Bernard Kron

Looks like this is gonna be one sweet build...

Great sentiment, and beautifully designed and executed concepts, too. Looking forward to the other "moderns" as well.

Great so far but I would go for restoring the lost detail. Then it would be over-the-top!

Thanks for the description. I've done white decals by reversing the image and printing on the backing and then carefully cutting out the actual white part. Obviously this method works for individual numbers or characters, but not for whole character strings, words, or images. It also presents considerable challenges for small characters with blank centers (for example the numeral "8"). I'll definitely try your method in upcoming projects. Your tip regarding the touchup explains how you did it on metallic paint! A very crucial detail. Great job. Thanks again.

I said it elsewhere, but it bears repeating. The concept of a show/race car done in flats and metallics rather than the usual gloss and chrome is outstanding! The radical stance, bling-free w-motor and creamcicle flat orange paint look tough!

Excellent model and choice of subject. How did you do the white decals?

Thanx to everyone for the extremely kind comments. I'm glad you all like it and enjoyed the w.i.p.. ;) The pleasure was all mine, Jerry. Your participation added a whole new dimension to the build and helped me raise my game with this one. The Challenger seemed to be a very well received hot rod at the NNL. The classic proportions and striking red and aluminum color combo was hard to miss on the tables! I've got well over 300 pictures to sort through so I'll see what I have that's presentable in the next few days. I didn't know about it. Is there a website where I can get some info?

Nice one, Curt! This is the kinda stuff I just eat up at the NNL West. CU 2-morrow amigo! BTW, I was there in those years, too! I used to announce the bicycle race on Sunday morning (helped to keep the track clean, dontcha know...). It got me an all access pass. Awesome.

She's done and ready to head on out to the NNL West. Go to Under Glass here: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41463&st=0#entry431888 for tons of pictures! Thanx to everyone for following along and especially to Jerry for all the pictures, back stories and encouragement (I hope you dig it). B.

Here are some detail shots:

The Challenger '29 Ford A-V8 Highboy from the movie "Deuce of Spades" (More photos below) While watching the new hot rod movie Deuce of Spades my eye was drawn to the car driven by the antagonist in the movie, "Fresno", a striking bright red '29 Ford highboy '32 Ford rails with a bare aluminum grill. Once I saw it, I knew I had to build it. But I also realized this build would be no walk in the park since no kit exists that comes close. I would have to reach deep in my stash to get this one done. And as luck would have it the current owner of the car, Jerry Mull, got wind of my project (there are no secrets on the Internet) and provided me with extensive detail photos, the back story the filmmaker imagined for the car (Jerry worked on the picture) and constant encouragement. Thanks Jerry! So here are the details and lots of pictures. For the w.i.p. go here: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=39392. Thanx for lookin', B. Body: AMT '29 Ford Roadster with Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland resin hood and Revell '32 Ford grill shell. Louvers are Archer Fine Transfers resin 3D Surface Details AR88037 "O" scale 6 inch louvers. They are resin decals (http://www.archertransfers.com/AR88037.html). Photo-etch grill from Model Car Garage. Interior: Scratch built tuck 'n' roll based on AMT '29 Ford Roadster bucket. AMT '29 Ford Roadster dashboard, steering wheel and brake lever. Scratch built 8-ball shifter and accessory gauge panel. Chassis: Revell '32 Ford rails, front crossmember and floor pan, Early Years Resin rear crossmember, scratch built k-member and details. Scratch built driveshaft with Revell '32 Ford u-joints. Front suspension: ThePartsBox.com front axle, spring and front brakes. Scratch built steering system. Radius rods cut from AMT Ala-Kart front radius rods. Rear suspension: Halibrand quick change rear axle from Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland. Rear spring from Revell '30 Ford Sedan. Rear brakes from ThePartsBox.com. Radius rods cut from AMT Ala-Kart front radius rods. Wheels & Tires: Front wheels are AMT '40 Ford Sedan with baby moons from the same kit and Modelhaus 120C tires. Rear wheels are from ThePartsBox.com with AMT '40 Ford Sedan baby moons and tires from a Revell '58 Corvette kit. Motor & Transmission: Ford flathead V8 and transmission from a Revell '40 Ford standard kit. Evans heads from Model Car Garage. 3-pot manifold by Early Years Resin. Mallory "crab style" magneto, Stromberg carbs and air cleaners from Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland.

As I finish up final assembly I thought I would show some front end detail highlighting the completed engine, scratch built steering and photo-etch grill. With only the taillights, door handles and license plate left to go on, she'll be ready tomorrow for the trip to the NNL West. Thanx for lookin', B.

Loving every moment of this. So much to enjoy, so much to learn from.

Likewise. Nicely done, full of super details. I agree on the motor and the exhaust pipe idea is definitely worth stealing!

Thanx Mike! The past 10 days have been all about fabricating small parts in keeping with the replica nature of this build. Slow and tedious work, but satisfying to whatever degree the result resembles the 1:1. The interior is completed and installed. This includes the dashboard which is made from an AMT 29 Ford roadster kit dashboard with the windshield removed, the header rail foiled, the exterior edges finished in body color and the dash itself finished in semi-gloss black. I fabricated a replica of the combination hand fuel pump and gauge panel found on the 1:1. The steering wheel is larger and more old-fashioned than the modern wheel on the original and the car has three pedals instead of the two that the 1:1 with its automatic transmission has. This is all in keeping with the circa-1955 backdating of the model. Lastly, I made an 8-ball shift knob from a black plastic headed pin with a dot of white paint and a 5-point number 8 printed on decal paper before applying to the knob. The chassis is very near finished. All parts required have been fabricated and most of them installed. The entire steering mechanism was fabricated from styrene rod and tubing of various sizes with the exception of the tie-rod ends which were cut from the Ala-Kart tie rod found on the chrome tree of the AMT '29 Ford kit. The exhaust system was fabricated from styrene rod with mufflers from the Revell '32 Ford kits. Right now it's been left over-length and will be trimmed to fit during final assembly. The front and rear radius rods, cut from the front wishbone found in the AMT '29 Ford kit, will be installed during final assembly since they are fairly fragile. Front shocks and headlight brackets, as well as the driveshaft u-joints, are from the Revell '32 Ford kits. Rear tube shocks are from my parts box. The top side of the motor needs finishing, and a few more small parts have to be fabricated, mainly in the engine compartment, but I'm very close to final assembly. The front tires .from The Modelhaus were shipped yesterday so they should get here in time to make the NNL West show. I need to get this build done in the next week or so if I'm taking it with me… Thanx for lookin', B.

If he thinks there's a market in 1/8th then he's in for a pleasant surprise at 1/25th. Hopefully he'll master it separately at the smaller scale. In any case, count me in for sure!

Lovely paint and colors. Really suits the lines of the car. Great build!

FYI

Cost containment has done terrible things to automobile racing at the highest levels. The beauty and passion expressed in cars like this comes from a kind of creative imagination that was removed from Grand Am when they severely restricted the structure and aerodynamics of the cars, leading to those short, ugly, turret topped cars that all look the same despite the fact that technically underneath the various manufacturers have tried hard to gain advantage with details differences to their chassis. The concept of a universal engine supplier in F1 is absurd, although there was a defacto one for many years in the form of Cosworth and F1 did just fine. Still, legislating it would make F1 all too similar to what IndyCar has been for all too long. Thankfully, the trend seems to be reversing itself with IndyCar itself, starting in 2012, offering branded aero packages for its spec chassis and three engine suppliers. Grand Am "owns" some iconic American races (Daytona 24 hours, Watkins Glen) but has wasted them with a lazy approach to attracting a broad number of entries. Sadly, I suspect they have the same problem with NASCAR these days... At least the good folks at the ACO have fought the good fight and kept the flame burning for big time sportscar racing when most others had given up.

Absolutely beautiful. Great styling and colors, The overall look is so integrated I had to compare it to photos of the original and also go back to your w.i.p., all to remind myself of the special touches you did to get it to this point. The move from white to red and white two tone, the side pipes, the hood scoop, the lowered stance and the torq thrusts and pinners all really improve the look, making it less of a show car and, somehow, more "real". The exquisite detail doesn't hurt one bit, either. Thanx for a truly fine piece of work.

Bravo! Superb build! A very fine resto-mod, indeed.

Thanx Jerry! This is my first replica build and I must say it does present its ... challenges I thinks so. As I mentioned above the biggest issue at this point is whether I receive my Modelhaus T-120C tires in time. Other than that it's entirely up to me not to screw things up in the home stretch. 3 weeks to go to NNL West...

The paint is complete. Duplicolor Torch Red over Duplicolor white primer with two coats of Krylon clear over the top. This color is no longer available in rattle cans from either Duplicolor or PlastiKote. A real bummer for us non-airbrush types. This was my last can and I just made it with a tiny bit left over for touch ups if I need it. The rear deck louvers came out better than on my last build using Archer louvres decals, much crisper with better definition. I changed my technique, applying the louvers over the main color coat and then applying a thin final color coat over them. The photograph emphasizes the black of the louvers a bit more than in real life. They actually look more red than it shows with just enough dark bleed through to simulate the slits in the louvers. Because there are just three light coats of paint over the louvers they also sit on top of the surface a lot more. I redid some of the louvers and the paint on the hood and in these pictures the Metalizer hasn't been buffed out. Obviously, there is no kit for this model, and, because it's a replica build, almost everything has to be fabricated or modified. I had to make a new firewall from scratch to accommodate the flathead motor. I used the upper portion of the AMT kit firewall and some styrene sheet. I've also fabricated the steering arm on the front axle from .035" styrene rod and styrene sheet, along with a tie rod. I still have to find a steering box for it and haven't quite decided what to use for a steering wheel. Rear shocks will have to be fabricated and mounted, too. But the wheels are painted, the chassis largely complete and most of the interior done except for the dashboard and that unusual combined hand fuel pump and gauge panel. I think I have a shot at getting it done in time for NNL West on February 27th. The long pole in the tent is the front tires coming from Modelhaus. They should just get here in time… Hopefully next week I'll be able to show pictures of the car up on it wheel's (I've got blackwall front tires for fitting work). In the meantime… Thanx for lookin' B.

Thanx Luis. It's a cool flick, huh? I've got red paint on the on all the parts and I'm busy applying louvers to the rear deck (Archer louver decals which will be covered with a final coat of red). I hope to have some pics by week's end. 'Zat you in the passenger seat, Jerry?

IMHO, content in both publications is exceedingly thin. I regularly buy both at my LHS as a means of support of the hobby in general.