Bernard Kron

Thanx guys. On to the '34 Ford lakes style roadster that will be its companion (which, of course won't be posted here in Truck purgatory - not a big fan of subdividing things into subject categories...). Shooting for the NNL West on Feb 14th. Yikes!

’40 Ford Sedan Delivery Shop Truck This is part of a set I’m building consisting of a ’34 Ford Roadster dry lakes car, shop truck and trailer, all done in matching colors and in the style of the late ‘40’s or early 50’s. This is based on the AMT ’40 Ford sedan delivery kit. Precision Porting and Machining is a fictitious firm from the period offering a cost effective alternative to more expensive cast aluminum heads. Precision were expert at filling and reshaping the combustion chambers of stock cast iron heads to yield big torque and power increases, equal to the best of finned aluminum heads. Their secret was they possessed a flow bench and new how to use it. They painted their heads bright red so you new you were running them. They marketed them under the PowerFlow name. The model is largely built out of the box with the following changes: Motor: Kit stock flathead with Revell Goodguys ’40 Ford twin carburetors and manifold. Tires: Modelhaus T120C front tires and Modelhaus T180C rear tires. Paint and Graphics : Home made decals, DupliColor Wimbledon White and DupliColor Deep Jewel Green Metallic. Thanx for lookin’, B.

Yes I did. It's a great insight into how the object was constructed.

Superb. The build thread is inspirational - it gives an appreciation for the discipline you applied to getting the sequence of construction right, painting and detailing each subassembly in its own right and then completing the project with with an immaculate final assembly. The result is this fine model. It's amazing to consider that the 1:1 was constructed in 1963. It set the agenda for showrods for a generation. What creative geniuses were Tognotti and Winfield! Will you be at this year's NNL West with it?

Thanx for posting the 3D PDF. A little exploration around its various dusplay modes was very instructive.

Back in the day model customizing knew no limits! Brilliant!

Very nice indeed! The charisma of these historical subjects, so often only available in 1/43rd, tempts me into building in these smaller scales.

I just have to join the chorus. Exquisite! It makes me want to teach myself to work in metal in order to expand my horizons.

This was my earlier point about the chance to begin a "Mk. II" iteration of this venerable series. My guess is that this version will show strong initial sales (as it already seems to be doing) but sales will soften quickly. It's not a Dan Fink Speedwagon, it renews the roadster body form afterall, but it seems to have been the victim of a lot of conceptual infighting - the chance to add details from the 1:1 that would have created a heightened level of excitement in the marketplace has been missed. After all, just how many Rat Roaster replicas are out there to build? And even at that level the kit may prove to be a disappointment, given that many of the details are handled via the decal sheet. Can you say "cost control"?

Thanx! I’ve been plugging away at this one and in the throes of final assembly. Here are some pics of the interior and motor before they disappear into the bodywork as well as some shots of the grill area and decals. I’m hoping to have this done in the next day or two so I can move on to it’s two other companion pieces, the ’34 Ford dry lakes style highboy roadster and a trailer to haul it. I’ve received the plastic stock I needed for the trailer. Still shooting for the NNL west in 3 weeks… Thanx for lookin’, B.

Thanx! This is invaluable to assess the kit. I'll receive mine in the next couple of days amd this will give me a hedz up on what to expect. Great pictures!

Sign me up, Bill. I don't mind building my own stuff, but parts beat labor every time! Also on my list for the Revell Deuce series. per my post over on TRaK are the following: 1) Louvered Hood to match the Revell louvered trunk from the 5 window. (The trunk lid is also available in resin from Ed @ Drag City) 2) The Rat Roaster reportedly doesn't come with hood sides so it;s time to re-pop louvered hood sides from the original roadster. These hood sides have straight lower edge for a proper fit up against the chassis rails. 3) Re-pops of the stock and smooth hood sides but with the straight lower edge for a proper highboy fit. 4) Limefire, ramhorn and high-performance tubular header sets for the SBC in the Rat Roaster, 5) A proper old school tuck and roll interior with a 40's/early 50's large bolster across the bench seat's back. 6) An up-top! Finally, note that Ron Royston over at Early Years Resin offers a conversion pack for the Revell Deuce rear end (see http://earlyyearsresin.webs.com/accessories.htm): `32 Frame Conversion Kit --#CCK32 - Converts `32 Revell Street Rod frame For use with Flathead & stock running gear. Kit has 2 rear spring cross members, Motor mount adapter and engine cover with mounts

Very well put, and worth a comment... Modeling is frequently about the iconography of the idiom we are modeling. A Deuce without an available small block Chevy is an incredible omission in capturing the iconography of the Deuce hot rod itself. Having to wait until in for the Revell Deuce Tudor 1/25th scale for a flathead and until the Rat Roaster for an SBC is one reason I have a stash of Revell 40 Fords and old Parts Pac SBC's. I have no doub t Revell is aware that serious modeelrs will purchase more kits in order to achieve the desired result (the 1/8th scale Deuce is near perfect in adressing all these issues and should have simply been shrunken and offered as-is), But for those of us who enjoy the "look and feel" of a period Deuce waiting 10 years or more for this was absurd and intolerable, if not outright boorish on Revell's part. Unfortunately the Rat Roaster is more of the same. I'm not trying to be a purist here, just pointing out that Revell continues to miss the boat on an enormously popular trend in contemporary rodding, ome that has been around for 20 years or more by now. No quarrel with Roth cars as the epitomy of 60's show cars. His talent, originality and vision are undeniable, But I hardly think the Rat Roaster in the current era, even to contemporary eyes, is what the Beatnik Bandit was to those who experienced it then. I would look elsewhere for talent and inspiration in today's rodding world. The dropped I beam is avalable right now from ThePartsBox.com. Recently they improved it by adding a metal rod to keep the resin piece from sagging under the weight of the model. Product ID: 1137 Axle pack (I-beam wild drop) Product ID: 2296 Axle (I - beam mild drop) Product ID: 2297 Axle and spring (wild drop) Product ID: 2298 Axle ( I - beam wild drop)

Thanx Brett! I'm not surprised by your report. Unfortunately it means that this continues the Mk. I versions of the Deuces beginning with the Dan Fink car, rather than initiating a Mk. II series with significant basic changes. The front wheels are good news, the new motor a continuation of the alternate motor strategy (the lack of a second motor, the all too familiar Ford small block won't be missed by me, at least). The firewall is a welcome feature, as are the front fenders and the bobbed rears (I assume they are separate) and the chopped windshield is a labor saver for those of us who have chopped their own and introduces a changed look for those who haven't. A second source for correct length chromed hairpins is also a good thing. And of course, the roadster is back in production! I think this will be a popular kit but, from the perspective of a "new beginning", it is a real let down in my book. As far as the general market is concerned I think this leaves the door wide open for a proper old school Deuce from a competitor. The Stacey David car is in questionable taste, IMHO, and will age poorly. The Rodder’s Journal style traditional rod, with a buggy spring rear end, I-Beam front end, proper tuck 'n' roll interior, up top, and fully louvered hood set has tremendous appeal in today's marketplace. In the era of premium superbly detailed new kits from the likes of Moebius, I'm certain that, even at a Japanese kit price point, such a kit would be enormously successful, the shortfall of the Stacey David car only emphasizing the point. However, I'd be very surprised if such an offering ever appeared. I guess I'll be continuing to buy plenty of Revell '29 Ford RPU's in the future...

That's Pete Chapouris' "Limefire" from 1987. It was named one of the 75 most significant Deuce's on the 75th Anniversary of the '32 Ford in 2007. The Rat Roaster will get you surprisingly close to the 1:1. The interior is bare metal with a tuck and roll black bench seat and of course you'll have to fab the signature lakes style exhaust on the SBC and modify the hood side panels. The exhausts were so well remarked by contemporaries when the car was first shown that this style of exhausts has come to be known as "Limefires"!

Glad to see something from your bench once again. For those of us addicted to period style and the joy of chassis building your stuff is always worth waiting for. This is no exception. Cool!!

Niko, the progress you are making as a modeler on every front, from concepts to technical execution, is impressive! This project shows it on all fronts. I'm really enjoying following this! Keep it goin'!

Love the true-to-period restyle. The Porsche (?) windscreen is the keystone element with the graphics cementing the deal. Big thumbzupz!

The high beltline and overly busy surface development are derivative and imitative of too many other cars. IMHO, this will be one of Corvette's lesser designs. It will age poorly, much as I think the C5 has done, although for quite different reasons. The C7 seems to be in the business of quoting too many current designs while the C5 took "long, low and smooth" to an almost charicature-like degree. Having said that, one thing about contemporary designs is that they almost invariably look better "in the metal" than in photographs. The extraordinary beauty of the Aston Martin line, for example, is almost impossible to capture in two dimensions - the near perfect proportional balance is totally missing from photographs. The stunning simplicity and purity of the Lamborghini Gallardo could only be appreciated when one experienced its compact efficiency in 1:1. The "overly busy surface development" of the C7 is aping, among others, recent Ferrari designs, as well as the current Camaros and Vipers. In the case of the Ferraris, at least, the surface cuts and folds work far better when seen in full scale and 3D than in press pictures. So I'll reserve final judgment until I seem one on the street, but in the meantime I confess I'm disappointed...

Thanx Harry. They are water slide decals. They are made by Archer Fine Transfers under their 3D Surface Details line. They really are 3D, rising above the body surface. They are part of an extensive lines of rivets, weld beads, casting symbols, ttread plates, and much more, aimed at the railroading, military and aircraft modeling markets. Unfortunately this means that many of them are far too small for even the smaller automotive scales. The technology used is resin printing on a waterslide substrate. I use item # AR88037 O-scale 6" Wide Louvers (see http://www.archertransfers.com/AR88037.html ) which equates to approximately 3" louvers in 1/24 or 1/25 scales. They have two limitations based on my experience. Firstly, they are relatively shallow, on par with some of the louvers Monogram used to cast into the surface of some of its 1/24th scale models (i.e. the '32 Ford Roadster and the '37 Ford Tudor Sedan). This means that if you paint over them you can risk filling them with paint. Secondly, they are only cast in black. Combined with their shallowness, this means they can "disappear" somewhat when using them with dark colors. I have developed various techniques to get the best results I can from them. First of all, I never paint multiple coats over them. Generally I just apply them at the end of my build, as I did here, and use decal solvent to melt them down into the paint substrate. They respond very well to this and it's the approach Archer themselves recommend. Alternately, I will apply a light dusting of color coat and then clear in some cases where the black color of the louvers is just too strong. Here are a couple of additional examples on a '29 Ford Roadster I did a couple of years back: Over Testors Metalizer Aluminum Plate with a light finish dusting: Over Duplicolor lacquer with a light color coat and two coats of Duplicolor Clear: I've been in touch with Archer suggesting to them that there would be an enormous market in the vehicle modeling sector if they made larger scale louvers, rivets, etc. that sat taller above the surface. They replied that they were aware of this but that unfortunately the limitations of the printing technology currently prohobits it. In the meantime I "pick my battles" with them and it permits me to do things relatively easily that I might not be able to do otherwise. (I need to get back to Archer and suggest a white or silver color for darker surfaces...). Incidently, Curt Raitz did a gorgeous 1/24th scale Bugatti "Tank" a couple of years back using Archer rivets to great effect:

Thanx! As referred to above, the spiders are Modelhaus items. They are part # W-180 listed under Wheels/wheel backs as described here: http://www.modelhaus.com/index.php?c=0&p=67801

Here are some additional detail shots:

60’s Style ’51 Chevrolet Hardtop Customized Street Rod Based on the AMT ’51 Chevrolet Hardtop kit with the following changes: Bodywork: Nosed, decked, and shaved. The stock grille is modified by removing the upper trim piece. The edge of the hood and fender corners have been molded as a result. The rear wheel openings have been radiused Archer 3D resin transfer louvers on the hood. Revell '49 Merc front bumper. Chassis: Front lowered using kit lowering kingpins. Rear raised using kit shackles. Motor: Revell Parts Pak Chevy Small Block with ramhorn exhausts from my parts box. Side pipe exhausts fabricated from aluminum tubing. Wheels and tires: Kit front wheels, rear deep dish steelies from Modelhaus. Modelhaus chrome spiders. Modelhaus T-120 from tires and Modelhaus T-140 rear slicks. Interior: Stock kit interior with rear seat deleted, AMT ’49 Ford bucket seats in the front. Finished in Testors Acryl Gunmetal and British Crimson. Paint: DupliColor Gunmetal Metallic and Testors Revving Red Metallic. Thanx for lookin’, B.

Thanx for starting this thread and thanx to all who have participated for their intelligent comments thus far. Like all technologies, 3D printing started with its limitations quite apparent and has gradually addressed and resolved them. I'm sure this will continue and the technology will deliver hansomely on its promise. NormL, your discussion underscores two themes which have been with us in the world of plastic kit auto modeling at least for the last 50 years, fidelity of function and fidelity of representation. Of the two, fidelity of representation has invariably won out over fidelity of function. One of the first things most plastic kit scale modelers abandaon, generally with little or no regret, is rolling wheels, even though almost all kits try to accomodate this. Other functional details which are almost always ingnored are things like opening doors, trunk lids, etc. More advanced modelers enjoy adding them to models but most modelers rarely if ever complain that kits are missing these features. Yet other functional details like working headlamps, sprung suspension, and even "steerable" or "posable" wheels are hardly missed at all. On the other hand, fine, thin body panels are appreciated, as are sharp crisp edges, and strong, well engineered joints. So "concessions" which put structural integrity, ease of assembly and proportional accuracy over functional detail pretty much rule the day in the world of scale automobile modeling. The major limitation of 3D printing as of as recently as a year ago was, as I understood it, printing resolution and how it affected surface smoothness and porosity and fineness of detail in very small parts. 1/25 and 1/24 scale result in very small parts so coarse media and printing resolution was, and may still be, a real "deal breaker" in our world. Is that still the case or are affordable high resolution printing and superfine media merging now as a real possibility? Your comments anout the porosity issue of your 1:1 parts for your Atom were very revealing in this regard. Thanx again. I will be following this discussion closely.

This is part of what I hope will be a 3-piece set I’ll get done in time for this year’s NNL west in mid-February. It’s a ’34 Ford Roadster highboy done in early postwar dry lakes style. It’s based on a resin body done by Chuck Mier, proprietor of Altered Sates Models (http://www.alteredstatesmodels.com/ ). Oddly, it’s not offered on the Altered States web site. Chuck has recently begun selling his wares on eBay under the name “oldmandowntheroad” and besides many of the items from his web site he’s offering some pieces I’ve never seen before. This is one of them: As you can see it includes a one piece hood and grill unit, something I didn’t want to include in my build. The body is designed to fit the AMT ’34 Ford 5-window kit. As usual with Altered Sates stuff, the resin is smooth, bubble free and relatively thin and styrene-like. Fit to the AMT kit is near perfect. For my version I wanted to build a classic highboy lowered slightly front and rear. It will have a postwar style hopped up flathead and the paint scheme will match the ’40 Ford Sedan Delivery shop truck I’ve already started (Wimbledon White and Dark Jade Green Metallic). The frame rails and fender well panels and the upper part of the body will be Dark Jade Green Metallic. The filled front fender well panels, incidentally, are courtesy of Ed Fluck at Drag City Casting (see http://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/member_dealer_directory/drag-city-casting-/ ). Like Chuck’s stuff, Ed’s resin pieces are flawless and fit perfectly (the gunk in the picture is rubber cement used for the mockup). At the front I’m using a dropped front axle from the various Monogram/Revell ’37 Ford kits with a little bit of the stock front cross member shaved away. At the rear I z’d the frame to tuck the frame ends inside the body. I also trimmed the rear fender liners slightly at the back and made a small roll pan from styrene stock. The result is a conservative lowering job typical of the lakes cars of the late 40’s. The quick-change is from a Revell Tony Nancy Double Dragster kit and the axles bells are AMT ’25 T pieces with the AMT ’34 Ford brake plates and rear spring. The tires are the ones I’ll be using, Modelhaus T110’s at the front and T180’s at the rear. I haven’t settled on wheel treatment yet. I’ll have to build a custom trailer for the setup and that is most likely the part of this project I may not complete in time for the NNL. In that case I’ll put a push board on the shop truck and display the two pieces as a set that way. Thanx for lookin’, B.