Bernard Kron

I remember the w.i.p. on this and I must say I learned a lot from it. I'm definitely gonna redo the top on my merc, as well as the fadeaway. Super colors, real nice extensions of the front and overall a home run. I hope you enjoyed customizing 'cause you definitely have a nack for it!

I made some more progress. I got the rear end lowered to the proper stance and settled in to the whitewalls and sombreros. Next up is deciding on which skirts to use. I modified the long skirts from the ’49 Merc kit by shortening them a bit and scooping out the leading edge. (These should really bug you, Raul, but they came in the parts box you sent me last year so it's your fault... ) They make the car look a little less “mild†in the customizing department. The kit skirts are the classic 50’s basic skirts that could be ordered with the car or easily purchased from JC Whitney or the like. They detract less from the basic lines of the car and blend in more. Which way should I go? Hmmmm…. Opinions welcome.

No, no, the Mercedes back end would have been real sweet at the time. Obviously the grille treatment 300SL style must have been speaking to you... It all works well with the fine sectioning job you did. You can always cop out and make it a convertible. It's really quite well proportioned. I'm trying to decide if I will french the headlights. I have to find a way to either keep or replace the chrome in the headlight buckets. I also wouldn't mind keeping a chrome ring inside the molded area... I'll have to think about that some more... B.

You should finish it, it looks great!!! I was considering doing the same thing but settled on keeping the wrap around turn signals to echoe the shape of the bumperettes, much as they do the bumpers on the original. But for "C-49" discussed above, which I'm thinking may be totally bumperless, the tight contained look you got would be quite appropriate. Hmmmm.... Could you tell me a little about what was involved in frenching the headlights? What were you planning on using for headlight rings and/or buckets? Thanx! B.

Thanx for the very helpful comments, guys! You really got my juices flowing regarding a contemporary build. So much so that it’s actually helped me clarify things regarding this Traditional build. First of all, I’ve decided I am picking up another kit forthwith to begin a parallel Contemporary build! As I work through the Traditional build I’ll trial fit various aspects of the Contemporary one making decisions as I go. For starters the hubcap thing has solved itself. The sombreros from the Revellogram ’49 Merc fit the tires I’d like to use on the Traditional build (T-49 from here on out) perfectly. They look great and I have them, so that’s that. (click on picture for larger image) Secondly, I looked over the kit OHV V8 and it’s apparently a Cadillac and really quite well detailed. It’s appropriate, comes with a nice set of triple carbs and period air cleaner, well engraved valve covers, and nice front accessory drive detailing. Again, I know it’ll fit “no stories†so I think I’m all set there. Next, the rear suspension: I’m sticking with the semi-elliptic leaf springs from the kit for T-49. I’ve already cut the leaf springs free and will make some lowering blocks today. It’s simple, period appropriate, and in keeping with the theme of the build. But I did test fit the Revell ’32 Ford kit rear end and boy it’s amazing! It fits perfectly. It does slam the back end down pretty severely but that’s something I’ll deal with it when I get to the “C-49â€. I also tried out the ’32 kit wheels and tires. The look is just what I had in mind so, again, that’s what I’ll use. It will probably mean some work in the rear end, probably tubbing the rear frame area to allow for the wider rear tires. But I’m settling on a kind of modern, “engineered†road car vibe for C-49 so the rear end Raul suggested, along with the kit tires and wheels, are just what I want. As a result I’ve settled on the Ford modular DOHC V8 from the AMT Phantom Vicky kit, which it looks like Raul used as well. It’s gonna be pretty daunting coming up with an engine compartment on the same level as Raul’s, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come it. All this frees me up to keep T-49 on the straight and narrow: a simple no nonsense period mild custom.

This is going to be a very striking custom when you're done. Going back a few steps, how did you louver the hood?

My LHS, a mild custom and here's the workbench link: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19876

I’ve sometimes wondered why Ford cars have been so dominant in the world of rods and customs, at least through the mid 50’s when Chevrolet began giving the nameplate a run for its money. The conclusion I came to was partially because of the shear number of cars produced and Ford’s dominant position in sales until the postwar era. The V8 probably didn’t hurt either. But the another important factor was the incredible consistency and quality of design that Ford had during the pre-war and early postwar period. Among the great Ford designs was the first “pontoon bodied†model, the ’49 Ford. It’s incredible simplicity and purity of line has meant that it’s become an amazing blank slate for everything from competition cars to ratted out rust buckets to full-on chopped, sectioned and channeled customs. The recent re-release of the AMT ’49 Ford coupe kit has served to remind me of this great design. I decided that I wanted to create a cleaned up and focused version of the basic design, using classic customizing techniques such as shaving, molding and lowering and build a mild custom version. The idea I had was to conserve the iconic grille while simplifying and eliminating much of the heavy chrome on the front end. Using the rolled pan and bumperettes that came with the kit, here’s what I came up with: Next came trying out the kit’s lowered front suspension setup. There is no lowered version of the rear suspension. The front end seems to come down just about right so the wheels tuck up into the wheel wells quite nicely. But the car has a decided rake to it, even when the front and rear tires are the same size. Here are 4 shots, with and without the kit’s fender skirts, raked and leveled. I rather like the raked version without skirts. It’s very fresh and modern looking to my eye. I think of it in terms of modern mag wheels and blackwall tires with a big contemporary mill under the hood. But when I started this project I thought in terms of a more traditional build so, for this go-round, I’ve settled on a simple mild custom lowered all around with rear skirts and whitewalls. It will be very simple, perhaps with the side trim conserved, although nosed and decked with rolled pans front and rear. So, next is lowering the rear end and settling on a powerplant. I also have to decide on an interior treatment. The wheels are also an issue. I’m thinking something like Sombreros or Lancers. Sombreros I’ve got, Lancers I ain’t got… Later I’ll build another version with the same grille treatment but with a modern high performance vibe, raked with open fender wells, etc. For now it’s Old Skool for me… Thanx for lookin’. B.

You got that right! I'd better get going on setting up my workspace up so I can buy more kits!!!

As we all know too well, “stuff†is always welcome, no matter how “stuffed†we all are already!. For myself things are still pretty primitive as the pics below will show. The “workbench†is the family room table and a tool box full of paints, tools, adhesives, brushes, etc., etc. The “paintbooth†is the garden shed where the dehydrator has been exiled to avoid stinking up the house. And the stash of kits, which seems to be growing steadily, especially when I go to model shows, is in the laundry/utility room. But by the time you find just the right house I’ll have boxed up most my collection of over 1100 vinyl LP’s and converted a corner of my office/studio into an official workbench, and, other than the dehydrator, everything will be consolidated in one space. Still no room for a paint booth, though… So fire away, Mr. Banes, even though I’m only about 50% of the way through what you sent me already! But anything I can do to make your’s a successful transition to a wonderful new home, well… So keep on laughin’ and lookin’ ‘til you find the perfect one. There’s probably no better time to trade houses after 20 years in the same one, I would think. Good luck! And thanx!!! My state-of-the-art modeling workbench. My state-of-the-art painting facility. (Typically sunny and warm spring day in the Pacific Northwest ensures optimum results) My massive model stash conveniently located for whenever the creative whim strikes me. Future modeling space.

A really nice, no b.s. Old Skool build. You nailed the box art absolutely and I agree that that is no doubt how AMT intended it. Verrrry cool!

Thanx Don! Right back at ya, man! The Lady Luck '34 5-window and the Care Package were pivotal at the time. Not only did the CP give me the parts I needed (to build the Nailhead digger I had going) but both were just what I needed for the inspiration to Keep On Buildin'. More to come for sure! The camaraderie and generosity in our hobby is awesome and drives all of us to greater self expression and excellence with every build, I'm sure. B.

East Coast baby, yeah!!! Re: the grill shell - Replicas & Miniatures makes a lovely 2" chop shell with p/e grill that would work. Also ditto Model Car Garage in a 6" version. It would save massive amounts of work & look great. One thing to worry about, though, and that's the actual shape of the grille shell and the mating to the hood. But with your bodywork chops maybe that's not such a big deal... Can;t wait to see more!

Yet another variation! Keep almost everything you've got, but don't chop the grill quite so much so the valence of the shell shows below the axle line. It looks KILLER in 3/4 view. See?: (My chop may be slightly milder than yours, which may argue for the in between approach)

Thanx Chuck (I think)... It's those massive Streamline fenders and the hunkered down stance from 6 inches of lowering that creates the effect. Even though there's a fair amount of air between the bodywork and the ground, the center cross-members are very close to the ground to clear that big mill and tranny... I also had to lift the exhaust header tips a bit for the same reason. The original kit is set up for a high-nosed gasser.

Super sweet, super clean build. You really sweated the details to get this done your way and it shows. Very nice stance and the suspension updates make the chassis really pop. Two thumbs up!

Thanx for the kind comments, everyone. For me modeling is all about capturing the vibe so I’m pleased that this build “connectsâ€. Thanx John! Right about now the learning curve is very steep, but in a good way. So you never know what I might do next! … Seems like every build has at least 2-3 things that are new to me, at least this time around. But I’m really enjoying the ride! This is my first full-fendered completion – everything else done up to now was either fenderless or had little cycle fenders. But I’m still building decidedly Old School and in a relatively “realist†mode (yeah, yeah, then there was the Tube Rat…). Thanx for the props, Dennis. This just seemed like the natural thing to do to this quintessential Streamline body. Plus I get to keep the headlights for another build down the road! Too bad I used the stock front semi-elliptics – I was really tempted to convert the thing to a transverse leaf front end and squirrel them away for a pre-war lakes modified. But the East Coast gasser dudes running this car hadn’t done it, so I didn’t either!

Cool car, cool driver and verrrry cool PS work. This box art is gonna sell more than a few models kits, I'm sure.

Lookin' gorgeously, meticulously realer than real, Dennis! You've nailed the period vibe perfectly! More, more, more... !!! B.

I got to see the "shorty" '59 "in the flesh" last Saturday at the Pacific Northwest Model Car Fest NNL. It was even better than the pictures show. And now the "stretch" version is well on its way to being its equal. Dave, you really have "the eye" - these marriages of old and new really work! The interior on this one is truly inspired. Dave, thanx for sharing your time with me last weekend. I learned a lot! I can't wait to see more of this build and, of course, the Corvette on the cover of the July MCM (it's gonna be a killer). B.

On the home stretch, I crashed and burned last Friday night as I attempted to blast my way through the decals, only to realize I had nowhere near enough setting solution to tackle this huge job. Not only did I not have enough setting solution but my printer driver decided to bug out on me so that I couldn’t have printed more decals if I wanted to. I was attempting to get the build done in time for the Pacific Northwest Model Fest and NNL in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, April 18th. Silly wabbitt… Things never go right when you rush them! So the '37 went South to the PNW NNL as a W.I.P. sans engine or decals. After getting the printer up and running and securing an ample supply of magic liquids I was able to wrap this baby up. Not surprisingly, the real battle was with the decals. When you make your own not only do you have to print them properly and treat them with the right thickness of decal film liquid, but you have to watch out for a myriad of other things that can go wrong, such as making sure you application brushes for the decal film and decal set are scrupulously clean, checking to make sure that your decals are scaled correctly for the car, checking to see that placement is not only true and square, but the same on both sides of the car, etc. While many of these things are common to pre-made decals, there’s something about having designed and made your own that makes these issues even more important. I think I probably went through the equivalent of two sets of decals before everything was right, making mistakes in everything from size to print quality, to application screw ups before getting everything on! Even though the body design masks it somewhat, the car sits very low to the ground so that the exhaust manifolds needed to be reworked , having been originally designed for the nose-up gasser version of this model. The windows are all covered in yellow tinted plexiglass, made from Plastruct fluorescent yellow sheet. In the chassis shot, the dark surface is Revell Gunmetal Metallizer applied with a brush. It makes a very convincing undercoating. The shot with the digger represents the two models I’ve been able to build from the care package that Don Banes sent me a year ago. I still have the AMT Parts Pack he sent me which should be good for at least 3-5 more builds I’m sure. Here’s a link to the Under Glass post of the completed model: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.p...c=19749&hl= (Click on picture for larger image)

Early 60’s style ’37 Chevy Salt Lake Coupe (More picture below) I started building car models again after a very long hiatus in the Fall of 2007. As a result I had no parts stash at all. A new modeling friend on the Model Cars Magazine board, Don Banes, took pity on me the following spring and sent me a care package. I have promised myself that I’ll build as many models as I can from what he sent me. I’ve built two cars so far from what he sent me, this one and an early 60’s bare bones FED with Nailhead power completed last fall. I should be able to get at least 3-4 more models out what he sent me! Amazingly generous of him, I thought at the time. But I was to learn that such generosity is typical of our wonderful hobby. In any case, this is a “tribute†build for Don. The “DB Automotive†is for Don Banes. The idea behind the build was to imagine what an East Coast gasser from the early 60’s would be like if the owners converted it to run at Bonneville. Thanx Don, I hope you like it! The class and period are largely determined by the original kit. It was important that I use as much of the kit as possible - a kind of Modified Out-Of-The-Box build. And yet I wanted it to be something different than the kit. The decal scheme is sort of a greeting card to Don. The tires were given to me by Raul Perez. He sanded them to look like lakes tires. The hub caps are Moon discs from The Parts Box in Australia. Other than that the large main decals are home made and the little sponsor decals are from various Slixx Nostalgia Drags sheets. The chassis has been lowered approx. 6 scale inches front and rear. The kit manifolds have been slightly reworked to allow for the lowered ride height. All the trim and drip rails have been removed. The window glass is Plastruct fluorescent yellow sheet. The paint is Tamiya T-56 Bright Orange over Duplicolor white primer. The white panels are the primer sealed under 4 coats of Duplicolor clear. The break lines between the two colors are set off in Pactra gold trim tape. The Workbench W.I.P. can be found here" http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19747 Thanx for lookin’

With the suspension modified and the stance and wheel location corrected and the interior completed, the decals have been designed and are ready to print. They were designed by working directly in Photoshop, designing them and then mocking them up on pictures of the car. Below you’ll see a couple of those mockup pictures along with a copy of the decal sheet art. I usually make multiples of each decal to allow for the inevitable screw ups. The engine is nearly complete, as well, but I can’t work with the big gasser headers from the kit until near final assembly to check for ground clearance, etc. (Click on picture for larger image)

Based on the AMT ’37 Chevy gasser coupe kit, I’m building this as a Bonneville salt lake car. The class and period are largely determined by the original kit. When I first started to build model cars again in the fall of 2007 I sent a PM out to Don Banes about his sweet “Lady Luck†32 Ford 5-window he had posted. He replied and in the ensuing e-mail interchange he eventually landed up sending me a care package of parts and kits since I had virtually no stash at the time. Amazingly generous of him, I thought at the time. But I was to learn that such generosity is typical of our wonderful hobby. I'm building this as a tribute/thank you to Don. It's important that I use as much of the kit as possible - a kind of Modified Out-Of-The-Box build. And yet I wanted it to be something different than the kit. The decal scheme is sort of a greeting card to Don. Thanx again, Don, I hope you like it! Obviously I want this to be a surprise for Don (I hope he sees it!) so I’m posting the whole W.I.P. at once. If you can follow along through the whole thing, thanx in advance for lookin’!!! It's obviously a C Supercharged Coupe of some sort and, judging from the roll bar and various other details, it's early to mid 60's, just like the kit... In my mind's eye I imagined an East Coast gasser (again, like the kit) converted to salt lakes duty for the trek west to the holy site. The body has had all the trim and extraneous details removed (running boards, headlights, drip rails, windshield wipers, vent windows, etc.). I’m using the blank grille panel from the kit and the clear “custom†hood which I’ll paint. The aluminum Moon discs are from The Parts Box in Australia and the tires are sanded out AMT tires that Raul Perez gave me a last year. Power is from the blown Chevy from the kit. After removing all the trim I assembled the chassis and body with the stock suspension to check out the modifications I’ll need to do to the stance. Here are views of the stock mock up: (click on picture for larger image) Using Photoshop I lowered the nose a lot and the rear end a bit less to get the stance I want: (click on picture for larger image) Then I mocked up the two-tone orange and cream paint scheme I want to use to emphasize the car’s “streamline†body design. I’ll add decals with race numbers, sponsor, equipment decals, etc. at the end. (click on picture for larger image) Next I got most of the interior bits and engine done. But, as you can see, the chassis still needs more adjusting. It sits low enough but the front axle is too far forward and the rear axle is too far back! As result the front fenders don’t settle down onto the frame rails properly. Paint is Tamiya TS56 Bright Orange over Duplicolor white primer, some Pactra gold trim tape, and the whole thing buried under Duplicolor clear (two coats so far, with at least two more to go). More work on the chassis and, the weather gods permitting, more clear. I still have to design decals for it, so that’s why there are some shots of the bare body. I generally will Photoshop some decal schemes onto some body shots like this to test out my ideas. (Click on picture for larger image)

Nice build. They really have captured that lovely shape.