..... more.... Thanks for looking.....TIM

Engine to radiator clearance is a key issue in building this Revell series of kits. For those that are considering building the '30A Highboy Coupe with the Nailhead V8 from the '29A Roadster kit, it is a straight drop-in but you must use the center crossmember from the '29 A kit Highboy frame, not the center from the '30A coupe (which is designed to place the blown SBC in the proper place). Should you decide to use the '30A grille shell and radiator for your '30A Coupe Highboy build (instead of the '32 Deuce grill shell as shown in the instructions), you'll also find that the extra set of radiator hoses on the Highboy parts tree is a perfect fit from the Nailhead engine to the radiator. (Yes, it was engineered that way in advance). The radiator that works on this application is the one not mentioned in the '30A assembly guide (there are three radiators in the kit, the one for this application is the one not shown or listed on the assembly manual). Hope this helps....and oh, by the way, really nice work Luis! Cheers.....TIM