Bernard Kron

And the final two... Thanx for lookin', B. (10) '32 Ford Chopped & Channeled Lo-Boy Sedan (11) '32 Ford Channeled Roadster With Full Bellypan

And another three... (7) '59 Slingshot Dragster (8) '29 Ford Model A Dry Pre-war Lakes Roadster (9) '57 Thunderbird Custom

Three more of the eleven (4) '25 T AMT Parts Pack Altered (5) Fiat Altered (6) Barry Lobeck Style '32 Ford Highboy Roadster

Thanx to everyone here on the MCM board for making it such an enjoyable modeling year. Here's my lineup over the last twelve months. (1) '50 Ford Convertible Mild Custom (2) Chopped & Sectioned '40 Ford Coupe (3) '49 Merc Custom

Thanx Curt! This build is now offcially complete. Beauty shots and a full summary can be found here: http://www.modelcars...t=0#entry403628 . Thanx to everyone for following along! B.

32 Ford Roadster, channeled with full bellypan More pictures below Inspired by one of my all-time favorites, the Bob Longman channeled '32 Ford Roadster featured starting on page 28 of the July 1952 issue of Hop Up (or pg. 552 of Hop Up, The First 12 Issues). This Deuce roadster is based on the Revell Goodguys '32 Ford Roadster kit extensively modified as listed below. All parts are from the Revell kit unless otherwise noted. Body Modifications: Scratch built full bellypan Scratch built rolled rear pan Louvers from Revell '32 Ford Roadster side panels grafted to hood (special thanx to Ed Fluck for the how-to on doing this) Resin louvered deck from Drag City Castings Windshield chopped scale 3" Body channeled scale 5" over frame rails Model Car Garage p/e grill Grill supports made from music wire Interior: Scale 6" sectioned from side panels and seat bottom Dashboard with the cassette player and air-conditioning outlets replaced with blank panel. Photoetch instrument panel from Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland added AMT '49 Merc steering column and wheel Chassis: Scratch built chassis, rear end z'd scale 6" Front suspension lowered via suicide mount, three leaves removed from front spring Front suspension modified to accepted traditional style drag link steering Hairpins from Revell '32 Ford 5-window Resin drum brake backing plates from ThePartsBox.com Motor: Ford Flathead V8 from Revell '32 Ford Sedan kit with Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland Mallory "crab-style" magneto Wheels & Tires: Modelhaus T-640 18" Ford 8-spoke "Desert Wheels" (also known as Artillery, Divco or Milk Truck wheels) with 6.00.18 front tires and 8.00.18 rear tires. Paints: Body, bellypan and body parts: Duplicolor white primer, Tamiya TS-50 Mica Blue base coat and Tamiya TS-51 Racing Blue color coat, three coats Krylon Crystal Clear. Wheels, steering column and steering wheel rim: Testors Acryl Light Grey Interior: Testors Acryl British Crimson, Testors Acryl flat back, body color dashboard Motor: Tamiya Red acrylic with Testors Metalizer details. The full build-up can be found here: http://www.modelcars...40. Thanx to everyone for the kind words and advice! Thanx for lookin, B.

Thanx Danno. Unfortunately I have one last post before this goes Under Glass. At the very last minute this build decided to fight me big time. With only the windshield left to install I managed to put a big old glue spot on the passenger side door and then went on to fail to notice it long enough for it to eat through down to the primer. After an initial futile attempt at a repair I landed up having to completely repaint the body! I also managed to break the front axle in the process. So I just tore down the whole build, stripped the old paint off and started over. The only good thing is all the sub assemblies came apart intact and I didn't have to do anything but reinstall them. So here are 3 pics to wrap things up: A front suspension detail and a coupla teasers with a holiday vibe. More formal shots Under Glass tomorrow. Thanx for lookin', B.

This is a sign that Ed Roth did and sold as a decal: It's from this website which has a large variety of contingency decals and other classic hot rod graphics. http://www.cartype.c...decals__emblems They also have an incredible collection of oil company and gas station signs and logos ( http://www.cartype.com/list/84/gas_stations ) as well as automobile logos and hood ornaments ( http://www.cartype.com/list/83/emblems_by_brand ; http://www.cartype.com/list/154/hood_ornaments_by_brand ). Not much humorous stuff but lotsa very cool graphics for decals, dioramas and so forth.

That's right, no website. Although I believe it's a false economy. Here are some links of photo pages various modelers have put up to show some of Norm's pieces. You should know that it would be prohibitive to show pictures of the literally hundreds of items in Norm's catalog. http://public.fotki....casminiatureof/ http://public.fotki....cas_and_miniat/ http://public.fotki....cas_and_miniat/

Thanx Raul! Actually, compared to the Longman roadster which was my inspiration, this one has pretty generous ground clearance. When they took 'em down low back in the day, they made sure they were good 'n' looooowwww... (and no airbags either). The Revell '32 kit roadster has so much that's right about it, but there's also so much that's so dated and so, I don't know, late-80, early 90's about it! Things like the caseette deck and air conditioning outlets in the dashboard, the funky (and thick) single rod brace (I actually can't recall seeing one like that on a 1:1), the Ford Motorsports valve covers and transmission pan cover on the small block Ford engine, and the dreaded airbags (what was that about????). Slowly with each successive variation they have addressed ar least some of these, ,but mostly by introducing optional parts. Now if they would just introduce an optional gas pedal (or is it clutch pedal - you pick it). Oh well, for Old Skool modelers like me it's just another challenge to be overcome...

Thanx guys! I continue to be surprised that the stance has survived through all the fabrication work, suspension tweaks and general b.s. And the hood came out OK, too! To say that I'm relieved on both counts would be an understatement! So as soon as I got the front panels installed I grabbed some quick photos. Also below is a picture of the completed engine compartment. The hood sides are glued in place. This means the the complete engine will never be seen again, but it's the only way to be absolutely sure of a proper hood fit that I've been able to come up with. I think this may be the last in-progress update before it shows up as Under Glass. Zillions of fiddly bits left to do but none of them of particular interest, so thanks for following along. This has been great fun for me. I hope you all enjoyed it, too. B.

Superb design enhancements add character to the original. And ,great model building to boot. Bravo! :lol:

It's finally back up on its wheels. This time in paint. The stance has survived with just the right amount of rake. The overall proportions of the car are starting to emerge and the chopped windshield appears to be about right. I didn't mention it in my last post, but from the side view you can see where the roll on the top of the seat back has been adjusted to sit above the rear deck line, an old-school touch I've always wanted to do on a Deuce. The motor is completed and installed. It's the kit flathead from the Revell '32 Sedan with the addition of a very cool Mallory "Crab" style magneto from Replicas & Miniatures Co. of Maryland. The front suspension is also installed. Again from the Revell '32 kits but this time with the cross steering removed and a flat plate idler arm fabricated. The tie rod passes through the belly pan. A chrome plated Pitman arm and drag link will be mounted next, along with hairpin radius rods at the front. As in the Longman car the rear control arms are hidden inside the bellypan. Exhaust pipes adapted from the Revell Deuce kits exit at the rear. Front bodywork, grill, lights, glass, steering wheel are all on deck and waiting for final installation. Can't be long now… Thanx for lookin', B.

Very nicely done adaptation of the Revell roadster kit. I particularly like the windshield and the cutaways on the hood side panels.

Thanx Kopperkart! Progress remains slow but steady. The paint has been polished and the firewall installed. I chopped about 3 scale inches out of the windshield. And lastly, with the exception of the steering wheel and column (I plan to use a late 40's or early 50's style wheel with a chrome horn wring and a column shifter), the interior is done. It's the stock kit interior sectioned about 6 scale inches with a similar amount removed from the seat bottom. The color is Testors Acryl British Crimson to simulate red leatherette. The kit dashboard (the one with the cassette player and air-conditioning outlets!) has had the center removed and a blank panel glued in place. The instrument panel is a p/e piece from Replicas & Miniatures of Maryland. There are still quite a few details to attend to such as fabricating front shock and headlight brackets, creating an exhaust system exiting from the bellypan, and finishing up small parts for the engine compartment such as a coil and a fuel block. But final assembly can't be too far away now. Thanx for lookin', B.

Thanx Raul! The hood came out pretty good, as I hoped it would Ed Fluck at Drag City Castings is making up an aftermarket resin piece that will match the Revell '32 Roadster hood side. It will be patterned after mine. He does beautiful work. I should be getting some from him in a few weeks. I'm saving some paint for that one when it gets here. In the meantime this one will serve as I finish up this build. I can't believe someone hasn't offered this before! It's a natural and will save an awful lot of work. Ed already does a repop of the louvered Deuce deck which I've used on this build and I'm trying to talk him into offering the true highboy style side panels in blank and stock louvered patterns as well. Only the Roadster kit comes with the straight lower edge needed for a proper fit amd it only offers the hot rod style louvers.

Currently working its way to completion: Channeled Deuce roadster with bellypan. (Click on picture for larger image) Started and most likely next on deck: Fresno's '29 Ford highboy roadster from Deuce of Spades (Click on picture for larger image) .Right behind it (already started): Chopped '37 Chevy coupe 40's style custom. (Click on picture for larger image) Started and on my list for completion prior to next year's NNL West (Feb. 26. 2011):: The Studeliner Potvin-blown Hemi powered '53 Studebaker Bonnevile streamliner . Clarkson, Ledbetter & Friend Ardun powered, T-bodied, competition roadster (Click on picture for larger image) Others started(*) and/or slated for later in 2011: Chopped '40 Ford Coupe for Jairus Watson Artwork Challenge *Flip nosed '55 Chevy 2-door street gasser. *Late 40's style Belly tank (probably V8-60 powered) Chopped '34 Ford 5-window coupe - Full fendered Chopped '34 Ford 5-window coupe - Highboy, 50's style modified coupe *'27 T Lo-Boy Roadster - 50's style show rod Chopped and channeled '32 Ford 5-window *'Chopped 32 Ford Sedan Highboy *Suede '50 Ford Mild Custom Coupe *'50 Ford Coupe Competition Road Racer 2 Rail Dragsters out of the AMT Double Dragster tin for 4 builds total from one kit! *Chopped '50 Ford Pickup

I'm slowly making headway on this project. The body, bellypan and body parts are painted; primer is Duplicolor white, with Tamiya TS-50 Mica Blue base coat and Tamiya TS-51 Racing Blue color coat. The photos show the raw paint. I'll wait a few days to wet sand the color coat and then clear. The wheels are Modelhaus T-640 "milk truck" wheels finished in Testors Acryl Light Grey with Testors Burnt Metal Metalizer on the wheel nuts and hub. The motor is the Ford Flathead V8 from the Revell '32 Ford Sedan kit finished in Tamiya Red acrylic with Testors Aluminum Plate Metalizer on the heads and manifold. I have to finish up the motor then move on to the interior and then final assembly. Cold weather and snow and the distraction of another build I just started are really slowing the roll on this one, but I think that now that it's in color I can focus and get 'er done… Thanx for lookin' B.

Oustanding proportions and stance. Lowering the hood was really inspired. And big improvement on the injector horns and roll bar. Can't wait to see more!

Or alternately IMHO = In My Humble Opinion...

This is superb so far. The detailing on the blower bolts and the drive belts is ultra real and outstanding! This kit looks so much better "de-blinged" IMHO. I did exactly the same thing to one about a year ago (you can see it here if you're interested - http://www.modelcars...=1 ). I did the body in simple gray primer with just some contingency decals on either side of the door and used the p/e grill from the SWC kit (along with the interior panels from that kit to tone down the "billet" look). What are your plans for paint and interior?

Beautiful work. Very clean and very creative.

This about sums up my experience. Typically I wait a day before buffing and the Metalizer holds up extremely well. I use a soft cotton cloth or facial tissue for buffing. If you let the Metalizer dry thoroughly I have found that you can buff fairly agressively to get a very high shine. I generally apply my Metalizers over primer (usually various shades of Duplicolor) for 2 reasons: 1) It provides some tooth so that the Metalizer (once it's dried properly) holds up well; 2) I use the various shades to control subtle variations in the final shade of metalizer. Not mentioned so far is that I quite often will use Metalizers directly out of the jar with a brush (even though they say airbrush only) for small parts and detail work. It should be applied smoothly and sparingly to avoid buildup and brush marks. If you wait 5-10 minutes or so between coats you can build up a decent layer. Properly dried it is extremely effective. I use virtually every shade of Metalizer in both spray cans and jars for one purpose or another. Over time and with much handling they all will gradually rub off so once they're applied I tend to avoid handling whenever possible. I quite often will apply a second coat which helps with this issue. I never apply a clear coat of any kind if I want the Metalizer effect. I agree than many of the non-buffable colors buff up quite nicely. I swear by the stuff and Testors makes a lot off me every year with this particular line of paints. I especially like the air of realism it lends my projects. Here's are some pictures of the motor and chassis from the Revell Willys Street Rod which I completely stripped of chrome and detailed in Metalizers which shows what I like about these paints:

Thanks for re-discovering this. I stepped away from it when the L.A.D.S. challenge ended. I revisited it briefly last spring and got some bodywork done, including (much to my amazement) the rear fairing for the parachute.. There's a ton left to do, beginning with coming up with a proper set of injectors and making a decent aluminum fairing behind the engine (which would take car of the engine height at the same time). At the time, last year, this was definitely a case of biting off more than I could chew. But with another dozen or so completed builds under my belt since then, and hopefully a bit more skill and confidence, I've been thinking of getting back to it, with an eye towards finishing it in time for the 2011 NNL West. I have a couple of other builds in line at the moment but it's definitely on my mind. I haven't built a race car in several months and I miss it...

Great minds, Dan.... I reviewed the Archer louvers here: http://www.modelcars...=1 . I used them on my Barry Lobeck style Deuce Roadster. See Post # 12 on my Workbench thread: http://www.modelcars...=1 . The Archer louvers are much shallower and less acgessive than the Revell louvers. It means I would have to make smoothed highboy type hood sides (like the louvered panels that come only in the Revell Highboy '32 Ford Roadster kit which have a straight lower edge and are meant to conform to the frame rails vs. the smooth panels that come in all the other Revell Deuce kits which have a curved lower edge to conform to the fenders), and then apply loiuvers to the smooth rear deck and to the smoothed side panels in order for them all to match, and they would still lack the look I'm after. And, despite my travails, it would be far more work (with far more likely to go wrong) than attempting a Revell louvered hood. The Archers are very nice in their way, but much more subtle and delicate. I think they should only be used by themselves since they don't really match anythjing in styrene. I have written to Archer asking about making true 1/24-1/25 scale louvers with more height to them. They replied that for now it's beyond the abilities of the technology they are using. We all know, and I'm sure they do too. that they would sell a boatload of them if they ever did once the word got out!